Feel like you’re in a rut when it comes to your riding? Maybe it’s time to try something different, like adventure riding.
Photography by Mark Kariya and Palmer
You don’t need a reason to ride a motorcycle because the reason is obvious: Motorcycle riding is fun, period. And it doesn’t matter where you are when you’re on a motorcycle. Whether navigating downtown traffic, commuting to work, or simply taking a routine trip to the supermarket, riding a motorcycle is always enjoyable. However, no matter how much fun it is to ride a motorcycle, when you travel the same roads and get caught up in the same riding routine day after day or weekend after weekend, it can start getting a little mundane or, God forbid, boring, even on a motorcycle. You might feel as though you’re stuck in a rut. If that sounds like a rut that you could be getting into, then you might want to try something different, maybe something out of your comfort zone, like “adventure” riding.
Along For The Ride | Motorcycle Adventure Riding
Sometimes, you might not even know you’re in a rut until something much better comes along, which is what happened to me. Recently, Yamaha invited me to go on an adventure ride with some of its crew in the Colorado Rockies. Afterward, I realized that I had forgotten just how much fun real ADV riding is and how doing something different can get you pumped up about riding again. Sure, I’ve ridden my share of ADV bikes, but it’s been years since I’ve gone on a true adventure ride.
Yamaha clarified that this would be a ride, not a bike test. Yes, we’d be riding the company’s premier ADV bike, the Tenere 700 (aka T7), but the invite was more about just getting away, going riding with friends and people with similar interests, and experiencing adventure riding the way it’s supposed to be than it was about the T7; at least, that’s how I treated it. Turns out, Yamaha did, too.
Not once did anyone in blue try to convince me how great the T7 is, nor did we discuss front-wheel travel, frame geometry or electronics (which would have been a short conversation anyway) or anything much about the bike even though I had never ridden the T7 before, believe it or not. When it was time to go riding, I was just provided the key and shown how to turn off the rear ABS, and then we were on our way. But we did talk a lot about how beautiful the area that we were about to explore on the T7s is.
To get the full “adventure” experience, Yamaha did not wine and dine us at any time. There were no Marriotts but instead small campground “log” cabins to sleep in; no fancy restaurants but sandwiches and potato chips that we digested along the trail and a modest BBQ and campfire at the end of the day, still in riding gear if you wanted, just like any other ride. I was provided a small cabin to stay in, while some stayed in toy haulers.
I don’t like the word “epic” because it’s used far too often and has lost its meaning, but if there was ever a reason to break it out again, it’s now. Riding in the Colorado Rockies is indeed epic. Admittedly, we didn’t cover many miles for a “true” adventure ride (however many miles that is) during our two-day out-and-back excursions, mostly at or above 10,000 feet elevation, but we saw a lot of jaw-dropping scenery, so we stopped a lot to soak it all in and take plenty of pictures and selfies. It’s not always about the miles.
Top Five | Motorcycle Adventure Riding
There were times along the ride when I had a moment or two to reflect on this thing called adventure riding and came up with my top five reasons why I like ADV motorcycles and enjoy riding them.
One: Most adventure bikes make fantastic street bikes, so if getting dirty isn’t your thing, you can still have a great time on an ADV bike. Plus, if you like to tour, with a 1000cc-plus ADV bike you can eat up nearly the same number of miles you can on a Gold Wing in just about the same amount of comfort but see places you can’t on a grand street tourer. You might prefer pavement, which is fine, but I’m sure you’ve been tempted by a dirt road occasionally; at least on an ADV bike, you have the opportunity to give in to those temptations. It’s nice to have that option. Plus, ADV bikes handle well on the street, and even the lowest-grade ADV suspensions can deal well with anything pavement can divvy out.
Two: Most ADV bikes can carry a ton of stuff, so an overnight stay (or two) is not out of the question. Even if your ADV bike didn’t come with travel bags, there are plenty of reputable ADV accessory aftermarkets out there that can not only dial you in with luggage options but with anything else you might want for your bike, such as navigational devices and mounts.
Three: Sure, capable 4×4 vehicles can go almost anywhere an ADV bike can, but certainly not as efficiently. You can cover much more off-road ground and see more on an adventure motorcycle than you can in a Jeep. (I know, I own a Jeep.) Single-cylinder and lighter dual sport bikes can also go where ADV bikes can but can’t cover the miles like an ADV bike can.
Four: I mentioned this earlier, but adventure bikes are known for their exceptional comfort due to their focus on ergonomics, which certainly relates to riding off-road as well as the street. When riding an adventure bike, your upper body is upright, your legs are comfortably positioned right underneath you, and your arms are level with the handlebars, so there is no pressure on your forearms. Your hands won’t have the tendency to go numb on you, either. Plus, their seats usually provide excellent support. Most ADV bikes also have decent wind and hand protection. So, say goodbye to fatigue.
Five: ADV bikes are about as safe as you can get for a motorcycle. Many ADV motorcycles are packed with electronics and rider aids to make your life easier and to help keep you from getting too up close and personal with terra firma. And playing with all those gadgets is kind of fun.
Six: Okay, one more. No cars. Getting away to me means getting away from cars and traffic, things you see on Interstate 10 but not on service road R106A.
Packing Up | Motorcycle Adventure Riding
Our two-day ride was over far too quickly. We saw some amazing sights and rode on some great off-road trails that weren’t too challenging but just enough to make you feel like you did something. I’m certainly fired up to do something like this again.
So, if you’re ready for a change or something to re-spark your interest in motorcycle riding, then give ADV riding a try. And don’t be intimidated by what you see on the Internet. You don’t have to take your ADV down rugged single-track trails, cross raging rivers, or jump massive tree logs to have fun on an adventure motorcycle. All you need is just a sense of adventure, even if that simply means cruising down an unimproved county road and, of course, staying out of the ruts.
If these words aren’t enough to get you pumped on adventure riding, maybe these photos will. See you out there.CN
Click here to read the Motorcycle Adventure Riding Story in the Cycle News Digital Edition Magazine.
