Meet Sanna Boman the ROADTRIP QUEEN! We met Sanna 10 years ago through Babes Ride Out and since then we have loved watching her adventures on two-wheels. From traversing the USA pretty much every which way possible, to epic international destinations; Sanna is the type of rider that always chooses the long way. She has always been an inspiration to us and we recently got the chance to catch up with Sanna and hear more about her recent adventures and tips for all riders. Read on to learn more about Sanna & her two-wheel adventures.
Tell us a bit about you and where you are from.
I’m 36 and originally from Stockholm, Sweden, but have lived in San Diego, California, for the past 15 years. I have a background in journalism and my day job is being the editor in chief at Roadtrippers—it’s a super fun job since it typically involves going on lots of road trips. I have two cats, four motorcycles, and I love a good adventure.
Photo Credits: Sanna Boman
What do you currently have in your garage? (2 + 4 wheels)
My current lineup is a 2015 H-D Dyna, a 2021 Royal Enfield Himalayan, a Shovelhead Chopper, a Yamaha WR250, and a 2001 Ford Ranger that I mainly use to lug the dirt bike around (or the chopper, when it breaks down).
How did you get into riding two wheels?
Riding motorcycles was just something I always knew I wanted to do. I didn’t know a single person who rode when I first started, so I just bought a cheap bike from a tow yard and took the MSF class. Years later I found out that my great grandmother also moved from Sweden to the U.S. and rode motorcycles in the 1910s, so it turns out it was actually in my blood all along.
Other hobbies?
Honestly, motorcycles and road trips take up so much of my life that I barely have time for any other hobbies. But I love reading and typically read around 100 books per year, and I like hiking and snowboarding too.
Favorite place to camp?
I’m not the biggest camper since I like having running water and sleeping in a real bed, but when I do go camping it usually involves riding dirt bikes in the desert. My go-to spots are Ocotillo, Painted Gorge, and Superstition Mountain here in SoCal.
You recently took a riding trip through New Zealand. Tell us a bit about it!
Yes! I rented an adventure bike (BMW 850GS) and rode around the South Island for 8 days. Riding through New Zealand was at the top of my bucket list, and it was so unbelievably epic. Mountains, waterfalls, fiords, coastline, lakes, bridges, bungee jumping, and perfectly paved twisty roads—New Zealand has it all.
Photo Credits: Sanna Boman
Your riding adventure series on Instagram and Tik Tok always look like a blast. Which trip has been your favorite so far?
I go on so many trips that it’s hard to pick just one! But some of my favorite trips include riding from San Diego to Banff National Park in Canada and back with three of my best friends, riding 2,000 miles through Alaska with Royal Enfield, and doing a solo road trip on Route 66 on a H-D Pan America.
Favorite Ice Cream flavor?
Not to sound basic, but I feel strongly that chocolate is the perfect ice cream flavor. It’s the equivalent of wearing black clothes, it goes with everything.
Tips for any new riders or aspiring moto adventurers.
Honestly, just get out there and do the thing. Moto adventures are amazing and rewarding and give you experiences you would’ve never even dreamed of—but they can also be uncomfortable and miserable and hard. Sometimes all on the same day. It’s not for everyone, but if you have a flexible mindset and are able to deal with a certain level of discomfort, there’s seriously no better way to see the world than on two wheels.
Photo Credits: Sanna Boman
Atwyld means the in between of fear and thrill. What was one time you had experience your Atwyld moment?
I’ve had so many Atwyld moments (I’d also refer to them as Type 2 adventures), but here’s one of my favorites. I was riding through Alaska in 2021 with a group of people I didn’t know before the trip. On the second day, we wanted to visit a hidden beach near Homer, at the southern tip of the Kenai Peninsula. The road down to the beach, it turned out, was not really a road at all. It was an unpaved, rocky dirt trail, incredibly steep and narrow, and made up entirely of tight switchbacks. It was also windy and raining, which made visibility a challenge. A few people in our group hadn’t ridden off-road much previously and bailed halfway down, but I stuck it out. And once I made it to the bottom, I found myself on an empty red sand beach with epic views of Kachemak Bay, surrounded by snow-capped peaks and glaciers. It was insanely beautiful. My hands might have been shaking from the adrenaline, but it was so worth it. (I wrote more about this trip, and this specific moment, here.)