The December issue of Ultimate Motorcycling is one of my favorite issues, though I must be honest when I say it reveals some mixed emotions. It’s the nature of a year-end issue, as it lands at the end of our Gregorian calendar, with our lives being a stone’s throw away from January and, ultimately, a New Year. The 2024 New Model Extravaganza in this December issue of the magazine app is evidence enough. There is also a flip side to this—a year’s end is cause for some self-reflection, taking a beat, and perhaps taking stock of what we’ve covered, whether that be news, the bikes themselves, or the mileage it took to get there. With some luck, 2023 is a year we can look back on fondly.
This year involved a fair bit of travel for the magazine, one that took us to more than the usual European destinations or random parts of the United States. It was downright exotic for this pasty Californian in particular. Instead, I can add a dart in Africa aboard the 2023 Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition and one in India—you’ll be able to read up on the 2024 Royal Enfield Himalayan soon enough.
The usual haunts were, ummm, haunted, though plenty of new territory was discovered along the way. Perhaps the least surprising twist is that both bikes were aptly named. One offered nothing short of what I’d describe as an expedition (though, in retrospect, “Safari” would have been a more fitting name), and I tested the Himalayan in the Himalayas. Also, here’s a fun fact: That’s probably the only time I’ll eat Indian food in India, which, as cuisine goes, is incredible.
What stands out about some of these trips is that these things aren’t necessarily my forte. I ride off-road and enjoy it; I’ve even been known to own dual-sport bikes occasionally. But we also have this dude on staff named Jess McKinley and EIC Don Williams, who were both born riding dirt, molded by it, and they didn’t ride in the streets until they were men! Yes, I butchered a Bane quote, and you’re welcome to read that in his scraggly voice.
2023 was a year of variety. I rode different bikes, tasted different foods, and was bitten by different bugs. It was pretty awesome when you boil it down to its finer points—except for large, menacing flying creatures in Africa, which aren’t cool at all.
I’m not one to flip at the calendar and proclaim that this is “my year” or that this year will “be different.” Nor would I be one to impose that on someone else, especially you, dear reader. I’ve always felt that the year will be an expansion of whatever you’re doing now. If your efforts are aimed in a particular direction at 11:59 p.m. on December 31, it stands to reason that at 12:01 a.m. on January 1, your sights will still be aimed in that direction. For many in my age group, that probably means a prompt trot to bed while we leave the festivities to the young bucks among us. I’m not in the AARP bracket, although most of my lifestyle might indicate otherwise.
There are times when the toolkit needs to be reshuffled, and we’ll need to shake things up a bit. As comfortable as I might be on anything that calls the asphalt home, the market has recently pumped out quite a few off-road-minded models, and someone’s gotta ride ’em. This year was different in a lot of ways.
And that’s a good thing. Repetition can make things dull, so why not jazz it up by putting a different spin on things? Now, I’m as realistic as the next person and fully acknowledge that jumping on a plane or being whisked away to South Africa or the Himalayas for a motorcycle ride is not realistic for the average American person. Maybe one of those bucket-list trips would be possible. Maybe. Simply trying something new, or better yet, newish, is possible.
That off-road riding buddy that’s been egging you on to go out with them? Do it. Maybe the V-twin pal that tells you about Born Free or some other gathering? Why not go for it? A track day with some borrowed leathers and a not-so-track-oriented motorcycle? You wouldn’t be the first. Maybe you’ve thought about doing a school or tour.
When typing about motorcycles, sometimes we get caught up in our thought processes to get things right. Fits and starts, and no words typed on the screen don’t help anyone, so if you can manage to ham-fist a halfway intelligent sentence on the keyboard, you’re making progress; at least something measurable is happening.
And the same can be said about trying new things, roads, disciplines, hell, maybe just a new restaurant on your Sunday ride. That bacon-wrapped-whatever will still be waiting for you the following weekend if the new joint is a total miss. But, hey, you gave it a shot and experimented. At the end of the day, fried food usually finds a way to be tasty, so we’re not exactly playing with fire on that one.
As we mosey toward the New Year, that’s where I’ll leave everyone with. Start small, take the first step, and have a great 2024.
