Motorcycle Nation Podcast

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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!

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Episode 14 covers on the continuing struggles of the motorcycle industry and focuses on Harley Davidson as they seem to be the worst off. We also cover the cancellation of the Love Ride and KTM pulling out of MotoGP 250cc class racing due to the economy. We give some new bike releases to look for and also provide news about recalls on Ducati, Triumph, and BMW motorcycles.
We also talk about the upcoming Motorcycle Cannonball, a run for pre 1916 motorcycles that starts in San Francisco and ends in New York. The run is Sept. 10-22, 2010. Link is posted below.
Paul Teutel Sr. a singer? Check out Paul and the OCC band on their new CD OCC Rocks. You can sample the music over at Amazon.com
And, sadly, the end of Biker Radio Magazine has come. This was the best motorcycle podcast that ever hit iTunes or the internet. Ken Venus recently recorded and released episode 100 and the show has come to an end. To listen to past episodes follow the link at the end of the show notes.

SHOW LINKS
multistrada.ducati.com
motorcyclecannonball.com
bikerradiomagazine.com

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Riding with Gov. Mitch Daniels.
Motor Company moving manufacturing to Indiana?
Competition Accessories leaving Ohio for SC.
Billy Lane is sentenced.
MotoGP in Indy this weekend
Other news and recalls.

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Indiana motorcyclists are proud to have a Governor that not only rides a motorcycle, but is willing to get out and ride with the citizens of Indiana. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels leads a few rides a year that travel the state making stops in small towns all over. The most recent ride, August 14th, was on a beautiful day and surprised many of the first time riders with the route snaking us through some Southern Indiana backroads that had enough curves you would have thought you were on the Tail of the Dragon at times. The best part was that this ride was escorted start to finish by the Indiana State Police Motorcycle Unit. Thank you Gents!

Indiana State Police Electra Glides provided escort.

Whoever ordered the weather up for this ride did well but could have turned the temperature dial back about 10 degrees. I am not sure how many miles were covered as I left after the second stop so I could get back to Indy in time to see the Colts preseason game. The two stops that I did make were Milan and Madison. Milan is famous for their 1954 winning of the state high school basketball championship. The small town team beat the largest high school powerhouses that year and was the team behind the movie Hoosiers. The second stop that I made was in Madison, a really neat town on the Ohio River that looks across into Kentucky. This town also has a famous side as it is the host of the Madison Regatta, a hydroplane racing event held annually on the river.

Ohio River at Madison, IN

Riding with the Governor is free and we had over 400 waivers signed for the ride. If you are in the Hoosier state I encourage you to come out next time and ride with us. No matter what your political party of choice is, it is encouraging to have a rider in charge. The motorcycle rides that the Governor puts on are about motorcycle awareness and when a reporter questioned him on Friday about helmets he made a great statement. He told them that he chooses to always wear a helmet but that education, not mandatory helmet laws is what will save lives. Way to go Governor!

Staging at the State Capitol building.

Wow, time has gotten away from me. The end of month drill at work is always hectic but is more so this month. Add in teaching weeknight motorcycle safety classes and my days begin about 5:30 and sleep comes at about 11:30. So, I have had little time to write.

What has been happening besides that? Well, late spring brought a request from LiveNation, the outfit that handles tickets for Verizon Wireless Music Center (among many others) to plan rides to a series of concerts over the summer. ABATE plans a route and gets riders together for the all day ride. The ride takes the form of an observation ride where the participants are provided a list of questions that involve things to look for along the route. At the final stop, the riders with the most correct questions wins a prize pack that includes a meet and greet session backstage with that evenings lineup.

Through my involvement with ABATE, I have been on both of the rides that have happened this year. I got to see a great show that included Cross Canadian Ragweed, Trace Adkins, and Toby Keith. Trace and Toby were going to ride with us but it seems that Tony George offered up a few laps around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and it is said that they took him up on the offer. More recently, I led the ride that ended with the Lynyrd Skynyrd / Kid Rock show. The funny thing about that is that it poured all day and there were a whopping 2 bikes on the ride. Mine and the Ultra Classic that you saw in an earlier post about the Michigan trip. The beauty of it all is that by the time we hit the amphitheater the weather was perfect for an outdoor concert.

Anyway, both of these genres of music worked for motorcyclists. Country, southern rock, and hard rock play right into the lifestyle of two wheel enthusiasts. The other big one of course would be the blues. How can a biker deny some good blues? I am not sure that rap would go over as well! But, we have one more concert this year and hopefully I will get to play a part and attend this one as well. Ang and I have had a great time on the first two and if we make the next one we will get to see ZZ Top and Aerosmith. That would be a great way to end the summer. These perks are just one more way that motorcycling has paid me back.

How has motorcycling paid you back? Weigh in with your comments and until next time, Ride Safe.

2009 brought us the sixteenth annual Miracle Ride for Riley Hospital. This is a two day event held towards the end of May or early June and is one of the largest fundraisers for the hospital and, I believe, the largest motorcycle ride in the State of Indiana in both number of participants and money raised. A walk through the sea of chrome would give away the fact that people ride in from many states to participate in this event.

Saturday begins the Miracle Ride with six Poker runs that leave various dealers across the state. The final stop for each poker run is a location somewhere in Indianapolis. If the riders from the farthest Poker Run origin point were to go straight to Indy without hitting the stops to pick up their cards it could take them 2-1/2 to 3 hours. So, some of these people put in some serious hours on the way to the capitol. The Poker Runs are a large part of the fundraiser and this year was no exception. The preliminary figure that were announced Sunday morning during staging for the organized ride was $220,000 just for the Poker Runs. For the eleventh year, Harley Davidson of Bloomington won the award for the most money raised on the run. They set a new record in ‘09 with $75,000 raised. Congratulations Owners Jeff and Carol Stevens and General Manager Jim Markham.

Sunday brings all the Poker Run participants along with those who just want to do the Sunday police escorted ride to the registration point which changed this year to Lucas Oil Stadium. During registration and staging there are some festivities going on such as Bob and Tom from the nationally syndicated radio program, The Bob & Tom Show, usually get up and get people laughing. The Indianapolis Colts offensive line usually gets up on stage too to tell people why they enjoy leading this ride. By the way, they left their bikes at home this year and Victory motorcycles brought out some of their models and let the guys ride those. And we also get a show from the Indianapolis Metro Police Motorcycle Drill Team.

Most people come to this ride for one reason. To help the kids. The ride kicks off and leaves the registration point and always makes its way over to Riley Hospital where some of the children line the sidewalk and watch all the bikes go by. From past experience it is very moving and tough to go through with dry eyes. From there, it continues through the streets of near downtown Indy to the world famous 16th Street, the same street that holds the Yard of Bricks. For those who wore a helmet there is a lap around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway track. Some people come for this. It is fun and you don’t realize how much banking there really is on that track. After leaving the track they reach the end of the ride where there is entertainment, food, raffles, silent auctions, and four or five motorcycle giveaways. Yes, four or five.

Early figures for 2009 indicate that the ride raised around $375,000 for the kids. If you ever thought about traveling and hitting a charity ride, come on over to the Hoosier State and join us on the Miracle Ride. Tell them the Motorcycle Nation Podcast sent you. You won’t be sorry.

Ride safe and ride with a purpose.

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Episode 10 starts out with information on recalls and then we dive straight in to the interview with Micah. Our main focus was to bring awareness to the ride on May 30th that Micah and friends are putting on called The Ride for Alexandra’s Heart. Follow the link for more info. This podcast is pretty straightforward and we end the episode with the song Story Teller by Indiana natives The Eclipse Band.

For out of state donations or for more information concerning The Ride for Alexandra’s Heart, you can make contact in either of the following ways.

Via Mail
Lucas County Choppers
PO Box 1213
Holland, OH 43528

Via Phone
419-491-7032

Recall Information

Ducati
800-231-6696
or find your dealer via the web at http://ducatiusa.com

Honda
866-784-1870

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This episode starts off with a quick summary of my road trip to Cedar Springs, MI and then moves along to the loss of two very committed motorcyclists. One local, Mark Garback, a motorcycle safety instructor with ABATE of Indiana and the other Mike “Boz” Kerr, Vice President of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation.

Next up is an interview with Paul Holdsworth that you have to listen to. You will be floored by Paul’s experiences over his many years of motorcycling and he speaks of his role with IronWorks Magazine. Many thanks to Paul as he was patient with my screwed up schedule and waited many weeks to record this podcast. Thanks again Paul. You can find subscription info to IronWorks Magazine by following the link and you can enjoy the musings of Snakebit Sam at IWBlogger.

We close out the show with another Eclipse song, Green Fishing Line. Follow the link to their website and get your own CD if you have been enjoying the music we have been playing on the podcast.

Special thanks to my friend Dennis Tyger for taking the road trip with me. Better friends are hard to find. As always, we appreciate you, the listeners of the Motorcycle Nation Podcast, for taking the time out of your life to support and listen. Safe travels.

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I finally, after a multi year lapse, got to take a joy ride. Sure, Ang has jumped on the back and we hit a local restaurant to have dinner with friends, but every other ride I have taken was tied in with either teaching or work. The past two days were a true joy for me as I was able to stare down the white lines and drop mile after mile for pleasure. My only regret is that Angie and Kim did not ride with us.

Originally there were four of us going to go. By time to leave there were two, me and Kim’s husband Dennis. We set our departure point at a gas station in SE Indy. When I rolled up to the gas pump Dennis was by the building talking to someone. I pulled my helmet off and he called me over. He was talking to a young man that was traveling to DC to visit his brother. Not an ordinary young man, but a priest. Dennis had asked him to bless our trip and he did so right in the gas station parking lot. Pretty awesome! After gassing up we hit the road and started putting home behind. Our first stop wound up being in South Bend, IN, home of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. We pulled into a gas station only to find that every pump was out of mid grade and premium fuel. So we pumped a gallon in each bike and went searching for better fuel. We found it at the next exit and topped off the bikes before heading to Pizza Hut for a quick lunch. Well, it would have been quick but they kept filling the buffet with a different kind of pizza each time that Dennis had to have. Needless to say he was sick by the time we left.

We had excellent weather the entire trip and we arrived in Grand Rapids dry and happy. After a couple of wrong turns and a phone call we arrived at our destination to meet up with Jason, another motorcyclist that I have come to know via the net. Jason had been posting about his problems getting his motorcycle in good riding condition and, since he had helped me with some computer related issues in the past, I decided to go up and see what help I could provide. That was pretty much the purpose of the trip other than to ride. So, we arrived at the house and was able to fix the bike in about 20 minutes which allowed us to have an evening free. That meant more riding which allowed Jason to lead us around on his bike. We headed back towards Grand Rapids and met up with his wife, Kate, at a school where she was teaching Zumba. Zumba is a Latin / International dance and exercise class. Dennis looked pretty funny on the side trying out the moves!

From there Dennis, Jason, and I went to find some food and a place for us to stay that evening. The rules were no fast food and something different than we could have at home. Jason nailed it with his choice of Brann’s Steakhouse & Grille. Nice local place with some really good food. Steaks and stuffed shrimp were consumed and the prices were extremely reasonable. Check it out if you find yourself in the area. The best part was that we walked through the parking lot to the next one and found our lodging for the night. Dennis is a smooth talker and a deal maker and he got us $20 off the room by asking for the manager’s special. Sweet. We agreed to meet Jason and his wife Kate for breakfast the next morning and he left for home. A quick ride to the Meijer department store across the street for swimming trunks for Dennis and we were back at the hotel. I headed straight for the sack while he went to swim and try out the hot tub. Probably should have done that as well just to loosen the legs up after the ride.

Breakfast found us at Anna’s House Restaurant with Jason and Kate. This place has more variations on omelets than I have ever seen anywhere. Food and service were both great and there was good conversation with Jason and Kate. We all had a great time and soon it was time to head for Indy. The weather was not looking as promising for the trip so we wanted to get on the road. Goodbyes were said and we went down the street and paid a visit to the Honda dealer so Dennis could find a warmer pair of gloves. We did not have any luck so we jumped on the highway and headed back east in search of 196 and 31 South. On the way up we passed Grand Rapids Harley Davidson and we talked about stopping on the way home. I saw the sign up ahead and slowed and pointed and held my hand up asking, “Wanna stop?” A quick shrug of the shoulders and a nod took us onto the exit and into the dealership. What was going to be a quick t-shirt stop turned into a marathon purchase of a 2009 Black Pearl Electra Glide Ultra Classic. No not me, but I wish it was. Dennis’ trusty sidekick, the 1999 Road King was being traded in on the new bike.
This picture shows a glimpse of the Road King behind the new one.

Now, I rode up there on my ‘99 Softail Custom. He had the comfort advantage on the Road King already and now he was going to take it ten steps further and really ride in comfort. That is ok though, I am happy for him. Due to the five hour purchase we were way behind schedule and had allowed some severe storms to cross our route south of where we were. It did not take long out of Grand Rapids to start in and for the next two hours we rode in the rain and wind. Don’t forget, we had to run 50 to 55 mph for the first 50 miles and vary speeds from 55-70 for the rest of the trip. The maiden voyage for the new Ultra was a soggy one but she came through with flying colors.

So, my first joy ride in some time involved 706 miles of some crazy drivers, some torn up roads in Michigan, and bad weather. I would not trade even one mile back for anything. I had a great time with great friends and that is what this is all about. Everybody ride safe!

I have always had the desire to travel on two wheels. My dreams have taken me to the Cherohala Skyway along with Deal’s Gap and all up and down the Blue Ridge Parkway. In further REM states I have hammered across the Seven Mile Bridge and enjoyed the sunset, beaches, and nightlife of Key West. Many daydreams have found me out West running through Utah, Wyoming, and Montana. And I have heard that Oregon is perhaps one of the most beautiful states to ride in. Sign me up for all of them.

Some people are fortunate enough to be able to spend a major portion of their year on the road. Their tales have given me inspiration to take that next step and look into many more road trips than I have had the opportunity to take to this point. So far, my longest road trip to date has been to Milwaukee to visit the Harley Davidson plant. I have been to Daytona Bike Week a few times but our bikes were trailered down and back for that one so that is not a road trip.

I have drawn the inspiration to make a long trip from family and internet friends. In the relative area, I have a cousin and his wife that make an annual trip with 2 to 3 other couples. Ask them where they are going and you will get only the direction. West. South. Who knows. Their ride consists of each couple having the directional choice of the day. They rise early and get on the road and stop around 5 or 6 PM each evening. After finding lodging and getting a meal, they bed down and start over the next morning.The couple who has rights for the day leads off in whatever direction they have chosen. No planned stops and no agenda. That sounds like a plan to me. A trip a couple of years ago led them through sixteen states in nineteen days.

Then, we have some friends of the podcast that also have the opportunity to travel. Carla King, a motojournalist based in California, has taken a trip that she circumnavigated the border of the United States on a Russian made Ural motorcycle. This trip is chronicled in her book “American Borders” which is available from her web site. I am currently reading this book and will be doing a podcast with Carla in the near future.

Perhaps the freest spirit that I have stumbled upon in my motorcycle travel research has got to be Ara Gureghian. Click on his name, after you finish reading this of course, to be whisked away into a dreamland of free. Ara, who travels with his trusted companion Spirit in his sidecar, lives a fantasy day in and day out. Ara has an amazing past but the last few years are what draws me to his site. You will be met with amazing photography and well written posts about their current location and pictures. You can even follow the travels with a device called SPOT which is a satellite locator that will show you the most recent visited location and current location on a Google Map. There are various items available in his store along with the opportunity to purchase copies of his pictures. Trust me, you will see the beauty of our great country in a new light by looking at his photography.

If you want to read and see what freedom is all about, go ahead, click the link. You won’t be sorry!