discovery
adventurelog
me, proudly sharing his newly acquired English words. “Rock on!” I laughed. “Rock on indeed, my
friend! Merci bo-coou,” I replied, matching his attempt at a new lan- guage. His eyes widened, and he yelped a hearty laugh. Later in the tour as his English improved, Rémi would explain that my French pro- nunciation of “thank you very much” sounded more like, “Thank you, nice butt.” Oops. Bolstered by a newfound camara-
derie, our tour became easier and more fun with each passing day. A rhythm set in, as each morning we greeted each other with firm hand- shakes and a briefing. We would ride, stopping for photographs, food and fuel as needed. Our evenings were spent sampling local cuisine and enjoying the nightlife of Los Angeles, the Mojave Desert, Las Vegas and Yosemite, to name a few. As the ride routes became more challenging, we helped each other navigate both on and off the pavement. Gilles, a retired businessman living in Normandie, opted to ride on the back of my bike during the off-road sections. “Easier to see and enjoy the views,” he explained through labored English. Death Valley offered one of the
best ride days. As we entered Titus Canyon, with its stunning views and
The Trona Pinnacles.
Playing in the wind.
massive rock faces, it was clear that there was no equal to be found in all of Europe. “It is amazing, just amazing,” Amelie mar- veled. A native of Munich, Amelie was the lone female on our tour, and one of the best riders. “I never knew a place like this existed.” What first seemed a long, two-week tour
ended all too quickly. Our final day of rid- ing was solemn, the trek back to San Fran- cisco hindered by the inevitable goodbyes that would follow. The group of strangers in a foreign land had vanished, replaced by newfound friends sharing a comradery only found in motorcycling. “I will never forget this experience,” Rémi told the group at our final dinner. “There will never be a better tour.” We ferried everyone to the airport, say-
ing our goodbyes with hugs and steadfast promises to remain in touch. “I can’t believe that went as well as it did,” Lance said as we returned home. “The language barrier was really no problem. It was almost fun!”
“I know, I’m shocked it went so well,” I
replied. One flat tire and a few tip-overs were all we contended with; the tour had otherwise been incident free. While we agreed that the language barrier remained the one issue most in need of improve- ment, the experience as a whole was to be celebrated. Motorcycling—and Adventure Riding in
particular—brings people together in a rare and special way. Why this is the case is anyone’s guess, though I tend to think the challenges—and fear that comes from fac- ing those challenges—result in a connec- tion between individuals that transcends race, gender, and language. It is a corner- stone of why we love the sport and people that engage in it.
The next GS California Tour is on the cal-
endar for October, 2017. Join Lance, Shawn and the T3 team for the ride of a lifetime! Email
shawn@stromoto.com for details.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100
