Motorcycle Misadventures

A talk with AMA's Tigra Tsujikawa on the 2012 Women & Motorcycling Conference

On Tuesday, January 24 on SideStandUp motorcycle radio I look forward to talking with, Tigra Tsujikawa, Marketing Manager for the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) about the women's conference.  She has worked in the powersports industry for 12 years, including the last 3 and half with the AMA. (More info under the picture.) 

 

With 26 years of street riding complemented by eight years of off-road, dual sport, and desert racing, Tsujikawa brings a rider’s view to her projects and programs.  

Tsujikawa’s focus in 2012 is on the AMA International Women and Motorcycling Conference, July 26-29 in Carson City, Nev.  This will be the second such conference that she has managed, leveraging her love motorcycling and enthusiasm for women riders with her work with various women’s clubs and women leaders in the industry.

Join me on Tuesday, January 24 on SideStandUp motorcycle radio. Tune in early and participate in the lively chat room! 

 

 

Report from Horizons Unlimited California Travellers Meeting 2011

 Just back from the Horizons Unlimited Travellers meeting in Cambria, California and a friend told me, "You're glowing!" Yes, I am, because there is nothing like being among people who don't think you're crazy for planning to pack up and head down through Mexico and Central America to South America on a long camping trip because you have been invited to visit a friend who lives in Chile -- who I happened to meet at the last HU travelers meeting.

See the Misadventures Media Facebook page for photos of the weekend HU meeting. Again this year I met many people I'd only known by reputation or online, and reconnected with motorcycle traveling friends, and met many new friends I look forward to staying connected with. Here's a quick rundown of a few you'll enjoy following through their blogs, books and articles.

Sherri Jo Wilkins is a belle on a bike who is smack in the middle of a world tour on a KTM. Her duct-taped windscreen is a souvenier from Russia, why bother to get a new one, it works fine, and all those memories! 

Zig Kaluzny is a professional photographer (People, Forbes, etc.) who shares his pro tips with us even if it does mean riding with one hand and letting rocks ding your lens. He also shared his system for traveling light  - really great advice - and his experiences riding around the world. A true bon vivant and okay, an incorrigible flirt.

Speaking of incorrigible, Gregory Frazier  rode his KLR up and brought his new book Motorcycle Adventurer, Carl Stearns Clandy: First Motorcyclist to Ride Around the World 1912-1913. I guess after riding around the world five times now he figured he could settle down and learn about the guy who pioneered his passion. It's a great trip back in history, Greg has been researching this book for years.

The array of motorcycles was stunning, all the usual suspects from KLRs to GSs and KTMs and DR650s and VStroms and even Harley-Davidsons including not one but two huge Harleys that have visited more countries than any other bike in the group. Go figure! That would be Peter & Kay Forwood from Australia (193 countries) and Tim Bussy who wrote this great story about his world travels. 

As always, it's fun to connect with Moto Adventure Gal Alisa Clikenger, who presented on South America. She's been writing for Adventure Motorcycle magazine too - check it out. Editor Paul Smith and contributor Nicole Espinosa, aka Nicomama of RuggedRider.com were there, too. Paul is test riding the new Yamaha Tenere adventure motorcycle, so far so good, he says, heavy, but on the bottom end, so it doesn't have that GS1200 top-heavy feel. Don't quote me on that. Nicomama did some magical demos with home-dehydrated food (lighter, healthier, packable!) and just-add-water or heat ready-to-eat stuff from Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. Yum! 

The last night of the event Clement Salvadori gave a great slide presentation of the off-road Continental Divide ride, and then Ted Simon closed it out with a wrap-up of his world journeys including a narrated video slide show of Jupiter's Travels.

Next morning there were a few more presentations and then parade of travelers on two wheels rolled out, some of them in newly-formed groups to camp in Yosemite, or zoom to Malibu, or up to the San Francisco Bay Area where the October sunshine beckons. Those of us in the SF Bay Area have promised to get together for a mini-Horizons Unlimited meeting soon.

The grounds were stellar. Camp Ocean Pines is by the sea, and has lots of bunkhouses and tent spaces, a big mess house and good presentation rooms. There are also some nice motels and B&B's around, it being a tourist destination and all. I think I heard Grant say that they'll need to cap the event at 300 participants next year. The weather was sunny on Friday, foggy on Saturday (the day we were mostly inside with the presentations), and sunny again on Sunday for the ride out. Yay! Those who are camping sleep to the sound of the waves and the sea lions barking. Since October is mostly sunny on the coast we'll hope for nice weather again in 2012. Sign up early, I know it's going to fill up.

Also, you gotta love a crowd who doesn't scold you for buying a Guzzi Cruiser when you were really shopping for an adventure bike, and furthermore completely understand how that when that engine turned over your heart did, too. And who can have too many motorcycles, anyway? Jonathan Ehly of Xpedition Tech may have convinced me that the BMW R100 should be my next bike. It's carbeurated, air cooled, light, maneuverable, a great ride to South America, which is maybe my next trip. Maybe. Unless it's Mongolia. 

Well, we'll see. And I hope to see you next year at an HU meeting somewhere!

 

World-Traveling motorcyclists learn how to fix it, cook it, and jump it at California campout

The latest from Horizons Unlimited - please share with your lists!

WORLD-TRAVELING MOTORCYCLISTS LEARN HOW TO FIX IT, COOK IT, AND JUMP IT AT CALIFORNIA CAMPOUT

Riding Skills, First Aid, Roadside Repair, Camping, and Cooking on the Menu in Cambria

Cambria, CA -- September 2, 2011 – Motorcycle travelers meet, learn, and become inspired by sharing stories, skills, companionship and encouragement at the California meeting to be held at Camp Ocean Pines in Cambria, California, October 14-16, 2011.

"A lot of industry professionals live California, so we have the benefit of first class education at this Horizon's Unlimited meeting," says Grant Johnson. "Riding clinics include off-roading by Coach2Ride leaders Bonnie Warch and Andrea Beach, Molly Marti's leads a hands-on emergency first-aid clinic, and Chris Sidah's "farmer fix," workshop to show riders how to get themselves at least limping into the next town. Plus Nicole Espinoza of Rugged Rider will be there to showcase dual-sport accessories, camping equipment, and provide tips and tricks for dual-sport newbies and experts alike.

Participants come to HorizonsUnlimited Travelers meetings for inspiration from people like themselves who present slideshows of recent travels across the state or around the world, and to rub elbows with motorcycling celebs, like Ted Simon, author of Jupiter's Travels; Gregory Frazier, five-time RTW motorcyclist and author, Clement Salvadori, celebrated columnist and travel book author, and Carla King, author of the Motorcycle Misadventures series.

Horizons Unlimited travelers meetings are held around the world by Grant and Susan Johnson, founders of the vast HorizonsUnlimited.com web resource for motorcycle travelers, and accomplished world travelers themselves. "This year's location in Cambria was chosen in order to reach riders from both Northern and Southern California as well as travelers riding through on the ever-popular Pacific Coast Highway," says Johnson. "Camp Ocean Pines is set on 13 acres by the sea, and offers cabins and a vast camping area. Participants don't even have to cook as the event offers meals packages of up to three meals a day."

Over 200 motorcycle travelers and aspiring motorcycle travelers can be accommodated, and if other meetings are any indication, the display of participants' touring-outfitted motorcycles and packing systems will be worth the price of admission itself. Campers are constantly entertained and educated by impromptu demos of stoves, tents, GPS units, clothing, tank bags, panniers, lights, locks, and bike modifications.

"But most of all, you can meet people who don't think you're crazy for wanting to ride your bike to South America or Africa or across Asia, or even around the world," says Johnson. "People get to share experiences and advice on how to do it and, who knows, maybe they’ll meet each other again in Mongolia or Timbuktu. "

ABOUT HORIZONSUNLIMTED.COM

First created in 1997, with the addition of the HUBB and E-zine in 1999 and 2000, HorizonsUnlimited.com site has become the most relied-upon resource for thousands of motorcycle travelers around the world. The site has over 9,000 pages of superb content and gorgeous photos, not including the HUBB, which has over 48,000 threads, 300,000 posts and over 900,000 user sessions per month. 

LINKS

·         Details and Registration

·         About the HU Meetings

·         HU 2011 California Poster

·         Hi-Res Images from Past Meetings

·         Horizons Unlimited in the News

·         Photo Highlights from Grant & Susan Johnson's 11 year, 39 country, 5 continent, 100,000 km journey

 

 

Ride the Redwood Highway with Ted Simon, me, and lots of other friends

Sunday, August 28, 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Ride the Redwood Highway with Ted Simon
US-101 and CA-162 Northern California starting in Benbow

Ride with Ted Simon on Sunday, August 28th, for a celebratory motorcycle ride down the iconic Redwood Highway in northern California.

Every day is a good day for riding with friends through beautiful scenery, but August 28th will be a particularly special one. The ride is a combined celebration of Ted Simon's 80th birthday back in May, the long-awaited completion of his new book "Rolling Through the Isles," and the launch of the Foundation in his name. A memorable way to enjoy some northern Californian roads, it will also be an opportunity to talk to Ted about his vision for the Foundation and Jupiter's Travellers.

Starting from Benbow at 12pm (not 2pm as originally advertised), the route will follow the stunning Redwood Highway (US-101) south for around 50 miles to Longvale, before turning north east on to CA-162 for a further 30 twisty miles towards Ted's home town of Covelo.

If you'd like to be part of the ride, please click the I'm Attending button on the event's Facebook page to register your attendance.

Motorcycles only please. Rendezvous locations and other information will be made available nearer to the date. Keep updated on the Facebook page:  Ride the Redwood Highway with Ted Simon

Tonight! A Talk with Grant Johnson, Horizons Unlimited Adventure Motorcycle Travel Site & Meetings

Please join me for a conversation Horizons Unlimited founder Grant Johnson. We'll talk about upcoming travellers meetings, the DVD set to inspire and equip travellers for motorcycle adventure travel, the HU blog and forum for stories, information, and inspiration.

Grant and his wife Susan founded Horizons Unlimited years ago, and started hosting travellers meetings all around the world. I met them at the California meeting last year when I rode a Kawasaki KLR up to test it out in beautiful, rugged Humbolt County. See SidestandUp.com archives for March 23 2010 Episode 168 for my talk with Grant about the meeting, and about HU and how they came to found it.

I met up with Grant and Susan last month at the Overland Expo and found we have a lot more to talk about. At the expo Grant did his famous tire changing demo -- you'd think we'd all know how to do this by now but wow, the tips and skills he passes on about this and roadside repairs are really invaluable.

So join us online or by phone to listen to SidestandUp motorcycle radio this evening (or afternoon if you're on Pacific Time. We'll  on for 1/2 hour during the show between 7:00 and 9pm ET scheduled for 8:10 specifically (but be patient if we slip. Log-in to the live chat room which I monitor to pass your questions on to Grant.

A Conversation with Grant Johnson
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
7:00 - 9:00 ET
SidestandUp Motorcycle Radio

Also on this show:

Roger "keep'n it safe" Wiles In this month’s conversation about safer and more proficient riding, Roger Wiles will interview Don Braash, president of the BMW MOA Foundation; the Foundation, a 501(c)3 public educational foundation, support the Rider Performance University activities of the BMW MOA, as well as sponsoring Camp GEARS (Gaining Early Advanced Riding Skills). Camp GEARS is a multi-day riding, learning and socializing opportunity for young riders age 16-26, and takes place before and during the 39th International Rally of the BMW MOA in Bloomsburg PA, third week in July. Don, and possibly some additional guests, will discuss the activities, opportunities and participation in this year’s Camp GEARS. It’s open to ALL riders, any brand, and best of all, it’s free. Learn more about this exciting opportunity, and how you, or a young rider you know, can take part in Camp GEARS.

The Trials Training Center (TTC) is an all-inclusive motorcycle resort. We have everything you need for a great motorcycle vacation, including on-site camping, rental bikes, riding gear, and experienced, expert, patient riding instructors. Here you can learn motorcycle riding skills in a low-pressure, safe and fun off-road environment. Our specialty is motorcycle trials, but we teach riding skills to all levels on both trials and conventional off-road bikes. Stay at our campground and ride on our beautiful, 650 acre mountain property. Or enjoy a dual sport or street ride in the surrounding Sequatchie Valley.

Tonight! A talk with Liz Jansen, International Women Riders Congress and Festival

Tonight on SideStand Up at 7:50 Eastern Time I'll be talking with Liz Jansen, owner of Trillium Motorcycle Tours and Chair of the Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada. We'll discuss the first International Women Riders Congress and Festival held last month in Huntsville, Ontario. Inspired by the 2009 American Women in Motorcycling conference held in Keystone Colorado, Liz teamed up with five other women to form the Canadian-based Women Riders Council and set about planning the conference. We'll get a recap of the event  --  the location, seminars, guided rides, demo rides, activities, attendees -- and plans for the future. Liz is on the road, so maybe we'll talk about her travels if we have time.

Also on the program tonight, the show starts at 7pm Eastern Time so tune in to catch it all:

• Do you have what it takes to be the new Va Va Vroom Girl? Denise Maple will be here tonight to let you know what it'll take.
• Ted Moyer with the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America is back with an update of MOA happenings and events.
• Tim Keel of Two Brothers Tires put a new set of skins on Tom's machine on his way to Colorado.  Tim and Tom willl be comparing notes on the new Pilot 2'z. 
• Tom is back on the east bank and he'll be talking about his latest ride west. The roads, the setbacks, and the weather Tom will being telling all.  

Join us live on the air and in the lively chat room.

Keep an eye on www.sidestandup.com for whats new and sponsor discounts.

Adventure Sidecar Classes and Tours

 Adventure sidecar classes (S/TEP) and tours in the Pacific Northwest 2010, from Adventure Sidecar.

Novice S/TEP class the following weekends:
    May 14, 15 & 16
    June 11, 12 & 13
    August 27, 28 & 29

These classes cover basic sidecar motorcycle operation and riding skills with and without a passenger. This is what you need to learn to corner with confidence cope with the unexpected challenges that traffic and road conditions present.

The registration fee is $260. Class is limited to a maximum of 12 students. Sidecars are available for use in the Novice Class at no extra charge.

Sidecar Skills Mini Tour Weekend Package - $550 - Sidecars are not included in price

July 16~18, 2010 Western Columbia Gorge Mini Tour

September 17~19, 2010 Eastern Columbia Gorge Mini Tour

You can bring your own rig or rent one of theirs. There will only be a very limited number of rental sidecars available and the mini tour will be kept to a small group to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience.

The Sidecar Skills Mini Tour is geared towards folks that already have some experience or training. Friday evening and Saturday morning is the Advanced S/TEP class. They will brush up on technique and work towards perfection during the Advanced S/TEP class, then apply it during the rides Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday. The routes will be a mixture of highway and secondary roads with some gravel and dirt roads as well, touring the spectacular Columbia River Gorge and surrounding mountains.

Visit Adventure Sidecar.

More on sidecars in China

Awesome. In the second part of the show about Riding in China Jim and Bill talk about my 1998 trip in China, and the second trip last year with Teresa and Diny - 1st 5 minutes.

Free Roadside Assistance with AMA Membership

I enjoy the benefits of being an AMA member, and as a member I can make my voice heard on issues I care about. Now they're offering a great deal: AMA Roadside Assistance with American Motorcyclist Association membership. Click here to take advantage of it.

Encourage Motorcycle Racing Class for Women by AFM

American Federation of Motorcyclists members have proposed adding a women's motorcycle racing class. AFM is one of the oldest and most prestigious local roadracing clubs in the country. They say that in 2008 there were only 7 women racing with the AFM compared to around two or three hundred men. Based on the conversations they've had in the community, it is their belief that the creation of an AFM women's class will help bring more women to the track. Do you agree? To add your name to the list of supporters, go here.

Thanks to Leslie Kaye of UrbanMoto for this info.