Setting the scene
Last year I rode my 2015 Triumph Bonneville Black from Los Angeles to Boston. 13,000 kilometres, 8 weeks, and 16 National Parks. My uncle, who lives in Colorado, had organised a family reunion late spring this year. It only makes sense that I would ride back in the opposite direction this year, right? Well, the Bonnie did not quite agree with these ideas.
When I got to Boston, after the usual TLC of fresh oil, plugs, fuel filter & hoses, and petrol, the dash lit up and the gauges danced as expected when I turned the key. As I pressed the starter button, nothing happened. No stutter, no click, nada! Fuse, relay, starter solenoid, all good. Fuse, relay, fuel pump, all good. I suppose it’s electrical. OBDII reader: P1960. CAN communication fault. Most common cause: worn crimp connectors in the wiring loom. So I opened up the loomto find out that they were all intact. By now it’s Memorial Day weekend, all the garages are closed, and I’m at a loss and slowly running out of time to ride across the continent without spending long days on the motorway.
The local Triumph dealership tells me that they can squeeze me in between appointments for a read out at the END OF THE MONTH! Luckily I have a friend who runs a garage in Boston. I phoned up J Shia and she told me to bring it in, same day. Rami and I talked through the steps I have taken, and we concluded that the issue had to be in the instrument cluster. We noticed a bit of condensation behind the glass of the speedometer. Since they were away for the weekend, I took the cluster home to open it up. Low and behold, a corroded printed circuit board, and a malfunctioning chip. New cluster: $450. New chip: $0.84 plus $29 overnight shipping. By now, I am well out of time to ride across, so I need to change my plans…
Indian to the Rescue
This is where The Brand Amp comes in. They are responsible for the fleet of press bikes for the Indian Motorcycle Company. I reached out, and there was one motorcycle available on short notice. The 2025 Indian Sport Scout Limited. I had not yet had the privilege to ride it, let alone borrow it for three weeks to write this travel blog and a review of this beautiful machine. In the words we often hear coming from the Indian Motorcycle Company: “We build beautiful bikes.”
So, I flew to Los Angeles and Billy handed me the keys to this Navajo Grey Sport Scout Limited. The Limited trim adds a few welcome comforts, including traction control, cruise control, and three ride modes: rain, standard, and sport. The main difference between the three being the increasingly rapid throttle response and power delivery. He had a little chuckle when I told him I was planning to ride to Utah and back: “Your lower back is gonna love it!”. Spoiler alert: with this suspension and seat set up, my lower back and hips had no complaints on +300mi days!
I had consolidated my life into a duffel bag that I strapped to the fender, and my Kriega Trail 18 backpack that holds a hydration pack, some snacks, my passport, and small stuff. The Enduristan Tornado 2L I bought years ago contained my tent, mattress, sleeping bag, camping chair, blanket, stove, toiletries, 3 changes of clothes, a week’s worth of socks and undies, a towel, and some small tools. Three weeks and several thousand miles to conquer!
Hitting the road
As soon as I put the keys in my pocket (yay, keyless!), and pressed the starter button, the 1250cc liquid cooled V Twin roared to life. My adventure had begun! I made my way out of the city onto the 330 into San Bernardino National Forest. My plan was to break for lunch somewhere on Big Bear Lake. Ascending through burnt landscapes, I suddenly found myself between lush green trees, already scraping pegs in the corners, and smiling ear to ear! This 547lbs bike is a lot more comfortable and nimble than I initially expected!
At Big Bear Lake I pulled in at a cafe called the Rewind Collective. It turned out to be an all organic cooperative that serves a range of cold and hot drinks, sandwiches, and snacks, and sells local products from small artisans and artists in the area. The atmosphere is country style cosy, yet modern, the cake is on point, and the coffee was great. I then followed route 18 and 247 to Barstow, where I got on the interstate 15 towards Las Vegas. Crossing the Mojave Dessert is always an endeavour, especially in the middle afternoon. The hydration pack is key, and the few filling stations can provide air-conditioned refuge as well as cold drinks and snacks.
In Las Vegas I surprised my friends at Sosa Metalworks with a visit. Last year I took part in the metal shaping workshop hosted by Cristian Sosa and his team. It was an intense weekend packed with fun, sweat, and a steep learning curve. To get everyone acquainted, he hosts a small party the night before the class starts. This year, classes happened to start the day after I arrived in Vegas, so my visit aligned perfectly with the taco party. It was great to see some familiar faces and talk about bikes, rides, and events.
Into the sticks!
The next morning I met up with Kristen in a parking lot where she got some film rolls, and I got a breakfast roll. Last year we took an overnight trip to Zion National Park with Brandi. This year we had planned a long weekend of riding and hiking in Utah. After a full day of riding, 400mi/650km, we arrived at Uinta National Forest. We hadn’t made any reservations, taking a bit of a gamble this time of year, and at the second campground, we found a small spot for our two tents. We quickly set up camp, packed our backpacks with water, dinner, and stoves, and made tracks for the Fifth Water Hot Springs. A narrow trail, occasionally washed out,took us to the springs. We weren’t the only ones who took the 50min hike, yet it was not unpleasantly crowded. We got our dinner going, and went for a soak in the idyllic hotsprings. At the other end of the gorge, next to the waterfall, someone started a fire show. What a surprise!
Next morning we sat in the sun with our coffees and let the condensation on our tents dry. We had a timed entry for Arches National Park, and a 3h ride ahead of us. We pushed through, only stopping for petrol, following the Grand Army of The Republic Highway (Rt 6, 89, and 191), and made it just in time to the NP to get our entry sorted. Now we could come and go as we pleased that same day, so we decided to set up camp atop a mesa just outside of Moab on the way to Canyonlands NP. Time for lunch, but not before taking a few shots with Kristen’s analog camera with Big Mesa and Merrimac Butte providing a stunning backdrop to our earth toned steel steeds. Having an experienced, talented, professional photographer as a friend has its perks!
Copyright by Kristen Lassen 2025.
Moab and Arches National Park
Moab is a small town that has become the epicentre of Utah’s outdoor activities scenes. Main Street is riddled with outdoor stores, tour operators and accommodation. Horseback riding, hiking, mountainbiking, 4×4, enduro motorcycling, and predominantly white water rafting. Even skydiving is possible here. As we rolled into town, I did not recognise any of the buildings from when I was here 20 years ago. All new hotels, motels, and shops. Main Street luckily maintained the cosy small town atmosphere and after strolling up and down, we sat down for a solid lunch at the local pub, Trailhead.
After lunch we filled our water bladders and stocked up on snacks, and we went back into Arches National Park for a hike up to one of the arches. The road to the trail head winds between stunning the geological structures it is famous for. The Entrada sandstone is what gives this park its unique colour, and it comes back in the giant monoliths, the balanced rocks, and the impressive arches. Around 5pm it was still 35C (95F), so we kept the pace low as we made our way up to Delicate Arch. It’s a decent climb, 170m in just 1.25km, so do not underestimate it! So worth it, though. As we rounded the corner atop the mountain and first laid eyes on the arch, neither of us had the words to express that feeling that overcomes you when you observe natural phenomena for the first time. We settled somewhere on a rock in the shade, to hydrate, to snack, and to observe the tourists. An inevitable, yet poorly executed, David Attenborough impersonation and inappropriate jokes made the other hikers giggle while we cackled.
When we got back to our bikes, we chatted with a 70 year old man who’s been riding his Honda XL offroad for decades. These wholesome conversations with total strangers contribute to the feeling of never really being alone when you’re on the road, and I can only hope I’m still riding like that at that age. With the sun setting, and the colour of the earth and the rock becoming more intense, we rode back in awe between the sandstone. We returned to camp just in time to see the sun set below the horizon from atop our little mesa. A little camp fire, a little dinner, and a little night photography to capture the stars.
Next morning we skipped the sunset at Mesa Arch, and rolled into Moab for brekkie at Moab Garage Co. Little did I know that I would be back here in just a few days…
*unless specified, for all photos copyright by Casper van der Ven, 2025.
