You've got to do it! I'm sure the CA riders will chime in some more, but I thought I'd add some out-of-state perspective as well. Last summer my wife and I rode from Tampa, FL to Monterey, CA and back (7000 miles in 15 days, me on my GS and she on her VFR), to go to Laguna Seca for the races. After the races we went south on the PCH to LA. I'd lived in Monterey many years ago and had forgotten how awesome the PCH is. Spend the bucks, rent the 1098, have fun and TAKE YOUR CAMERA! Enjoy and ride safe!

 

Where did you find a place that rents sportbikes?

I had the same opertunity a coupe of years ago, except the only bikes I could find to rent were harley's so I had a road king. It was a fun trip and going in the canyons above malibu was a blast. My favorite road was Rt 33 north of Ojai. You just leave town and go up into a mountian forever! Living east of the Mississippi my whole life, it was unbelievable to be able to leave LA and in 2 hrs of riding on awesome roads, end up on a mountian.

There is a company called mad maps (http://madmaps.com). They make maps of different areas for sport cars and bikes. They tell alot about the rout and the roads. They got thier start in California and I was impressed with their maps of CA.

-Karl

 

http://www.sportbikerental.com/motorcycle_rentals.php

 

Wow they're proud of that 1098. $2500 Deposit? That would be an interesting place to try the Can Am Spyder.

 

Yea i am scared of renting a bike that pricey to replace. I probably will go with the little 250 Ninja or a 600 if i get to do it at all. Got to call them today and work out the logistics.

I could rent a cruiser as well from other locations at a reduced cost.

 

Please take the locals advice over mine as I've only done the tourist thing like you but in a car with the family.

I'd suggest getting off PCH1 fairly soon. It's gorgeous with incredible views and is the best way to reach NoCal but it has pretty heavy traffic in many areas and more patrols so sample it for the experience and some pics but get off and head for the mountains after that.

 

The 600 is all you need for the Santa Monica Alps (Roads above Malibu).

PCH does not get really interesting till you get to Cambria.


You could do the Alps in the morning and then jump over to the Angeles Crest Highway to Wrightwood in the afternoon
one hour transition and 70 miles each way on the crest


Two different type of roads.

Roads above Malibu Tight, twisty, narrow, and never more than 10 miles from the ocean. Piuma, Latigo, Mullholland, Lower sycamore, Deer Creek, Toganga, Malibu Canyon, and others all tie together that you cna spend all day doing them.

The Crest:

Bottom part til Newcombs is a sedate dance with constant radius corners at CHP speed to enjoy the vista of a receeding LA Basin as you climb into the Angeles Natl. park. Once past 'nukes the road becomes a connecting group of high speed sweepers in the higher Alpine reaches and thinning tree line. Flying through tunnels and past closed ski spots gaze out over the high desert and the dry lake bed that services the Shuttle on occasion. Diving back in the mountians you close in on the city of Wrightwood that last had snow over Memorial Day!

 

+1 on Angeles Crest Highway to Wrightwood (less traffic)

 

OK so it looks like i would have about eight hours of daylight to explore. If i bite the bullet i would most likley be heading north around noon out of venice and back to el segundo late evening or after dark.

I am thinking on doing a 24 hour rental noon to noon and then run the bike back on my lunch break Tuesday. (leave rental car at the sportbike rental place overnight)

crest run sounds like the ticket.

right now they have a GSXR 600 and a VFR800

 

Thanks guys for the comments, looks like the creat run woul dbe more fun than the Malibu area if i only had time to do one. I would liketo hit Mullholland east to west and then maybe back into LA on the PCH at teh end of the day.

 

Mullholland is not continious unless you have a dirtbike

 

OK so i will have to spend an extra $20 for the additional 100 miles (150 mile limit per 24 hour period) but it looks like it would be worth it.

I would most likely run this route and play around Mullholland roads and then work my way back down the PCH around sunset to El Segundo

I would hav to go thru LA around 12:30PM to get to the crest and deal with traffic, but thats looks like the only option..

Thoughts on the loop guys....

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/el+segu...:::::f:EN:m:/e

 

I would head El sendgo to the PCH via the 405 to the 10
Run to Topanga and then up to Old Topanga. and wind over to stunt, piuma, malibu canyon, mullholland to the rockstore up to Kanan, left and left on Latigo back to the coast right to Decker (23) up to mullholland, left to Little sycamore and then down to the coast and neptures nest.


Crest ride I would just the 10 thru downtown (LANESPLIT) to the 2 thru Glendale to the 210. Left on and off the 210 to the crest Hwy 2. JUmp up the hill to wright wood. Left out of WW over Mt Emma road to Angeles Forest. Turn down Sand Canyon to Valencia and then that the 405 back to El segrindo

 

Here is the route lowell is talking about layed out on google maps right from the rental place to netunes net...
http://tinyurl.com/3u5jud

Enjoy the twisties and the ocean view!

 

Thumper: The route that you have is mainly highway. If you don't mind a fellow hawker taggin along that has rode angeles crest, and the pch-malibu mountains, i can take you on a ride that has a little bit more twisties.

This is more or less what i was thinking.
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/el+segu...:1:::f:EN:m:/e

 

Thanks,

I went ahead and re

 

If you're gonna do Angeles Crest, may I suggest bypassing Hollywood. Take the 405 N. to Mulholland Dr, and ride that over to Cahuenga (make left), then pick Barham up from there. Step #12 on the A to B directions. Strange directions by the way. #14 has you drive by Hollywood Way (you'd make a left) the turn onto Riverside then Hollywood Way. Regardless, the bridge on Hollywood Way is closed in that direction for repair. FYI Monday forecast Malibu = 72°, Palmdale = 90°.

P.S. I haven't ridden many of the Santa Monica mountains (my bad) but I think you'll enjoy Westlake Blvd (rt 23). Some very sharp turns and the road is in pretty good condition. Watch for loose gravel though.

 

Hey Thumper,
I found a Decker Canyon(Westlake Blvd) video on Youtube. I can't post the link (server hack?) just enter this into the search at Youtube. JJLRCnCQ2Gg

 

I HATE FLORIDA!!!!!!!!! (Yes, I was yelling)

 

I'm guessing you watched the video. I've never been to the Dragon, but the videos don't look as twisty as Decker.