Cruise by Beale Street on any Wednesday night and you’ll spot the glow of neon mirrored in the chrome of dozens of motorcycles. The flicker of B.B. King’s blue guitar and the sparkle of a Harley gas tank are synonymous with motorcycles and Memphis, but Beale Street isn’t the only incredible place to ride in and around the Bluff City. From the gates of Graceland to the lonesome byways of the Mississippi Delta, these are the best motorcycle trips in and around Memphis.
Cruise by Beale Street on any Wednesday night and you’ll spot the glow of neon mirrored in the chrome of dozens of motorcycles. The flicker of B.B. King’s blue guitar and the sparkle of a Harley gas tank are synonymous with motorcycles and Memphis, but Beale Street isn’t the only incredible place to ride in and around the Bluff City. From the gates of Graceland to the lonesome byways of the Mississippi Delta, these are the best motorcycle trips in and around Memphis.
The Edge District
A canopy of glittering blue and silver flags greet visitors to The Edge District. Once the hub of Memphis’s early car dealerships, the former garages and showrooms of this hill overlooking downtown are now home to a hive of nostalgic museums. Street parking is generally available beside the Edge Motor Museum, where visitors can see automobiles from 1910’s Ford Model T’s to an original Oldsmobile Rocket 88 and a Ford GT.
Speaking of Rocket 88, Ike Turner’s original recording of rock n’ roll’s springboard song sits upstairs at Sun Studio. Best known for launching the careers of Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis, Sun also played a pivotal role in the lives of Turner, B.B. King and Howlin’ Wolf. The tour is well worth the investment, and the old school diner located in the waiting room is tailor-made for a biker’s break.
Riverside Drive
Just a short, five minute ride from The Edge District, Riverside Drive delivers expansive views of the Mississippi River and downtown Memphis at Tom Lee Park before depositing travelers at either Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid or I-55 South. Savvy bikers can detour from I-55 by taking Metal Museum Drive into French Fort and the doorstep of the Metal Museum—and what else says bikes like an entire museum devoted to metal?
Johnny Cash’s Boyhood Home
Drive over the Hernando deSoto Bridge via I-40 or to take the vintage route via I-55 at the Memphis-Arkansas Bridge to find yourself within 30 minutes of Johnny Cash’s boyhood home in Dyess, Arkansas. Cash rose to international fame by making the short drive to perform in upstart Memphis venues before striking it rich with number one single “I Walk the Line” in 1956.
His humble childhood home and a venue for summer concerts sit in the middle of the the field of Arkansas, where a lazy cruise awaits.
Nutbush City Limits
Take a West Tennessee motorcycle trip. Follow Tennessee’s first state highway, Highway 70, out of Memphis for an hour to find yourself in the small town of Brownsville, Tennessee. From there, you’ll be within spitting distance of the even smaller unincorporated town of Nutbush, made famous by Tina Turner’s 1973 hit “Nutbush City Limits.”
A weathered, painted sign hung over an old storefront marks the approximate location where Turner’s career began to take off. Meanwhile, the Tina Turner Museum in Brownsville gives visitors the chance to walk through an exhibit of her tour-worn artifacts inside the Nutbush schoolhouse where it all began.
Summer Drive-In
Located alongside Highway 70 on the outskirts of town, the Malco Summer Drive-In is as classic as they come. The four screen theatre first opened in 1940 and continues the tradition of blending gasoline and cinema today. Nightly screenings of the latest blockbusters can still be seen here, with audio coming through your bike’s radio or standalone speakers.
The Mississippi Blues Trail
Beginning in the lobby of the Peabody Hotel in downtown Memphis, the Mississippi Blues Trail travels south down B.B. King Boulevard to the haunting countryside of Mississippi where legends about the ghost of Elvis and Robert Johnson’s deal with the devil abound. From Memphis, travel south for about an hour to reach Clarksdale, the most agreed upon location of The Devil’s Crossroads and a hub for juke joints and blues bars that comes alive on weekend nights.
Book a room at the Shack Up Inn, grab a Southern fusion dinner at Levon’s Bar & Grill and spend the night basking the sounds of Morgan Freeman’s Ground Zero Blues Club and Red’s Lounge to leave your own blues behind in the Mississippi night.
In the morning, make your way back to Memphis or continue on the trail to stops at the graves of B.B. King and Johnson himself.
Beale Street
It’s the perfect Memphis bike scene—dozens of bikes lined up along the bricks of Beale Street. Each Wednesday, traffic barriers along Beale come down to allow bikers to park right beside the restaurants and juke joints that made Memphis famous. People watching is hard to beat here, as bikers blend with tourists, musicians and hardy locals all chatting in the street to the sounds of live music beneath neon signs.
Graceland
No motorcycle pilgrimage in Memphis is complete without a stop at the Elvis Presley Car Museum. This extensive exhibit located opposite Graceland on Elvis Presley Boulevard houses more than 30 cars and motorized toys once owned by the King of Rock N’ Roll. Among those are the 1966 Harley-Davidson he often rode around town and his 1956 Cadillac El Dorado.
Visit Memphis' Biggest Attractions
Culture and history are an integral part of the Memphis experience, so take some time to roll the throttle to one of the many other attractions. Sun Studio is where Rock 'n' Roll was born. The Stax Museum of American Soul Music is famous for that raw Memphis sound that put artists like Booker T. and the MGs, Otis Redding, Steve Cropper, and Isaac Hayes on the map.
Other can't miss attractions are the National Civil Rights Museum, a ball game at AutoZone Park or FedExForum and the Center for Southern Folklore.
Memphis has some of the best barbecue in the United States. After a long, hot day of riding, nothing goes down better than a rack of ribs and a cold local beer. Get down to Rendezvous in Downtown Memphis or venture out to other hot spots like Central BBQ, A&R Bar-B-Que, Cozy Corner, Corky's, etc, etc, etc. Everyone has their specialty in Memphis and you really can't go wrong. Check out our big list of Memphis restaurants for additional barbecue and Southern food options.
Best Motorcycle Trips Near Memphis
While a prime destination, Memphis is also centrally located and a great home base for larger motorcycle trips.
- Vicksburg, MS (250 miles/403 kilometers) - Full of Civil War history, Vicksburg was a crucial target for General Grant. The city, set along the picturesque Mississippi River, retains the charm and elegance of the Old South.
- Nashville, TN (220 miles/350 kilometers) - Home of Country, Bluegrass and the Grand Ole Opry, Nashville is the capitol of Tennessee and full of music-related activities and attractions.
- Birmingham, AL (245 miles/394 kilometers) - Born out of iron and steel, Birmingham is rich in Civil Rights history. Don't miss the area's great antique shops.
- Muscle Shoals, AL (151 miles/243 kilometers) - Perched on the shores of the Tennessee River, this mini-Memphis has a rich music history in its own right. Visit Muscle Shoals Sound Studios or FAME for a glimpse at the hit making factories that bolstered the careers of Otis Redding and The Rolling Stones. Spend a night in adjacent Florence for a bustling downtown music scene.
Memphis Motorcycle Travel Tips
To make sure you have a smooth motorcycle tour of Memphis and the surrounding areas, keep these tips top of mind.
- The best time of year to ride through is Spring through Fall. Weather is often cooperative during that time and the Mid-South is full of sunshine - perfect riding temperatures.
- Pack lightweight clothing. Synthetic fibers are often easier to wash on the road and dry much faster than cotton.
- Don't forget your GPS and atlas and a phone charger. They often come in handy when you want to venture off the beaten path.
- Zipper lock bags are your friends.
- For hotels, motels and camp grounds in Memphis, see this big list of places to stay in the area.
- Shop for apparel, souvenirs, parts and service needs at Bumpus Harley-Davidson in Bartlett, TN and Southern Thunder in Southaven, MS.
