I'm back in the classroom again and teaching English for the first time in more than a year. I took a senior essentials English class mainly because few people want to teach it (teachers like to teach people like themselves), and it fit my schedule. Essentials English is just as it sounds. These are weak English students who are getting what they need to graduate and get out into the workplace, they aren't post-secondary bound and tend to find school pointless. The trick with students this bullied and indifferent to the school system is getting them to read and write at all. Rather than drag them into a text book or make them watch the department copy of Dead Poets Society in order to prompt some writing, I thought I'd introduce them to my insanity. In a week where we're all getting to know each other it helps if students see what you're into. Showing your hobbies and interests is a good way to have them get to know you. If they get excited about the idea of planning a trip and it prompts them to write, it's a many birds with one stone situation.
With some support, students quickly got into planning a trip. 28 days, unlimited budget!
The plan was pretty straightforward: you've got four weeks (28 days) starting next Monday. Assume you've got an unlimited budget for a road trip (gotta travel on the ground). Where would you go? What would you do? On the second day I gave them some pointers on Google Maps and some planning tools like a calendar and how to make notes online and they were off. At the moment it looks like I've got pages of writing from students who generally don't. The research they've been doing also lets me diagnose their reading level. Needless to say, I bravely volunteered to present first. It doesn't feel like homework when you enjoy doing it, and mine was obviously going to be a motorcycle trip. I probably could have gone more bonkers on bike choice, but I have a sentimental attachment and some practical necessities that prompted my choice. Rather than go for the South American adventure, I decided to focus on The States, which has tons to offer, especially if you aren't sweating the budget. Norman Reedus' RIDE gave me an idea of where I'd like to go, the question was, could I get to the locations in the show and back home in 28 days? Here's what I'm presenting:
I presented this to the class two days before it was due. Seeing an example helps and gave me a chance to explain my own process in putting together the trip (deciding on a vehicle, breaking the trip into sections, etc).
That photo I doctored of a VFR800 a couple of years ago came in handy!
Another side benefit of something like this rather than a boiler plate reading and writing diagnostic is that is gives students a lot of control over the direction of their writing, which means I get to learn what they're into, which helps me remember who each person is as well as offering me relevant subjects I can insert into future projects. I'm hoping they surprise themselves with the results. If I catch some of them in the future staring wistfully at Google Maps instead of playing pointless FLASH games I'll know that they've been bitten by the travel bug too!
It's a lot to try and pull off in 28 days, but when the budget is unlimited, I want more miles!
Into the Rockies ASAP, then down the coast, across the mountains again, and then up the Appalachians home.
I was thinking maybe an H2R or RC213 in a trailer, but then that meant driving a truck and trailer all over the place. Better to be on two wheels all the time, and on the descendant of my first bike crush.
Work for myself so I don't have to work for some myopic middle manager more interested in climbing than doing the right thing? Yeah, that'd be nice. Work on something as hard as I can knowing that no one else can walk in on a whim and derail it? That'd be nice too. Challenge my technical skills and develop my diverse talents to new levels of excellence? That'd be awesome. Have the means to fearlessly explore technology and the world around us? Brilliant! $1.3 million doesn't sound like a lot of money but it would mean a thousand bucks a week until I'm 75 years old. Somebody better at math and competent with investments could probably figure out a more accurate, lower amount that would do the same thing. It's comfortably middle-class, but I don't really dream of being rich, I dream of being free from work to pursue my passions. If I could pull that off what would I do with my time? It's kind of like retirement, but I want to do it now while I'm still able to do something useful with it. I don't think I ever want to retire.
Mechanical Sympathy would expand and become an income stream of its own. It would be the centre of an online media onslaught!
Here's what I'd aim at if I weren't busy pulling the plough:
MEDIA MAKER
Writer: I'd exercise the English degree and write, but not in a specific genre. I'd pursue motorcycle and travel writing more aggressively. I'd be happiest freelancing and working once or twice a month on assignment with the occasional larger travel project which would lead to a book. Lois Pryce is a role model. While that wasn't happening I'd be writing fictional novels. It would be nice to work for established publications, but developing my own brand online would allow for more control over what I'm creating. I've been working in large bureaucracies for too long.
If it's new and technically challenging I'm into it. Having access to that kind of kit is exciting. I like to be surprised by what new tech can do.
Photographer: The goal would be to have the work pay for the gear, and the gear I'm looking for is pretty technical. I'd like to have professional quality photo and video gear on hand, as well as technically challenging tools like aerial drones, full spectrum and 360° virtual reality cameras to test limits and produce original, even experimental work. If it's new and technically challenging I'm into it, especially if it probably won't work the first time. Digital Media: Exploring digital media has long been an interest (I teach it now). Having access to the latest tech, not to consume but to experiment and explore, would be fantastic. Projects would include VR environment building in CAD and simulation, as well as immersive media creation. I'm working on a VR research project in school at the moment. I feel like major breakthroughs are currently happening there. What we have in ten years will make our screen use today look archaic.
Mechanic: I've dusted off old mechanical skills with motorcycling, along with some long unused artistic urges. Customizing motorbikes is an elegant way to combine left brained aesthetic creativity with right brained mechanical expertise; it's a whole brain hobby! Having enough time, space and money on hand to chase down old bikes and see customizations through to completion would be grist for the writing and photography mill. Digital Engineering: I'm especially interested in micro-manufacturing using digital tools. Multi-axis milling machines using CAD models offer new avenues into high-tech customization. 3d printers are making advances every day. Being able to print my own fairing designs would be brilliant. Being able to print my own designs with dragon scales would be even better. An opportunity to borrow new technology and see what it is capable of would also be grist for writing and media creation. If in the process I happened to get very good at producing customized parts, I'd lease the gear and get to it. As prices fall on what was once expensive industrial grade equipment and digital management makes high tolerance production available to everyone, a new post-industrial age of customization will emerge.
Kawasaki's H2 supercharger impeller is a thing of beauty.
The technology that built it is becoming more accessible every day.
With table top laser cutters and various other digital tools becoming commonplace, the chance to explore these technologies without safety nannies hand wringing from above would be delightful. The home garage of the future is going to be a magical place of customized, personal manufacturing. It would be a blast to have the time and means to explore it.
I really do enjoy teaching, but the vampiric bureaucracies that manage it make working in education feel like giving blood; you're doing a good thing but you always come out feeling drained. I'd happily take in apprentices on my own terms and genuinely enjoy helping them discover and develop their talents, I just wouldn't want to do it in an institution of learning.
One of the things I want to do in my forties is stop others from diluting my focus and wasting my time with their own mediocre expectations.
Bike Magazine had an excerpt from Todd Blubaugh's Too Far Gone in the last issue. The excerpt was so moving that I just got up and purchased the book on Amazon. My favourite motorcycle reads have been the philosophical ones that dig deep. The 'I rode very far every day' travel trips don't always get to the why's of the trip, often getting stuck in the trivial details. The result ends up feeling like a travel advertisement rather than showing the real power of a journey. Alternately, you have the books that aim directly at motorcycle culture but end up being dimensionless descriptions of it, hyping up the excitement of the ride without making any attempt to understand why people would take these risks and identify with such a divisive cultural icon.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was one of the first books to go deep, showing the depths to which some motorcyclists dive when out in the wind. Anything by Matt Crawford does the same thing for mechanics in general, although he comes from a place of motorbikes. Deep thoughts while flying through time and space on two wheels are kind of the point for me. If I just wanted to go fast, I'd do it in a car or a plane. There is something elemental about motorcycling that zens you into the moment. The immediacy of it makes you honest. After reading a few pages of excerpts in BIKE, I'm looking forward to reading not so much about Todd's travels but about his insights. The motorcycle isn't the point, but it's one of the best vehicles for taking you to eureka that I've found, and I'm more willing to follow an author to those moments of enlightenment on two wheels because I believe in the medium.
I've been consuming motorcycle media at a voracious rate while we're buried alive in snow. You probably know about the obvious stuff like Long Way Round, but I've been trying to find less known (in North America) faire. Here is a quick list of some off-the-beaten track stuff that you might not have seen from Great Britain:
ITV's The Motorbike Show:Henry Cole of World's Greatest Motorcycle Rides fame does reviews of motorcycle culture focusing on racing, restoring and interviewing people involved in motorbiking. I've really enjoyed this show, I wish it got more attention here in North America.
Wild Camping by Jo Sinnott is an epic journey from Ireland to Portugal through the best parts of Europe. Jo takes you wild camping while travelling on her Triumph Bonneville. If you're interested in long distance riding, Jo not only shows you through the rough camping ethos but also looks into the mindset you need to survive a long road trip. ITV and Travel Channel UK represent motorcycle and travel culture on the leading edge. I only wish they were more available in North America. OLN? Speed Channel? Pick these up!
It doesn't matter where you live, this one is a start anywhere, finish anywhere timed rally on Friday, July 23, Saturday, July 24th or Sunday, July 25th. You need to cover at minimum of 400kms to be considered a finisher but otherwise it's an open event.
Our Mini Rallies give riders the chance to get involved in Scavenger Hunt events without having to travel to the start lines. You can start these ANYWHERE; we've had riders from all over the world do them each time! You can also choose when to start your 12 hour ride clock, so you can adjust the event around your own work schedule and the local weather.
This event will have you looking for the Super Hero themed locations...
along with other Villainous twists & turns that Lobo Loco Rallies likes to throw your way!
If you're looking for a reason to put some miles on your bike and see places you wouldn't usually go during a strange summer where the rules of travel aren't very clear, do this! You've still got a week to sign up.
I'm at it again. Wanderlust, but with my trusty production crew this time. North and West and then back again with the least amount of same roads:
I must have some kind of strange OCD, but I really enjoyed putting this together:
With scheduled production crew meetups and travelling together from Prince Rupert to Vancouver Island and back to Vancouver, it turns into a 41 day ride schedule with a 36 day production schedule. The production team (Max & Alanna) have 8 flights spread over the 36 days they are on the road. This would be an opportunity to collect video and develop a cross Canada story from a lot of different angles. The production team would collect stock footage of the various regions we're in and save footage and data off the bike at meetups. They'll then backup all data including footage and keep it safe. I also hope they'd maybe develop their own stories in the process. The goal of the production will to use the latest in digital tools to record the trip, eventually producing a variety of media out of it. My goal would be a written story of a long distance, cross Canada, endurance motorcycle ride with photography to support a book. I'd also then look to turn the ride into an episodic travel TV show.
Tools We'd be using
A 360° camera for experiential video. I used a Ricoh Theta 360° camera a few weeks ago and was impressed with the results. I'm not sure how we'd integrate this video into a media piece, but it would open the door to exploring virtual reality, which feels like the next big thing. The lack of a single point of view makes for challenging post production, as does the huge amount of data it collects. ThetaS: $450 The 360fly could be another choice.
A Contour action camera on the bike. I used this last fall and found its small profile ideal for collecting video from a motorcycle. The upper scale model allows memory and battery swap-outs, making it ideal for shooting on long days. I'd have one wired in to the bike so it could keep shooting for footage we could use in high speed video. When things get really rough up north, this will keep collecting footage when others fail. Conour+2: $430 The Olympus Tough TG-Tracker might be an interesting alternative. I'm partial to Olympus Cameras. In addition to the video camera on the bike, I'd also carry an Olympus OM-D E-M1 DSLR for photography. It's weatherproof and tough, takes a wide variety of lenses (I'd carry a tele-zoom, 2x teleconverter and super wide angle with me). Backup batteries and memory cards mean it'll keep going all day. Olympus OM-D E-M1: body & lenses $2800
The production team would carry a pro-quality DSLR camera for shooting highest quality video. The Canon EOS 70D is generally considered the top DSLR for video. With proper video LED lighting, tripod and on camera and interview mics this kit would collect top quality video and sound. Multiple battery and memory cards mean it can keep shooting on long days.
Multiple microphones (on camera and clip on interview), a teleconverter and a wide angle lens along with the 18-135mm lens would cover pretty much every eventuality. Canon EOS 70D with accessories: $1700
Another leading edge tool for this trip would be an aerial drone to take fantastic establishing shots. The DJI Phantom 4 is a Canadian made aerial camera platform that produces astonishing video footage. Its 28 minute flight time mean it could be used on multiple flights and recharged in the camera truck between flights. Phantom4 with spare batteries & case: $2300 $30k seems like a good price for generating a wide variety of footage that could eventually be made into multiple cross country stories of epic proportions! Now to find a producer and some corporate support. My logo-ed dream team would be:
I'm a big fan of Top Gear, and I especially enjoy their travel/challenges. I've always dreamed of planning one, getting people silly enough to commit to it and then making it happen. In the summer of COVID I'm finding myself daydreaming of possible adventures, so I started poking around on the internet trying to find how far north roads go in Ontario. Bafflingly, Ontario has never connected to its own north sea shore by road. For a province that has thousands of kilometers of ocean shoreline, Ontario seems intent on convincing its citizens that it's land locked. I'd love to ride 1000kms north to the sea, but it's not an option. James Bay is roughly in line with Scotland, so its not like it's in the arctic. In the meantime, it looks like Windigo Lake north west of Thunder Bay is as far north as you can ride in Ontario on your own wheels:
...which offers us a great thematic riding challenge! It's time to go to Windigo (instead of Bendigo), Morty! Here's the inspiration in case you're not hip to Rick & Morty:
Here's the Top Gear style WE'RE GOIN TO WINDIGO, MORTY! Moto Travel Challenge:
Each participant gets a $3000 budget for a bike and any farkles that must include a safety certificate. Ownership is by WG2W Productions, pending the bikes return to Elora within 10 days of the event, at which point ownership is signed over to the rider. Safety and taxes should be about $400, so that leaves about $2600 for a bike and farkles
Insurance and ownership is managed by the event
All riders must have a valid Ontario M class license
Camping equipment is provided to each rider individually based on a sponsored selection of gear (rider's choice) Each rider will be provided with bear gear.
Each participant has to do any repair or maintenance on their own bike. Only other competitors can assist.
Google maps says it's a 27 hour ride to Windigo. Riders can only be on the road between 7am and 7pm, so the most efficient (and luckiest) should arrive in Windigo on day three in the morning. At 12 hours per day of possible riding, 27 hours = 2..25 days of riding. The earliest rider with a perfectly timed ride would arrive at Windigo at 10am on day three of the event.
Timing for the event takes into account speed limits. Any rider caught speeding is disqualified.
Any overnight stops while riding to Windigo must be wild camping following leave-no-trace rules. Proof of camp site cleanup must be included on rider GoPro footage or a time penalty is applied.
The rider who gets to Windigo (getting to Windigo means arriving at the lake on your bike and dipping a toe in) as close to 27 hours of riding after leaving the start line as possible, wins!
Riders can choose how to use their daylight hours to ride. In the case of a tie, the rider to get to Windigo the soonest and closest to 27 hours of riding after race start wins
Winner gets a We're going to Windigo, Morty gold medal. There will be silver and bronze finalist medals too. Smallest displacement and oldest bikes who finish also get awards
Any participant who finishes this long distance riding rally and is able to ride back to the start line within a week of the competition end can keep their bike!
...followed by 469kms of challenging unpaved roads to the end of all roads.
A paved odyssey...
This isn't an easy ride. It starts with almost 1700kms of riding on paved roads ranging from the biggest freeway you can imagine to single lane tar patched, northern frost heaved back-road. You've then got almost 500kms of riding gravel up to where all roads end at Windigo. Trying to do this on a one trick pony like a cruiser would be entertaining, but likely unsuccessful. This is a challenge for a multi-purpose motorcycle!
The 599 highway isn't Google car photoed once you get on the gravel, and you're constantly dodging lakes this deep into the Canadian Shield. The closest I could get was this photo of the Mishkeegogamang Band Office, which shows a graded gravel road out front. Fuel stops are few and far between, some cunning planning will be required!
BIKES
There are some interesting choices at the bottom end of the bike market in Ontario:
A bike that'll handle the off-road part of this trip, though it isn't built for the thousands of kilometres of paved road leading to the hundreds of miles of gravel fire roads. Capable of handling the camping gear too. Should come in on budget on the road.
Low mileage, in good shape and comes safetied, so you'd have a bit left over for farkles. It'd chew up the pavement side of WG2W effortlessly, but that windshield might never see Windigo (Morty).
Big Honda touring bike, high miles, but it's a Honda. It'd be a handful on nearly a thousand kilometres of gravel, but some people like that. Should come in under budget and ready to make miles. The paves stuff would flash by on this and it could carry camping gear with ease!
Low miles, Kawasaki dependable, in great shape. The Versys is short for versatile bike system, just what you'd need to get to Windigo (Morty). The 650 is a lightweight bike that'll handle gravel, and it has luggage and mounting points for some soft bags. I'd probably be able to get it for $2300 certified, which gives me a bit for some soft saddle bags, then I'm off to the races! This'd be my choice. Might spill my extra cash on some 70/30 semi-off road tires.
There are lots of other interesting choices that you could get road ready for under three grand in Ontario. Seeing what people choose and how they prep the bike for long distance, multi-surface, remote riding would be half the fun. To stretch the choices there would also be trophies for the oldest bike and smallest displacement bike to finish the ride, so some people might go after those rather than the timed competition.
PRODUCING IT FOR TV
All bikes have GoPros to capture footage and all riders agree to provide at least 15 minutes of speaking to camera dialogue per day while in the rally. All competitors have to document their camp build and take down. There will be a production/sweeper vehicle with a trailer in case of any bike failures. The vehicle will be able to provide technical support in remote areas and be designed for the gravel portion of the event as well as offer a central point for production and media management.
Competition begins when all riders have their bikes delivered to a shared garage space in Elora.
Film Schedule:
Day 1: All bikes have arrived. Bike familiarity and maintenance, bike paperwork taken care of, all riders and production crew doing piece to camera introducing themselves and talking about the event and prep
Day 2: Bike familiarity and preparation, filming continues
Day 3: Bike familiarity and preparation, finalizing ride planning, filming continues. All bikes in park ferme at the end of the day ready for the morning's off.
Day 4: 7am Race start in Elora. Filmed by production vehicle crew and GoPros on bikes.
Production vehicle stopping in Thunder Bay on Day 1.
Day 5: 7am start. Production vehicle stopping at Windigo to await arrival of riders (riders who arrive early will have a major penalty, so no one should be there until day 3)
Day 6: Production vehicle at Windigo Lake awaiting arrivals. End of day 6: close of event party on Windigo
Day 7: All rider camping gear to be taken in by the support vehicle for a lighter ride back. Sweeping the road south to Silver Dollar (the beginning of pavement). All competitors camping at Silver Dollar Campsite that night. Confirm end of event with all riders.
Day 8: Retrace/sweep route to Thunder Bay. End of rally event in Thunder Bay. Riders who want to keep their bikes have 3 days to return to the workspace in Elora in order to claim ownership. Riders who want to find their own way home can do so and bikes will be transported in the trailer.
Day 9: Production vehicle sweeps south clearing any bikes that have been parked.
Day 11: Any bikes that have returned to the workspace in Elora have their ownership turned over to their riders.
Episodes: 45 minute edited
1) Introducing riders, bike selection and preparation - possibly include off-road training at SMART Adventures?
2) Rally Start: day one on the road
3) Rally Continued: day two on the road
4) Rally Conclusion: day three on the road and rally winners and finishers highlighted
5) where did they go missing riders review, post rally interviews while returning to Thunder Bay, final presentations in TB, sweeping up, who got to keep their bikes
Total production time: 3.75 hours of edited footage
Other opportunities: Work with SMART Adventures out of Horseshoe Valley - include bits on how to ride off road, what riders can expect, how to manage bikes on loose surfaces.
Rough costing:
8 Competitors @ $3000 per bike = $24,000
Production Vehicle Cost (rental & gasoline): $3000
Insurance & Paperwork costs at $1000 each competitor = $8,000
Production equipment (cameras, drone, on bike GoPros): $5000
Production team hotels: 4 people x 2 nights Thunder Bay, 1 night on the road back, 2 nights camping in the north = $2000
Camping gear: $1000/competitor + production crew = $10,000 (mitigated by sponsorship?)
Total rough budget: $52,000. Estimated budget: $60,000 (mitigated by sponsorship)
Sponsorship opportunities:
- workshop/repair centre where bike setup takes place
