‘L.A. Motorcyclist’ is Your Source for SoCal Moto Culture
Information hub keeps bikers up to date on events in and around City of Angels.
If you live in the greater Los Angeles area or plan on visiting, you’ll want to bookmark LA Motorcyclist for the city’s current and upcoming bike events. Los Angeles sports one of the largest motorcycling communities in the United States as well as year-round sunny weather and plenty of scenic routes to satisfy even the most adventurous of riders. Every type of motorcycle can be seen on the city’s streets — cafe racers, bobbers, sports bikes, multi-terrain, dual-sport, classic vintage, tour bikes — yet Los Angeles’ sheer size often makes it difficult for riders of like minds to meet up.
As an “LA Moto Lifestyle Guide,” LA Motorcyclist’s goal is to bring together the city’s diverse moto community and make it easier for riders to find specialized biker clubs and keep up to date on the year’s schedule of happenings through a detailed online events calendar, a club directory with website links and contact information, and a resource guide all in one place. Add to that local biker news and reviews, and you have the one-stop information source that is LA Motorcyclist.
The site’s look is very contemporary with its black, white, and red theme, plus external advertising is limited, which makes the page easier to navigate than sites that are cluttered with ads jumping out at you from every corner.
In the header of LA Motorcyclist, you’ll find links to the site’s various sections. In “About Us,” you can not only learn about the writers, editors, and photographers who put the site together, but there’s also a listing of current and past sponsors, including Del Amo Motorsports of Long Beach and Heroes Motors Store on Melrose Avenue.
The “Events Calendar” contains listings for upcoming 2018 rides and shows — like the third annual Women’s Moto Show on January 13 and the SoCal Cycle Swap Meet on January 28 in Long Beach. (Also listed are all of 2017’s events which could be archived.) You’ll also find a link on this page to submit your own LA-based moto event and get it on the site’s calendar.
The “Club Directory” page lists 25 organizations that may be of interest to riders, like Brit Iron Rebels who meet monthly at various Brit pubs around L.A., and the women’s riding club The Litas of Los Angeles.
The site’s “Gallery” features some great color and black-and-white photography (like the Venice shot by Chris Medak). In the “News” section, you’ll find some interesting reads dating back to February 2015, however, the most recent news pieces for the past six months are only on the home page which is kind of confusing. Clicking on the “News” link in the header should take readers to all of the news, not just the old stuff. All of the pieces, though, boast some great writing.
On the “Links” page, you’ll find a plethora of links for shops, apparel, and the 3 R’s: riding schools, racing tracks, and resources. The “LAMoto Store” page features LA Motorcyclist.com collectibles and limited edition T-shirts co-produced with local artists, as well as pins, stickers, and pennants, plus NEXX Helmets for sale.
The LA Motorcyclist home page also has “Featured Events,” which is a distillation of the main events page; “Featured Clubs,” which highlights some of the organizations you’ll find elsewhere on the site; and “Moto Resources,” which contains some of the links from the site’s “Links” page.
The home page also has a Countdown Clock (currently set for Chopper Fest on February 4, 2018), a polling questionnaire, and a really neat section of riding “Destinations” (like the Rock Store on Mulholland Highway), which really deserves better placement on the site and perhaps its own link in the site header. Also deserving of its own header link instead of being shuffled in with the news items is the “Chains ‘n’ Sprockets” tech column
with helpful do-it-yourself tips on regular bike maintenance, periodic safety checks, and more, such as “Drive Chain Clean, Lube & Adjust” and “Charging System Inspection.”
Of noteworthy mention, LA Motorcyclist’s team also hosts charitable events, including the annual Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride (DGR) in Los Angeles. DGR, which finds bikers in suits instead of leather and denim, unites classic and vintage motorcycles to raise funds for prostate cancer and men’s mental health.
All in all, you’ll find LA Motorcyclist.com to be a great resource even if you don’t live in the City of Angels.
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