In this episode I answer an email from a listener who is looking to buy his first motorcycle and is looking for advice on how much to spend on his motorcycle gear. I take this opportunity to answer his question by discussing all the things I have learned recently about high end gear that is suitable for track riding, as I start preparing myself to start riding on the track in 2020. I cover the fact that I am facing the same dilemma that he is…how much do I spend? I discuss what I am learning about helmets, boots and track suits, and the approach I am taking to move ahead and decide what to buy. I also mention that I have decided that before I start getting very involved in doing track days, I first want to improve my riding skills, and learn how to ride properly on the track, by taking the type of training offered by the California Superbike School and Total Control Training.

I also talk about the things I have learned about Shoei and Arai helmets and some special features of Dainese track suits and boots. I also share what I have learned regarding the design features that make a helmet safer and more effective in a crash.

And I mention the importance of deciding how to dress for your ride before you get on the bike.

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In this episode I start out by reading the new mission statement for my podcast, and then look back over the podcast since its inception by reading the list of past episode titles and more importantly commenting on and giving my thoughts about each episode, what was significant about them, what they meant to me, and any updates I have on the topics they covered. If you have not listened to the back catalog of episodes this is a great way for you to find out which ones you missed that you might be interested in. Then you can queue them up to listen to in your favorite podcast app. Since the Thanksgiving holiday is approaching I thought it would also be appropriate to give thanks and talk about all of the people that I am thankful for regarding the sport of motorcycling that you and I love so much. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed recording it. Happy Thanksgiving!!!

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In this edition of "15 Minutes of Motorcycles" I spend about 40 minutes (OK...the name is a little misleading ;-) ) reading listener email from the last edition and also about the Fieldsheer and Mobile Warming heated gear that I wear, so I can keep riding all year long on Long Island. I discuss the pros and cons of the jacket, gloves and glove liners I have, so you know some factors to consider if you are looking to buy or upgrade heated gear from these or from other manufactures.

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Happy Halloween!

In this new podcast segment I spend a little under a half an hour (it's short and sweet!) introducing this new feature of my podcast and also safety equipment such as advanced helmet technology from 6D and MIPS and air bag technology offered in products from Helite, Hit-air, Dainese and Alpinestars.

Let me know how you like it!

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In this episode I have a great discussion with Paul Carruthers and Sean Bice, who aside from being avid motorcyclists and huge fans of motorcycle racing, are the co-hosts of MotoAmerica’s own podcast and, much more importantly, are a big part of the dedicated team that works mostly behind the scenes to make MotoAmerica a professional, fascinating, exciting and entertaining motorcycle racing series.

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Special Guests: Paul Carruthers and Sean Bice.

In this episode I talk with Dave Moss, the founder of Dave Moss Tuning (DMT). Dave started racing motorcycles in the late 1990s at the age of 35. He built his own race bike and spent a lot of time digging into the nuances of bike setup and researching motorcycles, their behavior, their design and the physics behind them so that he could get the most out of his own bike on the track. A lot of other track day riders and racers started coming to Dave for advice on how to set up their own bikes. The help that Dave started offering at that time continued to evolve and develop over the last 24 years, and Dave now has a web site and YouTube channel with over 1000 items of content related to motorcycle suspension, motorcycle setup and riding technique that runs the gamut from podcasts, to videos to written articles. Dave has an intense passion for helping riders of all experience levels get the most out of their motorcycles and their motorcycle riding. He has found that often simple changes to the setup of a motorcycle can lead to huge gains in rider comfort, rider performance and rider safety. Dave has developed many tools and techniques to help tweak and adjust a motorcycle so that it fits the rider the way a well fitted suit or glove fits your body. His advice, to anyone who will listen, is to first focus your attention on the ergonomics of your motorcycle, and making sure it fits you properly, suits your riding style and handles properly, before you invest in other things like exhaust pipes, chrome and engine modifications.

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Special Guest: Dave Moss.

In this episode I have a great discussion with Kristen Staggs who is a co-owner, along with her husband Eddie, of the Bohn Body Armor company. I have been using Bohn Body Armor for about two years now and I really like it for many reasons. It is basically like wearing a base layer, but it has pockets to hold the various pieces of armor close to your body. So, the armor always fits well and is held comfortably in place. Additionally, you can wear the shirt by itself, or you can wear the shirt and pants under regular street clothes for impact protection and some abrasion protection, or you can wear it under your other motorcycle riding gear to get even more abrasion protection. But once you have your Bohn Body Armor, you don’t need to add to or upgrade the armor in all of your motorcycle pants and jackets, nor do you have to be bothered moving your upgraded armor pads between the different garments that you own. And because they sell different base layer shells, you can use your Bohn Body Armor year-round. Since I really enjoy using my Bohn Armor, I thought it would be cool to have Kristin on the show to talk about their company, their products and how the Bohn Body Armor company got started in the first place. It’s a great product and a great story!

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Special Guest: Kristen Staggs.

In this episode I have a good old chinwag with Tony Sherriff, who did all types of motorcycle racing in the 1960s and 70s in New Zealand and Australia. Tony shares a lot of stories related to racing both on and off the track. We touch a little bit on how motorcycle technology has changed over the years, but much of what we discuss highlights the fact that while the motorcycles and the equipment have evolved over the years, the true spirit, adventure and excitement of motorcycles and motorcycle racing has definitely stayed the same…or maybe like a fine wine has gotten even better with age!

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Special Guest: Tony Sherriff.

In this episode I chat with MotoAmerica Twins Cup motorcycle racer Chris Bays and listener John Gardiner who won the MotoAmerica weekend pass that Chris and I make available via the recent give-a-way. As of this recording, John had not yet used the ticket, but was going to see the races in Pittsburgh, PA the following weekend. Since John had never seen any form of racing before, he had a lot of questions to ask about motorcycle racing and this get together was the perfect opportunity for Chris and I to answer them…Chris as the MotoAmerica racer…and me as the MotoAmerica fan. John did see the Championship of Pittsburgh and got to meet Chris in person. John had a great time at the races and sent me lots of photos and video while he was there. Without a doubt we now have a new motorcycle racing fan in our midst…which is a big win for Chris and I, and anyone else who wants to see the sport of motorcycle racing continue to grow!

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Special Guests: Chris Bays and John Gardiner IV (G4).

In this episode I talk with MotoAmerica Superbike racer Kyle Wyman who grew up in the Harley-Davidson dealership that was started by his grandfather in 1962. Both of his parents drag raced cars and motorcycles at the professional level, and he has been racing motorcycles since he was 8 years old. Kyle became a professional motorcycle racer at age 16 and he raced flat track for several years until switching to motorcycle road racing with his two younger brothers. Kyle has owned his own race team for many years and now Kyle Wyman Racing is fielding a Ducati Panigale V4 R in the MotoAmerica Superbike series, which Kyle is riding himself. Kyle has also been a motorcycle riding and racing instructor since 2014 and he recently started his own online motorcycle training school, KWR Coaching, which is open to riders of all experience levels.

Kyle and I talk about his many years of motorcycle racing in different formats and how he came to form his own privateer racing team. We also talk a little bit about the 17 surgeries that he has had over the years as a result of the various crashes he has had in his racing career, but more importantly we talk about his racing gear and the ways in which good gear has protected Kyle in various crashes and in many cases reduced or eliminated injury.

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Special Guest: Kyle Wyman.