The Planet Tour www.theplanettour.com

iPhones save time and prove men should run the planet

2012-01-31T18:16:00.000-08:00

I finally took the plunge and ditched my old dumb phone for a smart phone. Being a Mac kind of guy I opted for the newest iPhone 4S which may well be obsolete by the time I post this as technology changes so fast.

Let me state that I am amazed at the amount of information I can access from almost anywhere including Facebook updates, pictures people post about their pets and other riveting things.

Besides the mundane such as emails and text messages I am now able to get the weather forecast anywhere in the world, pull up addresses with interactive maps, find gas, food, ATMs, fake having a Zippo lighter (fun but useless app) and Tweet about everything I find silly. I also have my own pocket secretary that takes dictation. Apple calls her Siri, I call her hours of entertainment. Sure, sure there is the 'talk to text' allowing me the ability to text faster but you can also have fun. The command "talk dirty to me" produced the following response:

"humus, Compost, Pumice, Silt, Gravel" letting me know that geeks have a sense of humour.

I am looking forward to this summer's motorcycle tour as I will be able to update viewers much quicker with pics, tweets and Facebook status updates , all while trying to sweet talk Siri into sexting with me.

While this sort of thing may not be new to so many of you already have a smart phone in some form or other I am like a kid at Christmas with a new toy.
The downside to this switch from my old coal burning piece of crap cell phone to the most advanced one is that they don't talk to each other. Maybe they were married once??
This has required me to re-enter all my contact info manually. I figured it would be easy as so many of them are on my Facebook. A simple status update of "Hi folks, I have a new iPhone and need to re-enter all my contact info. Please text me so I can add you and send your email address too."
Problem solved right? Um, no. I forgot many of my contacts are female.
The resulting hassle of re-adding everyone has proven to me why the planet is mostly run by men and should remain this way.
Over the past 3 decades I have noticed a HUGE increase in the ego of the once fairer sex. It seems today's gal has a "Me, Me, Me, 'Aren't I the most important princess in your world?' Me" kind of attitude or maybe they just like to message back and forth and intentionally leave info out.

Every woman I know that has texted me just assumes they are the ONLY person in my world that has their given name. 7 billion of us on this orb, what are the odds I know more than one?? I believe it is a throw back to the "It's me game" girls play on us men early in the dating stage to see if we are 2 timing.
You know the call:

Me- "Hello?"
Her- "Hi its me!"
Me- "Me who?"
This is always followed by the cold treatment, no sex or just anger and no more dates.
Even my own sister ( I have 2) played the mind game as you can see by the screen shot below. Why do women do this? Especially when its your own sister?

This is why I am convinced men should run the planet. It keeps diplomatic communication from breaking down.
Example: The red phone rings:
President of USA- "Hello?"
Caller- "This is Korea and we are attacking!"
President of USA- "Which Korea? I know more than one?"

Can you see the problem?
Ladies, we men love you dearly but at times you must accept that you are not the only thing on our mind. No really, its true. Now if you will excuse me I have a sexting date with Siri...if she remembered. At least she doesn't order the lobster then say "No!"

Sometimes technology really sucks

2011-12-13T17:49:00.000-08:00

All the video I shot this last half of the summer is stored on a portable hard drive that just decided to stop working. It was fine one day and then I went to plug it in and nothing. No magical lights, no being recognized by my computer, no noise from it. It may as well be a rock.
Sometimes you just have to hate modern technology.
Thankfully the unit is under warranty. I am going to attempt to decipher the instructions to save the data and hope that it works.
I don't want to name names but the unit really looks a lot like this.

Lets hope they can fix it and I don't lose hours of video that cost thousands to collect.

Now before any of you video pros tell me that I should have it backed up on 2 hard drives blah blah, the day you figure out how to fit all that on a bike you get back to me.
There was a finite amount of space and a finite budget for equipment. One of the quirks of small indy productions. You use what you have.

Getting back to my gripe about technology. Over my many years of working with computers I have marveled at the leaps we have made but often at the expense of reliability. I'd rather have a slower computer that I knew would not freeze, die or crap out suddenly with no way to breathe life back into it than to have something that is faster including breaking down faster!

At times I think we are reverse engineering stuff from the Roswell crash and may not really understand it. Judging by some of our human behaviour I really doubt we have the intelligence to come up with some of these items on our own.
The offending drive has been sent in for data recovery. Lucky for me I discovered much of my footage still on my camcorder! Here is the latest episode until I unlock the rest of my files from my pocket "Borg"
There is a new one coming very soon. Stay tuned.

Post travel recovery

2011-10-04T10:24:00.000-07:00

I made it back home on September 27 just after midnight. It was a helluva day that started in Devils Lake North Dakota on a chilly 12C morning. Temps soared to 30C as I headed west and the wind decided to be a pain with a constant 60km blast with gusts exceeding that.

As the sun set I found myself still several hours from home and true to my memory of Alberta weather, once the sun goes down it takes the mercury with it.
Near Bassano AB I rode thru 4C temperatures. Quite a shock to the system as I was peeling layers off to stay cool just a short while before.
Since leaving Gander NL just 7 days earlier I have covered a lot of ground with several long days in the saddle to arrive home in time for a doctor's appointment. An appointment with a specialist that lasted 15 minutes and resulted in "We need to do another ultrasound on your injury." If only our medical system was as fast as my bike.

Now begins the work of building the 2012 tour. Plans are in the works to make this an even bigger year! Stay tuned.

2011-09-20T17:47:00.000-07:00

My last few hours in Newfoundland are ticking away as I wait for the ferry. My visit to this most eastern and unique province was too short and probably not at the best time of year. September gets chilly and wet on Da Rock and because of that my chances to do any site seeing were limited mostly to the Trans Canada Highway and what I could see from there.
Even so it was a fun time. The Newfies, as they liked to be called, are some of the warmest, friendliest people on earth when they are in their happy place. No place seems to make them happier than being in Newfoundland itself. Because of this their enjoyment of home and their life is contagious.
I found myself doing things I wouldn't normally do in other provinces, breaking personal rules and not feeling any danger whatsoever.

Unable to find a campground still open near Cornerbrook, a local man invited me to set up my tent in his yard which was behind a pub.
"There's going to be a party tonight in the bar, come join us!" he enthusiastically said. Since it was getting dark and I had no where else to go I thought "Why not?". This tour is more about the adventure of finding something out of the ordinary and camping behind a bar certainly fit the bill.

In Grand Falls, after the show, I partied with strangers who took me out on the town and let me stay at their place. Well, in their shed. It sounds weird but believe me it was great. These are not like the 'sheds' back home, all filled with earthy smelling garden implements. No. These are like little guest cottages minus any plumbing. "Just water da bushes if you need to in the wee hours." I was told. Okay.

The fine folks in Buchans were a lot of fun. Given the fact they live in a mining town that went thru hard times and exists where the paved road ends their behaviour is more like that of someone who lives in a tropical paradise. I parked my motorcycle on the sidewalk because that's what you do in Buchans.

It was they that honored me by getting me "screeched in"and making me an honorary Newfie myself. The ritual was fun, comical and heartwarming. Repeating a verse I can barely remember, kissing a cod and slamming back a shot of Screech, a throat warming, extra strong rum that gets your blood flowing!

I was also treated to a Jigs dinner, which was a belly filling, traditional Newfie meal. It was awesome!

Some of the things I did here would seem odd anywhere else, Here on Da Rock people are so laid back and non judgemental that it seemed normal. In fact they just greet you when you poke your head out of your tent in the morning as they pass by going to work....like it happens all the time!
I look forward to my next visit here and a bit more time to explore.

What to do next? What to do first?

2011-09-08T09:53:00.000-07:00

I had fully intended to have a few more video episodes online by this point in my trip. The logistical obstacles I've encountered are as follows. Keep in mind this is not intended to be a "Poor me" story, I am just saying it the way it is.
OBSTACLES
1) Time. After riding and/or doing a show my time (plus energy) is not always there. Currently I am wearing many hats and doing most of the work myself.
2) Glitches. Maybe its my disdain for how they make computers faster yet they are not more reliable or perhaps I am one of those people that produce electromagnetic waves that interfere with electronics. The past two episodes I made were close to completion when suddenly sound tracks would go out of sync or stop working altogether. ARRGGHHH!! I have had to redo them both at a great time expense. iMovie (which I am currently using as my editing software) has some problems and they don't seem too busy over at Apple on fixing them.
What I need is new software or better yet, an editor that can travel with me so I can concentrate on the other stuff like a daily blog, pics, newsletters, shooting video and of course the comedy. Trying to add video editing into my task list (combined with travel weariness) just seems elusive at times. If you have ever done video editing you know its an art unto itself. Add glitches and it makes it very frustrating.
I also bought a new portable Hard Drive that has been acting up but have not had the time to take it back. Faster, not more reliable.

A ghost a work? you can see thru me on this one

SOLUTIONS
Currently I have been searching forums for the fix to my iMovie woes and seem to have that bug sort of , kind of worked out. I should have a new episode out soon.
I will be making them shorter to ease the editing burden and to keep iMovie happy. In its inferior state it gets cranky when videos pass the 5 minute mark.

As always my brains asks "What to do next?". Tonight I decided after a day spent riding in rain, waiting in a picnic shelter for almost 2 hours waiting for said rain to stop, that my brain was not able to accept video editing stress so this blog won out as the task to work on tonight.

A more "focused" me, working by lantern at night

Often that is more my method, "What do I have energy to do today?" What I have now begun to do on this trip is to take more pictures of unusual places and things. This blog will be about those. iMovie and the next video can sit one more day.

Beach at "The Ovens"

Last night I had a very cool campsite at at place called "The Ovens" which is a privately owned natural park in Nova Scotia. My campsite was perched upon a tree covered cliff with the sound of surf crashing below. I felt like I had the 3-D version of a subliminal motivation or relaxation CD.
This area was part of a gold rush in the late 1800s when gold was discovered along the coast in these caves dubbed 'The Ovens". There is a very pleasant self-guided walking tour along the coastline where you can view these caves and actually enter some. A must see if you are in the area.

My camp by day

I'm always intrigued by places like this especially when you are allowed to self explore. Guided hikes move too slow for me... or too fast depending on what we are examining at the time. For the caves I set my own pace and snapped a few pics and shot some video, which I will fight with in iMovie later.

There is also a cool cafe that serves awesome food for a very reasonable price, especially considering the view it came with. The Atlantic Ocean with a bank of fog several miles offshore back lit by the setting sun. Add food and beer, all this was had for under 30 bucks.They also had live music at night from some very talented local artists.
I never would have found this place had I not bumped into a pair of motorcycle couples that insisted it was THE place to camp. They were almost pushy but then, they were right.
For a flat lander camping by the ocean is a treat. The crash of the surf, the smell of the salt and, in this case, the far off fog that loiters in the area. It actually came inland in the morning to give me

Checking out one of "The Ovens"

my full maritime experience.

The choice of cool campsites was a struggle as being their after summer's last long weekend meant I pretty much had my pick. I chose the one on the cliff rather than one seaside as I felt it offered more weather protection. Rain was in the forecast for the next day.

Inside the cave

Had there been a clearer forecast I would have stayed 2 nights. Later that night the rain came to prove the weather man correct. By morning it had stopped and just hung like a thick dew as a morning fog slowly crept back out to sea.
I was treated to a bit of sun for an hour and used that to break camp while things were dry.
I had a warm bed in Halifax waiting and that won out over huddling in a nylon dome for what was about to become a very rainy day.

This is my first long spell of days off and as Murphy would have it, coolish and damp. So much for camping and time to visit old pals so Halifax is where I am parked.

Don't forget to check out the latest Episode #13. I will have #14 up soon.
Thanks for stopping in,
Cheers, Daryl Makk

After dinner drink. Wish you could see this for real.

Moose antlers made into art

Foggy beach looking back toward my camp area

Caveman dumbells?

Travel by motorcycle and at times you feel small!

It's been warm and I am loving it

2011-08-24T09:16:00.000-07:00

Hi folks

I’ve recently been treated to some very good riding weather the past few weeks. In fact I did 6 days in a row in +30C temperatures! Yes!

It gave me a chance to test the Tourmaster jacket in heat while packing away my electric liner for awhile. Other than when stopped in traffic the jacket’s flow through ventilation works well at keeping me cool. It is a touring jacket, not a mesh jacket more adapted to commuting in hot areas, so I expected some heat while in traffic. On the road,with only a wick dry t-shirt underneath it is fine until you get in the high 30’s which is not fun in any gear.

The Tourmaster Venture pants, while waterproof can get a bit clammy inside on warm days when its too hot to wear my Oxford Chill out undergarments. (these are great at wicking moisture until the temps get above 25C then you cook). It would be nice if they could add a vent, with a Velcro flap over it (like on the jacket), on each leg for some airflow. I could just switch to my Draggin Jeans but there are still a lot of bugs and I hate doing laundry. My compromise was to just sweat it out and drink plenty of fluids and open the side zipper up for some weak airflow

I’ve also had a chance to use my Tourmaster Orilmesh hot weather gloves, which proved to be quite comfortable in the heat. The only caution is when taking them off; as with any glove with an inner liner, pinch the fingertip, as you remove your hand, to ensure the liner stays in the finger hole. I removed one too quickly and had the liner shift in one finger and it took a bit of hand wriggling to get it back in. They have become my daily glove in the heat.

The heat is nice but it’s also nice to have some relief. I shouldn’t complain that I got soaked today so, I won’t. It was a ‘wetter than needed to be day’ and lets leave it at that. Solid rain for 4 hours will cool you off and also wash off a lot of the bugs collected on the front of the bike.

I’ve since left the prairies and its excessive amount of insects in exchange for Ontario and its excessive amount of speed enforcement that seem as thick as flies in an outhouse. It baffles me how the public can swallow the “Slow down for safety” BS that is nothing more than a disguise for taking your money.

90 kilometers per hour is all the widest province in Canada will allow, sometimes even less. With today’s cars and bikes and their improved handling, tires and brakes it smacks of nothing but a cash grab especially given the militant amount of patrol cars I have seen in Ontario. It almost resembles a police state given the amount of patrol cars (most seem to be fuel sucking SUVs for some reason)

The powers that be cite it is for safety but I disagree. Making people go slower than need be creates an adverse effect on both motorcycles and cars. I’ve seen more stupid close calls on these slow speed highways than when I was on the 110kph roads of the prairies. When you slow everyone down, their thinking slows down too. Why do we cater to the lowest of skill levels? Better to scare 'iffy' drivers off the road in my opinion. Its safer if they are on a bus.

I am reminded of a line from the 1976 movie Gumball Rally character Bannon, played by Michael Sarrazin “Fifty-five (90kph) is fast enough to kill you, but slow enough to make you think you're safe.” commenting on the USA federally mandated speed limit imposed in the 70’s which was a failure.

On a sport-touring bike you feel robbed. The bike handles better at triple digits and I get more airflow hitting my shoulders, which takes the strain off my arms/wrists.

On the map Ontario looks like winding roads through forests and lakes but the powers-that-be have ironed out most of the corners to the point where they are even boring in an 18 wheeler. I know, as I used to drive semis through here often, in a job that seems a lifetime ago.

To get some lean time in and prevent my tires from going square, which can spell disaster should a biker suddenly have to swerve, I have developed 2 methods to counteract the boredom and address the safety factor.

Method 1- Scrub the tires often. When no traffic is present I slow the pace to scrub the tires, which is a method of zig zagging while increasing the aggressiveness of each zig and zag. The idea is to get the edge of the tire scrubbed to a fresh surface. You see racers do this before the start of a race.

This should be done whenever you start your day, go through puddles or come off a gravel area. You don’t want to leave a gravel parking lot with dust on your tire and when the need to swerve arrives your contact patch has debris on it that can cause a loss in traction. I like to use the dotted lines and find my slalom course through them ceasing when I see oncoming traffic although I do give them 1 or 2 zags so they notice me from a distance

Method 2- Enter the corner late and take a late apex. Coming into the corner late then making the turn allows me to find an apex that will simulate a real corner and get some lean time in. Often I can do several in one big sweeper.

Leaning and cornering is what makes motorcycling fun and to the non-riders out there please understand this. If you are the slowest one in traffic (read- tourist in a motor home) let us by before the twisty sections come up. Trust me, you won’t see us for long and it is these corners (which scare you) that bikers have ridden for days to experience. Pull over. Being behind you is a safety concern as a bike is unable to see ahead for road obstacles etc.

Riding without leaning is like golfing without clubs, pancakes without syrup or sex without a partner. You just don’t get the full experience.

Traveling through Ontario’s north is an exercise in patience. It’s a big province to cross taking 3+ good, full, looong days of driving to complete. Luckily I had a few stops to make to break it up. There are some nice lake areas to see and, if you are into fishing, Ontario has it in abundance. There are boat rentals at almost every body of water or just fish from the shore for walleye, pike, bass and muskellunge. If I had a bit more time I’d go try to catch dinner.

It seems some of the rough roads of Saskatchewan have loosened a luggage bracket so I am going to go over the bike and tighten things up. I don’t want her being too loose a woman.

Cheers

Daryl Makk

She has a name!!

2011-07-18T15:01:00.000-07:00

Well after a few weeks of running a contest, some debating amongst my esteemed panel of judges (read-drinking buddies) plus an online poll of the best contenders one name has emerged victorious over all others.
I shall now refer to my new bike as Wild Blue Mama - Road Seductress or Wild Blue or Wild Blue Mama for short.
A close second was Touresa, which had a nice ring to it, but did not follow the contest rules. The first letter of the bike's name had to come from one of the letters in the factory monicker (K1200RS). Hmmm, no T in there but Touresa is a cool name none the less. Perhaps I'll use it for my second bike I plan on buying in the fall. One can never have enough bikes.

Road Seductress...I suppose so as I have already put almost 10,000 km on her since getting the plates and registration done just a month and a half ago.
Her first trip was a helluva test for an unknown bike. We just released the video of the maiden voyage.

Episode 12, the return leg will be out soon.

This week I'll be riding Wild Blue Mama out to the KGB show in Crawford Bay, BC. Come join me for the funniest outdoor show this summer. Maybe we can go for a ride and you can chase Wild Blue Mama thru a few twisties?

Once she is parked for the night I'll be at my campsite sipping a few cold ones. Please bring more ! It can get very dry around a campfire.

So far I have been very impressed with the bike.

It has great power with the same fuel economy of my old bike. It handles like a dream. The comfort level is much better than my old bike and I cannot say enough about how awesome it is to have real cruise control for the straight sections. It gives much needed relief to the right wrist after holding the throttle down for hours.

I do have one small niggling complaint and it is one I have with many motorcycle manufacturers. The windshield (or windscreen if your prefer) is made for a runt! I'm talking a runt of 5'9" or shorter. Have the factories not clued into the fact that many many riders, especially in North America, exceed 6 feet in height? Because of this too low windshield I am constantly buffeted and putting up with excessive wind noise. Even with earplugs it is a bit much on a long day and this bike was designed for long days in the saddle (which is a very comfy saddle for my meatless arse).

Currently I'm seeking a solution. I purchased a Laminar Lip that gave some relief but not enough. I am now looking into a taller windscreen to test. If you know of any progressive thinking company that makes one please let me know.

Cheers

Daryl and Wild Blue Mama

You'd think the city would be more advanced?!?!

2011-07-08T10:37:00.000-07:00

I recently did a trip through beautiful (but often pricey) British Columbia to the coast and Vancouver Island. 3 great days in Victoria, the provinces capital city, with great audiences at Hecklers Comedy Club. My room was nice, comfortable, flat screen TV, mini bar, comfy bed, all the things you'd expect from a nice hotel but no internet... at least not in my room. Lets chalk up a FAIL for the Ramada Inn.

Granted it was a technical glitch with a downed router in my wing of the building forcing me to spend hours on the lobby couch to grab a wifi signal, update my web sites, answer tons of emails while collecting a lot of stares from the other hotel guests. I suppose pants would have been a good option.

After my shows I had a full day to kill so I trekked out to Salt Spring Island which was just off the coast of Vancouver Island. Salt Spring had been beckoning me for some time now as I had heard stories of its beauty, nice towns and remote feeling from society's matrix of a jungle. Hippies, artists, recluses and nature lovers. Sounded fun and I needed a day to decompress after all my couch time in the lobby.

I made the ferry crossing at Crofton BC which smells like a big fart due to the pulp mill on its shore. Like a mechanical sore it made the otherwise pristine coast line look industrial. When facing the water, waiting for the ferry, my advice is don't pan left with your gaze as the belching smoke stacks, cargo ships and cranes ruin the coastal retreat image.
Waiting for the ferry, whose schedule was more like a list of unaccomplished goals, I used the local restroom which had a sign telling people to not steal the toilet paper. I suppose the pulp mill was over charging for paper goods and there was an underground market for butt-wipe? Luckily I was not in need of this highly sought after paper product.

Nothing would be worse than sitting in a stall worrying about TP muggers!

The ferry, once it finally showed up, took me to a quaint town called Vesuvius. A name also shared with a famous volcano that once wiped out the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in AD 79. I only hoped this Vesuvius would not turn out to be as deadly.
20 minutes later the ferry deposited me on the shore of Salt Spring and this small town which I quickly rode through before realizing the few buildings clustered at the shore was the town. Oh well, there was more island to see.

The roads have lots of corners to enjoy but the pace needs to be a bit relaxed. My 1200cc machine was a bit large for the roads and never got over second gear...but it was fun. Watch out for deer and wild turkeys on the road!
I had yet to camp this summer and my quest was a campsite, on the island, within short distance of food. I don't bring cooking gear on my motorcycle trips so nearby eateries are a must.
A place called Moby's won my vote. A view of a harbour filled with sailing vessels, owned by other travellers out seeing the world via their favourite mode of transport, a boat. Sea Bikers I silently dubbed them.
It was wing night so I requested 2 orders and a salad to counter the guilt. What was served was unlike any other pub order of wings. Presentation is a thing of pride and Moby's made my pub food look like a proper dinner.
I dined alone on a magnificent deck, looking at the Sea Bikers and wondering why the locals were inside, where it was warm and stuffy, instead of out on the deck with the warm, fresh air? Perhaps they had grown weary of the outdoor beauty or they were drunk. I munched on the bird limbs and felt I was winning and they were losing.

Camp was only a 5 minute commute back. A well kept place called Mowhinna Creek Campground.
The native name had me thinking I could maybe trade pelts for a site, commune with the indigenous people and get back to nature. While I day dreamed of going back in time and meeting the locals it was not to be.
What was surprising is, after setting up my nylon condo I discovered I had, in my campsite, what The Ramada could not provide. High speed, wireless internet! The whole campground was wireless! A six pack on ice, purchased on the way to camp, was my mini bar, my inflatable mattress pad and sleeping bag was my comfy bed and my laptop was my flat screen TV. I then took a pic with my laptop and uploaded it to the web right from my site! Take that Ramada, a campground has you beat!
In case you are wondering what that is on my knee, I had to use my glove to hide the glare from my mirror. I knew the pic was not going to win awards but it was something I was unable to do from my hotel. Chalk one up for camping with technology.

Nature provided the wake up call with song birds at Kick-the-rooster-in-the-head-to-wake-it o'clock in the early morning. I just soaked it in and went back to sleep for another hour or 2 I could brag I slept in until 8:00AM.
I was packed and out of there by 9:00AM (a personal record for early camp departure) and took the ferry back to fart town vowing to come back to Salt Spring soon but not for a mere night.
Soon it was back to the mainland, via another ferry from Nanaimo to visit friends and continue my journey while trying to figure out a way to return to Salt Spring soon. It was just a tease to spend one night there.
Cheers
Daryl Makk

Maiden Voyage (Mother Nature you can sure be a bitch at times)

2011-06-15T22:40:00.000-07:00

I have just completed a 4 day, 2000km trip on my new (to me) bike, a BMW K1200RS. It was a nerve wracking to think I was about to do this on a bike I didn't know very well but I had to go, there was a gig waiting.
Here is the map link of the trip.
Here is the story:

Day 1
I was greeted by chilly grey skies with light on and off rain. The electric liner Synergy jacket was out of the side bag shortly after hitting the highway. With just 2 light layers under that I was toasty in the wind chill my speed created in the +8C air. I made it to Canmore where I usually stop for breakfast. I am not one for making a big meal early in the morning but I'll eat if someone else prepares and an hour of riding had my appetite turned on full.
Leaving Canmore AB with myself and the bike freshly fueled I soon hit more rain. It was going to be one of those kind of trips I started to think then it stopped...and started...and stopped. At least the temperature had gone up slightly then the rain started again...then stopped.
I turned onto the Icefield Parkway, bought a park pass and settled into dry roads for about an hour then it rained some more, complete with a drop in temperature down to +5C. It was a light mist, just enough to keep building up droplets on my helmet visor. Annoying. The new tires felt good and gave me confidence with their traction. I had Metzlers on and had never owned a pair before now. So far so good.

The Synergy heated liner was keeping me warm and it was only set on low. It was nice to know I had 2 higher settings should I need them.

My winter gloves combined with the heated grips and the good weather protection the bike's fairing gave me made me feel warm. The weather protection was much better than my last motorcycle (see blog post on Bandit review) but was not in the spoiled category some of the big touring rigs offered. No worries, I like a bit of sport in my touring.

The bike felt amazing and pulled strong. Passing was a breeze and on dry stretches I tried out the cruise control. Yes it has cruise, not a throttle lock but high end, electronic, hit the switch and let it maintain a steady pace. This feature I liked because it was easy for this machine to build speed so smoothly that you suddenly found yourself at a rate of velocity that meant a speed tax. The whole concept of some abitrary number posted on a sign really is silly as different conditions and different vehicles had different safe cruising speeds...but I digress.
I had no desire to meet one of those tax collectors with a badge and set the speed where I thought would be within the range of "okay". A good cop will let you fudge a bit over but a bully that hasn't been laid in awhile may choose to write you up. I'll save that discussion for another post.
As I climbed the mountain pass to the icefields themselves, expecting things to get worse, the temperature started to climb. Huh? Grey skies + increase in altitude usually create the opposite effect but it was getting warmer and the skies, almost as if they were constipated, tried to grunt out some sunshine and then... there was light grey. Ahhh.
I was treated to brief moments of sun for the rest of the day and the rain was over. I made it to Grande Cache as dusk was arriving to close the day. Including stops for shooting video I had been on the road for over 10 hours yet it felt more like I had just been out for an afternoon ride. I was really beginning to like this bike.
Day 2
I had opted for a bed and breakfast and after some coffee and a quick meal I had the bike loaded up with a smile. The clouds had parted and big patches of blue framed in glorious sunlight greeted me for the day's ride. The Synergy liner was stored away. Time to do some real riding with warm roads.
The highway north out of Grande Cache is lightly travelled so I was able to open the throttle a bit on the corners. She handled like a dream. Rock solid and smooth. It is the refined smoothness of the bike I was really enjoying. My only peeve was the wind buffeting. Although the fairing and windscreen gave good protection the windscreen was designed for a shorter rider, as far too many motorcycles seem to be.
As such it was tossing the airstream right at my head causing noise and turbulence. The only relief was to do speeds that would put my license in severe jeopardy, uh, er... so a little dial told me...once or twice. This machine was built in the land of autobahns and no speed limits. Over here in North America we have too many duckass drivers to allow this freedom. I made a note to look into windshield modifications like an add-on wing deflector, like I had seen in a few bike magazines, to fix this slower speed buffeting.

A quick photo opp at Mile Zero in Dawson Creek BC was in order.
Here I was, on a bike that came from Florida and I was now at the beginning of The Alaskan Highway.

The bike almost looks like it is smiling in the pic.
I was making good time, the bike was running great and just before the last 25 km stretch I had to stop above the Peace River. Normally a nice view but Mother Nature decided I was having too much fun so she hit the storm switch. I just had enough time to zip my waterproof vents shut and change gloves.

Rolling into my destination, Fort Saint John, was less than fun. Large trucks, (of which the north seems to have an endless supply) were kicking up spray with mud that seemed imbedded in the road too. I think it even wiped the smile off the face of my bike, I know it did for me.

Although my gear kept me dry as I rolled into "The Fort" it was not how I expected the day to end and I was a bit grumpy. I unloaded the luggage and covered the bike. I had brought my bike cover as shiny Beemers of this type are rarely seen so far north. Let's just say towns with the word Fort in the name sometimes have people with little respect for others or other's their property and they have most likely been drinking. I've seen people roll out of bars in small towns and just turn nasty. Best I put my sun faded, bird poop stained cover on my motorcycle so she blends in I figured.
A quick shower and dinner then it was off to the gig. A small dinner theatre, full of women (from some social club), was the audience. Usually those can be fun but when it is a group of women that live in a town with the word Fort in it, some etiquette goes right out the window it seems. Little things like, you paid good money for the show why not shut the fuck up and listen? Stop texting from the front table? You can gossip, gab and yak after you've had a good laugh.
Not this gaggle of gals, or at least 40% of the crowd which ruined it for the ones that actually had some class. I managed to do my hour but it was like riding a bike with square wheels. Thankfully my BMW was under a cover, back at the hotel unable to witness the half-birth, half-abortion of my jokes as I desperately tried to hold their nano second attention spans. Mouthy, young trophy wives who felt their shit didn't stink, but it did. I felt sorry for the men who had to sleep with them on a regular basis. Meanwhile I kept doing my act feeling like I was drowning

I kept thinking "I rode 2 days to do this?" Then I remembered the warm sunny day, winding roads and changed my thought to "They paid for my bike trip and I just have to make the ladies, that are listening, laugh." Thanks all 43 of you. You other broads need to learn manners.
Day 3
At least the hotel was nice with a bed that was comfortable because I slept solid and dreamless. However, I awoke to a bitch. Drawing the curtains back I saw dark grey clouds then rubbed my eyes as I thought I was still sleeping. Did I? Yes I just saw snow falling. Its #@*#ing June!?!
There it was, slushy, sleety, wet snow. I looked down on my bike where a small amount was starting to build on the cover. This was going to be a long day.
I was up fairly early so decided it may be best to have breakfast and let the sun do its thing overtop the clouds and maybe the day will warm up. Several cups of coffee, 3 eggs, bacon, toast and hash browns later it had not. I started packing to get a jump on this as it would have to be warmer south of here and that was where I was headed. The snow was melting as it hit so, the roads were wet but no accumulation ...yet.
Clicking the side bags on and strapping down my duffle full of camping gear (which I was sure I was not going to use as I had planned) my thermometer needle was hovering just above zero celsius which is where water starts to freeze.
I put the key in and hit the starter. She fired up right away and settled into a steady idle. Not bad for a bike I was sure was feeling snow for the first time.
The weather was to be like this no matter which way I went home so I opted to not do the mountains again. Weather reports only give you average temperatures and with mountains there are too many elevation changes where this wet snow could freeze and I preferred to keep the bike upright.

Within a few hours I should be out of this snow and perhaps just rain I thought. Mother "The Bitch" Nature only agreed with me for about 30 minutes. It turned out to be an all day
sleet/snow fest.
My electric liner was turned to high, the heated grips were put on high and so, I pushed on, occasionally wiping slush off my visor. The ground had retained heat from the previous day to keep the snow melted, my wind chilled helmet visor was not as effective.
The bike hummed along as though this was normal and never skipped a beat.
About 6 1/2 hours into this wet day my gear developed a flaw, or rather I helped it. Slush was building up on my arms, which was fine. The Tourmaster jacket was waterproof. I even left some napkins and tissue in one of the front pockets to test the waterproofness. They remained dry for the whole trip. however the jacket was not "take things for granted" proof.
Heat from my sleeve melted the slush underneath where the wind could not blow it off and water started to run down my arms and into my gloves. I felt my hand get wet then my finger tips filled with a bit of water. Heated grips or not this became cold in the wind blast. The last hour was hell and my feet were feeling chilled too as I tried to convince myself that my Tourmaster Solution waterproof boots were not leaking. The cold, wet numb report I got back from my feet had me doubting them.

I had set a time to be off the road and made it to Whitecourt Alberta at almost that exact time give or take 15 minutes. Wet snow was still coming down and the chill from wet gloves was taking its toll as my hands seemed to suck cold from my body or was it send cold into my body? No matter, I was feeling the effects.
It took only 90 minutes to change me from toasty and dry to cold and miserable. I felt like my first highway tour I did many, many years ago with improper gear. It sucked to feel like this.
I found a cheap mom and pop motel with a room I could park my bike right in front of. I prefer these when on a bike trip as it makes loading and unloading easier plus the piece of mind that I can keep an eye on my ride. How I would do that while sleeping like a log had not been worked out but I felt confident she would honk and wake me if any bad people came.
I opened my room and was greeted with a blast of warm air. The base board heaters were doing their thing and I needed to warm up and dry out as my teeth had just started to chatter. My oasis of salvation was in a cheap motel in Whitecourt. Who would have thought?
Taking off my boots I felt my socks and they were dry as a bone. I blame the cold wet hands for sharing their nerve readings. The boots did fine but my body had to fight too much heat loss with my wet hands so the feet were starved of warm blood too. One could buy heated socks but I don't plan on riding like this ever again...or at least not often.
I had to keep my helmet visor cracked most of the day as the cold, dampness kept fogging it up and glasses were impossible to keep clear. I had ridden in cold weather before but not quite like this. Lucky I am farsighted and don't require glasses for driving but it does fatigue the eyes a bit more.
I had my Oxford Comfy neck tube and an Oxford balaclava on to keep my face warm. Even when a bit damp these did a great job of fending off cold.

Did my gear fail?
No. It held up admirably keeping me warm and dry for over 6 hours of horrible riding conditions. A day most sane riders would have pulled off the highway long before they had slush build up on their arms and melt down into the gauntlet of their gloves. I had to make a certain distance if I was to make my next gig so I rode for about 3 hours longer than I would have liked, if I can even say "liked"about that ride at all.
Once that cold water hit my hands the chill was on. I had been dry and had I not been so reluctant at clearing slush off my arm, that last hour would not have been hell. I hung the gloves over a radiator and let them drip as the heat dried them out and drip they did as a lot of water had flowed in. The stiffness I had reported in my earlier blog seemed to have gone out of them and I'm sure this good soaking helped. I hoped they did not stiffen up while drying.
I then treated myself to a hot shower, ordered pizza from across the lot , ate and watched a movie. I tried to do email but lucky for my tired eyes there was no internet. Sleep came early and I hoped "The Bitch" was out of snow by morning.
Day 4
I awoke and reluctantly pulled back the curtains. It did not appear as though the sun was up judging by the dim light sneaking thru. I was right. Cold grey skies met my eyes but no snow or rain. Things were looking up! My duffle, with the camping gear, had frosty snow frozen on it so that was exciting.
A nearby restaurant had internet so I quickly checked the forecast. No rain expected but I'd have to go further south to get an increase in temperature. The gloves were almost dry so I made sure the grips had a chance to warm up before leaving.
A few hours later I was in Rocky Mountain House, AB and for the first time in over 24 hours my thermometer started to climb. A quick lunch and back on the road with 11C on the dial.
By the time I got close to Calgary I had to peel off a layer of clothing as "The Bitch" turned back into good ol' Mother Nature again.
After 4 days, 3 seasons and 2000 kilometers what did I think?
I was impressed with the bike. She ran wonderfully and had similar fuel consumption to my last ride but with more power and comfort. I had bought a good machine. Phew!
All my riding gear worked very well, so despite the day of bitchy snow, I was a happy rider. I even had enough time for a nap before my show that night.

Maiden voyage report is complete.
Thanks for reading along.

Daryl Makk

2011-06-01T01:20:00.000-07:00

It is the eve of the maiden highway voyage for me and my new ride and she put a scare into me last night. Pulling away from a traffic light the bike just died after half a block. No power, just coasted to a stop.
To say I am a bit nervous about this trip would be an understatement.
I still do not know her very well, there is no warranty, I have a 4 day trip coming up and the motor just quit. I felt like I was sinking into the road. This cannot be happening!

I have a corporate gig that is up north and it would allow me to ride up through the Icefield Parkway en route to it. The Icefield Parkway is a ride I wanted to repeat after last year (see episode 9) and now it is to be the maiden voyage complete with new gear..,if I can get the bike fixed.

The forecast looks like it will be fine, not great as mother nature would never want me to have a sweet warm day to kick off the 2011 riding season, but it should not snow. If you ride through the mountains you know this does not sound out of place in early June and that is good enough for some riders and I am one of them. No snow means its biking weather.
I have been itching to do a highway trip and test out my new to me K1200RS and this is to the christening. When I toured on Suzy B I had the piece of mind of having a warranty the first 2 years. This bike's warranty has long since expired. It is luck and'or my wallet that will get me home should anything go wrong. I keep telling myself it won't but the little voice that disagrees is now pointing at my dead bike and getting louder.

I just had installed a new set of spark plugs with a bit of help from my riding pal Carl. Carl had recently rebuilt a very nice Honda Blackbird from parts and the bike is one sweet ride seen here next to my K bike.

Lets just say he knows his way around tools so I went to his shop to perform some basic maintenance and tap into some of his mechanical knowledge so the bike could get a good going over prior to the trip.

I learned the fairing panels on my bike take some getting used to, as those crafty Germans made it almost like a motorcycle Jenga game, but in reverse. The way the body panels fit together is bizarre to someone used to Japanese bikes but once I saw how they did it and why, the parts meshed with logic.
To get at the spark plugs requires the removal of the left body panels which opens access to a whole lot more. So we decided, to make sure nothing was amiss and pulled the fairing panels from both sides to inspect everything. Sorry that I have no pics of us ripping apart my new ride as time was tight so we focused on the task at hand.
To check the air filter meant unbolting the fuel tank but with 2 people it is not necessary to undo all the connections. You can however bump and loosen things while down there.

This I learned the hard way, on the side of the road. Since the sun had just gone down and the sky was losing light I was quickly on the phone to Carl. I was maybe 8 blocks from where we had just worked on the bike. He was on his way to diagnose it.
It had felt like it was fuel starved when it died so I checked all the fuses in case the one for the fuel pump had blown. Nope, I had a full set of operational fuses. "Now what?" I thought just as Carl and his buddy Tony pulled up.
Soon we had the seat off, grabbed the tools and were pulling the fairing panels off again but now it was right on the street.

Soon we found the connection we had bumped while moving the tank. There was a friction fit vacuum hose that had come loose and it had something to do with the fuel delivery and I made a mental note to remember where they were. It was a simple push to seal the connection and the bike fired right up!

Hugh sigh of relief.

No mechanical problem, just a goof up on our part.
I am positive she will be a reliable ride and think maybe that was just her way of saying "Gotcha!" just to mess with my head.

Its now late and I am going to attempt to ride over 7 hours on her tomorrow. I should be asleep, resting right now but these first voyages on new-to-me bikes are always like Christmas Eve to a young child. I don't want to miss anything by sleeping!
Maybe I should leave out some milk and cookies or some oil and spark plugs...just to make sure.

Review of the 2008 Suzuki Bandit 1250

2011-05-23T01:33:00.000-07:00

As I get ready to unveil my new ride for the 2011 season of The Planet Tour I feel it is time to give my review and opinion of my 2008 Suzuki Bandit 1250 whom I dubbed Suzy B (R.I.P.)

I only had her for 3 seasons but managed to put just over 62,000 happy kilometres on the odometer. The riding season in Canada is short, 4 months and change...if you're lucky. Not all those days will be full of sunshine, trust me.
So how did Suzy B rate as a long distance machine? Very, very well with a few 'buts'.

Reliability
I was never left stranded once. The only repair I had to do, outside of regular maintenance, was an oil pump seal that started to leak at 60,000km. Just over $200.00 to repair at a shop and something that a handy person could do on their own. I was 3 days from home so opted for paying a mechanic. She was still ridable and made the 2 hours to town without any more problem than a bit of oil mess.
Front and rear brake pads were replaced once. About normal for the highway kilometres ridden.
She ate 5 rear and 3 front tires in her lifespan. The stock tires it came with don't even deserve a mention as they were crap but thankfully wore out at 6000km so I could put something more worthy. I replaced the stockers with Michelin Pilot Road 2's and they had great traction and long life for a sport touring tire. The Bandit seemed to like them. This may seem like an odd statement to a non-rider but it is amazing how a tire can just feel right for a bike.

Economy
For a large displacement engine, weighing in with 1255 cubic centimetres to feed, she had respectable fuel consumption. I averaged 5.6 litres/100 km and could easily do 300km between fill-ups with 320km being the norm from the 19 litre tank. Usually it had a couple of litres still in there even after having the low fuel icon blinking at me for 70 km. I would have liked a bit more range and had been trying to figure out how to increase the tank capacity but 300 km+ is still fairly decent. I usually ran mid-grade as I determined no noticeable improvement with the high octane. Suzuki did a great job of tuning the engine for real world riding as it would run on low octane fuel without complaining, for those times when you found yourself in a situation where no premium fuel was available. No need to carry octane boost with this bike.

The Engine
I've read many magazine articles that say its all about the engine on the Bandit. You fall in love with the engine. Once I started riding my Bandit I knew what they meant. Cold or hot she always fired up with barely any cranking time and would quickly settle into a steady idle. Smooth and powerful with bucket loads of torque anytime you need it. It had a lot of burly muscle but did not have to scream it like so many sport bikes do. You just knew it would give you all the grunt you needed when called on. And I do mean anytime. In the city as low as 2500rpm it will just shoot forward building revs quickly. On the highway you rarely have to kick it down a gear for passing. Cruising speed would have you at around 4000rpm and that is where the fun starts. Just roll on the throttle and big 4 cylinder just pours on the acceleration. Need more oomph? Click it down a gear and then hang on.
Sadly Suzuki put a Kenworth size muffler on it and I had it replaced after the first season. It was too quiet a voice for such a spirited motor. There are many after market pipes out there and I recommend swapping the stock pipe out. The Bandit deserves a voice plus you shed a few pounds off the bike's overall weight and most likely will gain more power. I opted for a Supertrapp but after hearing my buddies Bandit I think that Holeshot makes a nicer pipe.
I followed the maintenance schedule and although the valves were checked they never needed adjusting in 62,000 kms.

Luggage
The Canadian version of the 1250 Bandit had Givi side bags wearing Suzuki labels. They were roomy, easy to take off of the bike and water tight. I tested their ability to keep things dry for hours on end thanks to many rain storms that volunteered us for the test.
At 34 litres each you can pack a lot of gear in them and for weekend getaways they should be all you need. My plan was to put a top case on but never got around to that part of the project.
There is a small bit of underseat storage where I crammed a few extra tools to go with the factory set.

Fairing protection
The Bandit was more of a last minute, lets use what we have, improvised sport tourer that Suzuki seemed to slap together to get them in the sport tourer market. This was not a machine that had been designed from the ground up to be a sport tourer. Basically they added bags to an already existing street model and hoped it would work. It did....But, as such the fairing was just adequate for weather protection when compared to the offerings from the other Japanese motorcycle manufacturers. That being said the Bandit is several thousands of dollars cheaper, so a little sacrifice here seems acceptable.
As a tall rider I had to upgrade to a taller windscreen and had one from PowerBronze. It provided a bit more chest protection but it did create a lot of helmet turbulence for my 6'3" frame. Shorter riders should be okay. I was looking into an air foil add on such as a Laminar Lip to correct that. From some of the online forum listings I read, other Bandit owners had reported good results . If you are tall you may want to consider one.
The side fairings could have been made to provide more leg protection for wet/cool weather riding. They fit so close to the bike that little extra leg protection is to be found. If you ride in areas that are more prone to heat then this fairing and windscreen set up will be more than enough. I often found myself laying on the tank bag trying to huddle behind the small pocket of protection on the many cold days I experienced. A better touring jacket would have helped on this issue as well.

Seat and riding position

Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment but I did all my riding on the stock seat, which, when combined with the under padded stock seat nature gave me, there is room for improvement. Long days in the saddle reminded me and my butt that it was a just a factory seat. I suggest adding a gel or memory foam seat either after market or custom made. It was on my list of things to do. The great thing about the Bandit seat is it is 2 separate cushions making a custom saddle for the rider lest costly. I would not worry about the passenger pillion as the bike is better suited for solo touring unless your passenger has short legs. The passenger pegs are a bit high for all day sitting, as reported by the privileged few I let ride on her, and those were just afternoon day rides.
Rider position is upright, hips and shoulders over the pegs (where they should be) and just a slight lean forward to the bars. At highway speeds just enough wind slips past the windscreen to hold your torso up. There is no strain on the wrists or back. The handlebars are old-school tubular ones so replacement ones are plentiful should you desire. For a little more arm room I merely loosened the bar clamps and rotated mine as far forward as possible to extend my reach. I then readjusted all the controls so they were at the right angle.
The seat has 2 positions and I chose the higher setting putting the seat height at just over 32 inches from the ground.

I did find the leg position to be a bit cramped for my long limbs but I also suffer from bad knees that ache if they have to be folded for long periods. Swapping the pegs to a set from Buell did the trick. It lowered my feet an inch and my knees no longer cramped up.
Suzuki had given me thick, rubber padded pegs which was overkill. The thinner Buell pegs sit at the same level with no loss of cornering clearance while forgoing the extra padding Suzuki felt necessary. Being unpadded was not problem as the engine vibration on the Bandit is almost nil. You do have to do a bit of drilling and grinding to make the pegs fit and you will need bigger support pins but if you have long legs it is worth an afternoon in the garage to make this modifcation.

Controls and suspension

The suspension is fairly simple, offering preload adjustment only. The rear shock is not a fun one to adjust so I had set preload at the 4th highest level, for touring with full gear, and left it.

Controls are pretty much standard layout. The analog tachometer is easy to read and the digital speedometer has large digits legible even at a quick glance. For some reason this gauge is not able to change between kph and mph. I blame the number crunchers for this omission. It would have been nice to switch to miles on my USA trips and given the low cost of today's electronics I was surprised this simple feature was not available.
The gas gauge could have had a bit more accuracy as it plays too far on the side of caution, informing you of needing fuel long before you actually do. It does this with a blinking icon that is not easily missed but is not intrusive either..
A gear indicator would have been nice as I often found myself forgetting which gear I was in, the engine so full of torque that it was not necessary to keep inventory of where the shift pedal was.
There are 2 trip meters which is handy. I used one solely for monitoring fuel range.
The mirrors were mostly vibration free until you hit extreme high speed. For tall riders they did a good job of showing you your elbows. I put on some extenders that solved the problem.

Final drive
Final drive on the Bandit is chain. Today's O-ring chains have long lives and are relatively cheap to replace when you have used up their lifespan. Some purists prefer chain. As a touring rider it was my least favourite thing on the bike. No matter what chain lube I tried there was always a bit of mess on the bike. It had to be lubed everyday when on trips, plus I had to carry that damn can of lube which took up the space of an extra T-shirt, or a couple pairs of socks or underwear. I loathed that damn can every time I took it out. There were also the periodical adjustments of the chain that just added to my dislike of chains for touring bikes.
There is a company called Scootworks working on a belt drive conversion for the Bandit and I was seriously looking into it. At last contact it was not ready for market. Contact them to find out. Suzuki would be wise to look into a belt version of the Bandit. Quiet and next to no maintenance is the type of thing that makes a touring rider smile. It would also be lighter and less costly to build than a shaft drive. Being less costly is what Suzuki and this bike seem to be about.

Modifications
Powerbronze windscreen
Oxford Heated hand grips. (For touring in Canada heated grips are a must!)
Supertrapp Exhaust
Buell Pegs
Oxford LED signal lights
12V power outlet for running accessories
Mirror extenders
BadBoy Airhorn 139Db

Overall I was very impressed with this bike. The engine pulls hard while maintaining some character as well. The engine has been used by Suzuki for years and they have tweaked and improved it for a bullet proof mill. This is a very quick, powerful bike but does so in a manner that you can live with daily. In the city or on the highway it is just a fun bike that does almost everything.
It was fairly comfortable, with great handling and braking. Factory ABS was a surprise given the low overall price tag.
Sure there are fancier rides out there with more creature comforts but you pay for that in the price tag. The Bandit provides a lot of bang for relatively few bucks and with a few upgrades you will be able get some of those creature comforts you desire with less strain on your bank account. If you are looking for a fun bike to take you over long distance then you may want to take a look at the Bandit 1250. There are some great deals on used ones out there.

In 2010 Suzuki changed the bike and gave it a new, albeit boring, name; GSX1250FA It is no longer the Bandit but it is the same motor, transmission and frame and some of the issues in the cockpit have been addressed. Now it has a gear indicator, optional taller touring screen with adjustable wing, wider fairing and now the luggage is more complete with a top case. It is still priced much lower than most sport touring rides out there but will do the same roads with them.
If you want a do all bike with some grunt that won't hurt your wallet, take a look at a Bandit. Many good used ones out there.
Happy riding and don't forget to wear your gear....all the time.

First test of the gear

2011-05-03T13:00:00.000-07:00

I finally got in my first ride of the season. The bad news was it was not on my new bike as I am still going through a bit of red tape to finish importing it....but soon, very soon!
Lucky for me a riding pal, with several motorcycles, lent me his Honda VFR 750 for the day. I was very impressed with the bike although my 6'3" frame and bad knees found it a bit cramped. If you are a bit shorter and more flexible than I, take a look at a VFR as a sport touring mount. A very smooth and impressive engine with lots of power. That's it in front of me in the pic at the side of a still frozen lake. Welcome to early season riding in Alberta.

It was a Sunday quick trip out to Canmore for lunch and return. Nothing too long as the weather is still crisp in this area, the high only hitting 11celsius in Canmore with Calgary ringing in a few degrees more.
To my riding friends in the south USA that may seem like horrible weather to ride in but for a Canuck that's been holed up for 6 months of winter the blue sky beckoned for a ride. Carl had the spare bike and another riding friend Kelly came along.

It was also a great opportunity to do my first test of some of my riding gear that was provided by Gamma Sales.
Lets start with my new Zoan "Runner" helmet. Shown here in red but as you can see mine is in silver. I hear the silver ones make you smarter...at least that is the rumour I am starting.

This is the 3rd brand of modular helmet I have owned in that last 4 years. For the want of flip up convenience, which allows me to put on a helmet without removing glasses or, as important, to open it should I have to sneeze, or the option of flipping it open for fresh air on hot days while in traffic, some sacrifices must be made.
While modulars give you full face protection they are a bit noisier than a regular full face helmet and some can even a bit drafty. The Zoan beat both of my previous helmets for wind noise as it proved to be much, much quieter. The under chin flap kept cool air from swirling in like my last 2 mod helmets and the removable nose cover kept my visor clear from fogging in the chill alpine air by directing my breath away. A problem I had with the my other helmets was fogging on cool days which is a scary thing to happen at highway speed, losing sight of the road just because you exhaled. On warmer days the nose cover can be easily removed.
There are vents to help with air flow on hot days but they were kept closed so I cannot comment yet on their effectiveness except for when I accidentally left one open I could feel a cold breeze coming in. Once closed the Zoan did not have the annoying swirl of air leaking in.

The internal sun visor control and the latch opening mechanism were easy to operate even with heavy gloves.
Which brings me to the next item, my Scarab Winter Glove by Cortech.

Insulated and containing a waterproof membrane they proved to be quite warm with no need for me to switch on the heated hand grips for the 1 hour (each way) ride out to Canmore. Keep in mind we were at a spirited highway pace in close to single digit temperatures so the wind chill was intense. A non insulated glove would've had my hands clawed up in frozen protest but not with these guys on.
The only thing that bothered my comfort was the stiffness of these armoured gloves. They are very well constructed but will require a few wearings to break them in. Keep that in mind when purchasing a cold weather glove. Test them out and break them in prior to that long trip you've been planning. You don't want to have your first cool day cut short because your gear is too stiff and new. I can tell they will be a great glove down the road but for now they are a bit rigid so I plan to use them often to work them in. It reminds me of how I had to break in some good hockey gloves growing up. Those that required no break in usually lasted only a season. I will also say they performed nicely at sealing out the wind at the cuff nicely. They were never drafty and the velcro flaps were easy to use even with a gloved hand.

Next up is the boots.

Solution Waterproof touring boots. While there was no real weather to test them in they were comfortable for this short jaunt. I never had cold feet but it was just a short trip.
The main thing I was concerned about was foot comfort. I suffer from a slight ingrown nail on my one foot and my last boots used to give me a pressure point stab that would ache by day's end. It seems the problem is not to be with these boots. I'll write more when I can test them in rain, an all day ride and on a good hike off the bike. If you tour you don't want track boots as your feet will protest when walking around scenic outlooks, touristy stops etc. I suspect these boots will do fine for off bike duty as well.
Like the gloves they seemed a bit stiff and new but should break in nicely.

The main item I really wanted to test was my Tourmaster Epic series jacket.

For those that have followed my travels from last year you remember I went thru more than my share of cool, wet weather. Today's sunny but chilly demeanor was a good time to test the warmth of this jacket.
With the quilted liner zipped in place I opted for minimal clothing underneath to make to give it a challenge. I wore a wick-dry,long sleeve microfiber shirt and a cotton T-shirt over top and nothing more. I was trying to simulate those days when we start out nice but the weather turns. Often riders willl "tough it out" rather than stop for another layer as they push on to their destination. Since it was not my bike I did not have the luxury of plugging in my heated liner jacket. The Epic jacket had to keep me warm on its own.
I did bring a thin, pullover fleece as a back up just in case but it remained in my tail pack all day. The warmth of this jacket was superb. A few times the wind blast would press it tight against my chest and the cold would creep in briefly from the contact. One more layer such as a vest would have solved that.
I am confident I could go a full tank's distance dressed that way however, on a longer multi tank trip in such temperatures, I would probably spoil myself with the electrics just to reduce fatigue because you burn energy warming up and cooling down all day....and I have become a bit of a cold wuss. Why suffer when there is gear to eliminate it from your ride? With an electric vest or jacket underneath there is little need to bulk up in many layers which translates into many more miles each day in comfort while reducing your luggage needs. The outer shell is waterproof requiring only to close all vents. No need to carry a rain suit! (note- my Tourmaster pants are on back order so I was unable to give them a tryout)
The built in kidney belt, yes you read that right, built in kidney belt serves 2 purposes. Anytime an item can solve more than one problem I am a fan as I love multi functionality. Besides keeping your kidneys from being jarred the belt is a great way of stopping any cold air that had the nasty idea of creeping up your coat from the bottom. Once adjusted, which is easy with the velcro tabs, it cinches the jacket snug. My old jacket was notorious for letting the chill air climb up my back. Not so with this one from Tourmaster.
Since I will be using it for long tours I also wanted to test out the built in waist pack built into the back of the jacket.
Like a mini back pack you can stuff items you may need while off the bike. I filled it with a first aid kit, a small tripod, a point and shoot digital camera (in its own case) and a micro fibre balaclava. While it may or may not have made my lower back look a bit lumpy when viewing me from behind, the items all road comfortably. I think this feature will be great for short hikes at scenic stops. The zipper closure can be worked easily with gloves too so you can seal your items safely away.
The jacket's outer pockets are waterproof and can hold a fair amount of items. My wallet tucked inside a waterproof chest pocket and my cell phone on an inside pocket did not even begin to strain the jackets capability to hold stuff. There are so many pockets it can be easy to lose something until you get used to where it all isl. I love the storage as it means my tank bag will not have to carry everything.
I look forward to warmer weather so I can try the jacket sans liner and test out the scoop vents that zip open for air flow. Until ma nature finds the heat in this area I'll be content with the warmth.

If you are interested in any of this gear contact Gamma Sales to find a rep near you. In Calgary you can head down to Universal Cycle for purchasing.

I finally have an office which is ironic

2011-04-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

Since 1993 I have been in stand-up comedy. Not full time at first, only someone with a deep pool of money to draw from could do that. It took 8 years before I was headlining clubs on a regular basis, which is a common span from what I hear.
In 2003 I was able to say goodbye to a regular 'civilian' job and immerse myself in comedy and entertainment as my sole source of income. I say entertainment because I do some acting, photo work and the occasional writing gig from time to time. I love being in the creative process and its like being retired and being paid to do my hobby. Not a bad way to live. I get up early not because of an alarm clock but because I want to get started on something! I have been blessed to do what I love and I am grateful everyday I don't have to show up to a regular job. Been there, done that and somehow did not climb the steps to the bell tower and go postal. I am not trying to insult anyone with a job but it is NOT for me.

This is why I find it ironic that my goal, to get out of a day job, has me now renting office space so I can go to work at my comedy hobby, like a regular job. I have left my house every day this past week to "report for work" and get cracking on producing The Planet Tour and lining up shows and sponsorships. It seems so weird yet... right...for now. Soon I'll have more funding for staff to take care of some of this work so I can just work on the fun...which for me means the creative aspects of it all. Until then you can find me doing the DJ (day job) disease...but loving it.

Stop in and say hi....let me know what is happening in the outside world.
Cheers

New Riding gear- be prepared

2011-03-20T14:26:00.000-07:00

Surviving the elements is a part of motorcycling and over the past few years I have endured more than my fair share of cold, wet, miserable weather....but kept on riding, at times protected and other times finding the limits of my riding apparel. Often riders must balance function within a budget and that can create problems on the road in comfort, spirit and safety.
I am excited to say I have a new gear sponsor, Gamma Powersports. They are the Canadian Distributor for Tourmaster Gear Epic Series.

After checking out Tourmaster, at the Calgary Motorcycle Show back in January, I was very impressed with the quality and features of their jacket and riding pants. Much better weather protection than my old jacket/pants combo I wore last year. Not to say negative about my old gear but it was just not up to handling some of the weather extremes one faces, on long extended trips, as the stuff I was wearing was more for warm weather, occasional touring or day rides. While most times I was dry and comfortable I do recall several days of being chilled to the bone no matter what combination of layers I tried.

This Tourmaster gear should solve that with waterproof outer shell. No more stopping to put in a rain liner, just do up the zippers and keep on going. It also has a quilted liner that zips in for warmth, waterproof outer pockets, a rain hoodie that keeps water from entering your jacket down your neck, built in kidney belt and more. The jacket also has many vents for flow thru air cooling on hotter days.

I also have 2 pairs of Tourmaster gloves (one for warm weather and one for cold) both of which are waterproof. Add to that my Tourmaster Synergy electric liner jacket to keep me warm and it can double as a light, casual jacket for when I am off the bike. With its heated collar and full sleeves it will be so much better at keeping me warm than my old electric vest, which came up short on heat on some of the colder days. The synergy has an adjustable thermostat I can dial in comfort on many levels thus ensuring comfort and safety on long travel days. I have been known to do 9 hours+ of riding in a day, weather be damned, so I am looking forward to having this in my riding gear.

Not only will I be able to handle almost any riding condition but I can do so by taking less clothing along.
As you know space is at a premium when travelling by motorbike, so anytime I don't have to pack bulky items I win more space for other items. Silly things like socks, underwear and maybe some luxury items that are just for me.

I used to pack 3 types of gloves (hot weather, regular, cold/wet) but now I will be taking 2. The Scarab Winter Glove by Cortech and Tourmaster Dri-Mesh (both distributed by Gamma). Again, I have saved space and have more versatile hand protection plus both are waterproof. I even tested them under running water as I had to satisfy my own curiosity.

Even though I had some great waterproof touring boots they were were starting to show the signs of 3 seasons of hard use and were getting a bit ragged from their 66,000km life.
Gamma came thru yet again with their Solution Waterproof touring boots. A nice looking boot with great protection and they are comfortable for walking, something that is important when checking out scenic stops along the way. I like the simple clean lines which makes them good looking when wearing jeans. Of course the only jeans I take along are Draggin Jeans. Even when dressed casual you should not let down your guard against road rash should something go wrong....like meeting a duck ass driver that runs you off the road. During the course of the 2011 season I will go into more detail on the jacket, pants, gloves and their features on The Planet Tour episodes so stay tuned.

So why am I telling you, the reader, about all this? Simple, I wish to use my trial and error, of not having the proper gear or buying too little gear for long distance travel, to help you choose wisely. By giving you real world feed back I hope it helps you choose the best gear within your budget and needs.
Stay safe out there and check out our new YouTube Channel with our latest episode.

Episode 9 "Icefield Parkway and winter touring"

2011-03-18T14:00:00.000-07:00

We have launched a new channel on YouTube for The Planet Tour. Now you can find all your episodes in one easy place.
Our latest episode is up. Check it out.

Do you have a product or service you would like to showcase on the show? contact us for more info
info@theplanettour.com
Cheers

You probably take too much with you.

2011-02-09T12:30:00.000-08:00

I have lived on the road for most of my adult life and over the past few summers have moved to motorcycles as my favoured mode of transport. Why? Instant gratification. If you go into a shaded corner you feel the temperature drop instantly. When the sun comes out from behind the clouds the air embraces you like a warm hug from a friend you will remember that spot with greater detail than you think. It is this instantaneous feeling of being one with the environment that lets you fully enjoy the land you are traveling in. I said in, not through or over. On a bike you are in the land and environment of your travels. Something hard to reproduce in a climate controlled car.

With motorcycles comes a certain compromise of luxury items. Some of you softer folks may call it more of a sacrifice but I prefer the term compromise. The payoff of the instant gratification beats out an extra pair of shoes, an outfit you may or may not wear, a hairdryer (I have not owned one for almost 20 years...we have air and that does the job fine) or other items many travellers seem to think are necessary.
Using my motorcycle as my home I have pared down the essentials of life and found many of the things we think we need just become a pain in the you-know-what by bringing them along to intrude on travel pleasures. Despite the loaded up look of my ride in the pic, let me assure you I have everything I need to sustain a normal-ish life. On the bike I have several changes/options of clothing, toiletry items, my portable office (laptop, a few books and promotional sheets), riding gear, cameras, tripods, towel, swim wear, flip flops and my home.
My home?

Well a sleeping bag, mattress pad, tent, tarp and lantern qualify as more of a home than some parts of the world so, yes I have my home, my own shelter. It suits me fine for when something with running water and electricity is not available or too pricey for my budget.
Anything I cannot carry on my bike is a short ride or walk to obtain and usually becomes a mini adventure of its own. Should I find there is something I suddenly need I can zip into a town and remedy that situation often having a great conversation with one of the locals. Unless you are traveling into remote areas, don't fret the minor things.
Low on toothpaste? Zip into town.
Want some beer around the campfire but the bike is full? Set up camp then zip into town with your empty saddle bags and return, park and enjoy.
Lost a shirt or low on clothes or perhaps you failed to pack a piece of clothing needed for the area? Zip into town and if they have a second hand store you may be able to replace dirty laundry with clean clothes and donate your old ones, usually at a similar cost of trying to wash them at a laundromat.
If you are adverse to used clothes and prefer to wash your own make sure they can all be washed together. Dark colors, or ones that don't need to be done separately, is the key. I never travel with white clothes and prefer light colors (like tan) that can be washed with dark jeans and still look presentable. Avoid white unless it is a short trip and you will not do laundry until you get home...unless you like washed out, grey looking T-shirts that resemble that of a homeless person or monster truck fan.

My first big bike trip saw me shipping up to 15 pounds of gear home after just 2 days. I realized I had stuff that was not needed and was just making my bike heavy and sluggish to handle.
As long as you have at least one change of clothes and a bit of food, water plus shelter you will be fine. Trust me.
I prefer not to bring dishes and cook stove on my trips as I really hate having to do clean up after a day of riding but I do pack nonperishable snacks. Beef Jerky, trail mix, granola bars and bottled water are with me at all times. When possible some fresh fruit is a treat, if eaten soon after purchase and your body will thank you. Should you have a breakdown or delay just before a meal stop the snacks will allow you to deal with the problem without a grumbling stomach to distract you. This is great advice if you travel by car as well.
Avoid chocolate bars as they often melt and create a mess in your luggage. While on the subject of messes make sure your shampoo bottles are in ziploc style bags as they can at times pop open, especially in mountainous areas where you can go through pressure changes in elevation, and leak.

If I arrive late to set up camp and the local stores are closed, I have enough food to see me through the night.
If you travel in a group someone can unload their bike and head to town for supplies while the others set up camp for them.

The main point is you don't have to carry it all with you unless you are gong backwoods camping and sometimes trying to locate an item that you sometimes need is part of the fun of the trip.

So leave behind those 3 novels, that sweater you may or may not use, clothing items that only go with one outfit and enjoy your journey rather than the transport of unneeded items. After each trip go through you gear and eliminate everything you did not use except for emergency things like first-aid kits or repair kits (tools, tire flat kits etc). You'll find you'll bring back more memories than inventory and your trip will be more pleasurable without having to worry about all that nonessential gear.
Now start planning a trip and see the planet.
Daryl Makk

Video learning curve

2011-02-07T10:04:00.000-08:00

After the past summer of recording from my helmet cam and an easy to use consumer grade video camera I have learned that I need to learn a lot more! You would think recording video was easy and with today's technology would be a simple point and shoot affair but it's not.

This I am learning in the recording studio with my editor Todd Buhmiller. He has a lot more experience behind the lens than I and has been patiently teaching me not only better framing of shots but the type of shots needed for a show to flow smoothly.
Besides scenic video of stunning views and activities/events there is a need for shots that identify upcoming segments, show ID, segment closing and more. If you watch TV you see these shots daily whether you know it or not as the show flows nicely from one segment to the next. That is our goal here at The Planet Tour as well. Our latest video is starting to show this change.

This coming season we will also have a story editor to keep all video segments in a proper order to keep you, the viewer, entertained and interested in the story, something I admit was lacking in the first few videos.
Why was this lacking? I'll take part of the blame for inexperience but the main culprit was funding. Let's be realistic, these things cost money and I did not have the funds I needed last season BUT, with Todd's direction we are fixing this by back selling last year's trip with current video closer to real time to tell the tale. This will eventually meld nicely by the time I start my travels this coming riding season so the travel is as close to real time as we can get.

The goal is have each episode no more than a week behind the actual shooting of the video and you can help make this reality happen. How? Share the video links with others and encourage your friends to subscribe to the show. I have mentioned subscribing often in my videos and on this blog. Why is this important?
Well for you the viewer it means instant update on new videos as well as special offers from product sponsors, contests, product give aways plus travel, safety and maintenance tips as well as information on cool destinations we think are worthy of sharing. By we I mean me and my support team.

For us subscriptions allow us to show potential sponsors some of the exposure they will receive when they come on board. The bigger the viewing audience the more companies will want to participate which comes back to a benefit for you the viewer. Sponsors mean increased production budgets thus giving you a higher quality product to view. Its win-win and that is the way I prefer to do business.

We don't sell the email lists and use those solely for The Planet Tour purposes. You need not worry about suddenly getting spam because you are a subscriber. Believe me, there is no one who hates spam, pop up ads and all the other garbage that the internet has spawned more than myself. Spam is created by people with little vision on how to sell so they use a shot gun approach by throwing tons of crap out there hoping to land a few suckers. Not me. I prefer to give a win-win solution to my viewers. If you see a product on my show or I mention one in my newsletter it is because my research has shown it is something I can endorse and thus I wish to share it with my Planet Tour fans to help make your life and travels more enjoyable. Part of my way of saying thanks for watching.
If you have a product that you would like to showcase on The Planet Tour please email us and we will take a look at it. For our viewers keep in mind that even if a company waves a HUGE amount of money in my face that does not guarantee we will use them. If I don't think the product fits our win-win guidelines I will tell them "Thanks but no thanks" as having ads about something I don't believe in is the same as spam.
Until next time, have fun, share the road with motorcycles and get out and see the planet.
Daryl

The Duck Ass Award

2011-01-23T21:53:00.000-08:00

There is a segment to my show that I wish to do on a weekly basis called The Duck Ass Award. A segment that needs a sponsor by the way.
What is a duck ass? We have all seen a duck feeding, head underwater, ass in the air and oblivious to what's going on around it. Well, drivers, riders or anyone that act like they have their head under water will end up doing something stupid. That is a Duck Ass.

The Duck Ass has been in my family for some time. When we moved to Winnipeg my mother hated the city. Rather than swear in front of us kids she would call people she did not like a duck ass. "That stupid Manitoba duck ass!" was an oft heard phrase.
It became popular with some of the other neighbours that, so much so that when we moved, they had a mallard hen's rear mounted on a plaque by a taxidermist (upside down of course). Thus the official Duck Ass was born.

One year my mom was on a cleaning rampage and was about to throw it out. I just happened to be over for a visit and said "Don't you dare!"

I had always found it an amusing conversation piece and moved it to my place. Once I created The Planet Tour it was a perfect fit as an award for stupid behaviour, especially if it resulted in an accident or if it had the potential to become a disaster. That is how The Duck Ass Award came to be.
What I ask of my viewers is for example of a Duck Ass on our roads. If you have video and/or pictures showing the results of a Duck Ass move or a Duck Ass throwing caution to the wind I want to see them.
Just email us at info@theplanettour.com

Be safe out there and don't be a Duck Ass
- Daryl Makk

Big draw in 24 hours

2010-12-30T12:06:00.000-08:00

Hi Folks
I hope you have gotten through the holiday season okay and had time with family.
It has been busy for me with both family and working on things behind the scenes with The Planet Tour and getting ready for the upcoming Calgary and Edmonton motorcycle shows!

We are doing the draw for a pair of Draggin Jeans to close out 2010. These are the only jeans worn on The Planet Tour. Why? Check out this video and you'll see.

If you follow the blog but have not subscribed do so now.
Click to Subscribe
We all know that bikes have a certain 'cool factor' but riding without protection is not one of them. I cringe when I see riders with regular jeans, no jacket and no gloves. No, scratch that. I get angry because those duck asses, should they have a wipe out will have massive injuries that affect all of our insurance rates. With great products like Draggin there is no need to risk massive road rash. They also have shirts made with the same Kevlar material for those days when it is just too hot to wear a jacket.
Check out more through Universal Cycle the official supplier of Draggin Jeans products in Canada.
See you at the bike shows
Daryl

A new motorcycle life is coming soon

2010-12-01T18:13:00.000-08:00

As the calendar tells us winter is here in Calgary my thoughts turn to prepping for this upcoming riding season. Damn I wish I could ride right now though as I was ripped off a several nice weeks of fall weather all because of a duckass driver.

Some of you may have learned that Suzy B has been reduced to money in my bank account by the insurance company. It is sad how easy it is to write off a bike. No, scratch that. It is annoying how easy it is and drivers don't seem to understand that riders don't get fender benders.

Motorcycle owners usually have an attachment to their bikes sort of like a cowboy has a bond with his horse. If you don't ride you may not understand this but it is like losing someone when a bike goes down, especially one you have spent a lot of time on.

I was fortunate to have 3 good seasons on Suzy B and wracked up over 62,000km in that short time. While some of the riding conditions were less than perfect I enjoyed each and every kilometre. I have accepted that she is gone and now begins the search for a new ride.
I am a rider that likes many types of motorcycles and brands and am not set on just one type so choices are endless. Do I get another sport tourer? If so which brand? Do I switch to a dual sport? I rode a couple this year on test rides while at The Wharf Rat Rally and was impressed at the ride quality they offered as well as the ability to head off the pave road if I should desire.
The fact that I am not sponsored by any factory rides makes choosing one even more difficult. I have a set amount of money to spend and it will not be enough to buy a new bike unless I went with some way too small.
I do have to give a shout out to my insurance company, Blue Circle, as one that is very easy to deal with. They also have a clause in their policy that if your ride is written off by someone else within a certain period you get your purchase price back. WOW! The worst thing a rider can face, besides physical injury, is to have their beloved ride wiped out by someone else and having to take the fist in the ass, black book value, depreciation price so many insurance companies will ram in there. Not Blue Circle.
It has allowed me to search for a bike in similar condition and value of what I was riding instead of the usual victim gets robbed again value. Thank you Blue Circle.
I am off to shop!
Big news is The Planet Tour is going to be at the Calgary Motorcycle show and the Edmonton Motorcycle show this coming January! Who knows? Maybe my new (to me) ride will be there with me.
R.I.P. Suzy B, you were a great bike. Anyone looking for an awesome sport tourer with great bang for the buck take a look at the Suzuki Bandit. Fantastic engine with gobs of torque, very decent milage for a 1250cc and all the comfort you need to tour.

You may be asking "Why don't you go and buy another Bandit?" I thought about it but it would only compete against the memories of Suzy B and all we have endured. I think I have to have something different now.
Cheers folks
Daryl Makk

Who would like a promotional vehicle?

2010-10-28T18:42:00.000-07:00

I have returned home to much cooler temperatures. Summer, or what little we had, has departed like a guest at a party that no one seemed to notice. It was that forgettable, weather wise. Most of the leaves have switched to their fall colours or have already fallen. It is a time of change which seems so fitting right now. It is time to work on the next stage of The Planet Tour and decide what changes I need to do to my plans.

Besides the obvious of fixing or replacing my ride

I need to focus on funding to afford creating a better production for you nice people. I have teamed up with a great editor and production house Widescreen Media who brought some great technical know-how to the team. I think they did an awesome job on the animated graphics at the beginning of the last episode
I need to take the show to a higher level to get the message of safety out there but I also wish to show people the wonderful adventure they can have on a motorcycle or a road trip in general. Its a great planet and I hope to inspire others to get out and see it.
To raise the profile of the show of course takes some bucks so I will be open about this. I am looking for companies to advertise on the show. Money will be used for production costs and to purchase online advertising to promote the show which in turn will expose you to a larger customer base as we reach out to more and more viewers.

Part of our promotional material. Email for complete information package

My team and I are working on booking public appearances for the upcoming touring year. If you would like a live comedy show come to your event/town/business please write to us and we will do our best to get you as a stop on the tour.
info@theplanettour.com

We are also working on the next webisode to get the story back on track of my travels and will release that shortly.
For those only following the blog you can find the latest video on the website and subscribe for updates on the bottom of any page on the site.

My injuries are healing quite well. In fact I have been itching for a ride for over 2 weeks now that I am up to the task again. The only problem is I have no motorcycle. Now the weather has turned it helps ease the itch but I still feel ripped off of a month of riding, all because someone had to be in such a hurray to make a mistake. 2 weeks ago we had some nice fall days but lately it is cold enough to remind me of my Saskatoon to Edmonton stint I did just days before the accident. That is a cold I never thought I would have to repeat.
Here are maps of provinces and US states I travelled in 2010

Canadian Provinces visited 2010

US states visited 2010

Where will 2011 take me?
Some of that is up to you folks.
Be safe
Daryl

Embrace the change instead of fight it.

2010-10-19T01:38:00.000-07:00

It is amazing what a week in warm weather can do for your spirits. Perhaps it was our lack of our summer and my need to feel some heat or it was just the endless food and lack of housekeeping duties. Then again it could have been the new experience of the on board comedy clubs that Carnival Cruise lines has. What ever it is was I feel renewed from the down in the dumps feeling I was having after the accident.

My office on board

On board I did some writing. Nothing like a deck with an ocean view to stir some creative juices. I also shot some video commentary for some upcoming webisodes.
We are working on video clips as I write this and will be releasing them soon.
Thanks to all for your support and for helping me get this message out to share the road with motorcycles and for riders to wear their gear.
I'm thankful for my helmet, Joe Rocket jacket (with padded armor), Draggin Jeans and Alpinestar boots. All of them had a part in keeping my injuries to a minimum. I shudder when I see riders in next to no gear but a whole lot of faith that it can't happen to them. It can happen to anyone no matter what your skill level. Things can go wrong and if it should why make your day even worse by risking extra injury?

While on the ship I was reminded how things just don't go as planned. Our schedule was to go from Galveston Texas over to Cozumel Mexico but a wind bag named hurricane Paula got in the way. Safety first was the order and we were redirected to Vera Cruz instead. I was shocked to see how many passengers got pissy because they were "supposed to go to Cozumel" and had on shore excursions booked.
Their self indulgence was so strong they completely ignored the fact that for us to go to Cozumel we would have had to sail through a hurricane!! I am pretty sure the weather would have not been up to their vacation standards either. Even though they were all getting refunds to compensate I still heard them moaning about it in the stairs and hallways days later. So hard done by were they that their precious plans had been altered, for their well being even, they still did not get it. Our new port meant we did not have to risk possible death at sea or a ship full of sea sick passengers so shut up! It's this "me only" attitude I believe carries over to our roads and may be why some drivers do the stupid shit they do. They only care about themselves.
Its a basic theory at this point.

I am always up for seeing new places and although I had never been to either port a surprise stop can sometimes be the best part of a trip. It happens on motorcycle trips constantly. In fact this summer, unless I had a show I had to get to, I had no idea where I was stopping for the night. So of course I was one of the few that was happy things had changed. Hello Vera Cruz!!

It beats rockin' in a hurricane!

I did not venture far as the number of heavily armed cops and military that seemed to be on every corner, made me think it was best not to wander too far. I learned later that there had been a shooting in a market square the day before and 10 people were gunned down in an apparent drug territory war. It was the same market square where I had lunch but I did not know its recent history as I pointed at pictures while I ordered.

I need to learn Spanish as I have found the need for it in more and more in my travels. No worries as the food that showed up was sort of, kind of what I thought I had ordered.
Never get set on just one thing while travelling and you can never get disappointed. I was sure I had ordered the Cozumel burritos but I got the Veracruz tostadas instead. At least an edible meal showed up! As they say in Mexico, bon appetite amigo....or something like that.

Gringo sailing!

2010-10-13T11:10:00.000-07:00

Hi folks

As I write this I am sailing through the Gulf of Mexico on my way to an alternate destination. When I say alternate destination I was referring to our redirection due to hurricane Paula that was threatening us if we continued on to Cozemel. The cruise line decided to sail to Veracruz rather than take the storm full on. Good call. I think I have been tossed around enough this past month.

Its as though one of my wishes had been granted I suddenly got a call to work a cruise ship in warm weather, which is just what I needed while I am on the mend. Perfect. Few distractions, free food and good show location with no commuting.

We left Galveston Texas on Monday and it has been nice to feel summer-like heat.

The shows have been fun as Carnival Cruise lines now allows a few R-rated shows during the week which is awesome. Nothing can lower the effect of comedy more than censorship of ideas and words. We still have to do a clean, family show but are allowed to let loose on the R-rated ones like a real comedy club.

Keeping it short as internet time is pricey at sea.

Adios my amigos and amigas

2010-10-05T14:17:00.000-07:00

Hi folks
Well my aches and pains have lessened a bit. Still have back spasms and fatigue sets in around midday but I am up and moving on my own and that is enough to make me grateful.
At least the pain is not so much that I have to live on pain killers. Those things wreak havoc with the digestive system so I take them only when having a bad spasm.
Currently working with an editor to get the webisodes out. I had a great time this summer despite the excessive rain.

From Winnipeg Aug 13,2010

You can help me out. If you or anyone you know was involved in a motorcycle accident, especially one caused by a car please have them contact me. I am looking for pics of the crash and injuries to use in the show. Perhaps some graphic images will help get the message out to some that there is no such thing as a fender bender on a bike.

As we release the videos we would also like to work with you and your company on promotion. If you would like to be featured as an advertiser/sponsor please contact me. The cost is very little and the videos will remain online indefinitely.

I hope to hear from the insurance company soon as to the state of my bike. Is it fixable or not? They sure are taking their time on this. To add to the whole situation Calgary has been experiencing some great riding weather lately. It hurts me more to sit here and not ride than the injuries themselves. I will get back to riding despited all the quitters in the world advising me otherwise. My mission is to bring the message of sharing the road to as many people as I can. To quit now means that I accept that bad drivers have won. That is not my style. My injuries are healing and my determination is growing.

Thanks to all who have stopped by to read and to those who have shown support. You can help as well by purchasing a T-shirt from The Planet Tour store
We also have set up a funding page on IndieGoGo to raise money for editing. Travel this summer ate up more budget than predicted. Please donate if you can and pass on the links to others who may be interested.
I have lots of stories to share and a helluva lot of people to educate.
Be safe out there
Cheers
Daryl

Deer in one of my campsites. Video recorded from the bike!!

Help me get the message out please!!

2010-09-25T18:19:00.000-07:00

As I write this it is a wonderful fall day. Clear, warm, sunny and no wind. Perfect for a ride only I have no ridable bike and if I did I am unable to throw a leg over one in my condition.
Last Saturday, Sept 18/10 on the last leg of this season's portion of The Planet Tour, after crossing the entire country of Canada solo, to spread the message of sharing the road, an inattentive driver nailed me.

She did a sudden turn in front of me which then turned into be a badly executed U-turn. After slowing and moving over to avoid her, the car suddenly careened left over to where I had moved. It was like it had bounced off the curb or something. The only place left was to glance off the side of the car.
"Oh shit this is going to hurt!" was my second thought; "This cannot be happening again!!" was my first as I heard the crunch of Suzy's parts as they shattered against the car and I was thrown.
I has ridden the whole country of Candad, solo and this happens during the last week?!? Why are people so reluctant to see motorcycles? I ride with my high beam on all the time yet am invisible?

One of the main purposes of The Planet Tour is to promote sharing the road while raising the image of the motorcycling community. Sometimes I wonder if it is the bad apples of biking that help give all riders a bad image which may just be part of the reason people refuse to accept what their eyes see. Maybe we don't matter to them.

Its just a theory.

I missed my headline spot at The Laughshop in Sherwood Park, because, as we all know, emergency wards don't move with speed. 4 1/2 hours on a spine board caused the wrenched muscles in my back lock up and spasm. It took good old morphine to the rescue. Its the only fun part of being hit. Man that stuff works but I was still in pain.

I was in no shape to do a headline spot but went down to see the crowd. The manager was kind enough to give me a few minutes on stage so I could feel the laughter and mention my cause. Move over morphine because there is nothing like the sound of an audience laughing at my words (and I have no idea what those words were being on morphine) to make me feel better. I was still whacked on morphine but everyone said I did well for my few minutes up there. I would have loved to do my full 45 minutes but after limping back to my chair I could tell I would have run out of steam rather quickly. The effects of the drug were wearing off and I was dizzy and tired.

I've included some pics of my injuries and I apologize to the squeamish (they are a bit graphic) but I believe people need to see what can happen when a driver does something unsafe.

While there are no broken bones (thankfully) I do have a swollen right ankle, some massive bruising on my right hip along with some road rash on my shin and some wrenched back muscles that spasm every now and then. I suppose this might be what one of those electric abdominal zappers, you see on late night TV,would feel like if I hooked it up to my back...and cranked the voltage up! I should try and get a spasm on video as it is humorous when it happens mid-speech.

Bruise on Day 3

The world is filled with drivers not paying attention so wear your gear or you could be asking for a world of hurt. I am grateful I had my Draggin Jeans on, my Joe Rocket riding jacket, Alpinestar boots, riding gloves, helmet. ATGATT (All The Gear All The Time) always. I cringe when I see a rider with only a t-shirt or worse- shorts! Things can happen so quickly it is not worth the risk of going sans safety gear.

So what's next?

Healing of course and dealing with insurance. I'll know in a few days what is happening with Suzy. Parts aren't cheap so here's hoping its not a write off. She's a good bike, only one repair in over 60,000km plus, of course the regular maintenance stuff.

I still have 12 weeks of webisodes to edit that I will add a safety message to along with showing you the stuff I encountered in my travels. I am not quitting riding or The Planet Tour show, if anything I am more motivated to get this message out, teach people to share the road and wear your gear and of course to deliver it through my comedy. I will need your help though. More people need to see the webisodes so share this link and get more people to subscribe together we can help spread the message.

Get involved!

I would like to promote your company in the videos and am seeking sponsorship to pay for the editing costs in return for exposure on the show. If you have a service or product that I can promote, as long as it meets the guidelines, lets work together. I can place your company ad or product in the video and get you some exposure for a very affordable fee and, unlike print advertising these videos will be up online indefinitely! Let me promote you and your company.

The media is starting to help get the message out. This story ran in all the Sun newspapers across the nation.
Story Link
I am in the process of releasing a video about the crash and my injuries which will be out soon. I do hope it makes a few people drive with more caution.
Please spread the word and share the links. We need to reach more people so they start to see motorcycles out there. To all riders please invest in the proper riding gear to minimize any injury should something go wrong.
Some may be saying I am crazy to talk about getting back on the bike, to even continue riding. Its my passion and if I quit now before getting my message out there then the bad drivers win. I can't let that happen

Daryl

l

2010-09-14T08:46:00.000-07:00

I left the Wharf Rat Rally feeling good about the experience but sad to say good bye. I know I will return as I have an invite from the rally organizers.

Night time at Wharf Rat

I snapped this pic at night with a flash and ended up with a floating crosswalk sign that glows like an icon on the screen. Sure some of the pic is out of focus but I just enjoy the way it turned out.

I left Digby and picked a great road, Highway 1, that hugged the coastline and was rewarded with an amazing view of the famous tides of Fundy which are reported to be the highest in the world...or the lowest when it is low tide. I happened along at low tide and was amazed at how far the water retreats along this area.
Looking like someone has drained the ocean I had to stop for some video. I have extracted a frame for you to see of some of the upcoming images.

Low tide - Bay of Fundy

Later that same day I veered off the superslab of the TransCanada in New Brunswick and followed a Highway 105 on the other side of the St John River.

Upon reaching the small town of Harland I was greeted with a cool site. A covered bridge. I have always wanted to see one up close as there are none where I live. As it turns out not only did I scratch off a bucket list item but I did it with the LONGEST COVERED BRIDGE IN THE WORLD!!

Very cool. I stopped for some pics and video. Here are some pics to check out as well as a link.

Sometimes the best stuff on the road is free.

More updates to come.

Cheers and be safe all.

Daryl

Can you give a wharf rat's ass?

2010-09-06T06:43:00.000-07:00

I sit here with a view of the Bay of Fundy having my last morning coffee in the Digby Nova Scotia area. I was here for most the week to attend and perform at the Wharf Rat Rally which is reportedly Atlantic Canada's biggest motorcycle rally. The crowds grew as the week went on then the party was almost crashed by some dude named Earl.

Hurricane Earl was coming up the coast and of course the media was hyping it up as Armageddon because that is what they do, feed hype and fear.
Many people pulled out on Friday as they were afraid of getting nailed by Earl. Vendors shut down and prepared for the worst and put their wares away but stayed.
The group of riders staying at the hotel resort where I was decided to have an all night bonfire party in Earl's honor.
When a bit of rain started to sprinkle. It made us laugh and get up and dance in the rain, which stopped and started through out the night. We partied til 5am when it looked like Earl was a no show.
In the morning Earl showed up apparently as hung over as the resort residents. All he could muster was a bit of blowing wind that took a few leaves off trees and some warm rain for a few hours.
By mid day Earl had left and the rally kicked off again. Vendors re-opened their tents, shows commenced and the few true bikers that weathered it out were there to keep it going. Riders started to return from nearby towns.
Sunday the weather was sunny and windy. Actually it was more windy than when Earl was here but the storm was gone and riders returned....in droves!
The main road into Digby was backed up out to the highway and they kept coming. All sorts of brands from all sorts of manufacturers and several vintage rides too. Within hours the main street was wall to wall bikes and shut down to cars...and they still came. The pic I have here is from Thursday, 2 days before Earl and not even half of the scene I describe. As I write this my camera is in my room charging but I will post pics and video when time allows.

The feel of the rally was one of old friends you had yet to meet. Maritimers are some of the most down to earth folks you will ever meet and are always willing to strike up a conversation or invite you to their party. There was little or no brand attitude that is usually present at some events. No one here cares what you ride they are just happy you are here too. It was a nice feeling and the rally was family friendly by day. At night the main street empties out after the fireworks. A few local bars for the die hards but most retreated back to their hotels and campgrounds to have private parties. In short, no major trouble spots despite the large turnout.
I look forward to next year as I plan on returning. As for Earl? I couldn't give a wharf rat's ass if he came back either, but he has to bring his own beer this time.

Digby Harbour

Corners again!!

2010-09-04T12:12:00.000-07:00

After the coma inducing roads of Ontario and having to run the super slab 4 lane through Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia I finally found corners again!!!
I ran highway 333 down to Peggys Cove in Nova Scotia to see the most photographed lighthouse in the maritimes of Canada.
A pleasant road through postcard-like towns, each with a sign welcoming you to their community, offered many great stops along the way.

The road winds along the Atlantic with some great scenery of the coastline. Closer to Peggys Cove the road becomes downright fun but you will want to stop and take pics first.
The wind swept point is a big slab of granite weathered from years of the Atlantic Ocean carving it into a picture perfect place. Unlike any other coast I have seen, it was fantastic place for pics and video.
The first lighthouse was a wooden one built in 1868 and was replaced by the octagonal concrete one, pictured here, in 1914.
The village and area almost look like a movie set in its quaint setting.
After pics and food I went for a brief blast up the coast, tossing Suzy B back and forth in corners. She seemed like a horse that had been stabled too long and wanted to run. The engine roared and we carved some apexes as I took in the wild wind swept coast. Decorated with tiny evergreens stunted by the continuous blast of the ocean it was a surreal countryside to ride in. I loved it and hope to return.

I wished I had the luxury of more time to explore this area. So many things that were screaming for my attention but I had to get closer to Digby to prepare for The Wharf Rat Rally.
That night I made it to Kejimkujik National Park which was nice but not worth the inflated government prices. Note: I will avoid camp areas with park fees on top of pricey camping.
While the sites were well treed and far apart, amenities like showers and washrooms were uncomfortably far from my campsite. They boasted an internet cafe which was not working but you still pay for it in the fees.

The ride to Kejimkujik was on a winding country road 325 then 8. Nice sweepers, little traffic and a few bends to actually have fun in. I swore I could feel my tire rounding out again from the brick like flatness the super slab had done to it.

I'm in Digby now. The rally is blast. More on that later.
Remember to subscribe to The Planet Tour shows for a chance to win a pair of Draggin Jeans at the end of the season.

Summer hides in the east it seems!

2010-08-31T08:21:00.000-07:00

Thanks for following along.
I have arrived safely in Halifax, actually, I have been here for several days but am behind on posts.
Long days, cool riding conditions and very little sleep wore me out and a cold started to take root. Not able to afford sick time on tour I stopped in at a pharmacy to pick up ColdFX.
While I don't usually give free plugs to products this natural remedy did the trick in 3 days. It allowed me to get out of my hotel room and explore a bit of this wonderful harbour city and the hot sunny weather here.

I was not able to blame cold meds on a hallucination as ColdFX is natural. So it is only safe to assume I did see a kids toy in the harbour!!

Sure I had a few drinks the night before but not enough to hallucinate. I suppose Halifax is the type of city where growing up is optional!
Off to explore and video tape some of it
Remember to subscribe so you don't miss any posts and subscribe to the show for a chance to win a pair of Draggin Jeans
Show episodes

Subscribe to win!
Be safe out there and watch out for riders please.
Daryl

Oasis of dryness at night

2010-08-30T13:36:00.000-07:00

It rained...then it poured.
My intention was to make it as far into New Brunswick as possible. I had a lofty goal of making it to Fredericton, but a late start out of Ottawa caused my daylight to run out. THAT'S when it started to rain! The spray from all the trucks (and it seemed there were many that night) made it hard to keep my visor clear. I have a small wiper blade on each thumb of my rain gloves to clear away water when wind blast is not enough. It seemed every time I cleared my visor one of 2 things would happen. Another truck would pass or I would see a bright, yellow sign warning me of "moose-night danger". Great, I can't see and now there is a good chance a dark, furry, very large ungulate could walk into my blurred vision...yet there seemed no where to stop.

Let me backtrack a bit to let you know how all this came about. I stopped for breakfast the day before in a small town in northern Ontario that I can't even remember. Many of them have no personality along that highway so they blend together in the memory bank.
A few bikes were parked outside of this motel/restaurant and that was enough for me. Having left a great campsite in Iron Bridge Ontario, where I'd spent my night,

my stomach was telling me it was on empty. This seemed as good a place as any as obviously bikers were welcome.

There were 2 Moto Guzzis parked in front of one of the motel rooms and it was obvious they were packed and ready to head out on the highway. I figured they had stayed there for the night and were just having breakfast as they were parked a ways from the restaurant door.

The other motorcycle was an 80's vintage Honda V65 Sabre with some well worn luggage and extra water proof bags bungeed on. Another distance traveller! It was parked off on its own in an odd angle close to the door. I parked near it as I am an advocate of safety in numbers. I park next to other motorcycles as often as I can. People are more likely to see a group of bikes more so than a lone one they can hit and run away from.

Inside I was right about the Guzzi riders, they were stuffing their faces and pouring over a map. They sat off to one side and did not seem to want to acknowledge another rider. The V65 guy was easy to spot. He was a silver haired fellow of shorter stature and appeared to be in his late 50's or early 60's.
'Good for you old man being out here on a bike trip!' I thought, then I realized my age wasn't exactly spring chicken digits.
I had brought my laptop in to check on email as the sign said they had wifi and I do have to keep in touch and make postings.
At some point I struck up a conversation with the V65 rider, who's name was Dave. He was a friendly chap and we chatted as we finished up our breakfast, swapping stories and road info. It turns out we were headed the same way and both of us were weary of solo travel so decided to ride together. I don't like riding in large groups but 2 to 4 riders does make one more visible to duck ass drivers and gives you someone to talk to when you take a rest break. It also gives you something to focus on, another rider to keep pace with, which helps shed a bit of the boredom induced by these lame Ontario highways.
Any curve that may have been fun was straightened out a long time ago for truck traffic. Add their stupid and dangerous 90kph speed limit and one soon learns to loathe the main highway through here.
Why do I think 90kph is stupid? Easy. With today's vehicles there is no sensation of motion or speed at 90 which makes many drivers lethargic in their reactions or void of attention. It puts one into a trance as I believe many just don't feel there is any risk. Sadly 90kph is still fast enough to kill or seriously hurt you in a collision...you just won't see it coming. I feel a slightly faster pace would hone most peoples attention to a higher level. Note to lawmakers- speed is not always the issue but we know you enjoy making money off it.

As we rode I found Dave's riding style to fit mine nicely. He was into keeping the same pace and gave plenty of warning before passing anyone so that we could stick together. He liked to take short rest breaks between fill ups and I found it very relaxing that way yet we were making good time despite the extra stops. I also felt less fatigued as getting off and stretching is a good thing..

Dave suggested when we get to Ottawa we grab some stuff at the local 24 grocery store and BBQ at his place. He had a spare bed and invited me to take a break from camping for a night. A BBQ dinner and some bike stories, along with some whiskey to unwind sounded great so I took him up on it.
The next morning I had intended to get going by 8am but found there was a problem with some of the auto withdrawals on my bank account so my departure was delayed by banking hours which started at 9am. It took over an hour to straighten things out so now I was behind 2 hours and this is where my daylight started to be eaten up.

Quebec was going to be all super-slab, 4 lane monotony so after my first fuel stop, I detoured off Highway 20 for a half a tank of back country roads. I was impressed by the quaint little towns and how well kept they all were, which was in stark contrast to the odor. There were many dairy farms but with cows comes manure hence their own special blend of country air. Sniff..phew!!
The pace was relaxed, the scenery much better than the super slab so it made for a nice ride through bursts of stink. Upon checking the map I realized I had just snuffed out more daylight than I thought. Time to get back on the 4 lane . Just outside of the turnoff to New Brunswick the rain started, light at first but it seem to amplify as the day changed to night. It seemed the darker it got the bigger and more frequent the drops.

That is where the moose signs started to show up with alarming frequency.

I know full well the damage a moose can do to a car. On a bike you have even less chance. I needed a place to stop but none seemed to materialize. I was stretching my budget as far as I could as the travel to get to the east was more than predicted. Since I saved on a hotel or campsite the night before this downpour justified spending some money. Finally the highway gods felt mercy and a small settlement appeared with a mom/pop style road side motel, the kind that you see in horror flicks. Perfect.
There was a traffic light there although it did not seem to be needed. As I sat waiting to turn left into the motel I looked on my side of the highway and a campground sign was lit up. With my very limited 5 words of French I was sure they were advertising cabins as well so I checked over my shoulder and crossed 2 lanes to the campground. I'd rather have a cabin than murder motel room any day.

It turned out the owner had as much English knowledge as I had French so the slow speech and miming began. She was writing up a receipt for a tent site when I mentioned the cabins. I managed to decipher that there were no cabins to be had as they did not have any. What I had read on the sign was the name of the town, Cabano. As an anglophone it was an honest mistake.
Setting up a tent in the rain is no fun so I pointed at the cook shelter across the driveway. A large concrete slab covered by a roof on poles. "Would I be able to set up in there?" I mimed and slow talked.
She was happy to agree and through her few English words explained how to find the lights and the fireplace was mine to use to.
Fireplace? Had my energy level been higher I would have gladly stoked it up for heat and perhaps I should have anyway. My mind was on sleeping after a quick dinner of snacks as I was beat. I paid the lady, who was very pleasant and accommodating then rode my bike under the shelter. This was 5 star camping as I would be completely dry in the morning for a fast departure and it barely put a dent in my budget so breakfast was going to be huge!
In the morning I awoke rested and dry and packed as the rain slowly dried up. I felt like I had beat mother nature for once and for only 13 bucks. Sweet.

Add caption

Whiteshell relief

2010-08-22T22:00:00.000-07:00

I could feel tension unwind for 2 reasons.

First, I left Winnipeg after a longer than needed stop. However business had to be done.

Second, as I write this I am in the Whiteshell Provincial Park where I spent many a summer weekend as a teen. Unlike many places from one’s past, that seem small and not how you remember them, Westhawk Lake felt like summer home I had never left. I set up camp for one night but wished I could stay longer. The deer that greeted me as I chose my campsite sealed the deal.

It is not often you can get within a dozen feet of a whitetail while on a motorcycle that’s running. Wait til you see the video!

The last of dusk hangs in the air looking almost like northern lights starting their glow as the song of the wilds of summer start up. The mournful call, the throaty warble reply; the song of the common loon. If you have never stayed at a lake in the Precambrian shield you have no idea how this bird’s song can touch your soul. If you were here, you would agree.

Next up is Ontario, Canada's largest province. My ass hurts just typing those words.

Later folks

Put on rain gear!!

2010-08-16T09:10:00.000-07:00

Often I hit rain...okay, every single trip this summer has included dampness from above. At times it is an all day drizzle and I have no choice but to don the rain gear. Other times they are small cloud bursts that my riding gear will shed if it is just for a few minutes so I often forego the grunting and sweating of putting on the rain liner and pants. This was not the case as I crossed the prairies this week. This pic is of the happier moments of crossing the huge vast flats.

Approaching Moosimin Saskatchewan (a town mentioned in the song Running back to Saskatoon- The Guess who) with a darkening sky my eyes deceived me. What looked like just a thunderburst that I thought I could push through become a waterfall from the skies.
Okay, it was more than a waterfall as rain came from the side and bounced up from the impact off the ground. Fierce winds almost blew me off the road as the water poured down, quickly filling my visor with droplets inside and out.

I had to pull over as visibility was next to zero. I was only able to see pieces of the road when lightening lit up the sky. Not the ideal way to see and not a comforting feeling being exposed on the side of the road with semi trucks rolling by adding to the spray. At times even the big rigs stopped...especially when the hail began.
Although I had put my rain liner in my jacket and had the foresight to put my rain gloves on, my lower half quickly succumbed to the deluge. My nylon riding pants threw in the towel on being water resistant and my Chill Out undergarments were no match for the moisture that got through. They are usually adequate for wicking away small amounts of moisture that could seep through but this was not a light dribble.
I soon felt a river flowing inside my riding pants, down my leg and into my boots. Normally great at keeping my feet dry the Goretex lined boots were not designed to be a barrier from all angles and they soon filled with water. Rain ran down my jacket and got under the gauntlets of my gloves and soon they too were soaked from the inside. Cold water inside your garments is a feeling you wish to avoid, I have done the research for you.

I have extracted a few stills from the video I took. The daylight pic is one of a storm you can push thru should you choose to. The rest was at dusk then night. Do not try this stunt at home, or in a field in the middle of the prairies.

The GoPro camera does not do well in low light but nature provided some high voltage flashes to give you all a peek.
My advice is if you do not need to be anywhere park it and wait it out and put on ALL your rain gear when you see a huge storm looming.
My clothing is finally dried out and my lesson has been learned.

Moving on now that the monsoons have passed.

Be safe
Daryl

The frustration of waiting

2010-08-02T10:34:00.000-07:00

I've was back home for over a week to take care of many needed tasks to continue on with The Planet Tour. Getting some more work done to the bike is one of them. We just had the logo airbrushed on and are now searching for a top case to mount so I have more room for gear. Plus fixing the shudder in the front end which turned out to be a very expensive warped rotor. Didn't need that expense!

I would like to get the episodes out faster but the biggest hurdle thus far is funding. After last years economic meltdown many companies are a bit gun shy when it comes to spending money, yet all of them want to get more exposure for their product or service. My goal is to have the funds so an editor and their assistant/driver would be on the road in a car so I could meet up several times a day and give them the footage right away so that editing can begin. But of course that is 2 paycheques and travel expenses that just don't fit the budget at present.
The Planet Tour is a great place for a business to showcase their stuff but, I'll admit, the show concept is new so of course there is hesitation. The fear of the unknown!
If you want the to use the fear of the unknown try giving up a normal life to live on a motorcycle. Scary? hell yeah! Educational? You bet! Fun? For sure!. Rewarding? So far it has been. I will continue on and produce the best videos with the budget I have and it will continue to grow. I could sit around and wait for that big sponsor but figured...N'ah, they can try and catch me instead.

But I can hear you say "Daryl, you already have sponsors!"
Yes I do and I am grateful for their help thus far but they are in for a limited budget and product donations, but we can change that and this is where I need your help.
First, please invite others to watch and not just your riding buddies. I'm a comic and am used to appealing to a variety of people. The more people watching = more exposure for a sponsoring company. This will translate into a bigger budget.
Sponsors

Second We are still building our directory of approved services by area. If you know of any companies that wish to participate let us know. We promote the directory thru the videos, newsletter and more. Soon there will be a clickable map to help travellers locate services in the area they are.
Business Directory

Third
Show your support with a limited edition "I helped launch The Planet Tour" t-shirt. Fund from the sales go to paying my support staff.
The Planet Tour store

Lastly, if you have an interest in me showing up in your area and know of a venue to perform in please contact us thru the website.
Contact The Planet Tour

Off and running again to try and beat some rain
Cheers

What's in a name? EVERYTHING! and nothing...

2010-07-15T22:58:00.000-07:00

I just did a quick run up thru the Columbia Icefield Parkway and had some great weather going up (it rained most of the way back so it was worth it).

It was a great way to get to my gig,which was a golf tournament, in Grande Cache AB. An awesome ride up through some of the most amazing mountain valleys with the crispness of the air as you pass the glaciers and streams. Pure bliss, the travel doesn't feel like a chore so you ignore that it is over 7 hours of butt numbing because you don't care!

James Moore, from Comedy Monday Night, was with me as he was to be my emcee for the event. Any chance to get out on the bikes and do comedy and you can usually count him in.
We stopped for gas and food in Lake Louise as there are not many places to stop on the parkway and the ones you do find, can be hard on the wallet. Besides, once on there we were only stopping for pics and nothing else as time was tight.

While in Lake Louise I snapped this pic through the restaurant window with my GoPro. A third sport tourer had pulled in along side Suzy B and James' Kaye. (yeah, he named his too). Those that know me understand my love of sporting bikes so I had to take a pic. The fish eye lens gives it an odd perspective yet it captures the beauty of the view we had plus the 3 sporty rides.

Inside there were 2 friendly couples across the aisle that had ridden up here from Wisconsin USA, on their motorcycles so that was enough to start a conversation. They were very pleasant and excited by all the attractions they had scene on their tour so note comparing was the order of the moment as we rattled off places visited.

They were also receptive to suggestions of places to see, so I gave them all sorts of places to check out on their way back that they would've never found on their own in the short time they had. Its a common trait I've noticed with bikers. If they've had a great time on a great road or attraction they want to share it with other riders so they can experience it too. It is a sort of 'pay it forward' that seems to find its way back to you in strange ways.

Like that time last year when that CHiPs officer pointed my group toward a fantastic road we had not even thought of going down while we were making our way through the desert heat to see Joshua Tree National Forest. I am always eager to tell people about those hidden gems so maybe that was a payback? Either way, thanks officer for making our ride that much better. But I've side tracked, now back to the recent trip and my new Wisconsin friends.

That coming Sunday, back in Calgary, I was doing a show and a DVD recording. The cheese heads, as Wisconsin residents are sometimes affectionately called, were going to be in town so I gave them information on the show. I don't think we even introduced ourselves as there were so many stories about where they were going and where they had been. It was that bond strangers, who enjoy being out there traveling on the bike just seem to have. It is a short relationship that lasts until you part ways. Names seem like an unnecessary formality.

I never really thought I would see them again but, come Sunday, there they were, buying tickets to the show! I had hoped they would stick around after so I could say hi, but with all the distractions, people I had to talk to right after the show, they somehow slipped out before I could thank them.
Complete strangers who shared a common bond of touring so they came out to support my show and the live art form that is my life. It is the type of gesture that is golden to a performer and reminds me of why I do this crazy thing I do for a living. I hoped they enjoyed the show. I heard they were laughing.

Upon downloading my window pic I see I also captured the 2 big Harleys, in the top right hand corner, that belonged to those nice folks from Wisconsin. So in a way they are part of this picture.
Since they were heading to Jasper and then back I know they also shared this view (in my next pic) as you reach the top of the pass on the parkway.

I hope you 4 made it back safe and one day perhaps I will get an email to let me know you did and that you found the Wayne Hotel near Drumheller like I told you.

If you ever see this pic I'm sure you will have a vivid memory of that view that far exceeds what a camera could capture but I hope it brings them flooding back in as it does to me. I can't wait to do this road again and I am sure you guys are on the same page.

Be safe everyone. Never go faster than your guardian angel's screaming can be heard.
Cheers
Daryl

Bears and camera settings!!

2010-07-11T10:16:00.000-07:00

Hi folks
to date The Planet Tour has logged over 4000km and we have just started! This does not include the 15,000 test kms I did the last 2 seasons.
I have seen 3 bears so far and one was a grizzly right alongside the road. I will show that in episode 5.
Yesterday while driving back from a show in Grande Cache AB I was on the Columbia Icefield Parkway which has some spectacular views. Then it was thru Banff National Park so I decided to do the Bow Valley Parkway as chances of spotting wildlife are always good on that road at dusk.
This is when I saw bear number 3 in as many weeks. A medium sized black bear wandered across the highway. I hastily retrieved my new camcorder from my tank bag. In my excitement I did not notice it was set to still pics (it doubles as a regular camera). I was more worried about making a clean getaway incase Yogi suddenly changed course. As such, no video or pics and then....my battery died. Sigh... more gear to buy!!

Episodes will be coming a bit faster now. A few teething problems at first, as we get the logistics figured out on the best way to get video from the road to the editor.
If you wish to see more episodes more often you can help in 2 ways.
1- I need more people to subscribe to the show as sponsors only think in terms of numbers. Also please share the video links with as many people as you can because hits are good too
2- be the coolest person in your 'hood with the limited edition "I helped launch The Planet Tour" T-shirt available on the website.
The store is up and running.
Money raised from the T-shirts goes to help pay for my support team. There are people in the background that are all part of this fun project. Lynda who manages the business and office end of things and of course my editor(s).
We have them with The Planet Tour logo in blue for the dudes and pink for the chicks.
By the way if you are offended by the use of the term "chick" you're probably not the kind of broad that should be watching the show....no offense to the dames and skirts
;-)

If you order now I am throwing in a copy of my first comedy album "Herding The Sheeple" in MP3 for your iTunes or personal MP3 player as my thank you.

If you wish for The Planet Tour to stop into your town or business please contact us to arrange it.
info@theplanettour.com

Thanks for following along and please share the road safely with motorcycles and all others.
Cheers
Daryl

Chasing bears-Episode 1 "The Planet Tour"

2010-06-27T12:35:00.000-07:00

Chasing bears!!

2010-06-25T13:26:00.000-07:00

The first episode is now online. Subscribers will have been informed already.

Production value will increase as we go. Just working within the budget I have.
Made it from Calgary to Birkenstock II, down to Vancouver, over to Kelowna and home all in one piece. Experienced rain, a party, rain, bears, more rain, shitty Vancouver traffic. Yes, I said it. Vancouver traffic is the worst part of that city. Besides the fact that there are many new drivers on the road there it is the road system and its lack of planning that irks me most. For a city that pretends to be so "green" I found myself idling in traffic jams from road ways that are 20 year behind the demand. The Skytrain is not an option as it is limited to where it goes. Bike paths are few in comparison to my home city of Calgary. Odd how the big evil oil city of Calgary is more eco-friendly. We have the most extensive bike path system in North America, green wind energy powering our C-train and roads that are not always plugged at 2 in the afternoon with traffic jams.
Protesting and being proactive are 2 different things folks. Vancouver....get working on it even if it means you may have to cut down a tree or 2 to do it.
You'll see what I mean when you see the video.
Here is the link for it on Youtube
More to come folks, stay safe.
Daryl

It has begun...will you be a part?

2010-06-22T11:30:00.000-07:00

Hello Planet folks! The first chunk of travel and video has been done and is now in post production. My first webisode for The Planet Tour will be up this week with another to follow soon.
I am working as a one many crew doing the shooting, shot logging, travel and live shows on my own....and loving it!
My editor is frantically piecing it all together (and, I hope, loving it!)

This first leg of the journey was a trip to the west coast of Canada in the beautiful (and sometimes screwy) province of British Columbia. It is the kind of place that makes you want to live there...until you find out all the weird rules and fees (read taxes).
There are many there that pretend to be green yet they allow their city to build poorly designed roads that increase congestion and idling. There are some that encourage eco-friendly transport like bicycles yet their pathway system is far behind places like Calgary, which is often touted as an evil oil city. Odd as Calgary has the most extensive pathway system in North America, a train that runs on wind generated power, sewage treatment plants that put out water cleaner than they took out of the river. In short I feel my city is greener than those that pretend to be green.
Either way, it is always fun to visit the left coast, laugh at their hypocrisy and enjoy the views...while cursing their traffic.

What is on the first episode? Rain, a bear, more rain, a party, a rear tire that almost blew...did I mention rain?

Stopping in the Okanagan Valley on my way back the sky finally found its sun and the heat was too nice to not take advantage of, so I stayed an extra day. Stay tuned some cool video from the bike with my new GoPro Hero cam donated by Fusion Race Cars

The next thing is to do some more modifications to Suzy B. It seems with all the gear I have to pack I am at my limit for storage space. A top case trunk is in the works.
Do you want to be a part of The Planet Tour? Right now we have a limited number of "I helped launch The Planet Tour" T-shirts.
BUY YOUR SHIRT HERE
Payment can be made by PayPal.
Stay safe, share the road and enjoy the planet.
Peace
Daryl

Duck Ass Awards

2010-06-07T07:11:00.000-07:00

Are you a Duck Ass? I hope not but I am sure you have seen many. Every group has its rotten apples and I am going to purge them by having a weekly Duck Ass Award in each category. I will be looking for examples of bad drivers and to be fair bad motorcycle riders.

What is a Duck Ass? It’s the back end of a duck of course but the phrase was coined by my beloved mom, Doreen, who passed June 14/2007 after a battle with a rare form of brain cancer. I miss you mom. You were my main inspiration and support when I decided to enter this crazy business of comedy.

Mom always encouraged humor and taught me to laugh at almost anything. During my early teen years, my dad’s company transferred us to Winnipeg Manitoba and mom was not impressed. She was an Alberta gal and really did not enjoy living in Winnipeg, Manitoba at all. No offense to the ‘peggers out there. We all have our own Edens and for mom, The ‘peg was not it.

With her distaste against the city and province, anyone who did anything dumb was a (censored-not fit for printing). Of course she could not swear in front of us kids so she substituted with her own phrase “That stupid Manitoba Duck Ass!”. Try it some time, call someone a Duck Ass, its fun and empowering!

The phrase soon caught on with the neighborhood friends and soon it was shortened to “That stupid Duck Ass!” as the world has Duck Asses everywhere. Why be geographically specific? When it was time to move again (dad’s company did that a lot) the neighbors held a going away party where they presented mom with an actual Manitoba Duck Ass. A real mallard hen’s rear proudly mounted on a plaque. It was a comical hit in our house for many years and was displayed on the wall.

About a decade back mom was going to toss it out during one of her spring cleaning rampages. I told her I would take it, not wanting to see a family heirloom destroyed. I always thought is was funny on the wall of the den so I moved it to my place. It is a piece of family history after all and now its an award for any stupid driver or any stupid motorcycle rider I see. I will be presenting them with the title of Duck Ass. There will be no trophy for them, why would a Duck Ass deserve a trophy? Instead they will receive their much deserved public humiliation on The Planet Tour Web -TV show along with video of their Duck Ass move that earned them the spotlight.

If you have any recent video clip of a Duck Ass in traffic please contact us thru the website.

I'll be hitting the road soon folks. If you have not yet done so please subscribe to the Web show via the website. There will be prizes, discounts and other rewards for being a Planet Tour member.

Talk to you soon, and watch out for those Duck Asses out there.

Vancouver show coming June 17

2010-05-28T16:04:00.000-07:00

Hey Planet People
We just confirmeda show at Lafflines in Newestminster (Vancouver area) BC for June 17.
Come out for some laughs and support a worthy cause. We have teamed up with Mike Cole from
Radical Roads
Mike is a diabetic himself and road across Canada last year to raise awareness and money for diabetes research. Riding across this huge country is enough of a feat but Mike did it in winter!! On a motorcycle! Yes he is a bit nutty but I like that in a person.
If you know anyone in the lower mainland that enjoys comedy please pass on the info. Riders and non-riders are welcome.
There is a Facebook event page for it as well.

The weather in Calgary can't seem to read calendars and we are getting rain and wet snow this weekend. So much for that global warming myth.

I read about a few riders being killed on our highways this past week. Some were the result of careless car drivers but we also had some that were just plain stupid. People drinking and then riding. That is bad enough but add extra speed and sometimes the result is fatal. Remember folks booze and bikes don't miss. There is enough going on out there that slowing your reactions with alcohol is just not smart. Be careful out there and try a non alcoholic beverage if you are out for a ride.

Don't forget to subscribe to the show if you have not already.
Talk to you all soon, Have a great weekend.

2010-05-20T22:57:00.000-07:00

Suzy is out of the hospital for a day pass. Not all the work is complete but I had to start scrubbing the new front tire before my refresher course tomorrow.
For those of you who don't ride you may not know this but a motorcycle tire has to be broken in or more correctly, scrubbed in. The tire is covered with a coating from the injection moulding used during manufacturing. This coating makes the tire a bit slippery until it is scrubbed off which takes about 200 km to be safe. Until that time it is best to not lean too hard in corners. Car tires have it too but since a car tire does not have to lean in a turn it is not a problem.
So today I took off for a spin and wracked up about 100 km. Tomorrow I will add another 100 in time for my 6pm class.

We are about to add a new staff member who will handle sales for the tour. This person will work directly with all sponsors and advertisers. Anyone looking for some great exposure should take advantage of the early rates.
Get a hold of us
info@theplanettour.com
We'd be happy to work with you in a win win situation.
I'll get some pics of the class up soon. Video may take a bit longer.
Cheers

The surgery

2010-05-16T16:07:00.000-07:00

Hey planet folks
Suzy B is in the shop so of course Ma Nature rubs it in with some of the best weather yet this year!!
ARRGGHHHH
If you live in Calgary....YOU"RE WELCOME!! Enjoy your warm and sunny weekend.
I should have washed the bike and made it snow again. I swear I have that power at times.

Here are some of the things we are doing to prep Suzy:
1-New front tire
2-Brake pads
3-New battery (due to my busy schedule I neglected to remove it and it froze during our non-global warming deep freeze)
4- New foot pegs. Due to my long legs I find the factory pegs a bit cramped. Thanks to a set of pegs from (the now defunct) Buell I will increase my leg room by over an inch, which according to some posts I read on forums, does wonders for us leggy riders.
5- Handle bar risers to give me a bit more arm room. I may have to look into a deflector for the top of the wind screen too. Send me suggestions of which ones you have had success with.
6- Regular maintenance such as air filter, spark plugs checking valve clearance plus clean and lubricate the chain.
7- new LED signal lights to replace the cheap ones I bought on line. You get what you pay for I suppose.

Some exciting news in our next newsletter so Subscribe now so you will not miss out. We have a new sponsor that has a great offer for you.
Also, my new comedy album has been recorded and is in the final editing stage. Stay tuned for the release of There is no gray soon.
If you want a fix of my stand-up my first Herding the sheeple is available on iTunes for only 11 bucks
http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/daryl-makk/id337985308
Or from my site where you get the full CD, artwork and bonus track
Daddy Makk Store
While I don't usually listen to my own stuff (hey I wrote it so I know it), these guys here said they liked it.
Review of Herding the sheeple

This coming week stay tuned for some video we will shoot as I get some riding skill upgrades from Too Cool Motorcycle School as I do their upgrading course.
Don't forget to check out Draggin Jeans from Universal Cycle. Road rash protection with style.
Don't forget about our online sponsor page that can get YOU mentioned on The Planet Tour.
Thanks for following along.
Cheers
Daryl

Suzy B goes to hospital.

2010-05-10T17:54:00.000-07:00

Hey folks
This week my beloved Suzy B (my bike) goes into the hospital for some much needed parts to get ready for this year's riding season. She is due for a front tire, new brake pads and to check the valve clearance. All routine stuff.
I have secured a local shop with an expert mechanic, Don Fergin and Universal Cycle will be doing the work on her to ensure she is ready to take on Canada and The Planet Tour

Universal Cycle

The exclusive Canadian Distributor for Draggin Jeans (what's covering your butt?)

We have a few new sponsors to announce as soon as we have our agreements in place. If you want your company mentioned on the pilot video (which will be turned into 4 webisodes) just contact us through

The Planet Tour website

You can also sign up through our Sponsor link and get mentioned.

Help make me homeless on 2 wheels!

Its been a busy Monday so I have to keep this short.

Cheers

Daryl

2010-05-06T11:47:00.000-07:00

Hi folks
Things are heating up!! I would like to introduce our newest sponsor's offer.
Too Cool Motorcycle School is giving a 10% discount to all Planet Tour subscribers for its motorcycle training courses. To receive this discount you must be on our subscriber list
Subscribe to The Planet Tour
May 21/2010 I will be taking Too Cool's refresher course to brush up on my skills and make sure I have not developed any bad habits. We all slip a little over the years in our skill level no matter what the activity so upgrades of skills are always a good idea. Even if you are an old vet of the road I encourage you to get a refresher in your area.

Would you like to be a part of The Planet Tour and be mentioned on our production?

We have set up a page on IndieGoGo for this project.
Help fund The Planet Tour
We will be making a 1 hour DVD of the first leg of the journey and it will include all the wonderful things to see within a short day ride of my home city of Calgary Alberta. I am blessed to live in such a great area that has stunning scenic beauty. I'll show you some of the hidden gems that the brochures won't show you as well as some of the 'must see' attractions.

I do hope you will take advantage of this offer. How often can you appear in a video and its credits?
Thanks for following along. Please share the road and give the 2 wheeled crowd the safe distance they need from your vehicle.
See you out on the road soon
Cheers
Daryl (soon to be homeless biker)

Phone calls and emails

2010-04-23T10:02:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by. I do hope you will invite others. I will endeavor to throw some humor up with each post to keep things interesting.
Today's chuckle:
I believe that margarine was not invented as a substitute for butter but so poor people can have Tupperware too! - Daryl Makk (one of the oldest bits that still hits the stage during my show from time to time)
Prep work:
Getting all the funding and sponsors lined up for this massive project is a huge undertaking in itself. If it were just me getting on my bike and riding things would be simple but I have a video crew to consider. They will need lodging, meals, vehicles and equipment...oh yeah, and wages. I would not want to work with a video crew that was willing to do it for free as I would suspect the quality of work would suffer.

Each day, for the past several months I have been contacting companies, sending emails and making phone calls with very little opportunity to get out and ride and enjoy life. My desk chair has a perfect impression of my butt sitting at the desk for hours on end. Perhaps it will toughen it up for the many miles/kilometers it is about to do from the saddle. Should I go missing it can be used to make a cast for forensics. "We are looking for someone who has a butt shaped like this chair mold."

While it is exciting meeting new contacts it is this part of the journey I detest the most. Hours of sitting in one room, day after day. Typing, phoning, more typing, faxing. NO clutch NO gears NO throttle. To a nomadic person like myself I feel like I am doing my time in an office prison so I may get my parole and ride.

Compared to being on a motorcycle this is a yawn but it is a necessary sacrifice of time that is needed to get things set up.
What does this mean to you out there? Well if you have a service or product (and it is travel or motorcycle related) that you need to inform the planet about lets talk. I am about to live on the road and will need quality services and items to make sure I reach my destinations.
Recently I secured a sponsor that is going to upgrade my riding skills. I figured a bit more training will help me avoid any trouble and make my ride more enjoyable. Thank you Too Cool Motorcycle School for stepping up to the plate.

I train on my refresher course May 21/10. Stay tuned for some video as I put Suzy thru her paces. If you live in the Calgary area I highly recommend this riding school. I researched quite a few and was impressed with their results.

I apologize for the lack of videos at this time so to amuse yourself I will leave you with this practical joke to play on society. Spend some time in a crowded elevator and face the people. It is amazing how many will not make eye contact. I've been doing this since I was 16 and it always gives me a giggle.

Please subscribe to the show if you have not already.
Cheers
Daryl and Suzy B

Meet Suzy B

2010-04-20T15:40:00.000-07:00

Hey folks, thanks for stopping by. While we get all the t's crossed and the i's dotted I thought I would introduce my co-star Suzy B. She has been my trusty bike for the past 2 seasons.
A 2008 Suzuki Bandit 1250 SEA model.
We have done a few modifications to bring her up to my standards and needs. There's more to come!! Any companies with bike accessories/products are welcome to approach us to have their brand displayed. If it meets my standards it could be added to Suzy B
Contact us
info@theplanettour.com
Please invite your friends to subscribe to the show.
The Planet Tour site
New webisodes will be coming soon.

Spring!! We are almost in riding season!!

2010-04-07T09:35:00.000-07:00

Hi folks
as the snow melts away the riding season is close. My throttle hand is itching to get out and ride but first, some changes to my bike, Suzy B, have to happen.
Stay tuned for a video on the mods being done.
Currently we are finalizing deals with sponsors and investors to make this new and exciting project fly. A REAL reality series done online without any meddling from TV execs that often go by a formula for a show. Not The Planet Tour, it will be a raw, true depiction of living on the road and all the fun (and obstacles) that go with it.
We are still looking for cool, innovative products and services to show case during my travels. If you have a product that needs exposure to a traveling crowd please contact us.
(403) 705-2820 or email
info@comedydetour.com
3 goals
2 wheels
1 planet

More winter prep.

2010-01-07T18:00:00.000-08:00

Hi folks
Its been a crazy holiday season giving me little time to post. We did manage to make a video just for fun and I hope you enjoy it. Poking fun at a yearly tradition with my local cable company.
Video- One Log Night

This week is the Calgary Motorcycle Show. We will be doing a video as I shop for new gear and talk to sponsors. I'll report more then.
Cheers

The pilot episodes are up!

2009-12-07T14:42:00.000-08:00

Hey folks
Its been a busy summer and a busier fall.

Hi all

My new TV-Web show is very close to becoming a reality.

We (myself and my co-producer) have started negotiations with a few sponsors and are just putting the final deal together. Things are close to making this a go.

I would like to ask for your support.

Please take the time to view our webisodes.

The second vid is our pilot, a short version done as a magazine styled “how to” show while the first one is the story of the show itself done more in a reality-documentary show format which is more along the direction we are heading although we will be adding tech tips, riding tips, travel pointers etc as well as long term testing of gear I use.

The story of the Planet Tour

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40H0M01M8fc

The Planet Tour pilot- sample episode

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOqXWWyR3Qc

If you like what you see, please rate them high. Send me your comments too so I can bring them up in our next production meeting.

info@theplanettour.com

Stay tuned for info as it develops. I will endeavor to post once a week but the schedule is hectic right now with meetings.

I need a rest and I haven't even started yet!! LOL

Cheers

Summer of 2009

2009-10-22T08:55:00.001-07:00

Hey folks

Lots to catch up on. This year has been both challenging, with the world recession, but was also one helluva a good time on 2 wheels.

The Planet Tour did its kick off without any corporate sponsorship. Over the summer I managed to do shows for charity in Calgary,AB, Grande Prairie AB, Birken Lakeside Resort BC, Vancouver BC and Nelson BC. As well, I did a long term test of living off the motorcycle with 2 comic buddies. From Birken Lakeside Resort (55 km north of Whistler BC) we departed on June 7 and followed the coast all the way to the Mexican border.

On the way we saw some amazing roads and met some very interesting people. I now have a love affair for California Highway 1 that begins in Legget CA. The first 22 miles to the coast is absolutely one of the most amazing roads in the world and you would swear it was built by riders.

Continuous turns, switchbacks and chicanes; many of which are banked for maximum cornering fun yet you rarely get out of second gear, thus reducing some of the risk should you make a mistake. It is motorcycle mecca and every rider owes it themselves to ride it at least once. The surreal glow of diffused lighting that fought its way through the giant redwood canopy above, gives it a dream like appearance as you giggle inside your helmet as the next corner approaches.

The trip proved one thing that was important; living off a motorcycle was feasible for extended periods of time. 27 days in total and 20 of those were camping even in the cooler than seasonable temperatures we encountered. I never felt more at home. through it all we had a chance to ride beautiful coastline roads, ride on a beach, see the giant redwoods and do one thing I have always wanted to do- ride in the desert! A 600 mile (960 km) detour took us out to see the rare Joshua Tree in the Joshua Tree National Forest and experience 106 F (41C)temps. The hottest of the trip.

Currently I am preparing my demo video for the upcoming Planet Tour web-TV show. Stay tuned!

For more info on the tour visit the website

Ride safe!

Daryl

The comedy tour on bikes

2009-02-03T01:26:00.000-08:00

It started in the summer of 2008 but in reality it was tested in Sept 2007 when I was riding a 2006 Kawasaki Concours. I had always wanted a sport tourer or at least a plain touring bike. Riding was one of my passions. Comedy is the other.

Could the 2 be brought together?

I had a corporate show in Edmonton, just 3 hours north. An easy ride but, I had to wear business attire. Having been a touring stand-up for many years I had learned the value of wrinkle resistant fabric. With my riding gear and blazer and pants I set off.

The show went well and the clothes did fine. It could be done but, maybe do some more casual shows if possible.

As we went into winter I started to plan. But on April 26 tragedy struck when my beloved Concours was murdered by a hit and run driver leaving me with crack ribs and a broken collar bone in the mishap.

2 months of healing and fighting with the insurance company I finally get my money to buy another bike. Far less than I had paid for the Councours just 5600 kms ago.

Lucky for me a nice gent named Howard (who later became one of my riding buddies) had a sport tourer for sale. A 2008 Suzuki Bandit 1250SEA. A special Canadian only model that came with detachable, factory labeled, bags (they are actually Givi and work very well),it was almost the same color, (just a nicer shade of blue) as my old one and within the money I had. The kicker is, it only had 237 km on the dial! Basically newer than my old machine and Howard was taking the depriciation hit in order to buy some bullet of a crotch rocket he just had to have.

Sweet! I had to take advantage of him...I mean, scoop this deal up! I was set to go as soon as my collar bone could take the stress of riding again.

That day was June 27. Day 2 of owning the new bike so I pointed it toward Toad Rock Motorcycle Campground for their big biker rally. A nice 6-7 hour ride (depending on motor homes in the way) Here I was to do show in front of 1000+ riders as a sneak peak to the KGB show there in August.

The ride was great and I finished breaking in the motor. Left hand turns had me a bit skittish as that was the side that got banged up in the murder of my old ride. (It would take most of the summer to almost work that fear out of my system).

2 days later I was back home and prepping for the next comedy trip. The new bike seemed more comfortable than my old one. A full day of riding was easily doable. It was time to start touring to gigs on a motorcycle and, ladies and gentlemen, THAT is how the World Motorcycle Comedy Tour began.