When Michael Yang was 15 years old, he bought a used 1972 Yamaha LT2 100 motorcycle for $200 that he saved for while working part-time at 7-Eleven as a clerk.
The modest green-tanked and knobby-tired bike transported him to and from school, his job and, on the weekends, to the Santa Cruz mountains in San Jose — this teenager’s oasis to roam free.
Nearly a year later, his beloved motorcycle, one of Yang’s most prized possessions at the time, was stolen off the street outside of his family’s two-bedroom apartment where it was parked overnight. The bike, the biggest purchase of Yang’s youth, was eventually replaced with a car. Yang wasn’t sure he would ever ride on two wheels again. It wasn’t until nearly three decades later that the biker-at-heart would revisit his teenage passion as an adult.
Yang, a La Cañada Flintridge resident, is now considered an expert rider who prides himself on touring the world on his BMW R1250 GS Adventure motorcycle. Last year, he rode from LCF to Newfoundland, Canada, a 40-day journey, spanning 12,300 miles.
“I think what inspires me to ride is the sense of adventure that I have,” Yang told the Outlook Valley Sun. “While growing up in South Korea, my mother said that ever since I was 3 or 4 years old, I would always be outside playing, regardless if it was snowing in the wintertime or really hot in the summertime. I loved being outdoors, and I think that was the kind of upbringing that attracted me to fun, excitement, adventure, curiosity to see new places and the idea of exploration.”
Most recently, Yang embarked on a 37-day, 10,454-mile solo ride from LCF to Tuktoyaktuk, Canada, and then continued on to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, through some of the most rugged terrain North America has to offer.
“Riding a motorcycle gives me a sense of freedom — a feeling of being completely alone and by myself,” he said. “I enjoy the excitement of being on this motorized bike and feeling the air hit my face, the dry air of the Mojave Desert or the crisp, clear air of the Rockies, smelling the fresh cut grass, the sweet aroma of eucalyptus trees along the coast, and seeing the beauty of the nature right at the ground level.”
Yang’s wife, four children and his parents, who live in a guest home on the same property, supported his ambitious endeavor with a warm send off on June 29, when he departed, leaving LCF in his rearview mirror once more to follow his dreams.
Stowed away in compartments attached to his bike, Yang made sure to pack basic clothing, food like instant ramen and canned tuna, as well as camping equipment — a tent, sleeping bag, inflatable air mattress, pillow, folding chair, portable stove and fuel canister. Other items he included were a mosquito net, bug repellent, bear spray, a tire repair kit, extra riding gloves and a cooling vest, among other necessities.
A typical day on the road for Yang was always an early one. It began with him rising at about 5 a.m. to document his journey on Facebook of the day prior, collecting a lengthy thread of written entries, photos and videos that highlighted his thoughts and experiences for his family and friends to follow along.
Next, he would eat breakfast and hit the road by 9 a.m. until about 7 p.m., with multiple breaks for food, naps and even photos — riding on average between 350-400 miles each day.
In the pockets of his riding pants, Yang often stored treats like beef jerky to keep him fed during long, barren stretches of road without available food stops. He also kept gum handy to chew on in case he felt tired.
When arriving at his daily destinations, Yang said he would have a quick dinner at a nearby restaurant or at the motel he was staying for the night and retire to bed at 10 p.m. to recharge.
In the morning, he would plan his navigation to the next stop on the map, check the weather, dress appropriately for the outside temperature and then do it all over again.
Though long hours spent on the road, day in, and day out, can become monotonous at times, Yang said it offers him an opportunity to regain clarity and a sense of self.
“When I ride, I have a lot of time to think and reflect on myself and my life and how I got to be so lucky to be able to ride and go on these trips,” Yang said. “It’s therapeutic in a way. It gives me time to be alone and explore these things.”
It was time spent riding last year when he first had the realization that he wanted to write an autobiography about his past as a former technology startup entrepreneur who founded mySimon.com, a price comparison shopping site that was acquired by CNET in 2000, combined with his current lifestyle.
“I realized what I was doing all those years ago and what I’m doing now both have elements of risk and danger and so I see myself more as an adventurer than any one career or profession,” said Yang, who has finished about 300 pages of his first draft and plans to publish the manuscript it when it is ready.
Yang has also had plenty of downtime to play music during his many rides, so much so that he said he has probably listened to all the songs in his personal iPhone library, which he estimates holds more than 1,500 songs, about 10 times over.
Some of his favorite artists in his playlist include The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Beatles, The Carpenters, as well as genres like ’70s and ’80s Korean music he grew up on, classical music and Christian prayer songs.
As Yang traveled past Dylan, Montana, on his way up to Glacier National Park, he encountered a sky that quickly shifted to an “ominous shade of gray,” a sudden change in weather that left Yang in unsettling conditions.
“Before I knew it, rain was coming toward me from the direction I was headed and all of a sudden, I felt the wind pick up and the temperature drop,” Yang said. “I began to see trucks and RVs exit the highway, and within like 10 minutes, the temperature dropped even more.”
He recalled only having about 250 miles to get to his next destination, and even in his waterproof and windproof motorcycle jacket and pants, he felt vulnerable riding amid the strong side wind blowing against him.
“My bike, myself and luggage probably weighed 1,000 pounds collectively, but I felt so feeble, because the bike began to shake,” Yang said. “At one point I thought the wind was going to throw me to the side of the road.”
He ultimately took refuge beside two other motorcyclists stopped at an underpass. With them, Yang waited out the worst of the “ferocious” storm before pressing on.
Another challenge he faced was the danger of wildfires along his route near Dempster Highway, though it didn’t deter him.
“When I finally got to Tuktoyaktuk, after riding through those wildfires and road closures, knowing some other travelers turned around and went back, I felt extremely proud of myself for braving the tough road conditions and weather.”
Tuktoyaktuk, Canada, and Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, are considered bucket list destinations for “adventure motorcycle riders” such as Yang. The first is home to the indigenous people of a native fishing village located in the Northwest Territory of Canada, where Yang learned about their culture, history and tried their traditional food, including Muktuk or whale blubber.
Near the shore, he met with community members gathering around to receive the harvest of a beluga whale. Yang described the meat of the whale as being oily in texture, similar to raw bacon and feeling in his mouth “100 times chewier than gum.” According to Yang, locals are known to chew on Muktuk for hours; however, he could only tolerate it for a few minutes because its ever-tough exterior didn’t seem to soften. He also tried the same dish again, but this time boiled. Yang said the only word he could find to distinguish its taste was “sharp.”
The second and final destination — 5,911 miles later — before making his way back home, was Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. His arrival there captured one of his favorite memories — a mental snapshot of a scene that will likely stay with him forever.
“When I was riding the north slope of Alaska, the clouds were so white and the tundra was so green — it was like a different world up there, something I had never experienced before,” Yang said.
“I felt like all the preparation and work up until that point was worth it — to be able to witness something only a handful of people get to experience, because of how isolated and remote that part of the world is.”
To culminate the completion of his journey, he decided to pay a visit to the Arctic Ocean and enter the water to celebrate. Because tourists can’t simply drive up to the shore due to the land being owned by private oil companies, to get there, Yang joined a two-hour tour that brought him to the waterfront.
After he removed his motorcycle-riding clothes, socks, shoes and changed into his swimming trunks, Yang went ankle deep into the vast, blue pool before him.
“The Arctic Ocean water wasn’t as cold as I expected,” Yang said. “It was chilly, but not freezing cold. It wasn’t rough either, it had gentle waves. The feeling of the water was refreshing. It was 10:30 p.m. at night, still bright with the sun in the western sky. I wanted to memorialize my visit to Tuktoyaktuk and Prudhoe Bay by going into the water, and it was so special for me to mark the arrival of both my destinations in this way.”
Though feeling accomplished, he was equally exhausted — well aware that he still had much more road left to return home.
“Getting there was only half the battle,” Yang said. “I read that more people die coming down from Mount Everest, because coming down is more dangerous, and I was very much alerted to that fact. So, I really had to understand that going back is a whole other half of the journey.”
Yang said the weather was just as tough on the way down as it was on the way up. The rain was no exception.
“When it rained, the dust on the road became slippery and muddy,” he said. “My helmet would get fogged up in the cold weather, and I had to lift it up. Then, the rain would hit my eyeglasses, making my vision blurry, but I still had to keep riding, because I needed to be on pace to be back home and get to my booked hotel at the next stop. … I’m very thankful I didn’t drop my bike or fall down while riding in that rainy weather.”
Despite the challenges that come with the territory of a trip like this one, Yang was happy to have weathered the hardships and come out stronger on the other side.
“I felt like this was the most special trip of my life,” he said. “It was a man-versus-nature type of situation where I had to ride through these tough roads and weather, fighting against fatigue to get to each and every destination.”
As Yang approached his LCF home on Aug. 4, he was greeted with festive decorations from his family. The first thing the homesick traveler did when arriving was jump in the pool with some of his children. He remembers it being a hot day and having to stop about five times in San Jose to cool off to prevent himself from falling asleep.
“I was extremely relieved to return safely to my beloved family and parents who welcomed me back home,” Yang said. “Being here, at home, is just like another adventure, but in real life — having all the challenges of raising a family of four children, finishing landscaping projects and attending to some investments that I manage. I’m happy to be back and continue this adventure while I’m thinking about my next big trip.”
Michael Yang’s daughter Emily Yang said she blew up balloons, made her father a welcome-home sign, and even crafted him a symbolic finish line to cross.
“I’m really proud of my dad for completing this journey,” she said. “It’s obviously not an easy thing to do, especially at his age. You have to have a lot of strength and endurance. … We were all so excited to see him, and we were all so happy when he was able to come home safe.”
“There are some times where it’s not exactly the most ideal [for him to travel] since me and my brothers are still in school and still growing up, but it also teaches us that we can achieve our goals and to not give up,” she added.
David Yang, the eldest of Michael Yang’s three sons, said he looks forward to hearing about his father’s travels after each of his trips.
“My favorite conversations with him are about how people would respond to his Facebook posts and offer lodging at their homes if where they lived was on his path,” he said. “He would tell me about the hospitality they extended and how it was interesting to meet and understand people that lived in different parts of the world.”
Michael Yang’s wife Sunny Yang said he was missed by the whole household. Traveling is an important dynamic of the family’s life, whether it’s together or separate, making his journey easy to understand.
“Michael is very thorough with planning these trips and so I know he is well prepared,” she said. “What worries me is what may happen unexpectedly that is not in his control. Although I know he likes adventure, I also know he is not reckless or without thought. … Time really flies, although, at times, it felt like he was gone for a long time. But when the day came for his return, we were all very thankful he was finishing his journey safely.”
First published in the August 31 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
