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There are a few maintenance items required to prep a tiny bike to ride any sort of distance. Regular oil change, lubrication, new tires and tubes, greased bearings and valve adjustments are important. But we also made a few upgrades that made the bikes more “adventure-ready.” One we did on Wade’s CT90 (but failed to do on my bike!) was a rectifier upgrade. This ended up being the source of our many problems. We also found it advisable to thread-lock every accessible bolt. The vibrations that tiny bikes make at 35 mph are horrendous and will loosen everything. We lost a speedometer cable on the first day when it vibrated itself loose.

Trying to bring the CT90 back to life before switching to the "big" XL200.By the time we arrived in Congress, AZ, it was clear that a decision had to be made. Some of the most amazing riding in Northern Arizona lay directly in our path, but pulling over to let my bike cool down every twenty minutes wasn't working out. Fortunately, we had another bike for emergencies—a 1978 Honda XL200. While not strictly a “tiny bike” it was all we could get our hands on before the ride. I traded up and kept riding.

Once we were cruising steadly it wasn't long until we were warmly welcomed in Prescott, AZ at the Overland Journal offices. They greeted us with a much-needed barbecue and cold beer. Someone calculated that the first day of our three-day ride averaged about 13 miles per hour—one of the most grueling travel days we’d ever experienced.

The next morning Prescott was refreshingly cool. We rode to Star Island Motorsports’ Annual Vintage Japanese Bike Show, walked around, looked at some beautiful bikes and spent some money on parts for the CT90. But after three hours of testing it was clear that my 90' was not going to be making the rest of the ride.

The end of the line. We had made to the New Mexico border three days after we began our journey.Despite our mechanical difficulties, the second day was filled with some awesome riding. A gorgeous stretch of dirt road led us through some of the most beautiful scenery in Arizona. We arrived in Show Low that evening as the sun set. We ate and slept well the night before the last push to the Arizona/New Mexico border. Then on early Sunday morning, at a top speed of 30 mph, we “raced” toward the border! The weather was perfect as we rolled over the New Mexico line.

Looking back, we get to ask ourselves what we accomplished. In promoting our inaugural Tiny Bikes: Big Change Ride, we raised $4,000 for charity; got to immerse ourselves in the motorcycling community, and made a change in the world. We also learned that an adventure can happen within a weekend. Most importantly any journey is about the process, the miles under your tires, the feeling you have sleeping under the stars knowing you’ve done something that nobody else has ever done. Although others have traveled further and raised more money, we did something amazing, rejuvenating, and inspiring—and we’re going to do it again!

We had a lot of help from the following people: Tepui Tents, Overland Expo, MotoSkiveez, State Bar, Historic Brewing Company, Blood:Water, Overland Journal, Red Thread Sewing, Mountain Motorrad, Good Carma Garage, John and Owen, and so many more.

TinyBikesBigChange.org | Facebook.com/tinybikesbigchange