Quite a year 2019 has been, folks. 

We started on New Year's Day with the announcement of our newest motorcycle rental fleet based here in Bend, Oregon and our inboxes and schedules have been full ever since. The decision to not build the fleet around the BMW brand was an interesting one that I explained a few blog posts ago, but with these extremely popular Africa Twins and other bikes being reserved by riders from around the world, it's clear that 'word is out' about just how many great options are out on the market right now. Thankful for that.

What an exciting time for the RIDE Adventures Team!

Having finished another successful Guided Group trip in Patagonia last month with a great group of fun riders, the bulk of March has been focused on one thing: Buying the new bikes for our Oregon-based motorcycle fleet, and getting ready for our first trip into Baja in April. Plus, a research trip for the CABDR South (California Backcountry Discovery Route) has just been announced for May!

Who wants to join?

What a fantastic response we've gotten from the announcement made a few weeks ago, that we've started buying bikes and building a new rental fleet here in beautiful Bend, Oregon. Thanks again to all our Customers over the years that are part of making this business possible!

Questions have been coming in as folks have wondered about some of the decisions I'll explain below. Overall reaction has been great, and I'm pleased to see that a few of you have already booked for the March 31st & April 16th "Baja on Down" scouting trips we just announced earlier this week. There are still 2 spots available going southbound and 3 going north, so contact me ASAP through that page if you want to grab a bike for these trips. Peak season underway now and with a full month in Patagonia coming up, I'll be ready to sip a beer on a beach in Baja with any fun dual sport riders looking to join.

Why aren't we offering BMW rentals in Oregon?

What a start to 2019, this is the official announcement of our motorcycle rental fleet here in beautiful Bend, Oregon in the U.S.!

My sincere thanks goes out to the Customers of RIDE Adventures, who over the past 8+ years have allowed the now Team of this small business to accomplish so much. Along with our partners in Chile, we've built a 26-motorcycle fleet for tours in the Andes, and we're now into the thousands of Customers who have relied on us for Guided Group and Self-Guided tour packages. Riders are appreciating our services in Europe, South America, southern Africa, and Asia was added in 2018, and to think ... this is all based around the simple notion of helping people ride and have fun.

This new "What's it really like" video series Garrett got us started on seems long overdue, although it's quite a challenge putting these riding opportunities into words. Such is true with all forms of travel in that no words ... no photos ... or videos ... can possibly recreate the experience of actually being there.

This latest video about our Self-Guided, Truck Supported Full Patagonia Adventure package explains a motorcycle trip format that came into existence for few simple reasons:

a) RIDE Adventures got started as a result of my own Self-Guided riding and exploration, and the spirit and challenge that comes with solo travel is something I will forever cherish.
b) Add a bit of my own cautious nature, recognizing that in the most remote places, it's safer to be riding with someone instead of completely alone.
c) Consider feedback we've received from Customers over the years that "I don't want to be stuck in a group in Patagonia, but I also don't want to be out there completely alone."

Combine all these thoughts, and this unique Self-Guided, Truck Supported motorcycle trip format has been the perfect response to such a combination of hopes & needs. Bonus is, because we've removed the Lead Guide from the services offered in this package, it helps cut-down the cost per rider. Per these points from our latest video:

Well here it is, another of my best attempts to share with you "What's it Really Like" has been posted on YouTube, this time, for our Northern Thailand Experience route. If it weren't for Garrett's prowess at video production, I'm not sure how else we would get such sentiment out. Folks, no matter what ... neither words nor video will ever do a riding experience like this any justice. 

So there I was, getting off the plane in Chiang Mai, Thailand, admittedly skeptical about just how great the riding ahead would be. With so many other incredible routes ridden through over 30 countries on 4 continents this past decade, I actually had very low expectations for how much fun and variety could be realized on a 5th. What I would soon find out, however, was that Thailand isn't only full of OUTSTANDING riding opportunities, but that the year-round possibilities for riding weather (albeit wet sometimes) would fit perfectly into our model of giving Riders plenty of opportunities to twist throttles even in their coldest months back home.

So, "what's it really like," riding the big adventure bikes in Thailand and Laos? This new video series will be placed on each tour page in the coming weeks (although it's definitely a situation where putting the experience into words & photos ... just doesn't seem possible.)

DISCLOSURE: To begin with, I whole-heartedly admit that I was skeptical about whether the "big bikes" would be right for southeast Asia. Friends had told me that simply renting a scooter and scrambling about the cities and countryside was the most fun, (and least expensive) way to explore. That thought, along with images of just how traffic-dense and congested the region may end up being had me wondering the same thing. This, all based on images and movies and such over the years. (Further disclosure: I was actually skeptical about how  good the riding would really be, anyway, and given what else I've seen around this world.)

That I'm still a fan of Klim and their riding gear is no secret at all. Perhaps it's more their fault than mine though ... they still make great products for adventure riders.

I picked up the Klim Krios Karbon Adventure helmet just before our recent scouting trip to Thailand and Laos, and in doing so, went against a very obvious and basic rule I've said before: Always take the time to actually ride with a helmet and check fitting before any big trip. Waiting until you're a couple of days into an international adventure to discover that the fitting is wrong may result in a headache worse than that time you said "I'll take the cheapest tequila you've got." Once you're in the destination country, finding a replacement helmet will be an unnecessary and expensive challenge, and since the non-fitting helmet will definitely "used" by then, it'll be worth very little in terms of possible exchange or sale to another rider. 

With our 8-year anniversary just a few days away and as you may have seen on our last eNewsletter, RIDE Adventures just announced that we’re starting operations in Asia, our 5^th continent!

 I snuck out a few blog posts back in April during the research trip in Thailand and Laos, as a few of our Customers and friends joined me for what was truly a trip full of surprises. (See the 1^st post here, the 2^nd one here, and the 3^rdhere. What lies below is a summary of those trip updates.)

 Surprises? To me, the guy that has spent most of the last 10 years riding adventure bikes through 25 countries on 4 other continents? Through places like the Skeleton Coast, the Namib Desert, the Alps, Andes, Rockies and Dolomites? Yes, Thailand and Laos still surprised me.

Trying to be as informative as we can in helping Riders choose the right motorcycle trip format, there are plenty of points to consider if you think "Self-Guided" is how you'd like to experience your next international adventure.

For some, the only way to ride is being out there solo, with no strings attached, schedules to follow, or fellow riders to wait for as they put on their riding gloves at a snail's pace. The spirit and mystery that goes into solo motorcycle travel can be felt in onlookers at the gas stations and obscure locations that we end up in, as people around you wonder "where is that rider from, and where they are going all geared-up like that?" The time to think, ponder, and pontificate within one's helmet can be found in it's purest form during these solo rides, while almost completely on the flip-side, it often makes for the best opportunities to meet new people, as we don't already have our regular entourage to confine us.

Many of our Self-Guided Customers have chosen this format for the sake of being able to form their own Private Group motorcycle trip affordably. Because Guided Group tours come with an array of fixed or common costs to consider, it's often financially unfeasible for private groups of 2-3 Riders to afford the full services we provide with a Lead Motorcycle Guide and Support Truck with Driver.