The beginning of April each year also means it is time for the annual Stumpjumper Desert 100.. This is a weekend I always look forward to, it is the biggest riding event I go to, and one of the few times I get to ride desert.
Beautiful, rolling hills, shady stands of trees, twisty roads, dirt trails, dual-sport tracks, wildlife and a creepy, old, abandoned farmhouse. What more could you ask for when attending an adventure rally?
Each year in April, the riding season in the Pacific Northwest unofficially kicks off with the Stumpjumpers Desert 100.
Our first destination in Peru would be the town of Chachapoyas, which is a fun word to say, and also is a great area to explore with all its famous ruins.
I’m standing twenty yards back from my bike, flexing my hands like a gunfighter of yesteryear waiting for the starting cannon… I am a mess of adrenaline, nerves, pent up aggression, and fury.
Naturally, one of the big milestones for this trip is crossing the equator. Neither of us has been in the southern hemisphere before, so it’s a highlight for us.
Maybe you just purchased your first adventure bike last summer and after dipping your toe into the adventure touring pool your ready to go for a real swim.
Every motorcycle feels different and has its own personality, factors like rake angle, suspension, swing-arm length, and engine all play into this. That being said there are plenty of things on a motorcycle that can, and really should be tailored to the rider.
The motorcycle helmet industry universally give motorcycle helmets a five year service life: from the first day you shove your head into it until it is time to retire it to the shelf of honor with other used up motorcycle parts.
It can be rough for a little motorcycle in the big city. It’s an asphalt jungle clogged full of homicidal taxi drivers, smart phone blinded pedestrians, smugly suicidal bicyclists, and terrified tourists.