There is no shortage of motorcycle and automotive content floating around on YouTube these days, but one of my favorite channels that leans into the nerdier side of things is Superfast Matt. A former Tesla engineer turned full-time YouTuber, Matt Brown has wrenched on some truly wild projects over the years, including an EV-converted 1950s Jaguar, a fully-custom Bonneville land speed record car built entirely in his garage, a 4×4 Dodge Viper, and a superbike engine-powered Honda 600 roadster that was featured on Jay Leno’s Garage. Matt is also a rider who’s tackled some fairly ambitious ADV trips, including piloting a Honda CRF250L Rally from Los Angeles to Las Vegas entirely on dirt. In a recent video, he asks an age-old question: why do we ride adventure motorcycles in the first place?
For this adventure, Matt and his Husky 701 Enduro join his friend Ted on a KTM 890 Adventure R for a shot at the Colorado Back Country Discovery Route. The short film is not only a documentary of the ride itself, but also offers a broader discussion about the history of ADV bikes and why we are drawn to challenging journeys like the Backcountry Discovery Routes in the first place. With his tongue planted firmly in cheek and a laconic sense of humor, Matt doesn’t take himself too seriously—a refreshing change of pace from other channels that always seem to be at pains to prove how “epic” they can make every video.
Often considered one of the more technical BDRs, the Colorado version is epic enough by itself. Matt covers the prep for the trip, including modifying his Husqvarna for both comfort and performance, figuring out how to pack his gear, and how to bring along extra fuel for the longer route segments. Once they get to the Centennial State, they tackle Black Bear Pass, getting held up by sketchy weather and a long line of Jeeps. He ponders the question, “What should we call a group of Jeeps?”—my favorite answer is “a Rubicongress”. Ophir Pass proves to be the most difficult segment in the early stages of the Colorado BDR, with its ever-present “cliff of death” that can punish riding mistakes with serious consequences.
The Colorado BDR features lots of water crossings.
Along the way, Matt inhales breakfast burritos, joyfully rides through every mud puddle he can find, and muses about the psychology of adventure riding and strategies for taking on difficult terrain. He pokes gentle fun at YouTubers and Instagrammers like himself, asking, “What’s the point of adventure if you can’t show everyone how adventurous you are?” Indeed. But the real twist (that I won’t spoil for you here) comes at the end of this video, and it drives home some the hard realities of long ADV journeys.
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Screenshots: YouTube
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