For many BMW riders, 2020 was an opportunity (or an excuse!) to get out and explore this great nation on two wheels. For Harry Hoffman and his friend Ron Parsons, this was to be an extensive ride through California and Oregon. But as with most events in 2020, things changed and plans had to be revisited and revised. Harry joined the Long Beach BMW Motorcycle family in 2014 when he moved to the area and made LBBMW his go-to shop. We caught up with Harry to hear more about his trip…

Cedar Breaks

How did your road trip come about?

Initially, my friend Ron Parsons and myself had planned a California-Oregon central-coast road trip.  The route consisted of traveling from Los Angeles up through the Sierra’s towards Crater Lake National Park.  From there we would head north towards Hood River and meander west following the Columbia River Gorge.  Once we met the Pacific Ocean, we would point the motorcycles south towards The Lost Coast of California, and then Pacific Coast Highway back to Los Angeles. 

However, with all of the fires and dense smoke in those areas in September 2020, we quickly reverted to Plan B.  But there wasn’t any Plan B, because of the many details and lodging spent on the California-Oregon trip!

Red Canyon

How did you plan your route and decide on the stops?

With only two weeks remaining before our epic adventure, Ron Parsons single handedly created a NEW road trip to include the many National Parks of Utah, Arizona, and Nevada.   Within a few days, he had the route, key destinations, and reservations set. And to add, Long Beach BMW Motorcycles had their part in our epic adventure as well.   We had our motorcycles serviced and tires replaced.  After sharing our plan with their parts and service personnel, they helped suggest key accessories that would make our 3000 mile road trip even better.  I.e., tank bags, BMW Rally jackets, and cell phone mounts to prepare us for the many days of travel, camping and “glamping” (motel camping) from our bikes.

Kolob Canyon

Kodachrome Basin State Park

How did your bike perform?

Both the GS and the GS Adventure models performed extremely well!  During the 12 day, 3000 mile journey, we put these motorcycles through their paces with temperature ranges from the 40’s to 107 degrees!  The new tires performed flawlessly whether clicking off miles on smooth pavement, unmaintained roads, or even gravel and dirt roads.  Even with the added 120 lbs of weight of our camping gear and daily supplies didn’t hold back their performance.

Harry and his GSA at Bryce Canyon National Park