Hyperactive Unwinding Motorcycle Time o#o

Sometimes it's important to forget all the stress and work and grind... and just go ride your motorcycle the way you love to.

ADV for ALL - Days 1-3, The Utah Adventure o#o

Finally! The first officially episodic video of the adventure is ready to go! Sit back, relax, get your clickin' finger ready for some music clicks, and enjoy!

How to Grow & Shave Your Adventure Beard o#o

I had this idea to create a video about growing beards, and I thought, "What better way to dispose of an awesome beard than to literally spread the "beardlets" all over the West Coast during my adventure? Asking people to film me while I spread shaved beard hairs all dramatically was... interesting. I would try to explain that it was for an epic adventure video... but they were already too creeped out, so they just filmed. So in case any of you random strangers who filmed me come across this video, thank you for indulging my weirdness! This is the final product! Enjoy!

ADV for ALL Introduction & Background o#o

West Coast Motorcycle Adventure -- Week 1 ADV Trailer o#o

The adventure is only half way over and the experiences I have had have been life-altering. This is just a short trailer of what's to come... I have been riding, blogging, and adventuring like crazy, so pardon the lull in blogs. Trust me, stuff's gettin' written! Most of it's just going into the script for the documentary!

New ADV Riders, Don't Listen to Keyboard Warriors

Alright let me begin with a disclaimer... in the following blog post I sound really, REALLY negative. when I wrote this, I'd just been barraged with a whole lot of hate for posting a few tips that I found helpful for distance ADV riding and felt a bit maligned when sticking my neck out there to offer suggestions to new riders. When reviewing the following post, I realized I got a bit out of hand and came off as really arrogant. I'll leave the original post below, but wanted to let you know the core of what I was trying to say... just during a moment when I was pretty charged up.

The summary of the article is this: Be kind, help others, make the ADV community a place where new riders, old riders, seasoned riders, and budding adventurers feel welcome. Too many times I think people get scared away from ADV riding because there can be a lot of drama and complication. Setting up for a long ride and getting out of your comfort zone can be really frightening, and going into a hostile forum or group can make people run away from, not to, this amazing hobby of ours.

Evaluate the reasons why you're replying to a comment or thread. If it's to boost your ego, mock somebody, pass judgement on things you don't have experience with, or even to boost your cred by getting another "post" under the column... then hold off and rethink it. If it's to help somebody, offer credible advice, be objective, be encouraging, and/or make friends... then you're building an amazing community and are a wiser person than I am at many times.

As I'm 1/2 of the way through a 3 week "dip the toes" adventure through the West Coast of the US, though it's quite a limited perspective, I have found that adventure motorcycling is far more than scenic views, epic rides, magnificent bikes, or amazing foods... it's the people, camaraderie, and relationships that make adventure riding so fantastic. It's also what can make the online ADV community either amazing or appalling. Let's make it amazing. Let's welcome everybody and shun nobody. Let's help guys like you and I fulfill dreams and check off bucket lists. Let's help the introverts break comfort zones, let's help lurkers be inmates, and greet everybody we see on two wheels with a smile.

You wouldn't pass a fellow adventurer out in the world who was stranded or stuck. I'd wager you'd probably stop, help, and even become good friends after a bit of wrenching. And we'd NEVER stop next to somebody who needed help and mock them for their choice of bike, choice of oil, choice of tires... whatever... So why do we do that in the digital world? Let's be a true brotherhood and sisterhood. Let's leave the exclusive, elitist, condescending stuff out, and be the most welcoming, friendly, give-you-the-shirt-off-my-back travelers in the world.

So if you're in the mood to read a very long-winded rant fueled by some extremely negative and condescending comments, then continue reading this post... maybe you'll get a laugh... but really, you've already read the important bits.

Reader... continue with caution:

Whether it's a blog, a YouTube channel, a post in a forum, or even a comment to any of these things... you will undoubtedly come across the highly qualified and omniscient keyboard warrior. This is the guy who--no matter what you post or how you offer to share your life, give advice, or entertain others--will undoubtedly show up to show you and everybody else how he knows more, is vastly cooler, or tell you how you're stupid because he knows everything and does everything correctly, every time, without fail. He is the safest, fastest, smartest, cheapest, richest, most mechanically inclined, farthest travelling, most ADV man in the world.

He's the guy who--no matter where you've been, what your ride, or what advice you have to offer-- will show you how stupid and worthless you are to everybody else on the forum by tearing you down without offering anything useful or conducive.

That's right, when you create any kind of motorcycle-related content on the web, the keyboard warrior will be there with criticism and how to "do it best"... yet lack any kind of photographic, video, or GPS evidence to back up his claims of superiority. Hence he has earned the title of "Keyboard Warrior", because the only evidence of his apparent amazingness comes from what he can type.

When you encounter the keyboard warrior, don't fear. Take any tidbits that might be useful or logical, and then disregard everything else.

If you are worried that you may become a keyboard warrior, there are things you can do. We've all been keyboard warriors before by knocking somebody down to make ourselves look cool... but these tips should help build communities and friendships around ADV motorcycling:

1. Think about whether your response to comments, videos, or posts is constructive and will provide service to the community, or whether it will only benefit your ego to show how awesome you are.
2. Will your post, comment, or reply help to get that person out the door on an adventure, or will it discourage them?
3. Will your post, comment, or reply make the person feel welcome in the community, or will it drive them away?
4. Is sharing what bike you ride, the adventures you've taken, or the experiences you've had relevant to the conversation, or are you just sharing these things to, again, show how awesome you are? Let's say somebody posts, "I hear a sort of "clack clack" when I reach high RPMs on my KLR, is that common?" Lending credibility to your comment (ie. "Hey, I used to ride a KLR! I might be able to help you fix that,") is helpful. Showing off, (ie. "You should ditch the KLR and get a real bike like a KTM 990, then go around the world blindfolded and live off of only wild berries like I did because blah blah blah . . .") is not helpful. 
5. It's not helpful to launch into what products you swear by when others work just as well. (Tires, oil, etc). This often "hijacks" the thread. There is a constant battle between schools of thought in the motorcycle world: expensive versus budget, staying light versus being prepared, red versus blue versus orange versus green versus yellow... just remember, different strokes for different folks.
6. Be moderate. See other people's points of view... but when something may be unsafe, or looks sketchy, or is just different from what you do or prefer, offer sound advice when you've had first hand experience with both sides of the coin. (ie. Don't tell somebody their bike sucks if you've never ridden one like it.)

In closing, this is an open letter to the keyboard warrior in all of us (especially me).

Dear Keyboard Warrior,

We're sick of you and your ilk. We know you have an inferiority complex and have to prove how awesome you are, but you and the other one-uppers who try to make others feel inferior for taking "less-worthy" adventures than you scare off new ADV riders and people who take to the web to look for help with their adventures.

You're not helping, you're hurting. Your minuscule self-confidence and burning need to tear down other people's advice or offers of assistance to make yourself sound awesome not only make you look like a tool to other adventurers, but those who haven't encountered you or your type (and aren't yet aware of your complex) are easily driven away from the joys of Adventure Motorcycling and its many amazing groups and forums because you have to be a fargin' know-it-all.

If you're going to offer to help, then offer to help. Give tips. Give advice. Help others be practical, safe, and have fun... but don't be such a condescending bag of stale dog crap and make it a point to belittle other adventurers or their points of view when they go out on a ledge to share what works for them. Don't tell people they're stupid for asking questions or trying to make the ADV world better with their ideas. And for the love of all that is holy you don't have to tell everybody how you're so incredible because you are more ATGATT, or harder, or safer, or went farther, or ride a better bike at the end of every. single. comment.

Your advice is always welcome. Your condescending remarks are not.

Sincerely,

The Entire Frickin' Motorcycle Adventure Community

10 Simple Tips for a Better Motorcycle Adventure & some MUST-HAVE ADV GEAR

My first day on the road taught me some awesome things that I never knew before getting out and taking an adventure for myself. I've only traveled 300 miles so far, but what I learned from today's ADV may help you on your own journeys, and that's what this blog is all about.

1. Keep baby wipes in the tank bag so you can clean off your face shield after playing chicken with june bugs and have quick-access for potty breaks. Baby powder is also nice in a tank bag to re-apply whenever you stop for gas or a pee-break. You can also use it as a smoke screen in case you're being chased by bad guys. Just pop the cap and use it like a grenade. Not really... but it's fun to fantasize about bombing that overcompensating tail-gater, isn't it? Then again... a trucker bomb (a coke bottle filled with urine) MIXED with baby powder would be epic. Now I'm daydreaming. "Taste the sweetness of my revenge, you idiot cager in the gigantic white truck that overcompensates for..." I digress...next tip.
2. Ear plugs. Put them in your pocket. Put them in your tank bag. Put them in your back pack. Put those things EVERYWHERE so you never go without them. Hearing loss while riding is real, my friends. If the exhaust noise doesn't get you, the wind noise will. Use ear plugs, especially on long rides.
3. Get one of those curly, bright-colored, little wrist-loop key chain thingers to put on your key. That way you're more likely to see it and remember to take it out of the ignition at the gas station. You can also loop it around your wrist so you don't have to put the key in your pocket and rummage for it later. You can snag a five pack at a dollar store, or get one from Wal Mart for like $3. Cough*RIPOFF*cough.
4. Packing things behind you on the seat is not a bad thing, and wearing a backpack doesn't cause fatigue if it can rest on the seat or on something you've packed behind you. When your butt gets a little tired you can half-stand on the pegs and distribute your weight through your legs and rest your hams (not your butt) on whatever you've packed behind you. Riding like this is actually mega comfy provided you're following the next tip.
   ****UPDATE**** Riding with your backpack on is doable, but it is far more comfortable to simply strap the backpack down somewhere else and keep all that weight off your shoulders. Even if the pack is propped up by a bag behind you, it's just more comfortable to leave it off.
5. Take the peak off your dual sport helmet while on the highway. It might block a few centimeters of the setting sun during the five minutes of the day that that's even a problem, and granted it does make you look like a ridiculously-cool ADV veteran... but riding with that thing on the freeway is like flying a giant fourescent orange flag from the top of your helmet. Aerodynamics and comfort should trump looking cool every time.
6. Get a tool tube so you can save room in your soft luggage. I've poked holes through soft bags with tools before... it's better to have them in a hard container. I picked up a welding rod holder from Harbor Freight for 5 bucks, and will hose-clamp it onto the front of the skidplate.
7. Get a Ram Mount for your phone... that thing was AWESOME! It gets the GPS right up there where it's visible, puts the phone in a place where you can use one-button voice commands, and generally allows you to safely (and securely) use the moto-centric features of your phone hands-free on the road. Also, once the phone is in the "X Grip"... it is IN there. I have ridden some intense enduro with my phone in there and it didn't move a centimeter. Now don't get me wrong I HATE when people use their phones in their cars and you're an idiot if you use it while on the bike. However, it sure makes it a lot easier to access phone features WHEN YOU PULL OVER instead of fumbling through your tank bag or pocket where it's prone to scratch. It's also nice to see who is calling before you pull over to rummage through your stuff only to find out it's a telemarketer or ex.
8. Get a Sena Headset to listen to music and get handsfree phone calls while on the road. This thing was seriously a life saver, and sounds a LOT better than wind noise, even with earplugs in. I often turn my Sena up a bit with my earplugs in. No wind noise, no exhaust noise, just clear music and phone calls to make the miles fade faster than memories of said exes. You might think that the people on the other end of the call can't hear you well? Nope. Comes through loud and clear. I love this thing.
9. Get the Green Chile Adventure Gear soft rack to hold your whatever. That thing is AMAZING! It held my laptop case on solid as a rock, and then was modular so I could strap stuff on TOP of the case. This thing is ESSENTIAL for adventure! Or even for a commute! I love this thing because I can also use it on my DRZ 400 without the hassles of installing a rear rack. It's way less expensive than a rack, way more modular, no bolts or loctite, easier to remove, lighter, easier to strap things to, and did I mention it's rock solid?
10. Get a Seat Concepts seat... they are well worth the money and IMHO the best value for the dollar in motorcycle seats. You'll have to spend some time installing the new foam and cover to your old seat pan, but unless your time is worth $200 for 30 minutes and a few staples, Seat Concepts seats are a steal... and a well-known player for value and comfort in the ADV seat market. As you know, I've had issues with my buttocks that at one point threatened to end my motorcycling permanently. Surgery definitely helped, but let's just say that I would not be taking this 4000 mile trip if not for my confidence in this seat.