The Art of the Ride Report - Planning, Tips, Opinions, Discussion

AteamNM, This sounds great! I'll keep an eye out for your report.

If I ever start a ride report, I will finish it. If the report is just for you, why publish it? Do you want to end up in the ADV hall of shame forever immortalized with as an incomplete ride report writer? The minute you start publishing a report on this site you are in effect asking people to invest their time in your story. It is very similar to fishing. You put your bait out there and you check in often to see if you have gotten any hits. Is there anyone here who doesn't look back at their reports to see who is reading them and to answer any questions?

For me, it would be a major embarrassment to start a report and not finish it. You said: "I could care less if you read them or not. I have no obligation to you what so ever." I think that says a lot about you.

I didn't mean to make my initial post anything more than a recommendation to writers. I realize some writers have legitimate reasons for not finishing their RRs and I stated that in my initial post. Good luck in life Dude!

Big talk is easy. Lets see a RR from you.

I have never started a ride report that I have not finished. I even keep an archive of all of my ride reports on my personal website. So what is your point on this?

Where in my post did I say that I only do RRs for me?
Are you trying to make things up to justify the fact that your statements have no basis?

No chance of this ever happening. Once again, making statements without any basis.

That statement makes you sound like a self-proclaimed expert on something that YOU have never done. When I post a RR I am not asking anyone to invest their time or to even read my RR. I post RRs for the benefit of family members and friends that have requested that I do so. I do it for them and for anyone else that might enjoy reading it. No one is under any requirement to read it or even open the post.

My RR post comply accordingly with the rules of the forum that I am posting on. Please show me where, on any motorcycle forum, that the rules state that any RR must comply with any rules that you decide.

How would you know? You have never made the effort to write one.

You are very correct in this statement. It does say a lot about me. It says that I do not find you anywhere near as important as you think that you are. It says that I think that you feel that you are ENTITLED to benefit from the efforts of others, that you have the right to impose your own set of rules upon others, all without putting forth any effort on your part. It says that I think that your statements are the attitude of a very arrogant, inscure, and incapable person. It says that I think that it is way past time that you get up off of the couch, actually do a few LD rides, and actually do a few RRs. It says that I think that if you ever actually started writing RRs that you would have a totally different attitude and maybe some of what you say might have a little more credibility to it.

Until you mature enough to quit your whining and write a few RRs, any communication between the two of us has ended. In order to help reduce the amount of BS that showns up on my computer, you have been added to my ignore list.

Another great thread from Dave! And thanks also to all who have shared. When I found ADV Rider a few years ago during a random search for bike maintenance tips, who would have thought I would eventually be enraptured by a report on how to write a report? While I admit I start reading more of these stories than I finish, I believe each has its own value.

Like many of us, I'm a dreamer. I enjoy the reports that combine the nitty gritty with the "adventure". The technical information some share allows me to relate to the voyage. I can imagine myself in the garage prepping, packing. On the road dealing with the blessings and limitations of modern technology. The emotions felt pulling into the driveway after what seems like an epic journey, even if it's only a day trip.

I'm also human. Things happen. We start these things with the best intentions. Some rides are still true adventures and the reports that tell the tale are worthy of publication or even a movie deal while others tend toward the banal, but still may contain valuable information to someone considering a similar trip.

After spending way too many Alaskan winter days reading other Inmate's contributions I felt it was important for me to do so as well. To take an active part in this thing that gave me so much enjoyment. The problem was I felt most of the rides I did were so well covered that there was nothing left for me to add. But what the hell. I went for it and felt like it was going well until it didn't. I got caught up in something else (probably riding) and after a while the comments ceased and so did the report. But it was an attempt at the kind I would like to read: a little history ala Colebach, a focus on details inspired by Dr. Rock, and a truly fun ride thanks to Southeast Alaska and KTM, all served up with cool links as a nod to LittleWan. The part I had the most difficulty with were the photos. Sorry Dave!

Anyway, it was my bad starting something and not finishing it but I'm certainly not ashamed. Now, after some water under the bridge and the help of this thread, I'm determined to try again.

So, after all that typing which you'll probably just skim through anyway, what do I have to add? If you want to write an awesome report you only need four things:

Three chords and the truth.

Thanks again for the inspiration everyone!

My ride report will be written for my pleasure. I have written a few reports from a trip to Alaska with my parents and nephew in 2005 and my Dad's last run as a locomotive engineer on the CSX railroad. I have personal reasons to make this trip that starts in one week tomorrow. My ride report will share my thoughts, my feelings, my perspective of life on the road and a KLR, as a total newbie - first road trip deal. I want feedback and comments. I want readers to relate, to feel the road, the weather, the emotions and I hope you will know my bike as well as I do. I want you to hear the whine, feel the thermoclines, the ruts and the people I meet and share life with. If I do well, then my mission will be a success. If not, then ADV'ers will flame away. Got to be gusty to write to an unknown audience.

I'm not sure if I will even tell my friends that I'm writing a report. The work will be for the ADV audience, my target is my ADV brothers and sisters. We shall see how it goes. I mailed my boots, helmet and tools today to the current owner in Virginia. I have my large bag packed minus basic clothes, 41 pounds now. I have plane tickets, maps, a GPS. My 25 year old + MSR Firefly finally got going tonight with 20 year old fuel and an initial flame out, emergency response and fire abatement activities followed on my work bench in the garage. Then I got it sorted out on the concrete and let it burn for 20 minutes with only one pumping about half way. Friggin' amazing as well as my Eureka Timberline tent. So I am getting close, I have lists, I have ordered too much gear. But I'm rampin' up and getting stoked.

Ateam

We hear ya bro, you feel cheated. Just page an admin and they will refund your subscription fees to ADV.

Now that's funny!!!!!

I think someone is overly sensitive about this issue . I only wanted to make a statement that any RR writer should intend to finish their report if they start to publish their report, unless of course there is a compelling reason not to. I find it incredible that someone would get so testy over that concept, but hey, it is a big world out there made up of many different personality types and that is what makes life interesting. Over and out-done!

Well, will the Admin refund my lost billable time at work?

I liked the style of Alberto and Naomi's Bella Coola report so much I read the WABCDR and now I'm reading Canada to Argentina. They are obviously tech savvy, which gives the reports a polished look. The photos are top notch and they cover a lot of details of the ride aided by daily notes. Neither of them come across as excessively hardcore riders, but I perceive no egotism or judgement from the writing which is concise and pertinent. I also enjoy Naomi's reviews on their bikes and gear and final thoughts on the places they visit. Good stuff!

Thanks for the props amigo
Naomi does the writing (at the end of each day) and I take the photos we write these reports so we can look back at them and recall the good times (planing on turning them into personal coffee-table books). We enjoy interacting with other inmates Other pros of publishing our RRs is that we can share them with friends and family, and make new friends with common interests.

We've been fortunate enough to meet local riders that followed our RRs and made a few good riding friends. Amazingly, inmates inspired by our ride down to Argentina, have stopped by our place when it was their turn to hit the road (months or even years after reading our RRs).

My advice... from experience :

- Keep it real, tell it like it is.

- Be yourself. Not everyone will like your style and that's fine.

- Don't leave all the writing to the end of the ride (short or long ride) or you'll forget details. It's not easy to write down notes everyday or weekly but you have to make that effort... if you ever want to 'start & finish' you RR.

- Take lots of photos. 1 out 10 will turn out fine. 1 out of 100 will turn out great.

- Interact with your 'subscribers'. Most comments/feedback are encouraging and friendly but some will not be. Don't take yourself too seriously.

- It's called a 'Ride Report'. Write about the ride. Document (photos, videos) the ride.

- Have fun doing the RR. If you're not having fun and you feel 'obligated' to keep it going, drop it. Not everyone needs to publish a RR.

I may be forgetting a couple of more tips... I'll add them here if I remember them

Cheers,

Alberto.

My journey begins in about 12 hours. Should be no trouble sleeping tonight. See you peeps in a few weeks.

Dave,

Ive read a few of your reports and now I find this thread! Great snowball you got rolling downhill here

Since I have not done a report, ill add a few brief things that I enjoy when reading a report.

1) Mixture between having a schedule and not having one. If the route is nothing but plans and needing to be in X location at Y time, I might as well be at work. At the same time, if there is no direction- no goal in mind- the report doesnt build with any intensity (passion). There are exceptions to this in terms of direction/location, but the good reports succeed in having ANOTHER goal (one that is not necessarily a destination).
2) Projection of personality. I want to know the reader and see the world through his/her eyes; simply saying where one has gone without bringing himself into the report makes everything mechanistic and void of feeling. This isnt to say one has to (or even should) give an autobiography of their life- just project their way of LIVING into the experiences they are having.
3) Have balls! I mean this in terms of what you do and how you explain it. I read a report of Fishfunds where he gave status update photos of his shit I honestly didnt look because I didnt want to see a turd, but at the same time I admired the balls he had to be himself. This makes me respect the man (women too), and thus the message.

Keep it coming

Very well said. Fishfund was one of my favorite writers because the RR was as much about him as it was about the trip and he was a very interesting person.

I am truly an ADV rider now. Flights from hell, canceled and stranded in Atlanta on Wednesday night. Finally made it into Richmond Virginia Thursday afternoon. Purchased my bike, somehow got it loaded with a ton of shit and rode 80 miles of twisties into the Appalachia's and camped on the Virginia/West Virginia border at 3000 feet. Found a small little grassy road and got the tent pitched at dark thirty before rain. A great head lamp still sucks in the rain and dark. I made an island in the tent and called the river running through the KLR river. Lightning, mega rain, thunder the whole deal. Wet tent, wet bag, wet stuff, wet and cold bike this morning. I kept thinking that a hotel with a shower and cable is so over rated. I did buy a cheap $4 dollar tripod stool. It was awesome in the tent, securing all my wet gear on top of other wet gear in a vain attempt to keep vital stuff dry. Rode 340 miles today and made it to my Mom;s house. 2 lane road travel takes triple the time of an interstate. I took pictures, I stopped at cool places, I road wet roads in the fog covered in leaves. I passed coal trucks and had to brake hard too many times going down hill into crazy hair pins. How come they don't make wind shield wipers for motorcycle helmets? How are you supposed to see at night in the rain? I also rode wind trials today. Cross wind madness, really. I had to push my left handle bar and lean 45 degrees over the bars to hold my line. I felt like Kenny Roberts and Bernie Schriber riding in serious post storm winds today. I found the wind very rude. Fall colors have just peaked in many areas. New River, the Gaulle River, Greenbank WVA, Pocahontas County is very wild and wonderful.


No real ride report yet, but I'm working on it. Just thought I would say hello. See ya on the trail. Ateam and the KLR - Jo Jo

Heh heh, lets here you say that after 2 weeks of wet, cold gear

The wet tent sucked. I was being cynical. Yea, lets see how I fare after many days of camping.

I must say that the beginning has been all I wanted. The delivery and take off from the owners was good and I made about 90 miles before dark and rain at the Virginia/West Virginia border at about 3,000 feet. I had a miserable night camping in the rain but I survived and the next day Friday was spectacular and epic. The ridge and valley riding with crazy switch backs and then small beautiful and quiet little valley towns was refreshing. The weather went to hell around Charleston and the next 3 hours riding into the tri state area of Ashland/Huntington area was Friday rush hour traffic, mega wind and rain. The KLR just tractors through. I am learning the bike and trusting it more and more. I keep forgetting that the bike may be a dirt bike but not with a ton of crap on it. I made a U turn and didn't have enough black top so I went into a small bar ditch and really got squirrely roosting out of the ditch and back on the road. I threw down some trials moves to clean it and ride out. So far the worse experience less the storm on Thursday night was the airport in Richmond, a coffee quest that ultimately I was the victor. I did have a woman in a group tell me that if I were going to ride a motorcycle across the USA I needed to practice first. I told her I had studied up on it.

I'm all into the look over the words Dave. You have this down pat with 100% of what a post is suppose to be. A picture tell a thousand words, and you have added at the BEGINING of your posts what the ride is ABOUT; along with some details to help a person gain some info of WHAT/ and WHERE the picture is from. You said one thing that caught my attention . Don't be to CRITICAL/ or to much DETAIL in WORDS !!!!!!!!!!!! "

Your passion is in the posts that you put up on the form, and WE need to look at your awsome work so we can use our own IMAGINATION. I'm just finishing 2 years of in depth reading, because I have been eliterat for 46 years.

I use this as an example into the un-know-en. You see a object in the middle of no were, and there is no sign/ tracks/ or clue of what it is. Your gears start to turn, and you ask all of what you don't know. This is what HEART SPARK is Dave. You share through your camera lens what most people miss. You keep it simple and to the point, and thats why I am proud to post this on this post

You are a SUPER HREO Dave.
From Jeathrow Bowdean

I forgot to mention the second part of my reply about your posts Dave. A good song writer, writes the song that comes from with in. The insterment in hand is the tool used to express this; eg...... his words/ voice/ guitar/ base/ drums/ horn...... ect....

Your tool is the camera Dave, and I know that you want more; this is ok to want this for your self, and with us that truely enjoy having experienced your hard work you have posted on this sight. I wanted more for my self and my friends, so I took up the Jeathrow Bowdean higher learning skill so I can see the world from a diffrent angle. It has been a long road of 46 years.

Vission/ sounds/ and words are what capture the human soul from with in Dave, and we humans only need one of the two. It would be nice to cover all the bases so nothing is left out, but some where or thing will never satisfy us totally with our own works. There is a saying that I heard a few years back, and it still rings true today.

Price/ Quality/ and Time; Pick any of the two, but you can not have all Three. From what I see of your posts Dave, I see you picked quality and time. You picked this because you wanted to steep up the game plan, and I must say that you have set the bar very high.

But then again, what do I know about this stuff. Ha. From Jeathrow Bowdean in Western Canada.