On last month’s episode of RAW, the panel discussed some of the most iconic places in the world to ride a motorcycle and what they came up with was The 7 Wonders of the Motorcycle Travel World. And when debating the destinations that would make the cut, there were two routes that run somewhat parallel in South America that Michelle Lamphere felt must be included. So she suggested that although these routes are different and offer unique experiences, they could be done as a loop. And from that was born the Patagonia Loop. According to the RAW group of motorcycle travellers, this is one of the best riding experiences in the world. And the great thing is, you can fly there, rent a bike and experience much of it in just weeks. And to tell you more about it, we have Michelle Lamphere, RAW co-host, who has herself ridden the all new Patagonia Loop.

Several years ago, Steve Mason and some good friends spent five months on the road, an exceptional trip riding through foreign lands and crossing borders. When it was over, they headed home and got back to normal life. But as you can imagine, this didn’t scratch an itch so much as kindle a flame. And for Steve, returning home was bit rough. He had quit his job before he left, spent a good junk of money on the trip and had a family that depended on him. It was difficult getting settled in again and he couldn’t shake that desire to get back on the road. He just had to figure out how to make it work so that he didn’t come home and have to start everything all over again. And this time, he wanted more… he wanted the round the world trip.

We all know that a motorcycle is less stable at slow speeds, which is when so many falls happen. For street riders, it’s usually parking lots or roadside stops where slow tip overs happens, but adventure riders have an even higher tip over rate, just because of the nature of riding an adventure bike. We tend to ride on dirt, gravel, rocks, mud, over uneven and slippery surfaces and that’s part of the appeal of adventure riding. How do we avoid falling over at slow speeds? What are the key ingredients that some riders have mastered so that they can slowly work their way around obstacles at slow speeds and not fall over? What’s the secret?

Riding the Trans America Trail across the United States can be a challenge in itself. But add to that challenge a motorcycle that is so unsuited to the task it would almost be considered insane to tackle. At this point, Brendan O’Leary walks in to the picture, he’s an engineer by trade with a tremendous passion for working on small Honda motorcycles. Brendan decides that he’s going to buy a new Honda CT 125 and ride the TAT. And there begins the story, with Brendan putting his plan in to action starting with logistics and preparation, before he sets out on his very first, perhaps absurd, motorcycle adventure.

Declan McEvoy arrived at work one morning to discover that one of his co-workers wasn’t there, that he had actually died while getting ready for work that very day. It hit Declan hard - not only was this a close coworker but he was only 50 years old and Declan himself was 45, just five years off. Suddenly it was clear to him that he had no idea how much time was left and he had the urge to do the things he had always dreamed of. And even though he hadn’t ridden in over 20 years, it all began with a motorcycle.

Back in March 2021, the Stahlratte sailing ship, which had up until then been ferrying passengers and motorcycles around the Darien Gap, made its final voyage. Except this voyage wasn’t around the Darien, it was to Cuba. And one rider, embarking on a round the world trip, loaded himself and his motorcycle onto the Stahlratte to make a side trip to ride Cuba. After all, the pandemic was in full swing and Cuba was on his list.

Both on and off-road, choosing the correct line is an important riding skill and it can make the difference of whether or not you get through a challenging situation. But how do you build the skill of choosing a line? What should you watch for and what are key factors in your choices? On this episode, we have instructor Clinton Smout from SMART Adventures teach us these important skills.

Matt Shields and his fiancé, Lucie, wanted to do an adventure and they decided the mode of transportation would be a motorcycle. And although they had no bike, no license and no gear they decided to take the leap and put their idea in to motion. They left the UK in May and have recently arrived in Kenya, and after six months and 20,000 km they are now halfway through their adventure. They’ve learned as they went and have had some fantastical experiences on what they call a ‘wild ride’. Matt and Lucie are a testament to the thought process that we can do anything if we set our minds to it.

A few years ago, David Prigel had a motorcycle get-off on his way to work, one that resulted in injuries and a short stint at the hospital. David’s wife wasn’t keen on the idea of him getting back on the bike again, in fact she was adamant that she didn’t want him to ride anymore. When we had them on the show back in 2017 they talked about their dilemma of whether or not David should ride his motorcycle again. Since then a number of things have changed in David’s life and on this episode we find out what happened to him, what he learned from the crash and where it took him. We also hear from Clinton Smout about dealing with the fear of a get-off and he has some tips that should help you overcome those fears.

For most of his adult life, Mathew Sturtevant found himself so paralyzed with anxiety and fear that it limited him in almost everything he did. In search of a cure, he decided to face the dragon head on using ways that he knew would challenge him the most, a cross country motorcycle ride following the Trans America Trail where he would face remoteness, extreme weather, high altitudes and difficult riding conditions. His hopes were that by facing his fears using his motorcycle that he would gain his life and freedom back. For this adventure he enlisted two friends to go along with him and the plan was that he would document the trip and his transformation. Except it didn’t go as planned, he found himself unable to face his fears, unable to shake the anxiety and unable to be honest with his friends that had committed so much for this adventure.

Motorcycle tire pressure settings are critical and for adventure motorcycles heading into the dirt it could make the difference between a fun ride or steady frustration, but does the perfect setting exist? Can we look at the chart, match our terrain and riding style to our payload and suspension, and then adjust our pressure to the recommended setting? Well not quite, but it may be a little easier than you think and to walk us through this we turned to two rider trainers with slightly different approaches. Bill Dragoo, although very technical minded, likes to keep it simple and has some great ideas he has developed for setting tire pressures he can live with. Chris Birch comes from a high level racing background and is very in touch with his tire pressures and how subtle changes make a difference in the way the bike feels. Both are top level rider trainers that will help put us on the straight and narrow for setting our off-road tire pressure on our adventure motorcycle.

Jon Evans was at a low point in the adventure of life, having recently gone through a divorce, when a YouTube video caught his eye. By the time it was over Jon knew what he needed to do - go to India and ride the Himalayas. The question was how. He didn’t have a budget, so he searched for the cheapest way for him to have an adventure on a motorcycle in the Himalayas - a tour company. Not just any tour company but the cheapest tour company he could find. What he couldn’t know was just how much of an adventure it was going to be. And just what an impact it would have on him and his life.

What if you could go on a motorcycle camping trip and not take any gear? Sean Burch did just that when he recently rode the South Carolina Adventure Route, and met up with his wife at the end of each day. And what if you could take your motorcycle to work with you and use it every chance you had? Scott DeMello is the Captain of a 50 meter super yacht and he gets to take his motorcycles with him to ride when he and his wife, the boat’s chef, are on shore leave. On this episode, we talk about two very different kinds of motorcycle travel, on land and sea.

Ali Peberdy, retired motorcycle cop, has just returned from an eight week trip to Europe. Before she left, we spoke with Ali and she told us about some concerns she had, things like dropping her bike, going solo, age and breakdowns. Ali is back in the UK now and she has some stories to tell about the things she experienced on her trip, from the rude hotel receptionist to the mishap in the cornfield, and whether or not her trip concerns were valid.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Counter Weighting is simply balancing your motorcycle with your body, and learning to do it correctly will take your skills to the next level. Today on our exclusive RIDER SKILLS program we have top instructor, Clinton Smout, to walk us through the skill using tips that speed up the learning process and get you on the fast track to improving your riding skills.

Four years ago, Chris Corcoran and Darin Gillies showed up for a group ride in northern Vermont - they didn’t know each other, both were newly back in to riding, both had bikes too big for what they discovered was a ride on dirt and logging roads, and neither had the skills for the ride. But, this ride that they weren’t prepared for made for a lot of laughs and forged a friendship that would lead to thousands of miles on all types of backroads in Vermont, learning how to ride off-road while having a lot of fun doing it.

This story has so many twists and wild tales in it that if you didn’t know it was all true, you’d think it a fantastic work of fiction. Dan Byers put everything on the line for his adventure of a lifetime and from the onset his plans have been upended so many times that it will leave you wondering how he remained so resilient. Not only that, but Dan’s story really highlights how motorcyclists look out for each other, how this common thread draws strangers together and creates friends for life.

When you come to a tough section on a road or trail, you may ask yourself should you stand or should you sit? On this in depth episode, we talk to an expert rider and trainer, Chris Birch, and a rocket scientist and physics expert, Mark Nesbit, to learn about standing, sitting, what’s happening when we do and why traction has everything do to with the direction your wheels are pointed.

Not too long ago the city of Medellin, Colombia was considered the most dangerous city in the world, and the whole country of Colombia was known as the murder capital of the world. With such a dark reputation, why would anyone consider exploring Colombia by motorcycle? Jeff Cremer and Alan Churchill, the authors of a book all about motorcycle travel in Colombia, are here to tell us all the reasons you should consider putting Colombia on your list of motorcycle trip destinations.

Manufacturers have to work within the constraints of a budget to keep motorcycles affordable. If you want to make your bike a serious adventure motorcycle, the trick is to understand which components need to be replaced or what needs to be added to your bike. Clinton Smout has years of experience and understanding of motorcycles and he walks us through his list of necessary modifications to make the factory adventure motorcycle a serious adventure motorcycle.

International borders can be the gateway to adventure, discovery and vacations but they can also be aggravating, arduous and problematic, particularly if you don’t follow the rules or aren’t aware of them. And with things finally beginning to open up again we find ourselves looking to leap over our borders to travel. On this episode, border crossings and what to expect, as well as expert tips from a former customs agent that will give us some insight into how to make sure you cross the border effectively.

It all began when a novel idea for a two-up motorcycle road trip transformed a couple of backpackers into motorcycle travellers. Sandra Steliga and Fiona Cheng were new to motorcycle travel, but after they set out for a trip in the United States to South America they were hooked and their plans quickly evolved in to riding their motorbike around the world.

Just over 20 years ago, neurosurgeon Dr Chris Leatt witnessed his friend and fellow rider die from a neck injury. Dr Leatt decided to find a solution to reduce neck injuries and three years later he sold his first neck brace and then formed his company LEATT which would go on to make body protection gear and then a full range of rider gear and more. Dr Leatt explains how a neck brace works to protect you and we discover in what applications the neck brace works best. And we also talk to Thierry Viardot, who’s in charge of safety and technical at the Dakar, about airbag vest requirements, how they ensure the airbag vests work well for rider safety and why optional neck braces can no longer be worn.