Ep 42: Optimum Buell Gas Mileage

16 Mar


Story we’re talking about this week: HERO eyes Ducati (and maybe Buell?)

Wheelnerds Drink O The Week: Bek Se Ju

Classified of the week. Here’s the text of the ad (it’s been pulled down already):

Title got lost no liens not stolen just lost title and no stater that charges the battery needs a lil work but can hear run also key went to jail with a friend so no key great parts bike can still hear run give me a call ###-#### if no answer call ###-#### thanks

Speaking of shady ads, Friend of the Show Charlie sent us an email titled anatomy of a fraud. Unfortunately, the ad it linked to is also dead, but the email is still worth a read:

THERE IS NO CBR600 for $2000 THE AD IS A FRAUD!!! DONT FALL FOR IT! 

Anything “too good to be true” usually is! 

These are the emails you will receive: Notice, there’s no phone #, no contact information. They promise to “ship” you the bike from out of state. 

Hi,

The 2009 Honda CBR 600RR Rare Green/Black Yoshimura Pipe is in great shape.It was always garaged and never dropped. Never been damaged. It has no scratches, dents or something like that. No mechanical or electrical problems. Clean title in hand. It does not need anything additional to function, has only 5,562 miles.I’m selling it at this price because it was the bike of my son who passed away 2 months ago and I can’t stand to see it anymore…The last price is 

Thank you and have a nice day,
Ashley Robertson

And the second one:

Hi again,

I decided to explain you how the transaction works in a single mail ,so read this email carefully in order for you to understand the transaction.

We will use only eBay Purchase Protection to close the transaction.The bike is in eBay’s custody at their shipping company sealed with all the papers(title signed by me, ownership, insurance papers etc) in Montgomery, AL. The shipping is free because i supposed to ship the bike to another buyer, then he told me that he doesn’t have money to pay for it. He already paid the shipping charges.This way we can both be protected and insured.The payment will be handled by eBay and they will keep the money on hold until the end of the testing period.You will receive the bike in maximum 48 hours and you will have the chance to inspect it for 7 days.During the inspection period you can test the bike or go with it at your local mechanic for inspection .The bike will be delivered directly to your requested address as soon as eBay will have the payment confirmation from you. In case you won`t be satisfied, you can cancel the transaction and ship the bike back on my expense. 

And here’s the third email, where they’re gonna send a courier to your house, hopefully to pick up your $$$ DONT FALL FOR IT

Thanks for your info.I think that you are a really serious person. I just used your info to open a case to eBay so you will receive an invoice with all the details about this deal, please follow the instructions written there. The bike is ready for shipping so eBay is waiting for your payment confirmation to start the shipping. Try to make the payment fast because I want rush the deal. You will receive it at your address in 2-3 days maximum. I will put along with the bike: keys, title, all the receipts that I have from it, owner’s manual, service manual, and also a sale receipt signed at a legal attorney stating that I’m selling you this bike. When it arrives, you must have your id ( preferably 2 forms of identification ) and sign for receiving.
Ashley

This kind of scam is really really common. Anyone’s posted something for sale on Craiglist or similar sites is sure to receive a “Will buy unseen Make Price!” email. A whole genre of Internet Sport has arisen from people trying to turn the tables on the scammers and bait them. Check out the ‘Trophy’ page on this site: http://www.419eater.com That’s some good times right there! Lots of good info about how these scams work and avoiding them.

Good advice though: If it’s from the Internet, its a trap!

We continue this week with Part 2 of our interview with Nancy Foote and Walt Fulton of the Streetmasters Motorcycle Workshops

From their info page:

Nancy Foote, Streetmasters owner and Track Marshall, is an avid motorcyclist who has been riding street bikes for over 25 years. She enjoys riding backroads and byways on any of her four bikes: a Honda CB-1, two Honda CBR400RRs and a Kawasaki ZRX-1200. She has picked up the moniker, “Queen of the Backroads,” because of her adventuresome spirit and desire to follow the thinnest and squigglist roads on the map. She says a satisfying day is at least 300 miles in length and she averages about 20,000 miles a year. Nancy is a contributor to Motorcycle Consumer News.

Walt Fulton is a recognized name in motorcycling. A former three-time winner at Daytona and team racer for Harley-Davidson, Kawasaki and Suzuki, he was a featured rider in the documentary “On Any Sunday.” He is a BMW Legends racer, a professional motorcycle accident reconstruction expert, motorcycle journalist and a private riding instructor. He has worked as an editor for Cycle Guide, Cycle World and Motorcyclist magazines and a contributor and the performance tester for Motorcycle Consumer News. He has logged over a million miles on the road and track.

(I’m ashamed to say that I did not know what board track racing was from when Nancy mentioned it in the interview so I had to go look it up: Board Track Racing)

This is the end of our second “season” of the show. We’ll take a small break while we work on bringing you some more new and funny stuff. Keep writing us email, tweeting at us, and coming to our Facebook and here! And spread the word about the show. :)

Want to hear yourself on our show? Ridden a bike (like your own) and got an opinion? Got a cool piece of gear or farkle? Got a story? Know some jokes? Record an MP3 (or whatever) and email it to us at wheelnerds@gmail.com. We’ll throw it on the air and talk about it, too. That’s right, you can be the first on your block to be openly mocked by the Wheelnerds.

Or call our voicemail: (801) 917-4136

Or, leave us a voicemail via Skype! Our skype ID is wheelnerds.

Just go ahead, call, and leave us your story there! (We still read your emails, too, and will answer them on the show). If you got something really cool, shoot us a line and maybe we’ll talk to you live, too.

As always, you can listen to the episode above or download direct here:

Optimum Buell Gas Mileage

To subscribe to the podcast, either hit the link in the sidebar to the right or even right here. Copy that address into podcast listener/getter/subscriber of choice. We’re also listed in the Itunes Store podcast section, just do a search for Wheelnerds.

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Ep 41: Gravity Surge

9 Mar


The next time someone calls you stupid for riding a motorcycle, you can throw this in their face: http://www.motorcycleinsurance.com/this-is-your-brain-on-a-motorcycle/

If you print it out and wrap it around a rock, it’ll have a greater impact, but I didn’t tell you to do that.

Our interview this week is with Nancy Foote and Walt Fulton of the Streetmasters Motorcycle Workshops

From their info page:

Nancy Foote, Streetmasters owner and Track Marshall, is an avid motorcyclist who has been riding street bikes for over 25 years. She enjoys riding backroads and byways on any of her four bikes: a Honda CB-1, two Honda CBR400RRs and a Kawasaki ZRX-1200. She has picked up the moniker, “Queen of the Backroads,” because of her adventuresome spirit and desire to follow the thinnest and squigglist roads on the map. She says a satisfying day is at least 300 miles in length and she averages about 20,000 miles a year. Nancy is a contributor to Motorcycle Consumer News.

Walt Fulton is a recognized name in motorcycling. A former three-time winner at Daytona and team racer for Harley-Davidson, Kawasaki and Suzuki, he was a featured rider in the documentary “On Any Sunday.” He is a BMW Legends racer, a professional motorcycle accident reconstruction expert, motorcycle journalist and a private riding instructor. He has worked as an editor for Cycle Guide, Cycle World and Motorcyclist magazines and a contributor and the performance tester for Motorcycle Consumer News. He has logged over a million miles on the road and track.

 

Listener Email:

Both our listener emails this week have some links to them, check them out:

Colleen’s Gravity Surge!: Our show is delayed from when we actually record to when it actually goes out. If you’ve kept up on our Facebook page (and if you’re not, you totally should, see the link to the right) you know I went down on a sleepy Buell on a slushy road in a snowstorm. Well, here’s my confession: seeing the pics of Colleen down in it made me think I wasn’t totally crazy to at least try!

Colin’s Cool M50: It’s a cool bike. I loved mine while I rode it. His is better. Because of those pipes!

 

Want to hear yourself on our show? Ridden a bike (like your own) and got an opinion? Got a cool piece of gear or farkle? Got a story? Know some jokes? Record an MP3 (or whatever) and email it to us at wheelnerds@gmail.com. We’ll throw it on the air and talk about it, too. That’s right, you can be the first on your block to be openly mocked by the Wheelnerds.

Or call our voicemail: (801) 917-4136

Or, leave us a voicemail via Skype! Our skype ID is wheelnerds.

Just go ahead, call, and leave us your story there! (We still read your emails, too, and will answer them on the show). If you got something really cool, shoot us a line and maybe we’ll talk to you live, too.

As always, you can listen to the episode above or download direct here:

Gravity Surge

To subscribe to the podcast, either hit the link in the sidebar to the right or even right here. Copy that address into podcast listener/getter/subscriber of choice. We’re also listed in the Itunes Store podcast section, just do a search for Wheelnerds.

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Ep 40: Emotions Run High

2 Mar


We start off this week’s show with a reader feedback segment. We got a lot of emails about Todd talking about the BMW F800sGS and now you get to hear Todd respond to them. In his own way…

Classifieds of the week:

The Honda Ascot

KTM ADVENTURE

Guest for this week:

We’re talking this week with Michael Dickey, motorcycle builder and inventor.

"KANEEEDDAAAA!!!!"

He’s tackling building a true-to-life fully-functioning example of one of the most iconic imaginary motorcycles ever:

From the Japanese Anime (based on the comic series): AKIRA. Anyone’s who seen this movie cannot forget the action-packed opening of a running street battle between two future Tokyo cycle gangs, one of which was led by the red-jacketed Kaneda on his recumbent sports bike. Every bike nerd that’s seen that movie has dreamed of getting his hands on this one. Multiple real-life attempts at building this from non-functioning mockups to modified recumbent scooters exist. Michael’s aiming to build the sucker for real. For real for real.

And he’d like your help to do it. He’s got a Kickstarter project setup and he’s looking for some cash to help get this thing into functional prototype. Check it out here:

KICKSTARTER PAGE

PROJECT HOME PAGE

Michael comes on to talk to us about the project, its history, his innovations, and ideas. Go take a look at his Kickstarter and consider pledging to it if you’d like to see this thing rolling. He sounds like someone who could make this thing happen. And spread the word around it. Time’s running out for the Kickstarter!

From listener Bill, here’s what his Buell looks like with his rigged up hand guards (all documented here: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/3842/668497.html?1329488405)

Want to hear yourself on our show? Ridden a bike (like your own) and got an opinion? Got a cool piece of gear or farkle? Got a story? Know some jokes? Record an MP3 (or whatever) and email it to us at wheelnerds@gmail.com. We’ll throw it on the air and talk about it, too. That’s right, you can be the first on your block to be openly mocked by the Wheelnerds.

Or call our voicemail: (801) 917-4136

Or, leave us a voicemail via Skype! Our skype ID is wheelnerds.

Just go ahead, call, and leave us your story there! (We still read your emails, too, and will answer them on the show). If you got something really cool, shoot us a line and maybe we’ll talk to you live, too.

As always, you can listen to the episode above or download direct here:

Emotions Run High

To subscribe to the podcast, either hit the link in the sidebar to the right or even right here. Copy that address into podcast listener/getter/subscriber of choice. We’re also listed in the Itunes Store podcast section, just do a search for Wheelnerds.

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Questions with Chris Scott

28 Feb

Awhile back, I started asking Chris Scott, the author of the Adventure Motorcycling Handbook if he’d come on the show and talk with us. He indicated that he’d rather just do things via writing so I polled on the facebook page for some questions to shoot over to him. Some of the questions are… not as serious as others. Here are they are though with his answers in blue.

1. What’s his favorite coffee spot?

I tend not to do favourites – anywhere it’s good is good.

2. What snacks does he bring along?

I dont bother anymore as exploring foreign snacks is part of the adventure.

3. What items does he personally have to have before he leaves on a long adventure?

A good plan and an open attitude for when the former falls apart

4. What does he think about the commercialization of the adventure travel boom?

Would it be seen as a boom without the commercialisation? There’s a demand so enterprising individuals and organisations supply.

5. Does he feel slighted when it’s viewed as frivolous nonsense?

No one I know sees adventure motorcycle travel in that way.
It’s important to understand that in crowded Europe we view AM as riding to far off foreign places like Africa and Asia. Maybe in North America it’s different.

6. Does he think most of these new devotees should go back to HD and stop pretending?

Are HD riders selling up to ride the world on a GS – then good for them!
Or is AM more of a ‘all the gear – no idea’ in the US than Europe? If so I can see why you’re cynical.

7. How about the adventure travel style bike as the ultimate swiss army knife “everything” bike?

Yep, that’s always been the goal with my bikes and a lot of stuff I own: “one xxx to do it all” 

I’m finishing such a bike off right now: http://adventuremotorcyclinghandbook.wordpress.com/suzuki-gs500r-overlander/

8. Are the many north american motorcycle travellers who are propagating across the globe just making a mess, or are they being good representatives for the biking community?

I’ve not heard any complaints from UNESCO concerning messy North American RTW riders, so I guess it’s #2. Let the people ride.

9. Are there changes for the better as far as m/c travel in the last decade due to the recent popularity of this style of travel?

Well there’s a lot more gear and a lot more info but the adventure is same as it ever was. I feel the latest AM bikes may have passed their peak as genuinely functional overlanders as the ‘adventure touring look’ takes hold – massively heavy and expensive machines. So you adapt and DIY which is easy enough. The bike is only a tool.

10. Maybe he could comment on organizations such as Horizon’s Unlimited and their impact on the global m/c travelling community.

All I know is HU is the first place I’d look online for moto travel info on Africa, Asia and Latin America – what I call the ‘AM Zone’.
I’ve moderated the HU Sahara Travel forum since 2000.
We all managed before HU, like we managed before GPS – but both resources have enabled us to take it further with less error.

11. Where’s the best place to go for us career guys that have to take our adventures a week or two at a time? (this listener is US-based if that helps).

That would be to the boss to hand in your notice.
Tell him you love your job so you’ll be back in a year or so, all fired up to get back to work ;-)

And that, folks, is the definition of hardcore. For the rest of us, I say the best advice I’ve heard is to start local. Do what you would do if you were a moto-tourist to your home state/province/whathaveyou.   Hit the internet and scour for what’s close, then radiate out from there. In the USA, heading south or north to our neighbors would certainly be awesome! Our thanks to Chris Scott for taking the time to answer!

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Ep 39: Genetically Hippie

23 Feb


Hey, kids! Check it out? On time this week? Hell to the no. AHEAD of time! We’re filled with love for you here and this is our small way of showing it. Very small. Plus, Todd nagged me continually about it to make sure I wouldn’t forget it was Thursday for the third week in a row. Take note, kids, nagging Chuck works very much well!

We revisit Todd’s Bored By Beemers syndrome as Todd’s turned it over in his head for another week and wants to talk about it. Keep in mind that at the time this was recorded, he hadn’t yet seen all the hate coming his way since bashing on the F800GS. That’s coming next week!

For some giggles, here’s the “PG Porn” we talked about. James Gunn is full of awesome. It’s on YouTube, but work-safe warnings for innuendo, girl in tiny skirts, and language (I dunno how strict they are where you work, but I’m in a government office):

 

Here’s a real treat: we have a returning guest. Our first one! And not just any returning guest, but this guy actually met us in person the first time around. This time, he decided to do the interview from another country so take from that what you will. We have Ryan Grassley, aka HalfThrottle of You-Tube:

"Why, yes, I AM a rock star."

Ryan’s come back to talk with us about his new iBook project (available from the iTunes store: HERE):

The Volcán Barú Adventure

In his words: “A motorcycle adventure in Panama from sea level to over 11,000 feet.  I ride a Kawasaki KLR650 from the bottom of Panama to the top.  From 95 degrees at the beach to 33 at the top of Volcán Barú.  It was difficult, it was miserable.  It was everything an adventure is supposed to be. The Volcán Barú Adventure is filled with photos of the ride, and over 70 minutes of video of my ride to the roof of Panama.”

We make fun of “Adventure” on the show, but this one’s the real thing and Ryan shows why it’s called adventure. If you got an iPad then you can grab a copy of this and check it out. Well, worth it!

Want to hear yourself on our show? Ridden a bike (like your own) and got an opinion? Got a cool piece of gear or farkle? Got a story? Know some jokes? Record an MP3 (or whatever) and email it to us at wheelnerds@gmail.com. We’ll throw it on the air and talk about it, too. That’s right, you can be the first on your block to be openly mocked by the Wheelnerds.

Or call our voicemail: (801) 917-4136

Or, leave us a voicemail via Skype! Our skype ID is wheelnerds.

Just go ahead, call, and leave us your story there! (We still read your emails, too, and will answer them on the show). If you got something really cool, shoot us a line and maybe we’ll talk to you live, too.

As always, you can listen to the episode above or download direct here:

Genetically Hippie

To subscribe to the podcast, either hit the link in the sidebar to the right or even right here. Copy that address into podcast listener/getter/subscriber of choice. We’re also listed in the Itunes Store podcast section, just do a search for Wheelnerds.

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Ep 38: OK

17 Feb


Third time’s the charm. I think Friday morning is going to be the new official publish time for the show. Apparently, I’m too old and soft to stay up late Thursday night anymore to post shows.

Breaking news: Britain says scooters are dangerous. Who knew? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16844525

Our guest on the show this week is:

Fred Rau and his Lucky Hat

http://www.fredrau.com

Fred’s new book is the Motorcycle Touring Bible. A great introduction to the topic of sport-touring, it’s loaded with pictures, stories, and tons of great info. Geared toward newbies to the topic, I think even experienced tourers will enjoy reading the anecdotes and frequent asides. It’s like a coffee table book, except one you’d actually want to read instead of listlessly leafing through while waiting. We got an Amazon affiliate link for you to use to go check it out (and maybe even buy. Wheelnerds need taco money!)

 Motorcycle Touring Bible by Fred Rau

In listener mail this week, Peter J sent us this pretty long one that we talk about on air. Here it is in its entirety. A passionate defense of latte-sippers everywhere! (just kidding)

Hi guys…

Feel free to edit this- after reading it I realize I tend to ramble a lot.

Dexter Ford’s recent interview prompted me to do a little thinking about the adventure bike market, and perhaps stick a pin in some of the over-inflated windbag nay-sayers.

We don’t all buy these bikes with pretensions of the African outback, or traversing the Nile serengeti.

Furthermore, not all of us polish them feverishly in hopes someone will notice them leaning rakishly in front of the local S-bux.

No, the heavy duty build quality and excessive suspension travel appeal to another breed of rider entirely. The motorcyclist.

I ride an F8GS. Yes, it has wide-ass aluminum saddlebags (NOT panniers – those go over the gas tank – lets all learn the terminology, people.) Yes it has crash bars, and hand guards, and looks like it could survive a class 5 rapids. But all these fripperies are to keep it from breaking in the event of an unplanned slide down the road, not give me “loads of cred”. I don’t have a skid plate – for the type of riding I do, it will not likely ever be required.  The saddlebags hold tools, lunch, and rain gear. I use this bike every day, rain, shine, sub-zero, 100F, anything short of snow and ice – although it’s seen it’s share of both. If I hit a pothole, or a dog, or a drive shaft lying on the highway (last year), I can expect it to behave with aplomb. Yes Glen, I do have a GPS. It’s for navigating to hotels in strange new cities. On the road, I rarely use it.

I’ve equipped it with a Mirage II fairing from Brittania Composites to keep the wind off me, and power outlets to keep me warm. I tried the TKC’s – they looked totally hard core, bro’. But they’re noisy, they vibrate – and they really suck if you have to stop RIGHT NOW. Off they came, and some Anakee II’s went on. Great street tires, capable enough off road if you need to go there. It’s a guerilla commuter and part time tourer, and if want an adventure too, it’s ready and willing.

It’s a working bike, and it shows. I wash it about 3 times a year, and other than routine maintenance, it gets ignored. Ridden hard, put away wet as the saying goes. It never complains. It’s built for it.

I agree with Dexter regarding the DR650. I had one, and sold it to a friend who prompty rode it to Tierra del Fuego. (This is her if you’re interestedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JW_1gUuuvc&feature=share ). Great bike. But a tourer it’s not, and she will back me up on that. Oh, you can do it… but it’s a bigger compromise than I’m willing to endure. My wife and I rode a few thousand miles around the western U.S. last summer, and I don’t think it would have been all that enjoyable on a DR. I also had a DR350 for the dirt, and an R1200R for the street. And then there were my wife’s bikes. I looked at that overstuffed garage and thought “what can I do the consolidate this fleet?”

I needed one bike (to rule them all), a jack of all trades, a man for all seasons if you will. I found it in the F800GS. Sure, it’s overkill on the street… or is it? Have you ever encountered road construction? Not a problem. How about a shortcut over a traffic island? Similarly non-dramatic. Can it happily drone on the superslab for 12 hours at a time? Yes, if you shave the seat a little. And lets say you are interested in what’s at the end of that dirt road – should I risk it with my chromed out v-twin behemoth – oooohh… better not. This bike? Pshaw. Go get the tent. This bike is what a Scrambler should be. The rugged off-roady bits are actually functional.

The ADVENTURE market has become a victim of it’s own marketing, and a bit of a laughingstock it seems. I don’t give a shit what people think. These bikes are the most practical things on two wheels. And the matching gear is practical too. It’s easy to poke fun at the GS type rider in the armored whale foreskin hazmat suit – but have you worn one? They are truly versatile. I don’t have to tell you guys, you know. You ride in more than sunny warm weather. They offer great protection from impact, abraision, and inclement weather. So we look like spacemen. Fuck you, you look like Blackbeard’s gay cousin Thtewart.

I think that despite all the negative press, adventure style bikes are starting to get noticed – not because of their ability to elude rampaging elephants, but in spite of it. People are realizing how good they are at being motorcycles. Even some of the die-hard sportbike crowd on a local Vancouver forum are swallowing their pride and buying a bike that will happily endure traffic jams without requiring physiotherapy afterward. I think they may have realized they had been underestimating dual-sports after getting passed on the outside by an old dude riding one on a couple of back road strafing runs.

This little rant is probably one of many similar you have heard, but I felt compelled to defend my trusty mount. I wish I had a clever name for her (him?), maybe you could suggest one.

Thanks for listening.
Peter J

Great feedback. We love hearing it!

Want to hear yourself on our show? Ridden a bike (like your own) and got an opinion? Got a cool piece of gear or farkle? Got a story? Know some jokes? Record an MP3 (or whatever) and email it to us at wheelnerds@gmail.com. We’ll throw it on the air and talk about it, too. That’s right, you can be the first on your block to be openly mocked by the Wheelnerds.

Or call our voicemail: (801) 917-4136

Or, leave us a voicemail via Skype! Our skype ID is wheelnerds.

Just go ahead, call, and leave us your story there! (We still read your emails, too, and will answer them on the show). If you got something really cool, shoot us a line and maybe we’ll talk to you live, too.

As always, you can listen to the episode above or download direct here:

OK

To subscribe to the podcast, either hit the link in the sidebar to the right or even right here. Copy that address into podcast listener/getter/subscriber of choice. We’re also listed in the Itunes Store podcast section, just do a search for Wheelnerds.

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Ep 37: Unheard Of

10 Feb


I’d apologize for yet another late posting, but who am I kidding?  Not you, you’re certainly far too smart and, might I add, good-looking to be taken in by such transparent fawnings for forgiveness! You sharp listener, you!

For this week, for those of you who hate just hearing Todd and I talk, we’ve got a whole hour of just Todd and I talking. Linky links and clicky clicks are:

No link for the tiny box wine. Maybe your local 7-11 can help.

The possibly-nautical sidecar: http://harrisburg.craigslist.org/mcy/2826367926.html

Ural’s expanding because guys in skinny jeans with ironic tattoos saw Brad Pitt riding one: http://www.roadbikemag.com/home/ural-to-expand-after-2011-growth/

NOT A BIKE: http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/16264660

What’s Erik Buell’s 1190RS up against? This thing: http://confederate.com/bike/gallery/x132_hellcat

Our main topic for this show is talking about shop space. Having your own place whether it’s in the front yard, the garage, someone else’s garage, or even a shop-shop. Chop-chop.

Want to hear yourself on our show? Ridden a bike (like your own) and got an opinion? Got a cool piece of gear or farkle? Got a story? Know some jokes? Record an MP3 (or whatever) and email it to us at wheelnerds@gmail.com. We’ll throw it on the air and talk about it, too. That’s right, you can be the first on your block to be openly mocked by the Wheelnerds.

Or call our voicemail: (801) 917-4136

Or, leave us a voicemail via Skype! Our skype ID is wheelnerds.

Just go ahead, call, and leave us your story there! (We still read your emails, too, and will answer them on the show). If you got something really cool, shoot us a line and maybe we’ll talk to you live, too.

As always, you can listen to the episode above or download direct here:

Unheard Of

To subscribe to the podcast, either hit the link in the sidebar to the right or even right here. Copy that address into podcast listener/getter/subscriber of choice. We’re also listed in the Itunes Store podcast section, just do a search for Wheelnerds.

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Ep 36: Karmic Llama

3 Feb


Apologies for the late posting, I had a hell of a day. The show did make it to the RSS feed last night though, so another good reason to subscribe to us. Even when Chuck is at his laziest, the RSS goes through!

Our guest this week is motojournalist Dexter Ford!

“And then I broke his neck like this.”

Dexter’s written a lot of stuff about motorcycles, cars, planes, boats, and likely spaceships. He’s got a website at http://www.dexterford.com. You might remember when we’ve talked about Ford before due to his article about ‘adventure’ riders: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/14/automobiles/tough-bikes-for-suburban-adventurers.html. Ford chats about that article, his time at Motorcyclist, his choice in helmets (HAHA), and his recent ADVENTURE tour (which sounds pretty cool to us).

Linky links:

The preview for the THE FINDER:

No, Craig, this isn’t me: http://www.torontosun.com/videos/1402034180001#1403029790001

The Hip Ural: http://www.hammacher.com/Product/11888?promo=search

Want to hear yourself on our show? Ridden a bike (like your own) and got an opinion? Got a cool piece of gear or farkle? Got a story? Know some jokes? Record an MP3 (or whatever) and email it to us at wheelnerds@gmail.com. We’ll throw it on the air and talk about it, too. That’s right, you can be the first on your block to be openly mocked by the Wheelnerds. Alternatively, you could call our google talk # to the right there and leave us a message if you’ve got no way to record something. Or, even cooler, (to me, anyway), you can now also leave us a voicemail via Skype! Our skype ID iswheelnerds. Just go ahead, call, and leave us your story there! (We still read your emails, too, and will answer them on the show). If you got something really cool, shoot us a line and maybe we’ll talk to you live, too.

As always, you can listen to the episode above or download direct here:

Karmic Llama

To subscribe to the podcast, either hit the link in the sidebar to the right or even right here. Copy that address into podcast listener/getter/subscriber of choice. We’re also listed in the Itunes Store podcast section, just do a search for Wheelnerds.

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Ep 35: Test 107

26 Jan


We’re finally back in the cave this week, stuffing our faces with ADVENTURE food. Well, the Australians call Vegemite food. I’m not so sure. Wiki calls it a by-product of beer brewing. I can only imagine at some time in the past, some Australian alcoholic was really desperate for his buzz and started eating the crap off the floor of some brewery. After not immediately dying, he stuck it in a jar and the rest was history. Bad bad history. What was the Japanese stuff I made Todd eat? It’s this: black sesame paste. Trust me, it was a LOT better than the Vegemite.

Big thanks to Franca for the chocolates! It had a big blue label on it that said TSCHIRREN, which, I can only imagine, means AWESOME.

This week, we’re talking to Justin Bradshaw and Court Butler of Butler Maps: http://www.butlermaps.com

Butler Maps offer maps that are targeted specifically to motorcycle riders. Each one is a pretty painstakingly (HAHA, pain. RIGHT) researched map that is very accurate PLUS highlights the routes that are of interest to us riders. Stuff with curves and turns and windy bits. I got the Utah map and it even shows some good off-pavement routes that even I can ride!

Justin and Court are the two guys on the left. They talk about the company, how they got started, and where they’re going to go with their offerings in the future. We also talk about peeing on maps and hanging out on beaches with muscled-up dudes.

That part was a little weird.

These guys were really great guests and they fit right in with the Wheelnerds. We’re fans of the maps. I think we’re going to do some… uh… quality-testing on some. Stay tuned for that.

What else we got? Oh yes, the Triumph Tiger “Exploder” Will this be the successor to the Buell in Chuck’s stable? Does owning two Brit bikes qualify him for knighthood? Will I be required to wear a frilly collar? God, I hope they aren’t as itchy as they look!

Finally, here’s Claude doing Make-A-Wish hack-style. This is a real… wow kind of video. Really. Claude and his guys did a REALLY SHARP job on this hack for Nicolas. Watch the video…

This week’s Unpaid Correspondent Program came from Jay. CALLJA–. I mean, THANKS JAY! Want to hear yourself on our show? Ridden a bike (like your own) and got an opinion? Got a cool piece of gear or farkle? Got a story? Know some jokes? Record an MP3 (or whatever) and email it to us at wheelnerds@gmail.com. We’ll throw it on the air and talk about it, too. That’s right, you can be the first on your block to be openly mocked by the Wheelnerds. Alternatively, you could call our google talk # to the right there and leave us a message if you’ve got no way to record something. Or, even cooler, (to me, anyway), you can now also leave us a voicemail via Skype! Our skype ID iswheelnerds. Just go ahead, call, and leave us your story there! (We still read your emails, too, and will answer them on the show). If you got something really cool, shoot us a line and maybe we’ll talk to you live, too.

As always, you can listen to the episode above or download direct here:

TEST 107

To subscribe to the podcast, either hit the link in the sidebar to the right or even right here. Copy that address into podcast listener/getter/subscriber of choice. We’re also listed in the Itunes Store podcast section, just do a search for Wheelnerds.

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Ep 34: Phoning It In

19 Jan


The Wheelnerds kick off 2012 by phoning this one in. Literally. Chuck’s down with Adventure Flu and Todd won’t break quarantine. We open the lines for people to call, but only one man is man enough to brave catching flu with Intrawebs: Jorge! We chat with him about living and riding in Texas and he wonders why no one gives us money.

We wonder that, too.

Our ads of the week:

The BMW Dnepr MT

Mesh Of Pants From Motorcycle

Weird Stuff of the Week:

ADVENTURE DEODORANT from Dan!

Listener Mail:

Dan (different Dan) wrote to the Wheelnerds to ask about our choices in hatchets… or tomahawks, if you want to throw them. Todd runs with a Ft Turner tomahawk (the Camp One, I think), available at: http://www.fortturner.com/store/index.htm

Chuck is mundane in his choice and doesn’t intend on throwing it. He picked an Estwing Sportmans Axe up from the Big Box Home Center for about thirty bucks. Both are fine choices and have served well for camp duty with Todd’s tomahawk having the added entertainment value.

 

Don’t forget about our official Wheelnerds Disorganized Unpaid Correspondent Program. Basically, we want to hear some stuff from you! Ridden a bike (like your own) and got an opinion? Got a cool piece of gear or farkle? Got a story? Know some jokes? Record an MP3 (or whatever) and email it to us at wheelnerds@gmail.com. We’ll throw it on the air and talk about it, too. That’s right, you can be the first on your block to be openly mocked by the Wheelnerds. Alternatively, you could call our google talk # to the right there and leave us a message if you’ve got no way to record something. Or, even cooler, (to me, anyway), you can now also leave us a voicemail via Skype! Our skype ID iswheelnerds. Just go ahead, call, and leave us your story there! (We still read your emails, too, and will answer them on the show). If you got something really cool, shoot us a line and maybe we’ll talk to you live, too.

As always, you can listen to the episode above or download direct here:

Phoning It In

To subscribe to the podcast, either hit the link in the sidebar to the right or even right here. Copy that address into podcast listener/getter/subscriber of choice. We’re also listed in the Itunes Store podcast section, just do a search for Wheelnerds.

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