Cheaper Than Therapy

A great new motorcycle site...

...and not just because it just published my article. Created by a couple (at work and play) of colleagues at BusinessWeek, this new, stylish cycle site is on track to become the go-to portal for everything moto-related. Check out MotoSavvy.com, or click on the image to read my article.

Not just another day at the office

2004 Honda 599

Today I was treated to one of the most satisfying lunches I've had in ages. And I'm not talking about the Chinese chicken salad. No, when you're on a motorcycle, it's all about the journey, not the destination.
These days, I don’t ride nearly often enough. With a full-time job, travel, my husband (who doesn't ride), my son (who's too young), I’ve allowed myself to slip into an unintended motorcycle riding hiatus, brought about by circumstances rather than any sort of overt choice. So I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that for more than 10 years, riding has been a once-in-a-while thing, usually at a work-related press function, or when I’ve been lucky enough to snag a new model from one of the manufacturers for a test ride, which was how today's lunch came about.

It wasn’t always like this. For years – back in the San Francisco days – it was a passionate obsession, and I rode almost daily. (That's me circa 1984 on my Honda VT500 Ascot.) From the flat I shared on the corner of Union and Steiner in Cow Hollow to my job at an art gallery on Sutter Street.

Bikers Without Borders

When I worked in the communications department at Kawasaki, we got letters and requests all the time from people wanting Kawasaki to sponsor their motorcycle ride to Alaska, or their motorcycle ride around the world, or their motorcycle ride to visit every dairy farm in America. We turned down at least half a dozen of these types of requests every month. We did, of course, enter into major promotional or sponsorship agreements that resulted in motorcycles being featured in sweepstakes, in movies, in print ads – even one that ended up with a Ninja ZX-12R being sheathed with 50,000 pieces of Swarovski crystal. Paris Hilton loved it. I’m not kidding – I’ve got the picture to prove it.

But the one sponsorship request that stands out from my tenure with Kawasaki was when I received a letter from two young men who wanted to ride motorcycles (for which they were asking Kawasaki’s assistance in purchasing at a discount) from Washington State through California and Mexico down to South America. Now that alone wasn’t enough; lots of adventurers go to much further lengths and in far riskier locales on motorcycles. No, what set these young men apart was that their purpose was to do volunteer work throughout their journey. They called themselves Bikers Without Borders. They would visit schools, missions, medical clinics, youth clubs – wherever they could make a contribution in the communities they encountered. That was the goal. They would teach English, do construction, dig ditches, whatever was most needed.

Kawasaki approved the sponsorship request, knowing that it wasn’t exactly a blockbuster media opportunity, because they could, and because it was a truly deserving request. I knew that just from talking on the phone with Steve Wallstrom, one of Bikers Without Borders’ founders. So Kawasaki covered the total cost for a pair of KLR650s, the ultimate dual-purpose adventure bike, and provided access to the expertise of my former colleague Mel Moore, who made sure the guys had everything they needed to be well-outfitted for their adventure. We met Steve and Jim in February of 2003 when they came through Irvine en route to Mexico. The sincerity that had come through when I spoke with Steve on the phone was even more apparent in person. These guys were the real thing.

The trip lasted seven months altogether. I kept up with their journey on www.bikerswithoutborders.org and received occasional updates via email. Then today I received a letter and photos from Steve in which he thanked me for making “a wonderful difference” in his life and in the lives of those they visited. For the record, it was Kawasaki that provided the two KLR650s and technical support and it is Kawasaki that deserves the thanks for the sponsorship. All I did was shepherd their proposal through Kawasaki’s admittedly challenging approval process. But, still, it’s a warm feeling to know that in some small way I was able to help someone fulfill his dream, which was to combine a love of motorcycling and travel with a higher calling to make a difference in the lives of others.

And make a difference they did. Not only in South America but also right here at home. And they’re not done yet. There’s another trip planned for this September with 25 other volunteers, this time by air. Steve writes:

Our group consists of contractors, engineers, health care professionals, and college students who will be visiting an orphanage in Huaraz, helping build a church and teaching students English at a language institute in Truhillo.

For more on this remarkable and inspiring adventure, check out their journals and photos at Bikers Without Borders.

Journey to the Dead Zone

This website describes the most unusual motorcycle journey I've ever heard of. The author, Elena, describes it thus:

I travel a lot and one of my favorite destinations leads North from Kiev, towards so called Chernobyl "dead zone", which is 130kms from my home. Why my favorite? Because one can take long rides there on empty roads.