The Aerostich factory on 18th Avenue West was originally a candy factory.Today the sweet stuff is created solely for motorcyclists.
To tell the story of the legendary Aerostich riding suit is to tell a story about America. The dream of it, but also the tenacity required to navigate its possibilities. Because running a successful small business in America these days demands more than a clear vision and hard work. It requires staying power.
Native Duluthian Andy Goldfine was committed to the dream of creating a small business long before he knew what product or service he might offer. Separately, the concept of a lightweight, armored, easy-to-use coverall to wear over clothes as one commuted to and from their job was born from a personal wish to own such an item. These two ambitions merged when Goldfine conjured the first Roadcrafter one-piece riding suit back in 1983.
Andy Goldfine’s intention to supply motorcyclists with high-quality, handcrafted apparel and useful kit has never wavered.
What Schott is to leather and Belstaff is to waxed cotton, Aerostich is to synthetic-fiber textiles used to create durable, high-performance motorcycle gear. The world is overflowing with it now, but back in the early ’80s, people weren’t talking about things like breathability or tensile strength or viscoelastic foam armor. Cordura and Gore-Tex were still exotic. And so, without any kind of roadmap, Goldfine created a totally new type of riding gear, and boy, did that suit show us what our leather gear was missing.
The Aerostich building in Duluth is no factory, instead feeling more like an artist’s enclave where the skilled craftspeople combine forces to create exceptionally high-quality riding gear. It’s cool to see, and all visitors who happen by are welcome to a tour. For me, it made my connection to my latest Roadcrafter suit so much more significant, having watched in person the craftspeople who handwrite their signatures inside each suit.
I (literally) stepped into my first Roadcrafter back in 1986 when Goldfine was visiting the Rider offices in California, and I have been living in these suits ever since. Like so many motojournalists of that era, I found the Roadcrafter wasn’t just the gold standard for commuting, it was also magic for sportbike riding and touring. Newer designs (R-3 Darien and AD1) from the Aerostich factory in Duluth might be just as popular these days, but when I last visited the shop I was hunting for a new Roadcrafter Classic two-piece to fit my now middle-aged bod.
The original Roadcrafter Classic, handcrafted in Duluth, has been refined over the years, yet remains totally recognizable.
It was my first time in Goldfine’s very Minnesotan three-story brick building – a former candy factory – and it was obvious right away this is a cool place for bikers to chill. After I was fitted for my new suit, I got a tour of the different floors and stations where skilled craftsmen and craftswomen, a fair number of riders among them, cut and assemble the various fabric into “kits,” which are then handed over to expert sewers and finally seam-taping machine operators before each garment is inspected and prepared to meet its new owner.
The handcrafting of the suits is enjoyable to watch, especially since everyone working here – some who have been with Goldfine for decades – seems to enjoy their craft.
But one of the things I leave most impressed by is how fiercely this operation works to remain “Made in the USA.” For example, Goldfine explains that, due to current trade policies, the tariff on bringing in fabric from Asia is about twice as high as the tariff for bringing in completed riding gear. “It’s as if the USA doesn’t want commercial/industrial sewing activity done in this country,” he told me.
Supply chain issues caused by Covid have only deepened the challenge. Yet Goldfine remains true to his standards, a rare example of an apparel manufacturer uneasy with the lure of inexpensive offshore production, even as many consumers take the bait, sometimes unwittingly trading quality for low prices on everyday goods.
While the riding suits remain the pillar of Aerostich offerings, Goldfine has created and collected a dangerously desirable array of complementary apparel items, accessories, and equipment to make riding “easier, safer, and more comfortable.” It might be a heated mid-layer, a unique tool, perfect-fitting earplugs, stink-resistant socks, or a new tent you didn’t know you needed until you saw it on the website or in that cherished catalog that occasionally shows up in the mail.
And while he finds satisfaction in his artful curation of products and the affirmation of Aerostich loyalists, Goldfine’s core intention isn’t driven by being fashionable or even making money. His deeper motivation is about promoting the physical, psychological, and societal benefits of riding motorcycles every day. It’s why he created Ride to Work Day, to remind us of the Rx effect of being on the motorcycle, even for a short “useful” ride each day. He believes riding makes us “better-functioning, calmer, clearer” people and also brings economic, environmental, and congestion-lessening benefits to our communities.
It’s with these big thoughts in mind that I step into my fresh Roadcrafter a week later. How the heck can a riding suit feel like home? This one does. No matter what newfangled riding apparel comes into my life to be tested, it’s the all-American Aerostich that endures.
Episode 34 of the Rider Magazine Insider Podcast is brought to you by Fly Racing. Our guest is Cat MacLeod, the man behind Leod Escapes “Track and Tour” motorcycle tours, which combine track days at MotoGP circuits with multi-day scenic sport tours in Italy, Spain, Germany, Australia, and other destinations. Leod Escapes is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2022. We talk about what makes Track and Tours unique, what makes for a successful tour, and what tours are available this year. Cat’s an interesting guy who has turned his passions for track riding and foreign travel into a business. Other than professional racers, not many people can say they’ve ridden on 10 MotoGP tracks like Cat has. You can find Leod Escapes’ 2022 Track and Tour calendar at leodescapes.com. You can aslo read our review of a Leod Escapes tour in Italy that included a track day at Mugello.
You can listen to Episode 33 on iTunes, Spotify, and SoundCloud, or via the Rider Magazine Insider webpage. Please subscribe, leave us a 5-star rating, and tell your friends! Scroll down for a list of previous episodes.
The Petersen Automotive Museum‘s latest exhibit will feature a multitude of the most innovative electric motorcycles ever made by cutting-edge designers. Opening to the public on April 14, 2022, in the Richard Varner Family Gallery, the unique “Electric Revolutionaries” collection is an exclusive look at the ground-breaking creations of the visionaries at the forefront of the ever-expanding electric motorcycle industry.
Highlights of the new exhibition include “KillaJoule,” the land speed racer that made Eva Hakansson the fastest woman on an electric motorcycle with a run of 240.7 mph. Built by Hakansson and her husband at home and with a limited budget, “KillaJoule” is the fastest sidecar streamliner ever, regardless of engine type.
Walt Siegl’s “RONTU”
On the slower side of the spectrum are the innovative solar-powered “Solar Scooter” and “Solar Rickshaw” created by Samuel Aboagye. The Ghanaian teenager constructed both using only salvaged, discarded and recycled materials that he could source for free. Making its worldwide debut will be the intricately designed and exquisitely crafted “The One” by Curtiss Motors. Conceptualized by JT Nesbitt, “The One” features a retro-futuristic design and quality of construction usually only found on hypercars.
“The One” by Curtiss Motors
A follow-up to the Petersen Museum’s popular first-ever electric motorcycle exhibit, “Electric Revolution” in 2019, the new display features over 25 unique custom electric motorcycles guest curated by Motor/Cycle Arts Foundation Co-Founder Paul D’Orléans.
“I’m super excited to assemble this wildly diverse collection of EV pioneers. ‘Electric Revolutionaries’ really does represent the range of interest in an electric future, from a humble teen in Ghana making EVs from scrap, to genius artisans building conceptual and boundary-pushing designs, to speed demons and global superstar designers interested in pushing mobility into the green zone,” said d’Orleans. “Electric Revolutionaries” is produced by the Motor/Cycle Arts Foundation and Sasha Tcherevkoff with support from LiveWire.
“It is incredible how far electric motorcycles have come in the short time from our first exhibit in 2019,” said Petersen Automotive Museum Executive Director Terry L. Karges. “This new display gives a unique and close-up look at the innovative machines and the creators behind them pushing the boundaries of motorcycle electrification and design. The detail, level of craftsmanship, and unorthodox thinking behind these electric motorcycles make them must-sees.”
Other notable electric motorcycles on display include Joey Ruiter’s “NOMOTO,” which camouflages as utilitarian street furniture and his geometric “Moto Undone” concept. Also part of the exhibit is famed motorcycle designer Walt Siegl’s ultra-minimalist “RONTU” that uses carbon fiber, aluminum, and a lack of body panels to help weigh a scant 100 lbs. Hugo Eccles’ avant-garde and award-winning “XP Zero,” a radical reinterpretation of a production Zero SR/F into a futuristic cafe racer, is also among the extensive collection of unique and innovative electric motorcycles.
To purchase tickets or for more information about the Petersen Automotive Museum, please visit Petersen.org.
Looking down on the road that brought us up to Col du Galibier, an 8,668-foot pass in the French Alps just west of the Italian border. On Day 8 we summited many alpine passes that challenge competitors in the Tour de France bicycle race.
Sunshine, wine, good food, and savoir vivre (knowing how to live) – these are just a few reasons why the Côte d’Azur and the Provence region of southern France are so captivating. But for motorcyclists, the real draw of this region near the western border of northern Italy are the roads threaded throughout the Maritime Alps. The Edelweiss Bike Travel Best of Southern France Tour gives motorcyclists a taste of the good life in this enchanting part of Europe.
Riding high above the Gorges de la Nesque on one of its many “balcony” roads carved into the canyon walls.
The tour begins and ends in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, a medieval village tucked into the mountains with views of the picturesque Mediterranean coast. The town is not far from iconic French Riviera cities like Cannes and Nice (which has the closest major airport), as well as the casinos and Formula 1 course in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
The tour covers approximately 1,300 miles over nine days, with a rest day in Mostuéjouls. A wide range of motorcycles are available for this tour, from small bikes like the BMW G 310 R to mid-sized bikes like the Honda NC750X and Ducati Monster 821 to liter-class bikes like the Suzuki V-Strom 1050XT, BMW R 1250 GS/RT, and Harley-Davidson Pan America. Prices start at $6,550 and vary based on choice of motorcycle and single vs. double room. Lodging and most meals are included as part of the tour price.
A pair of sportbikers make the climb to an alpine pass on a perfect riding day.
Like so many cities, towns, and villages in southern France, Saint-Paul-de-Vence is full of history and character. The picturesque walled city was initially a fortified medieval defense post and played a significant role in the French Revolution. For centuries it has been a lodestone for tourists, travelers, and artisans, as well as a significant center for the Impressionist and Expressionist art movements of the 20th century. Recently it was home to, and is the final resting place of, modern artist Marc Chagall, who bequeathed to the city some of his most significant works.
Part of what draws one here is the magical blend of tranquility and brilliance. For artists it’s the light, for others it’s the mild climate and rustic setting. For many it is simply the nearness and yet quiet respite from the hustle and bustle of France’s more famous Mediterranean cities.
Col du Galibier is one of several alpine passes we summited on Day 8.
Seven guests have arrived, coming from the United States, Brazil, and Germany, and all have chosen to ride adventure bikes: BMW R 1250 GSs and S 1000 XRs and a KTM 1290 Super Adventure. The bikes are parked next to the pool, ready to ride. For all but two of the tour participants, this is their first time in this region. For some, this is their first time in France. The evening before the tour we met for a briefing, followed by camaraderie over a delicious meal of good wine and poisson à la provençale. Marlene and Klaus, a couple from Germany, received a special recognition for having completed many Edelweiss tours already.
On our first riding day, from Saint-Paul-de-Vence to Saint-Michel-l’Observatoire, we visited Gorges du Verdon, one of the most iconic canyon landscapes in Europe. The limestone walls, which are thousands of feet high, attract many rock climbers.
Day 2: Saint-Paul-de-Vence to Saint-Michel-l’Observatoire
Our day begins with a nip in the air and long shadows stretching across the lawn. There’s not a cloud in the sky, yet the sweltering heat of summer is behind us and it’s a pleasure to don some warmer riding gear for a picture-perfect autumn day. It’s in the mid-40s now, but by the afternoon it will be in the mid-60s. Our route takes us along the Gorges du Loup, to the medieval walled city of Gourdon, and ultimately the spectacular Gorges du Verdon – one of the most iconic canyon landscapes in Europe. Moustiers-Sainte-Marie is our last stop of the day, right at the foot of an ancient monastery, for a coffee before reaching our lodging for the night. This ancient town was first settled in the 5th century, and with its 12th-century Romanesque church, it is considered one of France’s plus belle ville de pays (most beautiful country towns).
Taking a break to enjoy the view of Gorges du Verdon.
After a full day of riding, the day ends with a respectful appreciation of the amazing scenery, stunning vistas, extensive history, and relaxed simplicity that is typical of Provence. Our group is getting into the swing of things as the cares of their lives back home begin melting away. Can it get any better?
Day 3: Saint-Michel-l’Observatoire to Avignon
We’re on our way to Avignon, and it’s a gorgeous day, with blue skies dotted with fluffy white clouds, creating the perfect backdrop for the charming villages we visit. After a short warm-up ride, we stop in the beautiful village of Roussillon for coffee. With its ancient buildings seeming to tumble down the mountainside, we find our lunch stop in Sault even more enchanting.
On Day 3, during our ride from Saint-Michel-l’Observatoire to Avignon, we had lunch in the beautiful village of Sault.
After lunch, we follow part of the famous Tour de France route over 6,263-foot Mont Ventoux, where the blue skies give way to thick, gray fog. We pause to allow a herd of sheep to pass and keep a keen eye out for bicyclists. They’re everywhere! We must be cautious, as some of the bicyclists descend the mountain faster than our motorcycles. We’re amazed, and the fearless cyclists command our respect.
Upon arriving in Avignon, we enjoy a little tailgate party with snacks and post-ride “boot” beers served from the back of the chase van. The night’s accommodations are in an old palace in the center of the city, and we’ve arrived early enough for a visit to the spa or to explore the beautiful city perched on the bank of the Rhône River, which is a veritable jewel of provincial culture and heritage. We’re rewarded with another delicious dinner, and afterward we all linger to chat about what we’ve seen and experienced so far. The anticipation of the next day’s ride is palpable.
Day 4: Avignon to Mostuéjouls
The Côtes du Rhône region is renowned for its red cuvée wines made from a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre grapes. We visit La Chartreuse-de-Valbonne, a monastery founded in 1203, where Carthusian monks first cultivated the grapes and fermented the juices to produce the wine that made this region world famous.
La Chartreuse-de-Valbonne is a monastery in the Côtes du Rhône region that is famous for wine.
The day continues with a major highlight: a thrilling roller-coaster ride on narrow, heavily shaded forest roads, over a 3,000-foot pass, and into Grands Causses Regional Natural Park. Within the park is Gorges de la Jonte, a jagged, plunging canyon up to 1,500 feet deep where vultures can be seen circling in the thermic winds high above the rugged terrain. After another thrilling day of riding, we arrive in Mostuéjouls, where we spend the next two nights and a rest day at a first-class hotel with a pool.
Day 5: Rest Day in Mostuéjouls
This picturesque alpine village on the Tarn River is popular with climbers, kayakers, bicyclists, and motorcyclists. Some took the opportunity to squeeze in another day of riding on the fantastic local roads, while others explored or relaxed. One of the area’s highlights is located nearby in Cévennes National Park – an enormous limestone cave called Aven Armand that’s filled with intricate stalagmites and stalactites. Another is Viaduc de Millau, an 8,000-foot-long multi-span cable-stayed bridge that’s the tallest in the world, with a structural height of just over 1,100 feet.
A few of us visited Aven Armand, an enormous limestone cave, during a rest day in Mostuéjouls.
Day 6: Mostuéjouls to Chabrillan
We continue our triangular, clockwise loop route, riding through the Gorges du Tarn and Gorges de l’Ardèche, where we stop at Pont d’Arc, an enormous natural stone bridge that was formed when the Ardèche River broke through a narrow escarpment of soft limestone. The arch is nearly 200 feet wide and more than 100 feet tall, and a nearby beach makes it popular with swimmers and sunbathers. It’s another beautiful day, and we take the opportunity to stop and enjoy the view down into canyons and across to distant mountains carpeted in rich green vegetation.
Pont d’Arc is natural stone bridge that was formed when the Ardèche River broke through a narrow escarpment of limestone.
Day 7: Chabrillan to Chambéry
As we travel northeast, we’re making our way into the foothills of the French Alps. The scenery gets more rugged and the mountains soar higher. We summit Col de la Machine, a breathtaking 3,316-foot pass, followed by another gorge. We’ll spend the next two riding days at higher elevations, mostly above 6,000 feet. Days like this are why we go on alpine motorcycle tours. The vistas, the undulating pavement, and the surprises around every unfamiliar corner. This is riding heaven – we all know it and enjoy sharing it with each other.
Rounding hairpins on the descent from Col de l’Iseran. At 9,068 feet, it is the highest paved pass in the Alps.
Day 8: Chambéry to Arvieux
More alpine passes today. Col du Télégraphe (5,138 feet). Col du Galibier (8,668 feet). Col du Lautaret (6,752 feet). Col d’Izoard (7,743 feet). Each is legendary in its own right. They are rites of passage for bicyclists – challenges on the grueling Tour de France race. We are grateful for throttles!
Col du Télégraphe (5,138 feet), a pass that is often used during the ascent to Col du Galibier in the Tour de France.
Being high in the Alps made for an ideal location to enjoy one of Edelweiss’ famous picnic lunches. One of the tour guides bought a variety of local delicacies, and the chase van was stocked with tables, chairs, and everything needed for a nicely catered buffet. With the sun shining and beautiful mountain views, we relaxed and enjoyed having this little part of paradise all to ourselves.
Enjoying one of Edelweiss’ famous picnic lunches on a beautiful day in the Alps.
Day 8: Arvieux to Jausiers
We wake up in Arvieux to cold rain and fog, our only inclement weather of the trip. After riding briefly into and out of Italy (ciao!), we ride back into France and find that a landslide on the route to Col de la Bonette has blocked our passage. With torrential rain and temperatures just above freezing, our hands are soaked and our spirits are numbed. We detour back to Vinadio, Italy, and assuage our disappointment with hot beverages and perhaps the best pizza we’ve ever eaten. We backtrack and follow a clear route to Jausiers, where we all welcome a hot shower, a warm dinner, and a soft, dry bed.
This was our view as we rode up to Col de la Bonette on a clear morning after the previous day’s heavy rain.
Day 9: Jausiers to Saint-Paul-de-Vence
Since we missed Col de la Bonette (8,907 feet) yesterday, on our last riding day we do an early-morning up-and-back ride to the monumental pass. We squeeze in more mountain riding on our way back to Saint-Paul-de-Vence, where we put down our kickstands for the last time.
After a landslide blocked our access to Col de la Bonette from the south, we summited the pass the next day from the north.
Our international group shares a mix of elation and disappointment. We’ve had a wonderful tour and even faced a few challenges, and we don’t want it to end. Over our final dinner together, Edemar from Brazil says, “The end of a dream is the birth of new plans!”
We all were at a loss for words to describe how stunning the trip had been. Great food, amazing riding, impressive historical sites, exploration of new places, and a soul-warming group experience. A wonderful adventure that made us ready for more!
We passed through this idyllic valley on the ride up to Col du Télégraphe.
Edelweiss Bike Travel’s Best of Southern France tour is scheduled to run in June and September of 2022 and 2023. Prices start at $6,550. Visit edelweissbike.com for more details.
On this Spring Trifecta ride, Tim Kessel combined his three loves: a scenic motorcycle ride, baseball, and live music. Photos by the author.
I am not one to repeat most motorcycle rides, and I am certainly not one to revisit my old articles. However, there is a curious symmetry to this Spring Trifecta piece. Two years ago, virtually to the day, I wrote a web article for Rider titled, Spring Training: A Good Reason to Dust Off the Bike. I penned the piece after intertwining some great southern Arizona motorcycle rides, Cactus League spring training, and concerts at the appropriately named Innings Festival. It was a great time, but the precipitous onset of Covid-19 followed immediately cutting spring training short and rendering gatherings like music festivals a thing of the past.
This spring, with Covid loosening its talons on society, I was going to return to spring training to watch the boys of summer hone their skills and to the Innings Festival for more good music. I had already traced new southern Arizona motorcycle routes. This time, it was not a novel virus that interfered; it was a dispute between those same boys of summer and their bosses that silenced the baseball diamonds. With one leg of my trifecta of fun severed, I cancelled my spring riding and concert plans.
Sloan Park is home to the Cactus League spring training for the Chicago Cubs.
A few weeks later, the baseball owners and the players’ union agreed to an eleventh-hour deal, and spring training was green-lighted for a late start. My routes were already in place and bats were again going to crack. All I was missing was a musical component to complete my return to southern Arizona and some semblance of normalcy. An Internet search revealed that Roger Clyne, the rock balladeer of the Southwest, was to perform at the intimate and beautiful outdoor Mesa Amphitheatre, which is just a stone’s (or hardball’s) throw away from the Arizona training facility of the Chicago Cubs. Perfect!
Arizona’s Sonoran Desert is the perfect place for a scenic springtime ride.
As it turns out, it was perfect. My ride south of Phoenix was amazing. Towering cacti stood sentinel as I wound though Sonoran Desert National Monument. Blue skies and rugged mountains served as backdrop in my loop ride even further south through the Southwestern desert. Things like labor disputes, global viruses, and two years of missing many of my favorite things blurred in my rearview mirrors.
The night after my sojourn into the arid version of God’s country, I settled my saddle fatigued posterior into my seat at the Mesa Amphitheatre. Intermixed in the enthusiastic audience were Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers concert shirts and various iterations of baseball jerseys. Clearly I was not the only one enjoying a vibrant melding of spring activities. Under the Mesa, Arizona, stars, Clyne played his raucous mix of original songs, threw back shots of his proprietary tequila, and generally whipped his fans into a communal frenzy. I offer up a strong recommendation. Experience a Roger Clyne show as it is very easy to become a fan.
Enjoying a performance by Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers at the Mesa Amphitheatre in Mesa, Arizona.
In the couple of days that followed, I embarked on another much-needed and spirited desert ride through Arizona’s burgeoning wine country. The high grasslands of southeastern Arizona are fertile ground for both grapes and entertaining riding. I rode past isolated vineyards and unique small towns in the high desert expanse. My big BMW R 1200 GS seemed as happy to free from the stagnancy of winter, variants, and quarantines as I was.
I followed the riding with a bit of sun-warmed bleacher time watching the relaxed pace of an early Cactus League practice at the Cubs spring training facility. Listening to bats cracking and the banter of players returning to their diamond sanctuary was just what the doctor ordered.
So there you have it – one man’s return to some kind of normalcy. Baseball is back, concerts are returning, and riding is always there. There is a smile on my face. Trifecta complete.
Whether cruising the pavement or banging along a remote dirt road, tankbags are a rider’s most convenient place for storing frequently used items. Where else could I keep my sunscreen, hat, and snacks so easily at hand? I’ve used several high-capacity bags over the years on various motorcycles, and although appealing for the sheer volume of stuff they hold, I find large bags can also interfere with bike control. This is most noticeable when standing on the pegs while riding off-pavement. The Nelson-Rigg Trails End model, part of its Rigg Gear Adventure line, creates no such problem.
It has a useful 12-liter capacity, and is expandable vertically to 16.5 liters. Securely mounted to my Yamaha Ténéré 700’s tank with four side-release buckles and the requisite straps, it stays put over the roughest ground, yet is easy to partially remove for fueling. The Trails End’s base is slightly tacky to assist in stabilizing it, and there are protective fabric tabs where the straps contact the tank.
Sewn from UltraMax synthetic fabric, which is said to resist fading (as it has for 8 months), the Trails End maintains its tapered, box-like shape, and it features reflective piping all around. The twin zippers are easy to operate and designed to prevent dust entry, and the two narrow side pockets are large enough for my faceshield cleaning kit, a few small tools, and a notebook.
Perhaps best of all, the left pocket doesn’t sound the 700’s horn with the bars at full lock. Since the bag is narrow, the map pocket can’t accept two folds of an AAA map, requiring some field origami to make one fit. The clear top is touchscreen-friendly and includes an inside pocket with a net to hold a phone, but my phone had to be securely supported from below (as in stuffing a shirt in the bag) for me to use it easily. At the rear of the bag is a weather-resistant power port; from there, a cord can be run into the map pocket.
With the bag in its unexpanded configuration, the extra two-layer body material from the extension crowds the interior a bit without seriously limiting volume. The large hump of my Yamaha’s tank steals space too, so those extra 4.5 liters when the bag is expanded are invaluable for stashing an extra layer or stocking up on Fritos at the last gas stop before camp. This is a handsome, well-built bag, with its only flaw being some imperfect sewing to attach the map pocket net and second power port.
The Nelson-Rigg Trails End Adventure has a lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship, and comes with a tight-fitting rain cover with a clear top and the ability to extend to protect the expanded bag. It sells for just $119.95.
Near the desert town of Mojave, trails and service roads lie on top of the underground aqueduct. (Photos by Rob Day & Rob Glass)
The Los Angeles Aqueduct is an engineering marvel, a 233-mile channel that carries Sierra snow melt from California’s Owens Valley into the San Fernando Valley. Its five-year construction, completed in 1913, changed the face of Southern California. Without it, there would be no Los Angeles.
But because of it, there was tragedy. Draining the Owens Valley destroyed an entire farming region and turned to dust a lake once grand enough that steamboats crossed it. Building a dam to hold the stolen waters resulted in the second deadliest disaster ever to strike California when the dam collapsed.
Los Angeles Aqueduct ride route from Pearsonville to Santa Paula, California
Much of the aqueduct is open waterway, but the rest is a covered concrete channel. And most of that channel functions as a public road. We took a trio of Harley-Davidson Pan Americas and tried to see how much of it we could ride.
It was a hot May morning when we set out from Zakar, a compound that serves as base camp for RawHyde’s adventure motorcycle training school in the Mojave Desert. We wanted to beat the worst of the heat, so shortly after dawn we dashed up State Route 14 to U.S. Route 395 and exited at 9 Mile Canyon Road to catch our first leg of the aqueduct.
German-made steel plates were fashioned into massive pipes for this section of the aqueduct.
On maps, it’s called “Los Angeles Aqueduct.” Under our tires, it was a crunchy, crusty roadway, often covered entirely in sand and gravel, that followed the contours of the lowest reaches of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. We had to leave the hills after a few miles as the aqueduct went underground, running in tunnels through the foothills. (The aqueduct includes 142 such tunnels, comprising 52 miles of its total length.)
Back on the slab, we stopped for cold drinks at Robber’s Roost Ranch, and again at Jawbone Canyon Store, the “Mad Max” meets “Motocross Zombies from Hell” waystation popular with the off-road bike and buggy crowd. Further south, we were able to pick up the aqueduct again from Pine Tree Canyon Road. From there, we had a spirited 13-mile run of sand and concrete climbing high above the flat desert floor before dropping us down into the town of Mojave.
This store, located on Route 14 near the Jawbone Canyon OHV area, is a favorite of desert off-roaders.
The aqueduct left the mountains, taking us with it for a higher-speed run across the Antelope Valley. From Oak Creek Road we accessed the aqueduct again, then barnstormed our way through wind farms, skirted past Willow Springs International Raceway, crossed Tehachapi Willow Springs Road, and ran across the desert for 30 miles of flat-out fun.
It was a good chance to test the new Harley-Davidson off-roader in a desert setting. I had been impressed on previous rides by the bike’s behavior, but in the sandy sections I came to admire it even more (especially with the optional knobby tires). So did my colleagues. By the end of this stretch, even those of us who own GS or GSA machines agreed the Pan America handled the sand better than our beloved BMWs.
Portions of the aqueduct, which originally had a rounded top, now function as concrete roadways – where the sand hasn’t buried them.
Along here we also got to see several different types of aqueducts. There were sections with a flat concrete top, older sections covered in curved concrete ribs –the standard before someone figured out you could use the top of the aqueduct as an access road if you flattened it –and even a mile-long section of above-ground pipe, built from massive 12-foot-diameter rounds brought in by mule teams.
At State Route 138, we stopped at the Neenach Cafe and Market for a cold drink. From there, we rode tarmac into the foothills, through the towns of Lake Hughes and Elizabeth Lake, past the legendary motorcycle stop The Rock Inn and into Green Valley and San Francisquito Canyon.
Water ran through the aqueduct to a huge pumping station in San Francisquito Canyon. Hundreds of lives were lost when the dam broke, but some of its 100-year-old turbines still operate today.
It was in this canyon that William Mulholland and the brain trust behind the mighty aqueduct decreed that Los Angeles’ water should be stored. A concrete gravity dam –virtually identical to the Mulholland Dam that still holds up Lake Hollywood –was constructed in a narrow section of the canyon. The St. Francis Dam was completed in 1926. Two years later, and only hours after Mulholland had inspected the dam and deemed it safe and stable, the structure gave way.
Just before midnight on March 12, 1928, a wall of water 180 feet high surged down the canyon. More than 12 billion gallons of water left the dam within the next hour. Entire communities were engulfed and swept away. At least 431 lives, and perhaps many more, were lost.
Emerging from the hillsides, the huge aqueduct pipes carry water overhead as it traverses mountains.
We rode our Pan Americas along a dirt path toward the original dam site. Beside the trail were massive chunks of concrete, some as big as a Winnebago, remnants of the fallen structure. Returning to the road, we continued down the canyon to Power Plant 2, where aqueduct water runs through turbines to create electricity. We’d only intended to admire the exterior of the building. But a building superintendent, noticing our bikes in the parking lot, let us in for an impromptu tour of the remarkable facility, which still uses the same turbines that were installed more than a hundred years ago –some of them recovered after the disaster from miles down the canyon.
Our interest wasn’t only in the disaster. There was a motorcycling purpose to our visit, too. The last person to see the dam before it blew was a motorcyclist named Ace Hopewell, who heard rumblings above the noise of his engine and stopped to listen before riding on.
There were motorcycle heroes, too. State Motorcycle Officer Thornton Edwards and Santa Paula Police Officer Stanley Baker were notified of the dam’s collapse, and at great risk to themselves raced from street to street in Santa Paula sounding the alarm. The two riders are credited with saving hundreds of lives, as the people they woke from sleep were able to escape being swept away by the rushing waters.
This statue in Santa Paula honors the two police officers who rode through the night to warn residents after the dam had collapsed.
To pay tribute to these men, we rode south from Power Plant 2, across Castaic, past Magic Mountain, along the part of State Route 126 that was once home to the motocross track known as Indian Dunes, and into the town of Santa Paula. To fortify ourselves we stopped at Rabalais’ Bistro for strong coffee, hot beignets, and plates of gumbo, red beans and rice with andouille sausage, and shrimp and grits.
At sunset, we stood near the old Santa Paula train station and admired local artist Eric Richards’ metalwork statue entitled “The Warning.” It depicts the two valiant motorcycle officers, one astride an Indian and the other a Harley, as they made their rounds that deadly night. As dark began to suggest itself in Santa Paula, we headed back, making as quick a trip as possible on pavement to return to our starting point. We’d ridden 180 miles to get to the statue of the two heroes, 50 of that on sandy aqueduct. It took us 100 miles of high-speed pavement to get back to Zakar.
Water pumped through the aqueduct powers electrical generators, which now get assistance from wind turbines in the Antelope Valley.
The 2023 Triumph Tiger 1200 lineup includes five variants, with the GT Explorer (left), GT Pro (back), Rally Explorer (right), and Rally Pro (front) shown above (base GT model not shown).
In recent years, Triumph has expanded its Tiger range to include more models than ever. From the Tiger Sport 660 to Tiger 850 Sport to the Tiger 900 lineup, the extended family now caters to avid off-roaders and long-haul tourers alike. Now, it’s the range-topping Tiger’s turn for an upgrade, and Hinckley spares no expense with the 2023 Triumph Tiger 1200 lineup.
In typical Triumph fashion, the flagship Tiger champions an inline-Triple engine, but the updated mill comes from the firm’s heralded Speed Triple 1200 RS naked bike. In adventure bike form, the liquid-cooled, 1,160cc powerplant touts 147 horsepower at 9,000 rpm and 95 lb-ft of torque at 7,000 rpm. Similar to the Tiger 900 series, the Triple benefits from Triumph’s T-plane crank, delivering tractability in the low-end without sacrificing the engaging mid-range and top-end.
2023 Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Pro
Triumph wedges the large-capacity Triple into an all-new frame with a bolt-on aluminum subframe. A lighter and stronger tri-link swingarm steadies the ride at the rear while the semi-active Showa suspension adapts to the rider and road conditions. On the GT models, the semi-active system provides 7.9 inches of travel while the two Rally variants enjoy 8.7 inches. Rake also differs between the two camps, with the GTs reporting 24.1 degrees and the Rallies coming in at 23.7 degrees. Despite those differences, all Tiger 1200s receive Brembo Stylema calipers mated to dual 320mm front discs and a single-piston Brembo binder with a 282mm rotor at the rear.
2023 Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Pro
The Tiger’s new compact design also results in a 55-pound weight saving. The slimmer waist and revised ergonomics improve rider comfort and users can adjust the standard seat between 33.5 and 34.25 inches. The revised bodywork also emphasizes the Tiger’s newfound poise and stance while seamlessly integrating the dual-radiator system and downsized exhaust silencer.
The 1200 family may share the same core components, but Triumph splits the model into five variants. The GT, GT Pro, and GT Explorer favor long-distance travel on the tarmac while the Rally Pro and Rally Explorer prefer life off the beaten path. As a result, the road-focused GT line features 19-inch front and 18-inch rear cast-aluminum wheels, and the Rally trims opt for dirt-worthy 21-inch/18-inch tubeless spoked wheelset. Conversely, the Explorer trims share a 7.9-gallon gas tank for extra mileage between fill-ups while all other variants settle for the 5.3-gallon unit.
2023 Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Explorer
In addition to the Tiger’s differing hardware, Triumph equips each model with trim-specific software. The Rally Pro and Rally Explorer get all six ride modes including Road, Rain, Sport, Off-Road, Off-Road Pro, and Custom. Triumph only removes the Off-Road Pro mode from the GT Pro and GT Explorer, but reduces the standard GT to Rain, Road, and Sport. While each Tiger 1200 boasts a 7-inch TFT display with My Triumph Connectivity System, only the Explorer models feature a blind-spot radar system, heated grips and seats, and a tire pressure monitoring system. Regardless of the trim, each Tiger 1200 comes with dual-channel cornering ABS and cornering traction control.
2023 Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer
Of course, Tiger 1200 owners can also turn to Triumph extensive accessories catalog for everything from full luggage systems to auxiliary lights to comprehensive bike protection. The new big-bore ADV will be available in four colorways including Snowdonia White, Sapphire Black, Lucerne Blue, and Matte Khaki, and it will hit Triumph dealerships in spring 2022. Pricing is as follows:
2023 Triumph Tiger 1200 GT: $19,100
2023 Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Pro: $21,400
2023 Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Explorer: $23,100
2023 Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Pro: $22,500
2023 Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer: $24,200
For more information or to find a Triumph dealer near you, visit triumphmotorcycles.com.
Cruising on the all-new 2022 Honda Navi. (Photo by Drew Ruiz)
We test the 2022 Honda Navi, the latest addition to Honda’s miniMOTO lineup. Toeing the line between a twist-and-go scooter and step-over motorcycle, the latest mini borrows the fan-cooled, 109cc Single and CVT transmission from the Activa 6G and the Grom’s popular design language. And with an MSRP of just $1,807, it fits within any budget.
We spent a day cruising around Costa Mesa, California, on the Navi and found it to be a fun, user-friendly machine, the perfect gateway to the world of motorcycling.
Check out our video review:
2022 Honda Navi Specs
Base Price: $1,807 Website:powersports.honda.com Engine Type: Fan-cooled Single, SOHC w/ 2 valves Displacement: 109.2cc Bore x Stroke: 55.0mm x 55.6mm Horsepower: 7.8 hp @ 9,500 rpm Torque: 6.6 lb-ft @ 5,500 rpm Transmission: Automatic CVT Final Drive: Chain Wheelbase: 50.6 in. Rake/Trail: 27.5 degrees/3.2 in. Seat Height: 30.1 in. Wet Weight: 236 lbs. Fuel Capacity: 0.9 gals.
Testing the 2022 Aprilia Tuareg 660 in Sardinia, Italy. (Photo by Milagro)
We test the 2022 Aprilia Tuareg 660, a new adventure bike with a 659cc parallel-Twin derived from Aprilia’s RS 660 and Tuono 600 sportbikes. Tuned for a broad spread of torque, in the Tuareg 660 the engine makes 80 horsepower at 9,250 rpm and 51.6 lb-ft of torque at 6,500 rpm. MSRP is $11,999.
The engine is carried in a lightweight tubular-steel trellis frame and wheelbase is 59 inches. Aprilia claims a 449-pound wet weight and 275 miles of range from the 4.75-gallon fuel tank.
As with other bikes in Aprilia’s lineup, the Tuareg 660 gets the Aprilia Performance Ride Control (APRC) electronics suite with selectable engine maps and settings for traction control and engine braking. ABS can be switched off entirely or just at the rear wheel. Standard equipment also includes cruise control and a 5-inch TFT color display with Bluetooth connectivity and navigation via the Aprilia MIA app. The bike also has full LED lighting
The Tuareg 660 has fully adjustable suspension with 9.4 inches of front/rear travel, with a 43mm inverted fork and a rear shock with progressive linkage. There’s 9.5 inches of ground clearance for off-road riding, and the Tuareg 660 rolls on 21-inch front/18-inch rear spoked wheels with tubeless tires.
Aprilia hosted a press launch for the Tuareg 660 in Sardinia, Italy, and the test route included paved roads, dirt, gravel, and mud. Contributor Peter Jones found the Tuareg 660 user-friendly, fun to ride, and highly capable. “It is reasonably comfortable, has seamless power, shifting, and mode selections, and provides confidence-inspiring agility. The brakes provide consistent feedback, the suspension, though fully tunable, should match most riders needs as is, and the electronics are dang smart. It’s one of the easiest and friendliest motorcycles to ride while being more than up to the task of being ridden hard.”
Check out our video review:
Aprilia is taking pre-orders for U.S. customers, and delivery priority will be given to those who make reservations. Customers can book their ideal configuration of the Tuareg 660, including factory options and upgrades, and select their dealer of choice at storeusa.aprilia.com.
For more information or to find an Aprilia dealer near you, visit aprilia.com.
