The world is full of bike-friendly locations--spots with big curves, little to no traffic and boundless adventure. Motorcycle tourism can be a great way to indulge your riding habit and see some of the most beautiful places on the planet.
Vietnam
Starting off our list of the world's 10 most stunning locales for ramping up your riding skill is Vietnam. Due to import taxes of 90%, it's rare to find luxury motorcycles for hire there. But with the national speed limit hovering at 60 kph (80 kph on a few major highways), you'll hardly need anything hardier than the ubiquitous Minsks (Russian motorbikes) or Honda 175 cc's to tackle the otherworldly mountain terrain of terraced rice paddies and stilt house villages in Vietnam's north. Hanoi-based Offroad Vietnam arranges custom tours for groups or individuals. Homestays with local Hmong people add cultural immersion to the equation.
The Lot Region, France
For some of France's most wide open roads and diverse riding terrain, the Lot region in the country's wild southwest is a motorcycle-lover's must. Highlights of the region include the fairytale hilltop village of Rocamadour, the Millau Viaduct (the world's highest vehicular bridge) and the Gorges du Tarn--a dramatic limestone gorge with hairpin turns and steep descents. At Bikers-Lot--a bike-friendly bed and breakfast run by a British couple in the small village of Latronquiere--multi-course meals and unlimited guided tours of the region are included in the room rate (arrive on your own bike or rent one in Toulouse or Rodez).
Gobi Desert, Mongolia
For utter solitude in the land of Genghis Khan, no place compares with the isolation and exoticism of a motorcycle trek in Mongolia's Gobi Desert. Ulaanbaatar-based Tenuun Tour Co., Ltd supplies riders with motorbikes and a support vehicle complete with a mechanic and all-important gas, food and sleeping provisions. The ride-through views encompass sand dunes, snow-capped mountains, grasslands, volcanic lakes and wide-open desert steppes. Homestays with nomadic families in yurts can also be arranged.
Rajasthan, India
Join a tour group or depart solo from Delhi and head southeast to reach the land of the former Maharajas. The riding terrain is fairly flat and low-key, but summertime ventures should be avoided as high temperatures threaten to melt your tires to the asphalt. Texas-based tour operator Moto Discovery offers 14-day trips through Rajasthan that include side trips for tiger viewing at Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve as well as an overnight in Agra to see the Taj Mahal. Prefer to go solo? Motorcycle rentals can easily be arranged in myriad shops in Delhi.
New Zealand
Forget bungee jumping and jet boat rides. The biggest thrill in the land of the long white cloud is taking to its lightly trafficked roads on a motorcycle tour or solo mission (top-notch bikes are available for rent in major cities on the north and south islands). Edelweiss Bike Travel offers 14-day jaunts of up to 2,430 miles, leaving from Christchurch on the South Island and circumnavigating the country's highlights before finishing in Auckland on the North Island. Roads are mostly of the tight-gripping-asphalt variety and suitable for beginner riders
Tierra del Fuego, Chile and Argentina
Make the end of the world your mission and ride through Argentina and Chile to the Tierra del Fuego. Seventeen-day forays with California-based Admo-Tours cover 2,734 miles, with a late-model BMW bike as your chariot from the town of Osorno, Chile, to Argentina's Atlantic coast. Ferry across the Straits of Magellan to Tierra del Fuego and get back on your bike to catch the Pan American highway and cruise onward to Ushuaia, the world's southernmost city.
Nepal to Tibet
Two-wheeled access to the highest mountains on the planet is the chief appeal of a motorcycle adventure from Nepal to Tibet. Himalayan Roadrunners Ltd. offers 12-day tours departing Katmandu for the "rooftop of the world" (or very close, anyway), with 17,000-foot mountain passes on the itinerary as you ride toward the foot of Mount Everest. Yes, altitude sickness can be an issue--this ride is the motorcycle trip of a lifetime, but not for the faint of heart.
Bali, Indonesia
Cruise the island of the gods on the gnarliest bike of mere mortals--a Harley-Davidson--with Bali-based operator, Island Biker Tours. Day trips make up the bulk of the company's offerings, with your choice of coastal routes or inland tours that take you past volcanic hot spots and the artisan village of Ubud. Longer forays onto the neighboring islands of Lombok and Sumbawa can also be arranged.
South Africa
See the best of South Africa and Swaziland with Ayres Adventures during a 17-day coastal tour from Cape Town to Johannesburg. Detours to a game lodge in the Klein Karoo, a safari at Kruger National Park and a visit to a Zulu community keep things interesting when you're not riding.
Tuscany, Italy
Ride a Ducati in the revered motorbike's homeland during a seven-day tour of Tuscany with Ducati Tours. Italy is notorious for its fanatic drivers, but you'll avoid the motorway entirely as you leave Pisa behind and head for lonely country roads in the Chianti region and the rolling hills of the Tuscan and Umbrian countryside.
