My Motorcycle Journey – From Solo Asphalt to Dust & Brotherhood
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2026-03-31
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Michel aka Sneezle1980
Let me first Introduce myself I’m Michel but my Friends tend to call me Sneezle... Yeah don’t Ask 🤣
I’ve been riding motorcycles for about 25 years now.
And honestly? I still don’t consider myself a “good” rider. People tell me I’m too humble—but maybe that mindset is exactly what kept me learning, improving… and still hungry for the next ride.
This is my story—how I went from riding alone on the road to becoming part of a club, discovering offroad riding, and everything in between.
The Beginning (2001) – The Tall Guy Problem
I got my license in 2001.
For most of that first year, I rode my dad’s second bike: a Suzuki GSX600F Katana.
Now picture this:
A 200 cm (6’7”) guy… on a sportbike.
I was basically folded over the tank like a human backpack. Knees somewhere near my elbows, spine shaped like a question mark🤣.
Riding longer than an hour? Not happening.
It didn’t take long to realize: this wasn’t going to work.
First True Love – The Adventure Begins
That’s when I bought my first real love: a Yamaha XTZ 750 Super Ténéré (’96).
It had just under 10,000 km on it, and I rode it everywhere.
Rain or shine, day in, day out—that bike was my daily life.
This is also where curiosity kicked in.
Gravel roads… hard-packed dirt… roads without asphalt.
I started exploring.
But always carefully.
Because I rode alone, and I was always afraid:
- Afraid to drop the bike
- Afraid to get stuck somewhere
- Afraid of getting in over my head
- Afraid to put myself out there
- Afraid to Step out of my comfort zone
So I played it safe. Very safe.
The End of an Era
About four years ago, things changed.
My trusty Ténéré finally gave up.
The repair costs were higher than what the bike was still worth.
So I sold her… with around 3,000 km on the clock.
(Yes—she had already passed 99,999 km and reset to zero 😊)
Just like that… I was without a bike.
And that felt wrong.
The Tissue Box That Changed Everything
Luckily, that didn’t last long.
On my 40th birthday, my parents gave me… a tissue box??. It was wrapped like a normal gift.
I remember thinking after I took the Wrapping off : “What… is this? a prank .....”
But when I opened it, everything changed.
Inside were:
- Keys
- Papers
- Owner’s manual
for Honda XL700VA Transalp (2008). My dad’s bike. He had bought it new and only put 8,000 km on it in 12 years—because he preferred riding his Goldwing. And then he said something I’ll never forget: "I’d rather see you ride it the way it’s meant to be ridden than let it sit in the garage."
That hit hard.
Making It Mine
After that, the Transalp became my bike.
I started modifying it, shaping it into something that fit me, my riding, and my growing interest in adventure riding.
And then… things really started to change.
Meeting “Dutch Minion” and her bike
Around that time, I got in contact with a rider known as Dutch Minion.
From the first ride—it just clicked.
We went out together, had an absolute blast… and I quickly realized:
She can ride. ( and no I'm not prejudise about female riders)
And as the name suggests—she’s not exactly tall.
Yet she throws around her Honda CRF1000 Africa Twin Or T7 like it’s nothing.
That ride opened my eyes.
From Solo Rider to Brotherhood
During that ride, she invited me to join the motorcycle club she was part of.
I hesitated.
I had always ridden solo—except for the occasional ride with my dad and his friends.
But she convinced me to just tag along on a ride.
So I did.
And honestly?
I was welcomed with open arms.
No ego. No pressure. Just a group of people who loved riding.
That was new for me.
And it felt right.
So I joined.
From Rider to Route Builder
After a while, I became part of the route commission—planning and creating routes, both on-road and offroad.
From following lines… to drawing them.
That was a whole new level of riding.
The “Brother from Another Mother”
Somewhere along the way, I met someone who might as well be my riding twin.
- Same height.
- Same Same Helmet
- Same Jacket and Pants
- Same Gloves
- Same Boots.
.
When we ride together, people genuinely get confused.
Wich is even more confusing if we swap bikes ( He rides an Africa twin)
It’s like copy-paste… but on motorcycles riders😜.
The Reality Check – Learning to Ride Again
When I started riding more offroad with my new found friends, I realized something uncomfortable:
I wasn’t as good as I thought.
So I took some allroad courses.
And wow… that was a wake-up call.
I had to unlearn a lot:
My posture? Wrong
My balance? Wrong
My habits? Also wrong
After 25 years of riding, I was basically starting over.
And somehow… I had never seriously hurt myself before.
That still surprises me.
But Adventure shield helped me out what A great Teacher
I've gone back 3 times now getting rid of the bad and Improving on the New
Where I Am Now
Today, I have a tight group of (riding) friends—people I trust, people who push me, and people who make every ride better.
Together we ride,have fun, explore, get lost, find our way again… and keep improving.
Not just as riders—but as people.
The Next Chapter
Now I’m stepping into the next phase of my journey.
Moving away from traditional navigation systems and into the world of
DMD2.
Learning new tools.
Meeting new people.
Becoming part of an even bigger adventure community.
And most importantly:
Continuing to grow.
Final Thought
I didn’t start this journey to become the best rider.
I started it because I loved riding.
And somewhere along the way…
it became so much more than that.
It became adventure.
It became friendship.
It became a way of life.
And the best part?
I’m nowhere near the end of the trail.
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