Photos by Eva Rupert and Bill Dragoo Traveling by motorcycle during the summer months is a game of chance for those of us who live in the desert. The days are hot, and the storms seem to come out of nowhere. We plot our routes through the high country whenever possible, pack our rain gear…
Better Safe Than Sorry: Transitioning Toward Moto Rider Safety
When I began adventuring through some of the 700,000 kilometers of dirt roads in South Africa, it’s safe to say I didn’t have the right kit for the job. Transitioning into dirt riding, I made do with what I had at the time with gear used for my 1994 Harley Dyna. My first true off-road…
How to Prepare for and Survive Inclement Weather While Overlanding
Lead photograph by Michnus Olivier, Piki Piki Overland More than a decade ago, we camped in a large wooded campsite in Punta del Este, a coastal town in Uruguay. Despite extensive overland travel in Africa, we were relative rookies. It was our first night in South America, the Defender had been released from the port…
Dumb or Dumber? A Half-Life Man Learns to Ride
(Great Falls, Montana)—My home state of Montana is famous for its instantly recognizable landmarks and unique history. From the rapidly disappearing glaciers of Glacier National Park (see them while you still can!) to the Little Bighorn Battlefield, where a confederation of Plains Indians routed a hapless group of US Army soldiers led by an overconfident…
The Cold Start Off-Road Riding Clinic Returns to Baja California This May
Back for its second run, and with a focus on ADV 101 skills, the Cold Start Off-Road Riding Clinic and Culinary Experience will take place from May 5 to 11, 2023, in Baja, California. Leaving from Ensenada, the 5-day ride hugs the coast to San Quintin and includes workshops on packing and planning for a…
Touratech-USA Presents: Riding Solo AZ to BC
Touratech-USA Announces a New Sterling Noren Film Grab some popcorn, get comfortable, and enjoy the ride. Sterling Noren is about to take you to Canada as no one else has. The noted filmmaker and adventure traveler has teamed with Touratech-USA on another off-pavement motorcycle travel film. Riding Solo AZ to BC follows the 2020 release…
Honda Unveils Two New 2023 Dual-Sports
Honda’s dual-sport theme for 2023 appears to be accessibility. They’re showing off two new models with low seat heights to tempt new riders, smaller riders, or those who just like to have their feet flat on the ground. Small, Light, Easy to Ride Honda’s introduction of the new XR150L dual-sport is big news for small…
Moto Monday :: The Most Important Motorcycle Accessory is Training
While farkle (functional sparkle) is all the rage for adventure motorcyclists, the most essential purchase after safety gear should be rider training. Yes, I said the first. The reality of adventure riding is that physical risks are significant, and most accidents or injuries can be avoided or minimized by improving the rider’s skills. It is…
BMW International GS Trophy 2024
Trophy Time in Africa BMW Motorrad returns the GS Trophy competition to its African roots for 2024, this time in rugged Namibia. It will be the 9th running of the biennial event, which was last held in Albania, as reported by Heather Lea. There will be 22 teams from across the planet, with a total…
Women in Moto :: What Challenges You?
We asked some prominent, active female riders about what challenges they face in a male-dominated industry. We also asked them to share the more advantageous aspects of being a female rider. Here is what they had to say: Katrina Corcoran, Motorcycle Adventurer, Digital Creator, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Challenge The biggest challenge I faced…
Volcon Enters Youth Moto Market
Volcon Inc., the first all-electric, off-road powersports company, will soon be importing youth motorcycles from Spain. Clearing the way is an exclusive co-branding and distribution agreement with Torrot Electric Europa, S.A. Volcon has secured rights to sell a new line of Torrot electric motos in most of the Western Hemisphere. Torrot will build all of…
Tips for Riding the Trans-America Trail (TAT)
Armed with a 2022 Royal Enfield Himalayan, some YouTube videos, and a recent dirt bike safety training course, I took on the Trans-America Trail, a route crossing the United States on mostly unpaved roads and trails. While I had extensive road bike experience, this would be my first time riding off-road for any distance since…
Making it Out Alive: Learn to save your own life or the one you love
Fieldcraft Survival and TacMed Solutions, companies providing industry-leading medical, simulation, and protection solutions for combat military personnel and first responders, collaborated on this comprehensive trauma kit, the MTK (Mobility Trauma Kit), with everyday mobility, off-roading, and overlanding in mind. The kit includes everything you could need in a life-threatening emergency: a tourniquet, modular bandages, combat…
Stopping the Bleed: Yes, it Can Happen to You
Kevin Henson has been answering calls to horrific accident scenes for at least 34 years. The trained paramedic and retired fire chief still grimaces a little when thinking about the worst accidents he’s attended. Many of them involved motorcycles. But there’s one item he never reached for in a trauma event: a first-aid kit. When…
Moto Dogs: Riding with Fido
Walter gets a little nervous when Reid Hobby isn’t around. The 4-year-old Deutsch Drahthaar doesn’t much like being without his human companion. “He’s a social dog,” Hobby says. “Actually, he’s like a leach. He’s the Robin to my Batman. He sticks to me like glue.” Walter has ridden shotgun in every vehicle Hobby has ever…
BMW: Still Time in 2022 to Ride & Improve Skills
BMW has a host of ideas help you improve skills, try out new bikes, and keep the adventure alive. Root for the USA at the upcoming GS Trophy competition or hit the road to a rally. Whatever you pick from their grab bag of options, motorcycles will be front and center. BMW Motorrad GS Trophy…
The Best of the Late Summer Moto Rallies
There’s still time to get in on late summer motorcycle rallies and rides and soak up the remnants of summer sun before the leaves turn golden and the weather cold, and the west has no shortage of great moto events to choose from. Four Corners Motorcycle Rally The Four Corners Motorcycle Rally is scheduled for…
Staples In Tents’ The Gathering is Coming to Vancorum, Colorado, August 18-22
Sonya and Necota Staples of Staples In Tents and Black People Off-road are champions of equality in the outdoor space. They strive to make camping and overlanding accessible to everyone, including those from marginalized communities who haven’t traditionally enjoyed easy access to outdoor recreation opportunities. Enter The Gathering, a weekend of outdoor adventure and education…
How To Become an Adventure Rider
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Spring 2022 Issue. Photography by Susan Dragoo Few motorsports employ such a diverse array of skills as adventure riding. Adventure riders are those enviable souls who ride big-bore motorcycles, some approaching 600 pounds before adding luggage, over terrain befitting a world traveler lost in the wilderness….
The Moment Collectors, by Sam Manicom and Friends
I’ve never been much of a short-story reader; I like to invest in written tales for book-length escapes from reality. However, The Moment Collectors is a different kind of collection of short stories altogether—at least it was for me. As a round-the-world motorcycle traveler, there was something in each writer’s tale that I could directly…