A Few Thoughts on Being Prepared – Murphy is alive and well, and he is nobody’s fool. Patient, cunning, and devious, he will get you when you least expect it … unless you’re prepared. We’ve been out here almost two weeks on the Idaho Backcountry Discovery Route. The sun is about to set and we […]

What Should You Bring? – If you’re like me, you don’t want any type of mechanical problem to deal with during a motorcycle tour. And, of course, the best way to keep that from happening is a heavy dose of preventative medicine before your bike ever leaves the garage. But unforeseen mechanical malfunctions can and […]

No damage other than some embarrassment and bruised dignity, but the clutch lever has snapped at the pivot. What to do? I have an urgent mission to complete on the island, so I wheel the bike on board and set to work. My handy Schrade Tough Tool includes a file that helps to reshape the […]

Deciding what to take on a multiday motorcycle trip can be as important as deciding where to go. Taking too little or the wrong items can pose certain risks and taking too much can make the daily loading and unloading a hassle. Less seasoned moto-tourists typically take too much, possibly because they have not yet […]

About the only good thing I can say about this time of year is the “time” you get to use as you see fit. After all, it’s too cold to ride, so let’s take this opportunity to truly sharpen our riding tools, so that when the sun pops out and temps rise, we are ready […]

Every motorcyclist knows that having the proper tools can mean the difference between getting out of a jam quickly and an extreme change of plans. A few years back I learned this lesson the hard way. This story begins with a simple weekend ride to the annual Irish Festival in Fort Collins, CO. In typical […]