The Lowdown Show - By ADVRider

Building A Better BMW Feb 21, 2025

Hacking up old BMW airheads is a common pastime for anyone with an angle grinder. But Robert Sabel, who operates out of Los Angeles as Roughchild, is different. His BMW restomods are tasteful, useful, balanced and purposeful. It’s the closest the motorcycling world has to the manic-obsessiveness of Singer’s Porsche 911s.

How To Beat Winter Moto Blues Feb 13, 2025

What do you do if you're stuck in a rut—a snowy rut? ADVrider editor Zac Kurylyk left the snowbanks of the Northeast behind for the sunshine of the Southwest, hitting the AIMExpo moto industry show, the record-setting Mecum Las Vegas auction and even The One Moto Show's first road trip appearance in Sin City, meeting a few former Lowdown Show guests along the way. He's back to tell us all about it, and the bikes he rode on the trip.

Are All Motorcycles The Same? Feb 07, 2025

There are motorcycle industry insiders... and then there are real motorcycle industry insiders. Michael Uhlarik is the latter, with a career that's spanned the western world, for overseas powersports manufacturers like the Piaggio Group and Yamaha Motor Europe, then back in North America with Bombardier as well as other startups. He's seen it all from a high-level perspective, and he's here to tell you the motorcycle industry is changing.

Remember Universal Japanese Motorcycles? This term came about in the 1970s, used to describe a situation where all the bikes from Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Yamaha had started to follow a very basic pattern. Now, 50 years later, we're seeing a similar thing happen, spreading across the entire motorcycle industry no matter where your bike is from. We've gone from the UJM to just... "UM."

Forget Your Bike: Improve Yourself Instead! Jan 31, 2025

Farkles won't make you a better rider; you need to frankly assess your riding skills, and work on developing them. That's the message Dallas Shannon preaches at Traction eRag's XTADV riding school, based on a decade and a half of leading dirt bike tours and teaching people how to ride enduros, dual sports and ADV machines. Along the way, he's learned a few other things as well: The ins and outs of electric dirt bikes, and just how good we have it as motorcyclists in North America.

How Did KTM's Money Problems Start? Jan 24, 2025

Mr. Price Is Right is here with us this week. Oregon gear retailer Brian Price has, with an unusual dose of diligence in his research, dug into the root of the financial problems that have led to the company entering bankruptcy protection and now looking for buyers, even as the CEO steps down.

Why You Should Throw Caution To The Wind Jan 16, 2025

Just Do It. Rosie Gabrielle isn’t you typical globetrotter. She doesn’t over plan. She doesn’t much plan at all. She doesn’t even carry a tool kit. Leaving the details to serendipity isn’t for everyone, but it works for her. Though her father was killed in a motorcycle accident, it didn’t scare her off. Quite the opposite. It gave her the desire to ride. Eschewing the machismo of many travellers, Gabrielle habitually pushes herself to breaking and beyond. Why? Let her tell you in her own words. And learn why Pakistan is more that just another country to check of her to-do list.

From The Corporate World To Dirt Bike School Jan 10, 2025

Funny, perceptive and articulate. B.J. Hessler has, seemingly, done it all. From a degree in Latin American studies at Boston University to a career in public health to chucking it all away to run DC Dirt Camp, an east-coast school for off-road riders of all skill levels. But that’s not all. B.J. credits riding in the dirt as a major factor in helping to pull her out of a lifestyle that teetered toward addiction.

Mind And Body: Prepping For The Dakar Rally Dec 27, 2024

Lawrence Hacking is a veteran off-road racer, with plenty of motocross and enduro experience in North America and overseas (including the Baja 1000, ISDE, Baja Rally, and lots more). This week, he's here to talk about what it takes to prepare for, and then survive, in the Dakar Rally. He knows what he's talking about—Hacking raced in the very last Dakar Rally that ran the traditional France-to-Senegal route back in 2001.

Retro Moto Lifestyle: No Cellphone, No Liquid Cooling, No GPS Dec 20, 2024

All things old: Airhead 247 podcaster Darren Dortin talks vintage BMW, life in rural Arkansas, his love of paper maps, and why he just can’t fathom cell phone ownership.

Moto Guzzi vs. The North Dec 13, 2024

What is adventure? How do you find it? Most of us will answer that question in different ways. In the case of Nick Adams, he doesn't attack near-impossible terrain, ripping up the mud with full-on knobbies and a hundred-horsepower-plus engine. Instead, Nick takes regular street bikes—particularly his old 1972 Moto Guzzi Eldorado—much farther into the wilderness than most adrenaline bros would ever dare.

RIP Malcolm Smith, The KTM Saga, And Why Small Bikes Are Cool Again Dec 06, 2024

Motorcycling was shocked by KTM's worsening financial news, and saddened by the passing of racing legends Malcolm Smith and "Motorcycle Mary" McGee. This week, podcast host Neil Graham and ADVrider managing editor Zac Kurylyk discuss the big news and the cultural shifts (would you ever ride a Chinese motorcycle?) that we see in the world of moto.

This Man Is Proof You Can Ride Around The World On A Vintage Bike Nov 29, 2024

Doug Wothke isn’t your typical globetrotter. From his home in LA ("Lower Alabama” he says with a chuckle), Wothke, better known around these parts as rtwdoug, has ridden an oddball assortment of antique motorcycles to the far corners of the earth. Ever wondered what to do if your 1940s Indian shreds a transmission while you’re half-way across Russia? Talk to Wothke, he’s been there.

Why One Man is Building Bikes That Nobody Else Will Make Nov 21, 2024

From the balls-out Confederate to the ornate and unexpected Curtiss EV, designer JT Nesbitt strikes out on his own to make the ultimate American motorcycle—the Magnolia 4.

Riding Through a Literal Minefield in Africa Nov 15, 2024

Lois Pryce is a low-key rebel. She bailed on her record label gig in her 20s and hit the road. And hasn’t looked back. From Alaska to points south, through snow and deserts, to a romp through Iran—and all done by her lonesome. But what makes her different is her acutely observed writing. And then there’s the banjo…

2025's New Motorcycles: What's Hot And What's Not? Nov 08, 2024

It's the most wonderful time of the year for motorcyclists. This week, in Milan, Italy, the EICMA motorcycle show ran, with manufacturers from around the world showing off their new bikes. Podcast host Neil Graham and guests Zac Kurylyk (ADVrider managing editor) and Michael Uhlarik (veteran motorcycle designer) all have some thoughts on the show's good, bad and ugly machines.

What's The Future Of Motorcycle Shows? Nov 01, 2024

Bike shows are dying. And bike shows are thriving. Thor and Tori Drake of Portland’s The One Motorcycle Show give The Lowdown the lowdown on making a bike show succeed amid the ashes.

The Advantage Of Traveling Light Oct 25, 2024

Ryan Egusquiza from Bend, Oregon’s Giant Loop is our guest this week and we talk hard cases (not head cases) vs. soft bags and the art of leaving LA.

The Rise And Fall Of Flat Track Oct 18, 2024

A half-dozen years ago flat track racing was having the most unusual resurgence. The most American—and the most cultish—of all motorcycle sport had superstars like Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi under its spell. But then something happened. The grids shrunk, the riders began to feud with management, and the spectators stayed away. This week Cory Texter, a former champion in the sport and a long-time critic, is our guest as we try to unpack how something with so much momentum hit the skids with such ferocity.

A Riding Season Of Adventure Oct 11, 2024

As the 2024 riding season winds down, Neil and ADVrider managing editor Zac Kurylyk meet up to talk about the different bikes they rode this summer (new and old), including Zac's time on the new Royal Enfield Himalyan 450. He thinks it's stiff competition for the KLR650 and DR650.

What's The Adventure Bike Origin Story? Oct 07, 2024

Who built the first ADV bike? Was it the BMW R80 G/S, or was there another dual sport/travel bike hybrid before that machine? This week, designer/industry insider Michael Uhlarik returns to The Lowdown Podcast to talk about another brand that has a solid claim to the title of first to the ADV segment.

This Man is a Motorcycle Genius Sep 27, 2024

Motorcycling’s most happening man. Paul d’Orleans is a historian, curator, author, and founder of The Vintagent, the go-to for motorcycle culture online. He’s also funny, shrewd, a keen lover of all things obscure, and a natty dresser.

Re-Tracing The Route of The Original Adventure Rider Sep 20, 2024

From building choppers in the decadent 1990s to amassing more than a million kilometres in the past 15 years, Paul Stewart doesn’t hang about. But Stewart’s more than just about hammering his way across continents. For his latest expedition, he pottered across America on a Honda 125 retracing the steps of a man who, 120 years ago, headed into the wilds on a bicycle with a clip-on motor as the very first ADV rider. Add to this a passion for helping stray dogs and perpetual struggles with his vision—he’s had multiple eye surgeries—Stewart is not a man to be held back.

The OG Of The ADV Aftermarket Sep 13, 2024

Eric Hougen has a lifetime in the ADV riding aftermarket scene, founding Wolfman Luggage from nothing and equipping thousands of riders for adventures around the world. Today, he talks with host Neil Graham about the challenges of the business and what he's up to now, with his new Threadworks project.

The Secret Behind Royal Enfield's Success Sep 06, 2024

In the early 2000s, Royal Enfield was a niche company, an India-based oddity building crude bikes that were basically unchanged since the mid-20th century. Now, they're a fully up-to-date manufacturer, with ABS, traction control and other modern electronics, and they have a wide range of products from cruisers to retros to scramblers to adventure bikes. How did they make this all happen? Mark Wells, the company's UK-based head of design, is here to tell us how Royal Enfield transformed themselves into the mid-sized motorcycle market leader.

The ADV Dream Team Sep 01, 2024

Neil sits down with special guest Scott Acheson from the US BMW Challenge Team ahead of his trip to Namibia.

Can he and a group of other ADV-ers bring GS Challenge Gold Back to America?

Are Old Bikes Really That Simple? Aug 23, 2024

The Bear, based in Australia, has been a valued forum member on ADVrider for a long, long time, and is one of the site's most valued contributors. He's been working for motorcycle magazines since 1978, and has a lifetime of adventure on machines ranging from a World War II-era Harley-Davidson WLA to BMW adventure bikes and everything in between. Tune in to hear his experiences from decades of adventure, including an incident where he and his slightly off-kilter riding companion feared they'd get a visit from a Japanese fighter-bomber after their turbocharged CX650 broke down!

The World's Best Motorcycle Museum? Aug 16, 2024

The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum houses the world's biggest motorcycle collection, as well as a roadracing track that's built to an aesthetic standard you won't find anywhere else in North America. Oh yes, and a vintage motorcycle festival that's a must-visit event every fall. Still not convinced to make the trip to Birmingham, Alabama to take in the museum? By the end of this week's episode with communications director Robert Pandya, you will be!

Don't Dream About Adventures, Just Get Out There! Aug 09, 2024

Eva Rupert is a motelier, an overland adventurer, a Baja devotee, and a woman who once, while naked, cut the head off a boa constrictor and ate it—the body, not the head. At least we don't think she ate the head. She’s chock full of advice about riding in Mexico and the American West, and offers candid views on adventure riding’s "awkward teenage phase."

How This Coffee Shop is Part of a Motorcycle Revolution Aug 02, 2024

Cynical about coffee shops that align themselves with motorcycling? Jim Vandekas’s Flying Squirrel Motorcycle is a café with a difference. They host OEM test days, they built the Moto Craft custom bike show, and they’ve only just begun.

Trials And Triumphs: ADVrider's Origin Story Jul 26, 2024

If you think the Dos Equis spokesman is the most interesting man in the world, you’re wrong. That honor goes to ADVRider.com founder Chris MacAskill. From a hardscrabble childhood to Stanford to a career as a geophysicist to working with Steve Jobs to his own little family run startup that he sold for a cool $100 million, Chris is one of us and yet not one of us.

The Brains Behind The Racebikes Jul 19, 2024

From Brittany to Milwaukee: French engineer Chloe Lerin has followed an unusual career path. Rebuked by KTM and BMW, she elected to stay in America after school, working for Cummins diesel and John Deere before landing at her current gig developing powertrains for Harley-Davidson. A racing enthusiast, Lerin also works with Harley’s entry in King of the Baggers, the madcap racing series where Indian and Harley cruisers are modified to go at ungodly speeds. Lerin—never one to sit idle—is also a data engineer for a Suzuki-backed road-racing team in MotoAmerica.

Riding Into The Unknown... And Filming Along The Way Jul 12, 2024

When the Cold War ended, schoolteacher Austin Vince and his friends rode around the world on Suzuki DR350s, and did something nobody had done before: They made an adventure movie about their trip, called Mondo Enduro. Millions saw their film and its follow-ups, and thousands were inspired to start their own ADV riding careers. Yet, it was an uphill battle to even get their film on television, as it was rejected by every single broadcaster.

West Coast Wunderwoman Jul 05, 2024

Sarah Schilke is the ultimate motorcycle industry insider, with a career that had stops at various gearmakers as well as BMW Motorrad. On top of that, she's one of the people behind Women Riders Now, one of the longest-running female-focused motorcycle websites out there. Oh yes, and she loves riding dual sport bikes!

Is The Bikeriders Honest? Jun 28, 2024

This summer, The Bikeriders plays in theaters across North America, sharing the story of a fictional motorcycle club that's based in reality. The storyline and even much of the filmography is inspired by Danny Lyon's classic photo book of the same name. But is it really an honest look at motorcycle culture? Neil Graham and ADVrider managing editor Zac Kurylyk discuss their thoughts on the film.

Is the Future of Motorcycles Electric? And Other Hot-Button Topics Jun 21, 2024

The Lowdown Podcast returns, with host Neil Graham once again dialing up industry insider Michael Uhlarik to discuss the world of motorcycling. But this time, while some listeners might think this is inside baseball, Neil's got a few sliders and knuckleballs to pitch at Michael to keep him on his toes. Neil is challenging the industry's claim that EVs are going to be the great replacement for our current internal combustion engines, and he raises some arguments from the world of boat racing, of all things.

No wonder Neil calls this the "Disagreement Episode," because he also has a beef with parallel twin engines (Michael likes them, Neil claims he doesn't). Neil also beefs with the current Japanese racing programs, while Michael has his own complaints to air, as he thinks the current motorcycle design scene is mired in the same malaise that automakers foundered in back in the 1970s.

How One Chinese Brand Plans to Dominate the Motorcycle Industry Jun 14, 2024

The Chinese are coming! The Chinese are coming! Jason and Chris Chris (Director Motorcycle Strategy CFMoto Powersports), the CF Moto men, sit down with Neil to take us though the upstart manufacturer and their plan for world domination. Did we hear them say a “heated seat is standard”? We sure did.

Why You’re Wrong About “Zen And the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” Jun 07, 2024

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is the seminal motorcycle book. And its most misunderstood. Author Mark Richardson, who’s book Zen and Now is an homage to Zen and the Art, gives us the lowdown on Robert Pirsig’s masterpiece and chronicles the troubled life of an author Richardson calls a “genius.”

The Inside Scoop in How Motorcycles Come to Life May 31, 2024

A life designed. From growing up in a small town near Buffalo to designing KTMs in Austria and, now, electric motocrossers in Spain, Jack Morris gives us the inside scoop on making a motorcycle from the ground up.

How This Man Revolutionized Motorcycle Gear May 24, 2024

Andy Goldfine is a rebel with a cause. When he saw manufacturing disappearing from America in the 1980s, he decided to do something about it. Working out of an old factory in Duluth, Minnesota, Goldfine founded Aerostich, bought industrial sewing machines, and began crafting his legendary Roadcrafter riding suits. More than just a garment for motorcycling, the Roadcrafter—and everything else in Aerostich’s quirky catalogue—is a middle-finger aimed at offshore manufacturing and the style-conscious imperative of modern motorcycle gear.

How to Ride Off-Road: Tips from a Master Riding Instructor May 17, 2024

Nick Ienatsch is a big deal in the world of motorcycle coaching. He runs/owns the Yamaha Champions roadrace school.

And when Nick isn’t working, he continues to enjoy his two-wheeled passion, but off the beaten path.

On today’s episode of The Lowdown Show, host Neil Graham sits down with Nick to discuss his passion and adventure and impart some of his expert off-road riding wisdom.

You won’t want to miss it.

From The Music Business To Motorcycles: One Man's Journey May 10, 2024

What do Jay Leno, Giacomo Agostini, and the first woman to ride her motorcycle around the world have in common? They’ve been photographed by David Goldman, a rock-and-roll and documentary photographer who abandoned LA to pursue a two-wheeled passion project. Goldman is also a hardcore rider, racking up 50,000 miles in the past three years alone. He’s the real deal.

This week he joins Neil Graham to talk about his latest project, why he left the music biz and what life on the road has been like.

How One Man Rode Around the World for $25 A Day May 03, 2024

Rene Cormier, by his own admission, is an all-in kind of guy. A chance encounter with a group of globetrotting motorcyclists when he was a biology student led to a decision to sell everything he owned, and, with a budget of $25 a day, set out to ride around the world. Five years and 95,000 miles later, Cormier has some surprising views on the truths and misconceptions of giving it all up for the road.

Disrupting Motojournalism: The Hell for Leather Story Apr 26, 2024

Wes Siler turned a contempt for US motorcycle media circa 2010 into the highly influential website Hell for Leather. Believing rigorous journalism was compromised because of too-cozy relationships between media and manufacturers, Wes became the most disliked man in the business—a role he relished. But then he sold HFL and it because a very watered-down property that eventually died. Wes currently is a contributor for Outside magazine and lives in the wilds of Montana. Remarkable for his ability to reinvent himself, Wes solders on with his sandpaper-like personally always at the ready to offend a new subset of the population.

How India Became A Motorcycle Superpower Apr 19, 2024

If you've been paying attention for the past decade, you know that India's motorcycle industry is booming. But what's it like to ride there? And why does it matter to North American riders? In this episode of The Lowdown Podcast, Neil returns from riding India, where his eyes were opened.

Neil's no stranger to challenging riding; he's a racer (including years in flat track, speedway and roadracing). He's ridden bikes as a magazine writer and editor in locations all over the world. But India was a whole new level of difficulty, with traffic—including a gas tanker—liable to be coming at you the wrong way, down the opposite shoulder of the road where it belongs.

And yet, the country is moto-mad. People are buying bikes in a scale we just cannot appreciate here in North America. This week, motorcycle designer/industry analyst Michael Uhlarik returns to give us a rundown of the players on that scene, companies that you might have never heard of, but companies that are making motorcycles in a scale that far eclipses familiar North American players like Indian and Harley-Davidson. And you might not think that will matter in North America or Europe, but that's not the case. Historically, western countries extracted resources and financial wealth from India. Now, money is still flowing out of India, but it's returning as companies like Bajaj, Mahindra or TVS buy ownership in brands like KTM, BSA or Norton.

The made-in-India revolution has already hit the world of motorcycles, but Uhlarik suggests it might go even further—with the most American brand of all a potential target of Indian capital…

Young People Aren't Buying Motorcycles, But Does It Matter? Apr 12, 2024

This week, Neil is talking to Zac Kurylyk, aka Kawazacky, the managing editor here at ADVrider. Kawazacky has a long history here at ADVrider, joining as an inmate more than 15 years back, using the Ride Reports as inspiration to move beyond the world of commuting. He's been running around the halls of motojournalism for roughly the same amount of time, writing for online and print mags across the US and Canada, starting here at ADVrider five years ago. Today, he phones in from his workshop to talk bikes.

Over the past couple of the years, one of the most controversial columns that Zac has written asks: Why aren't kids buying motorcycles today, like they did in the 1970s? Inmates had lots of opinions, blaming everything from parental neglect to video games to distracted drivers, but Neil asks Zac: Why does it matter if young people lose interest in bikes? According to Zac, riders' rights are at stake, if things don't change...

Later, this episode discusses: Who are the motorcycle rebels of today? And what are Neil and Zacs guilty pleasure bikes, the ones they secretly want even though they don't make sense?

Why Are Electric Motorcycles Struggling So Much? Apr 05, 2024

For episode 1 on The Lowdown Show, we’re joined by Michael Uhlarik, a world-renowned motorcycle designer, founder of Motorcycle Global and an avid fan of electrification.

Why have major players in the space emerged onto the scene with so much excitement and then fizzled? What happened to Cake? And is this the natural path forward for electrification in the motorcycle industry?

We’ll put all of these questions and more to Uhlarik and learn plenty about the tribulations and triumphs of battery bikes.

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