There are some very long straights on the northern portion so if you're expecting an adrenalized canyon ride, this isn't one of them.  Just cruise along and enjoy the long straights that stretch off to the distant ridgeline, the twisties will come soon enough.

Paved across the dry savannah with relatively low elevation changes, this means you get a thrill ride that's up down back forth left right whoopin' and a hollerin' super freak ride right out of my dreams.  This can be a very fast ride.  

Much of Highway 25 is cut into the base of low coastal mountains, more like big hills though.  Quite swoopy.  I love riding this kind of road.  Reminds me of Cherokee Rd, only 5 times longer.

Five miles south of Tres Pinos is the west end of Highway J1 - Panoche Road which heads eastward over to I-5.

If you want to camp, there is a campground at Pinnacles National. Monument a couple miles south of Hollister.

A great place for hiking, there are 26 miles of trails in the park to check out the pretty cool rock formations.  Minimal traffic, easy to pass and several straights.

Pinnacles National Monument

After Pinnacles National Monument,  new super-smooth pavement starts up.  Further south though, several potholes may appear on Hwy 25 including one that was about 3 feet in diameter.  Most of the repaving in 2000 has taken care of this but the road is still crumbled in some parts.  Not very good traction for a motorcycle. Stay alert.

You'll ride past Highway G13, aka King City Road (called Bitterwater Road in Monterey County), which heads into King City (14 miles) if you're headed over that way.

Nearby is Highway G14 & Lockwood-Jolon Rd.

Another by the way - Gloria Road is merely a dirt up and over.

South of Hwy 25, (at the junction with Highway 198) if you go straight- you will now be on Peach Tree Rd, a narrow bumpy one-lane road, heading to Indian Valley Rd.  Not a single car for some 25 miles.  San Louis Obispo ahead.  This entire county has some great rides.  If you have some time, poke around a bit.

While this is the middle of nowhere - Beware of this scene being you!
Pic courtesy of the CanyonStrafers.com
Read the full Ride Report here.

Thanks to Ian for this shot taken from Highway 25

Another Point of View

It has everything from loooong straights (I have pictures of my speedo showing, errr, well, slightly more than 55) to blind decreasing radius corners covered with dust. 25 ends at Hwy 198, but if you jog left 20ish meters and then right on Peach Tree Road you can continue down to 101 at San Miguel. 

Lucy heartily recommends hiking in Pinnacles National Monument for amazing views and weirdy scenery

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Another alternative is to take Los Gatos - Coalinga Road out of Coalinga...about 50 miles long, it meets with 25 about 20 miles north of the 198/25 intersection.

The rain picks up as I head down Highway 25, taking it slow. This is a good road for going fast, but the rain has my speed down. I pass a few cars with windshield wipers going and wonder what they think of me. No bikes on the road. One long stretch sees the speedo reach towards 100, but mostly it's third gear work. After taking a run at the century mark, I see a small animal run across the road and head into the bushes... a coyote or bobcat maybe. It reminds me that this is still pretty wild country, despite the occasional house back against the hills. I wonder if motorcycle riders have fewer auto accidents than non-riders.

There was one vista, coming over the crest of a hill, looking down into the valley that was quite beautiful. Dark olive green oak trees on the slopes of the hills fading into short, bright green grass with the road snaking down through the valley floor. And up above, touching the far hilltops, a deck of grey clouds, marbled dark and light.

3-D Topographical Map of San Benito County's Hwy 25

No Shadows. Southern portion of Highway 25 at Dusk.