Trail Rider Magazine

Flashback! September2025 5 If you're reading this magazine, you're a motorcyclist. I like the term as I enjoy all forms of motorcycling. Although my preference is challenging single track, I do enjoy a relaxing trip exploring dirt roads and even some occasional pavement pounding. Having been addicted to two-wheeled enjoyment for well over 55 years, it's a form of recrea on that only true motorcyclists understand. A couple of weeks ago, I a ended Dirt Daze 2025, a spectacular adventure bike rally held on the bor- der of northern New Hampshire and Vermont, I greatly enjoyed hanging with a group of approximate- ly 1000 like-minded people over a four-day period, who all share this great passion. Occasionally, a non-riding friend or neighbor might ask why I s ll ride motorcycles, and some mes you'll run into a childhood friend who's surprised that you s ll ride and why you didn't grow out of it when life choices took priority. Genuine motorcyclists will agree, riding is a wonderful form of therapy. It's the zone you get into when it's just you and the machine. A zone that temporarily erases life's demands and chal- lenges. Yes, it might take a few miles to get there, but once you relax and get into the zone, it's a beau- ful thing. Magical in my eyes. In discussing this presence amongst friends at Dirt Daze, my take on it could be compared to a musi- cian. As for playing a musical instrument, I have zero talent. Watching a musician, say a drummer, for instance, with all four limbs doing en rely different jobs seems like magic to me. How they train their brain to have their hands and feet do dras cally different tasks seems surreal to me, yet as motorcy- clists, this is exactly what we do. Like musicians, some pick it up instantly, others take years of prac ce to get there. Once achieved, ge ng into this zone is a wonderful place. Man and machine interac ng as one. Well, my friends, this is what Dirt Daze is all about. Like-minded people who live in this zone for liter- ally miles on end. Case in point, a cool dude named Bill, whom I met rolling into North Haverhill, New Hampshire, while stocking up on supplies for the event. Bill was riding a Harley-Davidson Pan America that looked like it had never seen a bath. With his hard bags covered in s ckers, it was clear that Bill had been places. We soon struck up a conversa on, and I asked him how many miles were on his bike. Bill said 102,000, but he didn't put them all on himself, as it had 2000 miles on it when he bought it in October of 2023. Yes, folks, Bill has ridden 100k on his Harley ADV bike in less than two years! That's a lot of me spent in the zone chasing events while hanging with motorcyclist friends. Another cool character I met at Dirt Daze was a woman named Madeline. An unassuming-looking lady with an amazing story. Over the last 10 years or so, Madeline has been riding solo all over the globe. She's covered the US from coast to coast, South America all the way to Argen na, and even North to South Africa. Her method of transporta on for the majority of these events? A Yamaha XT250! As for shorter rides throughout the US, Madeline prefers a small bore, and her most recent mode of transpor- ta on is a 2024 Honda CT125 that she's enjoyed tremendously for the past 6,000 miles. I've got huge respect for these hyper-milers of the sport. If you've racked up these many miles, you've got mad skills behind the bars along with dealing with all the personali es encountered along the way. It takes a special breed, and we are a special breed. Having an opportunity to spend me with such fine people is always enjoyable, and if you've been thinking of a ending an ADV event such as Dirt Daze, I highly encourage it, as motorcyclists are some of the best people you'll ever meet in this life me!

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