Be Ride Back

15/10/2026

A Diplomatic Crisis.

We spent two nights at the little camping cabin in Klamath Falls; the campsite was lovely and the cabin was cozy and comfortable, but outside was very cold and the “wood-fired pizza” we ordered for dinner, turned out to be “microwaved-stewed pizza” instead, terrible enough to trigger a diplomatic crisis between the USA and Italy. A propane filling station was located just outside our cabin, and while in other campsites you’d usually only see a few RV’s filling up every so often, this one was especially busy as it was catering for the many local people living off grid. It was smelly and noisy, but we understood that these people’s livelihood depends on that gas, especially on such freezing days, and so all we could do was wait until 8pm when it closed and the peace was restored.

Our second day at the campsite was supposed to be a busy one, with a few administrative tasks we had to complete in preparation for our motorcycles’ shipping back to Australia; for a few hours we tried completing these tasks on an extremely weak Wi-Fi signal, and when we failed, we switched to using our mobile phones as a hotspot, but that, too, was too weak to be efficient, and so we gave up and postponed our tasks by a few days, hoping for better luck then, and instead, we spent the cold day wandering around town and lazing on the front porch, looking at people in old pick-up trucks as they were unloading empty gas cylinders and loading new ones instead.

I guess that this is what people did before the internet.

It was time to leave Klamath Falls, Oregon, and head to our next destination in Klamath, California; we had around 350km ahead of us and although it was a cold morning, we expected a mostly warm and clear day, which we were looking forward to very much. We spent the morning talking to our family and friends who called to wish me a happy birthday (25 in case you were wondering) and it filled us with good energy for the road ahead; we then loaded the bikes, said goodbye to our little cabin and started heading east. We rode along the beautiful Upper Klamath Lake and a few other, smaller lakes, we climbed up and then down many mountains, we were hot and we were cold and we were surrounded by epic Redwood trees that were bigger than anything we imagined.

It was wonderful.

Just before arriving at Crescent City, we got on the legendary route 101. We’ve heard a lot about this mythical road and we were looking forward to experiencing it ourselves, but after Asi’s accident in Colorado on the first leg of our trip we had to change our riding plans in the USA and thought we missed our opportunity to ride it; luckily, when we were given a second chance to ride in the USA, we took it with both hands and made sure we have this road on our bucket list again.

And we were not disappointed.

As soon as we started heading south, we were treated to some of California’s famous ocean views; the ocean seemed endless (a good spot for flat earthers to get really confused), there were pelicans and seals and dolphins and so many birds that the giant rocks they were nesting on turned completely white from all their droppings – yes, disgusting but yet, so beautiful.

We spent the night at a lovely motel that was nestled among the giant Redwood trees before continuing our way south along the Californian coastline; we took a detour through Redwood National and State Parks and passed a few towns that looked a bit sketchy and uninviting before getting off the 101 and heading west towards the ocean, where we had a campsite booked for the night. I thought that it will be fun to pitch a tent for the last time this trip, convinced Asi that it was a good idea, and booked a spot in Shelter Cove; it was less than 40km from the westbound turnoff and we assumed that it’ll be a relatively quick ride, expecting a gradual descent to sea level, but it wasn’t quick and for a long while it wasn’t really descending, either, and we found ourselves riding on a narrow road surrounded by thick forest, with tight twisties and a surprisingly mountainous terrain, all the way to the coast.

Remind me who’s idea was that?

When we finally got to the beach, we were surprised to see that the campsite was huge and much busier than we expected; we were wondering if we made the right decision coming here, but once we pitched the tent and got to explore the area, we were happy we did. The amenities were crappy, but the ocean was beautiful and there were many chubby seals basking on the sand and playing in the water; they stank, but they were very cute as were the deer that were roaming on the little landing strip that was just outside the campsite. We had fish and chips for dinner, which we expected to be exceptional considering how close we were to the ocean, but it seemed like the freezer was closer than the ocean, and we ended up with a few pieces of oily fish fingers and soggy chips.

I guess we’ll need to wait until we get back to Australia for decent fish and chips.
We spent a lovely evening in our little tent on the beach; our neighbours’ baby was crying, and we were surrounded by smoky campfires, but we didn’t mind, because we were in our happy place again. There’s no denying that staying in motels and camping cabins has its perks, but there’s magic in camping that you can’t find in other accommodation types, and we sure seem to sleep much better on our little air mattresses than anywhere else.

I hope we will still think the same in the morning.

06/10/2026

Fancy Lettuce.

It was the third time we had left Troy, and this time it wasn’t just about saying goodbye to our friends, but it was also, officially, the beginning of the last leg of our adventure.

The.

Last.

Leg.

We were overwhelmed with emotions; we were sad to say goodbye but also happy that we’ve made such good friends, and we were happy to be on the road again, but also unbelievably sad that our riding days on this adventure will soon be over. The dreary weather matched our emotions; grey clouds hovered above us, drizzling all the way from Montana and through Idaho, only drying up as we arrived in Kennewick, Washington, where we spent the night.

From Kennewick we continued to Bonneville, riding along the mighty Columbia River again and through the same scenery we’d seen coming into Troy, only this time in reverse order and without the smoke, allowing us to thoroughly enjoy the vistas and the river’s blue-green waters. There were many trains hauling freights and many trucks hauling fragrant onion and garlic, leaving a trail of feather-light husk behind them. Mount Hood was now to our left, in its full glory, looking like Vulcan Chimborazo’s little brother, or as Asi called it, “Chimbo”. We stopped at the motorcycle shop to collect Asi’s new soft luggage that would replace his aluminum panniers once we’re back in Australia, loaded them up on our already heavily loaded bikes and left for Bonneville, looking like what ChatGPT would illustrate when you ask for an Adventure Rider caricature.

The only “reasonably priced” accommodation that we found for that night in Bonneville (which was reasonable but not cheap), was a resort that offered Spa services that we don’t use, but it was outside of town and we had a room with a balcony overlooking the car park so we could watch our bikes, and it was good enough for us; the downside of being outside of town, though, was that there was nothing to eat within many miles, and since we were too lazy to start exploring, we ended up eating at the hotel’s restaurant; we chose the cheapest dish we could find and discovered that a $60 Cesar Salad tastes surprisingly like a $20 Cesar Salad and we wondered if, perhaps, in Washington they water their lettuce with Chanel N°5. It didn’t smell like it, though.

We left Bonneville, Washington the following morning on our way to Lincoln City, Oregon; our original plan was to take the coastal scenic route, but strong winds and rain were on the forecast, so we decided to travel inland where it was also cloudy and wet, but not as bad as the coast. Our ride took us through vast fields of corn and a few little towns, and although it wasn’t as picture-perfect as the ocean, it was still beautiful in our eyes and we enjoyed it very much; we crossed Portland, Oregon, with its huge interchanges and busy roads, but despite the traffic, our ride through the big city was smooth and relatively pain-free.

The campsite at Lincoln City was lovely and quiet and it seemed like we were their only guests, which was fantastic; we enjoyed the rest and braced for the following day as heavy rain was on the forecast and, indeed, from the moment we left and until we arrived at the motel in Roseberg, it was raining cats and dogs, and not in the cute fluffy way but rather in the way that make you smell like a used mop. The first thing we did when we arrived was to turn the heating on maximum and hang all our riding gear to dry, except for our boots that had to be dried with the hair dryer; the second thing was a shower and the third was ordering Indian food for dinner because we felt like we deserve a treat after the miserable day we had. The food was great, but perhaps having spicy food in a closed room where the heater is on wasn’t the best idea, especially if you have chickpeas in your dish.

It was still worth it.

The rain continued all night, and after a short discussion on whether we should change our plans to avoid the rain that was forecasted for the next couple of days, we decided to push through, knowing that once we pass this bad weather stretch it should warm up again. It was still grey when we left in the morning and the clouds looked like they were about to burst at any moment, but they didn’t, and we were grateful for every dry mile we traversed; we rode through the mountains and climbed up in elevation, and the higher up we climbed the further down the temperature dropped until they got to the point when our bikes warned us that the roads might be icy. We reminded ourselves that even a bad day on the bike is better than a good day at the office, and that even though we were very cold, we were also very lucky that it wasn’t raining.

After counting our blessings, we figured that we’re quite happy with the total sum, and decided to skip our planned detour to see Crater Lake thinking that the risk for icy roads just wasn’t worth it; when we arrived at the campsite later that day, we found out that we weren’t the only ones forced to make that decision which was somewhat comforting, and although we were all a bit disappointed to miss the what’s meant to be a beautiful lake, we knew it was the right thing to do.

We need to leave something for next time, anyway.

01/10/2026

Hear ye, hear ye!

Episode 18 of our great motorcycle adventure is live 😍

In episode 18 of our South American adventure we leave our bikes in Cusco under the watchful eyes of our mate Paul and explore the stunning Machu Picchu, before heading back to Cusco for a few more days of colourful festivals, great food and some more ancient ruins at the fascinating Saqsaywaman site, just outside Cusco.

Join us!

https://youtu.be/tB7vEj6z2RU

In episode 18 of our South American adventure we leave our bikes in...

22/09/2026

A Mysterious Wobble Followed by a Colonoscopy.

We left Cheney quite late knowing that we only have a short ride to get to Troy, but we planned, he laughed and not even 30 km into our ride we were stopped by the police at a roadblock; Google said that an accident down the road is causing a 19 minute delay, but after waiting for 30 minutes under the hot sun we gave up, did a U-turn and took a detour through what turned out to be an even scenic-ier route along the windy roads of beautiful Cocolalla lake, Idaho.

By the time we arrived at Troy it was already very hot, and we were happy to relax a bit and see our friends, Lacey and Jason. Everything was still smoky from the wildfires that have now spread to Spokane and other big cities around us, and all we could do is hope that the brave firefighters will be successful in their mission and that there’s no loss in life, animals or human.

The following day Asi spent long hours working on Elsa’s front wheel, trying to bring it back into balance after it started wobbling for no apparent reason; he undid and redid the spokes multiple times and though it felt better than before, we were still not 100% happy with the results and still baffled by the cause for the issue. We ordered a camera probe from Amazon, and when Asi was done with Elsa’s wheel and after changing Elsa’s chain and sprockets, we put Woolly on the surgeon’s table and looked into his cylinders to see if there’s any significant carbon buildup that might be causing Woolly to rattle. Both Woolly and Elsa have been very unhappy with some of the fuel we’ve used, especially in Central and South America, but also the American fuel which often contains Ethanol, and all our efforts to eliminate the issue were only partially successful, which was extremely frustrating.

Woolly’s Colonoscopy was successful and though we did notice some carbon build up, it didn’t look like something abnormal or extreme, definitely nothing that would justify opening an engine during a trip. Now, the next task at hand was to install a new rear tyre for Woolly; my old Mitas tyre still had some life in it, but I was keen to get back to my favourite Dunlop tyre and Asi promised that this time I could change the tyre on my own (ish), and so one day a new tyre arrived in a big, brown truck. I followed Asi’s instructions and asked for his help when I needed it and eventually the new tyre was on, my instructor was happy and I got to take credit for the whole thing.

But the best part? now my old tyre is at the miniature goats’ playground at Lacey and Jason’s farm!

By now, the wildfires spread significantly, and the smoke became thicker and thicker, blown by the western wind and trapped between the mountains, sometimes so thick that it blocked the sun completely; the air pollution was extreme and the overall advice was to avoid being outside and not do any exercise, so we complied and made sure we don’t do any exercise or, god forbid, any hiking or mountain climbing or cycling, even though we REALLY wanted to. Instead, we had a delicious brisket at Lacey and Jason’s and I made a Bask Cheesecake for dessert, making sure to not break a sweat in the process.

Lacey and Jason loaned us the motel’s golf cart, and we used it for our daily grocery run, enjoying the breeze in our faces, only most times it was the exhaust from the trucks passing us by rather than a gentle zephyr rolling down from the mountains. When we felt like something with a bit more horsepower, we took the bikes for a ride in the area, enjoying the scenery and the delicious coffee we had at the busy coffee shop at Bonners Ferry (or as we call it, “Boner’s Fairy” and, oh, shut up) and when we felt like something with some donkey power instead, we went to Lacey and Jason’s farm to mingle with our furry friends.

Our human friends had a short vacation planned and asked if we’d be willing to stay in their farm for a week while they were gone; we contemplated for a very long time, thinking to ourselves if we really want to be surrounded by horses (yes!), donkeys (absolutely yes!), miniature goats (yes, please!), chickens (everybody loves a Schnitzel!), ducks (Confit, anyone?), cats (di*****ds, but we still love them) and the 3 cutest dogs in the world??

30 seconds later all our stuff was packed, and we were ready to move in.

That week that we stayed at The Funny Farm was one of the best weeks we had on this adventure; we woke up early every morning (and I wasn’t even grumpy), put on our boots (well, I did), let the dogs out, fed the animals and gave them fresh water to drink, collected the chicken and ducks’ eggs and gave everyone a good morning snack and a pat. I’d then take a walk with the dogs - Huckelberry, Piper and Lobo and when I came back Asi and I would have coffee on the porch and enjoy the cool morning weather. We spent our days grooming the vegetable garden, we raked and shoveled lots of different types of p**ps, some fresh and some vintage, and spoiled the dogs rotten with way more treats than they should eat, but they’re cute and I’m weak and it is what it is.

Our week at the farm had ended, and although we had a few beautiful, clear days that week, by now, the smoke was back in full force and the rain that was promised didn’t arrive. We were back at the inn, busy doing admin for the last leg of our trip while enjoying the serenity of the place; our mate, Paul, stayed with us one night on his way to Canada and the ‘resident’ deer came to visit us daily, sometimes with their babies and sometimes without, and they seemed to have grown used to our presence, getting closer each time they visit. We were also in the perfect place to catch the Perseid meteor shower that blasted in full glory this year and a stunning a deep partial lunar eclipse. The weather that was starting to cool off marked the end of our time in Troy; we were sad to say goodbye, but we knew that this won’t be the last time we’ll see our friends, and we also knew that like Winnie the Pooh said, we’re lucky to have someone that makes saying goodbye so hard.

15/09/2026

Another eposide of our adventure is now on YouTube! and if you like it, don't forget to LIKE IT and SUBSCRIBE 👍😁

In episode 17 of our South American adventure we leave Nazca and head northeast on our way to Cusco. We're hot, we're cold, we go up the mountains and down to the valleys, we get wet and dry out, but eventually, we make it.

We have a great time in Cusco, exploring the town with our mate Paul (aka ⁨), do some maintenance on the bikes and enjoy the colourful (and loud!) festivals in the town's plaza.

Join us!

In episode 17 of our South American adventure we leave Nazca and he...

09/09/2026

Any guesses what's hidden behind my professional editing skills and where we are?

*Hint: I had to wear some flowers in my hair to get there. Asi struggled 🫣🤭

Only full answers will be accepted 😜

01/09/2026

Episode 16 of our crazy adventure is now live in YouTube, so put on your masks 🫥

In episode 16 of our South American adventure we get caught in a crazy sandstorm on our way to Nasca!
We farewell the beautiful Cañon de Uchco and head towards Paracas, on the Peruvian coast, but as soon as we get on the Panamerican, we're caught in a massive sandstorm and almost get blown away by extremely strong gusty winds. Without a functioning navigation system and with almost zero visibility, we navigate to our destination, only barely keeping our motorcycles upright. The following day, with our bodies still beaten and bruised, we leave Paracas towards Nasca, battling strong winds mixed with dust once again, but fortunately we're still able to witness the magnificent Nasca Lines, before arriving to the town of Nasca.

In episode 16 of our South American adventure we get caught in a cr...

25/08/2026

“Life is What Happens to Us While We Are Making Other Plans” [Allen Saunders]

We've now been in Washington for a few days, and although we’ve seen some beautiful places and met some lovely people, we couldn’t quite put our finger on what’s holding us back from fully enjoying our time there. Was it the excessive heat? Maybe the fact that everything was so expensive? Or, perhaps, the crowds? Could it be that we were simply missing our friends in Montana? Or… is it the fact that our adventure is nearing its end?

Or is it all together?

We woke up to a cloudy and grey morning in Chehalis; we were meant to ride to see Mount St. Helens today, but given the poor visibility and the smoky conditions, we decided to give it a miss and instead stay at the hotel to devise a new plan for the next leg of our adventure. Our original plan had us spending a few more days in Washington before heading to Oregon, and from there zigzagging our way through the south-western part of the USA all the way to L.A., but the next few weeks were going to be extremely hot, school holiday is on for a few more weeks, too, and even if we could ignore the squealing kids and brave the heat, there was nothing we could do against the heavy smoke and roads that closed due to the many wildfires that were raging around us. Our mate, Paul, was also riding around the USA at the time, so we needed to come up with a plan that would also get us together for a couple of days before we part ways again, him – heading north, and us – well… that’s exactly what we needed to figure out.

Eventually we decided to wait a couple more days in Chehalis until Paul will get closer to Lyle where we’ll meet him, and from there we’ll return to Montana and he’ll continue on his way; with everything that was going on we decided to go back to Troy, work a few days on the bikes that are now due for service, then spend a week at Lacey and Jason’s farm while they go on vacation and then – well… we’ll figure it out later. This way we get to spend more quality time with our friends, human and furry alike, we can work comfortably on the bikes, and we might even have some spare time to explore the area a bit more (assuming and hoping that the smoke would subside a bit).

And so, we did!

With only around 200km from Chehalis to Lyle we were in no rush to leave the motel, but as we expected another hot day we couldn’t linger until it got too hot either, and at around 10am we were riding east along the Columbia river; it was very smoky and we could hardly see the river, let alone anything beyond it, and we could only imagine how beautiful the view would be on a clear and sunny day; many trains were passing along the river, hauling goods that keep America running, but also, probably, being the main reason why all the ‘action’ was on the Oregon side of the river and not the Washington side.

We arrived early at the Airbnb that we had booked for the night, bought some groceries for dinner and took a cold shower, just when the heat became too much to bear. Paul arrived a couple of hours later and after an emotional reunion we sat down for a home-cooked meal and some stories about what we’ve missed since we said goodbye in Rio Grande, Argentina over 6 months ago. The following day we rode the short distance from Lyle to a shop in White Salmon where Asi and Paul pimped their luggage system while I was busy petting the cute dog that was enjoying the aircon at the shop before spending $7 on an iced coffee at the café next door (me, not the dog), not including the tip I was embarrassed into paying for the lovely girl to do her job. I know I should have asked for the price beforehand, and I know that I don’t have to leave tip, but I break easily under peer (and caffeine) pressure.

For the who-knows-how-many time, we said goodbye to Paul as he headed in one direction and we, the other, with none of us knowing when, or where, we’ll meet again. It wasn’t as smoky today, so we could finally enjoy the beauty of the endless Columbia River and the glorious Mt. Hood, dominating the skyline on the Oregon side. It gradually became hotter, and we made sure to stay dehydrated and focused; we enjoyed the ride, and were happy to go back to Troy, but we were both also preoccupied with thoughts about today and tomorrow and how the next couple of weeks would look like and what’s next, this trip and, in general. It was scary and confusing and a bit overwhelming, so we did what every normal person would do – got into a deep denial and decided to simply enjoy every day as it comes like we still have 3 more years of travelling ahead of us. We checked in to the motel we had booked for the night in Cheney, took a cold shower and bought some stir-fried dinner at the supermarket across the street. It was no Gordon Ramsay, and it has more sugar in it than a sugarcane, but it was also cheap and satisfying and we only had a mild nausea later that night, so that’s a win in our book.

18/08/2026

A Rookie Mistake.

Excluding one miserable hour of standing under the scorching sun at a red light for roadwork, we really enjoyed the beautiful, scenic route from Missoula to Troy. Montana never ceases to amaze us and we love immersing ourselves in its wild beauty, riding beneath gigantic mountains, along endless rivers, and past deep blue lakes.

Troy, our destination, is a small city in northwest Montana; Originally inhabited by the Kutenai, other Interior Salish peoples as well as the Piegan Blackfeet, the area was settled by miners in the 1880s, registered as a town in 1892 and grew quickly after the Great Northern Railway built a freight station there. Today there are less than 800 people in Troy, a few stores and restaurants, but its location, right on the Kootenai National Forest and the beautiful Kootenai Falls that have been featured in movies such as The River Wild and The Revenant, still attracts many people looking to enjoy some of Montana’s finest natural beauty.

We had already explored the area before, so our reason for coming back here for the second time this trip wasn’t (just) about sightseeing, but rather to visit Lacey and Jason, 2 amazing humans whom we’ve met here for the first time 2 years ago; Lacey and Jason run a magical inn named “Lake Creek Inn” in Troy, and when we stayed here for the first time there was a massive heatwave in the area so we had to extend our stay over and over until the conditions were reasonable enough for us to continue our journey, and during that time we became good friends. The second time we saw them was when they came to Colorado to visit us after Asi’s accident, and there was no way in the world that we’ll be back in the States and not go to see them.

The detour to Troy was one of the best decisions we’ve made on this adventure, and what was meant to be a 2 nights reunion ended up being a week full of laughter that made us cry, food that made us happy (and fat) and some shenanigans (do people still use this word?) that would probably be more suitable for a bunch of 12-year-olds, but between the four of us there’s not a single adult to keep us in check when we’re together, which is bloody awesome. In their beautiful home Lacey and Jason have horses, miniature horses, donkeys, a mule, goats, ducks, chooks, dogs and cats, all super friendly and happy to be cuddled, and while they usually do it just because they’re cute like that, I know that sometimes it’s just be the pile of treats in my pocket which they find to be delicious despite looking like p**p with small pieces of corn kernels in it.

To each their own, I guess.

During our stay in Troy we also had to change our plan, again, and cancel our planned excursion into Banff and Jasper in Canada, again, only this time it wasn’t due to wildfires, but rather because we couldn’t find any insurer who’d be willing to cover our Australian motorcycles for a few days in Canada without us having to sell a kidney, eh; we were disappointed, but we didn’t dwell on it and quickly built an alternative plan which will see us heading to the west coast on the USA instead.

After a sensational week, we said goodbye to Lacey, Jason and their Funny Farm animals and left Troy for Republic, Washington. It is not every day that you happen to stumble upon such great people, and we really felt like us leaving was such a miss, but our visas only allow us a limited time in the USA, and we still had a few bucket-list items to checkout before we head home, so we had no choice but to say goodbye, hoping that we’ll get another chance to meet in the future.

It was warm when we left Troy, and by the time we arrived at Republic, Washington, it was extremely hot, and except for a short walk to the local grocery store for some food for dinner, we spent the evening in our air-conditioned room. From Republic we continued towards Mount Vernon, also in Washington, and enjoyed a magnificent ride through the twisty roads of North Cascades National Park; the scenery was mind-blowing and the colour of the glacial water at Diablo Lake looked so unreal that I had to add a disclaimer to all the photos I shared with my family and friends promising that the photos aren’t edited. We could have easily spent a few more hours at the national park, but there were too many people for our liking and the fuel prices in Washington are so steep that for the first time we actually had to rethink our route, so we decided to head to the motel.

We had terrible grilled chicken for dinner, gutted to find out the following morning that there was a Burger King just around the corner from the motel; for a moment we contemplated whether it’s too early to eat a Whopper before 9am, but decided to act like grown-ups for a change and instead bought some lollies at the gas station. It’s not all fun and games here, you know.

From Mt. Vernon we headed towards Chehalis, looking forward to today’s ride as it will take us through Mount Renier National Park, which we were looking forward to very much. We crossed Seatle, surprised again about how easy it is to cross big cities in the USA, and when we got closer to the national park, we realised that what we didn’t take into consideration, though, or at least slightly underestimated, was the amount of people that flocks the national park on a Saturday, and not just any Saturday, but a school holiday one.

Rookie mistake.

The road was great and the weather was mostly lovely, but the heavy traffic made it very difficult for us to enjoy our ride; grey clouds hovering around Mount Reinier’s peak, but once in a while they’d spread enough and we were treated with a magnificent sight of the mountain’s snowy peak. We pulled over at a gas station for some fabulous home-made jerky that Jason and Lacey made, fuel and a drink, had a fun conversation with a group of Indonesian Harley riders and continued to Chehalis, where we had a room booked for the night. We had Jack-in-the-Box for dinner which made us regret that we didn’t eat the Whopper for breakfast after all, spent a quiet evening at the hotel and called it a night, wondering what is it about Washington that is makes us miss Montana so much.