In this episode, John Gardiner IV (G4) joins me to give us a full update on how he likes his 2019 Yamaha Tracer 900 GT, and how he is progressing on his riding skills development and working on his Motojitsu belts.

We find out how it was that John actually came to the conclusion that it was time to become a motorcyclist and buy his first motorcycle.

We talk a little about negotiating when buying a new motorcycle from a dealer.

John also talks about how his grandmother helped him out so that he was able to get all the gear and protection he wanted for himself and his motorcycle without having to wait several months as he originally had planned.

We also talk about making minor motorcycle modifications...John installing crash bars on his Tracer, and Gina and I installing highway bars on her Indian Scout Sixty.

John gives us details on the program he put together for himself to help him expand out on his riding activities as he gets more comfortable on his bike, and how repetition, practice and always having an abort plan in mind helps him feel safer and more at ease when riding. We also discuss working up to doing higher speeds and also dealing with wind and having improved reaction times the faster you ride your bike.

We talk about the importance of developing good habits and routines...kind of like having a "preflight checklist" as is used by aircraft pilots...for your motorcycling activites. And we consider the benefit of look backing and learning from mistakes and goofs. Finally we weigh out the value of mixing training courses with practice, practice, practice.

And we share our experiences working on our Motojitsu White Belts and how that is helping us obtain better control of our motorcycles and become more skilled riders.

We also learn what made John decide to adopt the model name "Tracer" as the actual nickname for his bike.

I also mention a little about DanDanTheFireman and how his mission dovetails with what Fast Eddie is doing with Motojitsu.

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Special Guest: John Gardiner IV (G4).

In this episode, DanDanTheFireman and I have a nice chat and get down to the nitty-gritty of motorcycle safety and the importance of training and wearing proper gear to reduce the inherent risks associated with motorcycling. Having worked as an EMT for a little over 10 years, Daniel has seen it all when it comes to traffic accidents, in particular related to motorcycles. His passion is educating motorcyclists, especially beginning riders, on the things they can do to get better informed and better trained about motorcycling, to increase their chances of having a safe and rewarding future as a motorcyclist. DanDanTheFireman has over 92,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel, and is close to having 400 Patreon subscribers. So obviosuly there are a lot of people intersted in what he has to say! We talk about his experiences as an EMT, and the weekly live videos he does to analyze motorcycle accident videos for his listeners, so they can become more skilled at understanding motorcycle accident dynamics and how they can avoid accidents, and if necessary minimize the risks if they are involved in one. We also talk about the Accident Scene Management Course that Gina and I did two years ago and how that has made us more aware of accident risks, and more importantly what we can do to help save lives if we ever witness an accident. We also talk about Daniel's new Indian FTR 1200 and how Fast Eddie's Motojitsu motorcycle exercise program is helping both of us become better riders.

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Special Guest: DanDanTheFireman.

In this episode I have a really cool chat with Justin Edson who I have come to know as a fellow listener of some other podcasts that we share an interest in. It is Justin's attitude towards life and his extensive experience riding and wrenching on motorcycles that gave me the idea to have him on as a guest of the show. We talk a little bit about Jack Daley, a great friend and riding buddy of Justin's, who unfortunately passed away a couple months ago, and we discuss why Jack was such an important part of Justin's life. In honor of Jack, we share a toast to him, and we dedicate this episode to his memory and legacy. We also talk about the 46 different motorcycles that Justin has owned and wrenched on over the years, and how his mission to help make great running, reliable and inexpensive used motorcycles available to new and experienced riders led to the formation of Jedz Moto. We also get into the ways in which motorcycling can be very fulfilling to the human soul and the fact that there seems to be a spiritual side to this amazing sport and hobby that we share and love. We end off discussing some tips for new motorcycle riders and things they can do to be successful and fulfilled motorcyclists.

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Special Guest: Justin Edson.

In this episode, Shahin Alvandi joins me to discuss lots of motorcycle related topics. Shahin is the co-host on the Brap Talk! motorcycle podcast, spent many years working at MotoCorsa, the largest Ducati dealer in North America, is president of the Ducati Owner’s Club of the Pacific Northwest, is currently the owner of a beautiful Ducati Multistrada, does trackdays and is planning to start amateur motorcycle racing next year!

Shahin shares stories about how he met Jensen Beeler, the founder of the Asphalt & Rubber motorcycle news and industry web site, how he came up with his sign off "safety third", and how he developed a love for Ducatis and motorcycles and motorcycling in general.

Listen in and share in the fun!!!

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Special Guest: Shahin Alvandi.

In this episode listener Tony Terribilini and I discuss several different topics which are pretty much summarized by the links below. Scan the links and you'll get a good idea of what this episode is all about! In a nutshell, we talk about his experience with millennials, how motorcycle marketing to the millennial and following generations needs to change, where we see growth opportunities, and the importance of helping keep existing motorcyclists in the community by making sure they are enjoying and getting the most possible out of motorcycling.

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Special Guest: Tony Terribilini.

In this episode I have a special guest, Greg Widmar (aka Fast Eddie), who not only is a very experienced Motorcycle Safety Foundation and Total Control Training motorcycle rider trainer and coach, but he has also developed his own Motojitsu Master Rider Training Program to help students and riders build their skills by doing a carefully laid out series of steps or "belts", similar to the systems used in various types of martial arts. Students are awarded various belts in sequence as they master the skills, ability and knowledge associated with each level of training and accomplishment.

We also talk about Greg's 10 years of experience in the US Marines as a Marine drill instructor, and how that experience helped him build the discipline and work ethic that he now brings to his motorcycling and the training of other motorcyclists. Greg also shares a little about the 2 years that he spend in Iraq as a Marine and how that has shaped his outlook about other people and how it showed him that most people in the world are really good people who just want to live a happy and fulfilling life.

We also talk about his new 2018 BMW S1000R and doing trackdays. In fact the day after this interview he was headed to the track to kick the tires on his new ride.

Integrated with our discussion about motorcycling, motorcycle training and Motojitsu, are discussions about life in general, philosophy towards life, eduction, hard work and the keys to success and how all of these things tie into the sport of motorcycling that we all enjoy so much.

I hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed doing this interview!

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Special Guest: Greg Widmar.

In this episode John Gardiner IV (aka "G4") joins me to discuss his journey in becoming a new motorcycle rider and the also his adventures in shopping for his first bike. John found my podcast when he started searching the internet for help on getting started in this sport that we all love so much. So I was elated when John agreed to come on the show to discuss his own story, as one of my goals for this podcast is helping new people from all walks of life find the activity of motorcycling and helping them get a successful start in it.

John is a Graduate Fellow at Penn State University and lives in central Pennsylvania and is now the proud owner of a brand new Yamaha Tracer 900 GT.

We talk about his experience getting his license by doing the free motorycle training program offered in PA which is based on the Total Control training program developed by Lee Parks. We also talk about the steps he took to decide on the right motorcycle for him and also the things that can be done to better fit a motorcycle to the rider. And we cover what the beginning rider courses do and do not cover and also what a new rider should do after finishing a basic training course, to become more comfortable with their motorycle and with riding in general. These are steps that can make you safer, more confident and insure that you have years of enjoyable motorcycling ahead of you.

We also talk about the clutch, the "friction zone" and "slipping the clutch" as well as an easy way to understand what counter-steering is. We wrap up by talking a little bit about electric bicycles and about model railroading and the podcast that John started to help get new people started in the world of model railroading.

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Special Guest: John Gardiner IV (G4).

I recorded this one on my birthday! In this episode I explain the origin of the nickname "Old Man Slacker" that I have adopted, what it means to me, and why I adopted it.

I also go over the different facets that I see as comprising this thing we call life and I introduce the subject of "Motorcycle Philosophy" and what that means to me. I talk about losing my dad and the influence that had on me and why I have dedicated my podcast to him.

I give shout-outs to Jedz Moto and the Loud Pipes! podcast, and especially to my listeners, and I also cover some information about my audience.

I mention Dianetics and recently becoming a trained Dianetics counselor and how that has shaped my views and approach to life and enabled me to effectively help others.

Finally, I discuss how this episode has allowed me to fine tune and realign my thoughts about and my goals with this podcast. In addition to helping expand the field of motorcycling and helping bring in new motorcyclists, I want to use it to enhance and extend what is already being done by other motorcycle podcasts and introduce aspects of philosphy to help people get the most out of motorcycling and to increase their enjoyment of life overall.

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In this episode I have two special guests. Shana Sanderson, Executive Vice President of Operations for the Women Riders World Relay (WRWR). And her husband, Eugene Sanderson, who has been instrumental in supporting Shana in her day to day role in WRWR, and who also handcrafted the batons that are passed woman to woman in the WRWR Global Relay and the WRWR U.S. Ripple Relay.

We discuss what motorcyles they each ride now and the motorcycles they started out on, as well as how they got started riding.

We touch on Eugene's experience as a Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) RiderCoach.

We also talk about the challenges and rewards related to working with, supporting, and being associated with WRWR, which has grown very rapidly beyond anyone's original expectations. And we consider the ways in which WRWR is helping to change the future for women, women motorcyclists, and motorcycling in general.

And we discuss the construction of the batons, and the technology behind them, and the impressive amount of ingenuity and craftsmanship that Eugene put into creating them for WRWR.

We also touched on the future of WRWR and how Shana and Eugene see it developing in the years to come.

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In this episode I have two special guests. My girlfriend, Gina Bratkowsky, joins me as my co-host and helps me interview Sarah Worthylake from the Women Riders World Relay (WRWR). Sarah is the Global Relay Moderator and the U.S. Ripple Relay Coordinator for WRWR. She started riding about 3 years ago, and her first and current bike is a Honda CBR600RR sport bike. Her fiancé got her interested in riding and she learned how to ride in the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's (MSF) Basic Riders Course (BRC). He rides a Honda CBR1000RR.

We discuss how WRWR got started, its purpose and where the relay started and how far the baton has gotten so far. We also talk about the Ripple Relays that were created to help women participate if scheduling and other logistics do not allow them to join the main worldwide relay. We also talk about how men can help and support WRWR. Oh and we discuss the construction and technology contained in the baton!

I hope you enjoy this episode and please do what you can to support WRWR and women riders around the world!

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Special Guests: Gina Bratkowsky and Sarah Worthlylake.