CA Santa Cruz Motorcycle Roads

San Jose to Carmel Valley, no highways

• Brinels303
• score: 15

Excellent run for twisties through the hills and down the coast. When it's open, the Brookdale lodger is a great spot to crab a drink or coffee before hitting the return route.

• CafeRacer5
• Triumph Thruxton R
• score: 5

If you're on a motorcycle and you're not trying to make time, why would you bother riding 395 when you can take this epic, curvy scenic route. Super fun, open corners, and beautiful scenery.

• deeznuts
• KTM 990 SMT
• score: 317

Very pretty scenery on this out and back run - highly worthwhile if passing through the area. Could have a lot of tourists up there but still worth it. May be closed seasonally.

• deeznuts
• KTM 990 SMT
• score: 317

Very scenic and curvy out and back off CA168

• deeznuts
• KTM 990 SMT
• score: 317

Fast, mostly open corners, and great scenery. This is a great quick out and back to a scenic lake if passing through Bishop. Weekends during high season could be crowded.

• deeznuts
• KTM 990 SMT
• score: 317

Alice's thru Big Basin, Bonny Doon, Swanton & Pescadero

• Rebex
• score: 15

French creek to S Shingle

• Osanna362
• Suzuki Dr650S
• score: 5

This fun out-and-back route is the road to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest - a twisty, steeply-climbing mountain road, with a drop-off on one side. Scenery is amazing, but keep your eyes on the road! Corners sneak up on you, but a very fun, entertaining route. You may end up behind a slow-moving tourist car, but it is still worth the views on the way up. Take a short hike when you get to the top, around the Bristlecone Pines. Very nice route.

• deeznuts
• KTM 990 SMT
• score: 317

Benton Crossing is very scenic, and not a lot of cars out there. Nice cruiser road, high speed and fun corners, and gorgeous views!

• deeznuts
• KTM 990 SMT
• score: 317

From Mammoth lakes through Yosemite the road gets more curvy and thrilling. Highway 108 is my all time favorite Californian road, closed in winter it is a mountain roller coaster for motorcycles.

• DutchSavage
• KTM Superduke GT
• score: 52

It is a very nice week-end ride, lots of turns, ups and downs, with some great scenery amongst the sequoias. You will be sharing the road with cyclists on Page Mill mostly. Alpine Rd will require your attention. I suggest leaving from Palo Alto or 280 toward the ocean; you'll enjoy a drink or a meal in Pescadero, then up or down the coast.

• cmarcant
• Ducati Scrambler
• score: 10

I rode this from Skyline west to Hwy 1, basically downhill...and it is a steep grade! I likely would have enjoyed it more going uphill. While the pavement is OK, there isn't much of it...no center line \"goat trail\". Lots of blind corners as this is cut out of the mountainside. Expect to stay in 1st gear unless your bike is geared super low. Also, this area is notorious for fog/mist...would NOT recommend riding unless it is warmer and sunny. I've only ridden this once and next time I will go the other direction....so my rating could go up. It does beat getting stuck in Hwy 84 traffic!

• FZBob
• score: 45

A quick trip that I like to take at night to wind down

• mitchfewell
• score: 10

Ditch 680 traffic and cruise a beautiful road. Watch for intersections, gravel, and damaged roads.

• Rsv4Dragon
• APRILIA RSV4
• score: 10

Heading SB on 35, this route starts off mostly straight and through a wooded area. There is a restaurant and gas station midway. At that point, you can turn to go downhill toward the ocean with some great cornering, or continue straight for more sweepers. Beautiful route.

• BluBeast
• BMW F650GS
• score: 5

Kings Canyon National Park has one roadway and this is it. The further that you get into the park, the better the views get. There are some really amazing hundred-mile mountain range view spots and some pretty significant roadside dropoffs, most with a guard rail or short wall. There are some turns but nothing dangerous or ultra twisty. The camping photo is about a mile from the very end of the road, where you must turn around and go back. GREAT campsites out here so pack a tent! Remember, it is a National Park, so there is entrance $ requirement.

• troutaddict1
• Suzuki DL650 V-Strom Adventure
• score: 28

Nice cruiser with nice corners.

• chukar
• score: 12

Nice little ride through the Sierra Foothills. Amador wine country and some old Gold Rush towns. Some twisties and some sweeping curves.

• BigBadger
• Piaggio MP3 500
• score: 5

Loads of twisties, light traffic and great views of the Eastern Sierras. Excellent road, turn around and do it again!

• sheepskin_sliders
• BMW Boxer
• score: 1522

Perfect way to travel away from the main traffic routes, nice mountain pass at Kit Carson.

• texblues
• Road Glide
• score: 5

Nice sunday morning ride around Folsom Lake

• hb9801
• score: 5

Got everything you could ask for. A little longist, @ 100 miles, but the most enjoyable ride I can think of. Just don't lose your focus.

• rtarozzi
• 2006 GSXR 1000
• score: 5

A bit narrow in places but there are some nice curves on this stretch

• sheepskin_sliders
• BMW Boxer
• score: 1522

Some nice corners to play on and some longish straights to get moving.

• sheepskin_sliders
• BMW Boxer
• score: 1522