Upshift Issue 82 - June 2023

rIDE into the unknown

Confidently go wherever your inner voice leads you with the new KTM 890 ADVENTURE R.

With a new rally-inspired styling to match its renowned offroad ability, and a class-leading electronics package, it is the ultimate machine for the most extreme adventures.

#DARE2ADV FIND OUT MORE AT KTM.COM/TRAVEL

Lean angle traction control

2 ride modes

21"/18" wheels

Versatility without compromise.

The road quickly disappears behind you as you turn off the asphalt and engage offroad ride mode on the fly. the mighty single powers you smoothly along the trail. With its cutting-edge electronics and nimble chassis, you’re prepared to take on any terrain you choose.

INSTA-ADV

The mission is simple, if you want to share your adventures on “insta-adv” you’d better start following us! @upshift_online and use the hash tag #upshift_online on your photos

INFLUENCER

INFLUENCER OLYMPICS

The Competition: Being a motorcycle enthusiast or even a business in our industry with a social media account can be challenging. Social media has become increasingly complicated, combative, and frankly important when it comes to being known in our world (for better or worse). It can sometimes feel like a real competition trying to gain traction, build a following, and engage with people, all while seemingly fighting with others trying to do the same.

The Prize: Before social media’s inception, all that riders took away from their travels were memories, maybe some photos, and the experience itself, and that was more than a satisfying prize for our efforts. When social media entered the picture, likes and followers became a supplementary perk for those who created interesting content from their adventures and were able to build a following from their storytelling. Now, however, there’s an even more tempting reward that has seemingly altered the entire social media landscape… the view. At the end of the day, there’s no denying that scoring views on social content can translate to significant influence, among other things. It didn’t take long for social media to become a source of fame, clout, and money; unfortunately our sport and industry are not resistant to the trends of the modern age. Not only has the lure of “Insta-famousness” increasingly become the motive of many, but the means in which it is accomplished further distances us from what was once the sole reason we used to go ride. I’m sure you are wondering what these means are, so let me welcome you to The Influencer Olympics!

The Events: Now, the whole of social media can be seen as one large competition, as we’ve outlined, but the Influencer Olympics really pertains to the methods used to crank up the views and pull in the online community. The following categories are just a few trendy ways we’ve seen users compete for views: First we have Gnarliest Crash, because who doesn’t like watching someone eat shit on a motorcycle, right? Next is Most Unbelievable Stunt. How could an 890 doing a back flip not get views? We can’t overlook Moodiest Portrait for those super serious riders gazing into the horizon. And lastly, who could forget about Best Boobs on Bikes, because nothing gets attention like cleavage on a moto.

Closing Ceremonies: Joking aside, it’s unfortunate to see the activity we love get reduced to what often feels like click-bait. It’s easy to point the finger, but as a company who also wants to expand its reach, we also have to consciously stick to what we’re about and not go chasing trends as tempting as it may be sometimes. Ultimately, we want to encourage people to celebrate riding for the sake of the experience alone. All the cool content, followers and views should be secondary to the epic moments that only you can take away from your time on the bike. There’s no amount of fame or influence that can match the enjoyment of a true adventure.

KLIM Unveils Most Battle-Ready Adventure Gear After Groundbreaking Success

The flagship Badlands Pro A3 Jacket and Pant, the world’s first and only CE AAA-rated GORE-TEX® all-weather motorcycle garment, is re-engineered in 2023 with significant updates to overall venting, fit and armor placements for world-class durability and functionality on the most demanding adventures.

First released as a limited-edition product in spring 2021 and now redesigned for 2023, the feature-packed Badlands Pro A3 kit continues to set the standard in adventure protection with revolutionary materials and design.

The coveted CE AAA rating, certified to standard EN 17092-2, has historically only been awarded to leather outerwear such as racing suits and select textile garments, which all come with significant heat, bulk and flexibility compromises by nature. It was an expectation that the materials and construction needed to receive this rating would be excessively bulky and hot, both in textile and leather form – until now.

To question the preconceived notions of AAA-rated gear, KLIM’s fabric sourcing and development team worked on creating a new fabric, in partnership with GORE-TEX and Vectran™. Using the proven redesigned Badlands Pro chassis, with its robust Superfabric ® overlays already capable of exceeding AAA-rating requirements, KLIM integrated this new fabric across the highly ventilated, armored platform.

Now in 2023, the second-gen Badlands Pro A3, no longer a limited edition, is available in multiple colors, new trims and carries major improvements for the ambitious adventure rider. For the Jacket, improvements include comfort and mobility features with new soft leather cuff bindings and massive wrist cuff vents. The added waterproof napoleon-style chest pocket and compartmentalized right hand pocket enhances storage, while built-in chest armor pockets improve protection with optional chest armor available separately.

The custom-engineered Badlands Pro A3 Pant delivers premium durability and functionality that riders have grown to trust, now with added ventilation through new lower leg vents, plus an in-pocket organizer for better organization, lighter fabrics in less abrasive areas and extended size range options for a fine-tuned fit. Additional size variations offer improved fit options with available tall-size jackets.

Wherever you ride, and whatever you ride, KLIM has your entire season of touring, adventure riding and dual-sport adventures covered. Badlands pro A3 jacket MSRP: $1,499.99, Badlands pro A3 pant MSRP: $969.99. For more information, visit www.KLIM.com

The new line of Trekker ALASKA cases has been expanded with the arrival of the 56-litre top case, which can hold two modular helmets, the epitome of design and quality. In natural or black powder coated aluminium, equipped with the classic MONOKEY® Locking System in addition to the innovative WIRELEASE ® system.

ALA36B 36 LTR BLACK PAINTED ALUMINIUM SIDE CASE

ALA44A

TOP CASE MONOKEY 44 LTR, ALSO AVAILABLE IN BLACK

ALA36A 36 LTR NATURAL ALUMINIUM SIDE CASE

ALA56A

TOP CASE MONOKEY 56 LTR, IN NATURAL ALUMINUM. CAN HOLD TWO MODULAR HELMETS

New Dunlop Trailmax Raid Tires

Dunlop’s new Trailmax Raid tires are designed to perform predictably and comfortably both on and off road, all while providing durability for long trips. The tires excel in wet and dry conditions using an all-new compound formula that integrates high surface area silica and new polymer blends for more flexibility at lower temperatures. The front tire features reduced block gaps to ensure grip at sharper lean angles while on the road. The tires offer an all-new tread pattern to reduce rolling noise on pavement while also providing off-road traction. The rear tire uses large center blocks to cope with various terrain, to sustain grip under acceleration, and to provide more grip on corner exit. The Trailmax Raid casing architecture is made up of multiple layers that include a spiral overlay steel cord for added support and durability. Front sizes: 110/80 R 19, 120/70 R 19, and 90/90-2. Rear sizes: 130/80-17, 150/70 R 17, 170/60 R 17, 140/80-17, 140/80-18, 150/70 R 18. Go to www.dunlopmotorcycletires.com for more information.

Chris Birch, “Say No to Slow” ADV Bike Coaching Clinics Return To US

Spots are still open for the Say No To Slow coaching clinics in USA for 2023 in association with Moto Adv Tours. We have several sessions coming up throughout the year in USA. In July we head to Virginia, and in September we will be in Utah. Check out all the dates below. Each adventure clinic is 2 days and is $1250pp. Each enduro clinic is 1 day and is $600pp. Each clinic will have a maximum of 11 riders. Chris will have an assistant coach so that there is plenty of individual attention for each rider.

Course includes coaching, land access, use of Cardo comms set on the course, Say No To Slow adventure or dirt bike online instructional series, lunch, and loads of time to pick Chris’s brain on all the techniques you need to get the most out of your adventure riding. Head to https://saynotoslow.nz/pages/coaching for more information.

RESTORE YOUR FACTORY FINISH

MOTO SHINE MS1

THERE’S A NEW SCENT IN THE AIR

• Perfect, high-gloss shine

• Safe on all surface finishes

• Anti-static, dust repelling sheen

• Easy cleanup, mud releasing, protective film

• Fresh, scented formulation

YOUR FINISH

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CHOOSE TO HAVE IT ALL

Built to excel in the dirt and on the tarmac, the new Tiger 1200 Rally Pro is the all-new globe-busting, desert-crossing, mountain-conquering adventure champion.

Powered by a new 1200 triple engine, the unique T-Plane design blends the low-speed capability of a twin with the top-end performance of a triple, for excellent traction in tough conditions, and supreme performance on the road. Add to that an all-new chassis that’s significantly lighter and more agile, long travel semi-active suspension and feature-packed technology, for unprecedented capability off-road and on.

The all-new Tiger 1200 Rally Pro. It’s time to reset your adventure expectations. From $22,995 MSRP. Find out more at triumphmotorcycles.com

PHOTO: ANATOLY CHERNYAVSKIY

PHOTO: MIGUEL SANTANA

PHOTO: TIM BURKE

PHOTO: THOMAS DE VAULX

PHOTO: TRAVIS GILL

PHOTO: TRAVIS GILL

PHOTO: TIM BURKE

THE WORLD JUST GOTALOT SMALLER WITHTHE POWERFUL PERFORMANCE,ADVANCEDELECTRONICS,ANDANY-ROAD CAPABILITIES OFTHEALL-NEW2023V-STROM 800DE.

Shift your adventure into a higher gear. Developed from a clean sheet of fresh ideas, the new Suzuki V-STROM 800DE features an advanced new parallel-twin 776cc powerplant complemented by dynamic rider aids, long-travel suspension, and spoke-style wheels. So, when you’re idling at the crossroads of on- or off-road adventure, the V-STROM 800DE is there to advance whatever direction you choose.

Available Spring 2023

Along with concerned conservationists everywhere, Suzuki urges you to Tread Lightly!® on public and private land. Suzuki, the “S” logo, and Suzuki model and product names are Suzuki Trademarks or ®. © 2023 Suzuki Motor USA, LLC

PHOTO: OLIVIER DE VAULX

PHOTO: OLIVIER DE VAULX

PHOTO: MIGUEL SANTANA

RIDING THE COLDEST PLACE ON THE PLANET

WORDS & PHOTOS: ANATOLY CHERNYAVSKIY

This is the story of a crazy dream: to ride a motorcycle through the coldest places on the planet, and to meet the rugged people who live in the incredible White Deserts of Yakutia and Chukotka.

In the far northeast of Siberia, there is a vast, largely uninhabited land stretching thousands of kilometers to the Arctic Ocean. A land of cutting winds and seas of ice. In this land, the few human and animal inhabitants endure conditions unimaginable to most of us. For eight months of the year winter and darkness reigns, coating the ground, trees and hills with a thick white coat and turning the lakes and rivers into sheets of ice. Most of this land is accessible in summer only by air or boat, but in the winter, roads of ice and frozen lakes provide a route that can be traversed on solid ground.

Yakutsk is a city in eastern Siberia, located on the banks of the Lena River. It is the largest city in the permafrost zone and has one of the greatest seasonal temperature variations in the world; a range of up to 100° Celsius. In winter it is frequently below minus 60°, in summer it is above plus 40°. This year, Yakutsk has had a particularly cold winter. Frosts have been remaining at minus 50° for several months now, giving no respite to local residents. When you step out of a warm airport into the darkness of the city, the first impression that hits you is your dry, burning breath. It feels like the steam can be taken by the hand, like a piece of ice it is so dense. If you listen, the air crackles when you breathe. These are tiny pieces of ice that bang against one another when the exhaled water vapor instantly freezes in these frigid temperatures. Only occurring where the air temperature is below minus 50°, the ancient people called this effect, “the whisper of the stars.”

How difficult can an hour-long city walk be? That depends if it’s in Yakutsk at minus 55°. A thin suspension of tiny ice crystals is visible as a drifting mist in the air. If you take your hand out of your down mitten to get your camera out of a warm pocket, you can feel your hand stiffening within seconds. The metal body of the camera stings your fingers, freezes the lubricating oil in the lens. In these cold days, nothing can be touched with your hands for risk of cold burns or sticking to objects. But the city never sleeps. Cars drive along the roads trailing plumes of exhaust steam. Their drivers carry large covers and put them on the cars like down jackets when they park. People walk through thick frosty fog or stand waiting for buses. Shops and offices are open and their bright lights shine onto the street. Yakutsk is famous for its Farmers’ Fish Market, where produce from all over the region is sold, frozen in the cold air, and vendors wrapped in their warm clothes call shoppers to try their wares.

I have arranged to have my motorcycle shipped to Yakutsk for the start of my ride. It’s a Honda XR 250 Baja model, a sturdy lightweight machine designed to be equally capable on or off the road. This bike has served me well in the past as a reliable, economical, and easy-to-ride machine. Although lacking the power of a bigger motorcycle, it also lacks the heavier weight, important for when it needs to be picked up after a fall or wrestled through a difficult section of countryside. But for riding in extreme cold weather, some special preparation of machine and rider are necessary. Thin metal shields that deflect cold air from the engine are installed, and the oil is changed to special non-freezing snowmobile oil. Winter tires are fitted with 8mm spikes to bite into the icy surface. Protecting the rider, I wear Russian-made Technoavia outer clothing, as used by workers in the far north, and Canadian Baffin boots. Though heavily insulated, this clothing is not heated. In case of breakdown the clothing will need to protect me without any supply of electrical power. Only the double glass visor of my BRP BV2S snowmobile helmet is heated, since without heating, this would mist up immediately despite the special breathing evacuation system.

Rather than ride from Yakutsk, I have chosen to start my motorcycle journey from further north, so I had to wait for trucks to go north that can take me to the shores of the Arctic Ocean. My driver would be Nikolai, who I met two years ago on another visit to Chukotka. This year Nikolai flew in by plane, bought a Kamaz truck and was preparing it for ferrying back to his home on the Chukotka Peninsula. In summer, the marshy terrain and many deep rivers make the journey impossible, but in winter the Arktika is laid along frozen ground and waterways. Thanks to this winter road, the residents of Chukotka have a road connection with the mainland for several months a year. Nikolai, who is used to the challenges of the winter roads, prefers simple trucks without unnecessary electronics, that can be repaired by the roadside. The snow-white tundra and taiga stretch for hundreds of kilometers. You could wait for days or even weeks for outside help, so on winter roads you must be able to rely on yourself. To work in the Arctic Circle, the vehicle must be well prepared: large fuel tanks, special tires suited to snow chains, insulated cab, and additional heaters. Nikolai agreed to take me and the motorcycle with him on his journey north. After loading his cargo in the back of the lorry, the motorcycle was strapped securely in behind. Finally, we bought food for the journey and hit the road.

The Arktika winter road begins from the famous Route P504 Kolyma Highway, about 1,000km northwards from its origin in Yakutsk. The Kolyma Highway is one of the key transport links in the East and, until recently, was itself a winter road, nearly impassable in summer. Since a program of reconstruction finished in 2008, it has been officially open for year-round use, connecting the coastal city of Magadan with the rest of Russia. The origins of this road, like those of Magadan itself, go back almost 100 years when the region was an involuntary home for hundreds of thousands of Gulag prisoners, forced to mine the rich mineral deposits of the region and construct its roads and settlements. The high mortality rate gave the route its infamous nickname, The Road of Bones.

Along our route we crossed the Verkhoyansk ridge and the Oymyakon lowland beyond it, the coldest inhabited places on the planet, where temperatures have been recorded below minus 70°. Still air lies in this area, prevented from moving by the surrounding hills and results in the intense low-lying cold. Climbing the Verkhoyansk ridge, the air temperature rises. Making the most of this, we decided to spend the night at the very top of the pass. Silvery forests shine against the dull grey sky. Crystals of ice, formed from moist air, flourish on tree branches like surreal blooms.

Every spring, thousands of kilometers of highways disappear without a trace in Russia. But these are winter roads, and as soon as the next frosts come, they appear again. They are a unique feature of life in the isolated settlements of the North. In total, up to 30,000 kms of winter roads are opened annually in Russia. For comparison, the entire network of federal paved highways in the country is 50,000 km. In the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) alone, 18 out of 34 districts are connected with the mainland only by winter roads. Every year about 10,000 kms of seasonal roads are laid in the Republic.

Life on the road took place inside the cramped Kamaz cabin, jammed with food and essentials. Here we cooked, slept and worked. Engines were not turned off throughout the twoweek journey to Chukotka. The average speed during the day was a meager 10 km/h. Winter road drivers are hard men, able to deny sleep and withstand great physical effort, driving for up to 16 hours to cover the planned daytime distance. They are totally committed to their task: delivering vital supplies to the villages of the North, with intimate knowledge of the roads and their vehicles. You won’t find many novice drivers on this road. Either the driver himself lives in the Arctic region, or already has experience working on seasonal roads. Newcomers must take a season to learn the roads, traveling in convoy with the experienced drivers.

From a warm cab with an experienced driver at the wheel, the frozen road didn’t look dangerous, but that was an illusion which quickly disappeared as soon as a truck breaks down. The combination of old trucks, parts not designed for harsh conditions, rough roads, and extreme low temperatures bring problems for even the most skilled driver. Metal becomes brittle. Bumps, ditches, ruts and descents into river beds threaten to break the vehicle in half. Sooner or later, something has to give.

We met a convoy of trucks traveling to Chukotka from Magadan. One of them, climbing up from the river, broke an axle. They had been stranded waiting for spare parts for several days and seemed likely to be there for some days yet. The driver told us that parts from the distributor were sent by air to the nearest airfield in Srednekolymsk, from which they would be transported to the winter road with passing vehicles.

It was a birthday for one of the stranded drivers. They had sufficient food and warmth in the cab, but a chilled bottle of vodka was a special gift from us. Most of the small villages of Yakutia live under dry laws, where alcohol is not legally sold due to the weakness of the inhabitants for alcohol. That doesn’t mean it’s not sold at all, of course, and the carelessness of drunk Russian drivers is legendary. In the evening, we met a gasoline truck driver whose companion, drunk, started his UAZ and drove off in completely the wrong direction, forgetting which way he was going.

After 13 days in the truck, we finally crossed the Arctic Circle and reached the Chukchi city of Pevek, on the shores of the Arctic Ocean. On the long journey I had time to think, talk with Nikolai, and explore some of the challenges I would face on the motorcycle, not just on a one-hour trip but for days on end. I have modified the machine for winter riding, but there are some things you can’t modify. If I need to spend the night in a tent, I must not turn off the motorcycle engine. For round-the-clock operation, a motorcycle will need about 50 liters of gasoline per day. This is difficult enough to carry as a daily supply, but carrying 100 litres for two days would be quite impossible. So I planned to move from village to village, ask the locals for help to keep the motorcycle warm, and buy some gas from the snowmobile owners. But first, I needed to find a place to stay in Pevek and put the motorcycle somewhere warm to defrost.

:::: THE WHITE DESERT ::::

On the very edge of the continent, off the shores of the cold seas, lies the Chukchi Peninsula, a desolate land like no other. I fell in love with Chukotka when I traveled here in the summer, two years ago. Nowhere else on earth has the same feeling of primal wildness and openness as this distant peninsula between two oceans. The humans, animals and vegetation in the region have adapted uniquely to live in this harsh climate, with its vast open spaces. Chukotka is one of the largest regions in Russia, larger than any country in Europe, and yet with a population of only about 50,000. It has the lowest population density of any other region in the country, and one of the lowest in the world.

The town of Pevek is located in the Chaunskaya Bay area, on the shores of the East Siberian Sea. A hundred years ago, the area was uninhabited, visited only in summer by migrating reindeer herders with their animals. Now the northernmost city of Russia is located here. The name Pevek comes from the name of the Peekiney Hill, overlooking the polar city. According to legend, in ancient times, at the foot of the mountain, a great battle took place between the Chukchi and the Yukaghirs. Because bodies cannot easily be buried in the permafrost, and lacking trees for wood to burn them, it was customary not to bury the dead, leaving the bodies out in the tundra to decompose or be scavenged by animals. But after this battle, the number of dead meant that a terrible smell arose, leading to the name Peekiney, which in Chukchi means “a rotten place.”

Today, Pevek is a lively working town. The indigenous population remains, working their herds as their ancestors did, and new workers come to take up jobs in the extraction of minerals, of which is the town’s main source of income. Products from the mines leave the town by sea, as they have for decades. The town is the northernmost arctic port of the country, as Chaunskaya Bay is deep and well suited to large vessels. To provide the 4,000 residents of the city with heat and electricity, a floating nuclear power plant was installed in the bay.

Standing at Cape Valkumey, overlooking the solid white frozen sea, you can see in the distance a few small coastal islands. At this height, you feel the breath of the north at its fiercest. Yet even here, the activity of mankind can be seen. Trucks moving as tiny black dots along an icy road over one of the coldest seas on the planet. The 100 kms of winter road over the arctic sea connects the town of Pevek with the island of Ayon, where reindeer herders live in a small village. Despite the cold, it is only towards the end of winter that the salty sea water freezes thick enough to support the weight of the trucks. The period of operation of the ice road is just two months, during March and April, and in this time all the necessary supplies of fuel, construction materials, food and other goods necessary for the survival of the inhabitants must be delivered to the island.

Despite its importance, the locals dislike traveling on the ice road. Ice cracks and frequent blizzards make it very dangerous. Due to the uncertain strength of the ice, weight restrictions are necessary so the traffic only flows in one direction at any given time. Trucks traveling to the island are allowed to leave and depart only at certain times to avoid a double load on the ice with twoway traffic.

I could not drive the ice road yet, however. The previous evening, Pevek was visited by Yuzhak, the famous local wind, bringing a blizzard and leveling the road and snow covered surface of the sea. Coming from the south and falling from Mount Peekiney, the wind accelerates to hurricane speeds, blowing from 60-70 km/h on the plain to as much as 120 km/h in the city.

Yuzhak howled all night and in the morning had gotten worse. On days like that, life in the city stops. After renting an apartment, I had to go outside to buy groceries. Opening the entrance door, I ran into a snowdrift that had formed overnight. Clouds of snow were rushing through the streets. The air was filled with millions of dry particles lifted from the ground that flew into my face and stung like needles. Turning the corner of the house, the wind hit me head on, knocking me backwards off my feet and dragging me down the street. I held on to the fence and hoped for the wind to gust lower, but Yuzhak had strong lungs.

The streets were swirling with snow, all around in a whitish fog. Snow streams flowed down the slope from Peekiney Hill. There was no one on the streets, and even the hungriest dogs refused to venture out. Rare cars drove through empty roads, garbage cans were turned upside down by the wind, swings rattled in playgrounds, adding their music to the symphony of gusts. Returning home with a bag of groceries, I found out that there was no water in the tap because the pipes in the basement were frozen. By evening, the electricity had gone out in the whole city. Yuzhak had been blowing for 24 hours, without interruption and without weakening for a minute.

After several days of bad weather, I stared in amazement at the snowdrifts connecting the houses flush with their roofs. With the merciless wind finally abated, I walked to the seashore. Before me stretched the flat snowy surface of an endless white desert.

The ice road to the island of Ayon no longer existed, completely covered with snow. The road builders would have to start their construction task afresh. After bad weather, good weather should last for a while, but there was no certainty. If the weather deteriorates while riding a motorcycle, there is only one salvation – to build a shelter in the snow. Setting up a tent in such a wind would be impossible, so you must pay close attention to weather forecasts and buy a shovel.

Every day I went to the seashore in anticipation of seeing the new road. But time rolls more slowly in the north. Locals say that time does not exist in the tundra. It was a full week before I saw a vehicle leaving the cleared ice road onto land. According to forecasts, frost is due in the coming days. This was my chance. Low temperatures are usually associated with calm and sunny weather, while warming is often associated with a blizzard.

In the North, there is a rule for hiking in the tundra – go for a day, prepare for three. I packed the motorcycle, taking with me a shovel donated by my friends, a thermos with hot tea and a tent with a sleeping bag. I had enough warm clothes and food to survive for several days even in very cold weather. I put all batteries for electronics in warm pockets under my jacket. In my luggage I carried equipment for starting the engine in the cold: gas cylinders with a burner, an ether cylinder to encourage cold starts, and frost-resistant jumper wires in case I needed to start the motorcycle from the trucks. Leaving the town, the journey that had been paused for so long had at last started, and I once again felt “on the road,” that sense of freedom only long-distance travelers understand.

At 30-below, with the bright March sun shining, I descended onto the ice, passing the strait between Pevek and the Big Routan Island, the low flat plain of sea covered with a shiny layer of snow. I rode at a cautious speed of 50 km/h, unwilling to invite further wind chill and unsure of the ice conditions. A compacted layer of several centimeters of snow was left to promote traction between the wheels and the road, yet still visible were a network of small cracks in the sea ice. Where large faults form, cracks converge and diverge, squeezing water to the surface. Huge piles of ice are formed, glowing blue-green in the sun.

The cracks stretch out to the endless horizon, and it is impossible to go around them. To allow the passage of trucks across the cracks, road workers have to make bridges across them. This year there were two large cracks on the road, each more than a meter wide. Bridges were quickly assembled from thick logs tied together with steel ropes. One side of the bridge was anchored to the ice with snow and frozen in place with sprayed water. The other side remained unsecured to allow it to slide on the ice as the crack expands and contracts.

Having crossed the second crack, I tried to make out the island of Ayon in the distance, but I could still only see the frozen surface of the ocean, a thick layer of white snow, hardened by continuous storms to the density of a stone. The cold was biting and I stopped to warm up. In extreme cold, the hands and feet start to be disconnected from the warm blood supply. Heat is directed to vital internal organs, bypassing the limbs. Fearing freezing my fingers, I hugged the hot engine until feeling returns.

After the second bridge, the cleared road ended, deteriorated into rutted tracks churned up by the trucks. My speed dropped, struggling to drive in a narrow deep rut. Paddling with my legs, I tried and kept moving forward, but the rear wheel spun and the front wheel got stuck in a rut, throwing me to one side and off the machine. I fell into a snowdrift and the motorcycle stalled. I pressed the starter button, but the dull sound said that the battery is frozen. The motorcycle would not start. Attempts to push start in a snowy rut proved futile, with the motor rapidly cooling, soon to freeze completely. I was alone, and in the matter of a few seconds the adventure has become a crisis.

Condensing breath in the balaclava quickly turned into a lump of ice, freezing to my nose and mouth, but in this increasing cold it would have been suicide to take off my helmet to remove it. Icicles grew round my eyes, crystals of ice on my eyelashes. The ice crusts blurred my vision, so I had to clear them from time to time, rubbing the frosty lashes with a mitten. I put up my tent as a precaution, waiting for the passing trucks. But even if I was able to start the engine from the trucks, to continue the journey to the island with a frozen battery would have been impossible. I had to return to the city. So much effort went into preparation, and at that moment dreams of crossing Chukotka were crumbling. At the first real setback it seemed like my odyssey was over, digging a tent site into a roadside snow pile. At least while digging I was not cold.

As the sun set in a yellow blaze on the horizon it was getting really cold. Then the faintest rumble broke the silence. Trucks! First, clouds of steam were visible rising from the exhaust pipes. Then the dark boxes of the vehicles themselves appeared, standing out stark against the background of white snow. This convoy of trucks was returning to Pevek after unloading their cargo of coal on the island. The drivers were astonished to see the crazy guy on a motorcycle who seemed to want to sleep in a tent on the ice on the East Siberian Sea. To be fair, they had a point.

I took out the towing strap for the motorcycle, attaching one end to a hook on the back of the truck, the other to the footrest of the bike. But the motorcycle was reluctant to move, the grease in the wheel bearings was frozen and as soon as the truck started to move, the strap broke. My last option was to try and start my engine from the truck’s battery, but despite the starter spinning the engine with a clatter of frozen metal, the engine wouldn’t start. Without a hot engine underneath it, the gasoline in the tank was too cold to vaporize. For this I had a can of ether, cold starting spray. I tried to spray it on the air filter, but the can was frozen, and instead of a spray, I got only a dribble of liquid. And yet, thanks to that, the motorcycle coughed its way into life and, after a few minutes, began to breathe properly. While the engine was warming up, I packed up the tent.

Gathering my things in a hurry, I sweated a lot and then was freezing from the added moisture. I started driving ahead of the trucks for safety reasons, in case I had to stop again, but I couldn’t stop because it would have made the drivers wait for me again. Kilometers were counting very slowly, and once again my fingers started to lose feeling from the cold. I drove up to the bridge through the last crack. The entrance to the wooden logs was broken by large truck wheels. The motorcycle stalled and once again we had to reconnect to the Ural truck battery.

The last 10 kilometers were the longest ones that I have ever had to travel on a motorcycle. Time felt like it was frozen, every second like an hour. My motorcycle headlight did little to illuminate the snow ahead but then the moon lit up the path and ignited a million stars in the clear sky. In the near distance, lights from the city appeared. Leaving the sea ice onto the land, it felt like I was nearly home. I needed to return to the garage, but I first needed to phone the guys to open up. The phone battery was enough for one call in the cold before it died, typing with frozen fingers. Nikolai came and opened a warm garage; the most welcoming sight I think I have ever seen.

Sometimes, the simplest moments bring the greatest joy. Meeting friends, even if you saw them just a few days ago… a rented apartment with a hot bath, albeit with dirty water… a warm place to sleep, albeit in a random place! I considered whether this really did mark the end of my arctic adventure, but it seems adventurers have a short memory of hardship. By the next day, I decided to continue.

My friends had an old Jawa motorcycle but its battery was healthy and they agreed I could take it. I wrapped it in a double layer of felt for insulation and again headed down to the ice of the East Siberian Sea for another attempt to get to Ayon Island. The weather was sunny, yet even colder than on my first outing. This time I decided to go non-stop in order to cross the sea ice road as quickly as possible. During the two days of my absence, many new cracks had appeared on the surface of the ice, cutting across the road.

As snow flew onto the hot engine it melted and froze again into icicles. I didn’t want to stop but I had to hack off the ice formation, otherwise it would form a solid lump, obstructing the foot controls. Outside the ice fields, the coastal road and small coastal islands were dotted with old navigational beacons, their forms as lifeless as the white face of the ocean. Riding across these islands, I had to go very slowly. Frozen shock absorbers could not cope with the numerous tundra bumps.

Finally, a whitish haze could be seen – the exhaust from the boiler room of the island of Ayon, a large plain of tundra which stretches for 60 km. At the far end of the island there was a small Chukchi settlement, whose inhabitants are engaged in reindeer husbandry and sea fishing.

The name of the island derives from the Chukchi word for “revive,” as the island has long served as a feeding and resting place for reindeer during the summer. Reindeer are brought here to drink salt water and eat young lichen as a way to restore their body’s supply of minerals. In summer the temperatures are comfortable, and the sea wind drives away the ever-present Siberian mosquitoes. The reindeer graze, rest and build up their fat reserves and strength in preparation for the long winter. Only with this preparation can they hope to survive the winter, when strong winds pack down the snow so hard that animals cannot break it to find their food. In winter, the deer are taken to the mountains, sheltered from the winds. And in the summer, they will again go out to rest by the sea.

The locals greeted this unusual traveler with great hospitality, and they invited me to eat with them and sample their traditional dishes – fish stroganina, jerky, soup and pancakes with venison. We put the motorcycle in a warm garage of public utilities, while I was offered an empty apartment in one of the blocks. As the long arctic night settled into its frosty haze, I was happy.

In March, all employees of the agricultural enterprise leave the village for the tundra to help reindeer herders in the spring corralling. In a huge collective effort, all the animals are collected in a corral and a number of essential veterinary treatments are carried out, along with counting the number of livestock. After corralling and treating one herd, veterinarians move to the next one until they have visited all the camps, a process that can take a whole month. The caravan of people and their cargo move on old tracked all-terrain vehicles, the most reliable transport system in the world of the herders. Only these versatile vehicles are able to transport people and their cargo where there are no roads – in the snow in winter and on the swampy tundra in summer.

The life of a reindeer herder is a hard one, and young people are reluctant to continue the work of their parents, feeling the attraction of an easier life in the cities. But life with the deer means life in the wild, the animals walk where they want. Despite the fact that now the Chukchi have snowmobiles and modern electronic devices, there is no way to make life in the wild comfortable. Reindeer herders in the tundra live in chums as they did a thousand years ago. The Chukchi are forced to move constantly across the tundra following after reindeer, traversing great distances in the snow. Their diet, as you can imagine, consists mainly of reindeer meat.

Following the reindeer tracks, I climbed the hill. Around me giant sentinel mountains jostled shoulder to shoulder to fill the space in all directions. Snow-covered ridges jutted into the sky, blurring the boundaries between heaven and earth. Domesticated deer are accustomed to people and allowed me to come within a few meters, but some were more wary. One of the leaders of the herd regarded me suspiciously, staring me in the eye and shaking its huge antlers to warn me of its superiority. I got the message.

I spent several hours watching the animals. Most of the time, they were content digging moss out from under the snow, resting or sorting out the social order in the herd. Wolves are not the only animals to pose problems to reindeer herders, but also wild reindeer. In Chukotka there are still many wild reindeer, and they are very different than their domestic cousins. Wild reindeer are larger and will never submit to humans as domestic reindeer will, who are used to human contact. The presence of the wild deer can lead to losses among the domesticated herd. If wild deer happen to pass nearby, the domestic deer’s herd instinct kicks in and they wander away to join the wild animals. If the shepherd doesn’t see this and his herd has left with the wild animals, it’s almost impossible to get them back. Animals swiftly move along the migration route of wild animals. It is only possible to find domestic reindeer by satellite trackers put on a few of the most active reindeer in the herd.

A corral was being assembled into which all the deer would be taken to separate the males from the females. Females would soon give birth to calves, after which they will graze separately from the males, protecting the offspring. And only six months later, when the mating season begins, the herd will reunite to spend the winter together. This mirrors the natural rhythm of life of wild reindeer, in which the mixing of the herd occurs only during the mating period. Outside that time, males roam separately from females with their young. The foreman of the herd, Aleksey, set out on his snowmobile towards the reindeer grazing on their own behind the hill, his devoted herding dog running behind, joyfully bounced through the snow in his wheel-tracks. An hour later, a strip of thousands of animals appeared on the hill, gradually filling the slope.

The corrals are made from tarpaulin tied to pre-prepared wooden stakes, with ropes stretched around the perimeter. Next to the large main corral, a second smaller one is made, and all the males will be separated into it. The reindeer are directed into a narrow sorting corridor. They trot one after another, hooves beating on wooden boards. The senior reindeer breeder only has a few seconds to identify each reindeer as it passes. Females are allowed to pass, while the males are diverted into a separate corral, where all males are collected. Veterinarians vaccinate, take blood for tests and castrate most of the males. To maintain the quality of the herd, only the strongest and largest bulls are left to fertilize the females. Herders wrestle the males to the ground, risking injury themselves. Once grounded, the animals calm down and the operations are carried out in scant seconds. Steam rose from the heated bodies of people and deer as I watched this process take place.

After several hours of hard work, the corralling was complete, and the herd was divided into males and females. The females were immediately taken to a distance of several tens of kilometers, where they will give birth to their calves separately from the males. Snow started to fall, lightly at first but became harder, and then everything around was covered with fog. Despite the poor visibility, we decided to drive into the night. The sooner we could get out, the better chance we would have of finding our old tracks and following them before the snow could cover them, bypassing dangerous ice. We disassembled the corral and loaded the equipment into the all-terrain vehicles. Valya and Zoya waved us off, wrapped in traditional fur overalls – kerkers. The child’s sleeves are fully protected so that no snow could get inside. She looked like a little bear cub.

The tourist went away from his home, always looking forward to when he will return there; the traveler makes his home wherever he is. He accepts and understands the customs of the people in the places he visits, never criticizing or condemning. In faraway lands it is not easy to do this, as the harsh life of reindeer breeders is so different from any other. For me, a few days spent with them in the mountains allowed me to touch the unique traditions and life of the indigenous people of the distant Chukchi land. For them, it was just another day and after a short rest in the village, the reindeer herders and the convoy of helpers will again go to the tundra to continue their corralling.

Every day the sun lingered in the sky a few minutes longer as the polar nights turn toward the polar day. In summer, the never-setting sun can take the surface chill off the permafrost, but today the weak sun is still unable to melt the snow. During the day, the temperature settles at minus 25-30 degrees. It’s time for me to set out on my own, and after refueling my motorcycle from the reindeer breeders’ snowmobile, I go out onto the ice track, continue my journey in hopes of taking another unusual road that runs along the frozen Kolyma River in Yakutia.

The Republic of Yakutia is one of the largest, most isolated and inaccessible regions in the world. The main part of the vast territory does not have a year-round road connection with the capital in Yakutsk. Here, like nowhere else, people must rely on the winter roads, and about half of all roads in Yakutia are seasonal. I was heading for Yakutsk by motorcycle, and for this I needed to pass the longest winter road in the republic, some 1,500 kms. The Arktika road is a lifeline for remote areas of the region with villages along the Kolyma River.

Starting in the village of Chersky near the shores of the Arctic Ocean, the road leaves the Arctic Circle, crossing mountainous country and ending on the famous Kolyma highway near the village of Ust-Nera. The weather forecast was giving me a short window with no blizzards. To take advantage of this, I would have to drive 420 kms in one day to the village of Andryushkino, passing the windiest section of the road, where drifts will form when snow comes. Traveling so many kilometers in one day is a challenge not to be taken carelessly in these conditions. With an average speed of 30 km/h, it would take at least 15 hours to cover the full distance. Careful preparation could be the difference between life and death. The motorcycle must run all day without stopping, so additional fuel will be needed. In addition to the stock that I carry with me, I hoped to get gasoline on the way to the village of Kolymskoye. Before leaving, I cleaned the gas tank, knocking on its metal walls to remove pieces of ice from frozen condensation. Only a complete change of fuel helps to get rid of water for a while. The motorcycle was ready, and having purchased food, I left on the ice of the winter road.

To the end of the Arktika winter road was 845 kms. The further south you go, the more trees can be seen and forest-tundra is replaced by taiga. Between Srednekolymsk and Verkhnekolymsk, the winter road rolls over bumps among endless stretches of larch, wild taiga with no end and edge. Crossing the border of the polar circle, suddenly the wind started. Snow flurries crawled along the road like snakes. Despite the bright sun, everything around was shrouded in snow driven by the currents of air at ground level, and I was chilled by the wind.

From the road, the landscapes did not look so impressive. The sparse vegetation of the forest-tundra and the absence of mountains made this area not only visually boring, but also dangerous. Winds blow here more often than in other places on the Arctic winter road. Snowstorms seal the roads. Drivers stranded in the snow have to wait for several days until road workers with tractors make their way to them. Everywhere I looked were ruts clogged with snow, evidence of the struggles of recent weeks. The sun set quickly, almost abruptly, as the heavy hand of cold fell on the earth. In the brief lilac sunset, smoke could be seen rising over the village of Andryushkino. The village stands on the banks of the winding Alazeya River and is a difficult place to live, not only in winter. In summer, the territory around is flooded with water and the village becomes an island, separated from civilization by swamps and lakes. More than 20,000 lakes are located in the Alazeya basin alone. In winter, merciless blizzards rage, forcing people to sit at home for weeks. Yet still, people do not want to leave the village, the home of their ancestors.

There were almost no roads through the village. Most of the directions were just snowmobile tracks. As my wheels fell into the snow, I struggled to make my way to the boiler house building, focusing on the smoke from the chimney. It got dark. It was April 8th, my birthday, and the furthest from home I had ever been on this day. People here make a living from searching for mammoth tusks preserved in the permafrost as well as by the more usual reindeer herding and fishing. It was difficult to imagine more difficult living conditions. But as in other places where life is harsh, local residents are quick to show kindness and give assistance to travelers. Not because the people here are special, but rather they understand that mutual assistance is necessary for life. The motorcycle found a place for the night in a warm boiler room, the source of heating for the village, while I settled down in a small school. In places like this, the greatest pleasure comes from the smallest things, and you really appreciate the simplest shelter for protection from the harsh natural world outside.

The Sasyr settlement is located on the banks of the Moma River. Approaching the river, I was confronted by an alarming sight. From one bank to the other, the river was not solid ice, but rather a network of cracks, in Yakut, “taryn”, where surface water has been forced up by the weight of ice above it. The main, mostly solid, route across the frozen river was blocked by a truck that had broken through the surface ice. The driver was waiting for a tow truck from the village to recover the vehicle. Smaller cars made their way around the stranded giant, where the ice was intact. This was my chance too, but I had to be quick. A heavy Kamaz truck was making its way through the forest to the crossing zone. If it arrived before me, it could break the ice there too.

How quickly spring comes in the north! The thermometer still showed 30 degrees of frost at night, but during the day the ice was melting, snow was settling, and stones out of the shadows were exposed on the slopes. Having left the winter road to the Kolyma Highway, after 90 km I was very tired, but content, entering the village of Ust-Nera. After winter roads, the packed dirt road of the Kolyma Highway felt like a majestic boulevard, and the shabby Kolyma villages great bustling towns. Ust-Nera is an urban-type settlement located at the confluence of the Nera and Indigirka rivers, the capital of the Oymyakonsky district. Like most settlements along the route, the construction of Ust-Nera in the middle of the last century is associated with Gulag labor and mining for metal deposits. Even today, with the camps long gone, the locals still mostly work in gold mining.

Beyond the Verkhoyansk ridge the road took me down to the valley of the Aldan River. At the end of the day, I entered the village of Khandyga, where I spent the night with the firemen again. There was no dirt or dust on the winter roads that ran along the rivers and frozen tundra. The motorcycle was perfectly clean, but on hitting the gravel Kolyma track, the motorcycle and my clothes were smothered with a thick layer of dirty ice and dust. I went to a cafe, the ice on my clothes and shoes started to melt in muddy puddles, and I had to eat outside. Bright green fluffy pines started to appear along the road. Returning to Yakutsk from more northern latitudes felt nearly tropical. A last reminder of the white desert was the ice crossing over the great Siberian River Lena, on the banks of which the city of Yakutsk is located - the capital of the huge region of East Asia.

A pair of R4, for the win. A billet aluminum body means more lumens in a smaller package.

BACK IN THE SADDLe WITH TIM BURKE

Patagonia, South America – a region that straddles the border of the southern portions of Chile and Argentina. By now, you all know it. Likely, because it’s been plastered over social media, photographed, and written about in a variety of magazines, no less than a billion times!

For Natalia and I, who met in South Africa in 2019, on our own separate motorcycle journeys, this trip wasn’t about pushing the boundaries of civilization and having a hardcore adventure as much as it was about a mental-return to our “glory days” of carefree moto travel, somewhere… anywhere, far away from home.

Do you remember, in middle and high school, when health and science teachers were educating us against the dangers of drugs and the symptoms of addiction? I remember hearing the phrase “chasing your first high.” It was a notion that once you experience something – something that pushes mental and emotional boundaries – usually in a euphoric manner, you’ll forever crave and chase after that same feeling. Perhaps I’m crazy for comparing motorcycle-travel to drug use, but on a smaller and less intense scale, that’s what years of travel-induced stimulation does to a person. The desire to chase motorcycle-induced endorphins doesn’t ever go away. For us, this short journey was about “getting our fix” again.

For those of us in North America, getting down to the other “America” is pretty darn simple. The best part is, as is the case with all north-south travel, jet lag isn’t much of a factor. You can usually get to any major city in South America with just one or two stops and change your watch by no more than a couple hours if any.

The other great thing: It’s safe and it’s easy. While we’ve all seen a few of those click-baity, sensationalized, and cringy captions on social media that attempt to suggest that travel through this region is the equivalent to a journey across Mars – a hardcore adventure through rugged wilderness that isn’t for the faint of heart – It is just not true. And that’s the beauty of it: Patagonia’s roads are relatively well maintained, its cities and villages have good food and good lodging, and crime is extremely low. The stunning beauty is just an added bonus!

One common question that pops into my inbox frequently is, “Do I rent or do I ship?” For us normal folk, without 7-figures in our bank account to ship motorcycles around the globe, the answer is straightforward. It’s a function of how long you plan to travel versus how much daily rental is. From there, you find the point where the numbers break even. Listen, renting motorcycles usually isn’t cheap – anywhere – but, neither is shipping a motorcycle. If the journey is less than a month long, the break-even point of renting vs shipping almost always favors renting.

Let’s demonstrate with some math. Way back in 2017, when my homeless, aimless, vagrant moto-bum lifestyle first began, I shipped my motorcycle from Vancouver, Canada to London, UK (for six months) for about $3200 round trip. Let’s assume a motorcycle rental in Europe was about $180/day, my break even point to get ROI on my $3200 shipping cost was 16 or 17 days. Since it was a 6-month trip, shipping my own machine was a no brainer, right?

Now, fast forward 6 years and a global pandemic later, international shipping prices have become absolutely asinine. Although it’s been awhile since I’ve done serious research on shipping quotes, based on what I’ve been seeing in motorcycle forums lately, people are getting 5, 6, even $7,000 quotes for overseas/international shipping. The break-even point of renting vs shipping has been pushed out even further, favoring the rental industry even more for short-duration motorcycle trips.

Now that you’ve had your arithmetic lesson for the day, you have probably figured out what our decision ended up being for our trip. With an 8-day duration, our travels made renting the obvious quick-easy-solution to getting ourselves in the saddle of a dual-purpose bike.

After some quick Google research, and the fact that I had been friends with Daniel Palazzolo on social media for a few years, I was led to MotoPatagonia in Puerto Montt, Chile. Puerto Montt lies right at the northern border to what most consider the Patagonia region. I got in touch with Daniel and hammered down some dates. We reserved two bikes in his fleet of modern machines. Options vary from about $150-190/day, depending on your taste, and the fleet is always getting upgrades. As of now, you can choose from KLR650s, V-Strom 650s, Tenere 700s, and KTM 790s.

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Once we arrived, we wasted no time getting our journey started. I don’t know about you, but making the transition from getting off an airplane with a travel suitcase - stuffed full of riding gear and supplies - to being road-worthy on a motorcycle is always a circus production full of swear words and randomized shouting at inanimate objects. Daniel and his wife Paula quietly ignored my disorganization, almost as if they were used to it, while they worked in the background getting all the paperwork ready to make border crossings between Chile and Argentina easy. After about an hour, we had the bikes set up to our liking and were southbound past Volcan Osorno towards the famous Carretera Austral.

With ferries to catch and narrow weather windows to take advantage of, timing can be everything in Patagonia and short sections of travel can seem rushed simply out of necessity. Sometimes though, when the rare opportunity presents itself, time doesn’t matter, and you have to pull over to catch up with longtime friends on the side of the road. In a small coastal village called Cochamó, we crossed paths with legends, with what I believe is superhero status within the ADV travel community, Michnus and Elsebie from @pikipiki_overland. These two left their home country of South Africa, over 13 years ago, and have been traveling the world via motorcycle ever since, without any of the sensationalized, influencer bullshit that’s gotten in the way of organic adventure. Michnus and Elsebie are some of the OGs of the ADV scene and their authenticity was just what we needed to kick off our journey.

After saying goodbye to our longtime friends, Hornopirén, Chile was next on our agenda where we’d catch a 3.5 hour ferry south through glacial fjords. Two synchronized ferry rides eventually dropped us into misty roads through the Valdivian rainforest. The amount of moisture this area sees is impressive and there are epic roadside waterfalls around every bend to prove it. The biggest leaves you’ll ever see line the gravel road to Chaitén, located on the north end of the Carretera Austral and is a pretty common overnight stop for most north/south travelers through Patagonia. This was my second time staying in this cool little coastal town that has a massive volcano looming over the top of it! The same volcano that washed the entire town into the sea in 2008 by blowing its top and causing lahar flows and floods down the mountain. The town, as it sits now, is rebuilt and relocated from its original spot.

With just a few exceptions, the sheer remoteness, terrain, and protected wilderness make your options for off-the-beatenpath travel in this area pretty limited to just north-south travel along the Austral. That’s something you won’t find anybody complaining about though. The journey south gets more epic as you pass underneath glacial capped peaks, massive lakes, and raging rivers.

As you approach the waters of Lago Yelcho, it appears deep blue. As the sun changes angles throughout the day, however, the glacial lake waters can become turquoise and emerald colored. We’d eventually descend on our rental bikes, into the town of Villa Santa Lucia which, in 2018, was almost completely destroyed by a mudslide just weeks before I had passed through. Revisiting years later introduced an incredible feeling to see this town rebuilt and recovered.

From Villa Santa Lucia, the trek turned inland and eastward, down around the southern shore of Lago Yelcho and towards one of the fly fishing and white water rafting capitals of the entire world, Futaleufú, Chile. Futa, as most locals call it, is an incredible village smack dab in the middle of the Patagonian Andes. Raging rivers and lush green pastures surround the area. One night turned into two here just because we couldn’t drag ourselves away. To be honest, I might still be there if I didn’t have to get Daniel and Paula their motorcycles back! It’s a perfect spot for a one-day motorcycle loop, out into Corcovado, Argentina, Carrenleafu, and Palena too.

Futa represented the southern “turn back” point for our journey and eventually we had to head north. We crossed into Argentina and took one of the most scenic roads that Argentina has to offer through Parque Nacional Los Alerces. It’s a perfect mix of gravel, dirt, dust, and pavement with massive mountain views around each twist. You get spit out in Cholila, Argentina where, if you’re a old-western cops and robbers history buff, you’ll want to pin this town on your maps. It was here that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid made a “home” after escaping the USA as fugitives of justice. Their old ranch home is in good condition and easily accessible off the side of the road. The journey north takes you through Argentina’s drier side of Patagonia to El Bolson and Bariloche. I can only best describe Bariloche as South America’s Aspen, Colorado. It’s a ritzy town that’s a ski resort by winter and lake oasis by summer. German architecture dominates the city and you’ll want to do a quick Google search if you’re curious about the slightly ugly reason why! With the days flying by and a deadline to return the rentals lingering, we continued north through the tourist hotspot of Villa La Angostura. Ruta 231 would take us westbound across the Andes, back towards the Chilean border and through Parque Nacional Puyehue. It’s certainly not South America’s highest or most epic pass, but the footpeg-scraping twists and turns and dramatic scenery will have you drooling.

Main image by Upshift Online

All said and done, the 8-day loop covered about 1,000 miles (1600 km) of Patagonian countryside in both Argentina and Chile. It was a perfect mix of adventure and vacation. Very few times did it feel like we were “pushing it.” I’d be lying to you if I suggested that the trip was conducted in the same hardcore, dirtbag, penny-pinching, homeless-adventurer style that some of my previous travels were. It wasn’t. Good restaurants were visited, fine wine was sipped, zero side-of-the-road camping occurred, and very little discomfort was tolerated. Hey, don’t judge us! We now have jobs that produce actual paychecks and we contribute to the economic health of society! This trip, for me at least, was closure to the fact that my days as a stinky, broke motorcycle hobo are in the rear view. Travels just look and feel different now that I’m pretending to be an adult, okay?

Jokes aside, it’s important to be realistic in recognizing quitting a job for world travel (or if you’re Michnus and Elsebie, 13 years of full-time beer drinking with a tiny bit of part-time motorcycling) isn’t for everybody. For those that do have obligations and commitments back at home, motorcycle rental for short periods of time is a great way to slowly put bucket list notches in your belt.

Every single one of us has an hourglass that’s emptying right now. The funny thing is that we don’t know how much sand is left before it runs out for good. And we don’t get to flip it over again, so get out and do that one trip you’ve always wanted to go on! Whether it’s with the boys at RentaMotorcycle in Scotland, CelticRider in Ireland, or with Daniel, Paula and MotoPatagonia in Puerto Montt, figure out a way to pursue your travel dreams.

If Patagonia is part of your bucket list, be sure to give MotoPatagonia.com a gander. It doesn’t get much easier than showing up and throwing a leg over something in their fleet.

model shown.

E15 FUEL - WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOUR RIDE

Gasoline is a wonderful thing. In roughly a minute, you can dispense enough gasoline from most gas station fuel pumps to fill the tank on most motorcycles – and that’s all the fuel your bike needs for hours of riding enjoyment. Gas stations are everywhere, and most riders have fueled gasoline powered vehicles so many times that the process is about as routine as brushing your teeth. Yet changes are in store for the fuel that will be available at gas stations in the United States over the coming months, and uninformed riders who blindly assume that the fuel they’re dispensing into their bikes is the best fuel for the job, may find themselves in for quite the surprise. That’s why now is a great time to get up to speed on fuels you may see at the pump, and the best practices for acquiring and storing gasoline.

The US Government has decided to allow the sale of what’s called winter fuel, and a type of fuel called E15 this summer. Normally, winter fuel is only sold in certain regions of the country, and its lower boiling point and higher vapor pressure help with cold weather starting. E15 refers to fuel that contains 15% ethanol, and it’s also not normally sold between June and September. Most gasoline found in the United States is E10, which is fuel that contains 10% ethanol. To make things confusing, labeling at gas stations is inconsistent and unclear. For example, did you know that 88-Octane fuel in some regions is actually E15? Have you ever purchased fuel from a pump with no label declaring the ethanol content, or no label indicating whether the fuel you’re buying has no ethanol, or is ethanol free?

So why does any of this matter? Ethanol is less energy-dense than gasoline, and increasing the percentage of ethanol in a given volume of gasoline will have a number of impacts on how a motor runs, and it increases the potential to damage your bike. It’s also illegal to use E15 fuel in motorcycles, boats, and small engines like lawn mowers and chain saws. The use of E15 can also void your bike’s warranty.

To understand the implications of winter fuel and ethanol fuels in motorcycles, I reached out to Chris Real. Chris has spent his entire career in the lubrication, fuel, and specialty transportation industries. He’s the owner of DPS Technical, a company that performs vehicle and component testing for many motorcycle manufacturers and government agencies, and he’s also a lifelong motorcyclist – the perfect Subject Matter Expert in other words.

Using any percentage of ethanol in fuel has the potential to cause negative impacts. Ethanol fuels love to absorb water, and water in your fuel system can cause accelerated component wear, corrosion, and it can cause deposits to form. Gasoline typically has a significant volumetric expansion when it gets hot, and when it cools, the contraction of fuel draws air into the tank. If it’s humid, the water vapor in the air condenses as the system continues to cool, and now you have water in your fuel. Water is not something you want in your fuel system – clogging, corrosion, and deposit formation are all possible. Deposits can clog both carburetor jets and injector nozzles. Corrosion harms fuel system components, and water molecules can restrict fuel flow. While one fill up on ethanol fuel isn’t likely to ruin your bike, regular use of ethanol fuels can make these problems more likely to occur.

Even if water doesn’t form in your tank, winter fuel and ethanol fuel can still impact how your bike rides. The lower energy density of ethanol fuels means that bikes will run lean, make less power, and have reduced fuel economy. There is also a greater chance of boiling fuel which can lead to fuel geysering. Fuel expands as it gets hot, and a bike running winter fuel or ethanol fuel on a warm day at altitude can see its fuel boil quite easily. Hot fuel is less energy dense than ambient temperature fuel, which poses problems for both fuel injected and carbureted bikes. Modern adventure bikes have more sophisticated fuel injection systems, so the most noticeable impact will be reduced fuel economy. Simple EFI dual sport bikes, dirt bikes and trail bikes will likely see a reduction in fuel economy and a loss of power on warm days. Lean running conditions are also possible. Carbureted bikes are at the greatest risk here, as carb settings are fixed – unless you’re in the habit of re-jetting mid ride. It’s important to remember that if your bike starts running differently, it may be a result of the fuel in the bike. So before you start replacing injectors, computers, and other expensive bits to try to solve the problem, try some ethanol-free fuel.

Boiling fuel can lead to some very scary situations. There are multiple videos floating around on the internet of some poor soul opening the tank on their bike when the fuel is obviously boiling. As soon as this rider cracks the fuel tank cap open, a geyser of fuel sprays out of the bike soaking the rider. Given the right conditions, this fuel spraying out of the tank could lead to a fire. Fuel geysering as a result of modern fuels has become such a hazard, that many federal jobs are now incorporating fuel geysering training into their education programs. If you hear your bike rumbling or hissing when you stop or you can see your fuel boiling, wait until the fuel cools before opening the fill cap.

UV Light from the Sun can destroy fuel in short order. The jar on the right is fresh race gas. The jar on the left is race gas that was left in a sealed jar in the sun for a few hours. Note the precipitate in the bottom of the jar and change in color.

Ethanol fuel loves to absorb water. This fuel was heated and exposed to a humid environment before cooling. Water absorbed by the fuel has settled to the bottom and is starting to oxidize (rust) the mild steel bar left in the jar. Note the water drops on the inside of the jar that have not fully settled yet.

Now that we’ve covered the implications of using winter and ethanol fuels in bikes, let’s cover the best practices for acquiring and storing fuel. The easiest solution is to simply purchase ethanol-free gasoline, and PURE-GAS.ORG is a great resource for finding ethanol-free gas pumps near you. If getting ethanol-free gasoline isn’t feasible, the following practices for storing ethanol fuels will help minimize the chances of damage to your bike(s). Ethanol fuels have a shelf life of two to three months, whereas non ethanol fuels are rated for six months. Using a fuel additive to store ethanol fuel certainly helps, and keeping your bike’s tank topped off will limit space available for air to precipitate water into your fuel. Empty the bowl(s) on carbed bikes when parking them. When storing fuel, keep it out of the sun! UV can absolutely destroy fuel, and it took only a few hours of sun exposure to separate some race gas I left out in the sun.

Here are the key points to remember when acquiring and storing fuel:

• Check your manual for recommended fuels. If ethanol fuel isn’t recommended, find an ethanol-free pump, or you can obtain prepackaged ethanol-free fuel in stores.

• Check for labels at the pump. If it isn’t explicitly labeled as Ethanol-Free or Non-Ethanol, it’s most likely E10.

• 88 Octane pumps may dispense E15 fuel.

• Never ever use E85! That’s 85% ethanol fuel.

• Empty carb bowls, and store bikes with a full tank of stabilized fuel.

• Keep fuel out of the sun – that includes parking your bike with a transparent tank out of the sun whenever possible.

• Avoid fueling with any system where you’re drawing fuel from the bottom of the dispensing container. Any water in fuel will settle to the bottom of the container and a klunker, or dip tube will pull that water in your bike.

TECH: E15 FUEL

Here are the key points to be mindful of when riding this summer:

• Expect less fuel economy, less power, and potential lean conditions when using ethanol or winter fuels.

• Beware of fuel boiling and fuel geysering.

• When opening the fuel cap at the gas station, keep your visor down and stand off to the side in case a geyser does occour.

• Don’t fill your tank right before you park your bike. This may cause fuel to fill your bike’s vapor recovery system, or plug the venting system.

A little extra attention to detail is all it takes to have a great time riding this summer. Consult your bike owner’s manual(s) for recommendations on fuel. If the manual says E10 is good to go, then be mindful of how you store the fuel. Ethanol-free gas is always a great option, but don’t assume you’ll always be able to find an ethanol-free pump. Remember that prepackaged ethanol-free fuel can be purchased in stores if needed. Keep all fuel out of the sun and use a stabilizer if you’re working with ethanol fuels. When you’re out riding, plan for less range, and keep an ear and an eye out for fuel boiling. Fuel showers are not something you need in your life. Bear these key points in mind, and you’ll have a great summer riding season.

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Trail Tech Voyager Pro Advanced Mapping

Trail Tech’s Voyager Pro (VP) is unique in the world of motorcycle GPS units. The unit has been on sale for several years, yet it continues to offer a feature set that can’t be found anywhere else. The Voyager Pro can accept telemetry from a number of different sensors or its built-in GPS, and that makes the unit a great motorcycle computer. The GPS also means that the Voyager Pro is able to perform many common GPS tasks, like mapping, navigating, and recording tracks and waypoints. Bluetooth connectivity, buddy tracking, and a number of other features make the unit appealing to all sorts of riders, many of whom appreciate only having one device on their bike that does everything they need. Since the Voyager Pro’s launch, Trail Tech has continued to develop the device’s software, and their latest firmware opens the door to a world of custom, user created maps.

The Voyager Pro’s latest firmware allows the unit to process GEOPDFs and MBTiles, which means that users can source or create the exact maps they want and load them on to the VP for a next level navigation experience. The potential here is impressive, as users can combine all sorts of GIS information on their maps. For example: let’s say you’re planning on riding a complete BDR. You want the basics like a satellite imagery base layer, your route, and all of your stops. Maybe you want to do some extra exploring while you’re on the trip, so you add in the Forest Service’s MVUM layer for extra roads and trails to explore. What

Step one is to update the Voyager Pro to the latest firmware. To do this you’ll need a computer with an internet connection, a micro SD card reader, and a micro SD card. I recommend a 64GB card. Open a browser and head to Trail Tech’s Software and Map Updates page https://www.trailtech.net/en-us/software/, where you’ll see a blue box to download Software. While you’re here, grab the latest base map update too. If you scroll down a little further on this page, you’ll also find GPX files with trails for a dozen-odd states.

Step two is to copy the files you downloaded onto your SD Card. I’d recommend placing the map update and firmware in a folder named something to the effect of “Update <date loaded>” so you have an easy way to reference when you last updated.

Step three is to install the updates onto your Voyager Pro. On your VP, hit the Menu Button (top left button). Tap Utilities. Tap Software Update. Here you can update the base map and firmware.

Now that your Voyager Pro is fully updated, it’s time to nerd out on making or sourcing custom maps. The two file types the Voyager Pro can process are GEOPDFs and MBTiles. The Trail Tech website has a page https://www.trailtech.net/ en-us/voyager-pro/custom-maps/ where you can find GEOPDFs, and many federal land managers have GEOPDFs available for download on their websites. USGS Maps are available here https://www.usgs.gov/programs/national-geospatial-program/topographic-maps When it comes to sourcing maps, google is your friend, as are Facebook Groups, forums, and local clubs.

For creating your own maps, there are a number of desktop and browser-based programs out there that can create GEOPDFs and MBTiles ranging from open-source GIS software (like QGIS) to browser-based mapping programs (like CalTopo). The following directions will cover how to make MBTiles using CalTopo.

To create and export MBTiles from CalTopo, you’ll need to create an account and spend $50 / year on a Pro Subscription. Once you have your Pro account set up, navigate to wherever in the world you want to make a custom map. On the right side of the CalTopo interface you’ll see all of the map layers that you can stack to create your custom map. In this example, we’re combining Global Imagery (Aerial Imagery), MapBuilder Overlay, and Motor Vehicle MUVM to show roads and legal motorized trails around Flagstaff, AZ.

If you want to add your own routes or waypoints, you can add Map Objects to your map using the pane on the left-hand side of the window.

When your map is fully built, it’s time to export it. Look for the PRINT BUTTON on the left-hand side of the map window. In the Format drop-down select MBTiles File. I would recommend selecting the highest level of zoom to give you the most information possible. In the map window you’ll notice a red shaded box, which indicates where CalTopo will create MBTiles. Use the red dot in the center of the shaded area to position the box over the map as needed. If you want to capture a larger area, zoom out and hit the START OVER button to reload the download region. Don’t try to download an entire state in one shot – CalTopo can only create 8,000 MBTiles in one export. If you’re trying to make maps for a large area or for something like an entire BDR, you’ll need to do multiple exports. CalTopo names each export “maps.mbtiles” so rename each export to something meaningful once it finishes downloading.

To get the MBTiles (the workflow for GEOPDFs is the same) on your Voyager Pro, copy the files onto your SD Card. On the Voyager Pro, toggle over to the map screen. Tap the THREE VERTICAL DOTS icon in the bottom left of the screen. Tap OPTIONS. Tap CUSTOM MAPS. Tap IMPORT A NEW FILE. Navigate to the MBTiles files you want to load on your SD Card. Tap on the file to load it. The Voyager Pro will process the file, and let you know when it’s done. By default, the file is turned on. If you need to manage which files are displayed, go to OPTIONS >> CUSTOM MAPS >> MAP FILES. Here you can toggle visibility and other options. Now you’ve got custom maps on your Voyager Pro.

Trail Tech’s Voyager Pro has been my go-to dirt bike / snow bike GPS for years because it combines essential motorcycle telemetry with a GPS in a single unit that fits neatly on my dirt bikes. When snowbiking, I can have a custom map with satellite imagery and contour lines which helps me pick my way through the trees and judge slope aspect on where I’m planning to ride. I can also keep an eye on my engine temp, thanks to the customizable data fields on the Voyager Pro’s map screen. When riding on dirt, I can make maps like in the above example, where I’ve again got a satellite base map, and MUVM and roads and trails loaded. I can add my own tracks / routes / and waypoints as needed, and I can configure the map to show trip distance. Icing on the cake is the Buddy Tracking, which works over any map and lets me keep an eye on where the other VP-equipped riders in my group are located. The Voyager Pro is a versatile device, and with a little time on the computer, it can be a very powerful mapping tool.

For more information on the Voyager Pro visit www.Trailtech.net. If you’re interested in purchasing a Trail tech Voyager Pro go to the Upshift Store.

Designed to showcase the striking contrast of Steens Mountain and the Alvord Desert, this BDR-X features a 5000-foot elevation transition in remote Southeast Oregon.

Starting and ending in Fields, Oregon, the 265-mile loop can be accomplished in two days. It would be hard to find a more diverse mix of surface terrain making this experience truly unique.

Visit the BDR website to access everything you need to plan your adventure.

RideBDR.com/AlvordDesert

DON’T MISS THE ONLINE PREMIERE

STEENS/ALVORD

BDR-X EXPEDITION FILM

BY TRAVIS GILL OF VIAJARMOTO.COM

As we pulled up next to the gasoline pump, a frustrated attendant waved his fingers and exclaimed in French “Il n’y a pas d’essence.”

“Essence?” I questioned. This was the only word I understood meaning gasoline. “Non essence?” I tried to confirm.

“Non.” he said, shrugging his shoulders.

Our tanks were half full, giving us a range of just over 100 miles. Not ideal for traversing the entire 350 miles of the Trans Euro Trail (TET) that winds through the island of Corsica from the ferry port at Bastia to the southern port city of Bonifacio.

“Perhaps there’s another station not far away that has gas?” said Chantil into our Bluetooth headset.

“Perhaps.” I replied, as we both motored away from the gas station in frustration.

The next two gas stations revealed the same result – no gasoline. After further questioning, we discovered that there was a group of Corsicans that were protesting the death of a local nationalist that had recently died in a French prison. Protests included riots and the blocking of fuel trucks from leaving the refineries and ports.

We decided to ride over the northern pass via the TET, with hopes that, with a bit of luck, there would be fuel in the next town of Saint-Florent. Nope – no fuel. In frustration, we booked an Airbnb with a view of the seaside and waited out the protests.

Welcome to Corsica!

Fortunately, after a few days of civil unrest, the fuel supply chain was restored, and the gas stations were in full operation once again. We excitedly topped off our tanks and our extra RotopaX canisters and continued riding the TET through this small but beautiful Mediterranean island.

Trans Euro Trail Corsica

The Corsica TET is part of a much larger network of trails that was designed by the dirt bike and adventure rider community, and includes more than 80,000 km (49,700 miles) of GPX routes that can be downloaded for free. Regional “linesmen” manage the routes for each country, with the Corsica portion of the TET being managed by French linesman Fabien Marque.

We started our journey to Corsica by boarding a ferry from Toulon, France to Bastia, Corsica. It didn’t take us long before we were riding along narrow dirt roads, that serpentine up steep hills, and offered stupendous views of the coastline and Mediterranean Sea. Compared to the often hustle and bustle of mainland France, Corsica offers a much more laid-back vibe – Perfect for carving along backcountry roads at a leisurely pace, without dealing with the frustrations of slow camper vans or tailgating luxury sports cars.

It’s a good idea to not travel too fast, because in the rural forests there are countless pigs roaming along the roads. All the pigs we encountered seemed to be domesticated – Local farmers seemed to have given up on trying to contain them. We passed many broken fences that looked like they had been ripped down by pigs yearning for the freedom to roam the countryside and roll in roadside mud. The pigs especially enjoyed it when we would stop and feed them from Chantil’s “stray doggie” stash.

Pigs were just a few of the many surprises of riding the TET Corsica. Another surprise was the relatively high mountain passes. Corsicans often refer to their island as “A Mountain in the Sea” which includes 20 mountain peaks higher than 2,000 meters (6,560 feet) with the tallest being Monte Cinto, which rises 2,706 meters (8,800 feet) above the Mediterranean Sea. During our late April visit the high peaks still had snow covering them, and we even had to slog through a short section of the TET that was still snow covered. Our 50/50 rated tires were not ideal for the snow-packed muddy trails, so we took it nice and slow – coaxing them through the deeper sections as a team.

Living in a Stone Hut

One of the most memorable portions of the Trans Euro Trail was riding along the D81 in northern Corsica. This two-lane road snakes along the Calvi region from Saint-Florent to Losari. However, the best part was leaving the pavement at Bocca Di Vezzu, and riding the dirt portion to the northern coast of Paillers de Ghignu (Refuges of Ghignu). We fully expected to wild camp here but were surprised to see welcoming and well maintained stone huts that we could call home. As a bonus, we were outside the camping season, so they were completely free to enjoy. We ended up parking the mules and relaxing for a few days with nothing on the agenda other than soak up some “vitamin sea”, enjoy the beauty of the beach, and warm spring sunshine. It was about as close to an overlanders beach paradise as we’ve ever come across.

Calanques de Piana

After returning to the D81, we continued following the magenta line of the GPS receiver that marked the TET slithering through the Calvi and Corte regions. The seaside views gradually disappeared and were replaced by forested roads and snow capped mountain vistas that wind through the center of the island. This is where we decided to jump off the TET in order to ride to the west coast, and a place we had heard that was worth the detour – Calanques de Piana.

The short, but breathtaking ride through Calanques de Piana is not to be missed. This UNESCO World Heritage Site felt like riding through a natural technicolored canyon where remarkable red granite rocks rise 1,300 feet above the aqua green waters of the Golfe de Porto (Gulf of Porto). This road is perfect for motorcycle touring since you can pull over and take in the splendid panoramic viewpoints without blocking the narrow roadway.

Home of a Future French Emperor

Our motorcycle meanderings continued south along the coast, towards the capital city of Ajaccio. It was here on August 15th, 1769 that a baby boy was born under the Italian name of Napoleone Buonaparte. Nearly two years later, he was baptized in the city’s 16th-century cathedral, which still stands today and continues to have the same marble baptismal font. When Napoleon (his French name) turned nine, he was accepted to the elite military school in Brienne, France where he studied for five years before continuing to the military academy in Paris. Although Napoleon only lived in Ajaccio for a short time during his childhood, the city continues to remember the accomplishments of their national hero through numerous statues and museums dotted throughout the city.

Corsica’s Grand Finale

From Ajaccio, another portion of the TET continues south along the coast, but we were looking forward to returning to the less populated central portion of the TET that winds along the mountain range and into the southern Sartène region. This was, once again, some of the best riding and backcountry camping we could hope for – forested roads, moderate temperatures, and spring sunshine that warmed our open-visor faces.

As we neared Col de Bavella (Bavella Pass) a seasonal storm brought snow in the higher elevations. Although riding through the snow flurries was enjoyable, we knew that it may be difficult to travel the next day if we camped in the mountains. We wisely decided to drop down to the east coast and enjoy a few days in the beach town of Sari-Solenzara. When we returned to Bavella Pass, the roadsides were still covered in fresh snow that lasted until we descended the mountain to the south. There is something magical about riding on roads surrounded by snowfall – especially on a sunny, spring day. We honestly didn’t think Corsica could get any better, but this memorable island still had one more surprise for us – the coastal town of Bonifacio.

Although Bonifacio isn’t that large (only 3,200 inhabitants), it’s steeped in history, and natural beauty perched precariously on a limestone promontory. Hiking to the overlook provides sweeping views of the town’s marina and the clear aqua colored waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Be sure to explore the narrow streets and alleyways of the restored old town center and the 9th-century fortified walls of the citadel. For those wanting a sensational hike, try walking the 189 steps of the Escalier du Roy d’Aragon (The King of Aragon’s Stairway), which was hand dug in 1420 to gain access to the fresh waters of Saint-Barhelémy well.

With the favorable spring weather and clear skies, we could easily spot the neighboring Italian island of Sardinia, beckoning us to continue our southerly journey across the Mediterranean. Crossing the 12 km (7.5 miles) of seaway between the two islands was as simple as scheduling, and paying for, the Ichnusa Lines ferry which makes daily crossings. With the excitement of new discovery, we eagerly rode onto the boarding dock and secured our mules for the next destination – More adventure awaits…

About viajarMOTO

Travis and Chantil Gill started full-time motorcycle overlanding on their pair of BMW G650GSs in March of 2020. They’ve explored 44 countries throughout North America, Europe, and north Africa, and hope to someday circumnavigate this “pale blue dot” they call home. Follow their journey at www.viajarMOTO.com.