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Steven L Vanden HoekOffline

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  • 2021 Honda CRF450RL 2005 Kawasaki KDX200H  

About Me

Steven Lee Vanden Hoek

Born in Newton, Iowa USA, and raised in St. Louis, Missouri - my motorcycle journey started in Nov 2017 when I sat on my first motorcycle at a training class with my son Jax. In July of 2018, I bought my first bike (BMW 310GS) and within three weeks I had a puncture in my tubeless rear tire which forced me to Gateway BMW as I had no idea what to do. While I was waiting at the dealership I saw a flyer for #adventurepalooza - a multi-day adventure & dual sport ride. I signed up, and was connected with a local experienced GS rider who took me out to Lost Creek Rd in Warrenton Co., MO (my first gravel road ever) - and two weeks later I packed up my bike with my Walmart camping gear, homemade panniers, and a few tools - and off I went.

Little did I know this would be the beginning of an amazing journey with so many new friendships, skills, travels, and injuries. I was so excited I wanted to ride every day - but as I couldn’t find anyone to ride with - and I didn’t know of other communities - I started the 314ADV Facebook group to try to connect.

Since then a community has developed around the group, and I will say - one of the best groups I have ever belonged to and ridden with - and not just because I started it. I have been in many other groups, and done many other events - and nothing compares to these people.

Over time I developed some video editing skills and now post on YouTube, as well as discovered many things I didn’t know about - like property boundaries, mechanical repairs, riding types, and how to create track and navigate groups.

After bending the frame of my 310GS on a “shortcut trail” while doing the COBDR - I purchased an ‘09 DR650SE “Pumpkin”, then a ‘21 Honda CRF450RL “F’Red” and then an ‘05 Kawasaki KDX200 “Marvin”. I hope to add a big adventure bike and a trials bike in the near future - but you know the curse of “how many bikes should one person own?”.

All of this is to say - everything I do is for the community that has given so much to me. I am here to help you explore, discover, learn, connect, and be a part of something - or to simply give you tools to go out on your own. Don’t let location, fear, money, or skill stop you from going.

Steve “Sir Two Chains Stalls A Lot”

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