Having a strong grip is an important part of motorcycle riding to ensure you have proper control when it comes to the front brake, clutch and throttle. Bret Tkacs explains how to maintain your hand strength in the off season and how it affects your riding. We also look back on ARR episodes from the past year, finding inspiration, education and laughter, as we wind down Season 4 of Adventure Rider Radio.

Linda Bick, a folk music musician, has a truly inspiring attitude when it comes to travel. Linda recently returned from a 3 month trip to Uganda, where she dealt with the temperamental breakdowns of a mechanically challenged motorcycle, the loss of important personal items, challenging roads and more. An uplifting story of a woman adv rider traveling solo in Africa.

In the 1990's, David and Emy Woodburn traveled for almost a decade with their young daughter Mattea, in a motorcycle and sidecar outfit. They lived on the road, and the experiences they had were unlike anything the average family has, including homeschooling while travelling and growing up in many different cultures. 

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Horizons Unlimited, a resource for adventure travellers, especially motorcyclists. Founded in 1987 by Grant and Susan Johnson, their website, forum and events around the world, inspire people to follow their dreams and travel to far away places. We asked just a few of the many riders who have been inspired by Horizons Unlimited to tell their story about how they have been influenced by HU.

It’s commonly said that you need to slow down to see more while travelling, well how about speeding up to see more? After riding through Africa on her bicycle Helen Lloyd returned years later on a Yamaha XT225 and she says that motorcycle travel changed the way she experienced the same country. And on Rider Skills, we discuss a couple of methods that will help you turn your motorcycle around in a tight spot. 

Back in 1982, Helge Pedersen bought one of the first BMW R80GS motorcycles to enter his home country, Norway. He sold everything he owned and soon found himself in South America crossing the Darien Gap, a feat which few attempt. Helge stayed on the road, living a vagabond lifestyle for 10 years. His story is an unusual and exciting one, with a wealth of information to inspire and guide motorcyclists around the world.

A chat with motorcycle author and publisher, Mike Fitterling about what adventure is and the rejuvenating qualities of riding a motorcycle. He also shares his thoughts on travelling on a budget, using forums to plan accommodations, and more.

Knowing these five easy steps on what to do if you have an accident may save you if it needs to go to litigation and you may only have one chance to get what you need. 

Matt Danielson is a lawyer at The Motorcycle Law Group which specializes in motorcycle law and advocacy. Everyone at the law firm is a rider. Enough said?

When turning, which peg do you weight? Inside or outside? And which is correct? Do you steer with your feet? Bret Tkacs, riding instructor from PSSOR discusses the proper use of pegs for steering and controlling your adventure bike in the dirt. And finding a way to connect longer range radios to our existing bluetooth systems with Chris Woodyard from Sena.

Spencer James Conway is stuck at the border in Venezuela, unable to cross in to Colombia. His alternative? A 7000 km detour which will add two months to the trip.  And around the world, many countries are experiencing spring or fall temperatures, or maybe you like to ride up in to the mountains where temperatures can get a bit chilly. Author, David Hough, Aerostich founder, Andy Goldfine and the team at Hippo Hands have some tips on keeping warm.

Ramey "Coach" Stroud's story is one of perseverance and goals. When a spinal injury left him paralyzed from the chest down, he didn't get his house ready to deal with his handicap for the rest of his life, he learned to walk and ride a motorcycle again. A story where the impossible becomes the possible.

Exercise Specialist, Thom Rieck, shares some simple exercises to help keep your body fit for motorcycle riding. Graham Field talks about keeping your options open while you travel. And Bob Earl talks about Mule Pack Panniers, high-density polyethelene flexible motorcycle panniers.

Do you know where you are on the ADV Skills Level chart? You should, because it affects your choices, outfitting and how you describe yourself when deciding if a rough section is for you. ARR’s Rider Skills instructor has come up with a rating chart for adventure riders to explain what a novice to experienced rider is. And Ted Porter from the Beemer Shop in California gives the low-down on how to set your adventure motorcycle suspension preload.

Daniel Rintz and Joey Flohr have recently completed a 3 year motorcycle adventure, and are putting together a film about their journeys, a sequel to Daniel’s first film “Somewhere Else Tomorrow”. In this episode, Daniel shares some great tips on making money on the road, travelling in Africa, and more. And Duncan Johnson from African Overlanders talks about getting your motorcycle in to Africa.

Recently returned from his sixth trip around the world, Dr. Gregory Frazier has a chat with Jim about where he hangs his hat, or rather, his helmet. And David Hough discusses motorcycle jackets, are they for style, comfort or crash protection?

Photos and journals are incredible ways to share stories, and for us to look back on where we’ve been, to refresh the memories from long ago. In this episode we talk to Tim Burke, who documents his journeys through photography and we have a flashback to an interview with Graham Field, who is an avid daily diary keeper, where he reads us part of his journal. 

A story of a RTW motorcycle trip that morphs in to a two-wheeled adventure of the camper kind, and Zac Kurylyk from Canada Moto Guides shares his thoughts on what he calls the comeback of the parallel twin.

On this episode we talk about group riding dynamics. Two methods of keeping your group riding together without eating each other’s dust or following dangerously close. Both these methods allow you to keep track of the entire group while you ride and other tips, including how to handle yourself when riding with a group.

What would it be like if you couldn't just turn on your computer and ask google all the questions you want to help plan your trip? And what if in the 1980's it was so against the norm for someone to set out on a long distance motorcycle trip, let alone a woman? Would you still have the nerve to ride around the world?

If a little is good wouldn’t a lot be better? When a group of experienced travellers plan a trip from Cartegena to Ushuaia they made sure they had fully equipped bikes, an extensive support system and contact network, even a support van and trailer equipped with a generator to charge accessories. When it comes to planning, due diligence is expected, but is meticulous planning better or a problem in itself?

In this week's episode we talk to British rally racer, Jenny Morgan and Brad Barker, from The Ride of my Life. Jenny rode the TAT a couple of times, first on a Yamaha Tenere 660 and then the CBX500 with the Rally Raid package. When we spoke to Brad, he was riding the TAT and offering a challenge to The Ride of My Life followers, which include some prizes. 

Beth and Kevin Young, 2uptogether, are so passionate about sharing adventures with each other that they ride 2 up, even in the dirt. The've been riding for 19 years, are advocates for short adventures and hope to inspire other couples to ride together. And Bret Tkacs, PSSOR instructor, joins us for another Rider Skills segment to talk about stopping your motorcycle faster, even if it has ABS.

What's your preference? A motorcycle GPS or smartphone APP? Perhaps you're someone who still likes traditional paper maps. We've talked to Cesar Palacios from Garmin, Guido van Eijsden, APP developer of Scenic and Sam Manicom, world moto traveler, adventurer and author, and got some great information to help you make an informed decision.

In this week’s episode Jim and Warren Milner discuss how information on the internet, may incorrectly encourage or influence your decisions when it comes to motorcycle modifications. Also, on Rider Skills we talk about energy conservation when riding.

There are many possible causes for why your motorcycle is vibrating, and David Hough, author of Proficient Motorcycling, and Walt Fulton join Jim Martin to offer their knowledge and experience with vibration issues. 

Ginamarie Austin tells an inspiring story, reminding us of the things that really matter in life. Her motorcycle adventure in the United States turned out to be something altogether different than what she thought it would be.