INTERVIEW | Ryan Sharp

I've been following and captivated by the adventures of Ryan Sharp on Instagram for sometime now. When it comes to adventure riding, he definitely sets the bar high and inspires the explorer in all of us to get out there and see the world. Recently, I got a chance to ask Ryan some questions and get inside the head a little bit of the man behind the Instagram page.

When did you first get into riding motorcycles and what was your first bike?

Not your typical ADV story but about 8 years ago I was living in California. I had this classic Mercedes SEL that I was hell bent on restoring and while it was down for repairs againnnnnn, my best friend came to me with a proposition. He had a 2001 Suzuki Katana in his garage, he had bought it new and put about 1500 miles on before it started collecting dust. If I could help him get it running again, I could ride it. So after a weekend of scraped knuckles and 15 minute lesson on how to operate a motorcycle in his driveway, I rode it home! (I think this is where the safety disclaimer goes). It was intoxicating, looking back I realize how little I knew about bikes then, all I knew is I smiled every time I rode.

What has been your longest motorcycle adventure to date?

My biggest ride was one I took towards the end of last year. I quit a job I hated and sold my house in August and took off in September to see as much of the Western U.S. as I could. That trip lasted about two months and covered just shy of 10,000 miles and wasn't nearly long enough.

Why not just make these trips in a car?

I've been asked that before and I've always said there is no better way to really experience your trip than on a bike. It puts you in tune with your surroundings. When it's cold, you're cold. When it's raining, you're wet. When it's 72 and sunny, you're smiling bigger than the guy in a Lamborghini. You don't get to check out mentally like you do on four wheels, you have to be ever present and observing. I remember every mile of my bike trips.

Do you usually set a specific destination or do you kind of just push in a general direction hoping to end up somewhere cool?

I like to think I'm an old rider.One of my favorite quotes sums this up, "Young riders pick a destination and go...Old riders pick a direction and go" I like to think I'm an old rider.

Has there ever been a point where you've decided you just couldn't make it so you had to turn around?

Quite a few times. I do a lot of solo riding as that's what I prefer, and as much dirt and offroad as I can find. There are a lot of places a fully loaded GSA shouldn't be going and I have no problem turning back to avoid a bad situation. I mean, it's not like there are girls watching or anything.

What's the most valuable life lesson you've learned from your adventures on two wheels?

To allow passion in your life. I see too many people worried about all the wrong things. Bigger houses, better cars, neither of which brings them any tangible joy. I'm a very logical thinker, my dad is a CPA so I got that from him. It's not a bad thing, it has helped me be frugal in my life and conservative in a lot of areas, but there comes a time when you have to listen to your heart and not your head, quit your job and ride into the sunset.

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