Hi!
Here’s a challenge for you.
Sum up the entirety of the last year in a few short sentences.
On the one hand, it’s easy.
A little older, a little wiser, a little heavier, but mostly not too much has changed.
On the other hand, it’s almost impossible.
So much work, so many experiences, so much effort, so many challenges and lessons learned.
Here’s a tight snapshot what 2023 looked like from the Adventure Spec saddle.
SPRING:
Our T700WR Hard Parts land. The story of this hugely popular middleweight adventure bike continues.
A standout moment on the trail was this wonderful encounter with a walker while out putting test miles on our Gravel Jacket and Pant.
Lesson learned: the idea of ‘outdoors gear for adventure motorcyclists’ is a good fit for what we do.
SUMMER:
The popular Aqua Pac Jacket gets a colour upgrade and our Ducati Desert X Hard Parts launch. It’s certainly not lightweight, but this Italian beauty makes an impression.
Our adventure riding takes us up to the northern tip of Scotland as we explore the trails of the Outer Hebrides.
Lesson learned: when there’s no GPX squiggly line to follow and you don’t know where you are going, every turn becomes an adventure.
AUTUMN:
After much development work, we launch our first ever waterproof pant, The Singletrack Pant. It quickly establishes itself as an ideal choice for colder, wetter rides - which sums up most UK riding from this point until next Spring. Shipped with braces/suspenders which was an unexpected revelation.
We wait for the worst weather possible to get out and put The Singletrack Pant through its paces on the trails.
Our Radar Newsletter launches. A Sunday dip into the great outdoors as experienced by adventure motorcyclists.
Lesson learned: we should have started wearing braces/suspenders a long time ago.
WINTER:
The red, white, orange Unicorn Hard Parts arrive. Everything we’ve learned about luggage mounting, fairings and crash protection applied to the recently launched GasGas ES700. Not as pretty as a carbon rally tower, but more practical and a fair bit more affordable. Wonderful to see your pics of them on 690’s and 701’s too.
We get our end of year ride in just before the snow arrives and the puddles freeze up.
Lesson learned: Clear screens rule. Yellow screens rock.
And just like that 2023 is almost gone.
I’ve summed up the highs (and left out the lows).
I hope your year has been as rewarding as ours and that you are drawing 2023 to a close with many adventure miles ridden and experiences learned.
I have one more newsletter for you this year.
See you next week. 
Greg Villalobos
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