Behind the Bars, Motorcycles, Memories and Mayhem

Ep 8, S3, Lorne Banks, Adventure Touring Trainer for Special Forces, Government Agencies. Lorne owns Adventure Riders International , a company that trains people in Adventure Touring.  Lorne explains some of the challenges in teaching people to move their bike in challenging environments.  Some of the uses for Adventure Touring Bikes in Special Forces.   This one wasn't one of our...

Ep 7, S3, Discussion regarding Harley's Partnership with Chinese Motorcycle Manufacturer Qianjiang Motorcycle Group In this podcast, John and Mark chat with Robert Pandya, (former PR Manager for Aprilia, Motoguzzi, Victory and Indian) about Harley-Davidson’s recent controversial announcement.  HD has partnered with a Chinese motorcycling manufacturer Qianjiang Motorcycle Group to begin produc...

Ep 6, Season 3, Comparison, Harley-Davidson LiveWire v. Zero Motorcycle SRF, Electric Motorcycles In this podcast, Jon, John, and Mark compare and contrast the Harley-Davidson LiveWire and the Zero SR/F.   Both are fantastic electric motorcycles though the Harley is clearly aimed at those looking for a premium EV experience while the Zero is more value oriented.  That said, similarl...

Episode 5, Season 3, Genevieve Schmitt, founder of Women Riders Now and long-time motorcycle journalist, inspiration to many Well before her time, Genevieve Schmitt founded Women Riders Now back in 2006.  Undoubtedly she is a factor in the recent trend which has women entering the Motorcycle World in droves.   John and Mark chat with Genevieve about how the machine and the culture a...

In this podcast, John and Mark chat with Robin Bradley, writer for American Motorcycle Dealer Magazine. Robin shares his candid point of view about the Harley-Davidson legacy. The conversation revolves around an article that Robin wrote recently in a trade publication about HD's More Roads campaign that applauds the new direction the Motor Company is heading in. He maintains it is possible to main...

John and Mark chat with Sandra Hinksman, VP of the Motor Maids. Te Motor Maids is a women's motorcycle club in North America with over 1,200 members from the United States and Canada. Established in 1940, Motor Maids was one of the first women's motorcycle groups and has been called the oldest existing women's club in the United States.  This Podcast is particularly special to us as Barbara W...

As more details emerge about the Harley-Davidson Livewire, John and Mark sit down with Jon "The Eagle" Sargent to discuss the latest news.  While John and Jon remain obsessed with power and performance, Mark makes a case for changing the way we look at motorcycles in general.  John and Jon scoff at the idea that bikes could be tools not toys.   Other  Discussion focuses on...

John and Mark host a mysterious caller who goes by the singular name- Lefty. Lefty expounds on how he sees motorcycles as a social good that brings diverse people together and reduces our carbon footprints. He also claims to be able to tell the difference between how Kentucky Horse Manure and Pennsylvania Horse Manure smell. Driving a Car is just about mailing yourself safely from one place to ano...

Jon "The Eagle" rejoins John and Mark for a lively end of season Behind the Bars podcast. This one features plenty of free-spirited banter about a Hodge podge of subjects including Mark's growing relationship with the FXDR114, how motorcycles were used in World War II, a wonderful philanthropic gesture by a Black Hills Harley-Davidson, Darwinism, and news on the most recently retired H-D models. T...

In this Behind the Bars Podcast with Jeannine Condon, daughter of the famous Ken Condon, John and Mark gain a deeper understanding of how motorcycling is empowering and inspiring more women to ride. Jeannine speaks about the experience of training riders, both male and female, on the track and how those skills translate to street riding. She shares stories about riding with her father and how thos...

Ken Kaplan, New England Motorcycle Museum located in Rockville, Connecticut is a very interesting guy. Having built a 70,000 square foot Motorcycle Museum from scratch, he is on a trajectory to have a one-of-a-kind museum. Mark was in his glory as Ken and Kenny expounded upon the spiritual nature of bikes and "motorcycles as art" The museum is in an old mill that has been completely restored. The...

In this explicit podcast, Mark tries to keep the peace while John bickers with Jim-one of our favorite colorful customers. Jim was a motorcycle Racer, Body-Building Champion and long-time Harley rider, growing up in New Jersey and transplanting to Vermont. He is one that purposely pushes the envelope just to get a rise out of people so don't find yourself getting red in the face, it's all part of...

In this podcast, John and Mark chat with Liza Miller from Women Riders World Relay. That's WRWR for short. This group calls itself a "Global Sisterhood" of riders who are performing a relay across the world in the Spring of 2019. In a very short time, WRWR has inspired and empowered women riders in 92 countries. Women Riders World Relay Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/21490248620078...

Harley-Davidsons' Newest Patent, Automatic Braking Systems? Jon "The Eagle," Mark and John, with little public information, discuss the ins and outs of Harley-Davidson's new patent on automatic braking systems. What does this mean for motorcyclists? Do they want the Automatic Brakes? Will this decrease the risk of motorcycling? As always, it's a lively discussion. Thank you for listening. We would...

Jon "The Eagle" Sargent joins John and Mark to speculate on the new Harley-Davidson dual-sport Adventure Touring bike- the Pan America. Jon fancies himself a "rebel with manners" while John explains how a compass works. Mark rises above the fray staying focused on the spirit of the new model. Harley-Davidson's Pan America Adventure Touring: https://www.harley-davidson.com/us/en/motorcycles/future-...

Jesse James Dupree, Full Throttle Reality, Lead Singer Jackyl, Entrepreneur, talk with Mark and John about Jesse's visit to Laconia during bike week with the Full Throttle Reality Crew, his new Jesse James Bourbon, singing for the band Jackyl, and what its like to have 100 irons in the fire. Instagram: @jessejamesdupree What the hell is Locomotive Agitated Bourbon? see @jessejamesspirits Jackyl: @...

John and Mark catch up with Brock St. Clair- one of the eight H-D Freedom interns. From taking Riding Academy to riding 15,000 miles this summer, Brock wasted no time. Brock's inspired us with his willingness to face fears and just go for it! His instagram page is a perfect place to watch as he chronicles the challenges from learning to ride to traversing the country. #FindYourFreedomIntern #WeBui...

In this podcast, Mark's slower process of getting to "know" the NEW FXDR114 before riding it and the contrast to Jon and John's twist and go approach. Mark's sense that the Harley-Davidson FXDR114 is rooted in tradition, but also has one foot in the future. The three of them go over the style, engineering and physical hot spots of the new model. #FXDR114 #WeBuildRiders As always, we appreciate the...

John and Mark talk with Ryan McFarland Founder and "Chief Enthusiast" of Strider Bicycles about his mission to get kids on two wheels really young---and we are talking by the time they are 6 months (Baby Bundle Product) old! Turns out the kids are responding with great enthusiasm. Surprising and clearly he is on to something with 500,000 Strider Bike Sales a year! Check these things out. 👉 www. S...

John and Mark speak with 'High Flying' Cole Freeman. People are calling Cole a Modern Day Evel Knievel. Cole jumped his 2015 Harley-Davidson Road Glide in South Dakota 99 feet with no speedometer, no way of hitting a certain speed, just estimations using the seat of his pants and some serious balls. This podcast gets a little dicey so if your ears bleed when you hear bad words, don't listen. VIDEO...

Mark and John get into it with Jim Halvorsen, contributor for Motorcycle Consumer News and Retired Motorcycle Cop about motorcycle helmets. The discussion focuses on the freedom of choosing whether to wear a helmet or not. We would love to hear your position on facebook, even if you disagree with Mark. We would appreciate it if you subscribed to our podcast. www. WilkinsHarley. Com

If you think motorcycles are just for guys, think again. Gone are the days of women riding on the back. Women riders are the fastest growing segment of the motorcycle industry. Tune in to hear John and Mark chat with Sara Liberte, owner of www.garage-girls.com about how motorcycles are empowering women and what she is doing to change the riding landscape for them. Ride on Gals! As always, we would...

Season 2 of Behind the Bars, Motorcycle, Memories and Mayhem! Discussing Harley-Davidson's newest release of the HD Livewire Electric Motorcycle, HD Pan America (Dual Sport Bike), Custom, and Street Fighter Models. The "More Roads to Harley-Davidson" Launch. Video here: https://www.harley-davidson.com/us/en/about-us/more-roads.html#intcmp_HP-BB-MoreRoads (which if you haven't seen the video, you s...

This is an interesting one and you don't have to be a technical person to appreciate the exchange with Jeff. Mark and John interview Jeff Muir with East Penn Manufacturing (Harley-Davidson Batteries). East Penn Manufacturing, founded in 1946, makes batteries for Harley-Davidson, BMW, Caterpillar, Freightliner, Mack Volvo, Ford, Mercedes Benz, Jeep, Audi, John Deere, and they are family owned! *Wha...

Award winning author, writer on global business and tech, contributor at TechCrunch and Revzilla Common Tread. After test riding several of the leading electric motorcycles, Jake recently wrote a very interesting article on Tech Crunch "How EV Startups Alta, Energica, and Zero could reboot the motorcycle industry." See below for link: https://techcrunch.com/2018/07/15/ev-startups-alta-energica-and...