False Neutral

This month's episode is a bit different, and somewhat experimental. Garrett is busy with exams this month, so Pete and Eric are joined by guest Steve Faux, a moto vlogger from Lincoln, Nebraska. Steve joins us via mobile phone while out riding his Harley. We discuss the remarkable Honda Fury psuedo-chopper, cruise control, helmet laws, ape hangers, and the proper mindset when making Internet videos and podcasts. [We've done our bests to enhance sound quality over Steve's phone connection, but his voice is slightly garbled in a couple spots.]

After updating listeners on Garrett's continuing Kenny Roberts Replica RZ build, including his plan to 3D print a new airbox, Eric shares new tribulations with his never-running-right XS. We go on to discuss Harley's joint partnership with Chinese manufacturer Qianjiang, and how side-by-sides are currently keeping the powersports industry afloat in North America.

After our usual project bike updates, this month we discuss three listener questions:

• What's your "wild card" bikes, which you'd like to own for a short time just to satisfy your curiosity?
• Can you buy a good beginner bike for $1000, and would a Kawasaki KLR650 be one of them?
• What should you do with used helmets?

This month the crew is all dealing with various pipe-related issues. Garrett had to cut out and replace a frame tube due to a previous welding hack, among lots of other work on his RZ350 project, while Eric and Pete were both busy with other non-motorcycle plumbing issues that couldn't have been more different. We also discuss motorcycle crates, some new bikes, torque curves, and the nature of being an adult.

This month we're joined by Rick Radcliffe, a name well known to Hooniverse regulars. Rick shares his story, which has a uniquely Southern California ambience (spoilers: it involves a Ducati 916 and lane-splitting). We go on to discuss a wide range of bikes, from dream sport bikes to comfortable, practical commuters. Along the way we get an update on our project bikes and the final departure of the Don Vesco Yamaha.  Be sure to hop over to hooniverse.com to follow along with photos of the bikes we discuss.

We've been busy in our workshops this month. Garrett finished his powdercoating oven and rebuilt Eric's carbs, Pete bought a TIG welder. Along the way, in between talking about welding and plasma cutters, we tie up a few loose ends from past episodes, and discuss bikes including the Ducati Paso, Triumph Speedmaster, and Honda GB500.

This month's episode starts as usual with updates on our various project bikes, along with some dreamed-up future project ideas we'll surely never get around to actually attempting. After that, we each try to name one bike we could live with as our only motorcycle. Spoiler: your three hosts come up with very divergent and rather unexpected choices. We wrap up with a discussion of last month's giant Mecum Las Vegas classic bike auction.

Be sure to check out Hooniverse.com for links and photos that accompany each False Neutral episode.

This month all three of your hosts have managed to make real progress in our garages. Eric's XS400E and the Don Vesco RD both fired up for the first time in many years! Garrett has also been busy with the T500 Titan. We go on to discuss Honda's automatic bikes from the '70s and '80s, the Fat Hippo that won Hooniverse Car Of The Year honors, and how Harley-Davidson's Livewire electric bike stacks up to the competition.

In reponse to some feedback from listeners, we start this month's episode with a discussion of our motiviation for continuing this podcast, and what we expect ourselves and our listenters to get from it. Then we talk about what's been going on in our workshops, including some cool updates on the ex-Don Vesco RD350 Garrett is readying for auction.

The topic of this month's episode was supposed to be the new bikes from EICMA, but Garrett followed through on his predicted purchase of not one but three Yamaha two-stroke twins. One will be a fairly mild, original looking Kenny Roberts Special. The other two, an RZ and an RD, will be wildly modified with monster motors. Between the three projects, we spend a lot of time talking about modifying two-strokes and no time talking about 2019 bikes.