Good Moto Books to Cure the Winter Blues

For many of us that time is year is either creeping up or already here. The winter blues! For those of you in the warmer climates that might not really understand what winter truly means, it is days of endless snow or rain that freezes to ice and then leads to more snow build up. Yeah, that’s what we have to deal with. So for those days when you can’t see your trash can any longer due to the amount of snow covering it, you want to sit down, grab a book and nice warm brew and chill.

Funny thing, I typically ride in the winter, but the first sight of unmanageable snow and ice keeps me on 4 wheels instead 2. There are few good books that I have enjoyed over the years during those particular days. Some of these books take you on journeys around the world, some inspire you to do more than you think you can do, while some teach you how to think a different way about what you might already be comfortable doing.

One book I read a few years back was written by a friend, motorcycle journalist, and self-publishing guru, Carla King. The title of the book is “American Borders” and it is set back in 1995. It takes you through the trials and tribulations of Carla’s trip around the USA on a Russian Ural motorcycle. She was lucky enough to be a part of an R&D test that Ural was hosting at the time to prep its world renown sidecar bike for the American market. Her trip lasted about 4 months as she zigzagged in and out of Canada and Mexico during her circumnavigation around the United States. Well this trip sure as hell was not an easy one. From chapter to chapter there were many surprises and even romance along the way. This book has it all!

Another one of my favorites that you could probably finish in a day if the snow isn’t that bad, is “Going Small - A Guide to Lightweight Motorcycle Touring” by author, friend and public speaker Andrew Pain. What intrigued me the most about this book is that most people do argue that “bigger is better”. Andrew is out to prove that that is not true. That “Going Small” has far more benefits and he explains why.The book is jam packed with tips on saving weight, by breaking down packing techniques, cooking techniques and even making camping more simple. For those of you reading this thinking he's crazy, and you got it all figured out already, then I suggest you read “Going Small”. It might introduce you to something that you had never thought of before. It is a book you might want to hang on to, because it will come in handy as you read through some of my other suggestions. Oh and now keep an eye out for "Going Small 2.0".

Check out Amazon.com to buy- photo shared from Amazon

One day I hope to meet this next author and his traveling partner. We have been chatting over social media for a few years and have been intrigued with their travels for longer. This dynamic duo is Ara and his dog Spirit. They travel on a BMW GS1200/ Ural Sidecar rig and their adventures just never seem to end. Pick up a copy of “Freedom on Both Ends of the Leash: A Dog, His Man, Their Journey”, written by Ara Gureghian. Ara explains how the loss of his only son one day and his adaption of Spirit (the dog) a few days later changed his life forever. The book shares all their camping stories around the USA as they get lost in back country while soul searching their way across the horizon on a motorcycle. A great read that would get you through the winter and inspire you for a soul search of your own in the spring.

For those of you that seek adventure that you never want to come to an end, you may want to read an all time classic, called “Jupiter's Travels: Four Years Around the World on a Triumph” by the man Ted Simon. This really is one book most folks have on their shelves or might even be a community book among friends. The book takes you along with Ted as he travels around the world through 45 countries and spends 4 years doing it. He experiences hardships, adventure, and meets all sorts of people along the way. His story takes place in the 1970's during wars and even revolutions. You might want to grab a blanket, a book light and larger cup filled with your favorite drink, because you will find yourself sinking deeper into your reading chair. This book is all inspiring to say the least and you will find yourself getting nothing else done for days on end, until you read it all the way through.

One last book to consider, that you might want to read hand and hand with “Jupiter's Travels”, is the “Adventure Motorcycling Handbook: A Route & Planning Guide”- Chris Scott. You do not have to have an adventure bike to read this. Just a sense for adventure. Chris details his riding journey through many parts of the world. He breaks down what to do and who to look for at borders, where you can find medical help, how to ship your bike to and from. Seriously, this book is packed with endless tips and tricks for travel that he found made his circumnavigation trips much more simple. Of course, there are critics out there that disagree with a lot of what Chris breaks down, but you have to take everything with a grain of salt. In the end, his guide is simply that, a guide. You may want to keep a pen and paper handy or perhaps a highlighter. This book will have you going back to it over and over again, just like Andrew Pain’s book “Going Small”.

Well my friends, I hope this collection of "Good Moto Books to Cure the Winter Blues" gets you through the winter in your neck of the woods. For those of you that never see the snow, I hope you can take the time from all those sunny days to slow down a bit and enjoy them as well. Cheers everyone! Ride safe and ride far!

An Inspiring story of one man, one motorcycle and his mission to bring Suicide awareness to the forefront.

A year ago I was making my way into work one morning. Only that day turned out to be a different morning, which changed my mood for the rest of the day and honestly the next few days there after.

I had just parked and was walking to the main door to scan in. When I saw a guy messing around with a MSR universal windscreen. He was attempting to install it on an old beautiful BMW. I have a huge soft spot for the vintage bikes and if I had the money, I would probably have a garage of vintage BMW, Suzuki, Honda, Indian...well you get the idea. Nonetheless, many of you all know me, I am not that type of person to just walk on by without starting a conversation. This guys had his bike was fully packed up with luggage and I knew he was about to embark on a journey. Only his journey was a life mission.

Photo taken by Chris Michael, visit his blog to see more photos of his bike and the folks he met along the way.

After my evaluation of what was going on I finally had approached him and asked if he needed help. He looked up somewhat happy that someone was there and offering assistance. We got to talking and went through introductions. He said his name was Chris and he was about to start a motorcycle journey consisting of interviews with strangers all around one emotional topic, suicide. More particularly men who lost their fathers to suicide. I was floored! I was not expecting to hear that, usually in my work parking lot I meet folks off to Alaska, or Key West, or just going across country for a ride. Not often do you meet someone on such a heart felt mission for change. It was the type of movement that inspired change.

Chris went on to tell me about his Kick Starter campaign to get this series of interviews funded for and how the Suicide Prevention Association was also supporting his project. He continued with his story as he personally opened up to me that he had lost his father to suicide and the emotion, pain and struggles that brought to his family. He had just recently started coming to terms with it, and began disclosing the truth. He continued saying it was such a struggle to talk about such a topic, most folks just do not want to discuss it. I can understand that, because it seems like you mention suicide and everyone disperses. Knowing this happens, Chris wanted to make it a topic of healing. Which hence drove the passion to want to reach out to other men that had not talked about it, but were really wanting to deep down inside. Chris was amazed at the response he got from folks and the voluntary interviews that just poured in via email or phone.

After such a deep discussion I realized I really had to get in to work to start my day. We managed to get the windscreen installed as he was about to ride up to New York to record his first interview. We exchanged contact information so we could keep in touch. Fast forward to a year later and some emails between then and now, I get an email the other morning from Chris. He writes,

"Well, I just wanted to let you know that I finished the first series of audio interviews and you can read about it here, and hear the episodes at www.fatherlessbysuicide.com."

I hope you all can take the time to listen to these stories, as I have started doing, and open your hearts and mind to the courage it took these men to speak publicly about their fathers and suicide. I will leave you all today with another informational piece taken from Chris's blog regarding Getting Help:

If you need to talk to someone now, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) and you’ll be connected with a trained counselor. They can also connect you to mental health services in your area. The line is available 24/7 and is for people in crisis and those who support people in crisis. 

If you are a Veteran or a family member of a Veteran, you can access specialized crisis services through the
Confidential Veteran's crisis chat. 

If you've lost someone to suicide, you may find the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's resources, stories and local groups helpful.Explore their site and connect with other survivors here.

Riding in the rain, flat out sucks!

Who's a commuter? Who always seems to get stuck in the rain every single time they go out for a ride? Well this blog post is for you!

Some people tend to have that "dark cloud" over them no matter what they do in life. I, like many, have that darn rain cloud over my head no matter how much sunshine is in the sky. Funny to some, not really so much fun when your squeezing a cups worth of water out of your socks. I know, I know, "wear rain gear". Been there, done that...I still get wet. I mean head to toe! I've come to the conclusion that it's the way the water runs off my bikes tank. The only gear I have yet to try out personally is anything lined in Gore-Tex. Only problem with that is, everyone using the product hasn't figured out how to make gear "Harley Exhaust" and forward control friendly. Even Harley has thought to do anything about it either. Maybe one day this will work itself out.

In the meantime, I'm glad I'm not that only idiot that decides to ride in the pouring rain. Stay safe friends!

Photo taken by +Christopher Kraus co-worker at +RevZilla 

"Progressive International Motorcycle Show - NYC, Final Part

Ok, time to wrap this up. Sorry I've been busy with home remodels, custom projects for a car that I haven't had time to finish this blog. Please accept my apology friends. While in New York I got to finally meet +Rachael Fuzzygalore. It was such an honor. We've been chatting on the web for a couple years and she tunes in for +MotoChat when she can. Truly a woman rider that really is inspiring. Anyhow, we got to talking about the show and what was going on, while my buddy Captain Ninja was disagreeing about her love for +Ural Motorcycles . He just didn't get it, "cause they go so slow". lol It was funny! We all have our opinions.

Got to meet another celebrating and motorcycle enthusiast Michael Wolf from American Pickers. Indian Motorcycles invited him to the show as a guest of theirs. Also, if you didn't know Polaris also bought Indian, in addition to Victory. It was kind of funny watching the same guy give us a run down of three different brands of bikes.  

Ducati had a few great bikes and gear on display as well as espresso. The espresso was just as impressive as their line of motorcycles. Truly beautiful bikes, but well out of my price range, well at least for the ones I really want. ;) +ZERO MOTORCYCLES was also at the show and had their sport, adv, off road and city cruiser all on display. They have a mobile app that they developed that allows you to adjust the performance of the bike. Pretty cool feature, nice looking bikes.

Here's some of my favorite custom bikes that were on display all over the showroom floor. Some really sharp bikes!

Before heading out I had to pay a visit to the +MotoGP bikes that were on display. 

Well my friends, that's it for this years show! I'll end it with me sitting on this BMW, boy do I look good on that baby! lol Cheers to you and thanks again for reading this series of posts. 

Progressive International Motorcycle Show - NYC, Part 4

Part 4 leads us to Triumph Motorcycles. I couldn't wait to check out this part of the press tour. A few of my friends on Google ride them and love them. Riders like +Rachael Fuzzygalore and +Wayne Fields. For most enthusiasts we all know that Triumph is giving BMW ADV riders a run for their money. BMW has been holding the #1 spot for a while, but you can't ignore the Triumph ADV collection. The New Tiger 800/880XC or the Explorer are perfect for the road and off-road experience. The Explorer is packed with 1215cc of power, liquid cooled 12 valve and shaft drive. Switchable ABS, 57 estimated highway miles. Starting at $15,699, I'll take one please! But don't think Triumph has forgotten about their cruiser riders. That's one thing they reminded us at the show by introducing a bagger! Yes, a Bagger! Pretty sweet bike. The sad part is I can't find any info on it. I'll have to dig further in to the press kit and do an update to this blog later.

Progressive International Motorcycle Show - NYC, Part 3

Part 3 continues with Can-Am an innovative new way to ride on three wheels. You can believe what you hear, but you can't dismiss what your eyes see. These bikes are super sporty, comfortable for the long haul and come with tons of accessory options. The cooper and black model is the Spyder RS-S. This is a high performance model with 15 in Carbon black wheels, tons of cargo space, LED lights and this baby is one hell of a bad ass. I know, I know.."it's got 3 wheels". I've heard many say that and so have you. Let's put aside our differences and just look at the bike. We all want the same thing out of riding motorcycles and that's wind in our hair and adventure! We're taught to not judge each other in life when it comes to other things, so don't judge a riders choice of putting 3 wheels in motion versus 2.

Let's get to Victory Motorcycles, aka another American made motorcycle. These guys had a few surprises waiting for us. Victory revealed two special bikes at the show. The first one is Victory's 15th Anniversary touring bike. Only 150 of them were made and the cost for one of them is around $29k.

The next surprise had to do with Cory Ness of Arlen Ness Customs. He designed this Victory Arlen Ness Cross Country Custom that supports the National Motorcycle Museum. You can actually win this bike by donating to the museum.It's packed with 106 cubic inches of power. There's just too much on this bike to list. 

Progressive International Motorcycle Show - NYC, Part 2

Here we go, part 2 leads us to Kawasaki! One bike I couldn't wait to check out was the KLR. 651cc four-stroke, DOHC, four-valve single engine, 5-speed, chain drive, liquid cooled and so much more. This baby is the bad ass that will take on the trail and show you a good time. You'll forget what riding on the street feels like, although this is a street friendly bike. I test road the 2011 model last year and did about 80 mph on the highway. Kind of scary, but still fun! Black, green or yellow are the hot colors for 2013.

If you're more of a cruiser type of rider. The new Valcun line is nothing to dismiss at all. The stock seats are far more comfortable than any Harley Davidson I've ever sat on. The less chrome look is really an eye catcher as well. Less maintenance and more time riding. Serious competition for a more affordable cost.    

Had to save the best for last....the famous Ninja family. Boy are these bikes just sharp. I seriously wanted to ride one off the showroom floor...catch me if you can. One really interesting thing that I personally would have never thought to do with a Ninja is add hard bags to it. I don't know about you, but more than 5hrs on these things and your butt is a goner. You can ask my buddy Louis Clegg about that day! lol Anyhow, the bikes have adjustable windshields, which I thought was really cool feature for when weather changes up on you. Speed, ABS, liquid cooled, from 250cc to 1000cc....the Ninja is indeed still the Captain of the road for sport bikes. Now with a touring luggage option....smh still.  

Progressive International Motorcycle Show - NYC, Part 1

I was lucky enough to score a couple press passes to attend the Progressive International Motorcycle Shows Press Day at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan, New York on January 18th on behalf of MotoChat . I invited along a dear friend who's a New York native, writer and producer, the one and only Ms Jeri Klein. On a side note, we were also secretly shopping for a new motorcycle for her. Did we find one....you'll have to read on to find out.

At 9am the Press was taken on a tour to meet and get introduced to the new line of motorcycles that all the major dealership had at the show. While on this tour, I was accompanied by another dear friend, Marjorie Kleiman, aka Shadow, editor of Thunder Press Magazine  and was also able to finally able to meet Lance Lau of Maverick Moto Media. 

The tour for me started at Honda Powersports (I was late and missed the BMW intros, but stay tuned for those bikes). The first bike that caught my eye was the NC700x (of course). We had a month long special about this bike on MotoChatTV. My co-host J. Brandon was part of the Cycle World NC700x Challenge. (You can find out more about the challenge via our YouTube Channel.) It was awesome to finally see, feel, touch and sit on it. The NC700x is truly a great bike for the money. At under 7k, it's a steal and so are many of the other bikes Honda had to offer. The CBR collection of bikes have truly kept up to the Honda standard. Sharp looking, comfortable, and fast is still part of the package when it comes to these bikes. The CBR600RR features a new front suspension with 12-spoke aluminum wheels and to finish off with C-ABS. For you off-road enthusiasts the CRF250L is calling your name. Fuel injected single-cylinder engine, electric starter, comfortable sitting and very affordable at the pump. The CB1100 was one sharp bike. If you love cafe racer style riding or just cruisers, you'll love this bike. It has an 1140cc Transverse-Four engine, which is pact with power and gives you a nice smooth ride.