On this episode of Rider Skills, Coach Ramey Stroud teaches two methods to steer your motorcycle with your rear wheel. Coach Ramey Stroud operates a world class motorcycle training centre, is a former desert racer, rally and enduro rider, has completed several IronButt events and works with professional racers and endurance riders, as well as adventure riders.
Ethanol has been around for almost 200 years, but it’s only been in the last 15 years that we’ve been hearing more about it. And the topic of ethanol in gasoline has got a lot of feathers ruffled. Although it’s in our gasoline, the public has never been educated about it. So, exactly what is ethanol and how is it affecting your motorcycle? Should you be concerned about ethanol in fuel? Answers to these questions and more when we discuss ethanol and motorcycles with Michael Sayre from the American Motorcyclist Association and Chris Real from DPS Technical, Inc, both experts in the motorcycle industry.
A popular adventure for motorcyclists is the PanAmerican route, from Alaska to Argentina, and to get from Panama to Colombia, you have to go through, which isn’t necessarily a good idea, or around the Darien Gap. On this episode we have four different stories about crossing the Gap, and some options to choose from, with some great tips about how to go about getting your motorcycle around one of the most dangerous jungles in the world.
Motorcycle valve adjustments can be inconvenient at best, but throughout the life of the motorcycle, many riders will eventually have to deal with it themselves or pay someone to do it for them. But not all motorcycles require valve adjustments, so why does yours? Karl Engellenner, expert motorcycle machinist, answers our questions about valve adjustments.
Moustaches and Motorcycles. Henry Crew is riding a Ducati Scrambler around the world with a couple of goals in mind. One is to be the youngest person to ride a motorcycle around the world and the other is to create awareness for the Movember Foundation. To better understand why you should grow a moustache in November, we spoke with Ben Bowers in the UK.
Riding instructor, Clinton Smout, teaches how to ride a motorcycle downhill in the dirt. When you approach a hill and have to go down, what do you do? Smout takes us from the top to the bottom using the most advanced methods. He says the key is all in what you do with the front brake.
What do you choose to wear underneath your riding pants? And does that choice affect the protection you are getting from your gear? And there’s a rumour that Kawasaki is discontinuing the KLR650. Is it the end of this iconic dual-sport motorcycle?
Kevin Chow is a planner. And for years he planned to go on a motorcycle trip around the world. He rode south from Canada in to Mexico and beyond to Ushuaia, and speaking little to no Spanish he even managed to communicate with the locals and to get through some hairy road blocks. And just two months in to his trip, Kevin found that even the most well laid plans can change, and being flexible is the best plan.
Max McAllister is the President of Traxxion Dynamics, manufacturer of suspension components for motorcycles and mountain bikes. In this episode he talks about what motorcycle suspension dampening is and how to set it up.
When you walk in to a motorcycle shop the selection of riding gloves can be overwhelming. And which do you choose? What materials should you be considering? David Hough has some expert tips to help you the next time you’re looking at gloves and need to make a decision on what’s really important when it comes to choosing motorcycle gloves. And when your motorcycle gets stuck or falls in a way that’s difficult to pick up, you can be left standing there scratching your head, especially if you’re on your own. But, not if you have this self recovery system, called a Z-Drag.
Learning to ride at a young age, Ruth Belcher developed a huge passion for motorcycling. After giving it up to raise her family, she got back in to it again and founded Global Moto Adventures, an organization for women motorcycle riders. Fulfilling her passion for riding again, she now inspires and encourages women to follow their dreams of motorcycle riding and travel. — And there’s a new GPS unit that also functions as an interface for your motorcycle, ATV or UTV, and even more importantly lets you track your buddies on your screen, keeping riders safer. The Trail Tech Voyager Pro.
Ruts can be stressful. When your road suddenly turns to muddy ruts it's often enough to make some riders turn around and head back the other way. But it doesn't have to be that way. Learning a few simple steps can turn ruts from terror to fun. Follow Coach Ramey on this episode as he walks us through the vital points of riding ruts.
Ben King is a 22 year old motorcyclist and adventurer who is travelling around the world on a Honda CRF250L. The drive and determination that Ben has, to first of all start out doing the trip and then to keep going, is truly inspiring. With no set plan or time frame, Ben is well on his way to having the best experience of his life.
For Jackie Heyen, the road is her home, but hitting the road wasn’t as easy as throwing a sleeping bag on the back of her bike because she’s not into sleeping on the ground, but Jackie’s got it all figured out. And Tom Medema from Rally for Rangers rides the Mongolian Steppe while helping park rangers do their job.
Trends show that the motorcycle industry is facing some troubles. Although motorcycles are improving overall, riders are getting older. Some people feel there aren’t enough smaller motorcycles, training is too expensive, or that the industry doesn’t make motorcycling appealing enough to possible young riders, entry level riders or women riders. Give A Shift is roundtable conversations about improving motorcycling, and that’s just what Robert Pandya, industry veteran, talks about in this episode.
Michael Uhlarik is a veteran motorcycle designer, and has been involved in designing for big name brands such as Yamaha, Aprilia, Bombardier and Piaggio. Who better to talk to about modifying your motorcycle and when you do are you getting what you really want out of it and do you even know if you are?
On ARR’s regular Rider Skills segment, Coach Ramey Stroud, riding instructor, talks about two quick ways to turn your motorcycle around in a tight spot. One using engine power and one using no power.
Just four months after Maryna got her motorcycle license, she met Paul at a motorcycle meet. After months of trying to get Maryna to go on a date with him, telling her to just say yes, she finally relented. Since then, Paul has convinced Maryna to just say yes to almost anything. Motorcycles brought them together, and just saying yes has brought new adventure in to their lives, as they travel around the world.
We’ve all heard of travelling dogs, in sidecars or carriers on motorcycles, but a cat? While on a motorcycle trip in Morocco, Martin Klauka met up with a stray cat. Since that day, Martin and his cat, Mogli, have been together, and Mogli has a first class seat in the tank bag of Martin’s motorcycle. And Guglatech has an innovative fuel filter that is a must have for off-road adventure travellers.
Steph Jeavons left the Ace Cafe in London, UK in March 2014 on her Honda CRF 250L. And 4 years later, on a cold and snow-patched day in March 2018, she completed her trip when she arrived back at the Ace Cafe. Due to health challenges and more, what was supposed to be a three year journey ended up being four.
Coach Ramey Stroud says that finding and using available traction is a critical part of riding. If you’re riding off-road or on the street, you need to understand how to find that traction. And in this episode Coach Ramey teaches the skills required to get the most from your motorcycle and become a better rider.
Janelle Kaczmarzewski describes herself as an anti-wildlife trafficking motorcycle journalist and a motorcycle gypsy. Passionate about wildlife, she travels to far off places on her motorcycle educating and informing people about illegal animal poaching and trafficking.
Taking slow travel to an unbelievable level, this British motorcyclist somehow got sidetracked and didn’t get home for over a decade. With no travel plan in place, he experienced the world with no set schedule or direction. And an event that you don’t want to miss, that inspires overland travel, educates in the necessary skills and resources, with a motivating and informative trade show for explorers from all walks of life.
Are you buying the right tire for your motorcycle's intended use? Find out how tread patterns are designed, how the tire compound affects traction and why tire inflation may cause you to lose your blocks. Learn how to make tire changing a breeze, great insider tips and techniques.
The Ace Cafe is a place for petrolheads, people who love the smell of gasoline and oil, motorbikes and cars, to hang out and talk to each other, to swap ideas, to show their vehicles, to enjoy themselves, sit down, have a meal and a cup of coffee with like minded people. The story behind the Ace Cafe is one of setbacks and resurrection, and is best told by the person who has kept the legend alive for motorcyclists around the world, Mark Wilsmore.
Body Position Tips to Make You a Better Rider. Learn how your body position on a motorcycle affects everything you do. Knowing why, how and where to move your body could be the difference that will see you through. Rider Skills with Coach Ramey Stroud.
On an 8 month trip from South Africa to Ireland, Christopher Venter fell ill and had to return home to get medical help. Once he felt somewhat recovered, he rejoined his group of friends on the ride. Then when he returned back to Cape Town, still feeling unwell, a doctor was finally able to diagnose him and the news he received about what was happening to him was something that would forever change his life.
There's more involved to cornering a motorcycle that you may realize. Learn these simple steps to improve your cornering skills on the road with Walt Fulton, lead instructor at Streetmasters Motorcycle Workshops in California.
If you're in to motorcycles, you've likely seen at least one motorcycle related film. But who is "behind the lens" of those movies? Sterling Noren of Noren Films is the producer of over a dozen award winning adventure motorcycling films. And Sterling is one of those people who is dedicated to the rigors of not only riding the trails or roads, but putting the time in to filming, editing and producing the movies that you watch.
RawHyde Adventures is one of the leading motorcycle off-road training schools. Founded by Jim Hyde in 2002, he started offering training programs in 2004. On this ARR Rider Skills episode Jim Hyde talks about RawHyde Adventures, and about dropping your bike.
Riding a motorcycle is different than driving a car, in that it is more demanding both mentally and physically. When riding long distances, it's likely that you'll become fatigued from the physical challenges rather than boredom. So how to beat this? Who better to ask than four people who ride motorcycles and have experience in dealing with fatigue: a scientist, a pillion, a racer and a long distance rider.
Jacqui Furneaux lived a conventional life in her home in the UK, she was happily married, had two daughters and worked as a nurse. And then when circumstances in her life changed, she made a decision to take her Royal Enfield motorcycle on a trip, leaving with no set plan in place.
What is the thrill of riding long distances, alone, looking for clues and gathering points for 11 days straight? Who would want to do that? Well, every year a group of riders join the Iron Butt Rally and on this episode we find out what it’s like to ride the rally and what drives someone to want to do such an arduous ride.
When Dimitrio Tournas spotted a GS Trophy poster at the BMW dealership, even with no off-road riding experience, he decided to sign up for a riding school course with his sights set on competing in the challenging adventure. With his passion and level of determination, he just might get to check that off his long bucket list one day soon.
Asking a motorcycle rider what engine oil or tires he recommends is a sure way to spark a deep conversation, debates and even an argument. But when it comes to air filters... they just seem to be a forgotten, yet essential component. So, what should you really be looking for in an air filter? We talked to a mechanic, a racer and an inventor to debunk some common myths and get us focused on what really matters.