Jen “JRod” Dunstan wrote an article for Revzilla’s CommonTread back in July that caught my attention. The purpose was to remind motorcyclists that there are more twisty roads out there than the big name ones everyone knows. It struck a nerve and I posted in the comments like an old man standing on his porch yelling at neighborhood kids in his yard.

Southern California is full of twisty roads. It doesn’t take a lot of effort to find one. Some are well-known and some are not. North Carolina might have the Tail of the Dragon but our roads are more like the Head of Cthulhu. Most people in the motorcycle community would likely have at least heard of Ortega Highway (SR-74), Angeles Crest Highway (SR-2) or “The Snake” on Mulholland. There’s a reason for that. It isn’t because the roads are boring.

Rim of the World Highway (SR-18) is another one. It isn’t exactly a secret for being a scenic, twisty road. The name alone gives it away. It is the primary route in and out of the cluster of San Bernardino Mountain communities I call home. When it isn’t washed away by an insignificant amount of rain combined with a lack of maintenance by San Bernardino County, it is used by folks commuting to work, driving to their Airbnb for vacation and flatlanders pretending they are at a track day.

Weekdays are pretty mundane. Some people drive like jerks but no more than anywhere else. Weekends are a different story. Sportbike riders in full race-leathers are not uncommon. Many riders are dragging knees or trying to. Watching some of these people try to lean their first bike (usually something Ducati) into a corner would be comical if it wasn’t so dangerous.

SR-18 is a two-way road with few intersections and there are several miles between them. It is mostly surrounded by rock on one side and a cliff on the other. There is little danger of pedestrians running into the street or cars entering the roadway. The danger lies in road debris, rider skill and other motorists. Rocks/sand are constantly falling onto the road and blind corners don’t give much warning to what is ahead. If you go wide, you’re either straight into solid rock, oncoming traffic or become airborne off the cliff. Nothing compares to the danger ‘cagers’ bring to the table.

Drivers in jacked up brodozers and minivans piloted by distracted, over-caffeinated parents can’t stay in their lane. The double-yellow is more of a suggestion than a rule. Riding a motorcycle on flat land with high visibility is dangerous enough with these folks around. Twisty roads make it exponentially worse.

If you kill yourself on your bike, that really isn’t my concern. Running into me, my loved ones or cause an incident where other people are injured is. Being annoying when I’m just trying to go down the hill for a Costco run is. Making people think all motorcyclists are jerks is.

What I’m trying to say in these 500 words or so is this.

Explore. Find new roads. Enjoy the adventure. Take in the scenery. You can even ride at a spirited pace if conditions allow. Just be a good steward for our shared hobby and don’t make the locals regret you found it. If you want to drag a knee or test your limits, Chuckwalla and Willow Springs are only a few hours away.