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November is prime time to ride in Southern Nevada. The summer heat is a memory, the air is dry and clear, and most days in the valley land in the 60s. The clocks went back on Sunday, November 1, so the sun is down early, and the desert gets cold fast once it is. Start your big rides in the morning and plan to be back in town before dark.
Ride of the Month: Searchlight, Lake Mohave and Laughlin
Open desert, Joshua trees and the Colorado River at the end of the road
Head south through Henderson and Boulder City and stay on US-95 as the city falls away behind you. The road runs long and open across the Eldorado Valley, then climbs toward Searchlight, an old mining town where the Joshua trees start to show up in the desert. In Searchlight, take SR-164 east and drop down to Cottonwood Cove on Lake Mohave, with the water getting bigger and bluer the whole way down.
Back on US-95, keep south to SR-163 and ride it east as it drops toward the Colorado River at Laughlin. Grab lunch on the river, then head home the way you came. It is a long day, so fuel up in Boulder City and again in Laughlin, carry water, and watch for sand in the low spots and wildlife near the road.
Short on time? Run I-15 south to Jean and take SR-161 out to Goodsprings, a tiny old mining town with a saloon that has been open for more than a century. On Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11, thank the veterans in your riding group. A lot of this community was built by them.
Late-Fall Safety: Nevada Edition
November is some of the best riding of the year in Southern Nevada, and it still brings a few hazards of its own.
- Big temperature drops after dark. A warm afternoon can fall into the 40s once the sun goes down, and higher ground around Searchlight runs colder than the valley. Pack a warm layer and full gloves, and give cold tires a few easy miles in the morning.
- You are riding home in the dark. With the time change, the evening commute is now after sunset. Drivers on the Beltway, I-15 and US-95 are not looking for a single headlight, and plenty of them are visitors reading signs. Run your lights, wear something reflective, and leave extra room at intersections.
- Fronts bring wind and blowing sand. A passing cold front can push hard gusts and sand across US-95 and I-15 with little warning. Loosen your grip, ease off on the exposed stretches, and check the forecast before a long run.
- Thanksgiving week traffic. Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26. The Wednesday night before is one of the worst nights of the year for drunk driving. If you ride that week, go early in the day and stay off the road that night.
Know Your Nevada Law
- Fault gets split, and there is a cutoff. Nevada uses modified comparative negligence. Your recovery goes down by your share of the blame, and if you are found more than 50 percent at fault, you recover nothing. Insurers often try to push blame onto riders, so how the crash is documented matters.
- Everyone wears a helmet. Nevada requires every rider and passenger, at any age, to wear a helmet that meets DOT standards. A novelty helmet can also give an insurer something to argue about.
- The minimums are low, so check your UM/UIM. Nevada requires only 25/50/20 in liability coverage, which does not go far after a serious motorcycle crash. With so many rental cars and out-of-state drivers on Las Vegas roads, uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is what protects you.
- You have two years. Nevada gives you two years from the crash to file an injury claim. Evidence and witnesses fade fast, so do not wait.
Ride Nation Las Vegas
This is the best stretch of the year for desert riding, and the Las Vegas riding community is out in force. Share your weekend routes, warn other riders about wind, sand and construction on the Beltway, and post the photos from your best November ride. Tag us in your photos. This is your scene, run by riders who ride these roads.
Final Weeks for the $20,000 BikeWin Giveaway
You are already entered for a chance at 20,000 dollars toward any motorcycle you want, and the winner is drawn December 10. That is only a few weeks away. Know a riding buddy who has not entered yet? Entry is free, so send them the link before it closes.
Enter the giveaway
A driver who never saw your headlight after dark on the Beltway. A gust that pushed sand across US-95. A tourist turning left across your lane on the Strip. If you go down in Nevada, you want a lawyer who rides these roads and knows how the comparative-fault rule gets used against riders.