All Motorcycling Writings

Motorcycle Accident and the Death of my Travel Muse

Written by Stephen on November 21 2014

There is a moment when we intensely discover something that we love about life that marks us, that forever changes us. I knew early on I liked travel and I was well aware I was quite fond of motorcycles, but it wasn’t until I bought my 2nd Motorcycle from one of my best compadres that either of those things became a passion.

I took a month off work to ride it up the West Coast from SoCal and across the top through the Rockies all the way back to Cincinnati,…

What I did on my Summer Vacation: Life Creeps West at a Slow Pimp’s Pace

Written by Stephen on November 06 2014

For about the last year and a half I’ve been rambling around the eastern U.S. and Canada, spending time with friends and family from where I grew up trying to formulate a plan for more adventure. 

The more I looked the more I saw, the more I saw the more I planned, the more I planned the less I did until suddenly I was reminded of something Sylvia Plath wrote:

“I saw my life branching out before me like the…

7 Ways to Travel In and Around Bangkok Thailand

Written by Stephen (Sponsored Post) on April 16 2014

Bangkok is the heart of Thailand, the biggest travel hub in South Asia, and one crazy chaotic wild human zoo.  In the words of Sir David Attenborough, “Getting to places like Bangkok or Singapore was a hell of a sweat. But when you got there it was the back of beyond.”

When you’re traveling around “the back of beyond” with almost 6.5 million people and endless streets you’re going to need a little help. Here’s five ways to get in and around the BKK.

1.    Tuk Tuks

A…

Vietnam Motorcycle Diaries

Written by Stephen on January 30 2014

Vietnam baby, it’s a great, great place.  Recently I had the pleasure to write an article for Motorcycle.com about my time riding a Honda Win motorcycle around southern Vietnam, which you should most definitely check out here.

Vietnam is too big for one article though, it’s too big for one book even. With that in mind let’s take a ride through Shameless Traveler’s Vietnam Motorcycle Diaries to get the goods that didn’t make the cut for the Motorcycle.com article. For starts check out this crazy…

Summer Canadian Motorcycle Madness: My Adventures in the North!

Written by Stephen (Sponsored Post) on October 23 2013

This summer I got to do something I’ve long dreamed of doing. I rode my motorcycle around all of the Great Lakes in Canada and the USA. So many highlights; Lake Superior, Algoma Country, and Northwestern Ontario to name a few. I couldn’t have done it alone though, I had a lot of phenomenal people helping with my journey along the way and in no small part by Ontario Tourism; these guys are superstars.

Additionally, these guys provided we with some unbelievably…

Weekly Travel Hack: Motorcycle Edition

Written by Stephen on October 03 2013

After 5,000 miles of motorcycle trips through Canada and the US this summer I felt it only appropriate to share my first round of Motorcycle Travel Hacks.

Being an experienced rider with years of road time all over the world under my belt I can honestly say this summer I spent more time riding in the rain than ever before. With that in mind dealing with the rain, if not properly prepared, as I wasn’t a few times, can be a hassle. But fear not; let these Motorcycle hacks prepare you…

Harleys and Whiskey Part 2: The Kentucky Bourbon Trail and Master Distiller Jimmy Russell

Written by Stephen (Sponsored Post) on July 30 2013

“No other land can give so sweet a solace for your cares; neither liquor soothes you so in melancholy days. Sip it and say there is no solace for the soul, no tonic for the body like Old Bourbon whiskey.”   -The Mint Julep by J. Soule Smith

In a land called Kentucky in a country called the US there is a sweet nectar of the gods made of the indigenous grain corn. It is America’s only native spirit, our only original liquor, the one and only bourbon whiskey.  

Like…

Harleys and Whiskey Part 1: Riding a Harley Fat Bob around Kentucky’s Beautiful Bourbon Trail

Written by Stephen (Sponsored Post) on July 29 2013

The ride never seems long in Kentucky on the back of a Harley. No matter how far you go the rolling green hills and white picket fences just chase the road along side of you and there is enough variety in the landscape to never get bored.  The trees grow over the tops of the road giving periodic shade at just the right moments. The open blue skies provide plenty of vitamin D to keep your skin warm.  This friend is my Wednesday at the office,…

Weekly Travel Hack: The Gatorade Triple Threat

Written by Stephen on June 20 2013

Welcome to this week’s edition of the Weekly Travel Hack.  Last week we learned how to charge our phone with a TV and this week we are going to learn how use a Gatorade bottle for three, yes three, handy dandy tasks.

Gatorade bottles have become surprisingly useful in my journeys and when I wanted to write a travel hack article about it I began to realize I actually use the bottles for several different things.…

Gear Review: The Mighty Timbuk2 Especial Tres Backpack

Written by Stephen (Sponsored Post) on June 18 2013

“Why were you exceeding the speed limit?”

“Well, I guess I just wanted to get out of the rain.”

“Son, you should know getting rained on is part of the trip when you’re on a motorcycle.”

Spoken like a roadside Buddha. Officer R. of the Pennsylvania State Police had a point and as he handed me my speeding ticket in the pouring rain pretty much the only comforting thing about that moment sitting there on the side of the road was looking back and seeing my Timbuk2…

The World on Two Wheels: My Top Five Motorcycle Rides on Earth (so far)

Written by Stephen on March 19 2013

I love motorcycles. Period. I tried to think of several creative ways to start this article to demonstrate the depths of love I have in my heart for motorcycles, but nothing could be simply more true than the fact that I love em. Cars -ok, buses -eh, planes –cool, trains -pretty sweet, -ships awesome, motorcycles -badass no comparison sweetest f*****g way to travel on Planet Earth. In my world that is it and that is all. For those that know me, this fact about my life is no mystery; I…