03/27/2023
When I was in the darkest point of my life, I knew I had to make a change. A leap of faith. At 20 years old I abandoned my life in Florida and left all my belongings aside from what I was wearing and the money I had saved up. Booked a one way straight to Arizona where I went on FaceBook marketplace immediately upon landing and bought the first Kawasaki Ninja that popped up. Zero hesitation. I rode that bike from Phoenix up to Sedona in the middle of winter—32 degrees and for a rider with no proper gloves, no proper riding gear, and no idea where I was going to sleep that night, it was an adventure.
I took the side highways. The ones that cut through the mountains and keep you free from civilization aside from the occasional motel & gas station every 30 miles. Halfway to Sedona I decided to stop and warm up at a scenic lookout I came across in the mountains. Mistakenly, I decided to take my key out of the bike. It’s 4:30PM in the middle of winter, which means the sun is going to set in about an hour. I’m in the middle of the mountains with no cell service, and the nearest mountain town is a 30 minute drive away.
https://imgur.com/gOEMz9l
After warming up and bracing myself for the journey ahead, I’m ready to get back on the horse. Thing is, I’m twisting the key… but the ignition isn’t starting. I haven’t mentioned yet, but the Ninja is as old as me with more mileage than your college ex girlfriend. I keep trying it. Keep trying. I end up twisting the key so now it doesn’t even fit inside of the key slot. Genius. After 20 minutes of frustration and prayer… a van pulls up. A hippie van. Out of the van comes two dogs, a cat, and a girl roughly my age. She had the same idea as me, to stop at the scenic spot and enjoy the view—although one of us had a very short-lived moment of peace. She can see I’m frustrated & asks if I need help. It felt like the sort of thing you’d expect to see in a movie, except it was happening right before my eyes. Turns out she travels across the country in her van and she’s headed towards Sedona anyways for a gathering with other van enthusiasts… perfect. Also just so happens my bike fits perfectly in the back of her van. I manage to summon herculean strength and lift the 500lb bike into the back of her hippie van—and with the company of two stray dogs and a cat—we’re off to Sedona.
https://imgur.com/bS4a360
I could go into more details…. but long story short I get to Sedona and for the next week I’m ripping through the mountains, exploring the land, and experiencing freedom. Didn’t tell anyone I was coming here. Didn’t tell anyone I left Florida. Didn’t tell anyone I bought the bike. All I knew was I had experienced the taste of freedom and I was never settling for anything less.
https://imgur.com/snV1fWw
It was from this adventure that I gained the inspiration to build Road Rage. This brand is a representation of my favorite quote: “It is not death a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.” In this life, it’s up to you to decide how you want to live. Do you want to be a slave to your environment? To your job? To your problems? To your adversity? Or will you release yourself from the imaginary shackles they have on you and live a life free of regret? This is what you need to ask yourself. You alone can make that decision.
For me, motorcycles were the key to unlocking this newfound freedom, and experiencing this new perspective of life. For others, it may be surfing, skiing, MMA, but whatever it is, we all do it for the same reason.
FOR THE THRILL OF IT.
- Aaron, Founder
