James Curran grew-up in a small town in the Midwest outside of Milwaukee, surrounded by fields, cows, barns, chewing tobacco and all of the smells and attitudes that go along with them. He is grateful for his youth.

“I remember the first time I put my hands on a cold steel gas tank. I can thank my dad for that. It’s funny how the smallest of gestures can bring out floods of memories and adrenaline. I’ve been riding and crashing everything with wheels for as long as I can remember,” says James.

In his youth, there was a limited amount of “action” going on in the country side, so James made his own. A lifetime of riding has helped to inspire his sense of adventure. "I think the thrill of the ride definitely drew me to getting immersed in the culture of motorcycles, racing, and mechanics. For a kid growing up in a small town, I was always curious what else was out there. There is a certain sense of freedom that comes with ripping down an empty country road with nothing to stop you but the gravel or a ditch.”

This inspiration has turned into a well-honed passion, and over the past 20 years James has ridden over 100,000 miles on five continents, across every kind of terrain in all types of weather; from the blistering desert heat to the burning cold of the Northern Woods.

“What I have found on my travels is that the bike hasn’t been a source just for fun, but a ticket to personal expansion. The people, cultures, challenged fears, laughter, and moments of pain have taught me more about life than anything I ever learned in school.”

James sees his riding as an opportunity to grow, develop himself and connect with new surroundings which led to his greatest challenge yet- to participate in the Vegas to Reno Rally (V2R Rally), one of the events hosted by Best in the Dessert Racing Association. The V2R Rally is the longest off-road race in America, that starts in Las Vegas and ends in Reno, Nevada.



James won’t be competing in a trophy truck like Robby Gordon or even a rally prepped 450 motocrosser. Instead, James will attempt to simply complete the event riding a basically stock, Chinese-built California Scooter Company (CSC) RX3 Cyclone. This small displacement adventure bike costs around $3,500, or about the same price as a set of tires for a Class 1 buggy. James’s goal is to inspire riders and to prove you don’t need the “best” or most expensive gear to have an adventure.

“I’m not sure what I’m getting myself into, but I’m sure I’m up for it! You come up with a crazy idea, and then go after it with everything you’ve got. Buy the ticket, take the ride!”

Stay tuned to ADVMoto for more updates on James' upcoming ride!

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