The CABDR-North (aka NorCal) BDR film, now available on YouTube, provides an end-to-end overview of the 13th BDR route created by Backcountry Discovery Routes. Like previous BDR films, this one gets down and dirty while also highlighting amazing scenery and seductive backroads. It also delves into the history and struggles of early settlers and shows the highs and lows of guiding adventure motorcycles over difficult terrain.
As previously reported, the Northern California BDR runs from Mammoth Lakes to the Oregon border near Goose lake. The 939-mile route zig-zags across the Sierra Nevada, includes several optional expert sections, and sports some dreamy, paved twisties. From forests to flatlands, the views are stunning and the riding exciting.
Going Electric
The film begins with the usual rider introductions before beginning the journey northward. Will all finish? Sorry, no spoilers here. One of the most interesting facets of the group is that two riders are on Zero electric bikes, a first for a BDR promo.
Norcal BDR from Every Angle
The pack sets off late in the season for the high country and pays for their delay with rain and snow, but nothing dampens their BDR spirit. The photography on BDR films just gets better and better. While drone shots help viewers to get the lay of the land, on-bike cameras bring them into the saddle and set shots show speed in some stretches and rocky challenges in others. Slow-motion is used judiciously, unlike in some earlier films.
NorCal Beauty
The scenery in Northern California is spectacular. Mono Lake, the Sierra Crest, the White Mountains, and numerous other sights could make it hard to keep eyes on the road. Narrow, serpentine pavement winds through a forest, taking a rider up and over Ebbett’s Pass. Unfortunately, some of the scenery isn’t so appealing. Like stretches of the Idaho BDR there are tracts of burned-over forest to traverse.
Rockin’ the BDR
Besides just good moto entertainment, the film is also an excellent way to assess the route’s difficulty. Like rocks? The NorCal BDR has plenty. Expert sections are extremely rocky, but there are enough rocks on the main route to keep riders on their pegs. The BDR website rates the NorCal difficulty in the middle, which would put it between Utah and Colorado, but cautions that the expert sections are very difficult. The film reinforces that appraisal with some intense rock garden footage.
NorCal BDR Prep
Besides watching the movie, the best way to prepare for this ride is to buy the NorCal BDR map from Butler Maps, also available on the BDR website. Study it well, identify alternate routes for emergencies or bail-outs, and assess your skills, time frame, and fuel range. Having to re-charge the Zero machines required serious planning for this trip, but as the Zero riders found, chargers are popping up in smaller and smaller towns.
Stayin’ Safe on the BDR
The Norcal BDR film is about fun, but also about surviving to ride another day. The BDR group thoughtfully includes information about carrying first aid supplies and an emergency contact device, as help can be a long way away. Some painful get-offs in the film show just why a first aid kit is necessary. Even director Sterling Noren, veteran of many BDRs, gets his lumps and bumps. Injuries aside, this movie entices anyone with a yearn for a motorcycling challenge to pack up and hit the trail. It’s a well spent 74 minutes, brought to you by people who specialize in adventure. See the movie here.
Read more: NorCal First Look
Images: Backcountry Discovery Routes
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