Published Articles

solo motorcycle rider heading into the dry hillsFive Days of Bliss: The Best of Utah and Arizona (Rider Magazine, July 2020)
Many Rider readers know that southern Utah and northern Arizona offer a great deal of advantages to motorcyclists, the first being a lack of traffic, even in high season. After 24 years of riding this area I can suggest one, near perfect, 5-day ride. This loop route begins and ends in Las Vegas, Nevada, an easy-access city with great rental places. The route comprises some of the best roads ever, and is so dense with beauty it will be hard to absorb it all. You won’t hit every famous spot, Moab for instance, but that’s a good reason to return. A touring, sport or adventure-touring bike is ideal for this trip. Cruisers and sport bikes will work, but the first day may be a bit long. This published PDF version has more wonderful pictures.

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Where’s A Cop When You Really Need One?
Three part series in Motorcycle Consumer News in which I take the Phoenix Police Officers Training course – and pass. These three articles have the highest reprint request rate of all of my other articles combined.

Motorcycle Consumer News (MCN) was home to many of my articles.  It was widely regarded as the most accurate source for unbiased information about motorcycles, related gear, safety and accessories.  Unlike most automotive enthusiast publications, it was wholly subscriber-supported and never accepted advertising.  I read the magazine cover-to-cover long before I began writing for them.  Sadly, MCN shut its doors after 50 years of publishing in March of 2020.

RIDER Magazine also publishes as lot of my stories, mostly the ones about domestic travel.  Rider magazine is written by, and for, passionate motorcycle riders.  It has been around since 1974 and delivers comprehensive road tests, touring stories, product evaluations, technical features and award-winning editorial.  Mark Tuttle supervises and excellent staff of genuine professionals and I’m always amazed at how well them make my stories look.

Overland Journal has superb content printed on super high-quality stock, five times per year. Their ratio of advertising to editorial content is super low.  The magazine features ample editorial space for in-depth coverage of equipment and vehicles, as well as feature trip stories from around the globe. I am honored they’ve published my work.

My writing has also appeared in RoadRUNNER Magazine, Sheriffs’ Magazine, Backroads Magazine, WingWorld Magazine and a host of daily newspapers.

Steve, suited up in cycle gearOverland Journal – Summer 2012 – Dakar Story (PDF 2628k) My first story for THE OVERLAND JOURNAL – chronicles my efforts to chase the Dakar Rally through Argentina and Chile with Jim Hyde and his adventure riders. (The Overland Journal, Summer 2012)

Birkmann book review : I wrote about Annette Birkman in Motorcycle Consumer News in April of 2009. She had just finished riding, solo, from Tierra del Fuego, the southern tip of South America to San Francisco. In 2013 she wrote a book about her experience which I reviewed here. (Motorcycle Consumer News – July 2014)

Birthplace of Dreams: Ducati Factory and Museum Tour (PDF 1797kb): If you have even a fractional appreciation for Ducati, a visit to their factory in northern Italy is well worth a side trip from Venice, Milan or Verona. (Motorcycle Consumer News – August 2012)

To Death Do US Part: Death Valley, USA (PDF 2866k): Features great scenery, good friends and a mysterious woman on a purple VFR (RIDER Magazine, February 2011)

Southwest Splendor: High Adventure in Colorado and Utah (PDF 2617k): Southern Utah and West Colorado are amazing. I finally wrote about them for Rider. (RIDER Magazine, September 2011)

Northwest Ramble: The MO-IDA-WA-HO-TANA ride (PDF 1616k): Tempting the spirtis of Lewis and Clark (RIDER Magazine, November 2010)

High Expectations (PDF 2866k): A No-Bad-Roads Tour of the Appalachians in New Hampshire, Vermont and New York (RIDER Magazine, August 2010)

A Journey Of Self-Discovery (PDF 1038k): One Danish woman, A BMW F650 Daker and the 33,000 miles from Cape Horn to San Francisco (Motorcycle Computer News, April 2009)

Police Bikes Evaluated, Part I (PDF 1,966k): From Kawasaki to Harley and Honda: A police department’s experience. (Motorcycle Computer News, December, 2009)

Police Bikes Evaluated, Part II (PDF 1,435k): Arizona Highway Patrol’s triumphs and tribulations with BMWs. (Motorcycle Computer News, February 2010)

PRODUCT REPORT: F4 Customs Speedglass Windshield (PDF 412k): Can you significantly improve on the manufacturers stock windshield? F4 Customs does. (Motorcycle Computer News, December, 2009)

RIDE LIKE A COP training class (PDF 6639k): Is it possible for a civilian rider to get the same training as do motor officers? I find out. (Motorcycle Computer News, Sept. 2009)

Traveling in Turkey on a BMW 1200GS (PDF 1966k): Scenic, Safe and Sensational. (Road Runner, June 2007)

A Great Escape (PDF 1323k): Brazil offers plentiful twisties, good value and drivers who wave two-wheelers through. (Motorcycle Consumer News, Oct. 2006)

Sparring Sport Tourers: BMW, Ducati, Honda vs. Triumph (PDF 4328k): Four Countries, Four Engine configurations, One Winner. (Motorcycle Consumer News, Oct. 2005)

300 Acres of Dirt, Boulders, Washes and Hills – The LaPlante Ranch (PDF 134k): Riding Around MotoVentures (RIDER Magazine, Dec. 2005)

2 Days & 5,000 Corners (PDF 799k): Learning to Ride — When You Already Know How. (Motorcycle Consumer News, Sep. 2002)

Seattle: Salmon Run (PDF 1740k): A perfect ride in a perfect State: The American Flyers take on Washington State for the second “No Bad Roads Challenge” for RIDER Magazine. (RIDER Magazine, August 2007)

Northern California Fantasy (PDF 957k): Is it possible to spend 7 days riding in Northern California, linking only one great motorcycle to another great motorcycle road and hitting no bad roads? (RIDER Magazine, Jan. 2005)

From Wickenburg, AZ to Tortilla Flats, AZ taking NO ROADS, TRAILS ONLY (PDF 5654k) (Backroads Magazine, Feb. 2003)

Riding with the AZ Highway Patrol (PDF 2295k): The Other Side of the Radar Gun (Rider Magazine, August, 2005)

Touring Italy on a Ducati (PDF 1630k): A Rider’s Diary (Motorcycle Consumer News, January 2002)

MotoVentures Moves You Up (PDF 2266k): Taking a street rider (me) and taking an off-road riding course with top motor-cross and champion trials rider Gary LaPlante. (Motorcycle Consumer News, May 2003)

Touring Middle Earth – A New Zealand Adventure (PDF 1185K): (Motorcycle Consumer News, May 2003)

The Art of Two Upmanship (PDF 968k): Ensuring your passenger has a great ride. This article has garnered more reprint requests than any other article. (Motorcycle Consumer News, Feb. 2005)

Keith Code’s Wheelie School (PDF 586k): Going to school to learn how to get it up and keep it up longer is perhaps something any biker in his fifties may want to consider. (Motorcycle Consumer News, Sept. 2002)

Wing World coverWing World interview (PDF 2067k): Okay, so it’s not Playboy Magazine and I’m no bunny, but getting the cover and then an 11 page interview, I gotta love it. Includes an awesome cover photo of me being chased by a cop – in the case, Officer Dan Nochta of the Phoenix Police Department.  (Wing World Magazine, Oct. 2005).

Americade Report (PDF 576k): Always wondered if it was worthwhile to attend the 20 year old motorcycle bash in central New York. I attend in 2005 and explain what its all about.(Motorcycle Consumer News, Sept. 2005)

Sheriffs Magazine (PDF 292k): These guys liked the article in RIDER and asked to republish it. Why not? You can’t have too many friends on the police force given how I drive.

Something COMPLETELY different (PDF 292k): In 1997 Bob Metcalfe asked me to speak at the first Camden Technology Conference. This is the essence of that speech, which was about ONLINE COMMUNITIES. I loved the conference which evolved into PopTech! I attended for the next six years and was even the program chairman one year.

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