The motivation behind MOTOvational

Bryan Carroll is a man on a mission. He wants to see childhood brain cancer eliminated in our lifetime. And he’s determined to help make that dream happen. Bryan, the producer and director of the acclaimed 2013 motorcycling film, “Why We Ride” along with his friend and colleague James Walker, love motorcycling, and love the motorcycle community. And like so many in our community, Bryan and James have big hearts for philanthropy, specifically for children’s causes.

“Why We Ride” won much critical acclaim, and numerous film awards, when it hit theaters and later streaming services starting in 2013. A beautifully shot documentary on the passion for motorcycling as told by riders and racers from all walks of life, Why We Ride sparked a movement in the motorcycle community, the likes of which had not been seen in nearly 40 years.

The epic 2013 documentary that launched a movement, and a mission.

In Bryan’s words, “We knew that the dedication and generosity of the motorcycle community was (and still is) an incredible resource, and we set out to harness that with a simple mission statement: ‘Inspire – Educate – Celebrate’.” That mission statement would soon take on a much deeper meaning, and a much more urgent call.

One of the “WWR” film crew, Joseph Northrup, died from a brain tumor he’d been battling off/on since his childhood. The news rocked Bryan, James and the WWR team, and broke their hearts. Bryan confided, “When Joseph passed away, we decided that our efforts to promote the good of motorcycling would now be guided by a mission to raise awareness and funds for those facing life’s challenges and hardships… We focused our efforts on pediatric brain tumors, like Joseph had, and in the years since, we’ve raised over $175,000 for children and families battling this.”

Last year’s Why We Ride to The Quail Benefit Ride.

Supporting the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, the WWR foundation, called “MOTOvational Inc.”, sponsors a yearly benefit ride to raise support for PBTF and other worthy causes, ranging from childhood hunger, honoring our veterans, to fighting human trafficking. The ride, which travels up the famed Pacific Coast Highway from Moorpark to Monterey California, culminates with ride participants enjoying the annual Quail Motorcycle Gathering, all for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation.

They are riding to make a difference in the lives of children and families.
And you can join them.

This year’s 9th anniversary ride and weekend event takes place May 15-17, 2025, and is still open for joining in. You’ll enjoy riding up the PCH, a bucket list ride for many of us, riding through NorCal’s breathtaking wine country, and participating in the world-renown Quail Gathering, including their incredible motorcycle show. All in support of families locked in a bitter fight against childhood brain tumors.

Bryan, James and the WWR folks have also sponsored the annual WWR Sturgis Wrap-Up Party, which supports the Treasured House, a crisis home in South Dakota for survivors of the vile sex-trafficking trade. They’ve also supported “Portraits of Honor”, an organization whose goal has been to capture the stories and memories of the few remaining World War II veterans still with us, and share them with the world.

These, along with their support of the PBTF, is what Bryan believes the ongoing legacy of “Why We Ride” was meant to be. “I’ve been asked plenty of times over the years, ‘What’s next for Why We Ride?’”, Bryan reflects. “We’ve thought about a ‘Why We Ride 2’ with more riding stories, a ‘Why We Race’ movie on that whole world, and other ideas. But with Joseph’s death years ago, and our awareness of the need to support these causes like we’ve discussed, to be honest, I think what we do with MOTOvational is our ‘next step’. That’s our passion and calling. That’s ‘why we ride’, really.”

Motorcyclists riding and impacting lives. What more worthy endeavor is there?