Podcast 655: Why Do Men Farkle?

So many things to talk about, so here's the highlights: -Cycle World's Top Bike list of 2025 is wrong and we've got something to say about it -Why do men spend so much money on upgrades that they will never get the benefit out of? -Cool or Fool? We look at some new bikes from AJS, Moto Morini, Peugot and Buell -Liza is struggling with being Multistrada curious With Liza, Stumpy John, Miss Emma, Tim, Neal, Naked Jim and Bagel www.motorcyclesandmisfits.com [email protected] www.breakingawayadventures.com/shop/p/mi…-rally-v4 www.patreon.com/motorcyclesandmisfits www.zazzle.com/store/recyclegarage www.youtube.com/channel/UC3wKZSP0J9FBGB79169ciew womenridersworldrelay.com/ motorcyclesandmisfits.com/shop Join our Discord at discord.gg/hpRZcucHCT

We've got a great episode for you, bringing 4 History Holes together into one show. We start with the story of Zeppo Marx and the Marman motorcycle, then we talk about the true history of the cafe racer followed by the interesting history of Honda's Comstar wheels, and finish with a complete explanation of the clutch. Enjoy this retro episode. www.motorcyclesandmisfits.com [email protected] www.breakingawayadventures.com/shop/p/mi…-rally-v4 www.patreon.com/motorcyclesandmisfits www.zazzle.com/store/recyclegarage www.youtube.com/channel/UC3wKZSP0J9FBGB79169ciew womenridersworldrelay.com/ motorcyclesandmisfits.com/shop Join our Discord at discord.gg/hpRZcucHCT

The LA-Barstow-to-Vegas (LAB2V) is a famous, long-running annual two-day dual-sport motorcycle event that covers over 400 miles of mostly off-road desert terrain between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and our very own Charley, Scottie and Hector decided to give it a go. This is not an easy ride, so most people take a light, nimble and capable off road bike something like the KTM EXC500. But of course Misfits don't take the easy ride, and opt for the challenge instead. Charley rode his Yamaha Super Tenere, Hector his KTM 1290 Adventure, and being the wisest among them, Scottie opted for her Husqvarna 701. It might not surprise you to hear that only one of them finished the ride (I wonder who?) but all three arrived safe and had a great time. They share their stories and lessons from the trip, and we talk about what would be the perfect bike for this challenging ride. And due to Charley's unfortunate situation, we take a moment to talk about bearings, how important they are, and how little they've changed in the last 100 years. With Liza, Stumpy John, Hector, Charley, Scottie, Naked Jim and Bagel. www.motorcyclesandmisfits.com [email protected] www.breakingawayadventures.com/shop/p/mi…-rally-v4 www.patreon.com/motorcyclesandmisfits www.zazzle.com/store/recyclegarage www.youtube.com/channel/UC3wKZSP0J9FBGB79169ciew https://womenridersworldrelay.com/ motorcyclesandmisfits.com/shop Join our Discord at discord.gg/hpRZcucHCT

Albert “Shrimp” Burns rose from a teenage mechanic in Oakland to become one of the most feared and beloved racers of the 1910s. Competing on the dangerous wooden motordromes —nicknamed “murderdromes” for their lethal design—he raced in front of crowds of 20,000 spectators at a time when board-track racing was one of America’s most popular sports. By sixteen, Shrimp had become a national celebrity. He rode for both Harley-Davidson and Indian, shattered records, won over crowds, and pushed his body beyond its limits. He died at twenty-two. Much of his history vanished into scattered archives, newspapers, and forgotten race programs. Shrimp: The Albert Burns Story reconstructs his meteoric rise and tragic end using hundreds of primary sources and rare photographs, reviving a lost American icon and the brutal, glamorous world of early motorsports. Author Billy Choi joins us to talk about this much forgotten era of motorcycle racing, and the racers that lived and died for the sport. With Liza, Miss Emma, Stumpy John and Bagel. https://billychoibooks.com/ www.motorcyclesandmisfits.com [email protected] www.breakingawayadventures.com/shop/p/mi…-rally-v4 www.patreon.com/motorcyclesandmisfits www.zazzle.com/store/recyclegarage www.youtube.com/channel/UC3wKZSP0J9FBGB79169ciew womenridersworldrelay.com/ adifferentagenda.com/products/the-lost-tribe-25 motorcyclesandmisfits.com/shop Join our Discord at discord.gg/hpRZcucHCT

16 days and 23 hrs. This is how long it takes to ride around the world, and Ryan has the film to prove it. Departing from the classic Fortnine style videos, Ryan and his team set off to make a world record and a feature length film at the same time. Setting a record like this is not easy. It takes lots of planning, luck and determination. And taking a passenger to film the whole thing doesn't make it easier. Ryan shares stories from this epic trip, including how they figured out how to beat the past record by a whole 3 days. The film, which comes out in December, takes you on the ride with them. You feel the excitement, exhaustion, heat, cold, and hallucinations that they experienced not just through the filming and editing, but also the soundtrack. This is where producing a full length film gives them the opportunity to do more, and let you truly feel like you were there with them. With Liza, Stumpy John, Cat, Neal, Naked Jim and Bagel. https://www.youtube.com/fortnine www.motorcyclesandmisfits.com [email protected] www.breakingawayadventures.com/shop/p/mi…-rally-v4 www.patreon.com/motorcyclesandmisfits www.zazzle.com/store/recyclegarage www.youtube.com/channel/UC3wKZSP0J9FBGB79169ciew womenridersworldrelay.com/ adifferentagenda.com/products/the-lost-tribe-25 motorcyclesandmisfits.com/shop Join our Discord at discord.gg/hpRZcucHCT

We are digging back into the past to two of our favorite episodes, and presenting them back to back. In Oct 2017 Jocelin Snow joined us to talk about her experience trying out for the GS Trophy for the first time. We learn about her past as a racer, and all the things that brought her to this point in life where she had become an amazing ADV rider. After making the team and competing in Mongolia (spoiler alert) she came back to the studio with Shawn Thomas (Rock On!) and they told us everything about competing against some of the best ADV riders in the world in the BMW GS Trophy.

Verge Motorcycles are the newest electric motorcycle brand bringing true innovation to the market. They've got a hubless rear wheel motor with 737 ft lbs of torque, and a range of up to 217 miles that will recharge up to 80% in less than 35 minutes. Is the perfect electric bike finally here? Not exactly, but this could be the closest thing so far. In fact, the bikes we test rode today were 2024 models, with the new models and specs being announced this week at EICMA, and many of the small imperfections seemingly have been addressed in the new models. Verge was created by two engineering brothers in Finland, who had a crazy idea to build a motor in a hubless wheel, and this just could be what the future of motorcycles looks like. With Liza, Louisa, Stumpy John, Miss Emma, Rob Day, Neal, Naked Jim and Bagel. https://www.vergemotorcycles.com/ www.motorcyclesandmisfits.com [email protected] www.breakingawayadventures.com/shop/p/mi…-rally-v4 www.patreon.com/motorcyclesandmisfits www.zazzle.com/store/recyclegarage www.youtube.com/channel/UC3wKZSP0J9FBGB79169ciew womenridersworldrelay.com/ adifferentagenda.com/products/the-lost-tribe-25 motorcyclesandmisfits.com/shop Join our Discord at discord.gg/hpRZcucHCT

Louisa Swaden is back! You may remember her as a land speed racer and an author, but did you know she's also a Blood Bike Rider? These are volunteers who shuttle blood and other supplies between hospitals when it's needed fast. Using their bikes to weave through traffic, they deliver the supplies faster than any car or ambulance can. This leads us to a conversation about other types of service bikes; taxis, first responders, hearses, rangers, rickshaws and more. Let us know if we missed any. Next up we talk about the AI faked new Honda Goldwing Trike Camper that's been making it's way around social media and Youtube. Some of the versions are pretty wild, but some seem look like they just might could work. What do you think? And lastly we read listener emails and answer burning questions. With Liza, Louisa, Miss Emma, Neal, Hector and Bagel. www.motorcyclesandmisfits.com [email protected] www.breakingawayadventures.com/shop/p/mi…-rally-v4 www.patreon.com/motorcyclesandmisfits www.zazzle.com/store/recyclegarage www.youtube.com/channel/UC3wKZSP0J9FBGB79169ciew womenridersworldrelay.com/ adifferentagenda.com/products/the-lost-tribe-25 motorcyclesandmisfits.com/shop Join our Discord at discord.gg/hpRZcucHCT

Kawasaki announced a new model, the KLE500, which slots perfectly into the same spot as the CFMoto Ibex 450. Both bikes fit a previously empty niche in the small adventure bike market, have solid motors, and are great bikes for the price (under $7k). So which one would you buy? We compare some of the stats and figures, coupled with Liza's assessment from her recent ride. One of the things that the Ibex does well is the chassis, making it a very stable ride for a 386lb bike. This leads Emma to talk a bit about the chassis, how the geometry works, and which ones have a reputation for being great. Stunt Misfit Bryce brings us an interview with Rosson from Austin Moto Adventures that he got while attending the TourTexas Rally last weekend. Lastly, we read listener emails and share some updates from previous shows. With Liza, Miss Emma, Neal, Naked Jim and Bagel. www.motorcyclesandmisfits.com [email protected] https://www.breakingawayadventures.com/shop/p/misfit-rally-v4 www.patreon.com/motorcyclesandmisfits www.zazzle.com/store/recyclegarage www.youtube.com/channel/UC3wKZSP0J9FBGB79169ciew womenridersworldrelay.com/ adifferentagenda.com/products/the-lost-tribe-25 motorcyclesandmisfits.com/shop Join our Discord at discord.gg/hpRZcucHCT

Alex built a bio diesel Harley Davidson, and it seemed like a good idea at the time. He then decided to ride it from Vancouver, Canada to San Diego, California, and that seemed like a good idea at the time too. Many lessons were learned along the way, from the engine choice, matching the engine to the transmission, and so much more. Fortunately for us Alex found his way to our garage for some help, and instead got whisked into the studio to be a guest on our podcast. I mean, c'mon, how could we not want to talk about this? https://www.youtube.com/@alexbiomoto Staying with the theme, we talk about other motorcycles that had what we call design flaws. Among them are the KLR doohickey, the Vstrom oil filter, the Zero FX belt and so much more. Let us know what bikes you think have bad design flaws. And lastly, we read all of the emails from the Jason Awards. These are people's personal stories about overcoming adversity through motorcycles, and Emma announces which one will be receiving a prize package from her. With Liza, Stumpy John, Miss Emma, Alex and Naked Jim. www.motorcyclesandmisfits.com [email protected] www.patreon.com/motorcyclesandmisfits www.zazzle.com/store/recyclegarage www.youtube.com/channel/UC3wKZSP0J9FBGB79169ciew womenridersworldrelay.com/ adifferentagenda.com/products/the-lost-tribe-25 motorcyclesandmisfits.com/shop Join our Discord at discord.gg/hpRZcucHCT