Finding GS relief right here at home
For the past decade I have served in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. Nearly four years ago I deployed to the Middle East. While most parts of my deployment were incredibly rewarding, the things that I saw and experienced while serving as a mortuary chaplain left an emotional impact that fundamentally changed my life. Nightmares, anxiety, and flashbacks became so much a part of my life that I eventually had to reach out for help. When I got plugged into the VA for counseling I had no idea BMW GS motorcycles would become a critical part of my recovery process.
Experiencing a different kind of riding
For most of my motorcycling career I have been a sport touring rider. Even before I knew that term existed, one of the first things I did when I first got my license was to throw a pair of soft saddlebags on the back of my Kawasaki Ninja 500 and go a on a week-long motorcycle camping trip. That tendency continued when I returned to riding and bought a Honda Nighthawk. That bike served me well for a year before being traded in on one of the ultimate sport tourers, a 2009 BMW R1200RT, named Brunhilda. The RT has become my commuter, weekend rider, and two-up mount whenever my wife wants to join me for an afternoon. It does all of that very well, but one thing it does not do is dirt and gravel.
This spring I was introduced to adventure riding during a veterans’ PTSD retreat with the Motorcycle Relief Project. MRP was a life-changing experience and helped me begin the process of healing from the mental and emotional effects of my service. It also set the hook of off-road riding extremely deep in my soul. After I returned home I began the process of hunting for an adventure bike of my own. After a few months of looking at KLR’s, V-Stroms, Himalayans, CB500Xs, and even a Buell Ulysses, in July I plunked my money down on a 2006 BMW R1200GS. The black and gold coloration also inspired me to dub the bike Hayden, in honor of Hayden Fry the coach of my beloved Iowa Hawkeyes in the 1980-90’s.
The GS got the nod for a few reasons. First of all, it was same type of machine I had ridden with MRP. Additionally, it is the same engine as my RT and the controls are laid out nearly identically so it was easy learning curve. Finally, it was available from the same local shop that sold me the RT. Because I have a good relationship with them, I knew that they would stand by the bike if anything went wrong. Fortunately, nothing has and I have found that the GS has allowed me to expand my riding repertoire in ways that I never expected. My commute has become much more dirt based than I knew was possible. Two or three times a week I ride twenty or so miles to work on unpaved roads that I did not even know existed six months ago.
Relief and recovery on Crowley’s Ridge
Thanks to the GS even simple Saturday afternoon rides this fall have begun to take on a bit an epic sensation. The area just north of Dexter is known as Crowley’s Ridge. It stretches 200 miles from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, to Jonesboro, Arkansas, and was formed by loess deposits blowing off the Mississippi River hundreds of thousands of years ago. It is geographically distinct from both the much rockier Ozarks to the west and extremely flat and sandy Bootheel just to the south. Most importantly, the dirt and gravel roads of Crowley’s Ridge are the perfect match for my skillset. There are enough undulations and curves to keep things interesting, but nothing so gnarly as to overwhelm my rudimentary off-road abilities.
While I still have a long way to go before I am able to make this bike do all that it is capable of, even a few months of a GS ownership has completely transformed my riding life. It has opened up beautiful new vistas in my area that I never imagined. It has also given me more confidence in low traction environments than ever before. My speeds on gravel and dirt are rapidly improving and the backroad version of my commute gets quicker and quicker every week.
Most importantly, GS ownership has brought the meditative, and restorative adventure riding experience I felt in Arizona with the Motorcycle Relief Project home to me right here in southeast Missouri. There is a long way to go for me in my post-deployment emotional recovery, but thanks to the MRP, lots of wind-therapy with Hayden, and (most importantly) the incredible people I have encountered along the way I am stronger than I have been in several years.
For all of that, I am #sofngr8fl.
If you would like to support the Motorcycle Relief Project’s work with veterans and first responders please consider making a financial gift by visiting their website.
