The older you get the harder the ground gets.

Thanks for sharing and taking the time to make this great video, for sure I can relate to some of that ,for me good impoverishment was when I stepped down from a 690 to a 300l, another thing that has helped is that I been including time to stop, and do some stretching and contemplate the scenery , specially in nature

Love the cut of your jib. Thanks for the putting it out there for all of us to learn. You are an inspiration to me. Thanks buddy.

Allow me a suggestion. Add tips on protective equipment and clothing. I'm 70 years old and I recently had a fall on the trail with my Yamaha 250 and fractured a vertebra in my spine because I didn't have adequate protection. Thank you for sharing your travels and experiences.

Reminds me of something I heard Kenny Rodgers say several times, " A man's got to know his limitations." Same applies to me..

Oh, and always ride e a buddy!

Newer rider, started back in Covid I’m 60, I work out at Gym 4 days a week, walk a mile a day, this gets me to a basic health level, now I’m focusing on more time on the bike-have learned my WR250F in single track is the way to go for the technical rides, the DRZ 400 is great for the fire roads but a little heavy for the more challenging stuff, only take the T7 on the asphalt

I am 59 and had a bad crash that has taken over a year to heal it definitely takes longer now. I recently had a small crash and I can’t understand how but I fell and hit pretty hard. I think I was trying to be too careful and not taking on the terrain with the commitment it takes to get through. Damn if you do damn if you don’t off-road riding demands that you don’t back down so being careful can sometimes go against us too. I’m hurting from the last fall so my next ride will take even more mental effort than anything else.

Great Video as always! Especially from my backyard.. I reside beside the hawksbill.

67 and have ridden most of those years. My problem is the thought of, "I've done this before". It's hard to adjust to reduced capabilities. I've also moved to a much lighter bike, (XR 150), and have found it a good choice. Great video brother

Thank you for the good information JR. This helps greatly for preparation and survival as I aspire to do more BDRs long trips. I'm just getting started at 63!

hey JR, great video, ive been riding off road since 68', good stuff here. if I can suggest, ditch that wind screen off road, a frontal crash hitting that can be ugly . decades ago a friend, fast Baja 1000 racer died from hitting a bar to protect his headlight, that screen is the same, Ive gone over the bars many times ages ago. ditch it. consider a bike for the best parts... that off road which is lighter then a dr650 (the DR650 isawesome bike btw!). cheers Bud, see on the trail !

So many nuggets of wisdom and verifiable experience in this video Joe! I hope this video is widely seen so others (like me😂) can learn from it. Thanks for posting this video! Cheers!

Great video thanks. Enjoyed it. Most difficult skill to master is right wrist control. Things are always fine right before they aren’t. When riding completely new tracks, the speed choice has to give the rider time to evaluate the road condition, and obstacles. Otherwise there’s too much luck involved. Setting too aggressive distance goals for a day adds significant risk. Riding with a friend that rides more aggressively then you’re comfortable with, slowly creeps up the speed beyond ability. The bikes are so well designed, and powerful, it’s not easy to take it slow and finish the day in one piece. In flying, we call it being behind the airplane. Slow down, there’s no time savings when the next two seasons are spent rehabilitating and injury.

Great advice in this video. You said you will ride less alone. So that means you will ride with me more often ?

Lockhart Basin is no joke. It was easier 30 some odd years ago when I took it in a Jeep south to north, thinking it was a shortcut. Las t year I was just going to try it from the north, but luckily two very experienced bike riders who had just passed me in my SUV came back my way and said the trail was too bad for them. I took their advice.

It's a tough one to accept, but the ol' bods want to cooperate less & less with the years (more like time warp).

Great compilation of some of the things that can happen out there! Especially when riding solo, got to make really good decisions, leaning towards the safer side. Gotta be willing to change things up when the situation is over your head. Better than an injury.

I have bought a smaller bike so it is easer for me to pick it up. ( CRF300L Rally ). I am 73 and I have to be way more careful in my old age. Thanks for sharing some of your spills with us. As we get older we definitely need to practice our riding skills. Keep the rubber side down and the shiny side up.

Love finding this channel JR and enjoyed your video. I've been riding ADV bikes in the mountains and deserts of the PNW and Utah, (mainly my KTM 990) since 08, and I'm about to turn 60. There is no doubt that my off-road riding when I was 45 was certainly different than today and your tips and reminders are spot on. As a former riding coach/instructor, I can't agree more with your initial comments on practicing. I m amazed when my clients tell me that they have no practice ritual or route. As we age, every ride "local" ride we do should have some focused practice in places where we are comfortable. It strengthens our minds and our bodies, and helps ensure that when we need it, we will have it . Thanks for the vid and I look forward to following your adventures.

I often ride with guys 15 years younger than me. I always finish last, but I always finish. My advice to anyone riding with a group is to ride at your own place, always.

Thanks, JR for that great reminder, had a small thing happened to me yesterday I took the wrong line. Logging truck trail was too deep and the bike decided just to go down. Fortunately, it was just a soft drop but soft mud and having to lift my bike outtook my time got up. Took him some water and got going. Thank you for your great video. Look forward to the next one.

Thanks JR. I’m just getting started in Adventure riding at 50. Even now injuries don’t heal as quickly and I’d prefer to avoid them if at all possible. I appreciate the opportunity to learn from your experiences. I really enjoy your channel & look forward to seeing your next adventure unfold.

I’m really happy to see older people still riding. I’m 63 and feeling a little discouraged. I ride KTM 690. I’m a fairly big guy and even the 300 lb bike feels heavy to me. It’s a long way from my YZ250.

Glad you were OK JR. Be safe, you are an inspiration to many!!

Love to see your videos .. Mike from Sweden

I'm 69 and I totally concur with you on "what I'll do differently in the future"! The goal is to extend my adventure riding years as much as I can ! Thanks for your advice and videos!

Thanks for the video, I think our choice in protective gear plays a big part in not getting injured. I notice you are wearing separate armor from jacket and pants. I've been considering going this route myself. I went down last year and though I had a jacket with armor in it the armor had moved to places it doesn't provide the most protection. What are you wearing and are you happy after your tests lol?

I find that the 'executability' of my skill set, has improved after opting for a lighter bike. So for me the notion of 'skill set'vis-a-vis 'executable skill set' has at least, a nuance difference. My advice is 'go lighter' as the bones speak louder & louder. 🤔🤔

You definitely subscribe to something I try to explain to others all the time. You need to be able to call it and not ride if you’re tired especially if it’s off road terrain. I see it over and over come on let’s keep going just keep going. I have learned on my own decades that you need to no your limitations and know and accept the fact that once your tired/exhausted especially as you grow older you need to call it and live to ride another day. I’m 52 years old and want to extend my riding years.

That's why they call it "adventure".

Maybe riding too fast making accidents more likely or more serious?

Looking forward to risk management in GA and Utah this year 🎉

Excellent video on the dynamics you'll face off the pavement.

Another great video!! Looking forward to your upcoming adventures.

GREAT video Joe, reminds me of an old Fly Fishing saying “ There are those that have fallen and those that are going to fall.” I have enjoyed all of the style of crashes you display here with the exception of launching off a 15ft cliff. But, give it time. I’ll catch up.

Balance, it’s a very good thing. It seems to be valuable in all we do.

Great video, JR. Off road riding can be very hard work (novices might not realise!) and fatigue sets in real quick. I guess , that is what I have learnt!

Good tips and suggestions Joe, I remember a lot of those clips from your videos. Good to remember the lessons from the past. Safe travels.

Those bikes are to heavy. That’s why you’re wrecking so much. Toooo heavy.

Good info, thanks! I just turned 70 and ride my old 1993 Yamaha XTZ 750 Super Tenere but its starting to get too heavy for me now especially riding alone, I plan to downgrade to something lighter 😆 Ride safe!

Ruts are my nemesis too. Ruts buried in sand is my kryptonite. I think I need to stand on the pegs more.

Damn.....your bones seem to be very flexible! Can you recommend your protective gear? Your riding skills are awesome.

72, do ride a lot by myself mostly because my riding partners have given it up or moved away. It’s much easier to get tired and make bad decisions. Seems when it gets late in the day and I should be farther than I am the mistakes become more frequent and more costly. You have great advice! Thanks

Good to see you on utube. Good lessons today! I’am 77 so I always ride with a friend off road. I ride within my ability and ride my own ride because my friend has much more experience than me. Gear up for sure and pray! Good riding to you this summer looking for way to future video’s. Hint Northern CA is ready for you!! Any crash you walk away from is a good one. 🤩

Great topic it’s always good to learn from our past experiences and from others. If you ever ride the Northern California BDR let me know! Blessings

Last 2 times I crashed. Fatigue was a major factor. What would have been more routine got me. And not enough water. No mater how many times we all say it, we seem to stumble on these two again and again! Rest more often, camp earlier or hotel it earlier. Seems simple. I need to DO IT. Thanks Joe, great vids of u and Michael and I grew from your advice I believe. My old bones done lie either, 67 now!

Yup! That gumbo is treacherous!

Good to see you back on here!

Good of you to show tge possibles out there. Being 71 the I too must be careful. Gave up riding alone.