Everything You Need to Know About RIDING WITH YOUR BIG DOG

If you love traveling by motorcycle, it may be difficult to imagine making it better. Sure, you might hope for gear that weighs less or gloves with better touchscreen material. But when it comes to the actual experience of adventure motorcycle travel-exploring new roads, discovering different places, and pitching a tent beside an idyllic stream-I also couldn't imagine how the experience could be improved.... That is, until I started riding with my German Shepherd.

- Jessica Stone

I ride a BMW G650GS and my 75-pound German Shepherd, Moxie, rides pillion in her RUFFLY K9 Moto Cockpit, a motorcycle dog carrier we designed. Over the last several years we've traversed thousands of miles through Mexico and Central America together. And now, as I'm embarking on a RTW journey, with Moxie on the back and my husband Greg at my side, I'd like to share a little about what makes traveling with our dog so amazing and how we get the most out of it.

IT'S INCREDIBLY EMPOWERING

My experience becoming a rider is probably not all that different from many others. It's not an activity that I was exposed to as a young girl, but since I was introduced to riding in my 20s, it has delivered immense joy and satisfaction, some fear and bruises, and a whole lot of personal growth.

I find there is something similarly empowering about having a big dog at my side. Moxie looks to me for guidance and pack leadership when we venture off to discover new places together. So, it's no wonder that, when I discovered a way to bring her on my travels, it was a life-changing, and now life-defining, event.

The growth in personal agency and empowerment I've experienced riding with Moxie inspired me to partner with the global leadership initiative Girl Up (GirlUp.org) to raise $100K for their empowerment programs around the world. I hope our upcoming RTW will inspire girls to dream big and persist in achieving their own goals. I also hope it will speak to new women riders, veteran bikers, and others to bring their furry copilots along on their adventures.

SET THE RIGHT EXPECTATIONS FOR RIDING TOGETHER