The Duck Ass Award

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

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.

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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

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?

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.

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!

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

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!!