HIGHWAY 1 TO THE ONE SHOW
Words by Justin Edelman, Photos by Justin Edelman and VonGasphalt
A few dreams have always sat high on my list as a motorcyclist: riding coast to coast across America and tracing both coastlines from end to end. This spring, one of those dreams finally started to become reality when @caferacersofinstagram and @vongasphalt reached out about riding California’s Highway 1 north to The One Moto Show in Portland.
Like all good motorcycle trips, it started with a group text and a rough plan.
A few of us needed motorcycles that could be rented one-way, so we linked up with EAGLERIDER loaded down a fleet of Harley-Davidsons, and kept a nervous eye on the weather forecast in the days leading up to departure. Rain gear was packed, just in case.
BEFORE LONG, DAYLIGHT DISAPPEARED AND WE FOUND OURSELVES RIDING THROUGH BIG SUR IN THE DARK, OCEAN AIR, COLD WIND, AND ENDLESS BLACK CURVES LIT ONLY BY MOTORCYCLE HEADLIGHTS.
We met near LAX, strapped our lives to the bikes, and rolled north on a late start toward Carmel-by-the-Sea, where our first Hipcamp stop waited for us. Before long, daylight disappeared and we found ourselves riding through Big Sur in the dark, ocean air, cold wind, and endless black curves lit only by motorcycle headlights.
One of the riders joining us was custom bike builder Christian Sosa aboard his hand-built 1976 Shovelhead. Watching him ride and maintain that machine became part of the story itself. Somewhere along the way, I started to understand the relationship between a builder and the motorcycle he brought to life. Modern motorcycles feel engineered. A custom bike feels alive. Temperamental. Emotional. Personal.
That truth revealed itself quickly.
At our campsite that first night, Sosa was already performing roadside surgery on the Shovelhead, replacing a bearing under the glow of camp lights while the rest of us unpacked gear and laughed about the chaos that inevitably follows old motorcycles.
The next morning we doubled back south to see Bixby Bridge in daylight before continuing north toward Alice’s Restaurant. We grabbed lunch, shot photos, and eventually rolled into San Francisco for the night.
At sunrise the following morning, we shot content near Golden Gate Bridge before heading north once again. Crossing the bridge felt symbolic, the city fading behind us as the trip fully settled into its rhythm.
Not long after, the Shovelhead decided it had its own opinion about the journey.
Mechanical problems forced the group to split. While some riders stayed behind with Sosa to diagnose the issue on the side of the highway, I continued north with the women in our group, hugging the coastline through Northern California.
What followed became one of the most memorable riding days I’ve ever experienced.
We chased the Pacific through small coastal towns, discovered that nearly every restaurant closes at 3 p.m., and somehow ended up at Timber Cove Resort eating an incredible meal overlooking the ocean before pressing onward to Fort Bragg for the night.
Meanwhile, after hours of troubleshooting roadside, the crew finally brought the Shovelhead back to life.
SOME RIDERS WANTED TO MAKE OPENING DAY AT THE ONE MOTO SHOW, WHILE THE REST OF US WANTED TO SOAK UP AS MUCH OF THE OREGON COASTLINE AS POSSIBLE BEFORE REACHING PORTLAND.
The next morning we coordinated a reunion point in Fortuna and rode north through the towering redwoods of Avenue of the Giants to meet them. Somehow, despite all the delays and detours, the timing worked perfectly. The entire group reunited and continued north together, including the now-revived custom motorcycle.
We rode all the way to Brookings before splitting once again. Some riders wanted to make opening day at The One Moto Show, while the rest of us wanted to soak up as much of the Oregon coastline as possible before reaching Portland.
Before separating, though, we stopped for fresh oysters that we ate straight off the back of my motorcycle somewhere along the coast, one of those strange, beautiful moments that only happen on motorcycle trips.
Then came Portland.
The One Moto Show absolutely lived up to its reputation. The show was packed with some of the most creative and beautifully built motorcycles I’ve ever seen. The atmosphere felt less like a traditional bike show and more like a gathering of artists, builders, riders, and friends.
Set inside an old maritime hangar beneath a bridge, the event blended motorcycles, live music, stunt riding, and culture into something uniquely Portland. The Thunderball stunt show kept crowds packed shoulder to shoulder while local builders and vendors filled the space with creativity and craftsmanship.
Portland itself surprised me too. Great food, dive bars, artistic energy, and a strong blue-collar motorcycle culture that has helped fuel a thriving chopper scene.
We spent a couple days wandering the show, connecting with the community, listening to live music, and watching motorcycles do things they were never designed to do.
LIKE ALL GREAT MOTORCYCLE TRIPS, SOMETHING STAYED BEHIND ON THE ROAD, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY, THE REDWOODS, ROADSIDE REPAIRS, AND LATE-NIGHT CONVERSATIONS AROUND CAMP.
Eventually, reality caught back up with us.
Those of us riding the EAGLERIDER Harleys continued north one final stretch to Seattle, where we returned the bikes and boarded flights back to our normal lives.
But like all great motorcycle trips, something stayed behind on the road, somewhere between the Pacific Coast Highway, the redwoods, roadside repairs, and late-night conversations around camp.
And now, one more dream is checked off the list.
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