Just a week on from a thrilling visit to the UK, the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is back in action. This time, the incredible Autodrom Most hosts the Championship for Round 6 as the halfway point of the season is hit. Ahead of the Czech Round, tyre supplier Pirelli have announced their solutions for this weekend with a development rear SC1 compound on the table but no SCQ or SCX tyre available throughout the weekend.
REAR TYRE OPTIONS: two medium compounds, no SCQ or SCX
The Most circuit is high-speed with fast corners and a couple of heavy braking zones, which means Pirelli have opted to bring harder tyres for the round. The only compound available at the rear is the medium, in two different solutions. The standard SC1 medium is available as is the SC1-A development medium, coded the D0286, making its debut. It has been designed with the same compound as the standard tyre, but with a different structure with the aim of offering consistent behaviour over a race with consistent handling. For the Tissot Superpole and Tissot Superpole Race, the SC0 tyre is the softest available.
AT THE FRONT: medium and hard only
As with the rear, harder options are the order of the weekend for the front. The softest available tyre is the standard SC1 medium option and that is joined by the standard SC2 hard. The SC2, when compared to the SC1, offers better mechanical resistance and greater protection from wear which, at such a demanding circuit, could prove to be crucial at the end of the race.
WORLD SUPERSPORT CHOICES: standard solutions all round
In WorldSSP, the solutions all come from the standard range and, like in WorldSBK, are harder than previous rounds. At the rear, the SC0 soft and the SC1 medium are available – at some tracks, the SCX is available for WorldSSP but not at Most. For the front, the SC1 soft and SC2 medium tyres are the ones available for the World Supersport field.
PIRELLI SAYS: “It is also one of the most demanding of the season for tyres!”
Explaining the tyre choices, Pirelli’s Motorcycle Racing Director, Giorgio Barbier, said: “The Most circuit, with its classic, fast layout, is known to provide spectacular racing, but it is also one of the most demanding of the season for tyres. Along with Phillip Island, it is one of the tracks where we prefer to shift the allocation towards combinations with more durable solutions, which offer greater protection from wear. Following this logic, in WorldSBK, for the rear tyres, in addition to the standard SC1, we will introduce the new development SC1 in D0286 specification. This solution features the same compound as the standard tyre but has a different structure and has been created with the aim of offering very consistent behaviour over race distance while ensuring excellent levels of handling. For Superpole and the Superpole Race, instead of the normally allocated SCQ, there will be the standard SC0. Also, in WorldSSP, the rear options will be harder than usual, with the SC1 replacing the SCX as an alternative to the SC0.”
The FIM Supersport World Championship offered a great show in the United Kingdom but, with no time to rest, it is already heading to the Autodrom Most to compete in the Czech Republic Round, which will mark the halfway point of the season. Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) has won 60% of the races – 6 out of 10 – and has four consecutive wins, whilst his main rival, Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team), lost his victory Donington Park due to track limits, firing him up for revenge.
HUERTAS ESCAPES: The leader has a one-race advantage
With 186 points, Huertas leads the overall standings, with a 25-point margin over Montella. The difference after Donington could have been 15 points, since Montella crossed the finish line first but touched the green on the last lap and lost the victory, in favor of Huertas. The Madrid native is increasingly comfortable with his team, whilst the Italian has not won since the opening round at Phillip Island. Always a venue which offers a head-to-head, Most welcomes the latest chapter in the rivalry.
In third place, Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing), 39 points behind Huertas. Although he was able to overtake Montella in Race 1 in Donington, it seems that the Yamaha rider is still having difficulty keeping up with the Ducati, and the gap with the lead is getting bigger and bigger. Will he find something to get closer to the Ducati duo? It’s a happy hunting ground for the the #62, who took a first WorldSSP podium there in 2022 with Triumph.
THE PURSUING GROUP: three riders riot for fourth position
Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) had a round in the United Kingdom to forget. He only took five points throughout the weekend and has not been on the podium since Barcelona, so he is increasingly further away from the title fight. Instead, he should start worrying about the riders behind, as Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) and Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) are 12 and 13 points behind respectively. Frenchman Debise continues his solid 2024 and added two top eights at Donington, whilst Valencian Navarro, who is adapting perfectly to his new Ducati, was fourth and third, adding a first podium of the year in Race 2. If he continues with these good results in Most, it won’t take long to surpass his rivals in the table.
The fight for seventh place includes six riders covered by 25 points. Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) is seventh but only scored one point at Donington. Glenn van Straalen (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing), six points behind, completed another solid weekend to close in on the Italian, whilst Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) crashed in Race 2 but was sixth on Saturday, so is eights points from ‘Carica’. Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) closes in on the top ten, 21 points behind the Italian, with Niki Tuuli (EAB Racing Team) and Oli Bayliss (D34G Racing WorldSSP Team) are 11th and 12th, respectively.
EDWARDS STILL IN THE LEAD: WorldSSP Challenge standings
Tom Edwards (D34G Racing WorldSSP Team) continues to lead the WorldSSP Chalenge, but lost a point to his pursuer, Simone Corsi (Renzi Corse). The Ducati rider was 11th in Race 1, whilst QJ Motor’s representative was 13th in both races, leaving him eight points behind. Will he continue to get close in at Most?
LOCAL STARS AND WILDCARDS: Two Czech drivers, two guests and two substitutes
Ondrej Vostatek (PTR Triumph) is the only Czech on the grid this year but this time there will also be Filip Feigl (Genius Racing Team), the first of the wildcards. He already has experience in WorldSSP, since he competed in this same round in 2021 and 2022. South African Steven Odendaal, who has Czech connections through his wife, will be the other guest, from WRP-RT Motorsport by SKM-Triumph. He has extensive experience in Moto2™ and is WorldSSP runner-up in 2021, with 5 wins and 11 podiums in total. He also participated in the Czech Republic Round in 2022, finishing third in Race 1 and will hope to feature again at what is considered to be a home round for him. Following their injuries at Donington Park, Yeray Ruiz (VFT Racing Yamaha) and Krittapat Keankum (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team) won’t be at Most and they’re replaced by Melvin van der Voort and Soichiro Minamoto, respectively. The Dutchman was in this round in 2023, while the Japanese competed in three races in Moto2™ in 2023.
The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship reaches the halfway point of the 2024 campaign this weekend as the Autodrom Most hosts the Czech Round. A relatively new addition to the calendar but one that’s become a hit with fans and riders alike with plenty of action and drama since the inaugural visit in 2021, this year’s visit is sure to be no different. But the big question is… who will make the most of Most? Sorry, we just had to…
WILL RAZGATLIOGLU’S STREAK END? Seven consecutive wins for the #54, he’s going for 10
Like Donington, this is a circuit that Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) adores and the #54 has only been out of the top two once, when he crashed out of Race 2 last year. He also heads into this weekend on the back of seven wins in a row, the best streak in his career. Also, like Donington, it’s a track where BMW have gone well at in the past, with a podium in 2022 courtesy of Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW) when in the ROKiT BMW structure, plus a heap of top-five finishes, while Redding has won before for Ducati at Most. For Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), it was the scene of his comeback from injury last year and his best result came in 2021’s Race 2 with seventh. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) is yet to crack the top five at Most but the American will be hoping that changes this year.
THE CHASING PACK: who will be in the mix when the lights go out?
Most has provided plenty of winners over the years. Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) was victorious in mixed conditions last year for Kawasaki – his only win of the year – while Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), Redding and Razgatlioglu have also tasted victory there. Rea comes into the back of the Czech round after a first Yamaha rostrum and just missing out on being the top Yamaha in all three races – teammate Andrea Locatelli, a podium finisher at Most – just pipped him Race 2. Likewise, for Redding, Donington was his best weekend of 2024 and that will give him confidence heading into the Czech Round while Bautista is still searching for the perfect feeling on his Panigale V4 R. Twice a winner at Most, can he repeat that this year? Of course, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) will expect to be in the mix too after two more podiums last time out, while Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) was on the rostrum here last year as well, plus Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) will be hoping to continue his strong form.
LOOKING TO BOUNCE BACK: a double header, the perfect way to rebound
Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) had been Yamaha’s form rider heading into the UK Round, but he struggled to make the top ten at Donington. Two top sixes at Most last year, the #87 – who received the news he’ll stand in for Cal Crutchlow at the British Grand Prix ahead of the round – means the Australian will be confident heading into the Czech Republic. Could a return to the rostrum be a possibility? Teammate Dominique Aegerter was a winner here in WorldSSP back in 2021 and had a best of eighth in WorldSBK last year. Axel Bassani (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) has shown good pace at Most in the past on the Panigale V4 R, narrowly missing out on a podium and only being out of the top five on three occasions. Can he continue his step forward with Kawasaki? At Team HRC, a promising Misano was followed up with a disappointing Donington for Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge, and they’ll be hoping they can bounce back again at Most.
FIRST VISITS, LOOKING FOR PROGRESS: a difficult circuit to master
Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) and Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) will both race at Most for the first time, having not been there in their career previously. After both have had up and down form recently, the duo will be looking to be in the mix as soon as possible. It’s also the first visit for Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team), who missed last year’s round there through injury. Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and Philipp Oettl (GMT94 Yamaha) have both raced at Most before, with Rabat’s best a 13th place finish from Race 2 in 2021 and Oettl taking P8 in Race 2 in 2022.
RIDER LINE-UP NEWS: a second American joins the grid
Alongside Gerloff, a second American will be on the grid at Most as Hayden Gillim replaces the injured Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda), who was diagnosed with concussion following his Race 1 spill at Donington. Gillim was second in MotoAmerica STK1000 in 2023 on a Suzuki but is racing for Honda this year in the American Superbike championship He’s also the cousin of the late, great Nicky Hayden and his brother, Roger Lee. Alongside him will be Adam Norrodin, although the Malaysian will need to pass medical checks after his Race 2 crash.
Watch the highlights show from Donington HERE, read the Official Programme for the Czech Round HERE and watch everything from Most using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now 30% off!
The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship moves straight from the UK to the Czech Republic for a back-to-back as the halfway point of the season approaches. The action starts at 09:40 Local Time (UTC+2) on Friday with WorldSSP300 Free Practice, followed by WorldSBK FP1 at 10:20 and WorldSSP FP at 11:20. WorldSSP300 and WorldSSP Tissot Superpole sessions start at 14:10 and 16:00 respectively, with WorldSBK FP2 sandwiched between them at 15:00. On Saturday, WorldSBK FP3 starts at 09:00, before WorldSBK Tissot Superpole at 11:00. Racing gets underway at 12:45 with WorldSSP300 Race 1, followed by WorldSBK Race 1 at 14:00 and WorldSSP Race 1 at 15:15. On Sunday, Warm Up sessions begin from 09:00 before WorldSBK’s Tissot Superpole Race at 11:00. In the afternoon, the action follows the same schedule as Saturday: 12:45 for WorldSSP300 Race 2, 14:00 for WorldSBK Race 2 and 15:15 for WorldSSP Race 2.
With the FIM Supersport World Championship heading to Donington Park, the on-track action would come down to Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) vs Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) for glory. Both riders took the chequered flag in first – Huertas in Race 1, Montella in Race 2 – although both wins went to the #99 after a last-lap track limits infringement by Montella in Sunday’s final race.
After taking pole in Friday’s Tissot Superpole session, Huertas led the way at Donington en route to a third consecutive victory and, with Montella finishing third, extending his Championship lead over the #55 to 20 points. It was a fairly comfortable win for the 2021 WorldSSP300 Champion, who came home more than four seconds clear of Stefano Manzi (Pata Prometeon Ten Kate Racing) in second.
Discussing Race 1 and playing down his Championship hopes, Huertas said: “It was a really good race. I enjoyed it a lot. We made a good tyre choice and then I think it was an incredible race. I won, the SCX tyre was the right choice. At the end, I saw Yari was struggling a little bit at the end, but I think, for us, it was incredible. The team did a perfect job as always. We are growing but we still need to grow more before thinking about the Championship. We are making the correct steps. In Australia, we arrived for the first podium and then the first victory. Now we’re on a winning run.”
Race 2 was a completely different sort of battle. Huertas and Montella couldn’t be separated in the early stages before a red flag halted proceedings following a multi-rider crash at Turn 9. The race was restarted over a 12-lap distance and Montella seemed to have it under control, leading Huertas across the line. However, over the final couple of laps, Huertas had closed the gap and on the run to Turn 9, was right behind his rival. Taking different lines, Montella touched the green on the inside of the corner and was given a one-place penalty, promoting Huertas to P1.
Reflecting on his fourth consecutive win, Huertas said: “It was a difficult one. In the beginning, we had everything under control for the long race. I was calm and I think we had a bit more over a long distance. With the 12 laps, we suffered a little bit, because the other riders could make a step like Yari. I’m happy because, even with this, I could put him under pressure in the last laps and he made the mistake of touching the green. It’s really important for me to be working like this. Even today, when it was going to be a good second position, we finished first because we kept the pressure on.”
First podium in blue…. Donny vlog is live over on my YouTube
Welcome back everyone for another race weekend vlog. Feels like we’ve been waiting forever again. If I look at the weekend as a whole, we faced some challeng… Source: Jonathan Rea On Facebook
Let’s find your center in this Motor School installment. There is nothing more sublime than the moment you discover perfect balance on your motorcycle. (Photos by Kevin Wing)
In an earlier column, I mentioned that my background was primarily in off-road riding and racing before I got into the police motorcycle thing. So it was inevitable that some of my lifelong dirty habits would bleed over into my techniques for riding heavy streetbikes. Hey, I was an old dog when I became a motor cop, and I had lots of old tricks. Of all the off-road skills that transferred into my urban traffic enforcement program, today’s class covers one of the best.
Let’s kick it off with some game show trivia. I’ll go with “Motorcycles” for $200, please. How do you hold on to a motorcycle when you ride? “With my hands on the handlebar.” Sorry, that’s incorrect. The answer our judges were looking for? We control the bike (push, pull, twist, and squeeze the controls) with our hands; we hold on to the motorcycle with our legs. Thanks for playing, pick up your free copy of Green Smoothies for Life on your way out the door.
Okay, that was the bell, please have a seat so we can begin. For today’s lesson, it’s important to understand that there is an optimal position within the rider cockpit that keeps the rider’s mass always balanced, minimizing the negative effects it has on the motorcycle when we experience weight transfer while riding on the street.
Let me explain: When we ride around on our motorcycles, we encounter forces of acceleration and deceleration. Do you ever find yourself holding on to the bars like a water skier under hard acceleration or performing an involuntary push-up against the bars under heavy braking? That’s weight transfer, and the less we can include our own mass in the exchange, the less it unsettles our suspension or impacts our traction, braking, steering geometry, and more. In short, the less we throw our weight around, the better. And maintaining a consistent center of balance within the cockpit is key.
Now, to put this lesson into practice, let’s go to the land of make believe (or the garage) and do a visualization exercise while perched atop our motorcycles. With your bike standing straight up (either on the centerstand or balanced with both feet on the ground), pretend the motorcycle is one of those big exercise balls you see people balancing on at the gym.
Counteracting weight transfer under acceleration with only one hand on the bar.
Now play along, and in your mind, with your eyes closed and your hands off the handlebar, shift your body to the precise location on the ball (your seat) that puts you in the center of it. Pay attention to how far forward or back you are and imagine the ball moving around in all directions. Are you still balanced? If the answer is yes, this final position is ground zero. Bullseye. Home plate. From this point forward, this will be the spot you operate from when you encounter forces of acceleration and deceleration (weight transfer) that push and pull you as you go and stop. Oh yeah, you can open your eyes now.
Let’s go ahead and gear up. I’m going to put you through an exercise that will force proper body position during weight transfer and help you develop a better sensitivity for when you get it wrong. This will allow you to self-diagnose and make the necessary corrections, because I can’t always be there to wave my pom-poms and get your special lemon drink.
The Tank Drill: This is a 1st-gear, straight-line, less-than-20-mph exercise. Pick a safe, uncongested strip of roadway or parking lot that will allow you to ride 300 feet or more in a straight line without dealing with pedestrians, cross traffic, or road hazards. Start by pulling away from a complete stop and accelerating to 15-20 mph. Then use your brakes to smoothly and comfortably slow down to approximately 5-10 mph, but don’t make a full stop. Fantastic. Now, while still in motion, accelerate back up to 15-20 mph again. At some point in the process, you will need to turn around, so go ahead and do that in whatever safe manner you choose. That’s all there is to it. Great work, you’re a ringer. Oh, I forgot to mention…
We are going to do this drill with your right hand on the bar and your left (clutch) hand resting on the tank. That’s correct: Only your throttle hand is allowed to grip the bar except during take-off and turnaround. Other than those two exceptions, your clutch hand must rest on the gas tank where I can see it. No cheating.
Shifting your weight back counteracts braking forces, and the Tank Drill helps you learn to get it just right.
You will immediately notice that to avoid pulling on the bar during acceleration (and generating an uncomfortable turning movement), you will be forced to move your upper body forward. Same goes for the braking portion, but you will need to shift your upper body weight back to remain balanced and generate no additional force on the handlebar.
Take it slow, breathe, and concentrate on getting to a balanced centered position like you’re floating on top of the bike throughout the exercise. That’s how you’ll know you got it right. Rinse and repeat, look to the sky, and proclaim “Hallelujah!”
Work this drill until you can comfortably maintain a place of perfect balance when encountering forces that occur while accelerating or braking without feeling the need to grab the handlebar with your left hand to offset any weight transfer. Keep in mind, the harder you accelerate and brake, the greater the weight transfer, which means your range of motion will need to increase within the cockpit to keep the magic carpet ride going.
In time, the pushing and pulling pressure you exert through your hands will decrease as you gain sensitivity to weight transfer. And don’t be surprised when you have more comfort and dexterity at the controls too. Most important, now that you’ve quit upsetting the physics equation with your body weight, your bike will perform better and safer beneath you. That’s huge.
If you want to watch a live-action version of this lesson, go to Police Motor Training with Quinn Redeker on YouTube and find “Perfect Balance On A Motorcycle – Balance Ball 2.0.” The Tank Drill is one of a few exercises I cover in the video, so feel free to fast forward – you won’t hurt my feelings.
Quinn wears Lee Parks Design gloves exclusively. Find Quinn at Police Motor Training.
Crossing Anthony Creek near Blue Bend, West Virginia, as we make our way toward the Virginia border on this Virginia-West Virginia Motorcycle Ride. (Photos by the author)
Riding challenging curves through beautiful mountain scenery spikes my happy gauge, and the border region of eastern West Virginia and western Virginia is ripe with options. Great roads curve along rivers, wind through national forests, and roll through small towns, with interesting sights along the way.
The historic small city of Lewisburg, West Virginia, offers good restaurants and lodgings, providing a convenient base of operations. I connected there with my long-time riding partner Steve Efthyvoulou for two day-ride loops that took us over (and over) the border between the Virginias.
Day 1: Into the Alleghany Highlands
After breakfast, we pointed our bikes north on U.S. Route 219 to Anthony Road, where a right turn put us on an entertaining and frequently narrow road that parallels Anthony Creek. Recent deer strikes on this road involving riders we know had us on heightened alert for creatures aptly named Odocoileus virginianus. We continued deer-free through the village of Anthony and past Blue Bend. A right onto State Route 92 (Pocahontas Trail) took us south through Alvon and to the outskirts of White Sulphur Springs.
Scan QR codes above or click Day 1 or Day 2 to view routes on REVER
A one-exit run on Interstate 64 east delivered us to State Route 311 (Kanawha Trail). We crossed into Virginia and entered George Washington National Forest. A few miles on, we encountered a curious double tunnel under a railroad. The original passageway was built of stone; the metal culvert must have come later.
SR-311 hugs Tygers Creek southeast toward Crows, where we went right to follow Dunlap Creek. We crossed back into West Virginia, and south of Sweet Springs, SR-311 continues left as Peters Mountain Road, curving in spectacular fashion to a ridge. There it returns to Virginia and cuts through a patchwork of green including wilderness and recreation areas, campgrounds, and trails for hikers and off-roaders.
On the outskirts of Paint Bank, where SR-311 crosses Potts Creek, the Lemon Hotel proudly flaunts its vivid yellow exterior. This historic mountain home, dating from 1909 and now operating as a bed-and-breakfast, continues the yellow theme to the garage, chicken coop, deck chairs, guest bicycles, and likely other accoutrements. Green trim mimics the leaves of a lemon tree. I’d wager the yellow lodgings are fabulous, but I was more interested in following yellow lines painted on smooth, black asphalt.
The very yellow Lemon Hotel is in Paint Bank, Virginia, along State Route 311 in the Jefferson National Forest.
Paint Bank Road continues switching back and forth down Potts Mountain, with several scenic views signposted. At New Castle, we turned left onto State Route 615 (Craig Creek Road). The road meanders less than its namesake waterway, but it’s still engaging. To our right, we noticed suspension-style bridges across the creek that look like scaled-down Golden Gate Bridges. Where Craig Creek makes its final sweep right to join the James River, we turned left onto State Route 621 (Roaring Run Road), which slices along Karnes Creek.
At Low Moor, we turned left onto U.S. Route 220, cut north through Covington, and continued on Hot Springs Road, gaining elevation through curves into the Alleghany Highlands. Beyond the junction with State Route 684, we stopped at Falling Spring Falls.
In his 1781 book, Notes on the State of Virginia, native son and future U.S. President Thomas Jefferson wrote, “The only remarkable cascade in this country is that of the Falling Spring in Augusta. It falls over a rock about 200 feet to the valley below.” These days the drop is just 80 feet because mining operations from 1927 to 1941 rerouted the stream to the current falls. It’s still beautiful, but I wonder how the original 200-foot cascade looked.
Passing through the village of Anthony, West Virginia.
Continuing on U.S. 220, we encountered arcs and hairpins climbing to a ridge, then curved down to the center of Clifton Forge, which offers multiple choices for lunch. Steve selected 42 Deli, where we ordered BLT subs overflowing with bacon. (There’s no such thing as too much bacon.)
After lunch, we continued north on Douthat Road to State Route 39 then turned left for more curves to the West Virginia border. Down in Marlinton, we turned left onto U.S. 219 through Buckeye and Hillsboro. In Pocahontas, we visited Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park, site of an 1863 Civil War battle that ended organized Southern resistance in the still-new state of West Virginia. A walk up the observation tower rewarded us with a panoramic view of the Greenbrier River Valley. Continuing south on U.S. 219, a combination of sweepers and twisties returned us to Lewisburg to complete the day’s loop.
Day 2: West Virginia High
The next morning, our second loop started east from Lewisburg on U.S. Route 60 then turned south at Cadwell onto State Route 63 (Monroe Draft). At Organ Cave, this road joins U.S. 219 (Seneca Trail), and at Pickaway we turned right onto State Route 3 toward Sinks Grove and Wolf Creek. At Alderson, SR-3 crosses the Greenbrier River and bends gently west and south for a relaxed run along this scenic river.
Twin peaks reflect off the New River in Sandstone, West Virginia.
At Bellepoint, the Greenbrier and New Rivers converge, and just past Hinton we encountered a fantastic section of State Route 20. With tight turns and elevation changes, it moves along Gwinn Ridge with practically perfect pavement. At Sandstone we parked at the general store and walked around back for a close-up look at the New River. It’s among the oldest rivers on Earth, flowing northward through West Virginia valleys and canyons. On a perfect June morning, it couldn’t be prettier.
Reversing course, we enjoyed SR-20’s curves in the opposite direction. At Hinton, SR-3 presents a curvy stretch of two-lane to Shady Spring. There, U.S. Route 19 south got us down to Odd Road, which given its continual curves, is anything but odd for West Virginia. In the village of Odd, we turned right. Then at Coal City Road, we turned left for more twisties. At Amigo we picked up State Route 16 and wound through Stephenson and Corinne to Mullens.
Riding north out of Mullens on State Route 54 led us to a succession of twisty backroads including State Routes 97 and 3, Mattsville Road, Lower Sandick Road, and Clear Creek Crossing Road. In the village of Clear Creek Crossing, the riding got even better when we turned right onto Clear Fork Road. The tight curves border on perilous, but wow, it was fun!
East of Bellepoint, West Virginia, SR-3 curves gently along the Greenbrier River.
Clear Fork Road ends (sigh) at Maple Fork Road, then we went left on State Route 16, right on 61, and left on 41. Farther on, we reached a highlight of the day, Babcock State Park, featuring Glade Creek Grist Mill and a series of streaming waterfalls.
Returning to SR-41, we continued to U.S. 60 and got exactly what we’ve come to expect from a great West Virginia road: smooth tar with elevation changes and thrilling curves. What a way to finish this ride. At the intersection of U.S. 219, we were back in Lewisburg.
Morning presented a 664-mile highway jaunt to get home. That’s a long way in a day but a small price to enjoy border hopping the Virginias.
Scott “Bones” Williams engages readers on motorcycle touring, gear, and culture. His writing conveys his love of speed and motion, preference for roads less taken, and role as goodwill ambassador.
The Highway 21 Women’s Pearl Motorcycle Jacket and Black Ivy Gloves are comfortable and styling leather motorcycle apparel for women. (Photo by Kevin Wing)
Black leather motorcycle apparel can often be understated, which many shoppers might enjoy about their gear. The Highway 21 leather apparel I’ve been testing has a bit more pizzaz, combining a cool look with comfortable and protective materials.
The Highway 21 Women’s Pearl Motorcycle Jacket is one of the most eye-catching black leather motorcycle jackets I’ve seen. From the brass-colored snap buttons on the flared collar to the buckled belt, it oozes more old-school cool than anything else in my closet.
The jacket is made of premium full-grain leather and is comfortable to wear. The leather is soft and flexible, unlike some stiffer and more constricting leather jackets I’ve worn. It comes with armor pockets in the back, shoulders, and elbows, although you’ll need to purchase the armor separately.
For adjustability, the jacket includes buckles at the cuffs and waist, along with the leather belt around the hips. The cuffs also have zippered vents that can be opened for some airflow, although that’s the sum of the ventilation options on this jacket, so I avoid wearing this one in hot weather. It also includes a comfort inner lining, two handwarmer pockets, and an internal pocket with a stretchable strap inside to secure any items you want to stow there.
The part of this jacket that most gives it its distinct look is the asymmetrical zipper and collar. With the zipper about halfway up, the collar can be snapped back into place for an open collar without the rider having to worry about loose parts flapping in the wind. If you want to zip it up all the way, simply unsnap the buttons and zip it up. I think the unsnapped buttons distract from the cool factor, so I usually leave the collar snapped back.
Whenever I’m wearing the Pearl jacket, I also wear my Highway 21 Women’s Black Ivy Gloves, which are made of supple goat leather and feature dual-density memory foam for comfort and less vibration, pre-curved fingers, accordion expansion panels on the fingers, hard knuckle protection, and a hook-and-loop adjustable wrist. They also feature a laser-etched Highway 21 design on the back of the hand.
The gloves work well with the jacket, but they also feature a more versatile look that isn’t quite as distinct. They’re easy to slip on and off, and if you purchase the right fit, they don’t slide around while riding. Like the jacket, they don’t offer much ventilation, so I wear them more often in spring and fall.
This Highway 21 leather apparel might not fit every look, but it certainly has personality. Both the Pearl Jacket and the Black Ivy Gloves are great spring and fall pieces of gear that are comfortable and protective. The jacket is available in sizes S-3XL for $249.95, and the gloves are available in sizes S-2XL for $54.95.
While the majority of visitors to Joshua Tree National Park stick to the pavement, there are several dirt roads that finger into the beautiful desert landscape, perfect for this Joshua Tree National Park motorcycle ride. (Photos by the author and Cheryl Kessel)
“It’s the Joshua tree’s struggle that gives it its beauty,” writes Jeannette Walls in her 2005 memoir The Glass Castle. She further contends that such struggle leads to growth and resilience. We motorcyclists know all about struggle, especially in the depths of winter. We struggle to find ways to assuage our overwhelming desire to ride as snow blankets roads and freezing winds cut like knives. For us, the Joshua tree can also represent escape and relief.
My wife and I sat in the morning sun in the courtyard of the beautiful Dive Palm Springs, a downtown boutique hotel in the vibrant California desert city (see sidebar below). As we ate croissants and fresh fruit, we discussed our January therapy session: riding our BMW G 650 XCountry through Joshua Tree National Park.
The ride out of Palm Springs was easy. The city has embraced and preserved its mid-century heritage and charm. Buildings, landscaping, and signage harken back to the city’s heyday as a mecca for L.A.’s rich and famous. We rode alongside expansive golf courses and tennis courts. Once out of the city, we continued east on Interstate 10 through the muted hues of the Mojave Desert.
Joshua Tree National Park has three entrances, and our route took us to the southernmost entrance near I-10. There was no wait at this lesser-used access, and our National Parks Annual Pass granted us entry.
Our ride north into the park started as a nicely paved roll through the sparse desert landscape on Pinto Basin Road. Mountains rose on the horizon, but no Joshua trees. A full palate of cacti, including chollas and ocotillos, defined our early impressions of the national park. Long sweeping corners and smooth straight stretches marked the climb in elevation. The road became more curvaceous, and the park’s namesake trees started to appear sporadically, foreshadowing what was to come.
The author’s wife, Cheryl, stands in front of the park’s entry signage.
Pinto Basin Road terminates at Park Boulevard. A right turn would lead us north to Twentynine Palms, the city immortalized in a great Robert Plant song of the same name. Instead, we turned left into the heart of the park and the center of the Joshua tree universe.
The roads through Joshua Tree offer up starkly beautiful visual backdrops. The rock vistas, desert sand, and unique trees combine for a remarkable riding experience.
Almost immediately, the stands of Joshua trees became denser, the trees larger. Joshua trees are fantastical, whimsical, and majestic all at once. It is as if each one has a personality of its own. Some are simple and understated, but many are over-the-top in their stylized poses. Arms emanate in every direction and at rakish angles that seem almost comical, like attention-seeking adolescents with limbs akimbo and wild haircuts.
Our first pedestrian foray was at the fantastic erosion-sculpted Skull Rock. My diminutive riding companion could easily fit within one of the cranial cavities in the impressive monolith, one of many sculpture-esque outcroppings of granite in this portion of the park.
Cheryl stands in front of one of the park’s most recognizable features, Skull Rock. The rock morphs in appearance with the changing shadows throughout the day.
After a few more miles on our northwestern route through the park, we sampled one of the established dirt roads that wind through Joshua trees. Vehicles must stay on approved roads, and there are several dirt roads that offer off-pavement possibilities for dirt-worthy mounts. Our midsized BMW proved perfect for a little sandy exploration.
Back on tarmac, we motored past climbers scaling the vertical walls of beautiful rock formations. We also cut through the part of the park that features the most spectacular Joshua trees, which cast long shadows in the late afternoon light, adding an otherworldly quality to the ride.
After leaving the park, we rolled back to Palm Springs on Twentynine Palms Highway (State Route 62). We motored west and then south past Desert Hot Springs and beside a different forest – one of towering wind turbines. Back in Palm Springs, we showered off the day’s ride and headed downtown to enjoy the Palm Springs Village Fest, an event hosted every Thursday that features art, food, music, and lots of smiling attendees.
With our therapy session complete, we felt much better. This ride would be oppressively hot during the summer, but it’s the perfect escape in fall, winter, and spring months.
Dive Palm Springs is a quaint and beautiful 11-room boutique hotel on the fringe of downtown Palm Springs. The petite, Euro-inspired property is meticulously maintained, with a restored historic pool as its centerpiece. A welcoming glass of rosé greets new guests, and an individually prepared organic breakfast is delivered to your room or beside the pool each morning. This hidden gem is the perfect place to recline in luxury after a long ride.
Joshua Tree National Park Motorcycle Ride Resources
With 50 years of motorcycling and 30 years of teaching English under his belt, Tim Kessel has melded those two passions into a gig as a motojournalist. Maybe that’s why there is always a permanent, satisfied smile under his full-face helmet.
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