Wisdom: Scotty Stopnik

Ah, the open road.

A beautiful, romantic thing that calls to the hearts of many a mechanically-minded dust devil. In Brixton’s new film, 50wt Monument Valley, the open road called the whole Brixton family - Ryan Townley, Max Schaaf, and Scotty Stopnik, to name a few - and is a watch well-worth it. If you haven’t seen it, watch it here, and take note of a few things; the camping, the dust, the heat, the break downs - the lack of glamor but the grit of it all. Not such an easy thing, is it? Of course not, but that shouldn’t deter you.

To prepare you for a motorcycle journey of your own, we asked Scotty Stopnik what ten bits of advice he’d give for such an odyssey. You’re welcome.

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1. Always expect other drivers to pull out in front of you and try to kill you.

2. Flashlights become headlights.

3. Water bottles are gas cans.

4. Side of the road trash becomes life saving necessities.

5. Don’t bring more than you can strap to the back of the bike.

6. Talking to locals  at gas station always beats looking on maps for a hot meal and cold drinks.

7. The breakdowns are better when you have friends broke down with you.

8. You don’t need a hotel when you have a sleeping bag.

9. Believe in that old POS your riding down the road, and it will believe in you.

10. It’s not about the destination it’s more about the journey.