Backpacker Moto

Founded in 1894, Vroman’s of Pasadena is the oldest and largest independent bookstore in southern California. As a four-eyed bookworm of a young boy, I remember my exultation every time I conned my mother into taking me to Vroman’s. All the stories, all the tales, all the adventures, waiting on the shelves for me to explore.
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Beyond doubt, I know that many of you had similar experiences at whatever small bookstore was nearest to your childhood home.
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I am quite humbled that, for a limited time and at a special price, The Trans Asia Endeavour is now available at Vroman’s of Pasadena, on the shelves and online. Check my bio for the link.
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If you’re a SoCal local, perhaps make a trip to the Pasadena main store or its satellite Hastings Ranch location.
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Whether it’s online or in-person, my book or any book, please consider buying your next one from an independent store. More than ever, they need our support.
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Photo 1: Two classics, hanging out. @vromansbookstore @officialtriumph
Photo 2: Bourdain, riding my coattails.
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#vromans
#vromansbookstore
#indiebookstore
#bookstagram
#advrider
#adventurerider
#motoadventure
#motorcycleadventure
#mototravel
#triumphmotorcycles
#triumphbonneville

Two years ago, I was so preoccupied with departing upon my Trans Asia trip, along with the subsequent journey itself, it was months before I learned that Niki Lauda had passed away. Belatedly, I share this memory:
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In 1976, my dad pulled me out of elementary school on a Friday so that a seven-year-old boy could fully experience the arrival of Formula 1 on the west coast of the United States.
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It was a different era in F1; no motorhomes or massive compounds, just the Long Beach Convention Center converted to a large communal pit area. Ropes were all that separated Ferrari from Lotus from McLaren. Drivers sat on stacks of tires while arguing with mechanics. The paying public could stand mere feet away from the legendary men and machines.
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Late afternoon and all the drivers were in the pit area, with a gaggle of reporters swarmed around the reigning champ, one Andreas Nikolaus Lauda. The Austrian patiently tolerated the mundane and rudimentary questions being posed by an ignorant American media.
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Without warning, my father (a German immigrant) boldly stepped into the throng of reporters and addressed Niki in their shared native language. Lauda, saved from the inane media interrogations, turned towards Dad and immediately took up a lengthy conversation. They laughed and joked in German. The ignored reporters fidgeted, unsure what to do.
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I stared upwards with glazed eyes as MY father spoke with the Formula 1 Champion of the World. Dad then pulled my brother and me front and center. Niki smiled broadly, greeted us, and autographed our race programs.
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A few months later, Lauda had his accident at the Nordschleife.
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In 1994, a short time after my father had suddenly passed away, Niki and I had a reunion of sorts. When Ferrari was the featured marque at the Monterey Historics, Lauda made a surprise appearance in the paddock. Once again he signed my event program. He then climbed into a perfectly restored '76 Ferrari 312T2 and hustled it around Laguna Seca. No helmet, just the Parmalat cap on backwards.
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These scans are from my archives. Copyright to original publisher.
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@scuderiaferrari @mercedesamgf1
#nikilauda #lauda #scuderiaferrari #mercedesamgf1 #tbt

I’ve been laying low for many months now. The reasons are plentiful, but mostly I’ve been living life, enjoying the outdoors, and doing what I can for others through volunteer work.
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I’ve continued to deliver priority prescriptions to assisted living facilities, while also spending a massive amount of time at a local boarding school that provides essential housing for international students. Many of their teenagers have been locked down for an entire year; they haven’t left the campus once in all that time, unable to visit their families in distant countries. I’ve been helping to upgrade their entire technology infrastructure, while regaling the impressionable kids with tales of my reckless journeys and hilariously bad choices that have led to great adventures.
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Speaking of… BOOK UPDATE! We’re out of the quagmire!
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The original printer for the print edition of The Trans Asia Endeavour has agreed to release me from his contract. There were no hard feelings, he just couldn’t commit to a solid schedule (he delayed it no fewer than eleven times), therefore we agreed it was best for me to find another solution.
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GOOD NEWS: I am now with a different print company, their quality and reputation are superb, and I have a cast iron print date of Friday, May 14 2021. Finally!!!
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As a result, I’ve decided to do an early release of the eBook version to all the enlightened people who pre-ordered The Trans Asia Endeavour. The eBook will be available before the end of April.
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Closely related! For those of you who pre-ordered, soon I will be looking for volunteers to assist in testing the eBook distribution app that I plan to use. If you’ve got an Android, iOS, or Kindle Fire device, then you’re eligible to help out. And while virtue should be its own reward, in this case you deservedly get a tangible one:
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You’ll receive a huge preview of the eBook several weeks before its full release! How huge? At least half of the book, perhaps two thirds. Damnit Jim, I’m a writer, not a mathematician.
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Thanks again to everyone who has been so incredibly patient.
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#transasiaendeavour #advrider #rtwtravel #mototravel #motorcycle #motorcycleofinstagram

For more than a decade, the wonderful folks at West Main Animal Hospital in Alhambra, CA have been incredibly professional, compassionate and kind as they've taken care of our furry family members.
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Protocols are a bit complicated for vets in these Covid-19 times. So when I learned they could use some help doing a round-trip delivery of medicines to and from another veterinary clinic, I pestered them to let the Monster and me do it, a tiny favor in return for all they've done for me. They relented, probably to keep me from bugging them.
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Thanks to all the amazing people in the animal health care field who look after our loved ones.
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#cats
#dogs
#veterinarian
#ducatimonster
#ducatimonster796

Day 9 of "Monster House Calls" here in the greater Los Angeles area, where I've been volunteering to deliver priority prescriptions to assisted living facilities and elderly folks. But I'm taking a quick timeout in order to show some gratitude to James in far away Amsterdam.
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You see, a few weeks back, James ordered a pre-sale copy of my upcoming (but now delayed) book, The Trans Asia Endeavour. Then, a few weeks later, he kindly chose to order a second copy.
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But that's not why I'm thanking him.
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When I noticed the two separate orders, each of them saddled with an international shipping cost to the Netherlands, I reached out to offer him the opportunity to ship both books together, pay the shipping just once, and then he'd receive a refund on that second shipping cost.
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This was his response: "Your proposal of returning the cost difference is kind, but please keep it and use it to fill your tank with fuel, on the errands you are running for the elderly and in-need."
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So here's me filling up the Monster, courtesy of James' goodwill. Also, a few shots of the Ducati making said deliveries.
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My sincerest thanks, sir.
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#goodwill
#ducati
#ducatimonster
#ducatimonster796

Recently, I volunteered to deliver high priority prescriptions to assisted living facilities and to senior citizens who are self-quarantined at home. But what bike to use? My beloved Triumph T100? My indestructible Suzuki SV650? I certainly wouldn't dare touch my wife's precious Ducati Scrambler.
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The answer became obvious. The scalpel of choice for this mission would be my 2013 Monster 796.
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Chances are, when you think "delivery conveyance", a Ducati probably doesn't leap to mind. Stay with me here. The satanic growl of the Desmo twin, accentuated by Termignonis, will ensure social distancing compliance with all self-absorbed pedestrians whose eyes are glued to their smartphones. Furthermore, elderly folks awaiting their delivery will have ample warning of my approach, giving them plenty of time to disinfect the mail slot before I've even dismounted curbside.
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But mostly, per Dr. Emmett Lathrop Brown, if you're gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?
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I bought the bike in 2018 with just 550 miles on the odometer. The original owner had purchased it new, rode it for a month, then his wife became pregnant. She demanded the cessation of all riding activities (and who knows what else). He wilted. The Monster sat in his garage for years until he decided to sell it to me at less than half its MSRP.
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Since then, I've embarked upon a journey to get my 6'3" frame/35" inseam onto a bike designed for 5'8" Italians. It's a work in progress. Visually, I replaced the stock headlight with an assembly that is more loyal to the original Monster look. Also, the bike came from the factory in the traditional all-red livery, which I carefully removed and replaced with the rare Ducati Corse art kit.
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Day 1 of "Monster House Calls" started perfectly. As I rendezvoused at my very first pickup point, some local heroes in a sweet red ride of their own pulled up right behind me. We chatted for a few minutes while they briefed me on delivery protocols, then we heaped praise on each other's steeds, shot some photos, and roared out of there in tandem, me with the revs soaring, them with the sirens blazing.
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#ducati
#ducatimonster
#ducatimonster796

Things are a bit messy out there, similar to the chaos that ensues when a hack like me dares to tackle a wiring harness. Still, I hope everyone is in good health, good spirits, and also what I find myself needing frequently: good perspective.
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Several weeks ago I received an email from the company that's producing both the print and e-book editions of The Trans Asia Endeavour. No surprise, they were suspending operations indefinitely due to the COVID19 outbreak. Since then, I've been frantically scrambling to find a suitable replacement printer who had yet to send home its workforce. It was a fool's errand, of course.
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Finally this past week, I surrendered to The Inevitable: there's no sidestepping the reality that the book, which was scheduled to ship on April 24, will be significantly delayed beyond that. The moment I have any updated news on printing/shipping estimates, I'll get out the word as quickly as possible.
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My sincerest apologies to everyone for the delay. While I'm frustrated and disappointed by this setback, I realize it is an insignificant problem when compared to what our communities are facing.
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To that point, I've decided to shift my obsessive focus to something more productive. I am currently in the Los Angeles area, where my family has a lengthy history of working with senior citizens. A longtime friend of my parents recently reached out, inquiring if I'd be interested in volunteering to deliver high priority prescriptions to assisted living facilities and seniors who are self-quarantined at home. It'd require excellent knowledge of the region and a vehicle capable of safely scything from one location to the next. In short, a tailor-made mission for a motorcyclist.
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I jumped at it. Since then, I've been overdosing on the friendly waves of isolated elderly folks who smile at me from inside their front windows. Yup, it's good perspective. And in my free time, I'm trying to procure a few final pieces of equipment that will allow me to create a mini-studio, in order to commence recording of the Audio edition of The Trans Asia Endeavour.
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Best wishes to all,
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– Jeff / BPM
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#perspective

For my solo enduro ride on the only known off-road route across Asia, my buddy wisely advised, "Wear as much boot as you're willing to tolerate."
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What he really was saying was, "Don't wear a light beer 'adventure' boot, wear a MX boot and benefit from real protection." He was dead right, of course.
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Fortunately, no tolerating was needed, as the Forma Dominators were wonderfully comfy for all 10,000 miles of my trip.
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Still, note the minimum safe distance from my sleeping quarters! #smellyfeet
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@formabootsusa
@formaboots
@suzukicycles
#formabootsusa
#motorcycleboots
#advrider
#russia
#rtwtravel
#dualsport
#dualsportadv
#backpackermoto
#transasiaendeavour