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Veteran American auto journalist Davey Johnson disappears after test riding motorbike in California

  • Bike found at rest stop southeast of Sacramento with helmet and folded gloves. His clothes, phone, laptop and wallet were neatly placed by a nearby creek

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Auto writer Davey Johnson took a motorcycle for a test ride in the Sierra Nevada mountains last week. Now he’s missing. Photo: Car and Driver

A well-known US automobile journalist has not been seen for almost a week since taking a motorcycle for a test-drive in mountainous northern California, police and industry media said.

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Davey Johnson, 44, from Sacramento, was testing a Honda CB1000R in the rugged and cold terrain for an article in Motorcyclist magazine.

But the bike was found at the weekend at a rest stop on Route 49, near Mokelumne Hill town, with helmet and folded gloves, according to police and the magazine Car and Driver.

Police also found Johnson’s clothes, phone, laptop and wallet, neatly placed by a snow-fed creek nearby.

His last-known communication was a June 5 text to his girlfriend, multiple media outlets said. He had also texted a photo to a friend and said he was headed home to Sacramento, about 105km (65 miles) from his bike and possessions.

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Teams of policemen and volunteers, along with six search dogs and a helicopter, have been searching river banks and the highway since Saturday, his friends said on social media.

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