Famous Riders

YouTube is blowing up with adventure riders everywhere and it’s these people who are inspiring the next generation of riders. They’re unbiased, raw and true storytellers who captivate the hearts of many aspiring adventure riders globally.

We’ve curated a list of the best YouTubers around for some genuine inspiration. These riders not only see their country but the entire world, and aren’t characters that you might expect. In fact, we’re featuring numerous adventure riders who are actually female.

Note: These aren’t listed in any particular order and are simply Frontaer’s preference. We may have even left the best until last! And besides – there are way more channels than these 12.

1. eveRide ADV

With more than 100,000 subscribers, eveRide ADV is a popular YouTuber who takes his viewers on extensive rides around North America and the world.

There are also in-depth and honest adventure motorcycle reviews which is a refreshing change. After all, most adventure motorcycling magazines of yesteryear were just too generous with their 15-minute audits instead of putting their bikes through the wringer.

2. On Her Bike

This is the personal motorcycling diary of Kinga Tanajewska. She started riding in Australia while studying here and fell in love with the sport. From there, On Her Bike was born into an epic YouTube channel with many fans.

She’s known for her raw and candid style while being humble and accommodating of others. Her accent throws off many of her viewers as she sounds Australian yet speaks multiple languages fluently.

3. MOTOTREK

If you want to truly learn adventure motorcycling, then pay close attention to MOTOTREK. Practically every lesson that you want to know is covered here and completely for free. It’s clear that Bret Tkcas really knows his stuff and has seen much of the world.

Today he spends his time as a professional ADV instructor; both creating YouTube content and sharing his love for adventures on courses and group rides. He’s certainly earned himself a reputation given the massive amount of ADV riders who watch the channel for advice towards becoming safer riders.

4. Alex Chacon

While not a full-on adventure rider, Jeremy Rhydes has certainly got a decent following of 330,000+ subscribers. He’s more of a general adventurer nowadays as opposed to an adventure rider, and combines the road with the pavement.

Jeremy became viral after several videos of him traveling the world with his GoPro and several motorcycles garnered massive attention. It’s where we first found him in 2013! While not for the older generation, many do enjoy his interesting content.

5. Motorcycle Adventure Dirtbike TV

Australians have a knack for travel and nomatter where you go in the world, it’s pretty easy to find an Australian. Despite being a small population, the entire country is big on adventures given how much space they have to explore. In fact, the dirt biking community here in Australia is huge and growing year-on-year.

Motorcycle Adventure Dirtbike TV (quite a mouthful, right?) is a raw and unfiltered look at a group of riders who love to see the country and the world.

6. Rosie Gabrielle

Much like Itchy Boots and On Her Bike, Rosie Gabrielle has a strong following who enjoy her adventures into somewhat dangerous countries. While she has created some controversey, she’s very authentic in what she shares on the channel.

With under 100 videos and over 400k subscribers, it’s clear that many people enjoy her content. It’s engaging yet raw and real. While there’s some sensationalism with her channel with draws some people away, it also draws some people to her who resonate with the message.

We have more information about Rosie Gabrielle here.

7. Sleipnir Adventures

For long-form story-telling, Sleipnir Adventures is the channel to follow. The videography is excellent and there’s hardly any audio. Just pure motorcycle adventures without the fluff.

There’s something to be said about YouTubers who keep it straight-edge and without the drama. Those that can tell a story without the words. If motorcycling on long-open highways feels like meditation to you, then this is the only YouTube adventure motorcycling channel you should be watching.

8. Jacob Laukaitis

Jacob Laukaitis isn’t a full-on adventure motorcycling guy. It’s a global traveler who just happens to have spent some time behind the handlebars. He’s certainly known for really going off the beaten track in search for true adventures into far-flung countries.

High risk is something that resonates with Jacob and his followers love to see his episodes. There is some drama which doesn’t resonate with the older demographic, but as for extreme adventures which are sometimes controversial, he’s the guy to follow.

9. Itchy Boots

Very similar to On Her Bike is Noraly who also spent some time working in Australia and is now hooked on traveling the world with her motorcycle. Many viewers of On Her Bike also watch Itchy Boots with many looking to see both riders spending a few episodes together.

Unlike many YouTubers, Noraly prefers to use long-winded episodes and a distinct lack of jump cuts and sensationalism. If you simply enjoy watching others ride with some audio commentary, then this is the channel for you.

10. RoadsUp

RoadsUp is increasing in popularity on YouTube. While they only have 10 videos, the husband and wife team genuinely know motorcycle travel very well.

You’ll find Peter and Claudia sharing their lessons learned and adventures frequently. Given the COVID-19 situation, their frequent travels appears to have relaxed yet they are certainly knowledable and routinely answer questions from their viewers.

11. Pedro Mota

For global adventures, Jake Bolles is certainly the guy to follow. He’s more of a remote-location rider with the occasional city road mixed in.

His trips certainly take him to far-flung places which are often beyond where others would be comfortable traveling. That said – he’s well rewarded and shares some advice to keep others safe on the journey.

12. Megan Kaptein

The 4th female rider on this list is Megan Kaptein who, with only 20 videos, shares her story with other female riders around the world. She ditched her glamor life for one behind the handlebars and hasn’t looked back.

Her channel is dedicated to her dear friend Gabriel Forest Khouth who sadly passed away when riding in mid-2019. This has motivated her (and indeed many of her followers) to make the most out of their short lives.

Most Inspiring Rider: Vanessa Ruck

We couldn’t help ourselves and had to add another rider, one who’s captivated our hearts through her inspirational story. This is Megan from The Girl On A Bike.

In 2014 her life changed forever when she was severely injured after being struck by a car. Coincidently, she’s #13 on our list…unlucky much?

Vanessa has since experienced 7 surgeries on the road to recovery and hasn’t let that stop her from getting a larger chunk out of life. She’s based in the UK but her various motorcycles have taken her across Europe and when she’s not riding, she’s tinkering in her incredible garage.

In Summary

Don’t get too caught up watching YouTube channels, as they can sometimes be a little disheartening. The very thing that inspires us can also hold us back.

Use these channels as inspiration, but focus on planning your own journey in the next 3 to 5 years. Whether that’s your state, your country or even global expedition – the world is open to those who are prepared for the journey ahead.

Have you recently stumbled across Motology Films from Australia and headed by Adam Riemann flogging his KTM?

His videos are extremely engaging. They make you want to get away from the screen and behind the handlebars. After all, it’s a lot more fun!

Adam Riemann

Adam grew up in Australia behind the handlebars. He was racing from a very young age and his parents were a true inspiration for his success on and off the track.

Today he has a reputation for creating some of the best dirt bike films around for the engaged rider. You’ll find plenty of these snippets on YouTube and the best is kept for the paying members.

Motology Films

Motology Films is Adam Riemann’s company and they produce some of the best grassroots footage of dirt biking around the world. Whether it’s an MX or enduro event, or a global adventure, effective story-telling is at the core of Motology.

They are praised for moving away from the corporate branding and ties, though there is a strong reference to KTM. This may be for a genuine reason, since KTM are the market-leader in the enduro and performance-driven dirt bike world.

What many love is the concept of professional + nothing fancy. That is to say, they don’t travel through numerous countries with a back-up team of camera-men and support staff. Yes, we’re looking at you Long Way Down. Doing an expedition with a Doctor? You’ve got to be kidding.

Motonomad Films

The most popular films from Adam are the Motonomad Series. There is 1, 2 and 3 which are just epic. If you’ve watched the trailers on YouTube, then you’ve got to watch the actual films. They are a total blast!

He’s been throughout Austrlaia, South America and Europe including the Road of Bones. Just without the ridiculously Hollywood entourage. Alright, we’ll stop now.

Where To From Here?

Given the extensive fan-base that Adam has created, we see him not slowing down. He’s got an incredible property and lives in Australia where dirt bike riding has become almost a national sport.

After all, there are plenty of great places to ride. He has competed at Hattah and so has his neighbourhood kids. Coaching the next generation of riders through his engaging content is certainly something that he’s proud of doing. And inspires more of us to get out there and enjoy the world, instead of behind a computer screen.

If you can’t ride the world just yet, consider your local areas:

9 Best Places to Ride a Dirt Bike near Brisbane

23 Best Places to Ride a Dirt Bike near Melbourne

5 Best Places to Ride a Dirt Bike near Sydney

Did you know that the police actually ride dirt bikes offroad? It’s time to have a look at why they ride and what bikes they choose.

We’ll break this up into country-specific riders. It’s not a common sight to see the police venturing offroad with their dirt bikes, but they’re certainly out there!

Dirt Bike Police Offroad

Now, why do police actually venture offroad? Are they getting paid to blast through the forests and trails instead of doing paperwork and catching bad guys? Actually, there is a good reason why they’re on 2 wheels.

Police use dirt bikes for a variety of reasons including search and rescue, law enforcement (catching illegal dirt bike riders) as well as investigational work. You may find them deep in the forests or deserts uncovering illegal activities where their 4x4s simply can’t access and it would be too far to walk, or too challenging to use a helicopter.

You generally won’t see them doing tricks or out there trying to have fun. They in their line of work and simply are getting on with the job of police enforcement.

Types of Police Dirt Bikes

We always have a laugh as to the interesting bikes that the police force like to use. Generally speaking, police have budget constraints and cannot afford to spend a fortune on a fleet of dirt bikes.

The Suzuki DRZ-400 is the preferred dirt bike of choice for Australian police though the Husqvarna 510 is in use in some states. In the United Kingdom, the Yamaha WR250F and TTR250 are typically used by law enforcement officers. In the United States, there are various bikes in use which have more power and typically 450cc or higher.

It’s often the case that the police actually use underpowered dirt bikes and the riders themselves aren’t performance riders. For that reason, it’s actually have for them to intercept illegal dirt bike riders while out on the trails.

There are also limited powers that the police offers have. They cannot ram dirt bike riders though they have been caught using pepper spray which could have disasterous consequences.

Also, both male and female police offers do ride dirt bikes, but predominantly it’s men who ride.

Intercepting illegal riders

The most common reason why the police choose to use dirt bikes is to intercept illegal riding on crown land. Unregistered dirt bikes pose a common problem which leads to noise complaints, track destruction as well as dangers to walkers, cyclists and hikers.

They will also use 4×4 cars to target dirt bikes and block certain tracks or even create an ambush. Do look out for these traps or better yet – consider just getting your dirt bike registered.

You may be deep in the woods and suddenly encounter the police. They are simply doing their jobs and will ask for your registration, licence and possibly your insurance details. This is quite typical in the Victorian High Country and in other areas where there is a high volume of weekend enduro and adventure riders.

It’s very uncommon for the police to bring dirt bikes on to private property, though this does happen sometimes in regional Australia.

Keep in mind that it is illegal to ride off if you are being intercepted by a police officer on your dirt bike. However, their dirt bikes are very underpowered (the DRZ-400 is woefully inadequate as a performance dirt bike, especially for hot pursuits) and while the police do have the training, it’s often their workplace safety policies which prevent them from chasing down offenders.

Going Forward

It’s very evident that the police do like to ride motorcycles offroad. It’s not something you’ll often see unless you do head off the beaten track. Pay them respect and we can keep these riding areas open for years to come.

Every wondered how Kinga from ‘On Her Bike’ is able to travel around the world? Does YouTube finance her journey? We’ve done a little digging.

The YouTube channel called On Her Bike is run by Kinga Tanajewska who is single. She started her journey from Australia after doing 19,000km around the country, and is now into Europe and the Middle East. She meets many other ADV riders along the way and has a cult-like following online.

While many men follow her channel (given her genuine skills and care-free nature), she’s also followed a lot by women. In fact, she’s inspiring many women to get out there and see the world behind the handlebars.

On Her Bike Income

Kinga earns most of her income through YouTube views, affiliate links on her channel, running ads on her website as well as the occasional brand sponsorship. For example, Lone Rider sent her a tent which Kinga uses.

We estimate that she makes $1,000 to $2,500 per month through her channel. It isn’t much, but when you’re traveling the world, you don’t need much either when your main accommodation is a sleeping bag and a tent.

She also doesn’t have kids or a husband, nor a mortgage to pay off. This means that she isn’t bogged down with responsibilities that entrap many of us.

Building a Freedom Stream

We believe in building a freedom stream of income if you want to see the world. Just a few thousand per month is enough to see the world behind the handlebars.

ADV motorcycling happens to be one of the cheapest forms in which to see the world, provided you don’t spend up on expensive or fancy hotels. Keep it simple and as Kinga says, your money will stretch much further than you thought.

You don’t need to become a YouTuber to achieve such freedom. Simply utilizing the power of the internet and creating a website around the topic you love could help you get there.

Kinga Tanajewska Bike

Kinga rides a BMWF800GS Adventure and she has called it “Are We There Yet” as she isn’t quite sure where the finish line is. Her bike has been kitted up with adventure fairings, luggage racks as well as gear for global expeditions.

For many, this isn’t their 1st choice of ADV bike. Why? It’s heavy and expensive, yet it’s ideal if you’re riding 80% of the time on the blacktop.

She’s also chosen to use hard luggage and likely due to traveling through some potentially dangerous countries. Kinga thrives from this experience and while many tell her to be careful, we’re sure she has this figured out.

Most adventure riders choose soft luggage on their motorcycles to prevent damage to their frame and luggage accessories during the event of a crash. On Her Bike has crashed several times in her journey yet hasn’t suffered any major injuries or damages to her motorcycle.

Going forward

There is no better freedom than experiencing the world yourself on two wheels. Being inspired by such YouTubers and hearing their stories will bring you closer to experiencing the real thing.

It isn’t expensive to own such motorcycles or to experience such a journey. Stay safe and we’ll see you out there!

If you’ve been in dirt biking long enough, then you’ll know Seth Enslow. Seth’s name is synonymous with dirt bike stunts, records and accidents.

Many have labelled him as a hard-to-beat man. Someone who gets knocked down and keeps going, again and again.

Seth’s relentless pursuit of excellence on a motorcycle in the ’90s and 2000s sadly has been lost on this generation. However, there is plenty that we can learn from the dude who inspired a generation.

Seth Enslow – Beyond Crazy

Growing up, Seth was always relentless. He wanted to do big jumps. HIs parents, unfortunately, weren’t well off so it wasn’t until high school that they could afford a bike for him where his racing dreams started.

With his spectacular performance on the track, he soon made the trek to California to chase his MX racing dreams. As another letdown, this didn’t eventuate. I sometimes wonder what types of records Seth would’ve made on the tracks around the world.

However, Seth’s eagerness to “go big or go home” continued and he was soon into freestyle stunts and joining the Crusty Demons. From then on, it was truly game on for his crazy dream of always striving for more.

He’s attempted and accomplished numerous world record jumping attempts across North America. Some of the most famous include the sand dune jump (and subsequent crash) plus the jump over the house. Let’s not forget the jump he did with a Harley Davidson in Sydney, Australia.

Biggest jump

By far the biggest jump that Seth Enslow has accomplished sits at 301 feet and 10 inches which he accomplished in 2008, while a ramp-to-ramp jump of 183.7 feet was accomplished in 2010. He wasn’t greatly injured with any of these students, however, if you know Seth, you knew he could take a lot.

With many head scars and injuries, this is certainly a man who could handle a lot in the name of accomplishments. After all, that’s what the Crusty Demons is all about.

It’s unlikely today that Seth can beat his previous records based on his age. In fact, today he owns a tattoo parlor given the effects of motorcycle stuntwork on his body. But would we want to see him still jumping and doing stunt work? Absolutely. He inspired an era where dreams were possible on the track, not behind computer screens or TVs.

Seth Enslow Death

There are rumours circulating the internet and it’s time to lay out the facts:

Seth Enslow hasn’t died. However, a fatal accident occurred involving Seth which lead to the death of a police officer, not Seth Enslow. This was during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota in 2006.

Sgt. Tyler Mathews of Bradenton Police Department, unfortunately, passed away and was survived by his wife and four children. During that crash, Seth did suffer and broken leg and ankle but is still alive in 2020. To the best of my research, there has been no outcome given publicly as to the investigation. That is – we’re not sure if Seth was at fault or not. Regardless, we’re sure that he feels for the family of Sgt. Tyler Mathews.

In a nutshell

Seth is clearly one of the most enduring guys to ever hit two wheels. He’s just as crazy as those who even reach the start line of the Dakar Rally.

He’s pulled off some incredible stunt work over the years and has built a reputation. While he’s not looking to break any more records or bones anytime soon, he’s still riding on two wheels from time to time.

Here’s someone who has pushed the limits of what humans thought was possible. In a cotton-wool world, we’ve found someone who broke all the rules. Legend.