Driven to Ride

Chances are your motorcycle bucket list just keeps growing and growing. Sure, you’ll eventually cross a few off our list, but to be honest, the hardest part of any motorcycle trip, is just starting. That’s where Dax Harlow and MotoQuest come in.Dax has been riding basically his whole life, and was determined to get into the motorcycle industry - or specifically to get paid to ride motorcycles - one way or another. And by pure determination and persistence, he’s living the dream.Dax’s official title is Chaos Coordinator, which means he runs the Portland branch of MotoQuest, a worldwide motorcycle tour company that was originally founded in Alaska, back in the 90s. Since then, they’ve expanded to offer tours all over the world, like South America and Japan, but they’ve also curated some of the best rides in the United States as well.Whatever trip is on your radar, both Dax and MotoQuest love to help people achieve their bucket list rides, whether that’s going on an all-inclusive, fully guided tour, as Dax has led in the unparalleled American Southwest, or maybe something as simple as helping plot out GPS points on BDR routes in the just-as-unique Pacific Northwest. Or, if you just want to rent one of their BMW’s and make your own ride, you can do that too. Connect with Us:Website: www.driventoridepodcast.comInstagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcastFacebook: www.facebook.com/driventorideEmail:hello@driventoridepodcast.com

Lots of folks fantasize about following their dreams. Most ideas, however, never get past the initial imagination phase. Some years ago, Tim de Jong was backpacking in Southeast Asia. He rented one of the small-displacement motorcycles common to that part of the world. “I really felt the freedom,” he says. “I was like, ‘Wow, this is the best way to travel, actually.’”After returning to his native Netherlands, however, de Jong fell back into his daily routine, which didn’t include motorcycles. A friend proposed a two-wheel vacation in Colombia. De Jong didn’t have a motorcycle license, but that inconvenience was soon resolved, and his life changed forever. “It was so addictive,” he tells “Driven to Ride” host Mark Long. “I was totally hooked.”De Jong and his small team now own and operate “Donkey Sunrise,” Colombia’s gateway to all sorts of adventures, including motorcycle tours. Here’s the fun part: Tour difficulty is based on the “banana system.” One banana equates to “pavement only,” while five bananas means you’d better bring your off-road “A” game. How many bananas are you feeling? Connect with Us:Website: www.driventoridepodcast.comInstagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcastFacebook: www.facebook.com/driventorideEmail:hello@driventoridepodcast.com

As adolescent introductions to motorcycling go, author and podcaster Ted Kettler’s first two-wheel experience probably isn’t unique. But, as he tells host Mark Long on this episode of the “Driven to Ride” podcast, that moment in time more than half a century ago left an indelible mark on his consciousness—in the shape of Harley-Davidson’s iconic bar-and-shield logo, no less.“I can remember standing on the front seat of my mother’s car,” he laughs. “We were at a traffic light and a motorcycle pulled up in the lane next to us. I said, “Wow! What’s that?” And my mother said, “That’s a Harley-Davidson.” I remember it was turquoise and white. Then, the light turned green and he took off. From that moment on, I was all about Harley-Davidson.”Kettler has hosted the “Motorcycle Men Podcast” for a decade, and in 2024, he published, “The Road Most Traveled: A Motorcycle Ride Along the East Coast of America.” Whereas most riders seek out the best back roads, Kettler set off on his trip with the polar-opposite intention: to follow the busiest highways, from the northeast to the Florida Keys. Beep, beep! Honk, honk! Connect with Us:Website: www.driventoridepodcast.comInstagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcastFacebook: www.facebook.com/driventorideEmail:hello@driventoridepodcast.com

“Jimbo” Tarpey describes himself as “the guy riding a motorcycle from the Arctic to the Antarctic. I talk about the history and the culture of the places I visit—the details, the nitty-gritty, the fun stuff.” No matter who you are or what adventures you’ve experienced during your lifetime, while the first part of that quote definitely grabs your attention, the last bit holds it firmly in place.Tarpey began his journey three years ago in his native Minnesota, traveling first to the Arctic Ocean in Deadhorse, Alaska. Over the course of two-and-a-half years, he followed the Pan-American Highway, recognized as the longest road in the world, all the way to Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost city in South America. Being bilingual with more than a passing interest in history helped.Similar to others engulfed by a lust for travel, Tarpey counts Ted Simon, author of the 1979 book, “Jupiter’s Travels,” among his inspirations. “He said, ‘Being in a car is like watching a movie. On a bike, you’re in it.’ It’s a much more involved experience, and when you get to the other side, the feeling of accomplishment is so much more profound.” May the road never end for you, Jimbo. Connect with Us:Website: www.driventoridepodcast.comInstagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcastFacebook: www.facebook.com/driventorideEmail:hello@driventoridepodcast.com

Peter Egan is one of the most beloved voices in automotive and motorcycle journalism. In a warm, wide-ranging conversation that takes place inside his Wisconsin workshop, Egan reconnects with “Driven to Ride” host Mark Long to discuss his new book, “Landings in America,” a memoir meets travelogue that chronicles a six-week journey across the U.S. in a Piper Cub.Egan shares stories of how he and his wife, Barb, navigated the skies in 1987 with paper maps, a handheld radio, and no GPS, landing in small towns, sleeping in motels, and soaking in the vastness of the country from 1,500 feet above. They avoided big cities in favor of grass airstrips, friendly strangers, and fly-ins, where fellow aviation enthusiasts gathered around their bright yellow aircraft.Known for his decades-long career writing for Cycle World and Road & Track, Egan brings the same introspective charm and observational wit to this interview that made his magazine columns and features enduring favorites for readers and riders alike. While motorcycles only appear briefly in “Landings in America,” the spirit of adventure is deeply familiar. Connect with Us:Website: www.driventoridepodcast.comInstagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcastFacebook: www.facebook.com/driventorideEmail:hello@driventoridepodcast.com

For the past 20 years, fast friends Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor have been wandering the globe on an eclectic mix of motorcycles. “Long Way Home,” the intrepid pair’s fourth and most recent television series, captures their journey through 17 European countries aboard a resurrected 1973 BMW R75/5 and a well-traveled 1974 Moto Guzzi Eldorado.“There’s something wonderful about a big trip,” Londoner Boorman relates to host Mark Long on this episode of the “Driven to Ride” podcast. “Sometimes, it almost feels like you’re sort of on holiday and you don’t want the holiday to end. You’ve got that freedom of the open road, you’re carrying everything on the motorcycle that you need, and there you are, just going off.”While some aspects of their adventures haven’t changed much since Boorman and McGregor set off on their inaugural 2004 trip—“two friends riding round the world together and, against the odds, realizing their dream”—the cameras used to record the experience, plus the advent of in-helmet communication, have revolutionized the process. But, as Boorman attests, it’s still escaping. Connect with Us:Website: www.driventoridepodcast.comInstagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcastFacebook: www.facebook.com/driventorideEmail:hello@driventoridepodcast.com

Andrew Richardson has been the face of REALRIDER for more than a decade, but when he created the government-certified automatic crash-detection app, he didn’t even own a motorcycle. Richardson has since obtained his license and become an avid commuter and a weekend rider. He has even tested the app for exactly what it was designed to do: keep motorcyclists protected on the road.“Thinking that everyone’s trying to kill you is always a good mindset when you’re on a motorcycle,” admits Richardson. Riding one chilly afternoon with his son and son-in-law in his native England, he was run off the road and found himself sprawled in a ditch. The tip over triggered the app on his phone. Being uninjured, he was able to deactivate the alert before an ambulance was summoned.“Our technology is really designed for, you’re by yourself, you leave the road, nobody knows that you’ve had a crash,” he says. “We have this period of time where we wait for the crash to stop happening. Then, the system starts analyzing what’s going on.” Clearly, this potentially life-saving tech works. Take it from Richardson, who, as the expression goes, has been there and done that. Connect with Us:Website: www.driventoridepodcast.comInstagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcastFacebook: www.facebook.com/driventorideEmail:hello@driventoridepodcast.com

Dave Roper has been racing motorcycles for more than half a century. The New England native is probably best known for campaigning exotic vintage machinery under the Robert Iannucci-led Team Obsolete banner. He’s fast, too. In fact, Roper won more than half of the races he entered on Iannucci’s 1959 Matchless G50, including, famously, the 1984 Senior Historic TT at the Isle of Man.“We lived relatively close to Lime Rock Park in northwest Connecticut,” Roper tells “Driven to Ride” host Mark Long. “We used to go up there and watch the sports cars. That’s what I thought I wanted to do.” Once he found motorcycling, however, Roper was immediately hooked. “Motorcycles are more accessible,” he explains. “They’re cheaper, they’re smaller, they’re easier to work on.”Now in his 70s, Roper has been the subject of many editorial projects, including a documentary film, “Motorcycle Man.” “I don’t feel like I’m all that special as a racer,” he says. “I’ve had some success. I’ve arranged my life so I can continue doing it; I’m not married, I don’t have any children. I love the social aspect of it, traveling and seeing people who you share a very special thing with.”Edit Notes - Dave had a few clarifications after the podcast: “The second bike I rented in Santa Barbara was a 118cc Suzuki, not a 218, and the last time I campaigned a modern bike was 1985, not 1984.” Connect with Us:Website: www.driventoridepodcast.comInstagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcastFacebook: www.facebook.com/driventorideEmail:hello@driventoridepodcast.com

Jon DelVecchio came to motorcycling later in life than many riders—as an adult and after starting a family. Yet, he’s accomplished a lot on two wheels, from becoming a Motorcycle Safety Foundation coach and the founder of the Street Skills School to the author of a popular riding technique book, “Cornering Confidence: The Formula for 100% Control in Curves.”In his conversation with “Driven to Ride” host Mark Long, the career educator cites five previously published titles—“Total Control,” “Proficient Motorcycling,” “A Twist of the Wrist,” “Smooth Riding the Pridmore Way,” and “Sport Riding Techniques”—as the “sacred documents” he studied to develop and hone his own skills and, ultimately, introduce others to those methodologies.Early on, DelVecchio considered two areas: traffic and corners. He decided the MSF had urban situational awareness well-covered—”Don’t take my class if you haven’t taken theirs,” he says—so he turned his attention to the twisties, and that challenging aspect of motorcycling has become his focus. DelVecchio goes so far as on this episode to share some of the best roads that he’s ridden. Connect with Us:Website: www.driventoridepodcast.comInstagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcastFacebook: www.facebook.com/driventorideEmail:hello@driventoridepodcast.com

From a teenage pizza-slinging street racer to a professional National Hot Rod Association-winning Pro Stock Motorcycle drag racer, Steve Johnson understands the value of humble beginnings. He also knows exactly how it feels to reach 200 mph in less than 7 seconds. “I always tell everybody it’s like hanging on to a bullet after it's been shot out of a gun.”“First to 500” is Johnson’s career calling card. “If you go to all the races in the year that the sanctioning body puts on,” he explains to host Mark Long on this episode of the “Driven to Ride” podcast, “and if you do it for 38 years, you’ll have 500, too.” That is a competition milestone no other NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle racer has ever reached. In fact, no one has even come close.Rather than focus on his many racing successes, however, Johnson would rather talk about his off-track efforts. A California native who now calls Alabama home, Johnson is big on helping students achieve their goals. To that end, he founded the BAT-man Scholarship Program (“BAT” is an acronym for “Be A Technician”), awarded at high schools and technical colleges across the U.S. Connect with Us:Website: www.driventoridepodcast.comInstagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcastFacebook: www.facebook.com/driventorideEmail:hello@driventoridepodcast.com

Greek philosopher Plato is credited with the expression, “Our need will be the real creator,” which, loosely translated centuries later, became, “The true creator is necessity, who is the mother of our invention.” Peter Dering knows this feeling all too well, having come up with a device that, in the words of his company, Peak Design, “would make carrying and using a camera an absolute joy.”As he explains to host Mark Long in this episode of “Driven to Ride,” Dering moved to San Francisco for a construction engineering job. With his first bonus, he bought a Honda Nighthawk 750 and an SLR camera. “I used to ride with my camera slung across my chest every day,” says Dering. “Whoever designed the camera strap basically said, “Here’s a business idea for you.”Nowadays, Peak Design offers a medley of innovative products, from unique backpacks and duffels to vibration-damping mobile-phone mounts and sturdy camera accessories. “We try to solve problems that we ourselves, the users of the product, encounter,” says Dering. “That’s what we’re known for, giving a solid rethink to products that are out there in the world.” Connect with Us:Website: www.driventoridepodcast.comInstagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcastFacebook: www.facebook.com/driventorideEmail:hello@driventoridepodcast.com

If you’re a motorcyclist living and riding in the U.S., Nick Haris works for you. Even more so if you’re one of the more than 200,000 members of the American Motorcyclist Association, whose tagline is “Rights, Riding, and Racing.” Haris leads a team of six who comprise the AMA’s government-relations department. Their job is to protect your rights as a motorcyclist in the halls of government.In the second of two interviews with Haris, “Driven to Ride” host Mark Long digs into significant issues facing 21st-century motorcyclists, such as autonomous vehicles. “If this technology cannot recognize and respond correctly to other road users,” states Haris, “and I don’t care if it is a pedestrian, a bicyclist, a motorcycle, or another car, it shouldn’t be allowed on public roads.”Haris sheds light on other hot-button subjects, like alternative energy, helmet laws, land management, and lane filtering. “I often say, ‘Ten percent of the world has an opinion about motorcycling. They're in favor of it—you and I. Ten percent have some reason they don’t like it. And then, 80% don’t care.’ So, let’s not move them into the, ‘I don’t like motorcycling category,’ by doing something stupid.’” Connect with Us:Website: www.driventoridepodcast.comInstagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcastFacebook: www.facebook.com/driventorideEmail:hello@driventoridepodcast.com

Annick Magac and “Driven to Ride” host Mark Long grew up in different parts of the country, but they share common ground. They both live to ride and ride to live, as the saying goes, and they both have a strong sense of community. What’s more, Magac founded her own motorcycle-oriented podcast, “Féroce,” which, as its title suggests, inspires listeners to “live fiercely.”No surprise, Magac has a competitive streak. In her 20s, she road-raced a Grand Prix-style Honda RS125 in American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association and Championship Cup Series events at various East Coast tracks, including historic New Hampshire Motor Speedway. “It was amazing,” she says, reminiscing about the diminutive two-stroke. “I think that may be the most exotic thing I’ve owned.”In this episode, Magac offers tips for riders who use motorcycles as their main form of transportation. Top of the list, she says, is warmth and safety. “I have heated grips. I have a connect for a heated vest. I don’t fool around anymore with being cold. And I always wear gear. That’s my commitment to my family and my commitment to myself in case things go sideways.” Check. Check.Annick's website - https://liveferoce.com/Annick on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@annickmagacFÉROCE Podcast on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/live.feroceAnnick's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/annickmagac Connect with Us:Website: www.driventoridepodcast.comInstagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcastFacebook: www.facebook.com/driventorideEmail:hello@driventoridepodcast.com

Motorcycling and politics don’t mix, right? They do for Nick Haris. In college, the Washington state native was an economics major and worked at a motorcycle shop. Degree in hand, he applied for his dream job: a government-relations role at the American Motorcyclist Association. “It was just kind of a natural combination of that interest in politics and that love for motorcycling,” he says.In 2023, after more than 20 years on the job, Haris was made director of the AMA’s Government Relations department. In the first of two interviews with “Driven to Ride” host Mark Long, Haris reiterates something we all know, that motorcyclists are a relatively small portion of the U.S. population. “If we look for reasons to divide ourselves,” he says, “we’re not going to have a lot of success.”Spending long, memorable days in the saddle gives Haris time to think about the future of our country. “Reality is,” he says, “it’s the city council that makes the decision or the board of supervisors that sets the zoning rule that really probably affects you more on a daily basis than anything that Congress is going to do. Day to day, it’s the locals that you really need to get to know.” Good advice. Connect with Us:Website: www.driventoridepodcast.comInstagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcastFacebook: www.facebook.com/driventorideEmail:hello@driventoridepodcast.com

Larry Fletcher grew up in Wisconsin in the late 1960s and early ’70s, like a lot of people his age, doing “silly stuff” on minibikes with his buddies. He took a break from motorcycling until he moved to Chicago as a 20-something. “I figured out, what a great way to commute,” he says. “Bikes were an easier way to get around, and I loved getting back in the saddle again. It was great.”Fletcher worked the Chicagoland bar and club circuit. Motorcycles, especially the vintage British iron he favored, were part of the street scene. That eventually led in the mid-1990s to establishing an official chapter of the U.K.-based “59 Club,” which was famously founded by the late Rev. Bill Shergold, known in two-wheel circles as the “ton-up vicar.”Fast forward to the present day. Fletcher, Martin Cimek, and Sean McKeough have grown the annual MOTOBLOT hot-rod culture celebration into an event so big it needed its own dedicated venue. “Whatever you’re into,” he says about the biker blowout of the summer, “internal combustion or even now with electric, anything on two wheels, we embrace it.” Invitation accepted! Connect with Us:Website: www.driventoridepodcast.comInstagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcastFacebook: www.facebook.com/driventorideEmail:hello@driventoridepodcast.com

Thalassa Van Beek fell in love with motorcycling as a teenager working as a hostess and model in her native Netherlands. She was handing out brochures at a trade show when a blue Yamaha YZF-R6 caught her eye. “Right then and there,” she recounts to “Driven to Ride” host Mark Long, “I decided to get my license because I needed to ride that bike.”Van Beek earned her license at age 19, and she has been riding pretty much ever since. She bought a Honda VTR250, which was followed by a CBR600F and then her dream R6. Today, living in motorcycle-crazy Spain, she owns a handful of machines—all Yamahas. “Every time I’m on the bike, it just makes me happy and excited, like I can conquer the world.”Van Beek eventually formed her own agency, “Motorcycle Marketing.” She surrounded herself with experts specializing in copywriting, graphic design, SEO, and social media. She has one hard-and-fast rule: Everyone has to ride motorcycles. “It’s a specific language,” she says. “You can just tell when a campaign is written by someone who isn’t a biker. It shows.” Indeed, it does. Connect with Us:Website: www.driventoridepodcast.comInstagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcastFacebook: www.facebook.com/driventorideEmail:hello@driventoridepodcast.com

Moms are the best advice-givers. Wyoming native Brady McLean once dated a woman from a multi-generational motorcycle family. “Her mom is the first one that I can ever remember saying, ‘Go fast, don’t die,’” he recalls. McLean took that message to heart and ultimately founded a lifestyle apparel brand by the same name dedicated to “the culture and community that inspired our existence.”Emboldened by the roads he and his friends call home, McLean helps spearhead the “DevilStone Run,” an annual motorcycle ride through the Equality State. The four-day trip begins at Devil's Tower, in the northeast corner of Wyoming, passes through Yellowstone—the world’s first national park—and concludes in Jackson Hole at the base of the Grand Tetons.Asked to name the most rewarding aspect of building “Go Fast, Don’t Die,” or any of his other businesses, McLean doesn’t hesitate or mince words. “It’s a million percent—no question, no close second—the people,” he says. “Whatever industry you’re in, whatever business you run, you should be saying, ‘How can I make my community’s life better?’” Connect with Us:Website: www.driventoridepodcast.comInstagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcastFacebook: www.facebook.com/driventorideEmail:hello@driventoridepodcast.com

Vanessa Ruck is a self-proclaimed “go-getter, a chase-your-dreams kind of girl.” Her path to motorcycling came in a roundabout way: on the heels of a devastating bicycle accident that required seven surgeries and put the adventure-lover out of action for most of a decade. During her recovery, Ruck decided that life-changing event would not dictate her future.In the eight years since Ruck began riding motorcycles, she has completed some of the most challenging off-road races in the world. “A lot of people see the sort of riding and racing that I’ve been doing and think I’ve been riding since I was a teeny tot,” she says. That late start aside, motorcycling has unlocked an all-new and often-unexpected world for “the girl on a bike.”When she isn’t riding one of her several motorcycles, Ruck is a passionate and engaging motivational speaker, focusing on mental health and helping others make empowered decisions. “Life is really short,” she says, “and it’s absolutely incredible what we can achieve if we put our minds to it.” Want to know how to turn doom and gloom into drive and inspiration? Just ask Vanessa Ruck. Connect with Us:Website: www.driventoridepodcast.comInstagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcastFacebook: www.facebook.com/driventorideEmail:hello@driventoridepodcast.com

Daniel Ritz stumbled upon motorcycling a dozen years ago while working as a newspaper editor in Southern California. “There was a small shop up the street from where I was living,” he tells “Driven to Ride” host Mark Long. “I started looking at Triumphs, and I saw the Scrambler as a good mix: heavy enough for big trips but light enough to still move around a bit.”For three years, a Matte Khaki Green Scrambler (“To this day, it’s still the most beautiful bike I’ve ever seen”) was Ritz’s sole transportation. “I just really committed to being as light-footed as I could, to being mobile,” he says, noting that he interacted with more people commuting and running errands on his motorcycle than when driving his pickup truck.Now living in Idaho, the conservation editor for “Swing The Fly” and founder of “Jack’s Experience Trading Co.” has traded Pacific Coast Highway for Forest Service roads. “Wild people enjoy wild places and wildlife,” says Ritz. “I feel very lucky to have access to a pretty remarkable landscape that is well-built, and sort of curated, for motorcycling.” Connect with Us:Website: www.driventoridepodcast.comInstagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcastFacebook: www.facebook.com/driventorideEmail:hello@driventoridepodcast.com

Some might say Aussie Alana Baratto was destined to work in the motorcycle industry. Her father was a rider, both on- and off-road, and he shared that cherished pastime with his daughters. Alana was gifted a Yamaha PW50 at age four and attended her first Grand Prix a year later. “It was something that I grew to love,” she explains, “and then decided to make into a career.”After a stint as a service advisor in a Sydney dealership, Baratto took a role with Aprilia. She went back to school and earned a marketing degree, ultimately leaving powersports for five years. “That passion doesn’t go away, I discovered, so I came back,” she says. Four years with KTM led to her current position, head of marketing for Ducati Australia and New Zealand.“Having that understanding of the dealership floor is invaluable,” Baratto tells Mark Long on this episode of the “Driven to Ride” podcast, “so there’s nothing about my career that I would change.” While she admits it can take a concerted effort to keep that passion burning, it’s definitely easier to get out of bed every morning when you do what you love. Connect with Us:Website: www.driventoridepodcast.comInstagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcastFacebook: www.facebook.com/driventorideEmail:hello@driventoridepodcast.com