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A lone rider. On the road, just man and machine for months at a time. Moving where the front wheel chooses. Traveling with the wind. . . . A mystical dream for some, but a reality for a few, or at least for our “Reasoned1” Jason Jonas.

When Jason finishes a contract doing [you know, that server-side, high-volume computer gut stuff] he takes a “little time off” and hits the road. When I asked how this pattern started, Jason explained that he used to be a real workaholic and he decided to buy his first motorcycle (at least his first one as an adult). So he bought into “the lifestyle.” Yep, our Jason “grew some big ol chops, bought a Harley Fatboy, some leather, no helmet” and rode off into the sunset. Fortunately, it only took about two months for Jason to realize that “the lifestyle” wasn’t his lifestyle. Jason explained, “I shaved the chops, bought a helmet, traded the Fatboy for a Goldwing and finally felt my relationship with the road begin to evolve.”

And evolve it did. As Jason explained, “I enjoy being on the road for extended periods – months at a time. After about the second week I succumb to the will of the road and let it dictate my direction.” Jason’s favorite bike for these long jaunts is his BMW R1150 GS Adventure with 122 thousand miles on the odo (and counting). “I know it’s just metal surrounding controlled explosions, but I love this bike.” With well over a hundred thousand miles on it, there are few places Jason hasn’t been on that motorcycle. As he notes, “the only area of North America we haven’t traveled is the Canadian Maritimes. “I hope to rectify that at some point,” Jason is quick to add. “From the Arctic Ocean to Cabo San Lucas, Key West and damn near everywhere in between, the GS has been a wonderful ride.” Lest you think that Jason is a pitchman for BMW, Jason adds that he has two other bikes in the garage. A 2005 Goldwing and a 2007 ST 1300A. “I wrecked my first GL 1800 back in 2002 and vowed to get another one. I bought a 2005 last August from a lady in Virginia whose husband had passed away. When I picked up the bike she asked me if I thought it would be morbid if I carried a picture of her husband, Bill, somewhere on the bike.” Jason responded “heck no!” Jason decided that Bill needed to be right up front. So if you ever see Jason on his Goldwing, be sure to day “Hi” to Bill, you can’t miss him.

Jason bought his ST with an eye towards making it his rally bike for this year’s Iron Butt Rally. Work commitments foiled his IBR plans, but he still hopes to ride the ST on the upcoming MTF 50CC from New York to San Francisco. While Jason enjoys an occasional long-distance rally, he does not consider himself a “hard-core” rallier. Jason likes the mental challenge of planning and executing a route to maximize bonus points while minimizing miles. When I asked about his preparation he said, “It’s mostly mental . . . I try to get mentally focused on what I’m doing. But, I don’t worry about it much, I don’t sweat it.”

Jason h as many lasting memories from his trips. Certainly one of the best and worst times in his riding career was the 2003 IBR. Jason and Alan Leduc shared the road for a spell during that rally. Jason remembers “we had an excellent time together riding over Lolo pass.” But, of course, the mood changed tragically on the Jungo Road. “We hit Winnemucca a little after 3 a.m. and we had to decide whether to run the Jungo Road or go the long way around to Gerlach,” Jason recalls. They decided on the short route on the Jungo. “The ride was going well,” Jason explained, “until Alan’s lights never appeared over the last hill. I thought I’d have to go back and kick his ass for taking more pictures.” Instead, Jason headed back and found that Alan had crashed on the road and was barely conscious. Jason rode for help. Fortunately, Jason had taken his GPS coordinates at the crash site and was able to give rescuers Alan’s exact location. “The worst part was watching him on a stretcher getting loaded into Careflight knowing that our dream had turned into a nightmare.” Alan, of course, is now fine. Jason finished the rally, but he hopes to tackle the IBR again with more positive memories.

I wondered what Jason thinks about on those long rides by himself. He responded that he likes “finding what I sometimes lose in life’s fog – clarity, calm, friends and relatives who’ve passed on to whatever’s next . . . my father, especially. When I’m on the road I often find myself wishing he were there with me. Periodically, I feel him pass through me and realize that he couldn’t be closer. Those are special moments.” Special, indeed. But, Jason bristles at any implication that he is “complex.” “Nah, I’m a simple East Texas country boy who is blessed and thankful to have everything he needs, a few things he wants and loving family and friends around him to give it all meaning and purpose.” Giddyup!

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