ARR RAW ROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS WITH MOTORCYCLE ADVENTURE TRAVELLERS - FEATURING GRANT JOHNSON, BRIAN RIX, SHIRLEY HARDY-RIX, SAM MANICOM, GRAHAM FIELD AND JIM MARTIN.
FIND OUT MORE: To find out more about the co-hosts go to the RAW CO-HOST FEATURE PAGES: Shirley Hardy-Rix & Brian Rix, Grant Johnson, Graham Field and Sam Manicom.
TOPICS:
Extending Your Riding Season - In Life
A little while back, we had someone suggest the topic of “when to stop riding”. And that’s a tough topic, because we simply don’t know the right answer for everybody. So, we’ve sat on it for a bit and decided how to tackle it.
Just about every rider wants to ride as long as he/she can. It’s an aging motorcycle community, and let’s face it, most riders are 50 +++. And while the industry is concentrating on attracting younger riders and female riders, what is being done to keep older riders riding?
In a report by Give a Shift, where industry leaders came together for a roundtable discussion on how to save the motorcycle industry - one of the suggested tactics was:
“Actively adopt three-wheel products into the motorcycle category and promote them as alternative powersports products. Position them in promotions that attract both Boomers and new-to-the-category Gen X-ers. Promote and subsidize rental opportunities to expand product reach.
”
…also…
“Align with RV dealerships and marketing initiatives to promote lightweight models as an accessory to the mobile lifestyle.”
Those are industry suggestions. Three-wheels as an alternative to two wheels and lightweight models for RV’ers (who are also middle aged ++ on average). Perhaps to keep older riders on the road, focus should be on physical comfort and riding strategies - such as shorter trips, ride more often - etc.
So, instead of “when to stop riding” we decided to tackle it by discussing how you can keep riding… longer. It’s not about when it’s time to hang up your gear, it’s about things you can do to keep riding.
Adventure Hacks
What hacks do you do/have that make travel so much easier for you?
We worked in the tourism industry for about 20 years, and we came up with a lot of little things that made it so much easier to pack. For example, we prepped food by measuring out the exact amount of ingredients needed throughout the whole trip, based on how many people the guides were cooking for and what recipes we were using. So basically after a 4 or 5 day trip, the guides would come back with very little to almost nothing, without running out of food and with everyone being well fed and happy, and day by day the load would lighten. The groups had only what they needed (they did have an emergency food bag with dried soups etc, so they wouldn’t starve to death if left on a deserted island for a short time).
Perhaps you might use a large camping mug that doubles as a cup and a bowl. Or you might make sure that your gear is waterproofed by lining your packs with a garbage bag.
Find out what adventure hacks the RAW group uses when they are travelling.
Listener Question:
J Sheets: Borrowing others bikes, just to try a different bike, thoughts?
SHOW SPONSOR - FRESH TRACKS
This episode of RAW is supported by FRESH TRACKS facilitating adventurous conversations.
Fresh Tracks in the UK, is a company that offers team building activities and programs. A big part of what they do is starting conversations, just like on RAW. Fresh Tracks was founded by Dan Collins back in the ‘90’s when they originally offered 4x4 tuition to individuals and groups and later expanded to quad bike trails. To find out more go to FreshTracks.co.uk.