Robin: Hey everybody, I am Robin Dean and I'm Travis Burleson and this is the riding obsession podcast Today we'll be discussing mirror mounts baking your headlamp in an oven Heat guns the site's new authorship profit sharing and many many shifts in the motorcycle industry. I'll make mention that we're Always looking for sponsors for this podcast Sponsors are given three focused mentions toward the start middle and end of their designated episode Their contributions are put towards bettering the program's content and recording equipment

Travis: If you're not in need of advertising, but are willing to donate it's worth noting that we're always accepting contributions via PayPal Our beggars email is easy enough to remember. It's donate at TRO Dot email that's TRO for the riding obsession dot email. So Robin, how's your month gone? Have you been doing anything in the the depths of January here for motorcycling?

Robin: It started off I added independent mirror mounts to get the y-axis make it more adjustable for my wife's 2016 Street triple-r Which was surprisingly challenging who knew that adding three, you know Three quarters inch to each side of the handlebars would be such a hassle bar ends are always an option But they don't really open up the view as well as the stock mirror. So in the end it was worth it I'm still piecing back together the hot GT. I've Re-bedlined it's 919 headlight rim. That's a headlamp that is compatible with the bike from a different one Swap to turn signal that was broken replaces GV bikini fairing took the plastics in for paint But got this new GPS speedometer from speedhut.com It just arrived it took twice as long as it was supposed to because of the holiday season really there was a high demand for them I'm still building the mental momentum required to start getting it connected plus some minor fab work That'll be required so that it fits into the stock gauge But I'm have to bore it out a little bit Finally worked up the gumption to clean my bandits headlight housing had to pull the assembly put it in the oven at 212 degrees Fahrenheit. That's 100 degrees Celsius even for 15 minutes peel back the glue holding the lens on clean everything out Introduce a new concept to Suzuki, which is called clear RTV silicone Put the parts back in order bake it again for 15 minutes Back together before melt bending the clips over their respective glue and supports Something about taking on a test like that opens the floodgates to confidence, you know needed to tackle other tasks So there was a deep gouge in my windscreen that I've not yet remedied But the the smaller scratches around are completely gone I watched a few YouTube vids bought a heat gun and carefully carefully despite advice from friends all around carefully heated up the windshield and Creased away the damage to where it's almost as good as new other than that. I enjoyed hanging out for your garage night I got to see good friends made new friends at your place your buddy He's gonna be joining us for our very first guided tour throughout America's new heartland and the Blue Ridge Parkway. What about you?

Travis: Yeah, that garage night was a lot of fun We did the the valves on the DRZ side Ordered the the shims and did that got to do some shim under bucket valve work while Robin got drunk and spilled beer on everyone's motorcycles. I like to spill the beer Yeah, cuz my friend Jeff Came over who rides he rides all winter up here in Madison And he has a couple of BMW Dak cars that he rides and he came over and his chain was was in pretty rough shape And we took a look at it and the master link had literally disintegrated the the bushing The book the pin had come out and the bushing who had just when he took it off. It's crumbled in my hand It's like yeah, that that's bad. So luckily the Chain, I had laying around for my DRZ fit on a spare chain that I had laying around for my DRZ fit his Dak car Perfectly, so give that to him and got him got him back on the road He also came over the other day and we just did oil change and brake fluid and stuff on the bike for him So probably do time for that guy.

Robin: He seems adventurously indifferent to certain tasks with the motorcycle, you know, it'll last it's not a problem

Travis: Yeah, I mean, that's I mean, I think that there's just that's the mindset you have to have if you're riding in the in the winter Yeah, so that's going along and I've been toying with trying to get the DRZ out a little more over the winter Was thinking about maybe studying up some tires, but it seems like to get decent studs, you know You're gonna pay a hundred and some dollars just for the studs and then time to put them in or set of tires to put Them into so I don't know if I'll get around to it this winter just with the the current budget as it sits Other projects are repainting the tank on the the big one The cb1000 yeah, my 94 Honda cb1000 the You know, I bought it off some creepy old dude and the paint. I was in really bad shape.

Robin: It was a Craigslist Bye.

Travis: Yeah, I mean I could see you could kind of like someone had rattle can over where the tank had peeled and bubble And it had just gotten, you know sun damage from sitting outside and you could just scrape it off for like your thumbnail It was so I'm hitting it with a wire wheel and taking it down to bare metal and then I'm gonna figure out some way to do a decent rattle can job. It seems like there's a couple options out there I'm thinking to go with epoxy enamel seems like it's pretty durable And if worse comes to worse, I'll just bed liner it If it doesn't work just throw some bed liner bed liner will work not quite the look I'm going I want to go for but it's better than the way it currently is bed liner so easy

Robin: I like bed liner just because you know for the for like the hot GT then I wouldn't head the 919 headlight has a chrome Rim, and that looks good on a 919 on the hot GT. It just doesn't look right. So yeah, man Bedliners the ultimate fallback.

Travis: Yeah, just you know, and it's super super tough So I'll probably actually do the underside of the tank and in the bed liner. Anyway, I also bought a new jacket from motorcycle Gear.com Yeah, we're gonna come the formerly new enough the they tend to buy Remaining stock out at the end of the year and do closeouts for a really good price So I got a tour master Lawndale, which is a nice full full leather jacket Buffalo Buffalo hide leather Have an old man jacket. So the three-quarter cut with the four pockets the four accordion pockets on the front But it kind of works for me and I wanted something that would be a good You know 70% off bike leather jacket because my my current winter jacket has started to tear and the zipper went bad on it So that's cool for the three-quarter ones.

Robin: They should make a helmet that's shaped like one of those camping Sun hats It's completely not approved.

Travis: Yeah, it looks like my my old man like dirty flat cap, you know, yeah But yeah, I mean, I like it. It's really it fits really nice and it You does not have it has pockets for armor But didn't come with armor and I put some armor in it and it seemed to not really bulk up too much So like if you're going somewhere and going to be wearing the jacket It's nice to not be wearing like your robo cop armor all the time. Nice I've just been wearing as my winter jacket and it's been great.

Robin: I Can dig that I actually just did the same and it's not just my waist but I've ever since I've started wearing better armor and heated gear underneath my My outfit I had to go up a size in my preferred one my preferred jacket pant combo Which is that Siddiqui the Alexei three? I thought it was pronounced Alexei, but it's Alexei the Siddiqui Alexei three Which is what I've been wearing for the past many years and I don't know I just I like that particular setup, but I had to go bigger just so I could fit everything into it. That's what she said That I'm gonna leave in there. I'm keeping that one.

Travis: Okay good Yeah, but that's about it right now for for motorcycle Related garage time. I'm just gonna keep plugging away on getting that tank stripped and painted and then here we go from there nice Yeah, no, we can take a look here I'll hand back over to you Robin and you can let us know what's going on with the web the website at the Ryan obsession

Robin: calm a lot of Recent changes for starters We fixed another weather page bug whereby the page kept reloading over and over and over and over again Also, the hours were really weird for the peak writing opportunity, you know based on the high temperatures and all that stuff It was the time zone offsets Basically, they needed to compensate for the server being in Los Angeles when comparing temperatures from our weather resource API I added a login and logout link to the primary site navigation that are members So look for that probably the biggest update our decision to start sharing the site profits in hopes of convincing fellow sport touring motorcycle enthusiasts to Write about writing in essence you submit new post content Assuming we decide to publish your article you keep two-thirds of your earnings That's two-thirds of your affiliate commissions two-thirds of your map sales and two-thirds of your percentage authorship in Relation to our most recent inline advertising income namely Adsense Margaret Dean is writing our month-end newsletter visit the site to sign up this month's articles cover compact first-aid trauma and rescue kits Renting workspace for all of your project needs liberating your mirrors on a 2016 Triumph Street triple R that was something about above the pocket bellow, which is a telescopic fire starting element That's great for moto camping the triple nickel state route 555 points of interest Silencing your motorbikes plastic parts when they vibrate against each other at rev Michelin Pilot Road Series motorcycle tires sport touring solutions for short riders namely lowering mods for bigger ST bikes and Reasons you should take the MSF. That's the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's advanced rider course. That is it now. It's time to move on to our guest interview This month's interview features Becky kiddo a motorcycle enthusiast who works for Ingleheart Motorsports and has been organizing events centered around women motorcyclists

Travis: So

Becky: We'll start at the beginning, how did you get into motorcycling so I was dating a man who had a 15 year old daughter and She wanted to take the class, but she didn't want to take it with her dad And so she's like Becky take it with me. I'm like, I sure I'll do that, but I'm never going to ride I'm completely comfortable being a passenger. I am I don't want a bike. That's ridiculous And then I took the Madison College course and we got on the bikes and we drove five feet and I went oh my god I need a bike this weekend. I have five hundred dollars. What can I get and she drove that five feet and she went I'll finish what I started She's never had a bike and over it over the ten years that it's been and I have never not had a bike in that time We did it was it just really changed everything for me I tried to ride on back a few times after that, you know, cuz I had a little bike. It was very tired worn-out 1977 KZ 400 and it wouldn't do 55 miles an hour Okay, so that limited how far I could go and so I tried riding on back a couple of times and then I just start critiquing The person driving I'd be like, oh, well, I would be on the brakes harder I'd be in this gear and I'm like, oh I should just never be a passenger again So very rarely do I ever ride on back anymore, so that's kind of how it all started how long ago is that? Almost 12 years now.

Travis: Okay So as an you're an adult.

Becky: Yes. I was in my 30s before I Tackled getting a motorcycle. I'd wanted to for a brief moment when I was like 25 or 26 But I had kids and school and life was going I was very busy person So I just there wasn't time. Yeah, my lifestyle wasn't conducive to having a bike So now the kids are grown and my oldest actually just got her motorcycle lacing this fall So we'll be looking for a bike for her this year That's pretty exciting

Travis: Does she does she have a predilection towards like cruisers or she want a sport bike or she really would love the new Triumph

Becky: Street, okay, because I bought the Bonneville T120 this year It's my very first Brand new motorcycle and I brought it home and she'd never wanted to write on back of any of my bikes And I brought the Bonneville home. I'd not even ridden it yet And she's like well, I'll ride on that So my first ride on my new bike was with her as a passenger And I think about two weeks of riding with me off and on she was just like mom Can I get my license and I'm like sure so she actually has her motorcycle endorsements, but does not have her car drivers license She's never gotten those so in Wisconsin, you can do that.

Travis: Oh nice.

Becky: I didn't know that until she took the class That's pretty cool.

Travis: So that's and then used to so we started out with the KZ and then Got tired of fixing a bike that didn't run right all the time

Becky: Well, it just didn't go fast enough like it at you know, it was a 77 so it didn't have a lot I mean It was a great bike to learn on because I mean the throttle did not ever Get away from you because you could give it all the throttle you want and nothing really happened But there are a couple times where I'd accidentally got on the interstate where so 78 up by Portage Turns into the interstate and I didn't know that and all of a sudden I'm on a bike that really tops out about 53 miles an hour and everybody's zooming past me at 80 or 90 And that was pretty terrifying and that's when I was like I needed I need a bike that can at least do highway speeds

Travis: Yeah, I think everyone has that that moment Away if I actually want to go somewhere Yeah, Laurel had the same thing with her Nighthawk 250 I'm like I need to get on interstate 30 and I can't do it with this bike.

Becky: I'm a danger to myself and others then I went to a 87 Honda CBR it was an f3 still carbureted. I believe It had been totaled without the title being totaled that that was a whole nightmare but I rebuilt the bike put it together and Drove that for two seasons. All right, so it's like a CBR 600 600 so it's my first sport bike which I was terrified of but I learned a lot with that bike Like how to ride at 65 miles an hour. I was like, oh my god, I'm going so fast. I'm going to die I remember it clearly It was on our way on a trip. We were going on our first several state trip So it's the first time I actually did interstate speed was on the beginning of the trip when you were going to be doing it Yes Hey, jump right?

Travis: Yeah, go ahead first. That's the way to do it Yeah, you're come up if you come up the other end you come out knowing what you're doing.

Becky: Yeah Then I had a Suzuki jigsaw for a little bit that for two years and now then I've got the Daytona 675 Primarily sport bikes. So the Bonneville was a really nice addition to kind of Offset gives me another something comfortable Because you could do a long day highway on that Yeah, it's easy to pop the windscreen on and off of it. I don't have one yet I'm planning my first long trip this year on the Bonneville. Okay, probably out to New York State Like up like upstate or Yes, I guess anything that's not New York City is upstate isn't it pretty much upstate or West State?

Travis: Okay, great as a female rider Getting flack for wanting to ride motorcycles or like when you first started learning. Is there a lot of man-sweeney?

Becky: Well, definitely there's a lot of that most of the most of my experience is all riding with men So in the beginning they took me under their wing and tried to help me and teach me things Very protective, you know, like I don't know I always felt like they hovered a lot and then when I started riding sport bikes a little more aggressively There is just a different experience with that too I would think guys would say well I better I better up my game because Becky's getting as fast as I am and things like that and it's like, you know Yeah, I'm getting faster, but you can stay slow. I'd like to go around you So there's some of that I Get a lot of that. I've done some track days and so there was some of you know, some of that at track days, too Well, you're doing great, but don't really they don't I don't always get Feedback. I need to improve my skills So that's why I'm at a track day event is so that I can improve on how to do things I don't always feel like I get that feedback and I think that if I was another guy I might get different feedback

Travis: Yeah, do you think that's because they like you're kind of a little sister like you're just like, oh, well, whatever this girl or is it more like They they don't think you're serious

Becky: I don't think they think I'm as serious as like I am or like they just like don't want to hurt your feelings There might be that tip my first crash Was at a racetrack and they were very gentle and kind and they said a lot of things to make me not You know because I think they were afraid that having a crash at the racetrack that I may not go back or I may not ride Again, and so they gave me a reason why I crashed And so then when I was on the street, I actually did the exact same thing again I got I came up to a corner thought I was going too fast grabbed a whole bunch of brake Target that says that apex and they crashed in the low side. So the second time I did it I was riding with someone and We got back to my house and they're like, are you ready for the hard truth? I'm like, yes Then I did a couple deep breaths. I was like, oh this is gonna hurt, you know, it's like that band-aid He's like, well, this is what you did you target fixate and you grab the brakes you locked up you washed out your front and you crashed Don't do that And so, you know whenever I've come up to a corner now and I'm like, oh gosh I'll be like don't touch that brake and look through the turn and I haven't crashed Yeah, so it's like, you know, they the first time they were trying to be gentle to not discourage me But then because they weren't honest with me. I got to do this thing crash again That was a disservice to me Yeah, it's a harder way to learn that and getting your feelings heard the first time, right? They could have said, you know, this is what I saw you do and it's okay. A lot of people do it That's not an unusual experience, you know, you're not alone people crash like this all the time I think that would have been a little more helpful Yeah, so then how did you start working in?

Travis: I mean you work for a motorcycle dealership.

Becky: Mm-hmm. I My partner works there and I would bring him coffee I was working as a food and beverage manager And so I'd bring him a coffee on my I was doing split shifts a lot And I talked to the owner and they brought it and he's like I bet he's a sport bike rider That's all she does right and they got in a Bonneville with a sidecar and I lost my mind I was like, oh my god, that's amazing And we got to take it before the weekend and I really had too much fun I just I think sidecars are super cool. I totally geek out on him So then he's like, well, I wonder if Becky would think about working here. So I interviewed and I've been there now I just celebrated two years. Okay last year. I was salesperson of the year So I seem to have a knack for it and I enjoy it immensely That's a lot of fun finding the right motorcycle for somebody is really it's it's really a fun process As long as they're open-minded. I love that when they come in and you're like, I'm not sure I'm like sit on everything This is this is the cool part. We'll narrow it down and then it's like a hunt and then it's like we found it And it's that's just exciting. I get to see like a 50 year old man like a kid in a candy store Oh, yes all the time Sometimes I forget that, you know, all the bikes we have are so incredibly cool, you know, you forget that. Oh my gosh Oh, that's just a super Duke. Well, no, that's a super Duke, you know, it's like oh I forgot that that's a super Not everyone gets to ride one of those which by the way, it was fantastic

Travis: Do you find it's hard then to sort of have that enthusiasm like for like a ninja 250 or something when someone comes in or You don't ride cruisers But if someone comes in looking for a cruiser that you have to really kind of expand your horizons To get that knowledge base to sell someone a cruiser if that's what they're looking for help them narrow down there

Becky: I think what really helped me with that was all these different types of motorcycles are designed to do a job and It's like saying oh, I I needed this tool to do this job a hammer is a great tool, but it doesn't do all jobs just like a sport bike is a great tool if you want to Go around a racetrack or if you want to dig into some corners or if you want to go into the mountains a BMW She has 650 or 1200 is a fantastic motorcycle for that, but you don't necessarily want a road kit So each bike has a purpose and just finding what is your purpose and matching it with the right motorcycle? That's that's the whole part. So then they're all cool because it just depends of what you want to do with it

Travis: I think what we do it there riding obsession calm Yes, it's sport touring focused but some of the general stuff we do we don't hate on anyone that doesn't hate on us You know, so friends who have cruiser because I definitely met some air quotes Harley guys that have the t-shirt

Becky: I'm really impressed with people who can go from one style to another So people who like their feet forward typically like their feet forward on all bikes But there are people who can go from I have a friend He bought it brand-new 26 or 27 years ago, and he has 200,000 miles on his Harley Davidson But then he also has a KLR and he also has a Norge and he has just this really eclectic Variety and I have so much respect for people who can just be like this is awesome I love this bike because it does this and this bikes awesome because it does this and then actually ride them all. Yeah Yeah, I my preference is always my feet underneath me And the feet Yeah, we can kind of stand up I like to wiggle around Yeah, I kind of shift your way with your feet.

Travis: Yeah, that's the same way I feel like I don't I don't get the feet forward thing, but That's what you do Then that I can see it like when you're sitting that way it really makes you want to cruise like not go fast Enjoy the scenery.

Becky: Yeah, when I get the Bonneville, that was completely different experience than when I ride my Daytona 675 to 675 you're really focused on the road and for a frill So nothing's going to jump out at you, but you're really focused on what you're what's coming at him whereas I've taken some really great rides with some ladies on cruisers with the Bonneville and you really Taking in some smells and more sounds and and you're seeing so much more around you. So The landscape then really becomes so much more diverse because of it. So yeah.

Travis: Well speaking of that I know my wife had went to like a roundtable discussion You had hosted at the dealership for women riders and there's maybe some more of that on the horizon

Becky: I'm really hoping so we're talking to the parts department right now to actually have women come in and give feedback on what kind of gear they would like to see at the dealership because Our parts managers like why I'm a guy I know what I like But I know I don't want to assume that this is what ladies would like It's like I walk around to the women who work at work and they're like Oh, yeah, I like this or I like that but not all of us not all the ladies that I work with ride So that's something that's kind of on the horizons and then we want to have more little workshops to focus on Maybe different riding things or maybe some really simple like how do you maintain things? How do you know when it's time to change your tires that kind of stuff? The sort of basics that without the little sistering of right, right and maybe just have examples of how to look at a tire and say I Canium spiders are really difficult for me because their where bars are different but most bikes I can look at and go Oh, there's weather checking. So what is that? You know and you don't know until you actually see it and then you're like, oh now it's obvious to me But having some examples of that so, you know people can go. Oh, I can maintain my own bike I can Talk about my bike and know what I'm talking about and I feel like I have to find somebody else to look at it To tell me whether or not it needs new tires Yeah

Travis: Because I think even sometimes looking at a picture of something It's not the same as seen it like in real life in 3d, especially stuff like tires

Becky: Yeah tire wears a big one and then like, you know, just being able to check on different spots of your bike Forks work seals get old and they start to leak and that can impact your braking because it's a you know Works feel fluid gets onto your brakes then you're having issues there. So all these things are all tied together So if you have some basic just kind of check over I know what to do. I know it's a look for it I don't I don't know how to rebuild my forks, but I know if my fork seals are leaking I can take it someplace and they can do it.

Travis: Yeah, you'll know what's wrong before it's too late, right? And then you said you're like a gear expo. I know I helped Laurel pick some stuff on she she needed new boots We ordered some online and they did this I had to return them It's like a lot of places don't even carry women's boots. I have like two or three styles And then she ended up going with the men's like the men's boot fit So much better because the women's boot were made for like teeny tiny

Becky: Yeah, I have I've struggled with gear personally I found that I typically end up wearing men's gear, but that men aren't shaped like I am It doesn't always it's not always an accessible thing when I first started writing They would make a women's coat But they would have padding that was less or softer than the men's padding and I remember just feeling like Because when I crash, I'm not gonna hit the ground as hard as some guy You know, so and I think that's a huge we it has gotten a lot better And I really do see a lot more women's gear out there I know that that's one of the things that Jeff really wanted help with is you know, what kind of styles cuts? What kind of things should we bring in that? Adventure touring here has come a long way as far as like for women's options.

Travis: Yes, that's nice Yeah, that's what you feel like the adventure turn to is like a little bit of a looser cut Mm-hmm, so it's a little easier to get something that fits.

Becky: Well, yes Because that's that's always the hard part is women have hips and waists and stuff and getting something that doesn't flop around Yeah, I ordered on German riding pants with that are full Kevlar the whole things and I can put padding in them But I still when I put them on I still have to wear a belt because they're four inches too wide at my waist But I'm also according to German. I am an extra-large And I'm like and that's just to make it, you know Fit my thighs and I'm we've got it, you know, there's got to be some better options And I think they're coming there's just not quite here yet, yeah, and then making sure that quality matches You know, I want I want to fit me, but I also want the protection as well

Travis: So I feel like there's maybe more it's kind of a cruiser style You know like straight up leather that maybe has a level one armor and a light armor Because that even then is more about like shape of the jacket that actual prediction

Becky: Like I said, my daughter just got her license this fall and I got her a climb jacket, which is really nice it's more of a touring jacket, but it has a lot of Adjustabilities in the arms in the waist so that she could make it fit her a little better That's always good is that I could borrow it and we're not really the same shape But I could make it fit me because there's so much adjustability and I think that's really the direction that you probably Are gonna see more of this

Travis: Yeah, that's great. I feel like that even and men's clothing where Because I'm really tall and really skinny So it's either too short or it's baggy on me Right and having that sort of able to cinch in the chest and cinch in the arms Right because they assume if you're really tall you have a belly to go with it. Yeah, typically it's not working on that part It's every year. I'm getting closer, but I'm not there yet more beer Who was anything you wanted to just kind of add on that you want to tell like women who are interested in riding? Or people who are interested in maybe?

Becky: Working at a dealership or any sort of sage advice you might When it comes to getting your first bike, I think about you want it to fit you and you want to feel confident Don't worry about the CCS. If you get on a bike and you're like, oh, I love this bike. It's beautiful, but it's a little heavy You're gonna get scared and you're not gonna ride whereas if you get on something you're like, oh I can control this motorcycle Then you know and maybe you only have it for a season But you learn how to shift you learn how to break you learn how to turn and then jump up to something bigger because now She has the skills. She has the base now She can jump on anything and be like I got this even if my feet aren't flat foot it I've got this and that's that's a huge part. I think we a lot of times will tell Ladies, especially like oh, no This is what you gotta have for your first bike and I'm like it really just depends each person's different Find the bike that you feel like when you sit on it I've got control of this and I think then you're gonna have a successful riding experience great because if you don't like it

Travis: You're not gonna write

Becky: Can I plug where I work? Oh, yeah, I haven't said Englehart at all But if you ever want to come sit on bikes with me come to Englehart, I'd be happy to help Yeah, so it's Englehart power sports motorsports motorsports. We do sell everything. Yeah in Madison, Wisconsin So if you have an Indian Indian well and Victory is going to be phased away.

Travis: There's a way by an Indian sort of Polaris. Yep So you carry the slingshot and you carry cam man?

Becky: Yes, we have canyons Honda Yamaha and then in pre-owned which is where I work we carry everything from Ducati moto Guzzi's Trillia Honda Yamaha Harley Davidson, whatever you get all of it The only thing you won't find in our store is Indians, but they'll stay over in the Indian store. Okay?

Travis: Yeah, it's a beautiful space. That's a newer space. There's a new space with them like the kind of wood

Becky: So what floors and it's got a nice energy and we really try to keep it I mean we have a hundred and eighty motorcycles, but we really try to keep that really small field We have right now three salespeople including myself and we really focus our focus is getting you on the right motorcycle Not just a bike and that's really that's our training That's what we're that's our goal for all of us to make sure you it's the right one.

Travis: Not just a bike Yeah, I know I'm in there looking at shiny all the time Okay. Well, I think that that about wraps it up. So I'm gonna kill the tape and then well

Robin: And That was our interview of Becky kiddo a female riding advocates motorcycle enthusiasts working at Englehart Motorsports Feel free to visit Becky in the used vehicles building at Englehart and Madison, Wisconsin to just say hi or get that shiny new ride Now it's on to our listener questions Tom Burns of Chicago, Illinois asks do you guys use radar detectors? And if so, do you have mounting suggestions for the ninja 1000 with an adjustable windscreen? I don't use one but I can understand others deciding to do so especially with those not so friendly overhead airplane based police officers in Florida So I answered all of his questions not knowing that he already has an eyelet mount that fits into the down tube Near the triple tree. Yeah the head to the head to thank you And they make the one that it's a ram mount that expands into that. Yeah, he's already using that for his cell phone And then so then I'm thinking about what I did with the Hawk GT was they make a ball mount It replaces the clamp that holds your your clutch lever or your brake lever on so like it It's the part that faces you they you'd pull that off to like remove the clamp and it has a ball on it already He's already done that to the left side. It won't necessarily work on the right side because He's got the master cylinder there for one so one ugly solution Ugly solution might be to mount it on a front plastics Aka the dashboard using three millimeter adhesive hardcore like the hard sell velcro It's the type of stuff they use for the tollway triggers. It's safe on paint as it comes off using a blow dryer He might be able to split the steering stem mount into a Y for both radar and phone or GPS Double the ball mounts and reverse one to the bottom upside down which like on the left shift lever That would keep things more streamlined and you know on the Hawk GT It doesn't hit the tank that may work or may not with a ninja. So it just depends on the clearances So what I'm thinking is either you're splitting Okay, so the head tube either you're splitting that into two two mount points or you split the left clutch lever Brace into two of those as well one on top one on bottom if there's enough clearance I don't really like the idea of mounting anything to the right only because You know adjusting you have to reach over with your left hand while you're writing. It just becomes really that's an awkward feeling Yeah, I mean that makes it difficult.

Travis: It's also, you know with the ninja doesn't really have you know It's got clip-on bars with risers. There's no space So you don't have as much, you know bar space access and also the if you if it has laser detection You know, you need line-of-sight for it at the work. So Otherwise you could maybe mount something to one of the figure out some way to mount to the plastics you know up off of You know kind of by one of the mirrors since the mirrors are attached to the fairing in front I mean, you know not on the handlebar. Yeah So yeah The the mirrors are mounted on the fairing in front of the handlebars But you don't have anything going across the handlebars because they clip on to the top of the forks But you you might be able to Like I'm looking at an image here of a guy who's got his Got his GoPro mounted on the left-hand side off of where the mirror attaches to the fairing So the mirror attaches to the front of the fairing, you know to the front of and a little below the windscreen There's a hole in a mounting point there So I'm just looking at different mounting solutions and there's a guy with a GoPro and that's where he's got it mounted It's kind of often to the left. So it's in front of the left handlebar Near the stock of the mirror that might be a good option and you can even see if if GoPro makes an adapter specific Or the ninja to fit those mirrors or something similar And then see if you can adapt your radar detector to use a GoPro type mount I can't speak to whether or not his radar detector is waterproof.

Robin: I did think in my head for some reason where Underneath the fairing towards the base of the headlamp That might be good too if you wanted to do something kind of stealthy and make sure that you're still receiving the frequency because I I Don't remember any time a radar detector radars ever hit me while I was already past They're always facing you so that might help

Travis: Yeah, I mean and the other the other hard part is you know, what model you have and how it connects? So there's a lot more specifics there We look at maybe utilizing alternate mounting technologies. Like I said a GoPro solution Or something like that that might and then adapting it for your Detector and see if that might free up some options for you as far as placement Yeah, and truth be told the most useful solutions.

Robin: I personally have come up with for my own bikes have come from a relaxed mindset itemized possible mounting points and then just staring and Staring at my bike and thinking about putting the additional electronics into use this always leads to like that little Eureka moment when you're when you tell yourself, yep, the that that's the best plan. That's the plan. I've found a solution You know, there was a point where I was trying to figure out where to put the controls for my heated gear Onto the Street Triple R. I was gonna create this plaque that went underneath the handlebars It would turn into a big hassle and then I realized if I just took some of that tape I was talking about three millimeter the 3m tape whatever it's called and set it on top of the gauge cluster I had space to put it right there unlike with the ninja where there's almost no space at all But staring is the greatest thing ever It's called 3m grip tape and that covers this month's listener question We would prefer that it be questions. So please feel free to email your questions and Concerns to podcast at TRO dot email that's podcast at tro dot email and now it's time for This week See something boy Might oh, yeah, so it's wait.

Travis: Yeah this this week's

Robin: The super slick ultra badass motorcycle my bossy of the incredible power All right, the super slick ultra badass motorcycle mega positive incredible power is super slick ultra badass and as a side note It's incredibly powerful So looking at the mess you informed me towards the beginning of January about episodes of Top Gear moving to Netflix Which I was kind of stoked about this is one of the scenarios where maybe a winter flu or head cold might be in order Yeah, no, just they're on Amazon

Travis: Amazon Amazon, yeah, all the stuff that's not on Netflix is on Amazon now So you're not about Grand Tour Grand Tour is also on Amazon But all of the seasons of Top Gear that aren't on Netflix are included in prime on Amazon

Robin: I see so you can bounce around to complete the the entire set. Yeah, I think Netflix only goes back to series 17 or 18 and Amazon has like 17 back So if we want to see the more infantile version of the infantile Brit driving team, yes Let's see here the new street triple is a 765 There's gonna probably be a speed triple I'd imagine for 2017. So the new street triple 765 for 2017 Maybe this is a typo but new display that's color adjustable adjustable riding modes Which the current models do not have adjustable suspension with a shorty seat if you prefer good stuff

Travis: Yeah, another motorcycle news a couple of brands have left us Polaris has decided to shut down their victory branch as well as Eric Buell racing is closed again

Robin: Yeah, no disappointed. I personally thought that the victory brand was excellent I'm not a cruiser rider at all. But when I see metric and American I become all kinds of giggly, you know So a friend of mine wanted to buy one and now that looks like they're just me gone Modus you're saying that modus so they may try to get the victory dealers to what?

Travis: Yeah, so if you're familiar with the modus brand there and sexy and they're an American company that makes kind of one sport terrain bike like they make one and then they have a slightly more expensive one with like Olin suspension and stuff with a v4 motor that's basically based on the Chevy small block I think they call it the the baby block or something like that But it's the same kind of same kind of architecture is like a classic American v8 just with four cylinders We have a more of a high-end company for sure I mean, I think their bike started 30,000, but they had a statement about victory closing their doors and Said that it might be an opportunity for modus We wanted their hardest things right now is a lack of a dealer network to maybe get some of those Dealerships that had been carrying victory motorcycles to start carrying modus to fill in the gap.

Robin: That'd be nice to see I like to think of modus as the luxury American sport bike That's I think they like to think of themselves as the luxury American sport bike So that we're I mean the real way to say it is they have an expensive model and then they have an expensive or model Mm-hmm expense or Mario that's more faster even more faster. I would love to have it. They're just beautiful beautiful bikes They're so badass.

Travis: Yeah, I mean I'd yeah, I was definitely sad to see victory goes really hoping and when they when they got the Brammo Electric sport bike when they acquired birth the Brammo impulse And then they made the project one five six pike pikes peak racer Mm-hmm, and they were doing electric races with the Brammo and then also racing this project one five six You know sport bike with a you know, big v-twin engine in it I was really hoping they were going to start making American sport bikes with big v-twin engines.

Robin: Yeah, it's about time

Travis: It's about time somebody really just yeah, cuz I mean as much as I mean, I like, you know, Buell and what Buell's done, but You know, he's already closed his doors two times with this business and then once before with Harley, you know Maybe Polaris would get Eric Buell involved in a sport bike brand and come out with you know So Polaris brand sport bikes, I think I think if you're gonna buy like a Yamaha or Kawasaki, you'd buy a Polaris sport bike

Robin: Yeah, you know no need to put his signature on the tank But put a signature somewhere on the bike just to know yeah Buell's in on this, you know

Travis: Yeah, you know get rid of some of the weirder Buell stuff like the big brake disc But you know keep some of his really good frame design. Are there some other? Fun motorcycle stuff happening.

Robin: Yeah blast from the past is coming up Chips, so chips. There's a chips, but this movie is gonna be crap. It's gonna be excellent Excellent and overpriced theater grade crap and I'm probably gonna buy in to watch it Just to just to watch my money go down the toilet with a big smile on my face. I mean Dax Shepard I'm a fan of Dax Shepard. He is funny. He's a I'm a fan of his and the co-star I forgot the co-stars name, but the guy that's playing Ponch. He's also got he's he's hilarious so it's gonna be great, but this is Dax Shepard's entry into the directing role and You can already tell right out the gates that this this movie is not going to enlighten anyone No, it's supposed to be absolutely Ridiculous and stupid, but with lots of motorcycles, so I mean I just watching the trailer You know it's like.

Travis: Oh is that a you know is that a BMW? I think they're riding 1200 GS police interceptors, but then there's like some other BMW GS's and some Ducati's like just in the trailer I'm trying to pick out every bike, and there's there on our 1200 RTS. Oh, yeah our 1200 RT police interceptors. Yeah Michael Pena is playing punch Michael Pena.

Robin: He's funny dude.

Travis: It's gonna be good, but yeah It seems cool to just from the trailer like they got motorcycles in there There's like a lot of times like in a James Bond movie. You see a motorcycle, and it's an Motorcycle you know like an industry. Oh, they took like a kz 400 and painted it black and put a different headlight on it Maybe like yeah, but I feel like you know from the trailer. It's like. Oh, there's a Ducati. There's a BMW You know it's like the bikes kind of get a little bit of a starring role

Robin: So that's that's nice to see it'll be entertaining at the very least and this is coming for a person You know I like watching Doctor Who Sherlock Shakespearean this is gonna be a turd and I can't wait to watch it great

Travis: Oh, yeah, and then you were giving me a flack about some KTM posts on Facebook that I forgot

Robin: I posted about and I'm gonna call you out on it the KTM You said that it's the way you said the way you posted it the KTM factory Dakar as a sport tour

Travis: Maybe yeah, right because so those the car bikes, right? So this is like the the KTM factory bike that they built this year to race the Dakar I was reading an article about and so it's got a you know three gas tanks on it and tons of power in a super light You know navigation comfortable ergonomics tons of wind protection To build a bike like that and then put supermoto wheels on it and luggage, and it's a sport tour It's basically like a Duke GT right or like the old You're like the the previous like nine nine hundred adventure 950 adventure bikes before Everything went over a thousand CCS and got real heavy It's kind of like the so I don't remember Ducati came out with the hyper motard yeah, right, so it was like a Super moto ish factory street bike So it wasn't like wasn't like the Suzuki DRZ 400 SM, which is a dirt bike with supermoto tires on it

Robin: Yeah, you're not mentioning. You're not talking about the Dorsoduro. That's actually what Joe nerdy has writer for the site Yeah, it's a little different. Okay.

Travis: Yeah, so they came out with the the hyper motard Which is like a street only but kind of had dirt bike sort of styling and then they came out with the hyper strata There's a little bit bigger and came with kind of useless luggage But it had like a dirt bike kind of seat But it wasn't and so it kind of looks like a dirt bike it kind of was like a super moto It's the chips Eric hyper Estrada.

Robin: Ah see what I did see what I did there with my comedy

Travis: Anyway So but everyone everyone looks at the hyper strata I said what what why like it's a less comfortable not practical road only bike like you can't Supermoto it and you can't spend a lot of time on the highway or carry a lot of stuff But they leveraged that hyper strata into the new 2017 multi strata 950 a smaller version of the multi strata So they put a fairing on it and it's the same basic chassis is the big multi strata just with the smaller motor Less electronic doodads less fancy expansion suspension. So it's like five grand cheaper. That's cool They just scaled it back a little bit I'm saying it's you know You can take you can take that bike and make it a sport touring bike if you give it a fairing and luggage I actually I don't disagree with you.

Robin: I actually agree with you completely it took a it took continuing to Develop my sense of what sport touring is supposed to be based on those who have been riding longer than me to figure all that out because I love my street bikes and Like I said Joe Nardi had written an article Initially about the history of sport touring which if you scroll down to the bottom of any page on our site There's a link there that says history and he goes into detail about how the better fairings began to take form and and people really liked having that and then eventually he wrote the yang of that article and discussed a DV which you know, it's Ergonomically, it's a little bit more comfortable. The handling isn't much different, but you can do a little bit more with it What you've done is you've taken it to the extreme like the absolute boundaries that really it sets the rule The basic phrasing for what is sport touring? it's any bike that you can ride in a sporting manner and take everything you need with you for a Journey a duration of time whether you're on dirt whether you're on street.

Travis: Yeah Yeah, it doesn't matter if it's um, you know a super sporty bike, you know Something I track day type bike but well because that's about I thought that's been rolling on my head is you know Honda doesn't have a really good mid-sized touring bike I mean, there's like the NC 700 yeah, which is if it made like 20 more horsepower maybe but it's just it's pretty slow and then you go up to the New VFR 1200 or either the old VFR 1200 which had a really unergonomic sport bike riding position or the new 1200 X Which was the cross tour in Europe that they just brought back over here, which is that's not the Africa twin No, which is not the Africa twin. It's it's the VFR 1200 motor and adventure platform So it's kind of more like your BMW or your KTM 1290

Robin: Yeah And you know sometimes people get confused about the difference between the two if you're comparing street sport touring and adventure It's definitely gonna be look at the suspension to start with and then look at the plastics appearing If you look at a Yamaha super 10 array versus a Yamaha FJR You're immediately gonna see a rocket ship versus a mountain climber.

Travis: Yeah, but I there's part of me because There's there's a big gap between the NC 700 and the VFR 1200 as far as like power and usability Huge and I think you know the Africa the Africa twin You know, you can do road touring on it and you can put you know more road biased wheels But you got that big 21 inch front dirt wheel on it So I think it'd be cool for Honda to put out like a road version of the Africa twin because the motor supposed to be Really great. It's a hundred pounds lighter than the VFR and put something out with you know 17s on it or 19 inch fronts at the 21.

Robin: So hey, man, that's been some good discussion I feel like we're at a good concluding point. What about you? Sounds good. All right, and I'm gonna say once again We're always looking for sponsors for this podcast Sponsors are given three focus mentions towards the start middle and end of their designated episode Their contributions are put towards bettering the program's content and recording equipment

Travis: And that's our episode for this month tune in next time for more discussion and all things specific to sport touring or motorcycling in general As well as an interview with Stephen Christina the owner and one of the creative minds behind arc Academy School for welding in Chicago

Robin: For the writing obsession, I'm Robin Dean and I'm Travis Burleson safe travels everyone