Pacific Coast Motorcycle Tour - 10 Day

The Pacific coast from Seattle to Los Angeles, compressed into ten days. Nine nights, around 1,572 miles, and the same Highway 101 and Highway 1 route as the full-length version ridden at a brisker pace for anyone who does not have a fortnight.

The pace shows in the distances, which sit between 176 and 247 miles rather than the gentler hops of the longer tour. That suits the northern section, where the road is fast and the scenery is constant: a ferry crossing and Olympic National Park on the first riding day, then the Oregon coast to Newport and Crescent City, three days of headlands, river mouths and sea stacks.

California delivers the two set pieces. Redwood National Park comes first, where the road threads between the tallest trees on earth, then Fort Bragg and Point Reyes lead down to San Francisco. After that it is Monterey, the Big Sur cliffs, Pismo Beach and Santa Barbara, and the final run into Los Angeles, which is the stretch most riders come for.

EAGLERIDER collects the bike in Seattle and takes it back in Los Angeles, with Harley-Davidson touring models and Triumph and BMW sport machines available, and books all nine nights. Fuel, meals and insurance are arranged separately. Nothing important is left out compared with the longer version of this route, it simply arrives sooner, with fewer free days built in along the way. For riders with ten days and the whole West Coast on the list, this is the efficient way to ride it end to end.