Jon Beck ADV

“I was riding over the high pass between Batopilas and Creel during a record snowfall in Chihuahua, Mexico. The day was intended to be a relatively short one, so I only had a basic backpack hydration system and no luggage. The temperature got down to just above zero as the sun was setting. I was riding on a completely iced over dirt road with snow blanketing everything else. The growing darkness helped the situation by revealing a small campfire in the forest. A trio of Tarahumarans was walking between towns and had elected to spend the night in that spot. I figured if these guys knew how to light a campfire in the snow, they were the ones to ask for some information. Two only spoke Rarámuri, but one spoke Spanish. That conversation gave me the information and confidence to ride on, and it all worked out, albeit with a few slams. That ice was thick!” – Jon Beck

“My name is Jonathan Beck, and I’m from Southern California in the USA.” Jon started riding around 2002, with his early riding mostly focused on exploring the famed areas around northern Baja. “My first bike was a significantly beat up 1995 KTM 620 RXC I found on eBay. The seat height was nosebleed level, no side stand, a left-hand kick, finicky carb, and a fire-breathing personality. I was told I’d hate it and that I would quit within a week. However, the opposite turned out to be true.” Jon overhauled the bike doing an extensive rebuild and proceeded to ride it over most of California and Mexico. “Less than six months later I picked up an equally quirky trials motorcycle, a 1995 RTX 125, which started me competing in trials events.”

Jon has worn many hats throughout his career so far; “I’ve been an actor, done some modeling, been a precision rider, web developer, recently I was even hired as an expert witness related to drone photography for a trial. It’s truly a very mixed bag.” The bulk of Jon’s work, however, has been photography and videography, but even that covers a wide swath of subject matter along with the use of both digital and old film equipment. “Originally I graduated from Pepperdine University with a management degree but various hobbies over the years have ended up becoming jobs.” Adventure motorcycling has never been far from his day to day existence though. “In 2007 I was shooting a movie unrelated to motorcycles on the east coast, and rather than fly home I bought a used bike off Craigslist.” Jon ended up riding that bike on and off-road across the USA and Mexico back to California. It was from this trip that he wrote a few stories which eventually led to receiving more work in the field of motorcycle journalism. “I’ve been shooting motorcycles almost full-time ever since.”

His career in motorcycle journalism has given him the opportunity to meet people on his travels and to interact with cultures he might not otherwise have experienced. The work itself is also challenging and varied. “I suppose I’d have to split this into two parts, journalism and photography. Most of my moto journalism gets done in the context of larger photography projects. Then again while wearing the journalist’s hat, documenting my travels becomes a huge perk. On to the photography/videography side, the ‘best part’ usually depends on the project. Sometimes the interest is derived from exciting locations or subject matter, other times using interesting methods to record what might be considered mundane is equally fascinating. I still depend heavily on older film cameras and feel this is the best way to record things in many cases.”

“How many miles… I’ve no idea, a lot. I do know the longest single day I’ve done was 1257 mi / 2022 km in Mexico. I’ve put in a few 1000 mi /1600 km plus days in the saddle. I’m generally more off-road orientated than on, so I suppose big miles are relative. When it comes to personal bikes, with odometers, I have roughly 200 000 mi / 321 900 km on them. That being said, I’ve spent multiple years on both domestic and international press bikes while my bikes went unridden.” He’s also traveled extensively to over thirty countries and done brief stopovers in another half dozen. One of the best moments though during all these travels happened on a beach in Nicaragua. “I rolled on to an untracked beach that some locals later told me didn’t even have a name. I had a 5’10” surfboard strapped to the side of an AG 200 and was just exploring. Staring out at a smooth expanse of sand sandwiched between a tropical forest and a near perfect right point break with little idea where the nearest paved road was qualified as magical to me.”

Jon is optimistic about the future of the motorcycling industry and offers up the idea that the coming years hold a “trifecta of smaller, lighter and electric motorcycles.” Personally, he’s sticking to the internal combustion engine for now and going big. His current personal stable also reflects that with a selection of motorcycles that all have their “intended” purpose. “For adventure traveling my primary machine is a KTM 1090 Adventure R. I was at the IMS show in Long Beach, California, and the head of KTM North American Marketing at the time offered me a very attractive deal on one of the press bikes from the recent product launch.” The primary focus for Jon’s Adventure motorcycle is off-road performance, so the choice was an “easy one” according to him. “I’ve ridden tens of thousands of miles on a KTM 950 Adventure S, and the 1090R is the most similar bike currently available to match the 950. There are however aspects of the 950 I do miss. Barring future developments in the industry which might eclipse it, I can see that bike becoming a symbol of the pinnacle of adventure travel in many ways.”

Jon’s adventure machine hosts a wide range of upgrades that, as expected from a moto journo, spans the globe as far as manufacturing go. The skid-plate, oil cooler guard, rear rack, foot-pegs, and side stand enlarger foot were all manufactured by Black Dog Cycle Works in the USA. The 1090 breathes through a Rottweiler Performance Stage 3 intake kit, and Konflict Motorsports handle the suspension. German outfitter Touratech supplies the headlight guard, pannier racks and touring windscreen. Riding on the racks is a set of Mosko Moto Backcountry 35L soft panniers. At the front, a Scotts steering damper mounted on a BRP mount keeps things steady. At the palms lie a set of Domino grips underlaid by a Heat Demon grip warmer kit. His steed also sports a set of Doubletake mirrors, front and rear 12V power ports and a Trail Tech Voyager Pro GPS. “While riding, a GPS is the way to go, as one can simply glance down for reference, plot waypoints, and so on. However, for overall plotting of routes, and decision-making on trails, I prefer paper maps. Unfolding a map provides a bird’s eye view much more effectively and quickly than scrolling around on a GPS screen. Each tool has its place.” And as for keeping the contact patch on the ground; “I have a few favorite tires I like to use depending on context. Continental TKC-80’s would be my go-to though if I had to choose only one.”

Being pragmatic when it comes to successful overland adventure riding Jon’s philosophy is also simple after so many miles on the road. “Preparedness is the key for me as a rider. It doesn’t matter if you have the best bike money can buy and all the gear anyone could hope to bring. If one is struggling behind the bars, the experience simply isn’t as enjoyable, safe, or long-lasting in most cases. I’ve ridden with enough pro riders to know what’s possible with these bikes. Knowing there’s more to learn is part of what keeps it fun for me.” This also ties into his philosophy on buying “upgrades” for any motorcycle. “My goal generally is to add as little as possible as far as additional mechanical bits. Given my bikes are often used for photo shoots, I’ll sometimes discover valuable aftermarket products I wouldn’t have considered otherwise. Generally for me though, it’s all about more skill behind the bars. It’s a constant work in progress.”

Photo credit goes to Jon Beck, Ely Woody, Sean Murphy, Aaron Brimhall, Steve Cox, and Henry Leber.