Monday, December 31, 2018

ADVROAD Interview

Interview for ADVRoad came out near the end of the year. Interesting and encouraging exercise digging into the memory archives to answer questions. More than ever, motorcycle exploration is both an enjoyable and beneficial thing. As the distinction between the real and the virtual continues to become less certain, accurate viewpoints of the world are easily found with a couple wheels and the will to seek them out.



ADV Road interview cover Jon Beck





"Preparedness is the key for me as a rider. It doesn’t matter if you have the best bike money can buy and all the gear anyone could hope to bring. If one is struggling behind the bars, the experience simply isn’t as enjoyable, safe, or long-lasting in most cases. I’ve ridden with enough pro riders to know what’s possible with these bikes. Knowing there’s more to learn is part of what keeps it fun for me.” Read more about the adventure of Jon Beck from the link in our bio. 📷 @paulguillien . . #advroad #jonbeckadv #trailside #campout #dualsport #motolife #advaddicts #adventurerider #xladv #advlife #advrider #advmoto #dualsport #dualsportlife #WhyWeRide #motolife #mototravel #bigtrail #makelifearide #adventurebike #motoadventure #enduro #motorcycle #bigenduro #offroad #adventure #rtw #bmwR1200GSA #r1200gsa
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Jon’s career in motorcycle journalism has given him the opportunity to meet people on his travels and interacting with cultures he might not otherwise have experienced. The work itself is also challenging and varied. "I suppose I’d have to split this into two parts, journalism and photography. Most of my moto journalism gets done in the context of larger photography projects. Then again while wearing the journalist's hat, documenting my travels becomes a huge perk.” Get the full ‘scoop’ on ADV rider and journalist @jonbeckadv from the link in our bio. 📷 @elywoody . . #advroad #jonbeckadv #trailside #campout #dualsport #motolife #advaddicts #adventurerider #xladv #advlife #advrider #advmoto #dualsport #dualsportlife #WhyWeRide #motolife #mototravel #bigtrail #makelifearide #adventurebike #motoadventure #enduro #motorcycle #bigenduro #offroad #adventure #rtw #ktm1090adventureR
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"I was riding over the high pass between Batopilas and Creel during a record snowfall in Chihuahua, Mexico. The day was intended to be a relatively short one, so I only had a basic backpack hydration system and no luggage. The temperature got down to just above zero as the sun was setting. I was riding on a completely iced over dirt road with snow blanketing everything else. The growing darkness helped the situation by revealing a small campfire in the forest. A trio of Tarahumarans was walking between towns and had elected to spend the night in that spot. I figured if these guys knew how to light a campfire in the snow, they were the ones to ask for some information. Two only spoke Raramuri, but one spoke Spanish. That conversation gave me the information and confidence to ride on, and it all worked out, albeit with a few slams. That ice was thick!". Get the full scoop on motorcycle journalist Jon Beck and his passion for covering adventure from the link in our bio. 📷 @elywoody . . #advroad #jonbeckadv #trailside #campout #dualsport #motolife #advaddicts #adventurerider #xladv #advlife #advrider #advmoto #dualsport #dualsportlife #WhyWeRide #motolife #mototravel #bigtrail #makelifearide #adventurebike #motoadventure #enduro #motorcycle #bigenduro #offroad #adventure #rtw #ktm1090adventureR
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Reposted from @advroad - Jon’s career in motorcycle journalism has given him the opportunity to meet people on his travels and interacting with cultures he might not otherwise have experienced. The work itself is also challenging and varied. "I suppose I’d have to split this into two parts, journalism and photography. Most of my moto journalism gets done in the context of larger photography projects. Then again while wearing the journalist's hat, documenting my travels becomes a huge perk.” Get the full ‘scoop’ on ADV rider and journalist @jonbeckadv from the link in our bio. 📷 @elywoody . . #advroad #jonbeckadv #trailside #campout #dualsport #motolife #advaddicts #adventurerider #xladv #advlife #advrider #advmoto #dualsport #dualsportlife #WhyWeRide #motolife #mototravel #bigtrail #makelifearide #adventurebike #motoadventure #enduro #motorcycle #bigenduro #offroad #adventure #rtw #ktm1090adventureR #bigtrail #bigtrailmagazine
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posted by jonbeck at 11:36 AM

Sunday, December 2, 2018

KTM ULTIMATE RACE, Park City, Utah

KTM's annual rally took place this year in beautiful Park City, Utah. A first for the event, this year featured "The Ultimate Race" - a qualifier for a special 790 class in the upcoming Merzouga Rally in Morocco. I showed up with a KTM 1090 Adventure R and a notebook to get an impression of the event from a rider's perspective. A fun and often challenging course, the event was very well received, and I'd guess the first of more to come.



@upshift_online pics by @cudby

Story appears in the 2019 July/August issue of Roadrunner magazine:



Two key features of the qualifier were a timed special test on a short enduro course, and a timed wheel swap on a KTM 1290 R.

Pic: @colekirkpatrick


A fresh Konflict Motorsports suspension rebuild arrived two days before I had to leave for Utah, so buttoned up the bike and got one quick local shakedown ride in before aiming north.


A Mosko Moto Fatty Tool Roll was strapped to a Black Dog Cycleworks rear rack for the event.


TKC70 tires were definitely not the correct choice for an event like this, so I swapped out for some Goldentyre GT723s on the way to Utah.



Trail Tech's Voyager Pro and Garmin's 276Cx were run in tandem for navigation. An interesting test of two very different GPS units.


A very fun time. Looking forward to more events like this in the future!


posted by jonbeck at 10:32 AM