Florida Tops List of Best States to Ride, Says Report

From Arizona's Grand Canyon to New York’s Catskill Mountains, all 50 states offer unique, great places to ride. And more riders are hitting the road to take advantage of those scenic and thrilling rides: motorcycle and scooter sales rose 10.5 percent through the first quarter of 2011, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council.

From Arizona’s Grand Canyon to New York’s Catskill Mountains, all 50 states offer unique, great places to ride. And more riders are hitting the road to take advantage of those scenic and thrilling rides: motorcycle and scooter sales rose 10.5 percent through the first quarter of 2011, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council. A recent Progressive Motorcycle Insurance report says the following states are the best states to ride in the U.S.:

1. Florida

2. Georgia

3. Arizona

4. South Carolina

5. Kansas

6. Mississippi

7. Oklahoma

8. Arkansas

9. North Carolina

10. Iowa

11. Alabama

12. Texas

13. New Mexico/West Virginia (tie)

14. Nebraska

15. Tennessee

16. Hawaii

17. Kentucky

18. Louisiana

19. Ohio

20. Utah

“American riding is as diverse as American riders – from the city rider to the country cruiser,” said Dan Kamionkowski, motorcycle product manager at Progressive. “Some states that you may consider obvious good places to ride were not included in the top 20 when all data were taken into account – but they’re still great options.”

While California ranks in the top 10 (#6) for number of good riding days, The Golden State didn’t make the top 20 due to higher accident frequency, population density, and gas prices; and its low percentage of smoother riding roadways.

The weather in Hawaii offers bikers the highest number of good riding days, it’s edged out of the top 10 in part due to its low percentage of smoother riding roadways and high population density.

New York has many great rides but one reason it’s not in the overall top 20 is because of New York City’s high population density. New York makes it into the top 10 (#6, up from #44) if New York City is removed from the population density data.

“Based on our experience, we pulled together what we consider to be important data to help bikers make better riding decisions. It’s not the end-all-be-all list of variables, for sure, since preferences vary from rider to rider, but we hope it will help riders plan their next road trip,” continued Kamionkowski.

Progressive looked at the following data to determine its list of best states to ride:

• Number of good riding days (based on temperature and precipitation)

• Likelihood of getting into a motorcycle crash

• Percentage of smoother riding roadways

• Population density

• Average price for a gallon of regular gasoline

For more information about Progressive Motorcycle Insurance, visit www.progressive.com/motorcycle.

The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame recently named Marilyn Stemp and Steve Piehl to its board of directors.

Stemp is a pioneering figure in the motorcycle industry, founding IronWorks Magazine with her late husband, Dennis, and becoming the first female editor of a nationally circulated, mainstream motorcycle magazine. She also revived their trade magazine, Iron Trader News; edits the monthly Kiwi Indian News; contributes to several powersports media outlets; and is the founding editor of Sturgis Rider Daily. Stemp is a noted editor and writer of several motorcycle-focused books. Her consistent support for charitable efforts in the industry include the annual Biker Belles Celebration, Las Vegas BikeFest and as campaign chair for the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum’s development plan in 2014. She co-founded the Flying Piston charity events taking place in Daytona and Sturgis each year and is a National Ambassador for All Kids Bike. Stemp was inducted into both the Las Vegas Motorcycle Hall of Fame and the Sturgis Museum's Hall of Fame in 2018, and in 2022 she was recognized as one of the Top 100 Women in Powersports by DealerNews.