Bend Motorcycle Adventures Podcast

Mountain View Motorcycle Adventures

Mountain View Motorcycle Adventures hosts motorcycle adventures in British Columbia and Baja.  Owner, Matt Sutherland joined the podcast to talk with us about some of his upcoming tours.

 

Jocelin Snow 

Jocelin Snow is making the rest of her life, the best of her life. As a motorcycle adventurer, tour guide, and member of the prestigious BMW International GS Trophy Team, motorcycles are helping her live out dreams.

 

 

On Her Bike 

Kinga Tanajewska has been on her bike & riding around the world, since April of 2017.

MotoMinded 

MotoMinded  imagines, designs, produces and sells, clever products to off-road and adventure motorcycle riders around the world.

 

Women’s Motorcycle Adventures 

Women’s motorcycle adventures are the specialty of MotoBird Adventures.    Owner, Kerri Dougherty, joined the podcast to discus the trips she offers and how motorcycles have shaped her life

Female Motorcycle Ownership is on the Rise

A recent article from Women Riders Now points to the fact that 18%  of motorcycle owners these days are in fact, female.  Kerri has  situated herself nicely for this emerging market.  In fact, MotoBird Adventures offers trips exclusively for women.

I  asked Kerri about the aforementioned.  To paraphrase, she believes that women may feel less inclined to ask for help when riding with a male-dominated group.  Also, some might feel anxiety about holding the group up or slowing the ride.  Either way, Kerri’s adventures are designed to “empower fellow women and grow deeper-rooted relationships…”  Perfect.

Ride with MotoBird Adventures 

Ladies, make sure &reach out to Kerri for your next motorcycle adventure.  From the California to coast, to the beautiful beaches of Belize.  MotoBird Adventures has an all-female motorcycle trip to fit your needs.

 

 

Exploring Baja 

Exploring Baja is the epitome of motorcycle adventure for some.  The history & remote nature of the journey.  Amazing food and hospitality.  Diverse terrain, surrounded by the sea on both sides–Baja has it all!

We were fortunate to have Keith back on for this episode of the podcast as he recounted a recent, magical ride, through Baja.

When Should you be Exploring Baja?

Despite having the Pacific to the west and the Gulf of California to the east, there is a premium time to explore Baja.  As you can imagine, fall through spring is optimal as the southern portion of the continent has a tendency to be dried and more dispersed.

When Bike Works Best in Baja?

The one you own.  As noted above, diverse landscapes, terrain, trails and roads are the norm on the peninsula.  Keith opted to take his trusty Yamaha, WR 250 for this particular adventure.  The Yamaha is great both on the dirt roads and technical trails. However, any bike appropriately outfitted for off-road motorcycle adventure will do.

Whichever machine you have or choose, make that it is properly prepared for the ride by following these tips.

 

 

The Arizona Backcountry Discovery Route 

The Arizona Backcountry Discovery Route is a 750-mile motorcycle adventure through the entire state of Nevada.  For this episode of the podcast, a veteran of the Arizona BDR, Drew, joins the show & shares some of his knowledge regarding the route.

Plan Accordingly 

Timing your ride on both the Arizona & New Mexico BDR is critical.  Leaving too early or late in the year could lead to problems on snowy passes.  In the summer months, this route could be unbearable due to heat and the monsoon season.  In our opinion, late May or early June would be best.  Some fantastic fall riding could be an option in October & November also.

Pack & Prepare Accordingly 

Depending on where you live, the terrain and ecosystems of Arizona could be totally unfamiliar to you.  Make sure to pack thoroughly for your motorcycle adventure.  Don’t be afraid to carry extra water, also.

Prepare your bike thoroughly and be ready to tackle loose rock and sandy sections.  If you’re running tubes, extras may be necessary.  Don’t be afraid to run a few extra pounds of pressure through those rocky sections either!

Ride with Bend Motorcycle  Adventures 

Ride with Bend Motorcycle Adventures on an Arizona BDR Tour.  We host a 5-day tour on this route.  Participants are welcome to bring their own bike or choose an all-inclusive option and riding one of our KTM dual sport models.

 

 

KTM 790 Adventure R Specs 

The long-awaited, KTM 790 Adventure R specs  were released back in November.  Fans of the brand were teased with the offering as KTM unveiled a prototype at EICMA, in 2017.  Nearly a year later, definitive specs and pricing for the KTM 790 Adventure R were delivered.

KTM 790 Adventure 

With the introduction of the KTM 790, the Austrian manufacturer appears to be targeting two distinct buyers.  For starters, there are those of us who want to get into adv riding but are concerned about kilos.  The decision to graduate from the 240-pound KTM 500–a beloved and versatile machine–to a 400-plus pound twin, carries a lot of weight (no pun intended).

Second, the seasoned adventure motorcyclist.  He or she has ridden a plethora of adventure bikes and has now decided that it is time for something different.  For some, different comes in the form of simply brand new.  However, the KTM is appealing for a number of reasons:

* Smaller displacement than current or previous offerings

* Lightest-weight KTM Adv Model

* Improved suspension travel & ground clearance

Whatever your pain point, KTM is promoting this as a versatile machine for any of your motorcycle adventures.  One that  can do it all.

KTM 790 Adventure R Specs 

 

On this episode of the podcast, we took the liberty of comparing and contrasting some of most notable KTM 790 specs, against the likes of the 500, 690, 1090 and 1290.

There’s a lot to like about this bike, at least from a technical standpoint.  The KTM 790 weight eclipses 400 pounds but is considerably lighter than its larger displacement brethren.  A  lower center of gravity and a 5-gallon fuel tank should help you comfortably cover a boatload of miles.  And what about that service interval range?

Don’t forget to subscribe to this blog, our podcast and YouTube channel to receive the latest updates on the KTM 790!  We plan to provide a thorough KTM 790 Adventure review as soon as we take delivery of ours (hopefully in May).

Riding Around the World on a KTM 500

Aaron Steinmann is an adventure motorcycle rider who is riding around the world on a KTM 500. We caught up with Aaron to learn about where he’s been and what he has learned from his travels.

The Ultimate Motorcycle Adventure

From the outside, riding around the world seems like such an overwhelming adventure.  Logistics, language barriers, lonely  days on the road; Aaron has seen it all.  However, I get the sense that he combats a lot of these obstacles by traveling at a comfortable pace and tackling the journey, day-by-day.

The Ultimate Motorcycle

Unbelievably, Aaron has amassed over 60,000 miles on his KTM 500 while riding around the world!  To put that into  perspective. his KTM 500 has traveled the circumference of the Earth, roughly 2.5 times.  For most of us, it is hard to imagine a motorcycle being reliable and durable enough to cover this many miles.  Undoubtedly, this is an amazing testament to man, machine, and of course, routine maintenance.

 

Two Days on the Idaho BDR

My first two days on the Idaho BDR were amazing.  Forest fires may have changed our start plans but could not sour the beautiful, Idaho backdrop.

Middle Fork of the Boise River 

The most memorable part of the entire ride came on the second day.  I found myself standing on a nameless bridge that stretched across the Middle Fork of the Boise River.  Surrounded by mountains & overwhelmed by the sound of the river, I was alone.

Riding the Idaho BDR was more than adventure.  It was meant to be an escape from technology, and the everyday grind.  Mission accomplished!  The remote nature of this ride afforded numerous opportunities to disconnect from technology and reconnect with myself.

To learn more about the Idaho BDR, make sure to check out the ride BDR website.  Here, you  can get a ton of information about this adventure (including gps tracks).   I used this website to scout the route, purchase maps and research every facet of the ride!

On the Next Podcast:

I rode far more than just two days on the Idaho BDR! On the next episode, we’ll cover more of my time riding the Idaho Backcountry Discovery Route.

Stay current with the latest episodes by subscribing to our podcast on the following directories:

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