“If anything, people downplay the feeling a motorcycle gives you. It’s the best in the world. I got bitten by the bug… I love the view of life from out behind my handlebars.”  

Hans Able Schenck is an adventurer through and through, completely exhilarated by every aspect of the lifestyle of a motorcyclist. Traveling the US on the back of his bike, making camp, and taking in the landscape sometimes with his tribe of riders, other times flying solo over the diverse terrains.

 

Making Moves

“My girlfriend taught me how to ride when I was 20 or 21 and I fell in love with it instantly. The freedom, the speed, the inner-peace along the journey, and every stress dropping away - I became obsessed with all the feels. After my first scooter’s engine seized, I finally decided to read the writing on the wall and buy my first motorcycle, a BMW 650 CC Enduro. It was my number one source of transportation when I was living in New York City for both daily commuting and weekend road trips. I’ve been up and down the East Coast, journeyed to the Midwest, did a tour of Quebec, but my favorite was the three-week journey to my new job, my new home in California. Another thing off my bucket list and it did not disappoint. In fact, it was probably the best three weeks of my life. Riding here in Palm Springs is fantastic - I can ride most of the year, minus those 125 degree days scattered through the summer months. But, overall, the ultimate biking weather.”

When he’s not country-trotting, Hans passes on the goodwill by helping others learn to ride motorcycles. Connecting them to the joy that speeding along highways, shorelines, across the plains and off-roading brings. Hans is actually one of Atelier Volant’s Founder and Designer, Catherine Wales’, longest riding mates, trekking through the countryside along the coast.

Mates

“Catherine’s ability to take riding up so quickly has always impressed me. She adapted so fast. Typically new riders, especially in big cities like New York City, start in their neighborhoods, then usually go for a cup of coffee in town, and then, the right of passage, going over your first bridge. Once a newbie has those things down, they are ready for the road and Catherine, well, she was born for it. Born for adventure and discovery. It was along some of the rides together that she shared her ideas for AV with me and I was instantly hooked… having duality in the things I buy is a huge factor for me. If a product can serve more than one purpose, has high-quality craftsmanship, I feel more comfortable investing in it because I know it will serve me in longevity and variety. I am really about quality over quantity and I think a lot of people are coming to that same realization as well.”

Conscious Living

While Hans lives for the thrill of the expedition, he also chooses to live more consciously in life with the ideology less is more as long as it’s built better. Safer and better. “In California, lane splitting is totally legal which saves time and emissions when car traffic is backed up. And people do it fairly safely here, making good judgements about when it’s appropriate and not by assessing other driver’s behaviors. But I will say that the removable safety pads in AV’s leggings just adds another level of peace of mind and comfort for the ride. Same with the durability and the comfort cushioning in AV’s boots. Really remarkable and well-built.”

Bult better and safe with great design. 

Hans was done sitting in the back - a passenger instead of the driver on his journey. With so much to explore, you simply cannot see enough in a lifetime so why waste anymore precious moments? You too can release the breaks and take on cycling at any point in your life just like Hans.  It just takes commitment, a good teacher or mentor, and the best personalized protection and gear on the market. Seek it out. Find yourself. And hang on for the adventure of your life!