The Unspoken Struggles Of Motorcyclists

[@Williamstegelman-c9v]

Big problem finding someone to ride with that doesn't want to bar hop

[@danbarrette9888]

I have the same problem

[@thomfrost2594]

Want to go riding?😉😉😉😉😉

[@russelldowling9171]

I’ve been riding 36 years and haven’t done lane filtering and just don’t feel like I’m missing anything, besides that my victory vision is half the width of a car. Comfortable clothes, jacket pants etc..fit wise makes a difference too

[@SomewhereInside]

Riding on my own some , is a beautiful thing ,surrounded by the universe .

[@richardmourdock2719]

Wow. i guess I'm more mellow than I thought. I've got only one thing to complain about. Winter. And I figure I can't do anything about that. After12 years of riding, I came to appreciate an expression of a buddy, "Well, that's just all a part of it." And you just keep going. Weather, traffic, whatever... its just all part of it.

[@ElderGenXer]

Canyon Chasers calls it PMS: parked motorcycle syndrome! I thought that was perfect.

[@4940markhutchins]

It’s winter, but the temp outside is 42. Cool, let’s go for a quick ride! I go to my closet and spend the next 20 minutes bundling up, then to the garage where I plug in my heated stuff and bundle up some more. 30 minutes later, I think I’m ready and fire up the bike. Well shit, now I’ve gotta go to the bathroom, so I unbundle, do my thing, and rebundle. An hour later, I finally fire up the bike and take off. Problem is, it’s now getting dark, the temp is dropping, so I head back home and start the whole ritual in reverse. Next time I’ll take the car!

[@LivingOffTheSlab]

Lol...truth!

[@RodHog1]

Great video I could see lane splitting in a big city but for me still would be uncomfortable 😅

[@LivingOffTheSlab]

It does feel weird the first time you do it, but in CA I was surprised at how accommodating the car drivers were.

[@billpacheco790]

Being an old guy I find that dribbling after gassing up and dribbling after taking a pee are eerily similar…

[@andrewgagner2927]

Up in Vermont at the top of a 5 mile dead end dirt road... I think I consume more motorcycle content between January and April than I do the rest of the year combined, especially with the temps this year... gonna be a loooong mud season. Thanks for the video and stay well.

[@thomfrost2594]

Entertaining and informative Mr Letterman! 😆😆😆😆😆😆

[@soraksan321]

Now owning 5 motorcycles sometimes I simply struggle with "which one to ride today?"...(I know, not that it's a horrible problem to have)...but you always want to have the right tool to do any job-

[@sphyrnidus]

I'm not so much a group rider anymore. I used to, but nowadays I prefer riding with my wife (she rides her own bikes) or alone. Being in a group takes away a lot of freedom for me. I'm older too, so I have done the old exams in the Netherlands. Nowadays it's indeed frustrating to ge a license which is a 5 part thing: theory, manoeuvring and then there's A1, A2 and A which you can get at 18,20 and 24. So if you want to ride a motorcycle with full power, you have to be 24 years of age...Yet the amount of people riding is growing fast here. We're travellers and are on the bikes over 200 days per year, I get all kinds of pain if I ride too long. Latest annoyance: I'm tall so I need a tall bike. But then it's hard to get my leg over the saddle :) Last trip I had my visor open, just a little bit, to get some air in and then a wasp went in and man that was awful...

[@My17A]

The number one thing I struggle with most on a multi-day trip is eating properly. You and I discussed this briefly a few months ago when I was watching your videos from the Alaska trip. It's very challenging. We sit sedentary all day long on the bikes, and eat fast food for breakfast and lunch, then more restaurant food for supper. I know we can get some basics at food stores along the way (Fruits and some healthy snacks etc.), but for the most part, we end of eating highly processed garbage for days on end. There is a simple solution.....Don't eat! I mean it. It's very good for you. Your body will thank you. Drink only water, coffee etc, but no food. It's called "intermittent fasting" and it's perfect for bikers (if you give a shit, if you don't, continue eating restaurant food). Your body can go many days without food. Only needs water. If your planning a multi day trip, do intermittent fasting a few days before you go so your body is used to it. After the initial cravings pass you will actually feel full of energy, because you are now burning fat instead of carbs. You can modify it any way you like, but I would go at least one full day without eating anything, and then try only one meal a day. Give it a shot today.....don't eat for 24 hours! Hundreds of KZbin video's on this.

[@Warerdog24]

This really works . I always lost weight when I motorcycle travel because of 1 meal a day and I can not snack while riding . Bill in Northern Mi.

[@retiredwaterdoctor]

Great topic.....I suffer from pms...parked motorcycle syndrome....I don't like winter. 😁😁 Garth

[@jamesbonner5989]

Lots of good points to consider. Thanks.

[@EvanEdwards]

Claude has some great ones: hand numbness, mental weariness of paying attention when riding long distances, changing sizes of body makes gear not fit well, weather forecast anxiety, upper body fatigue from wind, hydration, storage, road debris that doesn't affect cars, social pressure to ride in groups, back pain, helmet hair at events, secure parking, seasonal storage, communicating with passengers, insects, static electricity from synthetic fabrics, near misses causing rattle and uncertainty, and chain and tire maintenance.

[@carlfogharty8616]

Also, 100% correct on rider complacency. We can get easily distracted.

[@My17A]

In Canada licensing is teared. M1, M2, M. M1 is just a written exam, and then you can ride a bike (with a few restrictions ie no passengers, no freeway, etc) After Sixty days you can do a test to get your M2. During M1, most people take a MSFC, and that will include a test on successful completion to get an M2. That is good for three years I think. I may be wrong on the timings, but I think after 24 months with your M2, you can do a road test, and if you pass that, you have your full M Class license.

[@3520Rick]

Fatigue. Im 66 and have found how to deal wih it but always a challenge. Good video!

[@NedRochford]

As the great philosopher Frank Sinatra once sang: "That's Life." Ned in SC

[@RobertParmenterJr]

New to your channel. I'm 61 been riding since 6 years old you've shown me with all the places you've gone I still might have some life left in this old tired body of mine! Thanks a million for your videos keep um coming. Oh ya do you ride down on the cape we're I live?

[@LivingOffTheSlab]

I haven't been to the Cape for a while, but for sure have ridden down that way.

[@richardahola692]

Lots of little irritants. Nothing is a stopper. At 75 years old everything is a struggle. I just got back from a ride in Patagonia. The roads were horrible with many sections of loose gravel and potholes that looked like bomb craters. My ride ended with 9 broken spokes that left my back wheel flopping. Found enough spokes to make it rideable but not enough to trust it. The biggest problem was extreme winds that knocked me down several times.

[@f8thntheos]

Before we purchased my adventure bike, I assured my bride that I would ride safely. One promise I made was I would never pass on a double yellow. If I ride with a group, I tell them this. I ride mostly solo now.

[@richardahola692]

I live in Argentina and they are very liberal with the yellow paint. Many times you can see for miles, not a car in sight but a truck going very slow or worse yet a big motorhome from the US. I go by when clear.

[@Ruleof2plus1]

I have no problem riding with a comunity of one 😊 i am not a harley guy and prefer to ride for fun not fashion. Starting small is the correct path. I do travel with a lot but i rude a sport trike pulling a trailer At 73 i have no pain issues. And rain is fun. Security is not a concern as i dont ride a Harley. Never a breakdown in 40 years of long trips but i ride goldwings.

[@Williamstegelman-c9v]

They all break guess you don't keep the bike long I have5 bikes lowest miles 67045 high mileage on a 70 year old Indian chef 500,000

[@manuelcorchero-e4g]

This my time for yearly maintance, 9 inches of rain in a week, in northen california, now waiting for snow. Perfect time to put intake seals on my womens 883 sporty.

[@DavidNewmanDr]

Compare the advertising for Harleys and what Honda did to market the 50 cc Honda cub. "You meet the nicest people on a Honda", with lots of pictures of women riding around town, going to cafés. It is a different life style. Or look at videos of how people ride in Indonesia, Africa or India - a means to get from A to B without the high cost of a car.

[@SomewhereInside]

Riding in the rain , snug as a bug with wet weather gear on ,but the beading on the helmet visor is a downer .

[@FxRiderST]

Few notes. Riding solo is the best company. European listening makes better riders (and drives). Slow drivers in the twisties - look back and ahead, pass when clear. Or pull off or slow down and wait out for few min. Lane splitting - just do it. Legal or not. Watch out for police. Nobody wants to see a bike in front of their bumper (incl me if in car). It makes them nervous. And sittings in traffic defeats the purpose of being on a bike and it's one of our advantages. Hot or cold in your gear - gear up for not being too hot or too cold. Uncomfortable ride messing with concentration.

[@Warerdog24]

I find the whole getting ready a problem . Getting dressed checking tires and fuels . My rule is when I want to ride it has to be 100 miles round trip. This way I feel the. Ride was worth the hassle of getting ready . I’m 78 and have been riding since 1966 and still ready enjoy nice morning ride to somewhere for Lunch and home with a few longer trips a year. Bill from Northern Mi

[@NorCal-refrigeration]

Lane splitting in California works because we’ve always had it. Drivers actually move over as bikes come through ( most of the time), because drivers have been taught that from day one. Not sure how drivers will respond if lane splitting gets ok’d in areas that never had it.

[@LivingOffTheSlab]

Not sure how it would be received up here either. Drivers don't even like to let you merge...

[@clemc5457]

Why doesn’t the car, at the head of the pack, yield the right of way? You know - they’re the ones who are creeping along on the two-lane twisty road at 15MPH. The ones that refuse to use the myriad of pullouts. Are they oblivious? Arrogant? Petrified? Selfish? Distracted? Hateful? These are the same ones who will go 90 throughout the entire passing lane to prevent being passed. I just don’t get it.

[@I_am_archie]

I Mostly ride by myself. I ride when it's cold. I just arrived back home in northern utah. Going for a ride tomorrow. Should be mid 40-50° possible rain. I agree there's something about covering ones bike. Some times it's a pain, but if more than an hour or two i cover.

[@marchofthecontraption8060]

With the rear end thing, as a person who has been rear ended its an easy 'kill' to allow me to move to the front of traffic in stopped or reduced speed situations. Who does it impact if i was going to 'swim' though all these folk anyways? Possibly in more unsafe maneuvers 😅 While I do agree motorcyclist may often blame others around them for there own lack of defensive driving and skills, i chalk that up to the increased risk of the activity, it doesnt take much imagination to understand that situation almost smoked you. Its never my fault, lol ... Sure buddy ... Had to lay her down, yup bet you did ... They pulled out in front of me, def wasnt going 30 mph over the speed limit. I used to live in South Dakota in the South Dakota department of highway Transit or safety. Can't remember, put out a little motorcycle report not every year but a decent enough amount of time for the Sturgis rally. A disconcerning amount double-digit percentages of the accidents that happened in association with the Sturgis rally were directly related to motorcyclists overriding the capability of their skills and machine with a common phrase that I can remember being failure to negotiate a turn. There was no offending vehicle other than the motorcycleist. Agree'd on gas n gear too! Lol

[@Lee-sk2ov]

Never had been where there is lane splitting. To me just seems like a bd idea. Other than that just be aware of your surroundings. Be safe. It’s an adventure. You can have same problems in a car. There is nothing like traveling and being able to see,smell,hear and feel everything. Around you.

[@carlfogharty8616]

Most HD riders (not all) are not real riders. Most want to claim to ride an HD, more than actually riding it. IMHOP.

[@Hawaiishelldiver]

I lost a friend recently. He started riding a Harley and adopted a biker persona. All I did was point out the similarities between "bikers" and drag queens. Christ, you'd think I'd burned the flag or kicked his dog!

[@clemc5457]

@carfogharty8616 I have put 38k miles on my Harley over the past 4 years. This is in addition to the miles I put on my Goldwing in that same time. Most Harley riders I’ve know have done the same if not more. I really don’t know what you’re talking about. Please provide the information source from which you’ve drawn your conclusion.

[@carlfogharty8616]

@clemc5457 That's awesome, I'm glad you actually ride yours. I got my information from experience. I live in California and ride all over this state year round. The majority of the bikes I see on the road are ADV and sport bikes. I know many Harley owners personally who rarely actually ride other than to the local watering hole. And when they do, they make sure to post it to social media so people can see how cool they are...

[@h.l.3628]

Having glasses and taking the helmet on and off...

[@LivingOffTheSlab]

Amen!

[@danbarrette9888]

Where in mass ?

[@LivingOffTheSlab]

No, Mass.

[@danbarrette9888]

@@LivingOffTheSlabI’m in the sea coast of nh

[@saddle8bag]

Replacing puny stock horns. I have to respectfully disagree with you about lane splitting. Bikes are too damn hot with catalytic converters these days. If I'm on the highway in a traffic jam on a hot day, I'm going around everyone to stay air cooled, law or not.

[@milolabrett6549]

Go do some Yoga classes very low impact and it totally limbers one up. I had such great results with the classes, I highered a personal Yoga instructor once a week to give me new exercises then I’d do them just every second day 15 minutes and then the next week things would change up with great results. I constantly do stretching stuff that I’ve learned from Yoga, on my bike. As per filtering I do it all the time in Canada and have never had a problem up until just this year with a Red neck in a Douche Truck plastered with Trump stickers in Alberta. Go Figure ?

[@allenantonio4389]

Well pop's I was rear ended...more Bull shit studies....I split lanes all the time to bad...