For the crew at Mosko Moto, a motorcycle is less of a trophy and more of a passport. Based out of White Salmon, Washington, Mosko was founded on a singular, frustrated question: Why is there a chasm between the high-tech, weight-conscious gear used by mountaineers and the clunky, overbuilt luggage available to adventure riders?
Taking cues from the likes of Arc’teryx and Patagonia, Mosko Moto revolutionized the industry with "tough-as-nails" soft goods designed to withstand border-hopping treks and river crossings. But their secret sauce isn't just clever engineering—it’s the fact that the employees ride, and they ride hard. At events like their Dusty Lizard Campouts, you won’t find the staff standing behind a booth; you’ll find them in the dirt, using the backcountry as a brutal proving ground for every stitch and buckle they sell.
One of the most visible faces of that "ride-first" ethos is Ryan Turner, Mosko’s Events Manager. Born in the forests of Idaho and raised on the central coast of California, Ryan’s DNA is a mix of Mojave Desert dust and Pacific salt. While his early years were split between surfing and motocross, a transformative encounter with Ted Simon’s Jupiter’s Travels and the high-octane imagery of the Dakar Rally shifted his focus toward the horizon.
After "riding a KTM 990 Adventure into the ground," Ryan became a dedicated KTM fanatic. His evolution from a weekend warrior to a social media documentarian of the ADV world eventually led him to the tight-knit community at Mosko. Today, his "office" is often the seat of this: a meticulously prepared KTM 500 EXC-F Six Days.
The KTM is already a formidable piece of kit—a 510cc, street-legal enduro weapon dripping with premium components. But for Ryan’s purposes, the stock bike was a starting point. To handle the high-speed desert transitions and technical mountain climbs of the American West, this machine has been built into a true "Rally-Lite" powerhouse.
To wake up the 510cc single, Ryan went for the "full Taco Sauce" treatment from the specialists at Taco Moto. The bike is now managed by a GET ECU and breathes through a Graves exhaust, providing a more aggressive power curve and improved throttle response compared to the factory’s EPA-restricted tune.
Handling is paramount when you’re carrying gear through the abusive terrain Mosko calls home. The WP XACT suspension was sent to Kreft Moto for a full custom re-valve and spring job, ensuring the bike stays composed over repetitive high-speed chop. It rolls on a set of custom-built Warp 9 wheels, wrapped in Motoz Enduro tires and stuffed with Nitromousse inserts to make flat tires a thing of the past.
One of the most functional changes is the Moto Minded rally tower, which houses a pair of Ruby R4 lights that turn night into day. The tower supports a full suite of navigation controls, giving Ryan a Dakar-inspired cockpit that is as functional as it is aggressive. A Scotts Steering Stabilizer sits atop Flexx Bars to reduce rider fatigue, while ODI Grips and a custom throttle tube provide precise control.
Because this bike is destined for the "scratches, dents, and scars," protection is heavy. P3 Carbon supplied the skidplate, frame, and exhaust protectors, while Bullet Proof Designs' radiator guards shield the cooling system from stray branches. Even the footpegs have been upgraded—oversized, aggressive-lugged Warp 9 units anodized in blue to match the wheel hubs.
While the hardware is undeniably serious, the bike’s identity is a loud, unapologetic departure from KTM’s factory orange. The visual centerpiece of the build is a custom Taco Moto graphics kit, featuring a riot of colorful, psychedelic illustrations by the artist Watto. These neon, "loud-and-proud" graphics wrap the machine from front to back, transforming what was once a standard enduro bike into a vibrant, trippy piece of rolling art. It is a styling choice that perfectly mirrors Ryan’s California-cool roots—cutting through the dust with a flash of neon that ensures this 500 EXC-F is never lost in the crowd.
In a world of "garage queens," Ryan Turner’s KTM is a refreshing reminder of what happens when a professional builds a tool for his trade. It is a lean, mean, border-hopping machine that embodies the Mosko Moto mission: go deeper, stay out longer, and don't worry about the dirt.
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