Guitars & Handlebars Festival

What do you get when you mix music, motorcycles and art together?  The Guitar & Handlebars Festival held at the Mesa Arts Center located in downtown Mesa, Arizona.  This combination of elements may sound strange for some, but it makes perfect sense today.

The music industry has always had a close relationship with motorcycles featuring them in videos, album/CD cover art and not to mention lots of musicians owning them.  Recently, the mainstream population has been accepting choppers, bobbers, café racers and other customs as rolling art.

Pounding The Pavement: AZ SR89N White Spar Pass, Wilhoit to Prescott

The ribbon of pavement through the White Spars between Wilhoit and Prescott on Arizona State Route 89 North is one of my favorite pieces of road I've been on so far.  Located in the Bradshaw Mountains, this technical piece of asphalt throws just about every variety of low and medium speed corners possible at you.  Most of the turns are blind with a long drop off to your right.  The only thing between you and a free fall is a network of unforgiving armco barriers.

Pounding The Pavement: Yarnell Hill - SR89 North, Yarnell, Arizona: Part 1

Yarnell Hill is located on scenic Arizona State Route 89 which starts in Wickenburg and winds through various mountain passes to Sedona, Flagstaff and beyond.  For Phoenix Valley riders, the most popular and closest spot is the pass through the Weaver Mountains between the towns of Congress and Yarnell.  No matter what kind of bike they ride, just about any rider in the Phoenix area has some sort of story of something they did or saw on the mountain.

Ride To Eat: Matt's Big Breakfast/South Mountain Ride

Today's ride started with an awesome breakfast at Matt's Big Breakfast located on a quiet corner (on Sunday at least) in downtown Phoenix.  I discovered this place on an episode of Diners, Drive Ins and Dives on the Food Network.  I ordered what was simply called the "Waffle" and wow, what a waffle.  It was the size of a plate!  Also included were two very thick slices of peppery bacon that were cooked to perfection.  I'd have to say that breakfast exceeded all expectations!

New Year's Day Ride to Tortilla Flats

On New Year's Eve I didn't watch the ball drop, in fact, I was in bed by 10:PM!  Why would I forego the customary New Year's Eve partying?  To take part in what I've found to be one of the greatest Arizona traditions:  The New Year's Day Ride to Tortilla Flats.  As legend has it, this ride was originally organized by vintage bike owners as an excuse to get their antiques out of the garage and into the sunlight.  To say the least, it has blown up from there!  Hundreds of bikes of all years, makes and styles come out to this tiny town (population 6) nestled up in the middle of the Superstition Mountains along the Apache Trail (now AZ State Route 88) for breakfast, brunch and lunch.

Memorial Day Weekend Ride - Wickenburg/Prescott/Jerome/Payson Loop

Saturday's ride was a long time in the making!  It's been quite a while since I've taken an all day ride on the motorcycle.  Today's loop started with meeting up with friends from the local RAT Pack at the Cracker Barrel in my home town of Buckeye, home of the Helzapoppin' Rodeo (I don't know why I like saying that).  We then headed west on the interstate briefly to set ourselves up for the first tasty bit of twisty pavement on today's menu:  

2010 Phoenix Shriner's Bike Show

Today was a beautiful day for a ride!  I called my friend DJ to see if he needed an excuse to take out his new Triumph Thunderbird 1600 and he told me that he had already planned to meet up with his brother in law Augie for a ride to a bike show in Phoenix near the airport around 40th St. and Van Buren.  Not needing too much prodding, I told him I'd meet him at his house by 11:AM!