Riding a motorcycle downhill isn’t particularly difficult, but what does make it difficult and unnerving for many riders are the obstacles encountered on the hill. If it were just a steep slope with plenty of traction, the type you may have ridden in a parking garage or some other paved steep decent, it would be no problem. But in the dirt, surfaces are not flat, they don’t necessarily have good traction, they may have ruts, rocks, roots and a host of other obstacles that add to the challenge of riding downhill. On this episode of Rider Skills, Clinton Smout walks us through how to deal with each obstacle. Then he has some simple downhill riding exercises that you can practice with your own motorcycle at home, and you wont even need a hill.
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It all began with an image of a modern day Marlboro Man, rugged, weathered and on an adventure. The image that would eventually lead to the experience that Jeff and Kelly Traviss had on a dream trip that would demand every ounce of their stamina and endurance. They faced incredible discomforts and challenges, yet they clung to hope and knowing they had no choice but to push on they found the strength to continue. What happened and could they have done anything differently?
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The idea of riding a motorcycle around the world presents enough challenges for the average rider, there’s border crossings, break downs, logistics, and so many other things to consider. But, add to those challenges running a business while you’re on the road, raising funds for a charity you really care about, bringing a 75 pound German Shepherd with you, and fitting everything you need for work, your dog and camping on your bikes. These are some of the things Jess and Greg Stone have been dealing with but they’re having the time of their lives doing it. Now, it’s not always sunshine and roses, they’ve already had their share of troubles, but there isn’t anything going to stop them from riding around the world. Jim talks to Jess and Greg about how they do it, their outlook and we hear some amusing stories of things that have happened to them since they left Guatemala a few months ago.
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Spencer Conway and his wife, Cathy Nel, have a goal to circumnavigate all seven continents on Earth. So far Spencer has completed Africa, which most riders would consider to be the most difficult one and recently he and Cathy completed their circumnavigation of South America. And because Spencer does not stick to the main routes he often finds himself lost and has incredible experiences. In fact, he refuses to take a GPS with them just for that reason because he thinks that the key to a successful trip is to get lost every now and then. Spencer has come away with some fantastical tales of adventure and the troubles they’ve faced in South America, which he shares on this episode.
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When Tom Fitzgerald asked his friend Patrick Farrell if he could talk to him, there was a plan brewing in his mind, one that he wanted Patrick to be a part of. Tom is 80 years old and he’s been a cowboy and ranch hand most of his life. His love for motorcycles began 60 years ago and he’s been riding ever since. When he was 15 he read a Reader’s Digest story about the mysterious Oak Island in Nova Scotia and has always wanted to see it. So, that and his desire to ride 10,000 miles for his 80th year were Tom’s motivation for his most recent adventure with Patrick.
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Aggressive rider? Sounds counterintuitive but there are times when you want to be an aggressive rider and riding instructor, Chris Birch, explains how becoming an aggressive rider, done properly, can improve your riding performance.
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Trip planning builds excitement - who’s going, what does the motorcycle need, what to pack and of course the route. The route is a big part of the excitement and there are some very important details to consider that can easily be overlooked, in part because it’s so difficult to assess - yet it could be the factor that makes the difference between getting into trouble or avoiding it. And when you consider the route, other questions come up. How do you know if your motorcycle, your gear and your physical fitness is suitable for your desired route? All that and more on this episode of Rider Skills with Instructor Clinton Smout.
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Camping from your motorcycle can be one of the most rewarding things you can do on two wheels, but for the uninitiated it can be a formidable task trying to figure out what you should take and how to fit it into the limited space on your bikes. Ben Williams shares some common mistakes that campers make and we’ve also got some tips for camping on your motorbike.
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Planning your adventure as a couple is half the fun. You choose the bikes, the gear, the route. But the hard stuff, the stuff that unravels under pressure, things like stamina, the desire to endure hardship or inclement weather day in day out, or negotiating and communicating as a couple to make sure you both get the most of the trip, those are the difficult ones. Doug and Sharon Wildeboer have just started a one year motorcycle trip through Iceland and Europe. But, before they left they gave us a personal glimpse in to the preparation and planning that went in to their trip. Including how they would balance work on the road with travel, their expectations and logistics.
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What is it about the Darien Gap that draws people to it? Is it the bot flies, the venomous snakes, the bandits, the extremely rough terrain? There are options for getting around it, by boat or plane and you won’t risk your motorcycle or your life by choosing an alternate route, yet still there are those who are fascinated by the Darien Gap, those who want to conquer it. In 2017, Wayne Mitchell and a group of ex-military friends rode from snowy Alaska to the furthest point in Argentina, but when they reached the Gap, they didn’t go around it, they went through it. After just one day of pushing the limits in the jungle, one of their team was forced to turn back to Panama. What was supposed to have been the dry season in the Darien Gap proved to be a monumental challenge with torrential rains, deep mud and broken down motorcycles.
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Ali Peberdy has been riding motorcycles for about forty years, she’s worked as a police officer and some of those years she was a motorcycle cop. She’s ridden thousands of miles in and around Europe with her friends and now in retirement she’s discovering a whole new world of riding. She’s just about to embark on a solo trip in Europe and has had to face some fears she has never known before. What steps did she take to address those fears and how will this shape her adventure?
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When you think ‘road hazards’, some of the obvious come to mind. Pot holes, uneven road surfaces, debris… those are just a few of the hazards we have to watch for, but the ones that are of the most concern are the ones you may not even think of. Clinton Smout has seen the statistics that prove that the road hazards he talks about today are ones that all riders need to be aware of and paying attention to at all times. In today’s episode of Rider Skills, some eye opening moments that will make you sit up and take notice.
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For the solo rider, or the times when any rider finds themselves solo and having an adventure, it doesn’t take much to find yourself in a situation where your motorcycle has landed on its side, or worse, off the road or trail. This is when one of these techniques will help rescue, retrieve or unstuck your motorcycle. Featured is David Petersen, Chris Birch and Bill Dragoo.
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Clinton Smout, a regular on our Rider Skills segments, just returned from a trip to the Yukon, where he was the sweep and support rider for a commercial trip organizer. While he was on the trip, Jim and Clinton connected to talk about the Yukon and his experience in the Dusk to Dawn event in Dawson. After Clinton arrived back in Ontario, he called us up to tell us more about his trip and to give us some tips for riding in the Yukon, an amazing motorcycle destination in Canada.
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Seventeen years of continuous travel by motorcycle has come to an end for Lisa and Simon Thomas as Lisa’s health and a pandemic has changed everything for them. A few years ago they bought a home in Wales but continued on with their travels, until they were forced to return home. Now, after two and a half years Lisa and Simon are well settled in their new home with a solid roof and door, no flapping tent fabric or inflatable mattresses. How does that comfort of home change things for them as countries are opening up for travel again? How does getting older and health affect their travel decisions? And what’s next for Lisa and Simon?
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Dustin Evans has spent a lot of time travelling by motorcycle, living and working off a bike for eight years. He’s been to 132 countries, but one country that is particularly interesting to him is Indonesia. Although Dustin’s been hesitant to tell others about his experiences of Indonesia, with concerns of the country becoming overrun and changed, he has decided to share his adventures so that ARR listeners may also have the opportunity to go see this beautiful, unspoiled country.
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Whether you’re storing your motorcycle in another country while you fly back home for a while, doing winter storage or just parking it for a few months, there are some basic things you should do so that when you’re ready to fire your bike back up again, it actually starts and runs. And if you happen to be planning to leave your bike in another country there are some logistical and legal aspects that you need to consider beforehand - all that on this episode.
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Bert Boute is, or was, a product designer. He’s now what you might call a nomad, traveling around the world on his Africa Twin motorcycle. In Bert’s family he’s not the black sheep, he’s not the odd one out, actually it was his parents that introduced him to the idea of exploring the world through travel beyond a vacation. In fact, Bert’s own grandparents are in their nineties and still travelling around in a camper van. And they told Bert to get out and experience travel while he can - before life gets him pinned down with responsibilities. His original plan was to ride for nine months, then go back to his girlfriend - but that was in 2019.
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Sometimes when the unexpected happens it can be a good thing, and for Tiffani Burkett it turned out to be a very good thing. After losing her job, Tiffani decided to take the opportunity to go on a motorcycle trip. That trip led to more travel, a new career and to meeting David Hayward, who would become very important in her life.
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Todd Ensign and Christian are a father and son who found themselves lacking adventure in life. So, for his dad’s birthday Christian gifted him a motorcycle and a motorcycle safety course. Soon they set out on a two month motorcycle adventure having some extraordinary experiences. Everything was going great until it all fell apart. Todd and Christian ended up not only getting more than they bargained for but they also found joy and healing, and discovered that overcoming the challenges was just as rewarding as the good times.
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