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MOTO WONDERWOMANFor many, motorcycling can be a fun hobby oran affordable way to commute. For JocelinSnow, motorcycling is a way of life. From riderto racer and adventurer, she has devotedher life to all things two-wheeled. ADVMotorecently got a chance to chat with Jocelin tolearn where her obsession started, what she’s up to now,and where her travels will take her in the future. JocelinSnow: No one in my family rode motorcycles, but I caughtthe motorcycling bug quite young and bought my first motorcycle(a Kawasaki KDX80) with my paper route money,without telling my parents. I paid a kid at school $10 a weekall year until I had it paid for. Then, I took the school bus to hishome where he taught me the basics of how to ride. I rodethat bike every chance I could, having to push it just over amile to abandoned railway beds and old sand pits where Icould ride. At the time, I did not have any riding buddies, so Ilearned the hard way about proper gear, and why riders wearit. And, I learned about motorcycle maintenance and whathad to be done to keep a bike running properly. By 18, I hadprogressed from the KDX80 to a Kawasaki Ninja 250, and onto the more powerful Ninja 750. Along with the larger Ninjacame the need for speed, and I soon discovered drag racingand road racing. After a year of road racing at a club level,I obtained a pro racing license, and became one of the firstfemales to race AMA 250GP. My professional road racingcareer was short-lived. After a few years I found myself ina wheelchair, following a horrific crash at Daytona.When Irecovered from the crash, I began racing off road. I found itmore affordable, and felt it was a little less risky racing harescrambles and enduros. Many people have inspired me, butthe earliest was the legend himself, Malcolm Smith. I joinedhim, along with a group of expert off-road riders in Baja ona few occasions. It was a change from my solo riding andcompetition, and I discovered I enjoyed riding with other riders,sharing the day’s action and taking in the scenery. Afteran exciting day of riding, we would all gather around asMalcolm shared some of the most amazing riding stories.These stories stay with me today and inspire me to pushfor my goals and never give up. I continue to be inspired byMalcolm, his love of motorcycling, and his desire to seekout adventure. ADVMoto: Racing a BMW R1200GS throughtechnical terrain can be a challenge. How do you managesuch a massive machine?JS: At 5’-1.5” and 115 lb., justabout every motorcycle that I’ve owned is usually a bit largerand is almost always oversized for me every time.“No one in my family rodemotorcycles, but I caught themotorcycling bug quite young.”I’ve struggled with all the usual, dabbing a foot, gettinga bike off the kick stand, stopping without tippingover, etc. The GS Trophy and riding a big adventurebike really isn’t “racing,” in fact it has more todo with slow-speed handling, balance, and control.With my inseam, dabbing isn’t really an option whenI have to slide all the way off the seat to get a foot down. AsI like to tell the guys I ride with... size really doesn’t matter.What does is keeping the bike moving forward in balanceand under control. About eight years ago, I attended a motorcycleshow and found myself drawn to this amazing BMWR1200GS Adventure. I remember it clearly; it looked quiteintimidating, all black, with bright yellow accessories, andhad every Touratech aftermarket part on it. The salesmanexplained that this was the machine that would do everything.I could put it all together on this bike—the road racing,the off-road, the technical riding, the long haul—this was thebike. Then, I sat on it, and after several attempts, I couldnot upright the bike from the kick stand. At that point, I’downed well over 30 motorcycles, and rode them plenty, butthis one was scary. I walked away from the bike in defeat,while my riding buddies told me that I was too little for sucha big bike, and that I needed to be able to have two feet onthe ground to properly control such a serious machine. So,“How do I manage such a massive machine?” The answeris, I believe I can manage it, so I do. I practice often, and Iride as much as my schedule allows. But mostly I work tofind a way to make the bike do what I want it to do. I do havemy own special ways to get a GS off the kick stand, counterbalance in tight maneuvers, negotiate technical terrain, andeven pick the bike up from a drop, it’s truly mind over matter.34 CLUTCH December 2020CLUTCH 26
Tell us a bit about your experience at the 2018 GSTrophy Challenge in Mongolia. JS: The GS TrophyChallenge in Mongolia was everything you’veheard, “The experience of a lifetime.” However, itwas not just the Trophy competition in Mongoliathat made it such a memorable experience—itwas getting there. Competing in the Trophy is just as mucha test of mental strength as riding ability. I seriously testedmy inner strength from the very beginning. I’d just returnedfrom a 30-day, 12,000-mile ride to and from Alaskawhen I decided to try out for the GS Trophy. Although I hadcompleted the Alaska trip and my first Next Step off-roadtraining class at RawHyde Adventures, I had only been adventureriding with my new GSA for about four months.Some say the BMW GS Trophy is about the riding, some sayit is about the competition, others say it is about seeing thecountry. I would say it is a little bit about all of that. But forme it is mostly about the people. My greatest memories aresocializing with the Mongolian locals (especially the kids),learning about my fellow riders and their countries, andgetting to know the marshals and the folks that make it allpossible. What does it take to go from ADV rider to racer?Did you take any type of training? JS: I actually went in theother direction… from racing to adventure riding. Learningto control a big adventure bike in all terrain takes practice. IfI put it all in order, it would look something like this: Dirt bikeriding, drag racing, flat track racing, motocross, road racing,hare scrambles, enduro racing, Supermoto racing, and landinghere, at adventure riding.Ithink if I had known then what I know nowabout adventure riding, I would have takenup adventure riding a long time ago. I’ve hadvarious training during my 35-plus years ofriding. When road racing and flat tracking, Itook the Danny Walker Supercamp School.The Penguin Roadracing School in Loudon, NH iswhere I trained for road racing. did some private training withDave Wood for single-track and technical trail riding. DougChandler showed me the ropes of Supermoto. And I did myadventure motorcycling training with RawHyde Adventuresin Castaic, CA and Country Trax in Johannesburg, South Africa.If you could explore any part of the world, where wouldit be, continue racing, long distance travel, etc.? JS: HA! DoI have future riding plans lined up? You bet I do!! I’ve partneredwith UpSouth Adventures in Cape Town, South Africa,and am leading my first two-week tour in South Africa inlate November and December of 2018. I have three moretours planned there with them during 2019. I’m also partneringwith Epico Moto Adventures and leading a women’sadventure tour in Colombia in January of 2019. I’ve traveledmost of Europe by motorcycle, but my bucket list includesIceland, New Zealand, and the Silk Road, and of course, asa BDR ambassador and lifetime member. I haven’t been everywhere…but it’s on my list! Any words of inspiration thatyou have to share with everyone? JS: What I have to say toyou all is you need to believe in yourself, follow your dreamsand never give up. The world is such an amazing place, soget out there and discover it.“I think if I had known then what I know nowabout adventure riding, I would have taken upadventure riding a long time ago.”To Be Continued...CLUTCH 27December 2020 CLUTCH 35
Page 6 and 7: CLUTCHIn This Issue10Secrets of Jap
Page 8: Danger ZoneRiding through a minefie
Page 11 and 12: SECRETSofJAPAN
Page 13 and 14: We rode as two groups (the second l
Page 15: December 2020 CLUTCH 15
Page 18 and 19: An off-road journeyThis is a disast
Page 21 and 22: My tent also comeswith stakes andth
Page 24 and 25: Baja by Bike:Jamie Elvidge
Page 26 and 27: Since there is so little ediblefoli
Page 28 and 29: We here werelike merelyall professi
Page 30: “A motorcycletour through Bajais

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