Motorcycles & Misfits

The AimExpo in Anaheim was the place to be this week, and the Misfits were there. We saw old friends, new tech, and lots of bikes. We managed to get some really cool interviews with: Rekluse Clutch, Blue Armor Coms, Grip Edge Tools, Jess Stone and her dog Whimsy, Samco Sport Hoses, Tuff Jug, Yuasa, Motul, Motoz, and we even got an update on the big new announcement from Verge Motorcycles. With Liz...

Darrin Caddes may not be a name you know, but you know his work. Darrin is a designer who has worked for many companies, most recently Plantronics. But it’s his time with BMW and Indian that made a mark on the motorcycle industry. Ever heard of the BMW GSA? As in Adventure? Yep, he’s the one who turned the GS into the proper adventure bike we know today. Darrin shares his stories with us of the ol...

At what point does new technology go too far? Many of the new features on bikes, such as the adaptive LED Matrix headlight on the new Tracer GT, are there for safety but they come at a price. Sometimes that price may shorten the longevity of the bike due to cost to repair, but that same technology might also save your life. We talk about some of these costly features and if they are truly worth it...

So many things to talk about, so here's the highlights: -Cycle World's Top Bike list of 2025 is wrong and we've got something to say about it -Why do men spend so much money on upgrades that they will never get the benefit out of? -Cool or Fool? We look at some new bikes from AJS, Moto Morini, Peugot and Buell -Liza is struggling with being Multistrada curious With Liza, Stumpy John, Miss Emma, Ti...

We've got a great episode for you, bringing 4 History Holes together into one show. We start with the story of Zeppo Marx and the Marman motorcycle, then we talk about the true history of the cafe racer followed by the interesting history of Honda's Comstar wheels, and finish with a complete explanation of the clutch. Enjoy this retro episode. www.motorcyclesandmisfits.com motorcyclesandmisfits@gm...

The LA-Barstow-to-Vegas (LAB2V) is a famous, long-running annual two-day dual-sport motorcycle event that covers over 400 miles of mostly off-road desert terrain between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and our very own Charley, Scottie and Hector decided to give it a go. This is not an easy ride, so most people take a light, nimble and capable off road bike something like the KTM EXC500. But of course...

Albert “Shrimp” Burns rose from a teenage mechanic in Oakland to become one of the most feared and beloved racers of the 1910s. Competing on the dangerous wooden motordromes —nicknamed “murderdromes” for their lethal design—he raced in front of crowds of 20,000 spectators at a time when board-track racing was one of America’s most popular sports. By sixteen, Shrimp had become a national celebrity....

16 days and 23 hrs. This is how long it takes to ride around the world, and Ryan has the film to prove it. Departing from the classic Fortnine style videos, Ryan and his team set off to make a world record and a feature length film at the same time. Setting a record like this is not easy. It takes lots of planning, luck and determination. And taking a passenger to film the whole thing doesn't make...

We are digging back into the past to two of our favorite episodes, and presenting them back to back. In Oct 2017 Jocelin Snow joined us to talk about her experience trying out for the GS Trophy for the first time. We learn about her past as a racer, and all the things that brought her to this point in life where she had become an amazing ADV rider. After making the team and competing in Mongolia (...

Verge Motorcycles are the newest electric motorcycle brand bringing true innovation to the market. They've got a hubless rear wheel motor with 737 ft lbs of torque, and a range of up to 217 miles that will recharge up to 80% in less than 35 minutes. Is the perfect electric bike finally here? Not exactly, but this could be the closest thing so far. In fact, the bikes we test rode today were 2024 mo...

Louisa Swaden is back! You may remember her as a land speed racer and an author, but did you know she's also a Blood Bike Rider? These are volunteers who shuttle blood and other supplies between hospitals when it's needed fast. Using their bikes to weave through traffic, they deliver the supplies faster than any car or ambulance can. This leads us to a conversation about other types of service bik...

Kawasaki announced a new model, the KLE500, which slots perfectly into the same spot as the CFMoto Ibex 450. Both bikes fit a previously empty niche in the small adventure bike market, have solid motors, and are great bikes for the price (under $7k). So which one would you buy? We compare some of the stats and figures, coupled with Liza's assessment from her recent ride. One of the things that the...

Alex built a bio diesel Harley Davidson, and it seemed like a good idea at the time. He then decided to ride it from Vancouver, Canada to San Diego, California, and that seemed like a good idea at the time too. Many lessons were learned along the way, from the engine choice, matching the engine to the transmission, and so much more. Fortunately for us Alex found his way to our garage for some help...

145,000 miles in 145 days. Wow, just wow. Patrick 'Old Man' Cornell just set a new long distance riding record, not just by beating the old record of 100,000 miles, but adding in the previous record of 45,000 miles. When I heard this, I wondered what kind of superhuman could achieve this? How much planning did he do? How much luck did he have? But most importantly I wondered "Why?" Pat answers all...

To share your passion of motorcycles with friends is fun, but sharing your passion of motorcycle racing with your daughter is even better. Annie grew up watching her dad John race, and at a very early age asked when she could get her own bike. Through him she discovered the same passion for racing motorcycles as her dad, starting out on smaller bikes and working her way up to now, where she and he...

Charlotte Kainz was just a kid, and even though we never met her, we have a lot in common with her. Like us, she was obsessed with bikes since she was little. She got her first bike, a PW50 at the age of four, and with her family's support, starting racing flat track at a young age. It was a family affair, and they could be found most weekends at the local track, where the owners treated everyone...

This episode takes a more philosophical twist. We are joined by The Existential Biker, Louisa Swaden, whose new book The Stoic Rider: Philosophy in Motion has just been published. After decades away from motorcycling Louisa returned in her 50s as a nervous novice with a fear of speed. Which makes her story all the more extraordinary because within the space of eighteen months she went from being a...

On this podcast we are joined by Bagel's friend Bud, who discussed their recent trip to the Heinkel rally. He also gushes about his new electric motorcycle; the Ryvid. Big Head Todd updates us on his basket case Ducati 996 he's rebuilding, and we end with some great listener emails. With Miss Emma, Stumpy John, Big Head Todd, Naked Jim, Scottie, Bagel and Bud. www.motorcyclesandmisfits.com motorcy...

Attending the Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials has been a bucket list event for us, so when an opportunity came up we took it. Now you might think Bonneville is all about speed, and for the most part it is, but what was most amazing was the community (or the salt family as we came to learn). You'll find everything from 50cc antique bikes to 3000cc fully shrouded custom built streamliners, and ev...

Wendy Crockett joins the Misfits for a weekend of dirt instruction, wrenching and podcasting. In this episode Jim and Liza give a small recap on the Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials, and Jim tells a story about trying to fix a flat tire in the middle of nowhere, and ultimately running out of f**ks. Wendy and Liza taught a basic dirt bike class, and have some ideas of their own of what should be...

Here's another one of Liza's favorites from the archives, daredevil Debbie Lawler. When Debbie beat Even Knievel's jumping record in February 1974 at the age if 21, the American press was riveted. While there had been a handful of women who raced motorcycles there hadn't been any female daredevils professionally jumping them - much-less upstaging the brashest stunt rider of the era on national TV....

We all dream about the perfect garage. What would be in yours? All the best tools? Couches? A cigar bar and big screen TV? What about a clean checkerboard floor to display all of your bikes? Now take it bigger; what would your dream parcel be? Would your land have a track and a giant barn size shop? Maybe a bike wash station? Now dream even bigger. What if you could take over and old mall, make th...

We all love new technology; ABS brakes, fuel injection, traction control, etc. But when is it too much? Sometimes it's nice to have a simple bike that is all mechanical, and everything can be taken apart and fixed. Advancing or retarding the timing, changing the jets and being able to easily access the spark plugs. These are things that we like having control of. Now don't get your panties in a wa...

Everyone is wrong according to Miss Emma. What is often referred to as a retro bike, is in fact a nostalgia bike. In some cases, it might be a vintage, or a modern retro, or even a modern retro vintage. So what is the difference? And what category do "retro" bikes really belong in? Sit back and listen to the Misfits get into the minutiae of it. And while we are in it, let's just hop into another d...

AMA Vintage Days does not disappoint. Bigger than ever with an attendance estimated at more than 70,000 and heavy rain storms in the forecast, it still was an amazing weekend. In fact, the mud seemed to add to the list of things to experience and brought us all together sharing our stories. But fortunately the rain came in spurts, leaving plenty of sunshine to keep the races and activities going....