by Brad Morgan

Pennsylvania Motorcycle Touring

Pennsylvania is one of the better states to live for a motorcycle riding enthusiast.  Its rugged terrain, vast forest land, and over 120,000 miles of paved roads provide an endless supply of worthy two-wheeled tours.

In my opinion, the real “sweet spot” for the best riding experiences can be found within an 80-mile radius of State College.  This area earns the distinction of the “sweet spot” due to its combination of quantity and quality.  This region is chock-full of state and county roads that are relatively free of anything that resembles traffic.

Many of these roads offer great scenery and plenty of curves and elevation changes that add an element of fun and excitement to any ride. The quality of many of these roads is excellent. By “excellent”, I don’t mean that they are necessarily well maintained, quite the contrary – many of these roads are tired, well worn, and in need of some attention. The ever changing tarmac conditions add to the adventure!  That said – the Commonwealth has been investing heavily in improving the quality of the roads over the last few years and slowly but surely conditions are improving in many spots.

However, these roads are relatively free of hideous annoyances like stop lights, stop signs, intersections, driveways and other fun-sapping irritants that can be all too plentiful on many of the otherwise perfectly good roads found in other parts of the state.

With this blog I will attempt to provide a vital (and praiseworthy!) public service by highlighting some Pennsylvania roads that are worthy of your time in the saddle – roads that provide a solid combination of scenery and a significant amount of fun factor!

I will also try to offer some interesting tidbits about things you will see along the way.   Like many motorcycle riding enthusiasts – I believe that the road itself is the destination.  As such, I don’t spend a lot of time sitting in diners or hanging around “biker” haunts so I won’t have a whole  lot to offer in the way of best places to stop or eat.  Its all about THE RIDE!

I summarize the tools I use to identify roads and routes and to plan for tips here – for those who may be interested => Websites & Other Useful Stuff:

The blog provides descriptions of individual roads and when appropriate, combinations of connected roads. I know there are many awesome and spectacular stretches of roads out there, but I will try to limit my selections to roads that offer at least 50 good miles of riding – like I said above, these are roads worth seeking out on your next excursion.   Since I am extremely allergic to traffic and  congestion – I tend to stay away from populated areas and lean towards routes that provide the most freedom to ride and enjoy the beautiful scenery and unusual sights that can be found in the more remote areas of Pa.

Your feedback is appreciated!

Check-out the rides & the routes =>  here

 

Brad Morgan rides a 2004 Victory Kingpin and lives in Carlisle.

Tags: brad morgan, column, motorcycle, pennsylvania motorcycle tours, touring