Moto Wyoming

A Retired Helicopter Pilot Starts His Next Adventure

Lander, Wyoming

Written by Melanie Limpus

Photography by Melanie Limpus and contributed by Moto Wyoming

“It all began with four bikes and a barn…”

Matt Palazzolo, founder of Moto Wyoming, has spent his entire life chasing adventure. His career was spent at the controls of a helicopter for 30 years. He started as an Aviation Officer in the Army, then as a civilian flying as a Fire Pilot fighting wildfire and flying at various Air Medical bases across the western US.

“I want to share the incredible wild landscape of Wyoming and build experiences with other riders from across the globe and all walks of life…

“When I got out of the army, I took a few years off from flying to ski and be a raft guide before I ran out of money,” Matt said laughing. “Then I went back to flying helicopters. My whole flying career has been either fighting fire or air medical. Flying is what brought me out west in 2000 and I’ve been out here ever since.”

Contracts with the US Forest Service and air medical jobs had Matt and his family moving from Idaho to Colorado. Finally landing in Driggs, ID, flying air medical for Air Idaho Rescue, the family thought they were done moving.

When Matt’s wife Alicia finished graduate school as a Family Nurse Practitioner, she was offered a job on the Wind River Indian Reservation. The couple and their two kids packed up again and jumped on the opportunity to move to Lander. The family of four settled in quickly and started exploring the Wind River Range and the Red Desert. The wide-open spaces and the relative emptiness of Wyoming was the home they had been looking for.

The move was a perfect fit for Matt, who was still flying helicopters but had also found more free time to enjoy his outdoor interests. However, it was motorcycling that held Matt’s heart and it would be motorcycling that had him considering a new business venture. 

The two-wheeled machines are capable of providing a variety of adventures off the beaten path. The appeal of exploring new destinations and remote locations while pushing the limits and skills of riders and machines are what the adventure moto world is about. The wild landscape of Wyoming with its seemingly endless miles of rugged two-track and trails are a mecca for adventure motorcyclists.

“During the summer of 2022, I watched hundreds of adventure riders roll by my house on the Wyoming Backcountry Discovery Route,” Matt said. “As a lifelong rider, I just had to get in on the fun so I decided to somehow make my work and my love of riding come together.” 

That combination gave Matt the perfect opportunity to start Moto Wyoming. First as a way to support the new Wyoming Backcountry Discovery Route and share all the incredible riding around western Wyoming, and second as a means to support his family.

Backcountry Discovery Routes (BDR) is a non-profit organization that focuses on adventure and dual-sport motorcycle riding, rider education and safety, and responsible travel for backcountry motorcyclists. Like its name, Backcountry Discovery Routes creates off-highway routes for adventure motorcycle travelers. These routes cross specific states from south to north and can include forest service roads, fire roads, two track, and other big-bike friendly backcountry trails on public lands. In 2022, Backcountry Discovery Routes developed its eleventh route, the Wyoming BDR (WYBDR).

The WYBDR is an 886-mile, multi-day ride that begins in Baggs, weaving through the Medicine Bow Mountain Range, wrapping around Alcova Reservoir where it turns east to Atlantic City and winds along the Loop Road in the southeastern part of the Wind River Range. From there, the trail passes through Sinks Canyon, Lander, and Shoshoni, meandering north through the Bighorn Mountains until reaching the Montana border. It is also the most remote route that BDR has developed so far.

Matt’s business became an avenue to support the new route and share all the incredible riding around western Wyoming.

“Lander is the biggest town on the WYBDR, offering all the services and amenities that a rider needs and is about the halfway point on the route. This has made Lander a natural stopover for riders to stay a day or two, rest, and refit for the remainder of the ride.” 

Moto Wyoming is in a prime location on Sinks Canyon Road and is directly on the path of the WYBDR. Predominantly a rental shop, Moto Wyoming offers a fleet of fully-equipped Kawasaki KLR 650’s—iconic workhorse motorcycles that are rugged, reliable, and fun to ride.

Matt’s knowledge of routes around the state and his welcoming demeanor go above and beyond. He offers custom route guidance to help people develop their own adventures, helping with logistics, including arranging transportation, dropping off bikes at meeting points and picking up the bikes when the riders are done. He also advises where to stay, gas up, and even assists with camping gear, fishing equipment, and tool kits. 

“In addition to the BDR, Lander is a great place to start a custom adventure in the stunning landscape of western Wyoming,” Matt explained. “Moto Wyoming is here to assist riders any way we can. Riding bikes is the focus, but if you are interested in fly fishing, hiking, mountain biking, riding horses, or any other outdoor pursuits, we can help with that, too.”

While Matt has been familiar with adventure riding and motorcycles, he largely credits the idea of opening up an adventure bike shop to his younger brother Daniel.

“I’ve been riding my whole life and always seemed to have a motorcycle around. But a lot of credit goes to my little brother, a true moto adventurer. That’s really where I got the idea from.”

Seven years ago, Matt’s brother Daniel started Moto Patagonia based in Puerto Varas, Chile. He runs an operation with his wife guiding tours throughout Patagonia and Argentina. Daniel’s adventure riding stretches from the Arctic Circle to Tierra del Fuego. He has written articles for Upshift and Overland magazines and conducts classes on adventure travel at the Overland Expo. Though they live on two different continents, the two brothers still get together as often as they can to ride.

In addition to promoting and sponsoring Backcountry Discovery Routes, last year Matt helped reroute and map a few sections of the WYBDR. 

“BDR is really good to me,” said Matt. “I help them out and they help me out, and I hope that continues.”

Matt plans to grow Moto Wyoming and build relationships with people through adventure, including adding some different bikes to his fleet and turning his barn into a small retail shop where riders can swing in for tubes, tires, oil, luggage, etc. 

“I want to share the incredible wild landscape of Wyoming and build experiences with other riders from across the globe and all walks of life. Come to Wyoming and experience real adventure in the last best place,” Matt concluded.