THE RIDE – WHAT WOULD YOU DO AT AGE 19 GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPLETELY RESET YOUR LIFE?

Here’s what I did. I quit my disappointing construction job and hit the road on my 2020 Harley-Davidson Softail. The 8,000-mile cross country adventure began, as I was destined to encounter some of the most beautiful places in the country for the very first time. This is the opportunity given to me in August 2021 and boy did I take it!

I started west of Atlanta and worked my way Northeast with two other riders and no destination in sight, no deadline, just “The Ride,” and nothing else. Riding through Blueridge and Appalachia country gives such a good picture of the true routes of the south. As good as those roads were through the Carolinas, Virginia, and West Virginia, the best was yet to come.

My most memorable experience of the first leg was most definitely Michigan. Seeing the freshwater ocean that is Lake Michigan blew my mind. Coming from Florida, I’m accustomed to saltwater with vast horizons over the Gulf and the Atlantic Ocean. Knowing this was a Great Lake of freshwater was an experience almost beyond belief. From towns like Charlevoix and Petoskey we then headed past Mackinaw City into the many lesser-known wonders of the upper peninsula of Michigan. We rode beyond Great Lake Huron in Sault Ste Marie with the great Soo Locks. Next, we ventured west, exploring an untamed wilderness and riding the winding roads and windy coast of Lake Superior, the greatest of all the lakes.

From there we continued the trek west, headed for Sturgis, the home of the world’s largest motorcycle rally. Who could believe it? I was a 19-year-old kid loading up his bike, with no windshield, no cruise control, no saddlebags, no fairings, bare bones stock, riding across America and making his way to Sturgis. This after experiencing Bike Week in Daytona for the first time just a few months earlier. During our stay in Sturgis, we stayed at a hotel in Rapid City as our base camp for day rides throughout the Black Hills.

During the trip I became aware of an amazing group called Bunk-A-Biker; a community of like-minded bikers from all walks of life who banded together with a common interest, our love of The Ride. Throughout the world, many members of the Bunk-A-Biker community offer their home to fellow bikers as they travel and explore from the seat of their motorcycles. Check it out on Facebook, or do a Google search. The people I met along the way had such big impacts on me, inspiring me to keep pursuing my love of riding and supported me every step of my journey. After leaving Sturgis, we followed the setting sun towards Wyoming, one of my favorite states. Vast open plains span the state, and the stunning mountain ranges of Big Horn National Park, Chief Joseph Highway, and Beartooth Pass as we moved north toward Red Lodge, Montana, were undeniably magnificent.

At this point in the journey, I knew I wanted to go the next leg alone and experience our beautiful country by myself, just me and the bike. So I set off, stopping in Colorado on my way through New Mexico and Texas. Riding through Texas made me aware of just how big it truly is. I hit three major cities and even then I knew I had only scratched the surface of Texas culture.

With more than three weeks on the road, my body was telling me it was time to start heading east at a leisurely pace, although I had a few more roads and cities in mind. At the top of the list was New Orleans. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had hurricane plans that sent me farther north with the trip to the Big Easy relinquished to another day and another ride.

With four weeks on the road and my base location 600 miles away, I pointed my bike in that direction. After more than 12 hours, I rolled into base camp, having accomplished my task of setting out on a journey of self-discovery and connection with other passionate riders like me, my Tribe.

Throughout this journey, I awakened a passion in myself, a passion to ride, to explore, to make new friends, new memories, and most of all, to answer the call of the road. I’m thankful for everyone who has helped me along the way of this newfound discovery, the bunk-a-bikers, the friends, my supporters, and Born To Ride Magazine for giving me the opportunity to share my story with others. See you on the road, because I was Born to Ride!

 

Noah Fuller, follow him at FullerRides IG and Youtube