False Neutral

Our final episode. We update you on our projects one last time. We choose a single current bike as your three hosts' mutual favorite, along with the one bike we'd each like to have in our living room as art. We wrap up with a few letters from listeners and our final thoughts.  It's been a fantastic 7 years. Thanks to everyone who listened.

This month's episode is a retrospective clip show featuring all the special guests we've had on the podcast over the past seven years. A listing of the individual guests' episodes is below. Wayne Moyer: Ep.4 - Ep.16 Cager On Two Wheels: Ep.5 Richard Varner: Ep.6 Bradley Brownell: Ep.15 - Ep.97 Cam Vanderhorst: Ep.20 - Ep.21 - Ep.41 Rusty Spokes: Ep.28 - Ep.128 Jeepjeff: Ep.29 - Ep.81 Thai Long Ly: Ep.37 Mark Atkinson: Ep.43 Abhi Eswarappa: Ep.52 - Ep.127 David Emmitt: Ep.53 Steve Ledsham: Ep.58 Ethan Saeta: Ep.64 Joe Bergeron: Ep.66 Chris Jonnom: Ep.68 Colin Fraser: Ep.69 Jason Chinnock: Ep.73 Rick Radcliffe: Ep.88 Steve Faux: Ep.92 Bree Poland: Ep.98 Ross Ballot: Ep.102 Johnny Lewis: Ep.103 Victor Pagan: Ep.106 Mike Festiva: Ep.111 Trevor Daley: Ep.114

Your trio of hosts marvel at Garrett's amazing Vespa sale on BaT and update you on our project bikes. We then discuss the new Chinese-built Moto Morinis that will be coming to America, along with KTM's 790s and 890s and several electric motorcycles. To wrap up, we announce that the False Neutral will be coming to a end in a couple of months and explain why.

Our old friend Jim joins us for a discussion of large adventure bikes, specifically the Suzuki V-Strom and the Honda Africa Twin. Jim does a lot of trail riding in his home state of Colorado. He has a lot of first-hand experience with Honda's DCT transmission and he shares the pros and cons of the automatic. As usual, the rest of us share updates on our project bikes.

This month we catch up on Eric's scootering adventures in Vietnam, then discuss Iconic Motorbike Auctions with returning guest Abhi Eswarappa.

Eric had a last-minute conflict and couldn't join us for this month's episode, so we make do with a smaller cast and somewhat abbreviated run time. Garrett and Pete discuss our project bikes (as usual), including updates on both of Garrett's RZ350s. We also consider what large adventure bike Garrett might look for to add to his stable of motorcycles, then wrap up by talking about Can-Am's newly announced foray into electric bikes. 

This episode, we have two months worth of events to cover. Our hosts have been in a four-wheel mode, building, repairing, and shopping for cars. We update you on some recent and upcoming travel, and of course discuss what's up with our project bikes, including another look into the wild world of Predator performance mods. 

This month's episode is almost entirely Workshop Update. Garrett freshened up his vintage Vespa Super Sport and unexpectedly focused his attention on the rat-rod RZ, while Pete has been developing a project concept around his Benelli frame. In the process of discussing these, we talk about how the Internet has changed parts chasing. It's springtime, so we're all pining for new bikes.

What ADV bikes make great commuters? After a recap of Garrett's family dirt bike excursion, and a quick Workshop Update, a listener's question launches a discussion about the current crop of adventure bikes. Thanks to James for his great question. We love to hear from listeners and we're eager to answer your questions. 

This month, we look at a lot of bikes with odd combinations of influences: race bikes that are really baggers but aren't, Buell's new adventure-tourer that is neither an adventure bike, nor a tourer, nor new (along with one that is all of those things), a scooter-minimoto hybrid, and a few other things that really shouldn't go together. 

Are Internet motorcycle forums still viable? still useful? If they are headed the way of the dodo, what is (or should) replace them? Pete talks about recreating a project bike blog (Tanshanomi.com), then we look at YouTube video channels that are both technical and entertaining.  Eric has had a close look at the Desert X. Phil Reed of Ducati gave him all the details, and Eric passes them along to us. Pete's been window shopping, and trying to determine if a new bike or Can-Am Spyder is in his future. Here are YouTube channels we refer to in this episode: Paul Brodie BSA Power Set (Angus D. Campbell) Revzilla 44 Teeth Cager On Two Wheels Taylor McKenzie Missenden Flyer Lyndon Poskitt - Races 2 Places The Classic Motorcycle Channel Michael Waller - Britannia Motorcycle Mike Festiva Brian Rupnow

In the lull after the holidays, we don't have anything cooking in their workshops for a couple of different reasons. It's just Garrett and Pete this month, talking a lot about kids bikes and choosing what projects we might tackle next. As always, you can go to Hooniverse.com to see pictures of all the bikes we talk about on this episode. 

Eric, Garrett, & Pete talk about the bikes they still want to own, the projects they still want to build, the roads they want to ride, and the motorcycle-oriented destinations and events they would like to experience. And of course, there's a workshop update.

After tying up a couple of loose ends from our new bike discussion last month, we mention a couple others we missed from CFMoto, Yamaha, and Husqvarna. Garrett updates us on the CT70K0's successful shakedown and Pete shares his (slower) progress on his current project, a surprisingly cooperative pile of spare parts. 

After a quick update on our current projects, we talk about the new  bikes for the upcoming model year from Suzuki, Kawasaki, Moto Guzzi, and  others. Along the way, we explore a couple of rumored models. We wrap  up with our takes on a couple of mid-year 2021 releases. As always, you can check out pictures of the bikes we talk about on Hooniverse.com.

This month's episode discussion starts off with a question from a listener, then bounces between our projects and various other motorcycles, both new and old. Along the way, Garrett fills us in on his new laser engraver, and we discuss some of the YouTube bike videos we've been enjoying lately.

We had a lot of fun recording this month's episode, and we think you will really enjoy listening. As always, we start with our Workshop Update. Garrett has finished upgrading not one workshop space, but two. Pete had surprising success with the flux-core (gasless mig) welder we discussed with Mike Festiva in Episode 111. Afterwards, we play a few rounds of What's The Ask? In this game-show-format discussion, Garrett and Eric must guess what the asking price for six bikes offered for sale online, based only on a photograph and classified ad copy. You can play along, too! Go to Hooniverse.com to view photos of the bikes along with your hosts: Hooniverse | False Neutral Podcast #115 – The Return of 'What's The Ask?' 

Our guest this month is Trevor Daley, Canadian Superbike racer and the driving force behind One Speed Racing. Trevor has the unusual distinction of being a past professional auto racer, a current pro motorcycle roadracer, and an accomplished fabricator on the custom scene. We talk with him about how all those elements came together in his career, and how aesthetics and performance intersect for him and his customers. Along the way, he describes some of his custom builds from Harleys to café racers, which you can see photos of on Hooniverse.com.

The focus of this month's episode is less on building motorcycles and more on buying them. We discuss BMW's balloon-payment financing model, how special financing deals can make a brand-new vehicle more attractive than buying used, depreciation, and the wisdom of paying cash. We wrap up by discussing new bikes that might get us into a dealer's showroom, and used minibikes and karts that have surprising pricetags.

This month's conversation encompasses a lot of topics beyond just motorcycles. We discuss boats, trailers, pickups & medium-duty trucks, station wagons, and SUVs—those we own, and those we've considered owning. But fortunately, when we do get around to bikes, there's a lot to like. We continue to be impressed by the Harley Pan-America, and the Aprilia 660 Tuono, among others. Plus, a very cool aftermarket cafe kit for the Yamaha R3 has Garrett scheming.As always, you can follow along with photos of all the motorcycles we discuss at Hooniverse.com.