What we're thankful for in 2025

It's our holiday tradition here at Common Tread: Every Thanksgiving, we stop what we're doing and take a few minutes to think about what we're thankful for in the world of motorcycling.

Team members have the latitude to interpret "in the world of motorcycling" in the broadest sense, as you'll see in a few of the entries below. Motorcycles are a part of our lives, as well as part of our jobs, and so sooner or later everything else gets tangled up with them. Including the things we're grateful for.

Content boss Spurgeon Dunbar: "Lucky to have the work"

There is a line in an old Jason Isbell song where the character labors his life away and laments through the chorus that he's "... just lucky to have the work." That's how I feel this Thanksgiving, sans the irony that Mr. Isbell has implied for his character.

Spurgeon and his mother smiling for a selfie in front of his Triumph Bonneville — Mom and I out for ride together on the Bonneville. Photo by Spurgeon Dunbar.

My mom has been sick for the last couple of years and these past few months have been particularly trying. Over the past decade on Common Tread I have written about my dad and uncle Bob as they related to my motorcycle journey, but my mom trumps both of them. She's the unsung hero of my story, the one who fundamentally shaped the man I am today more so than any man in my life ever has. Her disease, and subsequent treatments, have pushed me to my emotional breaking point.

But, through it all, my job and my teammates have been a reprieve. I don't take for granted how lucky I am to be able to say that about my work. Everyone has their own moments in life, their individual struggles, their personal tragedies, but not everyone can turn to their work for solace.

Spurgeon and a group of co-workers at a dinner in a restaurant — This photo was taken after the recent Instagram Live Wheel Spin and while it's a bit blurry, and some key people are missing, it captures the joy of our team as we celebrate getting to do this for work. Photo by Spurgeon Dunbar.

I am grateful that my work is to film a Holiday Gift Guide with Ewan the Elf and to recreate a scene from The Christmas Story with Pat McHugh as Santa. I'm grateful that I get to host IG Live Wheelspins where I give away cash to our audience and "gently" poke fun at my boss "Stingy Steve." I am grateful for Highside/Lowside shoots with Producer Chase and Zack Courts, co-hosting a dirt bike trip with Ari Henning for the RPM Program, and tackling Transalp reviews with Lance Oliver. I’m grateful for all of my teammates behind the scenes (there are too many of you to name) for making the meetings and daily interactions throughout my nine to five incredibly fulfilling and meaningful.

Ray Wylie Hubbard once sang that, "The days that I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations, well, I have really good days." That’s my wish for all of you this Thanksgiving. Even when it’s hard, and you feel like life has got you down, try to find gratitude in the simplest moments of your day that could otherwise be taken for granted. And have a really good day.

Ari in the garage with a motorcycle partly disassembled and young Milo holding a tool — Sure, he mostly just stashes sockets and fasteners in places I won’t find for a week, but it’s amazing to see Milo take an interest in — and gain an understanding of — tools and mechanics. Photo by Loren Henning.

Video host Ari Henning: The apprentice in the garage

If you're a parent, you know that the early years are rough. Your free time goes net negative as you forfeit sleep, attend to diapers, and wipe food off the floor. Friends who have walked this road before promised that it gets better, and I'm thankful to report that it has. At two and a half, my son, Milo, sleeps through the night and can mostly feed himself. He also likes to go on bicycle rides and hang out with me in the garage, which is great because I'm not only able to get back to doing something that I love, I'm also sharing it with a tiny person I love. Milo already knows that curbs are for riding off of and that when something is broken "We can fix it!" That not only fills me with pride, but also gives me hope for the future.

CT writer Dustin Wheelen: Home sweet home

Sometimes, you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone. That's how I felt while living and riding in Japan.

I was fortunate enough to spend 11 weeks in Tokyo this year. During that period, I made the most of every riding opportunity. The memories of which will stay with me until my last days. Yet, I still found myself missing California's sun-drenched coastal canyons.

Actually, sun-drenched might be the wrong descriptor for what I was missing. After all, summers in the Land of the Rising Sun are notoriously oppressive. Temperatures flirt with triple digits in Fahrenheit. High humidity only intensifies that heat. It's a far cry from the 70-degree forecasts of Southern California.

Dustin in full gear posing for a photo on a Yamaha XSR900 in Tokyo — Shooting photos in the early morning provided little relief from Japan's summer heat. My sweat glands were working overtime under all those layers of gear. Photo by Michelle Fang.

Tokyo is my favorite city in the world, but that doesn't mean it's any fun to ride a motorcycle there. Streets are often narrow, intersections and pedestrians are numerous, and the pace of traffic is slow. That's why I frequently ventured outside the city, riding nearly 90 minutes to the nearest mountain road. By contrast, my Los Angeles apartment is a hop and a skip away from the Malibu canyons. Talk about a downgrade.

I'll remember the three months I spent in Japan for the rest of my life. At the same time, I'm more grateful for the things that I get to enjoy every day. It's difficult to appreciate what's become routine, but this year, that's what I'm thankful for.

New video guy Ewan Johnson: New job, new rider, new plans ahead

It's been very easy for me to be thankful this year since joining the RevZilla team in June. First off, the sheer amount of time I get to dedicate to discussing, thinking about, toying with, or riding motorcycles has increased tenfold since this time last year. Even more importantly though, thanks to a Ride With Us Moto Intro Event hosted by RevZilla, my fiancée, Kennedy, was able to graduate from passenger to rider in the best environment possible.

woman rider gets advice from an instructor — Kennedy gets some advice from an instructor for her first-ever ride. Photo by Luke Darigan.

Kennedy has traveled thousands of miles on the back of my bikes and she's always been curious about riding herself, but a safe and effective means of learning never really presented itself until the Philadelphia Moto Intro Event in September of this year. I've always wanted to share the hobby with her, but for reasons relatable to many in this situation it didn't seem like the best idea for me to be the teacher, especially with the motorcycles I own, which aren't really suitable for beginners.

The event provides a beginner motorcycle, protective gear, and personal instruction in a closed lot. Kennedy and her sister both thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Now, with a Pennsylvania license, she will be able to take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation course completely for free and get the skills needed to take on motorcycling herself. Not only am I thankful that she enjoyed it, but I'm looking forward to family time during the cold months ahead to plan many shared adventures to come!

CT editor Lance Oliver: Just how good motorcycling is

Ironically, it was an unusual string of bad luck that sparked my particular gratitude, and then it was reinforced by a CTXP film. I'll explain.

In 2015, I found myself standing alongside I-70 in western Ohio beside a dead motorcycle, the one and only time in nearly 90,000 miles that my Kawasaki Versys let me down. (Burnt stator.) From there, I went 10 years and well into six-digit mileage on numerous motorcycles, both my own and borrowed, without a single issue. Then, in July of this year, I found myself stuck by the side of the road three times in one month. First, the charging system failed on the company-owned 2019 BMW G 310 GS I'd been riding, necessitating some help from my wife in her car to rig a way to get it home eventually. Then my 1997 Triumph Speed Triple died, which required a tow and a visit to the mechanic. Finally, an odd tire issue on my 2021 Kawasaki KLX300SM, when I foolishly wasn't carrying means of inflation, left me nearly stranded, though I was able to limp the few miles home on a squishy tire. All in one month.

long distance photo of a motorcycle crossing a bridge on a road in the southwestern U.S. — Motorcycles are so capable and reliable today that I think nothing of taking off to cross a continent. Photo by Kevin Wing.

But when I thought about it, just as striking as the string of three issues in a month was that 10-year run of no problems at all. And I can't be surprised by an original fuel line in the tank of a 28-year-old motorcycle failing. I'm more amazed the 28-year-old fuel pump is still doing its job after that many years and 124,225 miles. Nor was the tire issue the motorcycle's fault. The 10-year run without any mechanical problems requiring a tow or assistance is just evidence of how good motorcycles are today. That point was really driven home when I watched the latest CTXP film of Ari and Zack riding 1938 motorcycles to the Sturgis Rally. And stopping to fix them every few hours.

I'm not nearly a good enough mechanic to have been a motorcyclist a century ago, so it's a good thing I'm riding now, when bikes are more capable and reliable than ever. In that sense, it really is the best of times.

What are you thankful for this year?