By ty dehner
The desert sun was brutal on my black riding leathers; while they were constructed with venting, the color just absorbed the heat. Of course, the air temperature was 105 in the shade, so riding my Ducati XDiavel Dark on the highway with no shade meant it was hotter than hell! Crossing the desert near the Mexican border on Interstate 8 is a barren wasteland. Just sand dunes, as far as one can see. Occasionally, an ATV blasts through the golden sand out on the dune. RVs are parked at the base of the dunes, as these ATVers spend the weekend out here working up a sweat on their fun machines.
As I watch the sculptured dunes pass from behind the shield on my full-face helmet, I am reminded of the Star Wars movie where Jabba the Hut’s barge was destroyed. Those scenes were filmed in this desert many years ago. Now, the area is filled with guys wearing space-like helmets and heavy gear on their ATVs.