The Beginning

My motorcycle adventure started in the early eighties with a Yamaha XT250.

The little XT was reliable, fast and never missed a beat, an amazing motorcycle that left a lasting impact.

After I moved to the US I had other priorities, I needed a home for my family and to raise two kids. Work and family didn’t leave much time to ride but eventually the riding bug bit again and I bought a Kawasaki Mean Streak cruiser.  

The mean look of the Kawi caught my eye when I saw the for sale sign at a local dealer. In an instant I had bought a bike and was back to riding.

The best trip on the Kawasaki was to Key West by myself. I’m sure the loud pipes woke up the chickens and the late sleepers in Key West in the early morning but the sound made me smile every time I gave it throttle.

Even though I loved the Kawasaki, the loud pipes and the lack of luggage bags made me start looking for another motorcycle more suited for long distance adventures. I spotted a used Kawasaki Concours with very low mileage at a local dealer and after a brief negotiation I took “Goldie” home. I rode the Concours all over the place but two trips stand out in my mind. The trip to Gaspe, Quebec with a friend riding a red Concours and the cross country ride with my brother and his BMW GS Adventure.

The Percé Rock in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence on the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec was the highlight of the trip.

The cross country trip with my brother was another amazing adventure. We visited almost all the National Parks along the center of the USA.

At the Bonneville Salt Flats International Speedway

Yellowstone National Park

Portuguese Beach at the Sonoma Coast State Park in northern California

Redwood National and State Park along route 101 in northern California

The Chandelier Tree just outside Leggett, CA

Riding through the Redwoods was one of the highlights of the trip

After my cross country trip my appetite for bigger and longer trips grew.  I was now thinking about a new adventure motorcycle to ride north and off-road.  When Yamaha announced they were bringing the Super Ténéré to the USA I put the deposit down and waited almost a year for my new Adventure motorcycle.

I have done lots of trips on the Ténéré but nothing compares to the trip to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska.  The Alaska trip was a 12901 mile round trip.
The beginning of the Alaska Highway in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada.

The Super Ténéré has been an amazing and reliable motorcycle along the way.  I have put it through hell and it rode through it without missing a beat.

The Alaska trip has many memorable moments and beautiful locations, you can read more about it on the “Alaska Trip 2012” page.