Stories and Press
ON THE TRAIL OF THE COWBOYS by Rudy Broekman, published in ‘2x2’ NOPPENNEWS ( The Netherlands) August 1997 It’s 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 24, 1997, and I’m wondering whether it was a good idea to book a motorcycle trip through the Wild West just on some information from the Internet. I’m in Reno, and everywhere I look, I see mountains. (I’m sure I told Matt Ernst from Nevada Motorcycle Adventures that I’m afraid of heights.) A few weeks ago I read an enthusiastic story about off-road riding through the mountains, plains, and roughs of Nevada. After some phone calls I decided to join a tour, and now I’m here. My usual outfit, consisting of shirt, tie, and dress pants, is in the bottom of my suitcase where they will stay for a week. That night the riders are introduced to each other over dinner. Paul flew over from England especially for this trip. Rick is a car dealer from Washington, and Tom is a doctor who once rode in the U.S. Super Cross team. Sunday morning, May 25^th, we meet our “buddies” for the week: Suzuki DR350’s. Along with the extra large gas tank, they also have an electric start, which turns out to be a pleasant accessory in the course of the tour. The first day I miss the power of my Yamaha TT 600, but I get used to the bike quickly in this terrain. The suspension on the DR 350’s is very light, which is definitely a good choice for the varying surfaces. The bike has proper torque and easily gives us the power we need. In the course of the week, the DR 350’s show their reliability and ease in handling. All the bikes come back in one piece, except for one or two broken levers. There is no question that after each tour the rear tires are changed. Cowboy Trail! The first day we are in luck already. We see a herd of wild stallions, and because the bikes are fairly quiet, we’re able to get quite close to them and snap some nice pictures. The areas we drive through are very scenic and varying, from 10,000-ft. rough mountains to green sloping canyons with friendly brooks to deserted, dried out salt lakes. In the mountains we occasionally hit some snow, so we have to use our creativity to be able to follow the track. One of the brooks we cross appears to be more than 3 feet deep, so Matt has to find a safe crossing before we are able to get across without drowning our engines. Not much later we are driving on the surface of a dry salt lake, which is indeed as flat as water. In the middle of the lake we meet an eccentric who is camping to try out his homemade land sailing ship on wheels. The area we drive through is as big as the Netherlands. A century ago this was the scene of the big gold rush. Literally thousands of prospectors, cowboys and adventurers have dug mines in the most remote areas, installing mining equipment and building cities. Because the climate is very dry, everything stays well preserved. We ride from one ghost town to another, deserted gold mines, all the while viewing very strange machinery and old discarded vehicles. The many bullet holes are the silent witnesses of the Wild West. Now and then we come across an old grave of a gold digger or a cowboy with his weathered boots on a wooden cross. On one of the trails we meet an old prospector in an even older Ford. He still speaks a few words in German because of his ancestors. He shows us his mine, and has a lot of stories to tell about the good old days. He refuses, however, to tell us whether his mine still has gold; you can never be sure with strangers. Through these coincidental meetings you realize just how empty this area really is. You can drive for hours (and get lost) without ever running into another human being. This is an unknown luxury compared to Holland, which is small and crowded. Every moment you expect to see John Wayne come around the corner with smoking guns. In one of the small towns we stay at overnight, the last stagecoach robbery of the Wild West took place, and a few miles further down the road, they used the last lynch rope. We don’t have to be afraid of the sheriff now because the nearest jail is 100 miles away. Matt also shows us some hot springs where you can relax with a cold beer after a hard day’s ride. Nevada’s Crocodile Dundee! Booking a six day trip through the Internet through the wilderness of the Wild West on a rented bike, you cross your fingers and hope the organization is a good one. It turned out to be excellent! The backup truck that followed us had spare parts, plus a spare bike. We kept in touch by radio, so we always had fresh cold drinks available, and in the afternoon, there were delicious made-to-order sandwiches for lunch. At the end of each day we arrived at a motel in a different town, where we had a few well-deserved cold beers in a nearby saloon. One of the most attractive parts of the trip was with no doubt the organizer himself, Matt Ernst, Nevada’s own Crocodile Dundee (he will not like me for saying this). He is not only an experienced driver and guide, but also a historian, geologist, mechanic, nature man per se and a real entertainer. The safety of the rider is his number one concern. Matt knows every little trail and path, and loves to show you the nicest spots and tell background stories about them. Matt has the official permits and is allowed to cross various private ranches. He has been organizing these tours for four years, and is sold out during certain times of the season. The group contains a maximum of 12 riders. Besides Americans, there are British, German, Dutch, Japanese, French, etc. The average age of the participants is over 40. There are pictures of the rides all over the walls, plus large colored maps showing possible routes. On one wall hangs a 300,000-mile award from BMW. On request the route is adjusted to preference and experience. Since I had the least experience, we visited some less steep mountains (so in the end it did turn out well with my fear of heights). At the difficult stretches, I could take an easier path while the real pros were playing with their bikes. Reno / Sparks is an excellent place to start from to visit different cities like San Francisco or national parks like Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, or Zion. There are many parks and scenic routes within driving distance in the western part of America. That may be something for next year. If you are interested in discovering the Wild West of America by motorcycle, contact Matt Ernst and ask for an information packet. You can register by yourself or with friends. The price and the quality you receive is very reasonable. For a six-day trip you pay approximately $1795.00 – this includes lodging, professional guide, backup truck, lunch, drinks on the trail, and of course a bike. For more information on one of your best vacation destinations, contact: This article was translated to english by Rudy Broekman. It was published in NOPPENNEWS (The Netherlands) Offroad Magazine #10 in August 1997

Stories and Press

ON THE TRAIL OF THE COWBOYS

by Rudy Broekman, published in ‘2x2’ NOPPENNEWS ( The Netherlands) August 1997

It’s 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 24, 1997, and I’m wondering whether it was a good idea to book a motorcycle trip through the Wild West just on some information from the Internet. I’m in Reno, and everywhere I look, I see mountains. (I’m sure I told Matt Ernst from Nevada Motorcycle Adventures that I’m afraid of heights.) A few weeks ago I read an enthusiastic story about off-road riding through the mountains, plains, and roughs of Nevada. After some phone calls I decided to join a tour, and now I’m here. My usual outfit, consisting of shirt, tie, and dress pants, is in the bottom of my suitcase where they will stay for a week.

That night the riders are introduced to each other over dinner. Paul flew over from England especially for this trip. Rick is a car dealer from Washington, and Tom is a doctor who once rode in the U.S. Super Cross team. Sunday morning, May 25^th, we meet our “buddies” for the week: Suzuki DR350’s. Along with the extra large gas tank, they also have an electric start, which turns out to be a pleasant accessory in the course of the tour. The first day I miss the power of my Yamaha TT 600, but I get used to the bike quickly in this terrain. The suspension on the DR 350’s is very light, which is definitely a good choice for the varying surfaces. The bike has proper torque and easily gives us the power we need. In the course of the week, the DR 350’s show their reliability and ease in handling. All the bikes come back in one piece, except for one or two broken levers. There is no question that after each tour the rear tires are changed.

Cowboy Trail!

The first day we are in luck already. We see a herd of wild stallions, and because the bikes are fairly quiet, we’re able to get quite close to them and snap some nice pictures. The areas we drive through are very scenic and varying, from 10,000-ft. rough mountains to green sloping canyons with friendly brooks to deserted, dried out salt lakes. In the mountains we occasionally hit some snow, so we have to use our creativity to be able to follow the track. One of the brooks we cross appears to be more than 3 feet deep, so Matt has to find a safe crossing before we are able to get across without drowning our engines. Not much later we are driving on the surface of a dry salt lake, which is indeed as flat as water. In the middle of the lake we meet an eccentric who is camping to try out his homemade land sailing ship on wheels.

The area we drive through is as big as the Netherlands. A century ago this was the scene of the big gold rush. Literally thousands of prospectors, cowboys and adventurers have dug mines in the most remote areas, installing mining equipment and building cities. Because the climate is very dry, everything stays well preserved. We ride from one ghost town to another, deserted gold mines, all the while viewing very strange machinery and old discarded vehicles. The many bullet holes are the silent witnesses of the Wild West. Now and then we come across an old grave of a gold digger or a cowboy with his weathered boots on a wooden cross.

On one of the trails we meet an old prospector in an even older Ford. He still speaks a few words in German because of his ancestors. He shows us his mine, and has a lot of stories to tell about the good old days. He refuses, however, to tell us whether his mine still has gold; you can never be sure with strangers. Through these coincidental meetings you realize just how empty this area really is. You can drive for hours (and get lost) without ever running into another human being. This is an unknown luxury compared to Holland, which is small and crowded.

Every moment you expect to see John Wayne come around the corner with smoking guns. In one of the small towns we stay at overnight, the last stagecoach robbery of the Wild West took place, and a few miles further down the road, they used the last lynch rope. We don’t have to be afraid of the sheriff now because the nearest jail is 100 miles away. Matt also shows us some hot springs where you can relax with a cold beer after a hard day’s ride.

Nevada’s Crocodile Dundee!

Booking a six day trip through the Internet through the wilderness of the Wild West on a rented bike, you cross your fingers and hope the organization is a good one. It turned out to be excellent! The backup truck that followed us had spare parts, plus a spare bike. We kept in touch by radio, so we always had fresh cold drinks available, and in the afternoon, there were delicious made-to-order sandwiches for lunch. At the end of each day we arrived at a motel in a different town, where we had a few well-deserved cold beers in a nearby saloon. One of the most attractive parts of the trip was with no doubt the organizer himself, Matt Ernst, Nevada’s own Crocodile Dundee (he will not like me for saying this). He is not only an experienced driver and guide, but also a historian, geologist, mechanic, nature man per se and a real entertainer. The safety of the rider is his number one concern. Matt knows every little trail and path, and loves to show you the nicest spots and tell background stories about them.

Matt has the official permits and is allowed to cross various private ranches. He has been organizing these tours for four years, and is sold out during certain times of the season. The group contains a maximum of 12 riders. Besides Americans, there are British, German, Dutch, Japanese, French, etc. The average age of the participants is over 40. There are pictures of the rides all over the walls, plus large colored maps showing possible routes. On one wall hangs a 300,000-mile award from BMW. On request the route is adjusted to preference and experience. Since I had the least experience, we visited some less steep mountains (so in the end it did turn out well with my fear of heights). At the difficult stretches, I could take an easier path while the real pros were playing with their bikes. Reno / Sparks is an excellent place to start from to visit different cities like San Francisco or national parks like Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, or Zion. There are many parks and scenic routes within driving distance in the western part of America. That may be something for next year.

If you are interested in discovering the Wild West of America by motorcycle, contact Matt Ernst and ask for an information packet. You can register by yourself or with friends. The price and the quality you receive is very reasonable. For a six-day trip you pay approximately $1795.00 – this includes lodging, professional guide, backup truck, lunch, drinks on the trail, and of course a bike. For more information on one of your best vacation destinations, contact:

This article was translated to english by Rudy Broekman.

It was published in NOPPENNEWS (The Netherlands) Offroad Magazine #10 in August 1997