Driven to Ride

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Bridget McCutchen Feb 21, 2024

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When Bridget McCutchen set off from her rural midwestern home on a world tour, she had no idea what the next 16 months would bring. Some 451 days later, after covering nearly 50,000 miles and visiting 45 countries, the 22-year-old Wisconsin native had successfully checked off all the requirements to become the youngest person, man or woman, to travel around the world by motorcycle.

McCutchen was new to motorcycling, with relatively few miles under her belt, when she began to map out her journey. No surprise, her trip wasn’t as simple as connecting the dots. In Chile, McCutchen and a friend were robbed. Later, she was hit by a car, resulting in a concussion and other injuries. And then there was the war in Ukraine, which scratched plans to travel through Russia.

“Part of the reason I'm traveling around the world is to show that the motorcycle demographic is changing,” McCutchen wrote partway through the trip on her website, two-wheels-round.com. “I represent the new generation of riders. Young women who enjoy motorcycling are a growing force; they are people who want to be more present, enveloped in the world, not encapsulated in the bubble of a car.”

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Austin Rothbard Feb 07, 2024

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Would you let a complete stranger ride your prized motorcycle? Austin Rothbard is betting that you will—for a fee, of course. In fact, Rothbard started a business in 2017 based on that very concept. Rothbard is a motorcyclist himself and the founder and CEO of “Twisted Road,” a peer-to-peer, community-based rental service that he fondly refers to as the “Airbnb of motorcycles.”

Twisted Road builds relationships with motorcycle owners who care about their machines. They keep their bikes clean and shiny. Proper maintenance is a priority. They can spout tire pressures—cold or hot?—quicker than their spouses’ birthdates. And they expect the same from customers. One of the rental stipulations, for example, is that every motorcycle is returned with a full tank of gas.

Find a motorcycle, book your days, and enjoy the ride of your life. According to Rothbard, the Twisted Road experience is that easy. Aiming to “unlock the motorcycles of the world so more people can experience life on two wheels,” the New Jersey native who now calls Chicago home truly embodies the entrepreneurial spirit. We are pleased to have Austin as a guest on this episode of the “Driven to Ride” podcast.

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Mike Van Der Sleesen Jan 24, 2024

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How’s this for a company motto? “Hand built. Made to last.” Those aren’t just words, either: Top Fuel Motorcycle drag racer and former world record holder Kory Hogan survived a 246-mph crash in a leather suit designed and manufactured under the unyielding direction of the guest on this episode, the founder and CEO of Vanson Leathers, Mike van der Sleesen.

Founded in 1974 and operating since 1988 from a century-old textiles mill in Fall River, Massachusetts, Vanson has produced competition leather suits for many racing greats, including Giacomo Agostini, Freddie Spencer, and Jay Springsteen. Vanson products also have appeared in countless films and television productions and been worn by some of Hollywood’s biggest stars.

Despite these successes, Van Der Sleesen is as grounded as they come. He has a deep understanding of international business and a wealth of manufacturing experience, yet he is one of the great characters in the motorcycle industry. On this episode, show host Mark Long discusses the Norton Commando 850 ownership experience with van der Sleesen.

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Michael Lichter Jan 10, 2024

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Michael Lichter rode a motorcycle to the Black Hills Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, for the first time in 1979—44 years ago. He documented that trip with a camera from the seat of his Harley-Davidson Shovelhead. Little did Lichter know that inaugural visit to the wildly popular biker party would lead to attending dozens more rallies and hundreds of other similar events and gatherings around the world.

Lichter fell in love with photography when he was a kid. By age 13, he had a working darkroom set up in the basement of his parents’ home. Even on school nights, he would work until the early hours of the morning, when his parents came knocking. Later, he began to focus his lens on the biker culture and the quickly expanding custom side of motorcycling.

In 2000, Lichter produced his first “Motorcycles As Art” exhibition, which morphed into a themed annual event staged initially at the Journey Museum in Rapid City. When the show outgrew that venue, Lichter moved it to Sturgis. From 2009 through 2022, the world-renowned artist curated the exhibit in a 7,000-square-foot gallery built specifically to house the show at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip.

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Robert Pandya Dec 27, 2023

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“Authenticity is earned through epic work” is one of Robert Pandya’s favorite sayings, and indeed, Robert has done some epic work during his long and wild and varied career in the powersports industry. In fact, Pandya is a bit of a jack of all trades with experience in many aspects of marketing, from media relations to hosting and producing world-class events to creating content for digital and print publication.

For the past two years, Robert has helped shape the future of the Sturgis Buffalo Chip, known as “the best party anywhere.” But Robert’s fascinating work experience is only one reason we asked him to be a guest on “Driven to Ride.” Robert is a motorcyclist to his core, and one of his passions is demonstrating ways for new riders to experience the joys of two wheels, whether it be on or off the road.

In 2017, Pandya founded the “Give A Shift” initiative, a volunteer group effort intended to bring together creative and experienced people to pen a report and transcript of their conversations with the focus on improving the powersports business and encouraging a positive long-term future for motorcycling. Spend any time with Robert and you will definitely agree that he “gives a shift.”

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Dave Despain Dec 13, 2023

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Once in a great while, an individual connects with an audience. News anchor Walter Cronkite was often called “the most trusted man in America.” Vin Scully was the “voice of baseball.” For legions of motorsports fanatics, our next guest’s encyclopedic knowledge and booming baritone cemented their connection with all manner of two- and four-wheel competition.

In his youth, Dave Despain aspired to race motorcycles but admits he lacked the necessary courage and talent, never mind he stood head and shoulders above his two-wheel heroes. Despain called flat-track and road-racing events before accepting broader-reaching auto-racing assignments and later hosting his own TV shows, among them “WindTunnel with Dave Despain.”

Despain is a motorcyclist to his core. Studio work in the can, he would often ride one of his bikes countless miles to a distant destination to fulfill his public-address duties. Even off the clock, Despain found himself on the seat of a motorcycle, frequently his trusted Kawasaki KLR650, which he ultimately rode to Alaska, a trip that he discusses in detail on this episode of “Driven To Ride.”

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Ricky Carmichael Nov 29, 2023

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For those who watched our next guest’s ascent to motocross and supercross greatness, the acronym by which this hall of famer is often and deservingly referred is apropos. Credited with 15 national titles—10 in motocross, including two perfect seasons, and five in supercross—Ricky Carmichael is indeed the GOAT, or the Greatest Of All Time.

Following a four–year NASCAR career, the 43-year-old Floridian now splits his energy and time between his family and television broadcasting duties, as well as working with amateur riders in various self-branded camps and events. In addition, Carmichael has partnered with Triumph Motorcycles to help develop an all-new line of off-road competition machines.

As part of his relationship with the British marque, Carmichael has discovered a new two-wheel outlet: adventure riding. Unofficially christened the “RC Summer Adventure Ride,” the annual outing has become defined by a small group of close friends traveling off the beaten path and exploring some of the best roads imaginable—paved or otherwise—in the conterminous U.S.

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Peter Egan’s Cycle World Articles

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Peter Egan Nov 15, 2023

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For a generation of motorcycle enthusiasts, Peter Egan represented something of a revelation. Here was someone who spoke their language, who found ways to escape the chill of winter to bring them with him across the country, eloquently describing through the pages of Cycle World the flat expanses, curving mountain roads, and scenic coastlines he traveled, often with his wife, Barbara.

Egan’s writing first appeared in Cycle World in 1977, and he was a regular fixture in the publication for decades. For the foreword of “Leanings 2,” the second compilation of Egan’s feature stories and slice-of-life columns, longtime Editor-in-Chief David Edwards described his friend and riding buddy as “the perfect writer” for CW, adding, “Peter’s love of motorcycling is deep and non-denominational.”

Peter has documented many of his road trips, including detailed accounts of the failings of the vehicles, interactions with the people with whom he traveled, and the characters and weather he encountered along the way. Peter and Barb still live in Wisconsin, near Madison, and we are grateful that he has agreed to join us on this episode of “Driven To Ride” to share some of his lifetime of experiences.

Peter Egan’s Books

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The National Motorcycle Museum Nov 01, 2023

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The National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa hosted over 500 motorcycles from every decade and almost every manufacturer, all handpicked by John Parham and his family of J&P Cycles fame. Unfortunately, the museum had to shut down back in September. Let's take a look inside before they close the doors for good, and find out the story of how one guy got all these amazing bikes got into one place.

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