2025 Pashnit Touring on a Hayabusa

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How many curves do you see? Signs tell the story.

Canyon riding

 

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Kern River Canyon was wide open. No traffic today.

 

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One of our all time favorite motorcycle roads climbs up the opposite side of the canyon halfway up the canyon, the road comes to a Y.

See the Y? Exactly. Me neither. Nor does the hurried traffic headed up the canyon.

Kern Canyon Rd splits off the main highway and goes single-lane-no-center-line up the other side of the canyon. Our favorite type of road.

Kern River Canyon Rd. Lots of wiggle wiggle. Lots of fun.

All the tourist traffic is on the main highway. No road straightening here, Kern Canyon Rd follows the natural contours of the mountain.

 

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Kern Canyon Rd

You can see Highway 178 down below us, that's where all the other traffic is.

 

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I'm following Jean up the canyon & she's railing on the XR

As we get close to the tiny town of Bodfish, we can see the snow capped peaks of the Sierra Range in the distance, and Lake Isabella also

Our destination is the M48 Patton Tank in Bodfish

 

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I've been bringing groups to visit this tank for so many years, I've repeatedly looked up this tank, and even dug up old movies to watch had a M48 Patton in the movie. Built in the 1950s, and used through the 1960s in Vietnam, and even into the 1970s by other countries. My favorite is M48s were used in the 1970 WWII film, Patton. As a kid watching this film, that was cool. Now as adult, I can watch Patton and when the German tanks are depicted, it's more of a 'wait a second, I recognize that'. Doesn't look right. The tanks used in the film Patton were on loan from the Spanish Army who were still using the M48.

 

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And the Ladies of Pashnit, Vicki, Jean & Monica

The tank makes a great backdrop for all our tour groups

I've been bringing tour groups to Bodfish for 10 years to this tank.

Some of the riders in this 2016 photo are in the 2025 photo above: Luc, Jeff, Randy & Mark... and Mike. Same hat. Both pics.

 

[jellyrug]

You are having way too much fun!!!

Americans work too hard, for too long. Where I grew up, different country, that group would have been in their 20's, before the time of family responsibilities and career demands.

 

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Climbing away from Bodfish. We need to ride up and over a low range.

Yup. More single-lane-no-center-line roads.

Lake Isabella in the background and the snow capped Sierra Nevada Range in the distance.

We'll be back here in the Southern Sierra Nevada Range this coming fall to ride up to 9200 ft up and over Sherman Pass- up and over that range.

Southern Sierra Motorcycle Tour | Pashnit Tours

Ride the Southern Sierra Nevada motorcycle roads

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Reaching the low summit to be greeted with this scene. The green. The snow capped peaks. What a view!

 

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Riding down off the summit

Bodfish-Caliente Rd

 

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Here's the plan- we call it the Walker Basin Loop. It's a road that circles around the base of this mountain. This is still all ranching country.

 

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What open range looks like:

This is the Southern Sierra Range, the very edges of it at least. Any further south and we're in Southern California mountains

 

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Through a narrow canyon and we complete the loop

Caliente-Bodfish Rd & Cal Creek makes a good stopping point

I've been staring at this shape for the last 20 years and I still love the look of this bike.

 

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This is Bena Rd, it drops out of the hills and flows into the backside of Bakersfield.

Bena Rd flows alongside a dry wash. In 2023, huge amounts of spring rains converted the dry wash into a river.

This river doesn't go anywhere, it actually empties into farm fields, and then either evaporates or gets absorbed into the ground.

 

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Breckenridge Rd is our destination. Few years back we rode the full 32-mile length up and over the range, but it's single lane and very goaty.

I rode it on my TL1000R and that was a mistake.

First found out about this road 20 years ago and I had to go see for myself. This was 2005.

What it's like up and over the 7100 ft summit. Paved, but goaty.

 

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Breckenridge Rd | California Motorcycle Roads | Pashnit

Best Central California Motorcycle Rides - Breckenridge Rd

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We want to go see this: It doesn't look like much on Google Earth.

But in person.... That's just cool.

 

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How green it is just depends on how much winter rain falls, it varies year to year.

Luc & Monica

 

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Vicki & Tim

Tim & Tim - too many Tim's on this ride.

 

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Jean & her XR

Mike & his Tracer 900 - These are great touring bikes.

Few years back, Mike rode this road on his Triumph Trophy. We gave him a really hard time about this bike. Great for distance open road, but it's too big & heavy for our twisty & goaty backroads that are so common in California. He eventually took the advice & downsized to the Tracer.

Mike on his Trophy few years ago on Breckenridge Rd half way up to the summit