As the clock winds down on 2017, we would like to take a look back at what may be our best year yet in the business of helping people discover the world by motorcycle. Join us on this three part series as we take a journey back to the beginning of 2017 and share with you some of our favorite memories from the year gone by. (Part 1: Favorite Moments from Guided Adventures | Part 3: Growth of an Idea)
One of the most popular questions we get, from MotoQuest alumni especially, is “where to next?” Indeed, there is a certain allure to exploring new places, and there’s nothing quite as exciting as taking an idea and developing it into a full blown MotoQuest tour. It’s also a long process, sometimes years in the making.
One way that a new tour comes about is when we build a completely customized trip for a group of riders. We often do this in regions new to MotoQuest, which means we build the custom tour from the ground up, including itinerary, lodging, points of interest, local motorcycle rental fleet, support staff, equipment…the list goes on.
An example of this is from earlier in 2017 when Brenden took a custom group to the famed Golden Triangle region of Thailand and Laos. After countless hours of planning and logistics, the tour went off without a hitch. Everyone in the group had the time of their lives, and we decided to use our experience here to create a new MotoQuest tour. We have put together a scouting trip for 2018, and are currently accepting registrations!
Keep in mind that these trips are a little rough around the edges. Everything is well planned, scenarios are accounted for, and all of the safety and support elements are present. But as this is the first time actually running this trip, riders should be prepared for the unexpected. Maybe we encounter a delay or have to reroute the group…or maybe not. Some repeat MotoQuest riders prefer these types of trips, with just enough uncertainty to add a touch of excitement.
Other trips are born straight into a scouting trip, like our Japan MotoGP Adventure this past October. Each year we run successful trips with our Japan 3 Island Tour and our Hokkaido Explore Adventure. We know Japan well, and we also know how big of an event MotoGP is here, and for many moto enthusiasts. We built this scouting trip to include many great highlights, but of course the centerpiece is two days at Motegi Twin Ring Raceway for qualifying and the races. Riders soaked in the thrill of the race, walked the paddock, toured the onsite Honda museum, and if we’re lucky (like we were this year) witness some of the best racing you’ll ever see. Next year in 2018 we’ll again be taking a group here, so sign up now.
Continue reading this three part retrospective:
Part 1: Favorite Moments from Guided Adventures | Part 3: Growth of an Idea