Listened to this video this morning at the gym.
I’m a solid GenX’er, started riding during the hay day (big hair day?) of the mid 80s. For those on the younger side, or those who started fairly recently regardless of age, what are you thoughts?
I’m 40. Only been riding 2 wheels about 10 years total. Mostly on-road commuting year round, and started ADV last year. I say that as I laughed a bit (internally) at the amount of gray in the club. I’m there too, but only wear it on my face.
Comments I’ve heard during that time in my 20’s-40’s span align with the video.
Cost: When everything is expensive, having kids often doesn’t combine with motorcycle purchases well. Kids don’t really fit in hard bags.
Safety: Rise of smartphones, texting, and distracted driving created more fear for those starting families. Especially from partners/spouses.
Community: Most of us want to do this hobby with others. Same with most other hobbies. They didn’t know where to start.
Branding: I knew of only one person that wanted a Cruiser style motorcycle. None wanted a Harley. That market aged, but more importantly, the ones riding around were part of that demographic that simply didn’t appeal to the bike-curious folks in my life. Mostly saw squids in their flip-flops pumping up organ donation, and the melanoma-crowd on their Harley’s, working on the leather skin texture. The random BMW ADV or DS was rare.
How did I arrive at ADV, with renewed interest? Getting older and starting to prioritize myself. I used to ride ATV’s a lot. I wanted back into the trees, on the dirt, and ability to do that without a trailer or truck. But this was all solo motivation, and it only aligned when cost was less of a concern. Safety still is.
I think shops that have a club or organized community will help. But that’s only for the folks that have taken the step to walk into the door. Maybe we’ll have to join a parade and throw candy at kids.
1 Like
I started on small dirt bikes in the neighborhood when I was in my late teens (I’m 41 currently) and some really fast, stretched GXSRs and such just horsing around (helmet less and invincible 
).
Then life and career got in the way, then marriage, then kids, then my neighbor gave me a 250cc Honda moped. I had been taking my Ridgeline off roading in areas I shouldn’t have been in but wanted to be. After getting the moped running and driving it to work and whatever else I could, I started looking into riding motorcycles off road but wanted something I could drive to the trail and camp off of.
I found the ADV community, YouTube pages like Dork on the road, Backcountry ADV, and so many others. Then I started looking (and working a lot of side gigs) and researching motorcycles and where to start. I knew I wanted a 600cc or bigger bike, something safe on the highway but off road capable, and while I originally wanted a Suzuki Vstrom 800DE, I didn’t want to get something new and be a beginner and crash a new bike (and feel bad). So I was between a Honda Transalp or KLR. After seeing Fort9’s KLR torture and rebuild video, I figured it would be a great bike to start out on.
Picked up my 2005 KLR that had a ton of mods and farckles and it was love at first dirt road. I ride it all over, taken it places I didn’t want to take my truck, and love the thrill of exploring and pushing myself off the paved road.
I eventually want a more capable bike, something that’s a little more highway friendly, but as I’m learning the KLR has been a great fit for me. I’m sure I’ll eventually out grow the bike, but for now I’m right at home on it.
This group has been amazing, met a lot of great people, and learned a ton from other riders as well as gotten a hand on some repairs.
I’m long-ish in tooth but young in the saddle and really glad I got back on motorcycles. It’s been a huge stress reliever and helps bring me back to zero when I need it.
Looking forward to making more friends, learning more, and camping off a motorcycle as often as I can. Also hoping to do the COBDR next year at some point!
3 Likes
I started riding young on dirt bikes with one of my best buddies in school. He was the catalyst, but watching Travis Pastrana/Nitro Circus/ Crusty Demons in the early 2000s certainly helped. From there I transitioned to supermotos because that was what I knew and rode those around the street. Now that Ive found myself in Colorado (a lifelong dream), I like to ride regardless of pavement or dirt, and adv bikes fit that. Im in a similar camp to Mike with the klr, but mostly only because Im a cheap bastard and less because Im just starting out on dirt.
As far as safety goes, running the speed limit in traffic and lane filtering have done a lot to keep me safe on the road. Waiting a second or two at green lights has saved my ass before too. I think young people just don’t have as much desire to ride as it’s kind of a luxury as far as Im concerned. Gear isn’t cheap, bikes aren’t cheap, and it’s intimidating. Riding schools help, offroad schools help, but I think as long as we keep building 4 lane superhighways for jacked up trucks through our communities it wont ever be super fun to ride to the store.
As for the club, I think incorporating it and making a community of sorts goes a long way. I would even be open to having regular garage wrenching nights during the month so people can connect that way too. Anyway, motofluencers are starting to make a difference in the general populace opinion. My non-riding partner loves ItchyBoots so take that for what you will.
As a GenX’er, a lot of what this guy said resonates with me. I bought my first motorcycle, '86 Yamaha Radian, when I was 19 or 20yo. I needed transportation, it’s what I could afford, but more importantly I saw it as a way to escape. There was also a good bit of a rebellious nature to the whole activity.
I was in college and when I wasn’t working, swimming, or studying, I was bombing from Atlanta to the North Georgia mountains, or riding around town at night with a pool cue bungeed on the back seat.
I think the younger set doesn’t realize the general lack of information we had back then. Or, rather, how intentional you had to be to seek out info on rides, gear, bikes, and just…everything. I was very fortunate in that I hooked up with a club called the Honda Sport Touring Association, where I was mentored by “old guys” in the 40s who got me riding responsibly after about a 12mo squid period.
So my question, for those new to the sport: what information or…whatever…peaked your interest in getting into motorcycling, and adventure motorcycling specifically? IMO, there’s soooo much information out there, but I could see how it could overwhelming, having to sort through the marketing noise and cultural inertia.
One of the characteristics I’d like to see this club develop is a culture of more experienced members shortening the learning curve of new riders.
For example, I take all the credit for @mulebarn selling his Norden and downsizing his luggage after I pointed out the disconnect between his ultra-light camping gear being packed into ##lb Mosko panniers 
1 Like
Hi All
Rich - thanks for posting this. I am not young, 54 next month, but am very new to motos. I got my first moto 2 years ago, KTM 390 Adventure. Now have the 701 and just recently added 350.
Did a lot of pedal bike riding/racing and still do some. I started to get interested as had everal friends that got the moto bug late 40s. Most had a lot of prior experience. I had none. Took a few classes and did 4 days @ Raw Hyde in CA this past March on bikes way too big, but great instruction and courses. I learn most from others, but also a lot of online research. Chris Birch has been one of my favorite instructors as he doesn’t seem to be about ego and explains the why of things. Then it’s easy to go practice a few drills. Clearly loads of garbage online about what to do/not to do, get this, don’t get that…but seems pretty easy to filter for what you are after. I want to become a capable riding and just keep learning and having fun.
My few rides with this group have been both fun and very informative, especially the camping trip. The insights from everyone, seeing several on trail repairs and just looking at gear was really helpful. I feel that most of this group is receptive to new riders and the way rides are being posted and clearly managing expectations - A,B,C level is super helpful.
Like most things, time riding is key and I look forward to more of this and welcome the idea of sharing experiences, even some kind of mentoring, etc. And the winter Tue night hands on events were great. It’s also clear that time is limited and sometimes people just want to ride and rip. And that’s totally cool and what makes this channel good to communicate the what and when of rides and you don’t want to wait. Cycling is always same. There are ‘no drop’ rides and everyone welcome and other times where it’s full gas and you are either at that level or your riding solo. All good.
Thanks again and for people like me - all tips are welcome. At 54 no ego needed in this sport. It’s awesome, love the learning and I realize it is not without high risk at times. CM
Yeah, the cycling world way of organizing rides is what we’re trying to parallel here. An example from a triathlon club ride I used to lead: about 30-40 riders would ride together, “no-drop” style as a group to a designated traffic light. A few other guys and I would set the pace to keep it smooth with no surges, we’d sometimes run a paceline to let people practice riding together, etc. Yeah, I know…very unusual for a triathlon club but I want to create a culture of less experienced riders learning from more experienced riders.
At the light, the seatbelt light was turn off and they were free to move about the cabin. We’d hammer for another 5-10 miles to the top of a hill. If you were with the group at the top, congrats, you’re in the A-group. Otherwise, look around you and find others. You’re in the B-Group. The A’s would continue to attack and eventually wittle the group down to about 5 guys. Everyone, regardless of ability, rode the same route ending at a coffee shop. A’s would have coffee and pastries ready for the B’s.
Differences in terrain and distance make this dynamic difficult to replicate 100%, but we always want to create opportunities for more experienced to mentor less experienced.
We’ve all been the FNG in the sport.
2 Likes
The summer of 2025 will be my 3rd summer on a motorcycle, so I think that makes me a new rider. I never thought I would ever get into motorcycles. Growing up I had an uncle that lived and breathed Harley, everything he owned was black, and it just looked boring and like something that had to become your whole personality. Fast forward to ten years ago- I had a coworker that would come to work every Monday all summer long with pictures on his phone of the crazy mountain passes he was riding offroad on his dirt bike. I couldn’t believe how much of the Colorado high country he was experiencing every weekend. That stuck with me. But buying a motorcycle was definitely not in the budget back then. Fast forward to 3 years ago- I had a wife of 20 years that was running off and I was needing an outlet and some joy in my life. I had moved to CO for the mountains and I wasn’t really experiencing them all that often. Thinking of my coworker 10 years prior, I thought I wanted to learn to ride and go where he had been going. I did a deep dive into bike specs, and thanks to watching Adam Riemann videos, I thought a full size ADV bike would take me anywhere. So I bought an F800GS having never ridden any bike ever. I couldn’t test drive it, or even load it onto the trailer I rented. I got Youtube certified, and rode it for the first time up my curvy driveway, about having a heart attack. I rode it enough to figure out what I was doing, and then went on some gravel rides with my 72 yr old friend on his KLR. Then I started going everywhere I could find on Google maps. Then, I finally found BCADV on Facebook and joined a group ride, nervous as hell. Prior to that ride, the only group stuff I did was competition pistol shooting, and that crowd is a lot less fun to hang out with and a lot less diverse than the Moto ADV community. For example, I’m going on an all-day ride tomorrow with someone I’ve never met and I’m sure I’ll have a good time.
I can’t imagine getting started in this without the internet. I was able to learn SO much about the gear and about riding skills through Youtube. There’s so much content out there. I have mad respect for people who had to learn without all that help. I’ve found the ADV community to be totally like any other individual sport, where you can connect over the passion for doing the sport, and connect over geeking out over the gear. I led the Passapalooza ride again this year and the long day of riding ended with 8 people sitting around my dining room table sharing a meal and sincere conversation, most of whom hadn’t met prior. That’s good stuff! So, I think I’ve found a pastime that I’ll be sticking with for the rest of my life, provide some oncoming car doesn’t turn left in front of me.
4 Likes
I started at 48 years old, now 53, so yeah, better late than never
Agreed - happy I found it even at this age
1 Like
I’m 43 (so “young” compared to some of you 
) and started riding in my mid 20’s. Bought a Sportster at the recommendation of my wife to “save money on gas”. I learned to ride in SoCal and rode almost exclusively solo. I got into the chopper scene a bit before I left there.
Moved to MN and got really into choppers. Not the fancy ones but the gritty, duct tape and baling wire ones. To me, that crowd, while some of the roughest people, were the most inviting and friendly. If you could piece together and ride a 30+ year old bike and keep it running, you were good. Saw club culture through a friend who was in it. Neat if you were in it but not something I was really into. Towards the end of my stay in MN, I got into flat tracking and actually raced in the first “Flat Out Friday” in Milwaukee before the Mama Tried show
I moved to CO and did flat track for a couple more years and decided dirt bikes were the way to go. Rode a bunch and moved through bikes. I picked up a 701 a couple years ago to “keep hours off my 300”
So with all that, I started riding solo, learning how to be self-sufficient and never really got tied to the “culture” or all of that other stuff. 90% of my dirt riding has been solo. The “culture” doesn’t really have that much of an impact on me. I’m an ENTP so I like being around people but I’ve also found it not necessary for bikes.
If you are riding road couches, then skill doesn’t really come into play. Offroad, it can kill a ride if someone isn’t skilled up or hasn’t spent the time to get skilled up. However I think this group has done a GREAT job of including people of all skill levels and getting rides or routes for that. That inclusion really helps for newer riders feel comfortable. Also
I’m not a huge believer in this “generational” BS. Get over it. People are different and need different things. Once you accept that, you can really start to reach out and include others. Case in point, my now 19 year old rode dirt for a short stint. Life moved on and she wanted to hang with friends more than Dad. She turned 17 and wanted to ride again on the street. She paid for her own MSF class and has a KTM390 now (that doesn’t get ridden enough). She did it on her own terms. My 11 year old has been riding dirt since she was 6. If I force her to ride, she hates it. If it’s her idea to ride, she loves it. She’s getting to the age as her older sister did where hanging out with friends is cooler than hanging with Dad in the dirt. But she still wants and does ride. It’s just less.
Be open, take those newbies along and have opportunities for them. That’s my free advice because it’s not worth $0.02 but it doesn’t come with a click bait YouTube title either.
2 Likes