Podcasts about advrider

How to Choose the Best Camping Setup for the Way You RideBefore you start comparing motorcycle tents, sleeping pads, stoves, chairs, pack sizes, and weights, there is an important question to answer. In this episode, Ben Williams from Moto Camp Nerd talks about a simple way to think through your motorcycle camping setup before you start buying gear, so your choices are based on the way you actually ride and travel, not just someone else's packing list. Michnus and Elsebie Olivier of PikiPiki Overland and Turkana Gear also share lessons learned from years of motorcycle travel, including what they've overpacked, what they've replaced, and what has earned a permanent place in their kit. It's a practical conversation about choosing gear with purpose, not just following the latest trends.

Why Robert Pirsig's Famous Motorcycle Book Mattered to Him — And Why it Didn'tTed Simon is best known as the author of Jupiter's Travels, one of the most influential motorcycle travel books ever written. Robert Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is another book that has long held a strange place in motorcycling culture: widely known, often recommended, and perhaps just as often left unfinished. In this conversation, Ted talks about finally reading Pirsig's famous book and why it matters to him in a way listeners might not expect. Is it really a motorcycle book? Why has it stayed in the minds of riders for so many years? And what does motorcycle maintenance mean when the machine beneath you is not just a symbol, but the thing that determines whether the journey continues? What begins with one famous motorcycle book soon opens into Ted's own memories of travel, breakdowns, repair, and the very practical reality of keeping a journey alive when there is no easy answer and no one else to do the work.

Solo Motorcycle Travel Through South America with Lala BarlowLala Barlow was working in musical theatre in Melbourne, Australia, when the pandemic brought the industry to a halt. Drawn to motorcycles, mountains, and Patagonia, she spent years preparing for a solo motorcycle journey through South America, including a four-month shakedown ride across Australia. Lala shares what it takes to plan a major adventure, travel alone in unfamiliar countries, manage fear and uncertainty, and ride through Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, and Patagonia. A conversation about preparation, perseverance, and turning a dream into reality.Links & ResourcesPhotos, links, and resources for this episodeMore episodes: Adventure Rider Radio and RAWSupport the show: Support ARRFollow Adventure Rider RadioInstagramFacebookAbout the PodcastSince 2014, Adventure Rider Radio has shared adventure motorcycle travel stories, Rider Skills, Deep Trouble episodes, tech and gear features, and conversations with riders from around the world. New episodes of ARR are released every Thursday, with new episodes of RAW released monthly on the 21st. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

As we celebrate 12 years of Adventure Rider Radio motorcycle podcast, we're bringing back a story that still resonates today. Drawn together by motorcycles and a shared curiosity about the world, Maryna Matthew and Paul Knibbs left behind the security of established careers to pursue a life of adventure. Their journey is a powerful reminder that some of life's greatest opportunities begin with a single decision: to stop waiting and simply say yes.Links & ResourcesPhotos, links, and resources for this episodeMore episodes: Adventure Rider Radio and RAWSupport the show: Support ARRFollow Adventure Rider RadioInstagramFacebookAbout the PodcastSince 2014, Adventure Rider Radio has shared adventure motorcycle travel stories, Rider Skills, Deep Trouble episodes, tech and gear features, and conversations with riders from around the world. New episodes of ARR are released every Thursday, with new episodes of RAW released monthly on the 21st. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

One of the most frightening situations a rider can face is realizing the bike won't slow down on a long, steep mountain descent. That's exactly what happened to Seth Cooper in Costa Rica. In this episode of DEEP TROUBLE, Seth shares how a rented KTM 690 Enduro R, an unfamiliar mountain road, and a series of seemingly manageable decisions combined to create a genuine survival situation. It's a story about risk, assumptions, bike condition, route choice, and how options can disappear faster than you expect.Links & ResourcesPhotos, links, and resources for this episodeMore episodes: Adventure Rider Radio and RAWSupport the show: Support ARRFollow Adventure Rider RadioInstagramFacebookAbout the PodcastSince 2014, Adventure Rider Radio has shared adventure motorcycle travel stories, Rider Skills, Deep Trouble episodes, tech and gear features, and conversations with riders from around the world. New episodes of ARR are released every Thursday, with new episodes of RAW released monthly on the 21st. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Have you noticed the price of fuel lately? Unless you're living like the Unabomber, of course you have. And since most of you have a motorcycle or two in the shed, that most likely gets far better mileage than your car or truck, the time has come to save a little money and have a little fun. Just yesterday I took a 100-mile round trip to a car dealership for a new coolant reservoir. I stuffed it into my backpack like a high-schooler their homework, then wobbled off to a coffee shop to warm my numb hands. Did I mention it was 39 degrees? Our first guest this week knows all about pain. Duluth Minnesota's Andy Goldfine, despite living farther north than even foolish Canadians, rides as much as he can, as often as he can. And it's not just because he's cheap. Frugal is a kinder word. Andy knows the benefits of riding and is loathe to abandon them the eight months of the year when his homeland turns to barren, hostile, sinister tundra. Our second guest is ADVRider helmsman Zac Kurylyk who reminisces about dodging moose and deer on the way home from his turn-of-the-century gig as a newspaperman. And then Neil Graham, never to be outdone, shares his stories of riding to a horrible summer job on an XT500 long before the turn of the last century. Add this week's episode up and what do you get? The annual Ride to Work day, which happens the second Tuesday in June and which is spearheaded by Andy Goldfine himself, who, incidentally, has a designated winter commuting motorcycle. All this, on this week's Lowdown Radio Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Solo Motorcycle Journey Across Morocco, Europe, and the Sahara Desert in Search of Freedom, Simplicity, and a Slower Way of LivingWhat happens when someone who's spent a lifetime chasing schedules, productivity, and control suddenly trades it all for the uncertainty of the open road on a motorcycle? After retiring from finance, Rob Bridges set off alone across Morocco, Europe, and the Sahara Desert on a six-month motorcycle journey—only to discover that the hardest part of the adventure wasn't the riding, but learning how to slow down.Links & ResourcesPhotos, links, and resources for this episodeMore episodes: Adventure Rider Radio and RAWSupport the show: Support ARRFollow Adventure Rider RadioInstagramFacebookAbout the PodcastSince 2014, Adventure Rider Radio has shared adventure motorcycle travel stories, Rider Skills, Deep Trouble episodes, tech and gear features, and conversations with riders from around the world. New episodes of ARR are released every Thursday, with new episodes of RAW released monthly on the 21st. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Eva Strehler had already learned what drew her to the road on a motorcycle: freedom, movement, and a way of living outside the usual shape of things. Then she built a sidecar for her dog, Polly, and headed east. What followed was meant to be another long motorcycle journey — through Turkey, into Iran, and across landscapes that changed as quickly as the people she met along the way. But somewhere during the trip, the journey became about something else entirely. This is a conversation about travel, companionship, risk, solitude, and the moments that quietly change the meaning of a journey while you're still inside it.

What do you do when your adventure bike is buried in sand, lying sideways on a slope, or wedged deep in a rut miles from help? In this episode, Jim talks with Clinton Smout, Adam Owens, and Chris Birch about the mindset, techniques, and recovery tools riders use when things go wrong off-road. From smart trail-side decisions and energy-saving recovery methods to simple techniques that can turn a bad situation around, this episode is packed with practical knowledge every adventure rider should hear before they need it.

Clif Holland shares a father-and-son motorcycle adventure that took an unexpected turn shortly after arriving at Big Bend National Park. After a 700-mile ride to reach the start of their backcountry route, the decision to explore before staging their gear set the tone for what followed. Riding a heavily loaded BMW R1200GS on remote backroads, Clif quickly found himself facing the challenges of sand, weight distribution, and the limited margin for error on big adventure bikes, which led to DEEP TROUBLE. We talk about backcountry riding and the importance of preparation, training, and testing your setup before tackling routes like the BDR.

Luuk and Emma from the Netherlands are passionate dual-sport riders who have made it their mission to find that sweet spot between minimalist motorcycle travel and meaningful challenge. Riding their Honda CRF300L motorcycles, they're currently pushing themselves to travel as light as possible — aiming for just 9 kg of gear per person — while still tackling terrain that stretches their skills.

When the front tire starts to lose traction or the bike suddenly feels like it's about to go down, most riders react with some kind of defensive move that feels instinctively right. But is it? In this Rider Skills episode, Clinton Smout joins Jim Martin to look at what's really happening in those split-second moments when an adventure motorcycle starts to let go off-road — and why what feels like a save may not be one at all.

Planning a motorcycle trip? Whether you're riding close to home or heading off on a long-distance adventure, the right advice can make all the difference. In this episode, we've curated the best motorcycle travel tips and adventure riding advice from past conversations—bringing together practical insights from experienced riders who have spent years on the road. Featuring renowned motorcycle adventurers Sam Manicom, Tiffany Coates, and Michnus andElsebie Oliver, this episode covers essential motorcycle trip planning, packing tips, travel mindset, and real-world lessons from life on two wheels. Whether you're preparing for your first motorcycle tour or you're a seasoned adventure rider, these expert tips will help you plan smarter, pack better, and ride with confidence. Because when it comes to motorcycle travel, the best way to prepare… is to learn from those who've already done it.

Putting together the right toolkit can make all the difference when you're out riding—especially on an adventure bike, where help isn't always close by. We talk about how to build an efficient setup, from choosing what actually belongs in your kit to organizing it so it's easy to use when it matters most. The conversation covers how to prepare for unpredictable issues like flat tires, leaks, and bent or broken parts, along with the often-overlooked supplies that can save the day during a roadside or trailside repair. Along the way, Jim talks with Clinton Smout from SMART Performance Centre about building a toolkit around the jobs you're most likely to face, and we're joined by Matthew Kunz from Obsidian Adventure Gear to look at compact, bike-specific tool systems designed to keep you prepared without carrying half the garage.

Mexico is one of the easiest international adventures for riders from the U.S. and Canada—close enough to reach without a major expedition, yet different enough to feel like true travel. From Baja desert tracks to mountain twisties, high country, and coastal roads, the riding is as varied as the culture, food, and landscapes. Spencer Conway has spent the past several years living in Mexico and riding more than 66,000 kilometres through 24 states. Speaking from his home in Oaxaca, he shares what makes Mexico such a compelling destination for motorcycle travel, why he stayed, what many riders miss about traveling there, and why the country offers far more depth and variety than most riders realize.

There's a side of motorcycle training almost no one talks about — the mental pressure of learning new skills in front of other riders. Why can training make you feel like you've suddenly gotten worse before you get better? Why does confidence sometimes drop even when your skills are improving? Through rider Erik Wilkinson's experience, along with insights from expert trainer Chris Birch and Monica Birch, we explore what's really happening in your mind during training — and how to manage it so you come out a stronger, more confident rider.

Motorcycles aren't meant to back up. If they were, they'd all come with reverse. Sometimes, turning around requires a little creativity—especially on dead-end trails, in parking lots, on hills, or even in your garage. In this episode of RIDER SKILLS, we have Clinton Smout walking us through a number of turnaround methods. Some you might expect, while others may raise your eyebrows—but all of them can be useful tools in your rider skills toolbox.

On a mountain road on Colorado's Guanella Pass, motorcyclist Adam Lamb spots a moose stepping out of the brush. Two seconds later, he's airborne, both arms broken and stranded off the road without cell service. Just behind him is Roger Matthews—a board-certified physician and search-and-rescue volunteer—who arrives and immediately begins managing the scene. In this episode, Adam recounts the moments leading up to the crash while Roger explains how he approached scene safety, organized bystanders, and assessed Adam's injuries as they waited for help to arrive. We explore wildlife hazards, speed and stopping distance, emergency braking, and why first aid training and preparation can make a critical difference when riding remote roads.

For Episode 100 of the Lowdown Radio Show, frequent guest Michael Uhlarik joins us to share his backstory on how a kid born in a remote northern mining town ends up working as a designer for, among others, Yamaha and Aprilia. Michael is a favorite of Lowdown listeners and here's your chance to learn more about the man who's as tuned-into the pulse of the motorcycle biz as anyone. And, to kick off the next 100 episodes, ADVRider editor Zac Kurylyk pops by with info on how you can get even more out of ADVRider while supporting our editorial content at the same time. Win-win, as they say

Motorcycle shows have been a staple of the cold-weather months for generations. Most of the old-school, new-product, OEM-supported shows have gone the way of non-ABS equipped new motorcycles—they're nowhere to be found. In the US, the slick show circuit disappeared in favor of custom and lifestyle events, like Born Free or The One Show. Or become industry-only shindigs, like AIM expo. But in the UK and in Canada, traditional shows have maintained a death-like-grip on an ever-shrinking clientele. ADVRider.com managing editor Zac Kurylyk pops in this week for a discussion with Neil Graham about what it looks like to view an event hanging by a thread. Or is that a noose?

Nasiru Ibrahim — an architect from Nigeria and a new adventure rider — sets out on his first true motorcycle journey with a simple idea: ride his Yamaha Ténéré to the Ténéré Desert. It's an ambitious first trip, fueled by equal parts curiosity and confidence. Heading north through regions where the language and culture feel familiar, he anticipates the usual challenges — long distances, fatigue, border crossings, and the uncertainties of travelling solo. Instead, a routine stop in a small desert town leads to his arrest and detention in a politically tense region. What follows is a two-week ordeal far from home, as he navigates uncertainty, bureaucracy, and the stark realization of how quickly an adventure can take an unexpected turn.

Motorcycles have evolved, and with that evolution comes more electronics — including CAN bus systems that many riders still misunderstand. If you've ever seen a mysterious warning light or struggled with adding accessories like auxiliary lights, you've probably heard CAN bus blamed. In this episode, we break down what CAN bus actually is, why it's not the enemy of customization, and how modern systems can actually create more opportunity for riders who understand them.

Chris Parker of Rottweiler performance joins The Lowdown Radio Show this week. From his involvement in building pikes-peak winning cars, to his gig fabricating exhaust systems for Singer—the company that builds bespoke Porsche 911s for those with far too much money to burn—to his intake systems for KTMs that put his company on the map, Parker is a man with no shortage of drive. Or is that ride? And this, too—Parker credits ADVRider for Rottweiler's first big break, specifically the one enthusiast who started a thread on the forum touting his work. We've all got to start somewhere, and Rottweiler started right here. And stick around to the end of the show, where host Neil Graham reviews a product that's improved motorcycling safety as significantly as antilock brakes. And it's cheap. And you'll never guess what it is.

What happens when two seasoned overland riders trade full-size adventure bikes for 50cc, 50-year-old two-strokes? German engineers Bea Höbenreich and Helmut Koch set out to prove that real motorcycle adventure isn't about horsepower or gear—it's about mindset. From Australia's punishing outback to Cape York's legendary Old Telegraph Track, they battled bike drownings, deep sand, brutal creek crossings, and relentless headwinds on the smallest machines in the landscape.

There's something about being on a motorcycle that just feels right — in ways that are hard to explain, but easy to recognize. Not long ago on the show, cognitive scientist Mark Changizi, author of Motorcycle Mind, talked about how riding a motorcycle is unlike anything else we do, because the physics involved mean the bike responds directly to your body — your balance, your inputs, your movement — reacting instantly, almost like a hybrid of human and machine moving as one. That connection sharpens focus and pulls you fully into the moment, and according to Changizi, it can change how our brains process space, motion, and risk. Those changes don't necessarily stop when the bike is shut off, and for some people, riding becomes a place to return to — a way forward when other things aren't working, a focus when life is closing in — and that idea sits at the center of today's episode, as Rusty David shares his story.This episode contains a brief reference to suicide. Listener discretion is advised.

Adventure riding has a strange relationship with risk. We prepare, carry tools, research routes, ride with friends, and do everything we can to stack the odds in our favour on adventure motorcycle rides. But every now and then, something appears that wasn't on the map or in the plan, and it shows up faster than we can process it. In those moments, the problem isn't just the obstacle itself, but what happens next. This story takes place on a remote stretch of Nevada's historic Pony Express Trail, a well-known backcountry route for adventure riders—experienced riders, familiar terrain, and a route travelled for generations. It's the kind of ride where preparation feels like it should be enough, until it isn't, and decisions suddenly matter in ways you don't expect when riding far from help.

From cheap shots to well-judged commentary, ADVRider's commentary section is interesting. To say the least. In the first of what will become a month feature, podcast host Neil Graham reviews a selection of stories from the past month along with the best comments. From travel stories to bike stories to things so odd that all you can do is scratch your head. Only on ADVRider. 

Gravel riding makes many motorcycle riders uneasy — not because the bike is out of control, but because it doesn't behave the way pavement has trained us to expect. The front wanders, the bars move, braking distances grow, and the instinct is to hold on tight and slow down — usually making things worse. On this episode of Rider Skills, we break gravel riding down into four clear lessons: how to let the bike move without panicking; how throttle, braking, and electronics change traction on loose surfaces; how to read gravel roads and choose lines intentionally; and why braking and cornering with limited traction is not only possible, but fun.

In 2003, Bryan Jones and his wife, Max, joined a guided motorcycle tour through Cambodia, expecting a challenging but well-run adventure motorcycle trip through jungles, villages, and remote roads. What they got instead was something very different — aging bikes, a guide who kept disappearing, and a journey that quickly became unpredictable.

In December 2019, Lisa and Simon Thomas left their motorcycles and gear in the United States, planning to return after a short trip home to the UK. More than six years later, those bikes are still there — and their lives have gone in a very different direction. This episode lives in the space between what was planned and what actually happened. We talk about building a life around long-term travel, what happens when health intervenes, and the emotional cost of stopping after years on the move. Lisa and Simon share what it's like to lose — and rebuild — identity, confidence, and purpose when the thing that defines you suddenly disappears. And through it all, we explore why motorcycles still matter.

Cody Weber and a small group of experienced motorcycle riders set out on a planned day ride near Green River, Utah, traveling through canyon country, dry riverbeds, and remote desert terrain. The ride appeared well prepared: riders who knew each other, a route that seemed manageable, and time taken beforehand to organize motorcycles, gear, supplies, and navigation.What unfolded next isn't unusual in the world of adventure motorcycling. Terrain gets misread, bikes go down, and riders get injured—especially in remote environments like Utah's canyonlands. What makes this story worth paying attention to is not the crash itself, but what happened afterward.In the minutes and hours following the accident, a series of decisions were made under pressure, shaped by limited information, physical injury, environmental conditions, and the realities of being far from help. Those decisions made sense at the time—but they also raise important questions about risk assessment, group dynamics, emergency response, and decision-making in remote motorcycle travel.This story offers practical lessons for riders who travel off-road and in isolated areas: what to consider after a crash, how judgment can shift under stress, and what might be done differently when plans unravel. It's a reminder that preparation doesn't end when the ride begins—and that the most critical moments often come after everything goes wrong.

This week our guest is John Bentham, who just this year published Bike Week, a collection of photographs taken over more than a decade at Daytona's notorious spring gathering. Bentham first went to Daytona in the mid-‘90s and would return another dozen times when his career as a New York City editorial and advertising photographer allowed. It just so happened that John's attendance at Daytona began at the event's peak and, in part, his chronicling charts Daytona's decline as a very peculiar cultural phenomenon. How else could you explain an event that brought tens of thousands of people and millions of dollars to a town, and yet never garnered a notice on the city's official website. Additionally, ADVRider managing editor Zac Kurylyk pops in for a quick review of the jacket that saved his ass.  

In Kevin Staples' mind, there was always a point where the trip would end. He didn't expect to get through. The goal wasn't success — it was simply to go far enough to say he'd tried. To ride up to the wall, touch it, and be told to turn back. So he kept doing exactly that. Showing up. Asking the question. Taking one more step, fully expecting it to be the last. That isn't how it played out. By the time Kevin rode his motorcycle home, the road — and the world around him — looked very different than it had when he left.

This week, we're taking a brief pause before the next regular episode drops after Christmas. For many riders, this time of year isn't about motion or miles—it's about reflection. About looking back at where we've been, the choices we made along the way, and what still lies ahead. The road doesn't always demand constant movement. Sometimes, the most important moments happen when things go quiet—when we take stock, reconnect, and remember why we ride in the first place. Wherever you are, and however you're spending these days, we appreciate you taking the journey with us. Our regular episode comes out tomorrow. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Slow-speed skills matter — especially on heavy adventure motorcycles. But if that's where your training stops, there are real situations where it starts working against you. Because sometimes control doesn't come from crawling — it comes from the right momentum at the right time. Clinton Smout from SMART Performance Centre joins us to talk about what happens when the trail gets rough and the bike needs to do what it's designed to do: move. We explore how stability changes with motion, how traction and momentum work together in real terrain, and why timing — with throttle, clutch, and body position — is what separates bouncing through from riding cleanly through.

Riding a motorcycle through Laos pushes both nerve and skill—potholes big enough to swallow a car, sudden water crossings, deep mud, and even the possibility of an elephant stepping onto the trail. A team from Rally for Rangers, led by Steve Zuschin, recently tackled these extreme conditions as they crossed Laos to deliver new motorcycles to frontline Rangers. The ride blended rugged, technical adventure motorcycling with a mission that supports the protection of threatened wilderness. Steve talks about why these demanding routes keep pulling him back and what it takes to ride some of the toughest terrain in Southeast Asia.

Fogging is something most motorcycle riders just put up with — cracking the visor, wiping it, trying to manage it on the fly. But it's more than an annoyance; it's a visibility problem, and visibility is safety. What many motorcycle riders don't realize is that there are real solutions, not myths or quick roadside fixes, but tools and technologies that actually work when you plan ahead. In this episode, we look at why fogging happens, why helmets struggle with it, and what you can do to prevent it. You'll hear from Jason Eite of VISIN about a heated visor system based on aerospace technology, and from Clinton Smout about the practical approaches riders use every day. If you ride in weather — and eventually we all do — this is one topic that can make your ride safer and far less stressful.

On this episode of DEEP TROUBLE… two motorcyclists head to mid-Wales for a weekend of trail riding on the historic Strata Florida. It's November, it's wet, and Strata Florida is known for its water crossings. The plan is simple — get out, ride the lanes, and finally tick this legendary trail off the list. But as you'll hear, conditions in the Welsh hills can change fast… and what starts as a straightforward ride quickly becomes something far more serious.

In 2022, long-distance riders Wendy Crockett and Ian McPhee set out on a world-record attempt to visit all 58 state capitols in Australia and the U.S.—in alphabetical order. But their carefully planned motorcycle trip quickly turned into chaos: mechanical failures, illness, animal strikes, wild weather, even hospitalizations. Despite everything, they kept pushing, driven by grit, humour, and sheer determination to finish what they started. But what they didn't expect was what happened when they finally hit a point where they couldn't push any farther—when they were genuinely stuck. In sharing their situation, they discovered something surprising, something they hadn't planned for at all… and it changed the course of their journey in ways they never saw coming.

This Rider Skills episode is a practical guide to roadside motorcycle tire repair for adventure and dual-sport riders. Instructor Clinton Smout shares hard-earned methods for plugging tubeless tires, patching or replacing inner tubes, breaking and seating beads without a shop, quick leak-finding, bent-rim workarounds, and true limp-home repairs. We compare compressor vs CO₂, talk what to pack (plugs, patches, tubes, irons, lube), and walk through the steps that get you rolling again when you're far from help. If you've searched “how to fix a flat motorcycle tire,” “tubeless plug on the trail,” or “adventure bike tire repair,” this episode gives you the real-world techniques that work in dirt, gravel, and backroads.

Some riders are planners, while others seem to thrive amid chaos. Israel Gillette fits into that second group. He grew up in Tennessee, working in his father's cabinet shop, and somehow that evolved into a life that has taken him between Romania, racing, carpentry, and motorcycle riding across continents. When we featured him on the show in 2023, he'd already experienced his share of close calls — time in jail, a bond set at thirty thousand dollars, and a border crossing in South America that ended with gunfire. Yet he still said it was the best thing he'd ever done with his life. Adventure, stubbornness, and perhaps a bit of trouble have shaped both his riding and his way of life. 

What started as a nine-day motorcycle trip through Bosnia, Croatia and Slovenia took a sudden and serious turn. Riding the TET, Philipp Amann and his friends were well into their journey when one of the riders fell ill but insisted on continuing. When he made the decision to turn back, his friends chose to ride with him, unaware of how quickly his condition was deteriorating. It's a story about good intentions, missed signs, and the importance of recognizing when it's time to stop.

When the life she'd planned took an unexpected turn, Kathleen Perry had to find her footing again. The quiet retirement she and her husband had imagined was gone when he passed away — so she reached back to something she'd set aside long ago: a dream to wander. She set her sights on three places — Prudhoe Bay, Ushuaia, and Nordkapp — three dots on the map. And to connect those dots, she would ride a motorcycle.

Near the end of a month-long motorcycle ride through Spain, Mark and Lisa Schubert set out for what should've been an easy final day through the Pyrenees. But as they climbed higher, a mild forecast unravelled into chaos — winds strong enough to stop their motorcycle mid-corner, trees down, and power lines snapping. What follows isn't a story about recklessness or bravado, but about how easily ordinary choices and a little fixation can lead riders into real danger. It's about the thin line between pressing on and pulling back — and the single moment that changed everything.

Thinking about downsizing your adventure bike? In this episode we test the waters with a Suzuki DR350—what it really takes to turn a lightweight, simple machine into a workable mini-adventure bike, the choices (and costs) that actually matter, and a few surprises that show up on both pavement and dirt. We start with durability—mirrors and signals, featuring the Doubletake Mirror origin story with Ned Suesse—and wrap with a technique reality check on small-vs-big from Chris Birch.

ADV-X in Canada turned out to be far more than just another riding event. By the end of the first day, faces were caked in dust, grins were everywhere, and the sense of camaraderie was undeniable. From trail-side fixes and overnight repairs to long mountain days, it was passion in motion—riders looking out for each other and a crew ensuring no one was left behind. Combine a world-class terrain with smart logistics that kept everything seamless, a spirit of fun, and you have an event that showcased the very best of adventure motorcycling in Canada. In this episode, you'll learn how the framework came together from Ryan Austin, instructor and owner of Enduro Park Canada in British Columbia—and hear from riders who lived those moments on the trail.

Modern motorcycles aren't just machines anymore—they're equipped with advanced technology. Ride-by-wire means your throttle hand communicates with a processor instead of a cable, and that computer considers wheel speed, lean angle, traction, braking, and more before deciding how your bike responds. With ride modes, you can adjust your bike's personality for pavement, gravel, mud, or rain—varying power delivery, traction control, ABS, and even suspension. In this Rider Skills episode, Clinton Smout of SMART Riding Adventures explains how understanding ride modes can enhance your safety, control, and enjoyment on every ride.

We all choose our riding gear for comfort, style, and weather protection — trusting that if it's sold as motorcycle gear, it must also keep us safe in a crash. But how much of that trust is based on proof, and how much is just assumption? This week we speak with the head of one of the world's only independent labs that secretly buys gear off the shelf, crash-tests it, and publishes the results. What they've uncovered may completely change the way you think about the gear you've been relying on.

When everything is perfectly organized—routes mapped, fuel stops planned, meals and beds guaranteed—it feels effortless. But the truth is, no matter how tidy the plan, the real world always gets a vote. On short rides, those small interruptions are easy to patch over. Stretch the miles across countries and weeks on the road, though, and the little things start to compound. That's when the first casualty is usually the plan—and what comes next is called the adventure.In this 2017 story, a dozen experienced riders set out to cross South America from Cartagena to Ushuaia, equipped with skills, support vehicles, and a clear plan. But tropical rain, border red tape, shock absorbers that cried uncle, and Patagonian winds forced them to adapt. The journey didn't unfold the way they mapped it—but that's the point. What carries a long trip isn't a perfect plan; it's the flexibility to rewrite it.

Chris Birch returns to Adventure Rider Radio with insights from his brand-new Everything Adventure video training series. This is a deep dive into how adventure riding and training have evolved in the last five years. Chris explains why fundamentals like bike setup and body position matter more than flashy skills, how modern ADV bike design is changing the way we ride, and why so much of what riders learn in a course is quickly forgotten. From fitness as the hidden limiter, to the “fun tokens” mindset, to the balance between digital and in-person training, Chris shares practical lessons and fresh perspectives every rider can take to the trail.About Chris Birch:Chris Birch is one of the most sought-after off-road coaches in the world. With over 35 years of riding experience, he has competed at the highest levels and coached thousands of riders across the globe. Known for his relatable teaching style, Chris focuses on explaining why techniques work, not just telling riders what to do. Through his Say No To Slow coaching program, he helps adventure and enduro riders build skills, confidence, and control on the bike.