You probably take too much with you.

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

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

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.

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

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.