» JOE BARKER'S COLUMN

Hola amigos, my name is Joe Barker.  I’ll answer to José. I am registered professional engineer with a MBA, pilot’s license, and a diploma in Spanish from the government of Mexico.  At the age of 42, I retired from my company that I boot-strapped in 1983, Western Weltek, Inc.. I moved my family to Mexico in the winters and summered in Salt Lake City for 5 years. I have been a motorcycle enthusiast all my life. I have ridden motorcycles for more than 40 years. I have ridden extensively in Europe, South America and Mexico, especially Baja. I have traveled around most of the Globe. I have always been a Motorcycle Adventurist.

I won Gold and Silver Medals in the ISDT, where I was top American in the 125 class in 1973 as a club team member, 4th American, behind 250 riders, Carl Crank, Jack Penton, and 5.9 seconds behind from my good friend, Malcolm Smith. I have been told, at the age of 17, I am the youngest ever to win a Gold Medal in the ISDT. In the 1974 Italian ISDT, I rode a factory Penton/KTM on the United States Trophy Team where as a team, we placed 4th. This year I stood in for Scot as manager for the Red Bull KTM USA Dakar Team in the Paris to Dakar Rallye when Scot Harden rode as the alternate for the injured team rider, Casey McCoy. I worked as the Team Coordinator during the summer as the riders, Larry Roeseler, Paul Krause, Casey McCoy, and Scot Harden trained for Dakar.

I plan to write articles on adventure touring, equipment, tips and tales from around the world with riders like Scot Harden, Dakar winner- Nani Roma, and other riders who are famous, known, unknown, “sketchy”,  questionable, real and sometimes imagined characters of the Moto-Adventure universe.  Along with Scot, I will always try to add a little "love" to my articles and promote “World Tranquility and Friendship”. Neil Young will provide the background music.

"José", Joe Barker- Dad, Motorcycle Adventurist, Engineer, Entrepreneur, Businessman, Pilot, Moto-Vagabundo. José currently resides in Salt Lake City,  the heart of the Rocky Mountains.  José embraces life, loves change and believes life is a dance that everybody should participate in.