Travellers can be easy targets for bribes, thieves, muggings or assaults. What are some of the things you can do to avoid being a motorcycle travel target? And if anything happens to you when you’re travelling in a foreign country, you unknowingly commit a crime or find yourself in a bad situation, what rights do you have? Can your country step in to help and how do you handle local laws and rules?
65: Dehydrated Water Reduces Motorcycle Payload
Are you a travel addict? If you are, and even if you’re not, you might have some questions about motorcycle travel. Like, how long should you wait before you take a new bike on an extended trip? What’s the best way to carry water? If you’re not in to social media, what other ways can you connect with riders and travellers? And how do you deal with an overloaded motorbike?
64: Those Outrageous Outliers | To Hostel or Not
Some of the best stories comes from the outrageous or difficult things we experience, and another is the people we meet along the way. It’s the outrageous, the outliers, that seem to be the most memorable, sometimes locals and other times travellers themselves. Who are these outrageous people? And what is it like to stay in a hostel? When, if ever, are you too old to say at a hostel? And which accommodations best connect a traveller with culture and their new surroundings?
63: Moral Dilemmas | Itching to Travel Again
We’re all itching to get out and ride again after what’s been a very long year or more of restrictions. Maybe you have a growing bucket list or you just want to plan an adventure that’s off the charts. We know motorcycling is good for our mental health, and we’re hoping that countries open up to travellers again soon, so is it time to start planning your next motorcycle vacation? And while we’re on the planning topic, what about those countries that have demeaning morals and values when it comes to race, gender or the like? Is it responsible to travel to those places?
62: Ride and Stash
What if you wanted to do a world trip but not all at once, ride for a few months then return home for a few months? What are some of the things that you would need to consider when it comes to storage and leaving your motorcycle behind? And what kind of bike would be best for different types of travel you might be doing while on that trip?
61: To Wash or Not to Wash? Keeping Clean on the Road
To wash or not to wash? Tips about keeping clean on the road, personal hygiene, clothes and what to do when nature calls. And do you see yourself as a motorcyclist who travels or a traveler who rides a motorcycle and does that even matter?
60: Unexpected and Unusual Maneuvers | Don't Mention This at a Border Crossing
At the roundtable on this episode of RAW we talk about obstacles or other bizarre things that we have had to get our motorcycles around, across or over, and some outlandish incidents we’ve had on the road. And should you and how do you hide those things that just might get you in trouble at border crossings?
59: It's Been a Crazy Year for Motorcycle Travel but the Best is Yet to Come
Regular riding routines, travel, getting together with other riders and events are just some of the things that have been affected in the past year. But while we are missing those things, perhaps we are learning to appreciate the things we didn’t take notice of before. And while we wait to get back to some sense of normal we are finding ways to replace the things we’re missing, like listening to a podcast, or watching a motorcycle adventure film. And sometimes, just talking with good friends might be just what we need to get excited about what the future holds for travel and riding. So, sit back and listen as the panel reminisces and projects life on the road.
58: The Essential Entry Level Guide to Overlanding by Motorcycle
Sorting out how to get started is often one off the most difficult parts of any adventure. Just about every rider who’s done an extended trip by motorcycle will tell you about the places they’ve seen, the cultures they’ve been immersed in and the friends that they’ve made. And while the stories may be what inspires you to travel, what you really need to know at the outset is how to plan a trip, what to expect on the road, how to handle situations and more.
57: Blueprints for Overland Motorcycles | Pandemonium in Trip Planning | On the Back of the Bike
If you could design a motorcycle specifically for overlanding, what would your requirements be? And with all the information coming at us from all different directions, how do you sort out the noise about what to take on a bike trip and how to plan it, and what can you do to keep your pillion more comfortable?
56: Staying in the Zone While Riding | Dealing With Loneliness on the Road
From all around the world, in the far corners of Bulgaria, England, Australia and Canada, the RAW panel once again meets to answer listener questions about they stay in the zone while riding their motorcycles and how they deal with loneliness while on a long distance road trip.
55: The Makings of the Perfect Motorcycle Adventure
There are many ingredients that go in to making the perfect motorcycle adventure including the destination, how many hours you ride each day, planning and more. And everyone has their own rules they live by, even when travelling. Perhaps it’s what you will accept as appropriate accommodations, where you will eat or how you deal with police and other officials. On this episode, we toss around what we think makes the perfect adventure and just as expected, everyone has their own ideas and rules.
54: Motorcycle Misadventures Not to be Made Public
On this episode, motorcycle stories that were never meant to be told - like Grant Johnson running from the police, Sam Manicom using his newly acquired F800GS to bend someone else’s sheet metal before he even gets it off the centre stand, Brian Rix almost losing his shot at the police academy all over a gold bikini top, Shirley Hardy-Rix discovers that she actually was breaking the law by not wearing a helmet and Graham Field camps in a field of Marijuana. All this, first bikes and more…
53: Packing for Motorcycle Trips, Time Travel & Lucky Talismans
If you could go back in time and give yourself some nuggets of information about travel, what would that be? And have you ever found yourself fully packed to go on a trip to only look behind you and see more gear you missed, but there’s no space left on the bike? The panel has got you covered with some great tips that will make all the difference on your next adventure.
52: Predicting the Future of Moto Travel
Taking into consideration what travel was like in the past, changes in contemporary travel, and now with recent restrictions in place around the world, what will motorcycle travel look like in the coming year, two years and even five years? Will countries still be open to travellers? Will people be as quick to offer help or be willing to accept motorcycle travellers into their homes?
51: Best & Worst Places to be Stranded | Slang Words You Need to Know
Everyone’s had those days on a trip, where you find yourself stranded somewhere - maybe due to a breakdown or a mishap - some places you couldn’t wait to get out of and some you might have wanted to stay a few days extra. And something that might come in handy when you’re stuck in those places is some local slang. And then once you head out on the road again using some of that local jargon, you just might find that you’ve had the best days ever and want to ride forever.
50: Defining Adventure Riding, Official Requirements & No Mechanical Knowledge
What’s the difference between motorcycle touring and adventure riding? When you have no set plans and don’t fit in to the norm for official requirements, what do you do? And when you have no mechanical knowledge, and getting a motorcycle serviced on a trip could present some problems, do you carry your own diagnostic tools? All this and more, with Jim, Shirley, Brian, Graham, Grant and Sam on ARR RAW.
49: Buck Up and Make the Best of It | Inherent Travel Dangers and Risks
How does attitude play a role in travel? And are we downplaying the inherent dangers and risk of travel? Is motorcycle travel safe?
48: Wild Camping, Political Unrest and Modified Bikes
Finding wild camping in some places can be a challenge, we have some tips and talk about some apps that can help in finding the perfect camp site to lay your head at night.And some countries may experience political unrest which could have some impact on travellers, how should you best deal with that? And should you just buy the motorcycle that is meant for the type of riding you want to do, or should you do the modifications yourself and maybe save yourself some money?
47: When Going Cheap Costs More and Planning for Problems
Everyone, at some point or another, has gone cheap on something while travelling. Perhaps insurance, bike parts, prep work for a trip or hiring a fixer at a border. And what you may have found out after the fact is that it actually ‘cost’ you more. And do you have a contingency plan in place for when something goes wrong when you’re on a trip with another person or group?