Clockwise from top left : The electronic suspension works like a dream . The upright seating position makes it easy to burn miles . The 6.5-inch TFT display .
SR-14 then winds through the dramatic scenery of Red Rock Canyon and cuts across a desert valley crisscrossed with offroad trails before merging with U . S . Route 395 near Inyokern .
Riding due north on U . S . 395 parallels the Sierra Nevada . As the mountain range grows in stature , the landscape ’ s palette changes . The browns and beiges of low , rounded mountains give way to taller , jagged peaks made of gray granite dappled with dark evergreens . Beyond 9 Mile Canyon Road , a long escarpment of black lava rock emerges on the right , followed by the blue waters of Little Lake and the brick red of the imposing Saltlake Cindercone .
At Lone Pine , I rode through the Alabama Hills , a sprawling landscape of dramatic rock formations in the shadow of 14,515-foot Mount Whitney where many Western movies and TV shows were filmed . One of my favorite roads follows Tuttle Creek as it carves its way around and between enormous boulders . Riding across the dry Owens Valley on State Route 136 , sand danced across the road and blowing dust obscured the sky .
THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH
The 12-mile descent on State Route 190 into Panamint Valley , which occupies the eastern part of Death Valley National Park , is one of the most dramatic sections of road in all of California . The winding two-lane cuts through fields of lava rock high above the yawning desert valley . On curves like these , the GX + really shines . Its power delivery is velvety smooth , its quickshifter makes quick work of the gearbox , and the wide handlebar and responsive chassis geometry give it graceful manners .
On my ride through Death Valley two years prior , my teeth chattered as temperatures hovered just above freezing . This go-round , I had the opposite problem . Stopping for gas in Furnace Creek , I had to shed layers because it was 90 degrees – in early February . The rugged mountains and barren landscape are the same every time , but weather conditions are highly variable , so it pays to be prepared .
Its power delivery is silky smooth , its quickshifter makes quick work of the gearbox , and the wide handlebar and responsive chassis geometry give it graceful manners .
A few miles after turning south on Badwater Road , I took a left on Artist ’ s Drive and followed the nine-mile , one-way route through the colorful eroded hills . Not much rain falls in Death Valley , but when it does , it often hits hard and fast , causing flash floods that continue the eons-long process of wearing down the mountains . Next up was Badwater Basin , which spreads out as a stark white salt pan and is the lowest point in North America at 282 feet below sea level . Few visitors continue south of the basin , where the road follows the contours of the foothills as it hugs the eastern edge of Death Valley . At Ashford Junction , the
road doglegs to the east , summits Jubilee Pass and Salisbury Pass , and becomes State Route 178 as it exits the national park on the way to Shoshone .
After passing through another dramatic desert valley , California Route 178 becomes Nevada Route 372 at the state line . I usually stop for gas in Pahrump at the same sadsack casino / convenience store , and when I went inside to use the bathroom , as usual , there were a few hardcore day gamblers there , smoking and drinking and hoping their luck would change . In another hour , I was in the heart of Sin City on the Las Vegas Strip , with 500 miles on the tripmeter .
After a few days at AIMExpo and paying too much for everything , I was itching to hit the road again . I took State Route 152 through Nevada ’ s Red Rock Canyon and then followed a different route through Death Valley , staying on SR-190 to Panamint Valley , then turning south to Trona , seeing few vehicles or signs of civilization for miles and miles . It never ceases to amaze me how many parts of California , which is home to 39.4 million people and would rank 38th in terms of population if it were a country ( just behind Canada and ahead of Uzbekistan ), feel completely empty .
The Suzuki GSX-S1000GX + was the ideal motorcycle for this sport-touring journey through time and space . Fast , comfortable , and able to carry what I needed for nearly a week on the road . Thanks for the memories !
RIDERMAGAZINE . COM / APRIL 2025 / 19