American Heat 2009 Ride

American Heat 2009 in Palm Springs this weekend seemed to be a huge success as one local news station reported thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts came to the desert. A local police officer estimated as many as 10,000 people. Palm Canyon, the main street through Palm Springs, was closed for bikes, vendors, and a stage for last night’s concert. With great weather, I talked with several people in the Service Department who said they were going because the move of the venue to the main drag. It was great to see all the people especially considering the last couple years the event was held in the parking lot of the Spa Casino with what seemed only a couple hundred riders.

I was impressed at seeing the variety of people with license plates from as far as Oregon, Arizona, and Nevada. There were mostly Harley’s with a good smattering of sport bikes parked alongside each other. From t-shirts, to helmets, to custom seats made on the spot, the vendors were busy. Businesses along Palm Canyon were packed with people trying to cool off or just get something to eat which helped the local economy that has struggled recently.

Because people are staying closer to home due not wanting to spend much, Palm Springs is really only a gas tank (less than $20) away from the Los Angeles metropolitan area. There is a lot of great riding in the area without the traffic and little rain to ruin the ride. My personal favorite when it gets hot is to ride early through the desert cities on Highway 111, go up Highway 74 to Idyllwild for lunch and a walk, then back down Highway 243 into Banning, and finally onto Interstate 10 back into Palm Springs. Frankly, it was nice to see all the riders at the American Heat event because it told me the sport of motorcycling is alive and well. Share with us your favorite ride so that we can keep up the enthusiasm…even if some are just the weekend warriors.

If you are interested in some other rides check out this link to our rentals site! http://www.losangelesharleyrentals.com/allrides