Ride with Motorcycle Classics as we explore California’s glorious North Coast and fabled gold country. Organized by veteran motorcycle touring company Himalayan Roadrunners, Ltd., the tour will encompass seven days of scenic riding, taking in major points of interest including Point Reyes Station light house, the Avenue of the Giants, the Marble Mountain Wilderness Area, Klamath National Forest, Lassen Volcanic Park, Napa Valley, Nevada City, Grass Valley, and more. Better yet, Dubbelju Motorcycle Rentals will supply the bikes, with new Triumph Bonnevilles the featured ride.
Ever since we started Motorcycle Classics in 2005, we’ve wanted to organize our own tour, getting friends and fans of the magazine together for a few days of fellowship on the open road. As anyone who’s ever tried to organize a tour knows, it’s easier said than done. So when we discovered the folks at Himalayan Roadrunners, an outfit with years of experience taking riders through far-off and exotic locals throughout Tibet, Thailand and Cambodia, among other places, were organizing their “Northern California – Edge of the West” tour, with new Triumph Bonnevilles from Dubbelju Motorcycle Rentals as the featured mount, we knew we’d found our ride.
Scheduled for May 21-29, 2009, the tour will include two days in San Francisco (the first and last days), and seven days on the road. We don’t have a mileage count yet, but given the itinerary, we’d expect to ride about 900 miles, which should make for a pretty relaxed and informative ride, since we won’t have to hustle like mad to make our daily end stops.
This should be an incredible, stress-free opportunity to explore California’s North Coast and fabled gold country, with plenty of opportunities for good eating and no worries about where you’re going to spend the night. And if you opt to rent a new Triumph Bonneville from Dubbelju, you won’t have to wonder what happens if your bike breaks down. For one thing, it won’t, as the new Triumph’s are incredibly reliable, and better yet, Motorcycle Classics readers will get a 20 percent discount on their Triumph rental from Dubbelju Motorcycle Rentals as part of the tour package.
The tour will cost $2,795 riding your own bike, and $3,595 if you opt for one of Dubbelju’s Triumphs. Passengers are $1,495, and you’ll want to add $495 if you want your own room during the tour. Otherwise you’ll share a room with a tour participant. Dubbelju also rents helmets, bags, riding gear, pretty much anything you might need if you don’t want to lug your own gear to California, all of which you can find on the Dubbelju website.
We only have space for eight riders as part of the Motorcycle Classics contingent, so make plans now to join us for an unforgettable week of great riding along California’s North Coast. It’s guaranteed to be one of the great rides of the year. — Richard Backus