BACKROADS IN OUR BACKYARD... THIS IS WHY WE RIDE!: A Little Vacation for Your Mind and Soul in Rancho Palos Verdes.

If you don't look back and stare at her as you walk away, you definitely bought the wrong bike. ~Anonymous Motorcycle Owner

Map of the route.

Photos and words by Jim Foreman

It is not uncommon for motorcyclists to ride three, four, five hundred miles a day and even more. This is one of the things we love about riding. Sometimes a short run, instead of going straight home after work, is what's needed most.

We are truly blessed in Southern California to have perfect riding weather all year long. Combine that with the diversity of the terrain, legal lane sharing and you have a trifecta of motorcycling bliss.

Huntington Beach Harley-Davidson, formerly Harley-Davidson of Westminster (Yes, that's right... You heard it here first!) will present amazing rides for you and your best friend. For sure, your partner can come along too, but by 'Best Friend', true riders know we're talking about our motorcycle!

Today's ride originated Thursday morning, August 1st. I called up my good friend, Craig Franz (Co-Owner of Huntington Beach Harley-Davidson) and suggested we go for a ride this afternoon. Immediately, I was lambasted with "I can't because..." and "I have this meeting..." and so forth. I calmly listened and then offered, "Just leave one-hour early and let's take a little vacation." Craig pondered this for a moment and said, "I'll be right back." Sure enough, 5 minutes later he came back down and said, "OK! Let's Do It!"

I immediately suggested Palos Verdes Peninsula. It's close, amazingly beautiful and might as well be ten thousand miles away from the hustle and bustle of normal life. Craig said he hadn't been there before and I replied, "You're in for a treat."


Guest photographing Craig's bike.

We were thinking about taking Pacific Coast Highway from Goldenwest Street up, but decided that it was best to get there quickly. We elected to jump on the freeway and lane-shared the 22 Freeway westbound until it merged with the 405 North and finally opened up.

From the 405 North, we took the 710 south. If your bike has lots of cornering clearance, this is a great transition road to give lot's of lean and unload some of the power in the big 110 twin. Floorboards may get scraped, but man, is it worth it.
We followed the 710 down, all the way towards 'Queen Mary' and jumped on CA 47 (Seaside Fwy) which first took us over the 'Gerald Desmond Bridge' and then the mighty 'Vincent Thomas Bridge'. If you're afraid of heights, just keep your eyes glued to the road ahead. If not, look up as you pass under the skyscraping pylons.


Vincent Thomas Bridge

Highway 47 drops you onto Gaffey Street in San Pedro, CA. Just continue on until just before the very end. Right at Gaffey and 38th Street is the entrance to the Korean Friendship Bell.

The Korean Friendship Bell should look familiar to you as it was featured in a key scene of 'The Usual Suspects' featuring Kevin Spacey.

Scene from "The Usual Suspects"

Craig Franz and Jim Foreman at the Korean Friendship Bell

After leaving the 'Bell' we headed back up Gaffey St and then made a left on 25th Street. 25th Street becomes Palos Verdes Drive South. You know the moment you cross the dividing line between San Pedro and Rancho Palos Verdes. Immediately you're surrounded with rolling hills, beautiful coastline and a clean uncluttered road to enjoy what we enjoy so well!

Along the way is Palos Verdes Drive East. I'll get back to this shortly. Time was running short for Craig and he had to get back home to meet with friends.

Approaching the Portuguese Bend.

One of the unexpectedly fun aspects of this road is 'Portuguese Bend'. This .8 mile stretch of road is constantly moving. A street repair team is constantly trying to keep some sense of a road intact. It's common to see new bumps, fissures and gaps open up overnight. You can't miss it. There'll be warning signs and you'll certainly feel it.
Just beyond Portuguese Bend a few miles is a shopping center on the right at Hawthorne Blvd. There's a Unocal 76 Station, Trader Joe's, a couple boutique cafes and a fantastic Starbucks Coffee.
Not only can you sit down to enjoy a great cup of coffee on the patio, but the view is absolutely spectacular. The ocean is splendid too!

It was here that Craig had to depart for home. Before we separated, I asked him if it was worth the trip. He said, "Absolutely! I feel refreshed!"

He headed up Hawthorne (lots of great high-speed sweepers) and caught the 405 back to his place.
I turned around and headed back Palos Verdes Drive South and took some photos at some interesting spots.
An interesting note for those of you long-time residents of the area. This is where 'Marineland' was located. Now there are Mediterranean style townhomes and the nearby Trump National Golf Club of Los Angeles.

Heading back I took Palos Verdes Drive East. Look for the signs as there are no stoplights.
PV Drive East is a great road with a set of perfect camber switchbacks to get some great lean angles on your bike. You will scrape pegs or floorboards!
There are several turnouts, along the way, one can stop at to take photos and figure out where to go next.
It is not uncommon to see riders ride up and down these switchbacks for 60 minutes or more! They're that fun!

From there it was time to head back.

I wanted to go a different way back so I chose to head back through the bridges and then go straight through Long Beach on Ocean Avenue. I caught Hwy 1 (PCH) and took it south to Goldenwest. From there I would have headed to the current 'old' location of HD Westminster. Instead, since the shop was closed up, I headed home.

On a day off or a weekend, one may continue north on PV Drive West to PCH North and then go past the Redondo Beach Marina. Make a left on Herondo St and then a Right on Hermosa Ave. Trust me, as your friend and one who will never lead you astray, THIS is the most spectacular road for sightseeing on any warm weekend or summer day. Please though, be mindful of the road and traffic and make sure to wipe the drool off your shirt. That'll lead you right up to the strand. Stop by and grab a bite at the Hermosa Beach Pier. Continuing on north, take Hermosa Ave to the end and make a right and then an immediate left on Manhatten Ave. Go up to 1st or 2nd street and make a left and then a right on Ocean to continue all the way up to Playa Del Rey. From there, you can go around Marina Del Rey and up through Venice, Santa Monica and of course, back on to PCH heading up to Malibu.

Once home, the couple I share a home with invited Raquel, a hairstylist friend over. I took the opportunity to have her check out the bike. I invited her to sit on it and she liked it very much. I then fired up the bike and watched the glow on her face start beaming! I guess this bike is a hit!

And yes... My soul is refreshed and my smile is still present.