Being proactive in communities and contributing to important causes around the world is a key component of adventure motorcycling for many. What we found in our moto-centric group are big-hearted individuals who use motorbikes as the catalyst, and often the tools, for giving back. Taking on such projects requires one heck of a lot of effort, and there are a few organizations out there pooling their resources to ensure not just the community around them, but also the world, is a better place. To bring some of these folks and their projects to your attention, we talked to a few of them about their organizations.
MOTOR CYCLE RELIEF
NDV Tell us how motorcycles have influenced your organization.
TOM LARSON : Motorcycles provide the common denominator that draws veterans and first responders to our program. We put on five-day “Relief Rides” in which we take participants into the Colorado mountains or the Arizona desert and provide a professional instructor to teach them how to ride ADV bikes. We have a fleet of 14 BMW adventure bikes available for the rides for those who do not have their own. And instructors from RawHyde Adventures, BMW Performance Center, Dragoo Adventure Rider Training, and West38Moto have been providing us with top-notch coaching. We do amazing rides and then return to the lodge for dinner, followed by evening workshops to teach concepts and tools for getting “unstuck” and on the road to better directions in life. The passion for motorcycling creates a common bond, helping to establish the trust and camaraderie necessary for our groups to be effective.Pretty much everyone who’s involved in our program—staff, participants, volunteers and donors—understands the therapeutic benefits of riding and sees what a great tool it is for bringing people together to blow off steam and to work on their unresolved issues. Motorcycles are at the center of what we do as a nonprofit.
NDV What inspired you to get involved in philanthropic work?
TL: Although I didn’t serve in the military, I’ve had to deal with issues of depression, anxiety, anger and resentment. At one point I realized that if my own relatively mild condition interferes with my life as much as it does, then it has to be exceedingly more difficult for those who’ve been through much more intense trauma. I also realized that when I ride, all the noise in my head seems to fade away. One day while reading a motorcycle magazine, I had the light bulb moment of using ADV bikes in the mountains of Colorado to help kickstart the healing process for men and women stuck in dark places, struggling to see any light at the end of their tunnels.
NDV Who is impacted the most by the work your organization does?
TL:Our participants are primarily military veterans and first responders who struggle with PTSD and related issues like depression and anxiety. Their trauma isn’t exclusive to combat, we’ve also had participants share trauma related to sexual assault, substance abuse, domestic violence, murder, suicide, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, motor vehicle accidents, search and rescue operations, and many other traumatic events related to hazardous occupations. We don’t limit participation to any specific category of trauma. Although the majority of our participants are combat veterans, we’ve also served first responders who were at the World Trade Center on 9/11 as well as other police, firefighters and EMS personnel who’ve been deeply emotionally affected by intense situations relating to or as a result of their jobs.
NDV How has CV19 affected your efforts?
Continue reading your story on the app
Continue reading your story in the magazine
Klim Badlands Pro Jacket and Pant
Many companies offer ADV gear, but when you whittle it down to RTW-expedition-grade quality, only a handful of brands stand up to the test.
YAMAHA TENERE 700
The wait is finally over. The Yamaha Ténéré 700 is probably one of the most anticipated bikes to come out of the Yamaha factory in quite some time. Yamaha teased us with what appeared to be a production-ready model three years ago and every model year came and went without show. We were starting to wonder if it would ever show up on the showroom floor. Well folks, the day is finally here, and it was worth the wait. The middle-weight class has been gaining a lot of attention over the last three years and is likely to be the most popular segment for years to come.
HOLIDAY HEROES
Nonprofits in the Moto CommunityWho Deserve Your Support
DESERT ODYSSEY
The security guard at the gate had a particular look on her face, one I’d become accustomed to over the previous month. I met her gaze with a big, cheesy grin. She looked confused. “What the hell are you doing out here mate, and where the hell have you been?”
Trails End Dual-Sport and Adventure Tail Bag
I’ve said it many times, I’ve never been a big fan of tank bags. However, they’re a creature comfort hard to resist once you’ve ridden with one that’s well designed.
Garmin zūmo XT
Garmin has long been the big fish in the pool of GPS, and their zumo line of products has graced motorcycle handlebars for years.
A REACH TOO FAR
This is not the story I thought I’d be writing when I began my motorcycling adventure on Namibia’s gravel roads.
3 KEYS TO HAVING A STUDENT MINDSET
We all do it. We get comfortable riding what and how we ride. Why bother stretching ourselves? Why try something different, more challenging, and unusual? Because having a student mindset focused on learning and growing will make you a safer rider. And, it’s downright fun!
2020 KTM 390 ADVENTURE
BIG BIKE IMPACT IN A SMALL(ER) BIKE’S FRAME
BACKCOUNTRY DISCOVERY ROUTES MARATHON
It was late afternoon, high on a ridge in the Rockie s, and I must have come into signal range, as my phone lit up with a message. Stopped in the middle of the trail, it indicated that my youngest had tried calling. She wanted me to come home, as she was ill. Although concerned, I also felt relief that this would give me a valid reason to jump ship. Fo r several weeks I’d been riding nothing but gnarly trails day in and day out and had begun to question whether taking on one Backcountry Discovery Route after another was a good idea.
300 - ULTRA HD BLU-RAY
Inspired by the 1962 Cinemascope epic The 300 Spartans that he saw as a lad, writer/artist Frank Miller would go on to create the five-issue graphic novel 300, a wildly stylized, heavily fictionalized account of the Battle of Thermopylae.
Flying the FW 190
A legend gets checked out in the Butcher Bird
FRANTIC SHANNEN DOUBLES DOWN ON HUNT FOR MIRACLE CURE
DESPERATE Shannen Doherty continues to be ravaged by the debilitating effects of breast cancer — but insiders said it’s only fueled her determination to find a miracle cure!
GOLDIE & KURT ARE KAPUT!
Separate bedrooms after furious fight
DAYS: JUSTIN AND KAYLA'S WEDDING DAY DRAMA
Kayla and Justin’s wedding day arrives, but the bride and the groom are both conflicted about taking the big step. Justin shares his concerns with Sonny during breakfast. “Justin has some uncertainty going into this wedding,” notes his portrayer, Wally Kurth. “He has some insecurities about Kayla’s feelings for him.”
HOW LOVE SAVED ME
AS SHE WAGES A BRAVE BATTLE AGAINST BREAST CANCER, SHANNEN DOHERTY FEELS BLESSED TO HAVE A HUSBAND WHO’S HER GUIDING LIGHT.
WEEPING GOLDIE'S MENTAL MELTDOWN
Romance with Kurt hitting rocks over domestic abuse nightmares
GOLDIE & KURT'S WEDDING AXED!
Nuptials nixed after brutal brawl is caught on camera
COOL, CAPABLE - AND CONTROVERSIAL
How did Kurt Beiermeister make his way to this ’08 FJ Cruiser—and why are people talking about it?
You Don't Know Jack
Jack Young may be Baltimore’s most unlikely modern mayor. Will he keep the job?