Mattole Road Conditions?

[Motorcycle Mayor]

Making plans to finally do the Lost Coast via Mattole Road. I‘ve read it was re-opened back in March or April after last winter’s landslide. But I’m curious about how many gravel sections I’ll encounter. Particularly on hairpin curves .

Has anyone ridden it within the last couple of months?

 

[Old Michael]

Last month.
From the north (Ferndale), it was fine.
Just a few hundred yards of gravel in a couple of places.
Even an FJR can do it.

 

[Motorcycle Mayor]

Did you go thru Honeydew and Bull Creek to do the full loop back to 101? Or did you turn around and go back to Ferndale? I’m thinking of doing the full loop.

 

[Old Michael]

The full length through Humboldt Redwoods to 101.

 

[Brodie]

Thanks Old Michael, it’s “good to know” information.

We plan to travel that road on our way back from next week’s “Why Not?” Rally. A couple of gravel sections is nothing for me, but might cause my riding partner some grief. It’s good to know it’s only just a couple of spots. We’ll handle ‘em when we get to them.

Brodie

 

[Prosolar]

Wow interesting, about 10 years ago my buddy and I hit that road and it was so bad we started calling it the road that shall not be named. It was the worst patchwork of repairs upon repairs I'd ever seen.

 

[Motorcycle Mayor]

I don’t have the links handy, but the section from 101 to Petrolia (at least) appears to have been resurfaced sometime during the last 5 years. Don’t know what it’s like now, but the videos from 2020 show a mostly pretty smooth road.

You can search YouTube for Mattole Road motorcycle and see several examples.

 

[Prosolar]

This hardly represents the whole thing at the time but you can still see how bad it was...

 

[norcal rider]

Hell, that looks pretty good. Most of the crappy roads in Sonoma County look like that or worse.

 

[Lawrence]

Wow interesting, about 10 years ago my buddy and I hit that road and it was so bad we started calling it the road that shall not be named. It was the worst patchwork of repairs upon repairs I'd ever seen.

My 2009 Lap of California included that section of road. I was using mountain biking skills to keep front wheel planted, the road was so bad (patch on top of patch on top of patch, etc ... for decades ). But even then, I never felt unsafe... just annoyingly slow.

 

[Brodie]

This hardly represents the whole thing at the time but you can still see how bad it was...
View attachment 5390View attachment 5391

My kind of road!

Brodie

 

[art miller]

Thanks Old Michael, it’s “good to know” information.

We plan to travel that road on our way back from next week’s “Why Not?” Rally. A couple of gravel sections is nothing for me, but might cause my riding partner some grief. It’s good to know it’s only just a couple of spots. We’ll handle ‘em when we get to them.

Brodie

Brodie, You will do just fine with that car tire on the reproof your FJR. Let us know how the trip went. I would consider it if the gravel sections were not full of ruts.