Safeguarding the ADV Rider Image

It happened as each segment of the motorcycling industry evolved from a quirky niche to mainstream phenomenon.

- Bret Tkacs

Starting in the 1950s, the image of motorcyclists went from gentlemen in suits and ties to leather-clad “troublemakers.” Then came the sportbike era of the ’80s and ’90s, with riders on high horsepower motorcycles doing wheelies and burn-outs on public streets. Mention dirt bikes and many envision rednecks with noisy two-strokes tearing up the trails, leaving trash and empty beer cans in their wake. The truth is that these stereotypes have always represented the vast minority—but as numbers grew so did the exposure to these image-crushing labels.

Until recently, the ADV community has been immune from these negative associations. Mention that you ride an ADV bike and most folks conjure romantic images of traveling through foreign lands with all your belongings strapped atop a motorcycle.