Best 20 Motorcycle Roads

There are many reasons why a road might be considered as being very good for motorcycling.  It may be because it is twisty, fast, scenic, or with great places to see along its route.

Some roads are famous and well less well known.  Some are found by accident, but however you came across your favourite roads, they are likely to remain in your memory for a long time.

For me, I can only consider a road to be worthy of ‘best’ if I have personally ridden it.  Here are my top 20 roads, and the reasons why I like them so much.  The lower the number, the more I like it.

20.  Almost any road in Cuba

Cuba is one of the most remarkable places I have been lucky enough to ride.  Despite being a very poor country, it is rich in culture and the warmth of its people is incredible to experience.  Its communist regime has no doubt hurt the country and its people, as has the trading blockade put in place by the USA in 1960.  The road surfaces are terrible and accommodation is generally of a poor quality, but riding a motorcycle around this remarkable country was both eye-opening and a real pleasure.  I saw a way of life that I haven’t experienced anywhere else.

19.  St Gotthard Pass, Switzerland

There are many parts to St Gotthard Pass, but my favourite is the old road, called Tremola, to the south of Lago della Piazza.  This is a twisting, cobbled road that snakes its way northwards, up through a series of tight hairpin bends to the lake at the top of the road.  Due to its rough and bumpy surface the road has to be ridden slowly, but the excitement level is high.  The best view of the road is from the later built highway 2 which runs to the west of the old road.

18.  N-621 / C-I 627, Picos de Europa, Spain

There are many good riding roads in the Picos, with my favourite being a road that follows the River Deva as it flows through an impressive canyon.  The road starts at Penamellera Baja and heads south.  The town of Potes makes a good halfway stopping point before continuing onto Cervera de Pisuerga.  The scenery is impressive and the road narrow.  Try to avoid at weekends when the traffic can get heavy.

17.  Pikes Peak, Colorado, USA

At 14,115 feet, this is the second highest paved road in the USA.  It twists and turns its way up this spectacular and steep mountain.  Much of the edge of the road is un-guarded, with steep drop-offs, meaning the road is not for everyone.  It is a toll road, but the fee payable is worth every penny, and it sees an annual motorcycle and car race to reach its summit.  It is so steep, on the way down, all vehicles are subject to a brake heat check, as it would be very easy to overheat your brakes unless the gears are used regularly to slow your vehicle down.  The road is closed in winter.

16.  Atlas Mountains, Morocco

While no single road stands out as being excellent, there are a few really good roads which together make the Atlas Mountains worth riding.  One of these is the Tizi-n-Test Pass, situated to the south west of Marrakech.  This is shown on maps as a ‘difficult or dangerous section of road’, but it really isn’t. Narrow and with gravel or sand covering the road in places, the road twists and turns through some glorious mountain scenery.  The Tizi-n-Tichka Pass and the road in Dades Gorge (pictured) is more well-known.

15.  Verdun Gorge, France

Sometimes a road is considered very good because of the scenery.  The road through Verdun Gorge is certainly one of them.  Verdun Gorge is a river canyon that is often considered to be one of Europe's most beautiful. The river is a stunning turquoise-green colour and the view of the river from the bridge at the western end as it flows into the Sainte-Croix lake of the gorge is wonderful.  There are two roads that follow the canyon and the better one is on the north side of the river.

14.  Million Dollar Highway, Colorado, USA

Otherwise known as US 550, the best part of this road runs from Durango to Ouray.  A diversion into Silverton is also worthwhile.  There are a number of reasons why this road may have obtained its unusual name, with the most popular being how much it cost to build and how much silver was contained within the rocks used under the road.  As you leave Durango and head north the road gets more and more spectacular.  The first part of the road has terrific scenery, the next part as it approaches Silverton sweeps around wonderfully long bends and the northern part, nearer to Ouray, is dramatic as the road is carved into the side of a mountain with no guard rail to protect wayward riders.

13.  Triglavski Narodni Park, Slovenia

In the very northernmost part of Slovenia, road 206 runs broadly south west from Kranjska Gora through the Triglavski Narodni Park.  This is a mountainous area with the road following the contours of the rugged nature of the mountains.  The road is narrow, with certain parts cobbled, but it is certainly good enough to ride and enjoy.  The views from the road are excellent.  Another excellent nearby road is number 902 within the park.  It is a dead-end toll road with spectacular scenery.  The road is to the east of Cave del Predil, across the border in northern Italy.

12.  Needles Highway, South Dakota, USA

South Dakota Highway 87 is a road running through the Black Hills in South Dakota.  The highway runs through the Custer State Park and it is the northern 14 miles of the road that are known as the Needles Highway.  The ‘needles’ are jagged spire shaped rocks that rise out of the wooded hills.  The road is best ridden on a weekday, well away from the August Sturgis Rally which is held nearby and draws hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists.  The road twists and turns through the hills and makes for challenging riding.  The northern end of the road is at its junction with US 385, about 3 miles south of Hill City.  The road has several dramatic tunnels cut through the rocks, including one part that is narrow and often photographed.  The road has a relatively slow speed limit.

11.  Furka, Grimsel and Susten Passes loop, Switzerland

Although four separate roads, these connect to form a 75 mile loop road high up in the Swiss Alps.  Running west out of Andermatt is road 19 which features both the Rhone Glacier and Furka Pass [7,969 ft].  Just beyond Furka you turn northward on road 6 and immediately ride up Grimsel Pass [7,100 ft].  At Innertkirchen, turn eastward on road 11 and ride Susten Pass [7,427 ft], before turning south on road 2 back to Andermatt.  These are three of the best pass roads in the Alps and feature some wonderful views and terrific riding.

10.  Grossglockner Pass, Austria

This is a stunning road set amongst very dramatic scenery.  Grossglockner Pass is a toll road that rises up to 8,215 ft in the Alps.  Near the top of the pass is a spur road up to the Edelweisspitze viewpoint.  The road to the viewpoint has tight hairpin bends and part cobbled, but it is worth the ride up as the view from the top is one of the best in the Alps.  Another spur road takes riders to the longest glacier in the eastern Alps, the Pasterze.  Grossglockner Pass is closed in winter.

9.  Highway 1, California, USA

While not a great riding road, Highway 1 is full of character and it feels like a part of history.  The road runs along the west coast of America, through the states of Washington, Oregon and California, although the best part of the road is starting in San Francisco, heading south and takes in Big Sur, Half Moon Bay, Sanat Cruz, Monterey, Carmel, Hearst Castle, Pismo Beach, Santa Barbara, Malibu and the Ventura Highway before reaching Las Angeles.  There are well-known names guaranteed to give you about 350 miles of great memories!

8.  Combe Laval, France

Built as part of the local logging industry between 1861 and 1898, the road at Combe Laval is stunning.  The most spectacular section of the road is cut into the cliff that forms one side of a deep canyon and runs through a series of short tunnels cut into the rock.  The drop to the side of the road is sheer and it is a very long way down, so this road is not for those afraid of heights.  The rest of us though have a great time on this very exciting road.  The most dramatic section is the D76 to the southeast of Saint-Jean-En-Royans as far as Chamaloc.

7.  Monument Valley, Utah / Arizona, USA

I have included Monument Valley in my list due only to one thing.  The scenery is amazing.  Is it really a top 20 motorcycle road?  Its straight roads would lead me to say no, but this is more than made up for by the glorious nature of the geography.  The view in the picture is US 163 in Utah, perhaps one of the most iconic road images from anywhere in the world.  It certainly makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up when you see it from the seat of a motorcycle.

6.  Beartooth Pass, Wyoming / Montana , USA

On the Wyoming / Montana border, this is US Highway 212 which runs 69 miles between Red Lodge in Wyoming and Cooke City in Montana. Rising up to 10,947 feet / 3,337 metres, the road climbs and falls quickly. Even though I rode the Beartooth Pass in August, it was cold and very windy on the top of the mountains, with a dramatic wind-chill factor.  Occasionally you hear people say they are “feeling on top of the world.” On Beartooth Pass, you really do feel that way, as the view looking down on other mountains is amazing.  The road is good with long fast bends.  To make my top six, each road needs to have the ‘wow’ factor and Beartooth Pass certainly has that.

5.  Stelvio Pass, Italy

What list of the world’s best roads would be complete without Stelvio Pass?  It is dramatic, stunning and with 75 hairpins bends, somewhat challenging.  Split into two ramps, the west side of the pass road is wider, with easy hairpins and less steep.  The east side is more difficult with tighter bends on a significantly narrower road.  The second highest paved road in the Alps, Stelvio is closed by significant snowfall every winter.  Sometime the road doesn’t re-open until May or even June, so check if it is open before you set out.  The road has become very busy in recent years and the best time to ride it is early morning on a weekday.

4.  D8 coastline road, northern Croatia

This is a pure riders road, with no frills, but plenty of thrills.  It follows the Adriatic coast for 130 miles of wonderfully twisty enjoyment.  The road rises and falls as it hugs the coast with the beautiful turquoise colour of the sea being a constant companion at your side.  The best part of the road is from Rijeka to Rovanjska, although there are very few good places to stay or good restaurants to eat at, so take your chance when you see somewhere.  The weather is normally very good too.  What’s not to like?

3.  Sella Group Ring, Dolomites, Italy

The Sella group is a plateau-shaped rock massif in the Dolomites Mountains of northern Italy. There are four roads surrounding this rock formation that are a joy to ride.  Starting at Canazei and working clockwise, the four roads are the SS48 / SS242, which includes Sella Pass, the SS243, which includes Gardena Pass, the SS244, which includes Campolongo Pass and the SS48, which includes Pordoi Pass.  The road is fantastic, the bends amazing and the scenery magnificent.  What a series of roads!

2.  B500, Germany

Running through the Black Forest in a north-south direction, the B500 is a stunning road for motorcycles.  It doesn’t have many great views, but the sheer excitement of the road more than makes up for that.  The road was intended as a tourist route when it was conceived in the 1930’s, but it was never completed and today there are two sections of the road, with the centre piece still missing.  The northern part runs from Baden-Baden to Freudenstadt and has a length of about 29 miles and the southern part is between Triberg and Waldshut, a length of 56 miles.  The road is fast in places, with long sweeping bends and an absolute joy to ride on a motorcycle.

1.        Gavia Pass, Italy

Almost everyone has heard of Stelvio Pass in Italy, but very few know about, or have ridden Gavia Pass, which is very near to Stelvio.  The SS300 runs south from Bormio to Ponte di Legno for about 26 miles and has just about everything a biker can ask for in a road.  It is high at 8,701 feet, it has some fast sweeping bends as well as some tight hairpins.  It has a glacier and it has magnificent views.  It has a narrow, tight section as well as a few long straights.  But the best reason I rank it as number 1 is it has very little traffic as most riders / drivers are drawn towards nearby Stelvio Pass, leaving Gavia relatively quiet.  Although the road surface is not great, it is one of the most exciting roads I have ridden that continues to put a smile on my face every time I ride it.  It is my favourite road.

What is your favourite road and why?

Motorcycle Touring in Morocco. Would I recommend it?

Morocco is one of those places that doesn’t immediately come to mind when thinking about where to go touring on a motorcycle. I personally hadn't read of many people riding there, so I was a little sceptical and definitely lacking in knowledge about the country. Having just returned from a nine-day trip there, I am pleased to say it was one of my favourite places in the world that I have ever ridden in. The scenery, roads, culture and people are all wonderful. The country is amazingly diverse, from lush green farmland to spectacular mountains and dry arid desert.

There were three bikes and five people on our trip. We considered taken our own motorcycles from London, but that would have meant riding a long way through France and Spain, or sitting on a boat for part of the way. Also, as we wanted to do some off-road riding, it was far better that we rented motorcycles more appropriate than our current road bikes. So, we rented three motorcycles in Malaga in Spain – two BMW GS1200’s for my son Charlie and good friend Paul, plus a Triumph Tiger 800 for me. As I am not very tall, I went for the smaller Tiger with its lower seat, but in hindsight, getting a third GS would have been better. More on that later.

After picking up the rental bikes, we rode a couple of hours in Spain before getting a ferry from Algeciras to Ceuta. Ceuta is a small Spanish territory located in North Africa and we stayed there for the night. 

Getting the bikes into Morocco the next morning was not simple and took about an hour-and-a-half to get through the border. The Moroccan immigration system is very chaotic and with hundreds of others trying to cross at the same time, this results in a crazy zoo of people, nearly all confused about what is going on. As soon as we stopped near the border we were surrounded by Moroccan men offering help in getting through the border and we took it. If you don’t know what to do, where to queue and what papers you need to fill in and get stamped, it would be almost impossible to work this out on your own, so we were very glad for the help. It cost us 5 or 10 Euros per bike in tips, so is very cheap.

Ceuta is at the very northern point of Morocco, so for the first half of our journey, we headed mostly south and then west….

On our first riding day in Morocco we were not quite sure what hit us. The ride down from Ceuta to Tetouan was slow along the coastline, particularly around the coastal resort of Smir. From Tetouan to Chefchaouen the road improved greatly and we began to enjoy our first Moroccan twisties. Life began to get very interesting when we headed east from Chefchaouen into much higher mountains and it soon became obvious we were in drug-growing country. We were offered Hashish everywhere we stopped and also by car drivers as we were riding!

The road was fantastically dramatic and the small towns we passed through were, well, quite scary. Crowded with only men, the towns here are at the centre of life in this part of Morocco, with items for sale, workshops, rubbish on the streets, loose animals everywhere – it certainly was an eye-opener! In one town, we looked into a chicken shop. No doubt just a few minutes later some of these birds were being cooked.

The towns we encountered in the rest of Morocco were much better, but this one section of road heading east out of Chefchaouen, is probably not the best introduction to life in Morocco!

A late start due to having to sort out some incorrect motorcycle papers and the delayed crossing the border meant we reached Fes after dark. Riding at all in Morocco at night is not recommended as there are almost no street lights, plus the poor standard of driving by Moroccans and the chances of animals being on the road, means that riding in the dark is not for the feint-hearted.

We had chosen not to stay in normal hotels, but in Riads instead. These are large traditional Moroccan houses with a central courtyard or garden. Full of character and dating back many hundreds of years, these are often located in the very heart of large cities, in the old part called the Medina. These Medinas are found in nearly every large city and have narrow, maze-like streets which are almost impossible to find your way around if you are not a local.

As with almost everywhere we stopped on our bikes, we were asked if we needed help to find where we were going. We learned to take up these offers for the price of a small tip. One guy, a complete stranger, even jumped on the back of my bike to show us the way....

The Riad was stayed at in Fes was wonderful. Tiled throughout, the place had a terrific courtyard which was very cool to sit and eat breakfast in.

We had been concerned about parking the motorcycles unattended in the Medina overnight. The solution in Fes was simple, as the Riad had arranged for a guy to sleep with the bikes overnight to make sure nobody touched them. This cost just 60 Dirhams, or about £4.50 ($7).

A porter moved our luggage back to the bikes….

So far, Morocco had been surprisingly green and fertile, but that soon changed as we rode south out of Fes. We had a long ride today of 306 miles, which doesn’t seem too far, but on Moroccan roads that is a long way. It was hard to judge how far we might ride each day and soon learned that 200 - 250 miles a day would have been plenty. Most days we did over 300, which if honest, was too much. The main N8 road we used was very scenic for the first half of the journey.

Donkeys are used extensively in Morocco and they are everywhere, as are herds of sheep and goats. Very often, these stray close to or even onto the road, so you have to be aware all the time about the potential dangers of animals. Here are two horses, an unusual sight….

Our arrival in Marrakech was chaotic. We had pre-printed maps to show the way to where we would be staying each night, but generally these proved to be useless, due to the fact that while every road has a name, there are no road name signs. It is easy to get hopelessly lost, which is then the best time to employ a young man on a moped to show you the way to your Riad. Doing this is Marrakech was spectacularly good fun as he buzzed off in front of us through the crowded alleyways in the medina with us trying to keep up. There appears to be little in the way of traffic rules in the Medina, where bicycles, mopeds and now our comparatively large motorcycles tear through the streets, somehow avoiding the people walking there, plus the occasional donkey. We must have looked quite a sight! My friend Paul captured this on his video camera and as soon as he has finished making his video, I will add it here.

Staying right in the centre of the large cities is a must. The Medinas have so much character, tradition and culture, that it would be a shame to miss this side of Moroccan life. Take for example the view from the rooftop terrace of the Riad we stayed at in Marrakech, which directly overlooks the main market square. What a sight for our arrival….

The market was very busy, with traders, food, shops and entertainers all plying their trade. It was fantastic!....

In these larger cities, you can get away with speaking English most of the time. If you have a basic understanding of French, you will do just fine as French is spoken nearly everywhere throughout Morocco.

What isn’t so easy to get along with is Moroccan toilets, while are the hole in the floor type. My son Charlie calls them “long drop” toilets. They are certainly challenging to use for westerners. Without toilet paper, there is a tap and a bucket for you to clean up with. Rarely is there a sink and almost never and hot water or soap. As a consequence, Morocco is not a very sanitary country and many foreign visitors get upset stomachs. We were given good advice to take hand sanitiser bottles or wipes to keep our hands clean after handing everyday things like money. It seemed to work for us.

After a good night’s sleep in Marrakech, we didn’t need to ride anywhere that day, so we relaxed and…um… went riding!

There are a few ‘must-do’ roads in Morocco and the Tizi-n-Test Pass is one of them. Situated to the south west of Marrakech, in the High Atlas Mountains, this is shown on maps as a ‘difficult or dangerous section of road’ so of course, we headed for that! Narrow in places, with gravel or sand covering the road in places, the road twists and turns through some glorious mountain scenery. It certainly was a ride we won’t forget for a while….

It took most of the day to ride the road, but it was well worth it. In reality, providing you take the normal care demanded on a motorcycle, the road isn’t dangerous at all.

Eating in Morocco is simple. Almost every meal consists of chicken, lamb, beef or goat and is very often served with vegetables in a dish called ‘tagine’. Vegetarians will struggle to find appropriate dishes to eat in Morocco. Wholesome, plain and plentiful, tagine is what we ate most often, in very basic roadside cafes. Providing you realise and accept that Morocco does not have a superb cuisine, you will get on fine….

After a second night in Marrakech, we headed south east and rode the Tizi-n-Tichka Pass on the N9 road towards Ouarzazate (pronounced something like Wazza-zartee). Easier to ride than the Tizi-n-Test Pass, the Tizi-n-Tichka Pass is just as much fun with its faster sweeping bends that went on for mile after mile….

Then we rode what we all agreed was one of the best roads – the continuation of the N9 into the Draa Valley. With stunning scenery and very fast bends, the is one heck of a road. It heads towards the Sahara with occasional oasis and some great opportunities for some off-road riding, that we readily grasped. This is my son Charlie and his girlfriend Olivia, off-road….

Off-road tracks just waiting to be explored….

A roadside stop….

The group of us with our bikes. From left to right, Olivia and Charlie (GS1200), Me (Triumph Tiger), Paul and Una (GS1200)….

Some of the wonderful scenery from the Draa Valley, including a familiar looking picture of somebody sitting on a road…..

Overall, the BMW GS1200’s performed very well off-road and could handle just about anything thrown at them. The Triumph was however disappointing once it left the tarmac. That might have been because the bike had road tyres fitted (by far the greatest majority of our riding was on tarmac) but it lacked grip on the loose stuff. I didn’t feel very confident off-road at all, which might be down to my lack of off-road experience, the tyres or the bike generally. On tarmac, the Triumph was almost faultless and with the tyres on this particular bike, that is where it really belonged.

Paul and Una on their rented GS1200.

After doubling back in the Draa Valley, we spent the night in another Riad, this time in Ouarzazate. We went to bed early, as we had one heck of a ride planned for the following day. We were to ride another three of the must-do’s in Morocco. Dades Gorge, Todra Gorge and the sand dunes of the Sahara Desert, plus a little matter of 300 miles in between.

The road in Dades Gorge is the one picture of Morocco that nearly everyone, especially bikers, have seen. Like a mini Stelvio Pass, it climbs its way up a series of hairpin bends before reaching a spectacular viewpoint at the top….

Although it looks challenging, it is actually easy to ride. This was followed by an excursion into the spectacular Todra Gorge, formed by the Todgha River. Just a stream at this time of year (late March), the river must carry a lot more water in winter and the snow-melt season to carve such a canyon….

We had planned to ride further into Todra Gorge and make a big circuit high into the mountains. A quick check with an experienced guide told us that would be a bad idea. Fresh snow had fallen on the mountains and the pass roads could see more snow that day. We decided to skip it and were glad that we did as another group of friends from the UK who were also riding in Morocco at the same time had been caught in a blizzard.

By the time we had ridden the two gorges, we needed to rush to get to the Sahara Desert before dark. Our target was the dunes at Erg Chebbi, beyond Erfoud and after riding along a very rough gravel road for about 20kms, we made it just in time. We tried riding on the sand, but the road tyres on our bikes couldn’t cope, so we climbed the sand dunes instead by foot and made friends with one of the local guides….

The sunset as we left the Sahara was simply spectacular….

A quick beer (outside of the hotels, Morocco is a 'dry' country with no alcohol available) and meal in a proper hotel in Erfoud was followed by falling into bed, exhausted. It had been a spectacular but very long day.

Day 7 saw the start of our two-day ride back north again.

In the town of Rich, we stopped to wander around the local livestock market, where trucks, vans and cars of all shapes and sizes had been bringing goats and sheep to be sold. The sights we saw were not for animal-lovers but we had grown accustomed over the past week at seeing a hardy way of life….

We blasted back up to Fes and arrived in time for dinner on the top floor of a restaurant deep inside the very busy Medina….

Our trip was nearly over as we rode the final leg from Fes to Ceuta. We had to ride one long 20km stretch of gravel where the roads were being replaced. That was hard work, with some sections being very deep in loose stones….

It wasn’t long however before our trip was over and we caught a ferry back to Spain where we returned the rental bikes. This is Paul and Una spotting dolphins from the ferry as it approached Gibraltar….

Overall, we had a fantastic time, riding wonderful roads in glorious scenery. Combined with huge cultural differences and many learning experiences, it was everything that a long distance motorcycle trip should be. Life in Morocco is much harder than in western countries, so as a visitor you should expect to see things that you might consider unusual. Such is the joy of travelling!

Many thanks must go to Charlie, Olivia, Paul and Una for helping to make this such a memorable trip.  It was a blast!

So, what would we do differently if we were to do it all again? 1. To save the hassle of getting the motorcycles across the borders, we would fly into Fes and rent the bikes there. 2. Ride no more than 250 miles per day. 3. Have a rest day in the middle of the trip. 4. All get GS1200’s.

Would I recommend the trip to others? Without a doubt, yes!