𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀?
Tim Kelly. I grew up pretty poor and always struggled to get the motorcycle(s) I wanted, thus at this stage in my life I’ve got 19 bikes in the stable and they all have a special mission and spot in my heart. From the HD Shovelhead I bought when I got out of the Navy to my KTM 300 (that makes me a better rider than I am) to trials as well as BMW touring bikes. I started riding when I was 6 and at 63 I still try to throw my leg over something everyday.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝?
I remember at a very young age 4-5? really being into bicycles and I would ride from sun up to sun down. My parents friends always commented on my calloused hands. I remember my brother Ric had a 71 Yamaha DT250 and that was it. It was love at first sight.
𝐓𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐩—𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲?
As far as set up goes, in the dirt the KTM 300XCW is the right bike for me. I’ve had 6-7 over the years. Every once in a while I’ll try a 250 or a 450 or even 150 (did I mention I’m old) and the 300 always saves my ass. I did a test on my home track between the lighter 150 and my 300. While the 150 was lighter I always rode better and faster on the 300 with much less effort. As for the road, it’s got to be my BMW R1250RT for the win! That thing does it all. I keep an Ultra in the stable for the wife and bike nights but if you want to log some mikes and hit some twisties the RT is the right weapon! FYI I always wear a helmet and high vis these days! I’d rather look like a dork on my bike than cool in my wheelchair
𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩, 𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐝-𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐬𝐧𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐧-𝐧𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞?
No pre ride routine but having survived a couple bouts with old man cancer I’ve got certain considerations I need to keep in mind. Mostly around hydration then getting rid of the liquids that took care of the hydration. Did I mention I’m old?
𝐑𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞—𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐚𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐦𝐞𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲?
Riding has always been my happy place. ALWAYS! On the street I talk to God (my higher being you do you) and give thanks. On the dirt bike it’s 100% focus. No time for distractions without consequences.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐥, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮?
Favorite route (besides mountain trips) would have to be home to Weston. I remember doing it with my late wife when we were just babies on the old shovelhead (which I still have) and now I do the ride frequently with my son and my lovely lady.
𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐤𝐞. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞?
As far as a single best day on the bike I’ve got so many it’s hard to narrow it down. I do have a special picture in my head of me and my son Tyler at age 5. We were at the Chicken Ranch and I was on my 89 RMX 250 Suzuki and he was on a 78 RM 50 (4 speed w a clutch at 5!!). Anyhow it was a gorgeous morning and I remember coming over a hill in a pasture and turning around to see Tyler cresting the hill with the sunrise on his back and an ear to ear grin on his face! Best memory ever! ❤️
𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐠𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧 (𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐦𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐬, 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬). 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐲?
As far as things not going to plan. I remember a Colorado trip we (Tyler and I and others) to Colorado about ten years ago. After 10 hours smashing bugs we had just arrived at our cabin and were totally jazzed for the week to come. It had just started to sprinkle and we were unloading the bikes out of our enclosed trailer (purchased from the late great Roger Larette) and I slipped on the ramp and got my leg caught in the ramp guild wire. Down I went off the side! Bike in hand back on the ground! Three broken ribs before I even put my boots on! I had to play “camp bitch” for the whole week!
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐝?
KC has a great riding community, be it dirt, ADV, street, or trials. The MATT Trial group is really more like family and I’d HIGHLY recommend everyone to get into trials as the skills will translate to any bike you ride!
𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞?
As far as advise “ RIDE YOUR RIDE”. Regardless of what bike you’re on ride at your pace and level. Never give into peer pressure. Take your time. Learn how to ride in a farm field before the street. I’ve taught many neighbor kids and ladies and adults to ride and will always make myself available. If you’re on the street ALWAYS make sure that car next to you can see you in his mirror. If you can’t see his eyes he can’t see you. Blind spots kill! Also when at a light ALWAYS be looking in your mirror at the traffic behind you. You might have to duck out to avoid becoming sandwich meat.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞?
As far as changes just more love among everyone who rides. It floors me the number of tools on their big V- Twins that won’t wave at me if I’m on the BMW. No issues on the Harley. Really dudes? We’re two wheeled brothers man! I wave at anyone scooter, Goldwing, Chopper. It matters not.
I don’t take for granted that the window we have to ride closed fast and at 63 I never take that for granted! Ride on my brothers and sisters. 😎❤️🕺🏻
