Adventure Rider Radio Motorcycle Podcast. Travel Adventures, Bike Tech Tips

After 25 years as an electrical engineer, Bob Lilley quit his job and started working at a motorcycle dealer. Bob’s been in to motorcycles since a young age, he says he grew up in the perfect environment that encouraged him to ride, a magical childhood. Now Bob is in to long distance and endurance motorcycling, having competed in multiple Iron Butt rallies. What's the thrill of riding long distances, alone, looking for clues and gathering points for 11 days straight? Who would want to do that? Well, every year a group of riders join the Iron Butt Rally and on this episode we find out what it’s like to ride the rally and what drives someone to want to do such an arduous ride. Iron Butt Rally: http://ibr.wvi.com/ Show Sponsors: Max BMW BestRest Products Green Chile Adventure Gear Motobriiz IMS Products Overland Expo Music: Jason Shaw at www.audionautix.com Saturday Night by texasradiofish (c) copyright 2016 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial  (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files

Dimitrios Tournas was born in Greece, moved to the Netherlands when he was 29 and now lives in the United States. If you’ve seen the movie Yes Man, starring Jim Carrey, then you’ve already got a pretty good insight in to Dimitri. Although he is more sensible about the lengths he will go to, he does like to seize opportunities to complete tasks that are achievable.  In 2004, when visiting Greece he had a motorcycle accident that left him with the realization that life was not infinite, and that even if you don’t take risks, and live your life cautiously, the day will come when you may be at the end of your life looking back.  Although the accident deterred him from riding for many years, his interest in it didn’t evaporate. When he moved to the United States his passion was reignited and it set him on the path to expanding his comfort zone. He once again took up riding, and he purchased a dual sport motorcycle. When he saw a GS Trophy poster at the BMW dealership, even with no off-road riding experience, he de

ARR RIDER SKILLS: Hand Strength & Stamina Instructor: Bret Tkacs Having a strong grip is an important part of motorcycle riding to ensure you have proper control when it comes to the front brake, clutch and throttle. And when we stop riding for the season in the winter, or for other reasons, we need to make sure to maintain the strength in our hands, or when it comes time to ride again, you may experience weakness or hand cramping, especially in heavy traffic or when riding off-road. Bret Tkacs explains how to maintain your hand strength in the off season and how it affects your riding. Episodes that Inspired, Educated or Made us Laugh The end of the calendar year is when we often take the time to reflect on the past year and look ahead to what we hope to accomplish. Reflections can help us choose and plan goals, as we think about events and achievements in the year that has just passed. So, of course, we looked through the episodes we’ve produced this year, the guests we’ve had on and had a great time li

At 72 years old, Linda Bootherstone-Bick, a folk music musician, has a truly inspiring attitude when it comes to travel. Born in the UK, she now calls Australia home, and it’s the base she returns to after her adventures. She has a unique thought process and method of travel which every person should try to aspire to. The author of three motorcycle travel adventure books, she’s been riding a motorcycle for over 50 years. Linda recently returned from a 3 month trip to Uganda, where she bought a mechanically challenged Yamaha 125 motorcycle. She dealt with the temperamental bike’s breakdowns, loss of important personal items, challenging roads and more. Linda Bootherstone-Bick is the author of three books: Into Africa with a Smile, Where Angels Fear to Tread & Three Wandering Poms (Bootherstone and Griffin) Linda's books are available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle form.  Website: http://www.lindab.id.au Show Sponsors: Max BMW BestRest Products Green Chile Adventure GearMotobriiz PSSOR IMS Products Musi

David Woodburn is from Australia, and he’s been doing trips on a motorcycle since he was 17 years old. In 1986 he met Emy in the Philippines, where they worked together doing volunteer work. They married, returned to Australia and managed to pull together enough money to buy a well used motorcycle. Soon Amy discovered she was pregnant, and their daughter, Mattea was born. Finding it difficult to find work, the loaded their motorcycle with a sidecar and started their journey in 1990. They travelled around Europe and Africa until Mattea was 11 years old, and ended up settling in Miami, Florida, which was the biggest culture shock for them. Now almost two decades later, they live in Georgia and run an independent workshop specializing in older BMW and British motorcycles. Show Sponsors: Max BMW BestRest Products Green Chile Adventure Gear Motobriiz IMS Products Music: Jason Shaw at www.audionautix.com Music: Author: Audiobinger Song: Chill Mode http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ A new ARR Show Dro

20 Years of Horizons Unlimited: Grant & Susan Johnson This year marks the 20th anniversary of Horizons Unlimited, a resource for adventure travellers, especially motorcyclists. Founded in 1997 by Grant and Susan Johnson, their website, forum and events around the world, inspire people to follow their dreams and travel to far away places. Grant and Susan have touched so many people, making a huge difference in their lives, bringing like-minded people together. They’ve travelled extensively themselves, riding around the world 2-up. Through their experience and knowledge, they have created an invaluable resource for novice and experienced riders alike. A place where you can learn, ask questions, share information, help other riders, and tell your travel stories to people who are more than happy to hear about them. And after 20 years of being an integral part of the motorcycle community, we asked just a few of the many riders who have been inspired by Horizons Unlimited to tell their story about how they have

  It’s commonly said that you need to slow down to see more while travelling, well how about speeding up to see more? Helen Lloyd has done just that. She’s an engineer in the UK who loves travel, writing and photography. And she’d spent much time travelling on a bicycle until she decided to get a motorcycle. After riding through Africa on her bicycle she returned years later on a Yamaha XT225, and she discovered that moving faster meant slowing down. She shares with us how motorcycle travel changed her experience of Africa. Website: http://www.helenstakeon.com Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDlv93OHSPtrsTuEAP_GQhA ARR RIDER SKILLS: Turning Around on Your Motorcycle Everyone at some point runs in to the situation where they have to make a tight u-turn or turn around, in both high and low traction situations. Tight turns can be unnerving and dropping a bike is a strong possibility when attempting to turn your bike around. We discuss some simple methods using rider skills we’ve already talked

Back in 1982, Helge Pedersen bought one of the first BMW R80GS motorcycles to enter his home country, Norway. He sold everything he owned and soon found himself in South America crossing the Darien Gap, a feat which few attempt. Helge stayed on the road, living a vagabond lifestyle for 10 years. His story is an unusual and exciting one, with a wealth of information to inspire and guide motorcyclists around the world. About Helge Pederson: From 1982 to 1992, Helge Pedersen travelled around the world on a motorcycle, covering more than 250,000 miles through 77 countries. His book 10 Years on 2 Wheels reflects this adventurous journey. Working as a photojournalist, his work has been featured in many motorcycle, outdoor and news publications. In 1998, Helge founded GlobeRiders, LLC, organizing and leading motorcycle tours through more than 40 countries. He is also the producer of adventure and instructional documentary DVD’s, inspiring motorcycle travel, and seminars teaching motorcycle maintenance, repairs, and

A chat with motorcycle author and publisher, Mike Fitterling about what adventure is and the rejuvenating qualities of riding a motorcycle. Northeast by Northwest: Two Restorative Journeys Mike Fitterling was dealing with depression and stress, a common issue with people around the world.  According to the World Health Organization, “depression is the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide”. More than 300 million people suffer from depression, and in many countries there is little to no support available, and even in higher income countries, nearly 50% of people do not get treatment. Mike’s story is something that most people can connect with. At some point or another, we all have to deal with stressful situations, that may affect us more deeply than we think possible. And climbing out of that can be overwhelming. To deal with his depression, Mike decided a motorcycle trip was what was needed, he had to find a way to help himself. With a limited budget and time, he managed to take two motorcycle

The Five Steps To Protecting Yourself After A Motorcycle Crash Part of riding a motorcycle is being prepared to handle all kinds of situations that may arise, and one of those is knowing how to deal with a motorcycle accident. Matt Danielson from The Motorcycle Law Group is an avid motorcyclist, as are the people who work there. He has some important tips on how to protect yourself after a crash. There are certain things you should know to do or say after an accident, and much of what you learn here can be applied to other situations as well.  Matt Danielson: The Motorcycle Law Group: www.motorcyclelawgroup.com MLG App: https://motorcyclelawgroup.com/download-mlg-app/ Adventure Rider Radio Sponsors: Max BMW BestRest Products Green Chile Adventure Gear Motobriiz IMS Products PSSOR Music by Jason Shaw at www.audionautix.com A new ARR Show Drops Every Week!If you ever find your feed stops updating weekly for Adventure Rider Radio, then you need to refresh your feed. Just search for Adventure Rider Radio in your

Rider Skills: Weighting Pegs When turning, which peg do you weight? Inside or outside? And which is correct? Do you steer with your feet? Bret Tkacs, riding instructor from PSSOR discusses the proper use of pegs for steering and controlling your adventure bike in the dirt.  Sena Technologies: Chris Woodyard Bluetooth communication systems are fantastic for close range. But, for adventure riders when the trail gets dusty and you start to spread out, when the trails become hilly and more heavily treed, that’s where they fail. So, on this episode we find a way to connect longer range radios to our existing bluetooth systems. www.sena.com Show Sponsors: Max BMWBestRest ProductsGreen Chile Adventure Gear Motobriiz IMS Products Motobird Adventures Music by Jason Shaw at www.audionautix.com A new ARR Show Drops Every Week!If you ever find your feed stops updating weekly for Adventure Rider Radio, then you need to refresh your feed. Just search for Adventure Rider Radio in your podcast app and click follow to reestab

Hitting a Road Block on the Last Leg of His Trip Spencer James Conway has a goal of circumnavigating every continent, and his last adventure has been in South America. On October 7th he posted on Facebook that he was just two weeks away from completing his trip. When ARR host, Jim, spoke to Spencer, he was stuck at the border in Venezuela, unable to cross in to Colombia. His alternative? A 7000 km detour which will add two months to the trip. http://www.spencer-conway.com/ Brrrrr….Keeping the Chill Out and the Heat In On Your Bike In the Northern Hemisphere, we’re starting to experience some chilly weather, and dedicated motorcyclists like to push the season, riding until the snow flies. Weather can be unpredictable, starting off chilly, warming up and then cooling down again, all in one day. So, being prepared for cold weather this time of year is important. Some of you might be lucky and live in year round warm climates, or maybe it’s spring for you right now and you’re aching to get out and ride, cold or n

Ramey "Coach" Stroud's story is one of perseverance and goals, where failure was not an option. Listening to him talk about overcoming what most would consider impossible, even medically, inspires that with the right mindset and vision, you can do anything. When a spinal injury left him paralyzed from the chest down, he didn't get his house ready to deal with his handicap for the rest of his life, he learned to walk and ride a motorcycle again. A story where the impossible becomes the possible. Defying the Odds: Coach Ramey Ramey “Coach” Stroud has been a champion motorcycle racer, skydiver, firefighter, scuba diver, ultra-marathoner, wilderness EMT, rodeo cowboy and adventurer. He has been recognized by the BMW Motorcycle Owner’s of America Foundation as their “Individual of the Year” for helping motorcycle riders gain new skills. He’s helped thousands of riders on five different continents and in so doing has received international honors for his training and safety programs. From the Nevada desert to the s

Exercise Specialist, Thom Rieck, shares some simple exercises to help keep your body fit for motorcycle riding. Graham Field talks shares his thoughts on keeping your options open while you travel. And Bob Earl talks about Mule Pack Panniers, high-density polyethelene flexible motorcycle panniers. Exercises for Better Riding: Thom Rieck Thom Rieck is an Exercise Specialist at the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program. He’s a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer and PEAK Pilates Instructor. He has been working as a personal trainer for over 10 years and he’s also an avid motorcyclist. He shares some simple exercises to do to keep you flexible for motorcycle riding. Website: trainwiththom.tumblr.com Mule Pack Panniers: Bob Earl - “molded from high-density polyethylene, the same material used to make whitewater kayaks and highway road barriers” - “a capacity of 28 liters the streamlined design is engineered to provide safe, dry, and secure storage for all manner of gear, as wel

Do you know where you are on the ADV Skills Level chart? You should, because it affects your choices, outfitting and how you describe yourself when deciding if a rough section is for you. ARR’s Rider Skills instructor has come up with a rating chart for adventure riders to explain what a novice to experienced rider is. And Ted Porter from the Beemer Shop in California gives the low-down on how to set your adventure motorcycle suspension preload. More motorcycle travel episodes available on Adventure Rider Radio at adventureriderradio.com.  Want to help out? Rate and review us on iTunes or on your favourite podcast app, tell your family, friends, riding buddies or club about ARR. Check out our other show ARR RAW, round table talks about motorcycles and travel. Subscribe to both shows to listen to inspiring and interesting guests, learn from professional riding instructors and industry experts about all things motorcycle. Get an ARR sticker(postage included) with a $10 donation. Link on our website. Have a c

Daniel Rintz is a filmmaker, photographer and adventure motorcyclist from Dresden, Germany. Born in East Germany at a time when world travel was impossible for his family, Daniel’s whole world opened up when the Berlin wall fell and he embraced the opportunity to travel. Since then, he’s explored by bicycle, train and automobile, but motorcycling remains his passion. In 2008, with a rough plan and no money, Daniel and his friend left East Germany for an around the world motorcycle adventure. With no safety net, they planned to work to finance their trip as they went along. In 2010, while in Asia, Daniel met Josephine (Joey) Flohr who was on a backpacking trip. She joined Daniel in his passion for motorcycling and they have been doing trips together ever since. Daniel and Joey have recently completed a 3 year motorcycle adventure, and are putting together a film about their journeys, a sequel to Daniel’s first film “Somewhere Else Tomorrow”. In this episode, he shares some great tips on making money on the roa

When buying a motorcycle jacket - do you shop for style, comfort or crash protection? And what is crash protection really? Is there a certifying body that say the garment will save you? So many questions but we will get some answers on this episode, so that the next time you find yourself in front of the jacket rack, you have a clue what you really want. With David Hough. Motorcycle author and journalist Dr. Gregory Frazier completed his sixth trip around the world not long ago. So where does a guy that travels this much hang his hat (read helmet)? And for that matter, where should you hang yours when you park your bike? Well, this may seem like a simple task, but Dr. Frazier has a few stories about riders that have learned through the school of hard knocks about what can happen to a misplaced helmet. We aren't talk about scratches. :) Dr Gregory Frazier Dr. Gregory Frazier has done several motorcycle trips around the world, he’s been shot at, spent time in jail and has had some incredible wildlife encounter

Social media has become a popular source of how we share our life, including our travels or adventures. And through social media, we share our photos and usually include a write up to show what we’re doing, where we’ve been. And if we want to get back to basics, well photography has been around for a long time, and looking at a photo can you put you right in to the picture, you can imagine the sounds and smells, and it gives us insight in to things we might otherwise never get to see. And journal keeping, be it on a blog or by written word, has the same effects on us, except we use our imagination to picture where the author is. Both are incredible ways to share stories, and for us to look back on where we’ve been, to refresh the memories from long ago. In this episode we talk to Tim Burke, who documents his journeys through photography and we have a flashback to an interview with Graham Field, who is an avid daily diary keeper. Every Picture Tells a Story: Tim Burke Tim Burke is from Seattle, Washington and

A story of a RTW motorcycle trip that morphs in to a two-wheeled adventure of the camper kind, and A story of a RTW motorcycle trip that morphs in to a two-wheeled adventure of the camper kind, and Zac Kurylyk from Canada Moto Guides shares his thoughts on what he calls the comeback of the parallel twin. Two-Wheeled Adventures of the Camper Kind Alan Curtis (Curt )and Lyn Williams have been riding motorcycles since they were teenagers, so when Curt was coming up with ideas for an adventure, including sailing around the world, it was a natural choice for them to go on a motorbike adventure . First the plan was to ride to the UK, but three years later they are still travelling the world. And now they have converted an Isuzu NPR diesel truck in to a camper home and are continuing their travels around Canada, the United States and in to South America. An overland motorcycle adventure on board their rv truck conversion. Website: http://www.twoxtw.com/ Parallel Twin vs Thumper Zac Kurylyk, the managing editor at Ca

On this episode we talk about group riding dynamics. Two methods of keeping your group riding together without eating each other’s dust or following dangerously close. Both these methods allow you to keep track of the entire group while you ride and other tips, including how to handle yourself when riding with a group. More motorcycle travel episodes available on Adventure Rider Radio at adventureriderradio.com.  Want to help out? Rate and review us on iTunes or on your favourite podcast app, tell your family, friends, riding buddies or club about ARR. Check out our other show ARR RAW, round table talks about motorcycles and travel. Subscribe to both shows to listen to inspiring and interesting guests, learn from professional riding instructors and industry experts about all things motorcycle. Get an ARR sticker(postage included) with a $10 donation. Link on our website. Have a comment? Go to the episode show notes on our website and have your say at the bottom of the page. Adventure Rider Radio is now the