False Neutral

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.

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.

This month we're joined by Mike Festiva, who has a great YouTube channel documenting his creative budget vehicle builds, including a number powered by the Predator engine. In fact, it was his video that inspired Garrett's friend to build the Predator KX, and in turn Pete's current torque-converter bike project. Our discussion covers a wide range of vehicles, from two wheels to six, including mini bikes, trail bikes, street bikes, and Mike's amazing "Mini Pinzgauer" project.

Eric was in the broadcast booth this past weekend, announcing the Daytona 200 for the trackside crowd and the NBC Sports streaming broadcast. We recorded this episode before he left Michigan for Florida and we talk about his (at the time) upcoming broadcast. Garrett is back in good health, has finished settling into his new home, and is ready to get back to bikes. He was nearly ready to pull the trigger on a new Royal Enfield 650 Continental GT when another model currently available at fire-sale prices piqued his interest. Pete is continuing to slap leftover parts together, and having surprising success with it. He also put a brand-new, long-distance touring vehicle in the driveway, but it's not what you'd think. We discuss a couple of new bike models we've been watching lately, including a less-ugly variant of the Harley Pan-American, the Triumph Trident 660, the revised 2021 Triumph Bonneville Bobber, and the reborn (yet again) Buell.

On this episode, Garrett, Eric, and Pete discuss few more new models for 2021: Honda's 1100 Rebel, the return of the Suzuki Hayabusa, what Indian is getting right, and Harley continues to get wrong. We then discuss recent garage purchases we've made, are currently considering and, in Pete's case, bought sort of by accident. We wrap up with a quick review of the Chinese-made cobbler's sewing machine Pete bought mid-episode last month.

This month, our usual workshop update ends up taking the whole episode, because we constantly drift into topics such as tuning for methane fuel, gray market JDM imports, and sewing heavy upolstery.Here are a few web links we reference in this episode:http://www.moto2imports.com/https://rmdmotors.com/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zawvl5ZZIdIhttp://saltwhistlesailing.blogspot.com/2015/04/first-project-with-my-sailrite-sewing.htmlhttps://www.ebay.com/itm/SINGER-Heavy-Duty-4432-Sewing-Machine-18-lbs-Gray/293946716722https://www.amazon.com/Machine-Cobbler-Mending-Leather-Stitching/dp/B08R55S2CX

This month we discuss which new bikes for 2021 we're most excited about, along with a few we're a bit more ambivalent about. We also look forward to some new stuff we plan on doing in our workshops in the coming year.

This month, Eric, Garrett, and Pete interview our special guest, Victor Pagan, who is building a Super Single class roadracer out of a 1997 CR250 motorcrosser. After an overview of the conversion process and the challenges he's still working through, we revisit our own projects, including the Predator-engined KX project Garrett's involved with. Along the way, we briefly discuss Bultakenstein, the new Aprilia RS660, and our continuing fascination with the Yamaha Blaster ATV motor. Also, is there a new bike in Pete's or Eric's futures?

Your three hosts are all back in the (vitual) studio, after a 1-month hiatus. This month we discuss small, unusual motorcyles: custom minibikes, bikes powered by Harbor Freight's 212cc Predator industrial motor, and Thai 150cc drag bikes. Eric gives a final wrap-up of his stint with the Royal Enfield 650 twin, and Garrett's been watching The Long Way Up. That leads to a discussion of the prospects for Harley's electric (or not) future.

This month we catch up on what your three hosts have been up to. Eric's been testing a new Royal Enfield 650 Continental GT. Pete and Garrett have been busy in their workshops. It seems that everyone else has been, too — we discuss the current shortage of used parts and used bikes, thanks to most Americans having nothing better to do with their time. Also, Garrett sold his FZ1 and bought something, um, surprising.

We're very excited to have flat-track racer, teacher, fabricator and all-around evangelist Johnny Lewis joining us this month. Johnny runs the Moto Anatomy training facility and has hooked up with Royal Enfield's flat-track program to create the Royal Enfield Slide School and participate in the Build-Train-Race project. Along the way, he has been teaching flat track techniques around the globe, as far away as India. We discuss the new RE 650 and 411 flat trackers and the challenges of teaching riders how to "crash without crashing." It's a fascinating conversation for anybody, regardless of your familiarity with American flat track.

This month Eric and Pete are joined by fellow Hooniverse podcaster Ross Ballot, one of the hosts of Off The Road Again, Hooniverse's newest podcast that focuses on 4x4s and all things off-road. Ross is an avid ATV'er. On this episode, we compare and contrast side-by-sides and ATVs, discuss how they've inherited many of the roles previously held by dune buggies and Jeeps, and try to explain just what makes sitting behind a set of handlebars so magic.

This month there's a lot going on in our workshops. Pete's doing his usual hacking, and Garrett is doing his usual professional-level restoration work. Along the way, our discussion leads to all three of us fawning over how great two-strokes sound, which even incorporates an audio clip [please comment on how you do or don't like this feature].

Despite the Coronavirus lockdown, all three hosts managed to do some cool stuff with and to their bikes this past month. After updating each other on our workshop activities, we discuss how dealerships are surviving the shutdown, what bike bargains are out there that we are not taking advantage of, the fate of this year's Smackdab Run, and what we've been watching on YouTube while we're sequestered at home.

It's just your three hosts this month, and we update you on our projects (and workshop spaces) before we talk about electric bikes, then a couple of new bikes including the BMW R18, Harley Pan-American, and the Indian FTR Rally.

This month, Pete and Eric talk with Bree Poland. Bree has a fascinating personal motorcycle odyssey, from riding dirt bikes as a kid, to umbrella girl, to owning her own supersport road racing team, and finally to her current position as Senior Marketing Manager for Royal Enfield North America. We talk not only about Royal Enfield's remarkable recent renaissance, but how and why people get excited about motorcycles, and how we as a community can tap into those reasons. some of the social programs she has helped instigate: the Build Moto Mentor Program in Milwaukee, the Build Train Race female flat track program, and even commissioning graffiti murals in Colombia. Her enthusiasm not only for Royal Enfields but for connecting people with and through motorcycles is infectious, and definitely makes this month's episode worth listen to.