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Canadian winters ... too much snow, definitely much too cold, and we can only dream about motorcycling! Like most of us, my winter “riding” activities have been limited to reading more magazines than normal, getting together with my riding buddies, or hanging around at the various motorcycle shows. Three years ago my luck changed, as I found myself with various excuses to travel south to warmer climes. I have managed to include a ride each year and have done so by renting a motorcycle.
My first two rental experiences were very positive although each of them was only for one day. When I learned I would be traveling to Palm Springs on business in February, I extended my stay by one weekend to try a longer journey. I arrived at the Eagle Riders booth at the Palm Springs Airport shortly after 5:00 PM on Friday and found a 2003 Heritage Softtail Classic, less than 5000 miles on the clock, polished up and ready to go. My flight arrived late, so I loaded my gear and hit the road. The desert at night is very cold and very dark, so I was not able to visit the Salton Sea on that first day. I rode straight through to Yuma and barely felt the cold. The ride felt great after three months of going without, and the night sky in the desert is always incredible.
I spent my first night in Yuma in a great but inexpensive motel. Day Two brought sunshine, so I cruised through town before getting back onto the interstate. Some parts of the southwestern United States feel like a foreign country; everywhere you stop, everyone speaks only Spanish! This adds to the exotic flavor of the trip, even though it makes communication difficult. Sunshine and clear skies held for most of the day, traffic was light, the “speed limit” on the Interstate was 75, and even the highway patrol was ignoring that. This ride had everything except enough twisties . . . only in the mountains are there winding roads in Arizona!
The plus side included awesome landscapes, great riding conditions, and an abundance of interesting historical sites to check out. In the afternoon I took a side trip into Tucson. I lived there briefly and enjoyed the rush of memories that the ride through town brought back. In the afternoon, I rode north on a series of secondary highways; not as quick as the Interstate, but less traffic and a more interesting journey. The desert was very green because they’ve had more rain than normal. I learned that lesson by riding through several hours of intense rain later in the afternoon. This part of the world is as beautiful as I remembered; I was grateful for the chance to experience it again, even if only for a short time.
This first full day landed me in Wickenburg, a small town northwest of Phoenix. So far as I can tell it is famous for nothing, but I am told that the band “Metallica” spent some time here once. I found another reasonably priced hotel, but with an excellent restaurant, so I treated myself to a steak dinner before spending the rest of my evening getting my clothes dried out. I was grateful that I brought my rain suit along with some warm clothes. Anyone who has ridden in Canada knows that you can never count on the weather!
The next morning I began my planned ride to Kingman. When stopping for gas, I ran into the Star Touring Club from Phoenix. They suggested leaving Kingman on “Historic Route 66”, which would take me through the town of Oatman, Arizona. Founded at the turn of the century, there is nothing left but a ghost town that has been turned into something of a tourist attraction, with gun fights staged in the streets and plenty of native crafts for eager tourists. What a great turn of fortune to encounter these other bikers, for if I had not I would have missed one of the highlights of the trip. For those who get down that way, Oatman is not very far from Laughlin, Nevada, and is definitely worth a day trip to check out. However, one must remember that Route 66 is a very old road, and is not built for speed. When the sign says 20 mph, that is what it really means!
After leaving Oatman I rode south on Arizona highway 95 which runs parallel to the Colorado River and took me past Lake Havasu City and the Parker Dam. More twin highway, smooth road surfaces and incredible desert scenery. I made a few stops along with way to take pictures, but was under some time pressure. The stop in Oatman cost me a couple of hours, and the “meet and greet” for the convention I was supposed to be at was scheduled for later that day. Reluctantly I pointed the front tire west and headed back into California on Route 62, an old but serviceable highway. This took me through the town of Yucca Canyon, California, which is home to Hutchins Harley Davidson and the somewhat famous Harley Davidson Café. A quick stop for a sandwich, just to say I’d been there, and I was back on my way to Palm Springs. Route 62 bumps into I-10 and that took me through both the Joshua Tree State Park and the San Jacinto Mountains. This route made me late for the convention, but it was worth it!
The next morning, I returned the bike to Eagle Riders. This had been a very satisfactory experience, and my only regret at this point was that I had not planned a longer trip. To summarize, the up side of bike rentals are the opportunity to ride in exotic places and the chance to ride during the winter. The down side? The vast majority of rentals are Harleys, and motorcycle rentals are expensive! Rates start at $75.00 (US) per day for a Sportster 883 or Buell Blast, and $130.00 (US) for the 88-inch models. Add to that twenty dollars per day for insurance and a one thousand dollar security deposit on one’s credit card, and the experience quickly begins to cost real money. For me, I loved this encounter with the Arizona desert and I will repeat the rental experience every time I get the chance. After all, I rode a motorcycle in February, often wearing only a t-shirt, added just over 1800 kilometres to my total for the year, saw some beautiful country and had a great time. Isn’t that what it’s all about?
Ride Safe!
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