Best moto moments of 2022

We're going to let Zack go first since no one is going to be able to top him anyway.

Zack Courts: A new life

There's one thing that happened to me this year that stands out above the rest, and that's the arrival of my first child. There's plenty of jarring perspective that comes along with being in charge of a baby, and being a motorcyclist adds another big question: What do we tell our children about motorcycles? Many of us thrive on the blend of adrenaline and satisfaction that comes along with riding. It can offer a healthy relationship with fear, and a warmth to the soul that only a fluency in something can.

Suggestions that bikes aren't safe for kids come from all directions, and whether it's a passive-aggressive in-law or someone you just met, I think we as motorcyclists have an obligation to reflect on our pastime and how it might affect being a parent. My journey is just beginning, I know. Having grown up around, and into, the culture of riding, the path that I see for this little bud of human life is clear. I hope there's a bright future of riding that breeds resilience, confidence, and independence the same way it did for me and so many others. I am nervous in a whole new way, but mostly excited at the prospect of experiencing that with my own growing family.

Ari Henning: One final race

My best moto moment of the year? That's an easy choice: Working with Yoshimura R&D to develop and race a Yamaha YZF-R7. You see, for a handful of years I was a pretty committed amateur road racer, making pilgrimages to the track nearly every month to grid up and ride on the ragged edge. Eventually, though, I could no longer rationalize the costs and risks of racing on a regular basis, and I began to wean myself off the throttle, if you will.

Tapering off was an effective but unceremonious and unsatisfying way to stop competing, so when Yoshimura called to ask if I wanted to be a part of their R7 program for a single MotoAmerica REV'IT Twins Cup race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, I knew the project could be the ultimate final chapter of my racing "career." It was that and so much more. There will almost certainly be the occasional one-off race in the years to come, but the Yoshimura R7 experience will allow me to approach those events with a newfound calm and satisfaction that I didn't have — yet longed for — previously.

Jen Dunstan: Work hard, play harder

As I reflect on 2022, a standout moto moment for me was the hard off-roading I did in Costa Rica on a personal vacation. That's right, even on my own time and dollar, I am choosing to ride — and ride hard! The experience with Costa Rica Unlimited was amazing in so many aspects, but the real challenge of riding in the Costa Rica jungle during the wet season tested all of my skills and limits. I like having at least one riding trip a year like this, where the riding is so hard I think I might give up. It's in these moments you really dig deep and ask yourself for more, and it's always thrilling to find that I have more to give. It was a deep bonding experience with my fellow riding pals, both old and new, and we are already planning our next exciting hard knocks adventure for 2023!

Spurgeon Dunbar: It's the people, not the bikes, I'll remember

Shortly before Christmas, my grandmother passed away. She was 91 years old, born during the Great Depression, married to my grandfather after he returned from World War II. Together they raised six kids, were blessed with 11 grandchildren, and overall they had a pretty incredible life. Not always an easy life, mind you, but one filled with love, family, and friends.

I used to call her during my long drives from Philadelphia to off-road events in central Pennsylvania. She would regale me with local geography lessons and stories of the people who lived there in the small towns I was passing through. Only recently did she tell me stories of camping trips of her own with my grandfather and their friends out at Poe Valley State Park, which is nestled inside the Bald Eagle State Forest where my riding buddies and I ride off-road. I like to think that maybe my friends and I were camping in the same spots, and having similar adventures as my grandparents, just 70 years apart.

So, when I think back on my best moments of 2022, it's not about the bikes I rode, or the places I went, but who I was with. For example, I bought a KTM 890 Adventure R Rally but what I will never forget is my dad and I driving eight hours, round trip, in a snowstorm to pick it up. And upon our return Mom had dinner waiting, and Uncle Bob (with Aunt Ann Marie) had braved the storm so he could be there waiting with a snow shovel and a six-pack to help us celebrate.

Working at both Get On! ADV Fests this year was a blast! But more than the riding, I'll remember special special moments with people I value, such as when Zack Courts and I took over bartending in Mojave and ended up putting back almost as many beers as we handed out. Or following Patrick Garvin with a group of riders through one of the craziest rain storms I've ever seen. It got so bad we all pulled off the trails, hit up a Dairy Queen, and sat around eating ice cream.

Running trail support at the Michaux Dual Sport meant great riding in an area normally off-limits to dirt bikes, but the riding was secondary to the comaraderie and laughs with my friends Liz, Jeff, James, Amelia, and Carlos. Racing my first time keeping enduro was amazing, but doing it with Jeff Kiniery by my side supporting me was even better. I got to ride dirt bikes with my fiancée, Nicole, for the first time.

My grandmother's passing gave me a different perspective on this assignment. The truth is, I hope that 50 years from now I have a grandkid who's out running around with friends, having adventures. And if they call me on some drive, to somewhere, and ask me to tell stories of my younger days, I'll probably forget a lot of the details, but I'll never forget the people.

2022 was a great year. Here's to hoping 2023 is even better.