Monday, June 21st marks the official start of summer. It is fitting then that it is also the official date for Ride to Work Day 2010. This annual event promotes the use of motorcycles as an option to cars for everyday transportation needs. Many people look at motorcyclists as nuisances that should not be on the road. What they fail to see is that motorcycles are a transportation option that help in many areas.
Let’s start off with the air quality factor. Yes, the fossil fuel motorcycles do still emit carbon emissions but in much smaller quantities than all the other cars, trucks, buses, and trains that clog our route to work every day. Want it to be even cleaner? Buy an electric motorcycle. Speaking of those other vehicles clogging the roadway, imagine all the advantages of the majority of vehicles on your morning commute being two or three wheelers. Less congestion equals less frustration. The added benefit is less wear and tear on the infrastructure. How many of you have to fight to find parking on busy city streets or in loaded parking garages? Yet another reason to ride a bike.
Also, think about the money that could be saved in gas. Most motorcycles get considerably better gas mileage than their four wheel counterparts. Who doesn’t want to save a few bucks? Less consumption in whole means lower gas prices as well. That great law of economics says prices will fall if demand dwindles. Take that OPEC!
OK, let’s stop and admit that there are many people who could care less about any of the environmental impacts that are discussed above. If you fall into that category, then think about this. You ARE saving money and you get to pick the bugs out of your teeth!
Enjoy your ride to work tomorrow and make it a safe one.
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This episode covers the recent rumors, or Trouble in Paradise?, of the Motor Company. There have been recent rumors of Harley Davidson being sold and we give a little info here. Most interesting is the spin the Todd B. Wilson, cohost of the Motorcycle Radio Network, takes. See his blog post here. Not all the trouble in the industry lies in Milwaukee though. We talk about the final sale of American Ironhorse and the sale of Ridley Motorcycles. Find out what will happen with them.
We also bring a little MotoGP news and provide you a link on how to get your chance to ride with the big boys in World Superbikes and World Supersport at Utah’s Miller Motorsports Park in Utah. There are wildcard spots to be filled if you feel like you have what it takes to get off the porch and compete. You can find out the requirements and fill out an application by clicking right here. In addition, we give information on an upcoming endurance ride, The HokaHey Challenge, that you can join. It is a run from Key West, FL to Homer, AK and covers some 7,000 miles.
Our final story comes from the UK and involves alcohol and riding. You gotta listen to this one.
As promised the interesting video on how sound checks are done on motorcycles courtesy of YouTube.
There may be trouble in Milwaukee Paradise but there is still plenty of true paradise in the Dominican Republic. Call my friends at MotoCaribe Motorcycle Tours and book your trip to fun in the sun the two wheel way. 800-877-MOTOFUN ext. 100
We have exciing interviews coming up with the creators of some unique products aimed at the motorcycling community and based on riders. Make sure you come back soon and check us out. Subscribe to the podcast at iTunes or the Zune store or just listen right here on the website. Show recommendations are always welcome at Steve@mcnationpodcast.com
My two year old granddaughter loves to play with my shoes, whether my tennis shoes, dress shoes, or riding boots. The riding boots are the best because she throws her legs in those boots and tries to waddle and drag those boots all over the house. She also has another habit when it comes to my shoes. She loves to leave me little surprises. So many times in the past I have picked up a pair of my shoes and either hear something rattle around or feel something blocking my way. The other morning was no exception.
I got up for work and showered and dressed. I made my way downstairs and went through the morning routine and started getting on my gear for the ride. I pulled my left boot on and zipped it up and secured the velcro flap. By the way, I am still wearing my three year old Tourmaster Solution boots and they still provide me with a waterproof ride every time. Anyway, As I pulled my right boot on I got my foot almost all the way in. Normally if there is anything in there I will find it before I get my foot too far in but not today. Right at the very end my toes felt very uncomfortable so I pulled my foot back out a little ways and tried again. Same feeling. I pulled the boot off and stuck my hand into the boot and fished it all the way down to the toe and pulled out these:
Starting the day laughing made the whole day more enjoyable.
Last Sunday we laid to rest a father, friend, motorcyclist, and American Hero. Bruce Hall, a friend to me and father to my friend Marty “Scrounge” Hall, a fellow safety instructor, passed away quietly March 2, 2010. This was a very unexpected loss.
Bruce served this great country for 31 years with the US Army retiring as a Brigadier General. We can thank him for preserving our freedom. As a motorcyclist you would see Bruce at a few charity rides working to help the cause. He served as Treasurer on the Dallas & Reid’s Ride, a ride to raise money to find the cure for juvenile diabetes. He had a vested interest in this ride as it was partially named after his grandson Dallas. It was this ride, if my memory serves me correctly, that he earned his nickname “Moneyman”.
Bruce was honored at his service by friends, motorcyclists, and other American Heroes. Many of the riders that rode as agroup to the ride served with Bruce on charity committees while the rest were sporting Rolling Thunder patches. It was a beautiful day to pay tribute to this man. He deserved to be memorialized and will be truly missed.
The picture of the HD Ultra Classic Electra Glide that accompanies this post was Bruces. Bruce’s wife recently gave this motorcycle to grandson Dallas. Bruce would have wanted it this way for sure.
The month of February is known for a few things, most notably Valentine’s Day and Groundhog’s Day. Valentine’s Day is pretty cool but I want to talk about Groundhog’s Day. Today, February 2nd, 2010 Pawksatawny Phil was pulled from the tree trunk and looked around. As hundreds stood out in the fifteen degree weather and watched, he looked around and saw his shadow, dooming us for another six weeks of this cold, nasty winter. Now I don’t know about you but I am a firm believer that snow is just another four letter word. I don’t mind riding in the cold as long as the nasty white stuff is not on the roadway.
Riding in the cold is just as enjoyable as riding in the warm weather if you have the right gear. I have accumulated some nice cold weather gear over the years and can stay pretty toasty. With the purchase a few years ago of a Cortech Advantage riding jacket I was able to get rid of my Widder heated vest. I let the gloves go with it and bought new Tourmaster Synergy electric gloves. So, I do still stay warm.
But, I still hate cold weather. I know, if you don’t like it move. Wish it was that easy. Since I have to put up with this for the time being, I think that next year we should hire a groundhog sharpshooter and pop that thing between the eyes before he can see his shadow. Ooops. I hope that none of my readers are members of PETA. Let me rephrase that. I don’t want anyone to shoot a poor defenseless animal. So, maybe the rotten varmint can become roadkill next February and we can all be sipping tea in the sun on one of our stops along the ride.
Until then, don’t put that cold weather gear away just yet. Happy riding…brrrrrrr…..
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This episode we talk to Jensen Beeler of Asphalt & Rubber, one of the best sites for motorcycle industry news that I have found. Jensen has created an awesome site and his business background and a recent trip to the electric motorcycle manufacturers makes for some great conversation. You can also find Jensen on Twitter as asphalt_rubber and on Facebook. The Facebook link is on his website.
The recalls section is back and we run through them. Or, maybe I should say it. The only recall we have right now is for the BMW f650 GS and the f800 GS. The model years covered are 2008 thru 2010. During operation the a ventilation hose could draw water vapors into the charcoal canister allowing it to mix with the air-fuel mixture and cause the motorcycle to stall. The recall was set to begin this month, January 2010. If you have not heard from BMW you can call them at 800-831-1117.
There are a couple of news stories that are quickly covered so that we are able to jump right into the interview with Jensen. We close out the podcast with music from old friends Eclipse. I just had to hear “Ride Through the Badlands” again.
If you get a chance, review the podcast in iTunes so that we can move farther up the chart. If you would like to help cover the costs of keeping the site on the net and help us cover storage costs and bandwith, we have added a donate button on the right sidebar. Any amount would help from a dollar to whatever you want to give. Anything would be appreciated.
Remember our friends at MotoCaribe Motorcyle Tours. When you are ready to take a trip you can ride paradise on two wheels in the Dominican Republic. Give Ed a call at 877-MOTOFUN ext. 100 or visit the website by clicking their name above.
2009 will be leaving us in mere hours and I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for listening to the podcast and reading the blog. I would appreciate you sharing with anyone who has a love of two wheels and let them join us as we tackle 2010.
The economy made this year tough on everyone. Starting with us, the riders, and moving it’s way up into the mom and pop shops, the dealer network, and the manufacturers. This in turn hurt the riding gear market and aftermarket parts business. Let’s hope that the new year starts off with a true rebirth of the motorcycle market.
Everyone have a safe and happy New Year’s evening and may all your resolutions and wishes for the new year come true.
…terrible time of the year. The terrible time that I speak of is that time leading up to Indiana’s historically worst months for snowfall, January and February. With the snowfall comes the realization that the motorcycle will probably not be coming out of the garage for the next sixty days as the snow remains on the ground and the possibility of black ice forming on the road is great. I have never truly been a big fan of the snow anyway but when my true passion for motorcycling materialized I found an even stronger hatred for it. The cold does not bother me. If you own the right gear riding can be enjoyed nearly year round, except those months that road conditions may prohibit it.
So, I have to find things to fill my days during the winter. I do quite a few things to keep motorcycling in front of me. Most of you know that I teach motorcycle safety and we have things going on throughout the off season that keep us at our best. I also subscribe to a couple of print magazines that I spend time reading over the winter. During the summer, with my normal job, teaching, and my kid’s sports practices and games I don’t get the opportunity to read those mags on a regular basis. The cold winter months give me plenty of free time to study what I missed all summer. I spend time doing this blog and the podcast and I listen to other motorcycle podcasts. And, of course, I spend alot of time on the internet reading all the motorcycle related sights. Thank goodness for the net.
So, as the East coast is getting hammered this weekend, I ask you…what do you do in the winter to fuel your need for two wheels? Leave us a comment and tell your friends to listen to Episode 15 to take them away to paradise on two wheels.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
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Ever had the urge to take a motorcycle tour? I have been wanting to for quite some time and the first one that I will take is one offered by MotoCaribe Motorcycle Tours. Read the blog, sign up for email, updates, watch tour video and more at the MotoCaribe Motorcycle Tour blog. This tour is in the Dominican Republic and is one of the most affordable tours that I have found. The DR offers it all from mountains, to tropical rain forest, to arid desert regions, to the finest aqua blue water beach views around. Take a two wheel tour and explore a land widely untouched by the urbanization of the Western world. You can follow the link above or reach Ed to book a tour at 877-MOTOFUN ext. 100. This episode we talk with Ed Denzler, owner and lead rider of MotorCaribe.
We move into a mention of the FX show Sons of Anarchy. This is by far my fave show and one of the very few that I watch. It draws you in to the created world and makes you feel a part. There are two SOA podcasts that I have recently stumbled upon that I enjoy listening to. Check out Watchers of Anarchy and SAMCRO: A Podcast for the Fans of Sons of Anarchy. Give them a listen. After all, it is a long time until Season 3 starts. If you have been watching the show, listen in on the past episodes and you will discover show info that you missed.
Condolences to the Hurt family on the passing of Harry Hurt, the author of the famous Hurt Report that shaped motorcycle safety programs all over the nation and world. Harry passed away November 29th of a heart attack.
In the opening show dialogue I mentioned that we would cover recalls tonight. The MotoCaribe interview was going too well to shut it down and we went long. We will cover recalls in episode 16 coming out soon.
I have email addresses available for anyone interested. If you would like to have a You@mcnationpodcast.com email shoot me an email at steve@mcnationpodcast.com Include the name you want and I will set it up and contact you when complete.
Visit my friend Cliff Ravenscraft, The Podcast Answer Man for all your podcast equipment needs or for podcast consulting. Check out the bigger community Cliff has at GSPN.tv
Check out SideStand Up and find the links to the TalkShoe show that they do. If you are there on Tuesday nights from 7-9 pm you can participate in chat while the show is being recorded. It is available via iTunes and rss as well.
Music used on this episode are from musicalley.com Our opener was Ride by Adrenaline Factor and our closer was by Little Fish Big Pond called Velvet Sky.
Happy Holidays from The Motorcycle Nation Podcast!
I am a huge fan of Sons of Anarchy and I plan on speaking a little bit about it in the next podcast episode that I plan on putting out sometime in the next week as time permits. I was very sad to see the season finale come as it seems that season 2 just began and it was over. The finale was so full of twists and turns and has left so many questions unanswered. I am dying to get on with the show and see what is going to happen next. Stahl is an animal and has really put Gemma in a bad situation. Cameron has really signed his death warrant if Jax and the boys can get to him. That prick Westin has been done in and I can’t wait for Zobelle to get his because I don’t think that Clay will let this go and he will make Zobelle’s murder his top priority. Rarely have I felt so much a part of a show that I felt true hatred towards a character when I saw them on screen. Westin and Zobelle are easy to hate. This show is gonna rock next season as well.
If you have not been watching the show I urge you to check it out. It is not for everyone and there will even be motorcyclists that have no interest in it but you should watch one episode and give it a shot. Hulu has many past episodes and you can also buy season 1 on DVD. Season 3 will start in September of 2010. Check it out, you won’t be sorry. I also ran across two podcasts that are SOA fan podcasts that I enjoy listening to. I just discovered them last night and have been listening to the episodes all day today trying to catch up with all of them. Check out Watchers of Anarchy and SAMCRO: A Podcast for the Fans of Sons of Anarchy
