Podcast 586: The Journey to Me with Annette Birkmann

This week we dive into an interesting topic: staggered riding formation. This is something that is passed on from rider to rider, and not taught in any schools. Different groups have different guidelines to their rides, sometimes making it confusing even to an experienced group rider. What is the standard, and who should be setting it? Next up we play a game called Breakfast Club, where we find the bike that best matches each of the stereotypes from the movie. Do you agree with our picks? Then we ask Emma some stupid questions about motorcycles. Why don't we have square pistons? Why is the throttle on the right? As usual, Emma has the answer to all of them, except there's one that may just have her perplexed. And lastly, we read listener emails and hand out some sage advice. With Liza, Stumpy John, Miss Emma, Neil, Naked Jim and Bagel. Join our Discord at discord.gg/hpRZcucHCT www.motorcyclesandmisfits.com [email protected] www.patreon.com/motorcyclesandmisfits www.zazzle.com/store/recyclegarage www.youtube.com/channel/UC3wKZSP0J9FBGB79169ciew www.vintagerides.travel

This week on our motorcycle podcast we are joined by Steve Knoble of Knoble Moto. Steve has carved out a unique mechanic career by teaching others how to wrench. You can find his videos on FixMyHawg, Youtube, Udemy or you can learn in person if you're in the Cleveland area. Either way, he's going to feel good about his job at the end of the day. Empowering people through tools is a gift that we experience every Sunday, but he does it full time. We talk about the types of classes he offers, and why it's worth it to pay for his tutorials rather than filter through everything youtube has to offer. He also gets to teach kids how to fix motorcycles through MotogoCleveland. I just wish we has these in every part of the country. But first, Bagel starts us off by telling us about a new 3 wheeled electric scooter that may be a game changer. This English company is doing things different, and we hope to see it come stateside in the future. Lastly, we finish with listener emails. With Bagel, Liza, Stumpy John, Miss Emma, Neil and Naked Jim. https://knoblemoto.com/ Join our Discord at discord.gg/hpRZcucHCT www.motorcyclesandmisfits.com [email protected] www.patreon.com/motorcyclesandmisfits www.zazzle.com/store/recyclegarage www.youtube.com/channel/UC3wKZSP0J9FBGB79169ciew www.vintagerides.travel

On this weeks motorcycle podcast we tackle some of the terms that motorcyclists often toss around; but do we really know? Miss Emma and the team discuss the terms and try to get them right. We also talk about the garage today and get to know our awesome visitors, Bret from Indiana and Gary from Colorado. Featuring Miss Emma, Naked Jim, Bagel, Neil and Stumpy John. Join our Discord at discord.gg/hpRZcucHCT www.motorcyclesandmisfits.com [email protected] www.patreon.com/motorcyclesandmisfits www.zazzle.com/store/recyclegarage www.youtube.com/channel/UC3wKZSP0J9FBGB79169ciew www.vintagerides.travel

This week we dive into a controversial topic; lane splitting. It's so common in California, yet Texas just officially made it illegal. And now that Minnesota is becoming the 6th state to legalize it, we wonder what everyone else is so scared of? We list the pros and cons of splitting and filtering, as well as some of the unwritten etiquette. Next up, Scotty is fresh back from her Mongolian Monkey Bike adventure, and shares the miseries and triumphs from this quirky outing. What music genre does your bike represent? Play along and see if you can meld minds with Emma and Liza. Lastly, we read listener emails including some more awesome poems sent in. With Liza, Miss Emma, Scotty, Bagel and Steph Yue. Join our Discord at discord.gg/hpRZcucHCT www.motorcyclesandmisfits.com [email protected] www.patreon.com/motorcyclesandmisfits www.zazzle.com/store/recyclegarage www.youtube.com/channel/UC3wKZSP0J9FBGB79169ciew www.vintagerides.travel

On this week's motorcycle podcast we read all of our listener's submissions to our Insta360 challenge. There were so many submissions... but we think we found the best! Also, Miss Emma gives us a report on her rides this summer in the Dolomites. Featuring: Miss Emma, Naked Jim, Bagel, Stumpy John, Mike and Brian. Big thanks to Insta360 for the amazing cameras! Join our Discord at discord.gg/hpRZcucHCT www.motorcyclesandmisfits.com [email protected] www.patreon.com/motorcyclesandmisfits www.zazzle.com/store/recyclegarage www.youtube.com/channel/UC3wKZSP0J9FBGB79169ciew www.vintagerides.travel

Travelling solo for more than 33,000 miles on a motorcycle taught Annette Birkmann to experience the unknown not as fraught with danger but as providing endless opportunities. 'Every time I have reached a goal in my life, it has been with the expectation that once this goal is achieved, everything will from then on be fine – I will be free, I will be happy. But things seldom work out that way.’ At the age of thirty-one, Annette left her job as a lawyer in Denmark, sold her belongings, and travelled to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to fulfill a childhood dream: to ride a motorcycle. In Buenos Aires, Annette bought her first motorcycle and after working eight months in a motorcycle workshop, embarked alone on a one-year motorcycle journey through the Americas. However, she quickly discovered that despite moving to another hemisphere, some things remained unchanged. Her problems had come along, and no matter where she was, familiar traits lodged in her inner self required her attention. https://www.annettebirkmann.com/ https://www.amazon.com/Journey-Me-Inconvenient-Realities-Existence-ebook/dp/B0D7SVB2J4 With Liza, Miss Emma, Scotty, Naked Jim and Bagel. Join our Discord at discord.gg/hpRZcucHCT www.motorcyclesandmisfits.com [email protected] www.patreon.com/motorcyclesandmisfits www.zazzle.com/store/recyclegarage www.youtube.com/channel/UC3wKZSP0J9FBGB79169ciew www.vintagerides.travel

This week we are joined by Ryan Kluftinger, better known as Ryan F9 or Ryan Fortnine, or maybe you know him as 'that guy from Youtube'. Either way, you've probably seen some of his videos on the Fortnine Youtube channel. The Unkillable KLR is one of our favorites, and Why I Stopped Wearing Motorcycle Body Armour is one of the most controversial. We talk to him about both of these, as well as the production side of things, and also spring a game on him called "Finish Your Own Quote". Ryan is down to earth, creative and smart, and we have a great time learning more about what it takes to create all the amazing videos he and his team does. We would also like to thank Insta360 for sponsoring this episode, and giving us a bunch of cameras and accessories to try and also to give away. Liza talks to VP of sales, Michael Shabun, who explains some of the new features, and why Insta360 is the best action camera for motorcyclists. If you would like to enter our contest to win a camera, send a haiku or limerick about your motorcycle to [email protected]. And if you'd just like to buy one, go to https://www.insta360.com/ and use the promo code 'INRSH5L' at checkout to get a free memory card added to the order. With Liza, Stumpy John, Miss Emma, Bagel and Naked Jim. Join our Discord at discord.gg/hpRZcucHCT www.motorcyclesandmisfits.com [email protected] www.patreon.com/motorcyclesandmisfits www.zazzle.com/store/recyclegarage www.youtube.com/channel/UC3wKZSP0J9FBGB79169ciew

It's our favorite time of year, AMA Vintage Days at Mid Ohio racetrack. This is the best motorcycle event not to be missed, which we look forward to every year. Racing, hare scrambles, motocross, trials, pitbikes, swap meet, seminars, test rides, wall of death, dirt trails, barrel racing, burnouts, mosh pit and so much more. We got some great interviews that perfectly capture the essence of VMD. We talk to AMA's Mitch Boehm about the AMA magazine, and James Holter about what the AMA is doing about our of control insurance rates for moto events. We also talk to MotoAmerica phenom Kayla Yaakov, as well as Hall of Fame motocross legend Brock Glover. And to round it out, we talk to 14 year old Ivy, who's just learning to ride, and BJ from DC Dirt Camp. Listen and enjoy! Join our Discord at discord.gg/hpRZcucHCT www.motorcyclesandmisfits.com [email protected] www.patreon.com/motorcyclesandmisfits www.zazzle.com/store/recyclegarage

It's been another great weekend full of good food, races, and kegs at the garage. Since it's the middle of summer and it's getting hot out there, we decided to cool you down by sharing Cool Things with you. From phone mounts to fire apps to a framed photo from On Any Sunday, we tell you what we currently think is cool. Next up, it's game time! We play a game all about motorcycle world records. Play along and see how you do. Have you ever tried balancing beads in your tires? We look at a new product, and try to decide if it's a good or bad idea for bikes. Lastly, we read some listener emails and get a report on the CFMoto Ibex 450. With Liza, Stumpy John, Jake 2.0, Oscar, Neil, Naked Jim, Bagel and Steph Yue. Join our Discord at discord.gg/hpRZcucHCT www.motorcyclesandmisfits.com [email protected] www.patreon.com/motorcyclesandmisfits www.zazzle.com/store/recyclegarage www.youtube.com/channel/UC3wKZSP0J9FBGB79169ciew www.vintagerides.travel

This week we are off to the MotoAmerica races at Laguna Seca, and boy did we have a good time. Even if you don't follow racing, there something for everyone to enjoy. We did some test rides and Liza makes a bold prediction about a certain Chinese bike about to be released here. Eric and Liza did the "not a race" parade lap and managed to make some passes in the corkscrew. The weather was perfect, which made race watching extra fun, and the races were exciting as well. Check it out near you. https://www.motoamerica.com/ Listener Lorne drops in all the way from Maryland, sharing with us lessons he learned on his first big trip cross country. What could go wrong with no planning and a cheap bike? Check it out. With Liza, Pablo, Stumpy John, Bao Bao, Eric, Lorne, Naked Jim and Bagel. Join our Discord at discord.gg/hpRZcucHCT www.motorcyclesandmisfits.com [email protected] www.patreon.com/motorcyclesandmisfits www.zazzle.com/store/recyclegarage www.youtube.com/channel/UC3wKZSP0J9FBGB79169ciew www.vintagerides.travel