#Motojournalism

By Peter Jones

I didn’t get a new motorcycle for Christmas, but I did get a new chainsaw. They’re enjoying the same conundrum as we are over there in the chainsaw world – gas versus electric. Since “range” is not important for me (I only want to trim branches and cut things up around the house and maybe in the bathtub), I went with a plug-in electric. I didn’t know you could get a chainsaw for 75 bucks, or I probably would’ve gotten one years ago. I mean, I’d like to ride motorcycles every weekend, but somebody’s gotta take care of the homestead – and the faster the better.

Hello. Is it safe to stick my head up out here yet? Yes, it’s true. Big Dirty Sean Alexander and Kevin Duke have Left the Building (not that MO actually has a building) – also our compadre Scott Rousseau from sistership Dirtbikes.com. As the wise man once told me on my way out the door, don’t think of this as a door closing, but as another one opening. Ahh… why not? The bad news is we don’t get to work with those guys anymore. The good news is they’ll be fine; Duke’s already slogging away making videos for a large marketing company with oceanfront offices – his strong suit, really. The other good news is that my direct deposit is still depositing. C’mon, that’s a joke. I’m gonna miss those big lugs.

Writing about motorcycles for a quarter century has given me incredible opportunities on and around bikes of all sorts, many of which are the kinds of behind-the-velvet-rope things available only to motojournalists. I feel truly blessed when I look back at the breadth of experiences bestowed upon me just because I can fumble out a few words describing them.

It’s hard for me to believe, but right around this time 10 years ago I got my start as a motojournalist, working for Rider magazine under the tutelage of Mark Tuttle, who still helms the magazine today. It’s been a wild and crazy ride this past decade, and every so often I still pinch myself just to make sure this isn’t all a dream. Over the past decade, I’ve been lucky enough to travel to some of the most exotic locations around the world and pilot some extraordinary motorcycles. To celebrate, here are some of my favorite memories from the past 10 years.

Lead Image by Alfonse Palaima MOTOINSIDER:

In the course of obtaining my journalism degree, I remember being presented with a career path choice: Print or Broadcast. To me, one entailed the gathering and processing of facts into digestible chunks of prose accompanied by a photojournalist’s images. The other was wearing a yellow rain slicker while standing in a hurricane and informing people how windy it is (cut to the B-roll of some unlucky evacuee’s roof being blown off).

OK, bear with me. This is a kinda difficult confession for me to make – and in public, no less. Here goes: I’ve never been to a motorcycle rally.

Lead photo (above): The flower of North American motojournalism ponders the fate of the world in the Munich Hofbrauhaus.