Why We Ride… Matt’s story

Who is Matt Carman?  Matt is a customer of ours who bought both of his recent bikes from us here at the Speed Shop.  Why is that at all significant?  Matt lives in Fallon, Nevada and chose Marin Speed Shop as his go to dealership for both of his Triumphs and their services.  He has made countless trips over the mountains for upgrades, break-in services and just to come say hey to the crew and ride with us.  We are inspired by his infectious enthusiasm/ “let’s go” attitude and chose him for our “Why We Ride” blog write-up this month. Matt is the first person to cheer you on and the kind of guy who would give you the shirt off his back. Sit back, relax and enjoy Matt’s story!

What is your first memory of riding or thinking you wanted to one day ride a motorcycle?

  My dad and I started riding motorcycles in a very similar way: we both started mostly on snowmobiles in Northern NY, and the passion for that bled into summer time fun. My dad had dirtbikes and a 1982 CB900f as long as I’ve been alive. I remember when I was between 2 and 4, I used to sit on the gas tank of his dirtbike as he rode through the woods. He bought us kids our first PW50 when my older sister turned 4, and I was allowed to ride it when I turned 4, something I specifically remember counting down the days until my 4th birthday.

What inspired you to get your license and learn to ride? 

Ultimately, I’ve always had an interest in powersports of some sort, but my older sister bought a GSXR-650, and we’ve always been a “monkey see, monkey do” kinda family, so I went what I thought was the smarter route: a free bike sitting in my dad’s garage. My sister ended up being the smart one, I grew out of my mom’s 450 twin, she enjoyed the 650 for much longer.

What is your fondest motorcycle-related memory?

Honestly, I have so many. I could write you pages on different stories I have. The first time I went moto camping with my friend Erika with saddlebags on the z in Letchworth State park in Western NY, we got so drenched in rain, it was the quintessential Adv ride. I was hooked on Adventure riding from there on out. The time I rode with my dad right before I moved to Nv, where he showed me the place where I fell and hit my forehead on the foot peg of his RMZ450 when I was 3, the first time I raced off road, or that time I went off into the desert on my own on the Tiger after I got divorced. LaB2V with Allison. That time I met Rob Dabney and Stephen Gregory at the XLADV High Sierra event, or Jenna and Amelia at the KTM Rally in Park City. That time I bought a Scrambler 1200xe, then drove back up the next weekend for a shop ride…

Tell us about your journey when you were first learning to ride: who, what, when, where, why?

 We rode that PW50 until I was almost 10, when he traded it for an RM85. As kids, we didn’t understand how a clutch and shifting worked, and my dad was unable to teach us without getting frustrated, so eventually we stopped riding together. His attention had turned to the sky, and he started building an airplane. Needing money for bills, he sold the RM85, and told us “the next bike you buy, it’ll be with your own money.”

Fast forward to age 23, I’m getting ready to leave active duty, I have a snowmobile I had purchased while deployed, and a friend of mine suggested I take the Basic Rider Course while it was still free before I got out. “I don’t have a bike to ride, and they are all out of loaners,” I told her. She took me out to a parking lot, let me do a few circles with her bike, and handed the keys to me and said “you can borrow mine. Please don’t drop it.” I passed the class, aaalllmost dropped it one time, and next thing you know, I’m reviving my mother’s 1982 CM450C out of the garage, as it was rotting next to my dad’s 900f. A new battery, set of tires, and some fresh gas and that 450c was ripping up and down the Adirondacks for about 2 months until a harsh NY winter left it parked.

About the time I got the 450c running, I got a job at a local sports shop. DDS Motorsports in Utica, NY hired me as an “assembler” which got me exposure to how heavy 4 wheelers are, how awful some dealership owners can be, and a showroom full of nice shinny new ski-doos, kawasakis, and can am side by sides. The work was degrading, as I wasn’t allowed to actually work on bikes, just break apart crates and sweep the shop. Sitting in the dealership was a gently used z1000. I remember it didn’t look anything like the other bikes. It was a sportbike, but it didn’t have the telltale fairing and windshield, nor did it have the tight tucked in clip on bars. About this time, Icon released “Motorcycle vs. Car Drift Battle 2” and I was BLOWN AWAY. Like a life changing heart pounding moment. I was immediately sucked into all of it: ICON gear. Variant helmets. Naked sportbikes. Drifting. Triumphs. I felt like I had already grown out of the 450c, while I was drooling over the z1000, I remember having what I called “z1000 moments,” meaning “I could have totally passed that car if I had that z1000.” I don’t know why, but after someone came into the shop to test ride it, and then miraculously passed on it, I couldn’t let this thing get sold out from under me. I used what was left of my savings, bought the bike, and was hooked. Riding was my new passion.

What are some of the challenges you have faced?  What are your biggest motorcycle related victories?

I gotta say, the biggest challenge I’ve faced with riding bikes is being able to balance my life and bills and expenses with riding. I always said if it wasn’t for my (now ex) wife, I’d be homeless surrounded by 10 motorcycles and a pile of tools. After I got divorced, I nearly became that person. I managed to find a very delicate balance, and with each new discipline of riding, I’ve found its 1 step forward, ¾ of a step backwards. Racing takes all of your money, and some of your time, and ADV riding takes what’s left of your money, and then all of your PTO.

An easy answer to the 2nd question would be to say “Hey! I’m actually not homeless!” (at the moment) but I have to say that I dove into dirt bike racing and came out of my first season of 100 mile hare scrambles with a giant trophy for Over 30 Novice. That victory came from learning a hard lesson that saved both my life and my racing career. I learned that yes, there is a ton of “reckless/ dumb luck/ confidence goes a long way” in dirt bike racing, but I also learned that SLOWING DOWN, and riding in a controlled and strategic way can also pay off in a big way, and it paid off for me.

What bike did you learn to ride on?

My friend Brittany’s GS500f was the first bike I rode as an adult. Shortly after my older sister let me ride her GSXR650 and I learned it WASN’T the death trap I heard it was. You just have to take care of it and ride within your limits. I was taught that getting your license didn’t mean you knew how to drive, it meant you were competent enough to learn to drive, so I’d have to say my 2008 z1000 was the bike I really learned to ride on. Sooo many mistakes and stupid things that could have ended my life. I always made it out on 2 wheels and in one piece, each time with just a little bit more knowledge of what I can do, can’t do, and definitely shouldn’t do.

What was the first bike you ever owned?

 My mother’s 1982 Honda CM450c. Funny story about that: My mother had 3 children. She learned to ride with my dad, and bought the bike to go riding with him. Each time she had a kid, she sold the bike, because she wouldn’t be able to ride it anymore. Then later when said kid was old enough for a babysitter, my dad hunted down the bike and bought it back for her. That bike has literally been purchased 3 times. The 4th time it was given to my cousin, and then given back.

What bike(s) do you ride now and why?

Currently I ride a Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro because I learned on my 2016 Tiger 800 that you CAN, but you SHOULDN’T, beat an adventure bike to death off road and then expect it to just cruise 400 miles away without any consequences. The Tiger is for long distance touring, with some light off-roading, like a BDR.

I also ride a Triumph Scrambler 1200XE. This is my Heavy Enduro, National Hare and Hound Race bike that I can also commute to work with and then take to a date night. This bike is insane. It does everything I want it to, and does it pretty well. I have raced it against dirt bikes on Saturday, and then washed it and took gorgeous pictures of it on Monday. I’ve done parts of a BDR with it, but with the high pipe, it’s hard to pack much luggage on it.

For serious dirt riding, I have a 2016 Beta 350rr Race Edition. I bought it from a girl who raced Vegas to Reno with it, then decided she liked 2-strokes better. 350 has to be the ideal size for a dirtbike. Big enough motor to dual sport and race at high speed, but still small enough to tackle really technical terrain. This bike has saved my life more times than I can count. It just takes everything and handles it without complaint. I’ve got it almost ready to be street legal, which is my next goal.

I still have my ole trusty z1000 AND my cm450c, but I’m not sure what to do with them. They just sit these days.

Solo rider or group rider?

Both. There’s some incredible peace and focus you get when you’re off by yourself. Every Thanksgiving I go do 1 specific section of the NVBDR just to be by myself for a few days.

But then….with a group? There’s the comm banter. I don’t care what brand, or what discipline of riding. Just get all of your friends on the same comms and go for a ride. There’s nothing more fun than riding with your friends and just talking in the helmets.

Road, Track, Trail, Touring, Adventure, or all of the above and why?

So far, the only riding discipline I haven’t tried is sportbike track racing. All of the above. You can relax on your Harley or get a good workout on some gnarly single track. Or you can ride to Alaska and back. It’s all amazing, especially with the right people.

What does riding do for you?  How does it add to and enhance your living experience?

Riding is a tool. I’ve found that I can challenge myself, stay in shape, explore the world, meet amazing people, and even make a living in this little niche of humanity. I’ve found that it’s a tool to explore the most of all that life has to offer.

What else would you like to share about motorcycles, riding, and being part of the motorcycle community?

As passionate as I am, and as many miles as I’ve put on a bike since 2011, I still feel like a new rider. I hope that never changes. I keep learning and I keep trying new things and I keep getting better. And the people I’ve met along the way are just like that, too. Let’s never stop that. Always getting better. Always trying new things.