Adventure Rider Radio – Motorcycle Podcast

A few years ago Benji Brundin went through some major life changes, including losing his dream career and his wife, and decided that the best course of action was to break from conventional life. So, leaving his past behind, challenging his fears and limitations he bought a van and outfitted it for adventure, then headed out to circumnavigate Australia with a dirt bike strapped to the back. Althou...

Harley-Davidson has announced the Pan America, an “adventure touring” motorcycle which is projected to be released in May, 2021. There’s been mixed reactions amongst the adventure motorcycle community, as Harley-Davidson has traditionally been known for big and loud bikes. We went to Harley-Davidson and to industry expert Tim Calhoun to get some of our biggest questions answered including what’s b...

One of the most feared surfaces for riders is sand and although some riders probably hold that fear level a little too high, it stems from the level of difficulty that sand presents for most of us. But, riding in sand is second nature to former racer and now instructor, Jimmy Lewis and on this episode he shares important techniques and tips that will help make you a better rider in the sand. More...

If you were planning a motorcycle trip to Africa, where you were going to traverse steep mountain passes, explore lesser travelled roads and visit remote places, travelling solo with a rough plan open to any opportunity, what bike would you choose to take? Would you consider the perfect motorcycle to be a 1951 Harley Panhead, a hard tail? That’s just what Gareth Jones from South Wales rode on his...

When planning a motorcycle trip there are a couple of major governing factors to take in to consideration - a destination and a time frame. But, if we focus too much on those two planning points the essence of the trip could get lost. We might forget that the real adventure is in the journey, not the destination. That’s what happened to Ronnie Altice when he set off on an adventure with his son, a...

Ted Simon has been a motorcycle travel mentor for riders and adventurers around the world for decades. Countless times we’ve heard from people who have said that his book inspired them or that they consulted with him before they travelled or that he helped them write their own book. He’s travelled the world twice, and as he turns 90 he is still riding and still writing. On this episode, a conversa...

Do you ever wonder what’s involved in and how someone gets sponsored for a trip? What do they get and just what do they have to do for the company that is sponsoring them? Each company will have their own specifics for sponsorship and it will likely depend on many things, but to try to get an idea of what it’s all about we asked Michnus and Elsebie Olivier from Piki Piki Overland to sit down and h...

Harold Serrano was not a motorcyclist, he didn't have a licence to ride a bike, in fact other than a few little rides messing around Harold had no experience with motorcycles. But he did decide that the easiest and cheapest way to get around South America was on a motorcycle, so he got one. What Harold didn't realize was that he was grossly unprepared for a motorcycle travel adventure. He did howe...

The top three riding skills that you will never master on your motorcycle, yet you should always be trying to, are the focus of this episode of Rider Skills. Why should you care about trying to master a skill - if the premise is that you can never do it? To answer that we have Shawn Thomas, a BMW certified off-road and street riding instructor and a BMW ambassador in the US. More motorcycle travel...

The choice of motorcycle related products on the market is endless, and with that are the decisions to be made. When you’re looking for a specific item, be it an accessory or a part or anything else, you’ll probably find yourself overwhelmed when you start doing the research. With all the choices how do you know when something is good quality? What should you be looking for? We have a lot of quest...

Simon and Lisa Thomas have been a source of motivation for many motorcyclists and their years of knowledge and experience speak volumes, whether it’s about making connections, different cultures, border crossings or cooking a great meal. On this episode, a deeper conversation about finances, risk, insurance, changed perspectives and more. More motorcycle travel episodes available on Adventure Ride...

Chris Donaldson was brought up during The Troubles in Northern Island and for years he looked towards escaping his conflicted homeland on his motorcycle with the goal of riding to Australia. But, not long after he set out he hit a ‘road block’ and as often happens in travel, plans changed. He ended up riding his Moto Guzzi Le Mans to places he thought he never would and 40 years later getting to A...

Getting on and off your motorcycle seems simple enough, almost so simple that it could be discounted as a riding skill, yet getting on and off a motorcycle can be difficult in certain situations. For instance, if your bike is loaded, or you have a pillion, top box or roll bag. Maybe you ride a tall bike, or you find yourself on a hill facing up or sideways, or on uneven ground. How many times have...

Seasoned travellers share their best travel tips and advice. Lessons learned on the road that you need to know before you go. This is part TWO of a TWO part series, each featuring different travellers with a vast array of advice. In this episode we hear from world travellers, Spencer Conway and Cathy Nel, Steph Jeavons and Tiffany Coates.  Listen to Part 1 of this episode here . More motorcycle tr...

As 2020 comes to a close and we are looking toward to the future, planning adventures, short or long, near or far, we asked a select group of experienced travellers if they would share their top planning, packing and travel tips. Secrets, so to speak, that you need to know before you go. This is part ONE of a TWO part series, each featuring different travellers with a vast array of advice. More mo...

This past year international motorcycle travel came to a halt as the pandemic spread around the world, but the power sports industry as a whole has seen a change that no one could have predicted. In this episode, a conversation about what happened and what it could mean for motorcyclists. More motorcycle travel episodes available on Adventure Rider Radio at adventureriderradio.com .  Want to help...

When you ride a motorcycle you need to make sure that you are visible. But, what attracts the attention of drivers the most? Bright coloured helmets, clothing? A light coloured motorcycle? There’s something that stands out much more than any of those things, something that Harry Hurt, author of the Hurt Report, the most detailed motorcycle accident report to this day, considered one of it’s major...

Bill Whitacre retired a few years ago from his job as CEO of a large agricultural company to allow more time for motorcycle travel. He seems to have an insatiable thirst for learning, and at 67 years old he is fired up about discovering more about the world and the people that inhabit it. On this episode, a conversation about travel and one man’s unique perspective on discovery. More motorcycle tr...

Adventure Rider Radio’s exclusive Gearing Up segments are all about discovering some great gear, ideas and hacks that may make the difference between calling it quits or continuing your ride. And on this episode we talk to Paul Guillien of CruzTOOLS about custom made motorcycle tool roads and what you’ll find in them. And we’ve also got some tips about roadside tire repairs and the tools you’ll ne...

Our focus in motorcycling is usually about getting more traction, and rightfully so. We want tires that have good grip, we weight our pegs, we slide our bodies forward or back on our bikes. But, sometimes having less traction may actually work to your advantage. And on this episode of Rider Skills we have Bill Dragoo from DART to tell us about times when less traction is our friend and how to get...

The Road to Gobblers Knob, In Clancy’s Boots and Way to Go are just a few of the 18 books written by author and journalist, Geoff Hill. Inspired by his own travels, Geoff is a successful travel writer, most of which is by motorcycle. He’s been shortlisted or won the UK travel Writer of the year nine times and has been hailed in reviews of his best selling books as one of the most talented and funn...

Michnus and Elsebie Olivier have to be two of the busiest people on the road with all their projects and business obligations, but after 10 years of travelling, they are still awed and inspired to explore, a true pair of adventurers. And now after seven months in lockdown due to the pandemic, they are once again on the move. The first thing they wanted to do was to head back to ride on the world’s...

Travis and Chantil Gill left on a year long motorcycle adventure with the plan being to explore Morocco and as much of Europe as they could. They had spent years saving and preparing for this trip and with Coronavirus seemingly not too bad in the United States, they decided to take a chance and go ahead with their plans. But just a couple of weeks in to their trip, they found themselves in Spain s...

There’s a first time for everything, including motorcycle travel, and there’s a lot to consider before heading out on the road. Novice travellers often learn through trial and error, but even seasoned motorcycle travellers can still make mistakes. Getting a heads up on common motorcycle travel mistakes just might give you enough insight to avoid those mistakes yourself, making your trip that much...

In 2008 BMW introduced the GS Trophy, an international competition where riders from around the world take part in competing on some of the most challenging terrains in exotic locations, and they’ve since continued the competition with qualifier and final event sequels. But, why all the hype about the GS Trophy and what does it mean for adventure motorcycle culture? We talk to BMW Ambassador, Shaw...