Driven to Ride

For nearly seventy years, Brian Slark has rarely been far from a motorcycle—and his remarkable journey has placed him at the center of some unforgettable moments in motorcycling history. Growing up in motorcycle-mad postwar London, Brian saved for his first bike, a BSA Bantam, and quickly discovered a love for competition. After earning British Expert status in motocross, he landed his dream job at Associated Motorcycles, working with AJS and Matchless machines as a road tester and member of the competition department. A friendship with legendary racer and stuntman Bud Ekins eventually brought Brian to California, opening the door to desert racing and a career in the American motorcycle industry. Years later, Brian helped bring 114 motorcycles to life for The Art of the Motorcycle exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum—a landmark experience that helped inspire the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum and its world-class racetrack. Brian also conceived the Barber Vintage Festival, helped acquire hundreds of historically important motorcycles, and was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame. In this episode of Driven to Ride, Brian shares the stories, friendships, risks, and unexpected opportunities behind a lifetime spent doing what he loves. Connect with Us: Website: www.driventoridepodcast.com Instagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcast Facebook: www.facebook.com/driventoride Email: hello@driventoridepodcast.com

Dmitry Pavlovsky came to motorcycling later than some, but he wasted little time making up for it. Born in Eastern Europe and raised in the Chicago area, Pavlovsky was 35 when a friend suggested taking a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course as a relationship-building exercise. By the time the class arrived, the relationship had ended—but a new one with motorcycles was just beginning. After learning on a Honda Rebel 250, Pavlovsky bought a 1977 Honda CB750 and started exploring the roads around Chicago. He eventually became an MSF rider coach himself, helping everyone from teenagers to returning riders develop the skills and confidence needed to ride safely. Motorcycles also gave Pavlovsky a new creative direction. After more than 20 years as a graphic designer, he launched the Vector Burn YouTube channel, focusing on lesser-known gear brands and practical equipment for riders on a budget. Today, he serves as the Chicagoland marketing representative for Law Tigers, connecting with riders, dealerships, independent shops, and events throughout northern Illinois. On this episode of “Driven to Ride,” host Mark Long talks with Pavlovsky about finding his identity on two wheels, teaching new riders, creating motorcycle content, protecting the riding community, and crossing the country through desert heat and Rocky Mountain snow. Connect with Us: Website: www.driventoridepodcast.com Instagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcast Facebook: www.facebook.com/driventoride Email: hello@driventoridepodcast.com

“Relationships are everything.” That philosophy has guided Rob Brooks through careers as an Atlanta-area rock-radio disc jockey, pastor, author, and motorcycle journalist. It also sits at the heart of RoadDirt.TV, the independent digital motorcycle publication he founded in 2019. Brooks’ love of motorcycles began with his father, a dedicated Triumph rider who always seemed to have at least one bike—and enough spare parts to build another—in the garage. After riding minibikes as a child, Brooks stepped away from motorcycles for several years. The sight of a Honda V65 Magna rekindled his enthusiasm, eventually leading him back to riding and into motorcycle journalism. His work has appeared in Motorcyclist, Cycle World, American Motorcyclist, and several regional publications. When print magazines began disappearing, Brooks brought together a group of experienced writers and photographers to create RoadDirt.TV, covering motorcycles, gear, racing, rallies, and what the team calls the “ride life.” On this episode of “Driven to Ride,” host Mark Long talks with Brooks about building an independent publication, reviewing motorcycles by living with them rather than simply studying specifications, preserving the human side of motorcycle storytelling, and why the way a motorcycle makes you feel matters as much as anything printed on its spec sheet. Connect with Us: Website: www.driventoridepodcast.com Instagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcast Facebook: www.facebook.com/driventoride Email: hello@driventoridepodcast.com

For more than two decades, Motoblot has brought Chicago’s motorcycle community together in a way only Chicago could. What began in 2005 as Mods vs. Rockers—a small gathering of café racers and scooters outside Delilah’s—has evolved into a three-day celebration of motorcycles, hot rods, live music, art, film, and the people who make the city’s two-wheel culture special. For this episode of “Driven to Ride,” host Mark Long heads to Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood to experience Motoblot 2026 and talk with the people behind the party. Founder Larry “Fletch” Fletcher and his daughter Tenley share the event’s history, its move to the South Side, and what it means to carry a family business—and a motorcycle community—into the next generation. Mark also meets Morgan Michelle, the first woman invited to compete in MotoBlot’s Valhalla Custom Motorcycle Builders Challenge—and its first female winner. Her 33,000-tile disco chopper captured the six-foot Gungnir trophy and plenty of attention. Royal Enfield’s Jennifer Lewis also stops by to explain the company’s Build. Train. Race. program and why MotoBlot stands apart from other motorcycle events. Part bike show, part concert, and part neighborhood block party, MotoBlot proves that it doesn’t matter what you ride. As Johnny Scheff puts it, “No jerks apply. Everyone else is welcome.” www.motoblot.com Connect with Us: Website: www.driventoridepodcast.com Instagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcast Facebook: www.facebook.com/driventoride Email: hello@driventoridepodcast.com

Cat MacLeod has spent much of his life bringing two passions together: motorcycles and travel. Raised on a horse ranch, McLeod began riding at age 11 under the guidance of AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Gunnar Lindstrom. He later earned an MBA and built a career in the motorcycle industry, holding marketing and brand-management roles with companies including Bel-Ray, BikeBandit, and LeoVince USA. MacLeod’s experience in the travel business dates back to the 1990s, but a ride through Europe convinced him that conventional motorcycle tours were not always designed for experienced, performance-minded riders. That realization inspired Leod Escapes, which combines guided road tours with track time at internationally renowned racing circuits. Over the past 14 years, Cat has ridden a dozen MotoGP circuits, including Mugello, Sachsenring, Phillip Island, Catalunya, Portimão, and Brno. His tours typically pair three days at the track with carefully selected roads, regional food, local culture, and practical rider training. On this episode of “Driven to Ride,” host Mark Long talks with MacLeod about learning from an eventful first tour, building a worldwide network of instructors and suppliers, and creating unforgettable experiences for riders who want more than an ordinary motorcycle vacation. https://www.leodescapes.com/ Connect with Us: Website: www.driventoridepodcast.com Instagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcast Facebook: www.facebook.com/driventoride Email: hello@driventoridepodcast.com

Nick Ienatsch has spent most of his life riding and racing motorcycles. He’s an acknowledged expert in his field, having won club and national championships on everything from single-cylinder street bikes to exotic grand prix road racers. In the second of a two-part interview with “Driven to Ride” host Mark Long, the magazine editor turned instructor emphasizes continuing education. Following a long run with the Freddie Spencer High Performance Riding School, Ienatsch co-founded the Yamaha Champions Riding School, which offers a multi-tiered approach to “building confidence and maximizing fun.” Options run the gamut, from online courses to hands-on instruction. As Ienatsch says, “There’s a path to doing this well forever.” Ienatsch doesn’t pull punches when the discussion shifts to avoiding dangerous situations while piling up street miles. “I hate to preach,” he says, “but if you're riding with people who push, push, push, push everywhere they go—through traffic, lane-splitting—you will meet their family in the hospital, I promise you. So, be careful of that.” Sound advice, indeed. Connect with Us: Website: www.driventoridepodcast.com Instagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcast Facebook: www.facebook.com/driventoride Email: hello@driventoridepodcast.com

In the early 1980s, Nick Ienatsch was studying English at the University of Utah and working part-time at a Salt Lake City motorcycle dealership. He wrote a letter to Art Friedman, the editor of Motorcyclist magazine, asking for a job. Friedman hired Ienatsch in 1984, launching a two-wheel adventure that has positively impacted the lives of hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists. “All we did was think about motorcycles,” Ienatsch recalls of his early days in moto-journalism. “I lived with [fellow editors] Lance Holst and Jason Black; we started Sport Rider magazine. We lived together. We worked together. We raced together. Everything was motorcycling. All we wanted to do was ride motorcycles. There were a lot of crazy, funny times, but it was all bikes.” Ienatsch eventually transitioned from writing road tests to rider instruction, first with the Freddie Spencer High Performance Riding School and, since 2008, the Yamaha Champions Riding School. His 2003 book, “Sport Riding Techniques,” remains a must-read. Over a 40-plus-year career, Ienatsch’s enthusiasm for motorcycling has never dimmed, burning brightly to this day. Connect with Us: Website: www.driventoridepodcast.com Instagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcast Facebook: www.facebook.com/driventoride Email: hello@driventoridepodcast.com

There are motorcycle-industry professionals who need an introduction and those who don’t. Scot Harden is in the latter category. From Baja to the boardroom, this hall-of-fame racer and business leader has been there and done that. He likely designed the proverbial T-shirt, too. To his credit, however, Harden is quick to praise those who guided him on his 50-plus-year two-wheel journey. Harden got his start racing off-road, beating the best in the desert near his hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada. “Back then, Barstow to Vegas was the biggest race in the world,” he says. “It started just east of Barstow, California, and went all the way to Las Vegas—a 170-mile point-to-point hare and hound. In 1973, there were 3,000 entries. I got third overall, first 250cc Expert.” Decades of top-level international competition helped Harden develop models and programs that quite literally transformed the sport. Those successes aside, Harden, who will soon celebrate his 70th birthday, isn’t resting on his many laurels. “Motorcycling can’t be taken for granted,” he cautions. “There are a lot of challenges, and we need to be more proactive.” See what Scot is up to now at harden-offroad.com Connect with Us: Website: www.driventoridepodcast.com Instagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcast Facebook: www.facebook.com/driventoride Email: hello@driventoridepodcast.com

The freedom of the open road, escape from the every day, and throw in a little rebellious spirit - that’s what motorcycles are all about right? Well, according to author, historian, and professor, Dr Wendy Pojmann, that idea may only exist in the US - whereas, in Italy, motorcycles are looked at more as a part of everyday life. In her book, Connected by the street, the myths and realities of motorcycles in the USA and Italy, Wendy breaks down the pretty striking difference between how motorcycles are perceived in the US culture versus the Italian culture - whether you look at racing, manufacturers, or even motorcycle clubs. The product of Wendy’s research stems from her passion for everything Italian - from Ducatis and Vespas to espresso, and combines it with her personal experiences from the surprising reactions of both Italians and Americans when they learn she rides a motorcycle - although I guess you won’t find a huge of crossover between college professors and motorcycle riders. What’s fascinating about Wendy’s book is that it takes a lot of things that motorcyclists may already ‘know’, but frames it in an academic sense, complete with research and historical context - and you may not look at Italian motorcycles the same way again. Buy Wendy Pojmann's Book Wendy Pojmann on Instagram Connect with Us: Website: www.driventoridepodcast.com Instagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcast Facebook: www.facebook.com/driventoride Email: hello@driventoridepodcast.com

Ari Henning makes difficult look easy. That is, the host of “The Shop Manual,” RevZilla’s popular DIY video series, is able to convey with authority and clarity highly technical subjects related to motorcycle maintenance. If you don’t know Henning, you might think he is quoting directly from an actual shop manual. In reality, he knows those crucial details like the back of his throttle hand. Henning inherited the ability to confront the uncomfortable from his ex-racer father, Todd. “There was this sense that, ‘If someone can build something, I can figure out how to take it apart.’ Seeing dad fix anything, whether it was a motorcycle or the dishwasher or the furnace, imbued in me, ‘You can figure this out.’ So I never hesitated to take something apart.” That blind dive-into-the-unknown approach stretches beyond the shop to the open road. Henning and lifelong buddy Zack Courts’ often-comical “Common Tread XP” travel capers have been seen by millions on YouTube. “There’s this perception people seem to have that, when you leave your zip code, you’re more likely to have a mechanical or something,” he says. “That never bothered me.” Connect with Us: Website: www.driventoridepodcast.com Instagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcast Facebook: www.facebook.com/driventoride Email: hello@driventoridepodcast.com

Jared Zaugg remembers the exact moment that motorcycles entered his life. He was an impressionable teenager, who, like many younger siblings, thought the world of his older brother. “He was super cool,” says Zaugg. “One day, he comes riding up to the house on a motorcycle he borrowed. I don’t even remember the brand or model, but that was it. I thought, ‘That’s for me.’” Thanks to his parents, Zaugg was raised around vintage automobiles. So, a deep interest in and an appreciation for machinery from a bygone era was already part of his genetic makeup. Which explains why he naturally gravitated toward vintage bikes. Not because they were less expensive, Zaugg notes. They weren’t, he acknowledges, but that’s where his personal tastes took him. “Driven to Ride” podcast host Mark Long digs into Zaugg’s wondrous “Legend of the Motorcycle International Concours d'Elegance,” which celebrated the art and history of motorcycling. “Having motorcycles on a golf course at a resort on the ocean was unique,” says Zaugg. “It elevated motorcycles to the same level as motorcars, works of art worthy of admiration and presentation.” Connect with Us: Website: www.driventoridepodcast.com Instagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcast Facebook: www.facebook.com/driventoride Email: hello@driventoridepodcast.com

Do you remember your first motorcycle ride? Chances are, you were a teenager or maybe even younger. Ken Hill is an exception to that rule of thumb. In fact, the California native didn’t purchase his first motorcycle, a Honda CBR600F2, until age 30. He began road racing the very same year. Now in his early 60s, Hill is considered the top riding coach in the U.S. “I always wanted to race cars,” Hill admits to “Driven to Ride” podcast host Mark Long. “I couldn’t afford to race cars, so I said, ‘You know what? I’ll race motorcycles.’ I’d never been to a track, never seen a motorcycle race. I was time-crunched. I was finance-crunched. To do something that I wanted to do, and to do it well, I had to structure it.” A successful racing career led to instructor roles at the Freddie Spencer High Performance Riding School and the Yamaha Champions Riding School. Hill ultimately founded his own one-on-one coaching business, Ken Hill Coaching. “There’s nothing better than riding well,” he says. “I believe anybody can do it if they have to have the discipline and the right methodology.” khcoaching.com Connect with Us: Website: www.driventoridepodcast.com Instagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcast Facebook: www.facebook.com/driventoride Email: hello@driventoridepodcast.com

A Swiss-born adventurer, photographer, and vlogger, Nathalie Depierraz has spent most of the past decade traveling by motorcycle throughout Europe and Africa. Known to her audience as “Nata On The Road,” she leads a largely nomadic life. “I would dare to say I’m a pro traveler,” Depierraz tells “Driven to Ride” host Mark Long, adding with a laugh, “I’m absolutely not a pro rider.” For Depierraz, her choice of motorcycle—a Royal Enfield Himalayan 411 that she refers to as “my little tractor”—is simply a two-wheel tool used to achieve her greater travel goals. “Not that the bike doesn’t mean anything,” she concedes, “but I would never take my motorbike to just go around for an hour or something like that. That’s not my type of riding.” Depierraz equates the travel experience to breathing oxygen—she can’t exist without it. With that in mind, risk, real or imagined, melts away. “For a lot of people, it’s scary,” she admits. “‘What if I don’t make it?’” And no other form of transportation provides the independence of a motorcycle. “I can go wherever I want, whenever I want,” she says. Who could ask for anything more? Check out Nata on the Road on Instagram and YouTube. Connect with Us: Website: www.driventoridepodcast.com Instagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcast Facebook: www.facebook.com/driventoride Email: hello@driventoridepodcast.com

You’ve no doubt seen Tom McComas flash across the big screen, usually falling off a building or wheelying a motorcycle through rush-hour traffic. That's because he’s a bonafide Hollywood stuntman. McComas credits his career choice to a best-selling self-help book, “What Color is Your Parachute?” Summing it up, he says, “Figure out what you like to do, and find out a way to get paid doing it.” McComas discovered his first love, motorcycling, growing up in Chicago. Bitten by the competition bug, he road raced for six years before discovering he could get paid to crash bikes. “I thought, ‘I’m not afraid to fall down. I like to fight. Let’s go!’” His big break? Doubling actor David Hasselhoff on the popular 1990s television series “Baywatch.” McComas has since chalked up hundreds of appearances in film and on TV. “Getting into stunts was so difficult,” he says in reflection. “There’s a lot of rejection. I’m really grateful to be in the position I’m in, because I don’t go to work, I go to play . Some days are better than others, for sure, but it’s amazing you can make a career out of doing what I do.” Connect with Us: Website: www.driventoridepodcast.com Instagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcast Facebook: www.facebook.com/driventoride Email: hello@driventoridepodcast.com

Ken Condon describes himself as a commuter, tourer, an off-road rider, a track-day instructor, road racer, an ice rider, a drag racer, and “plain old street rider.” Truth is, as wide-ranging as that description may sound, it barely scratches the surface of the many things Condon has done not just on a motorcycle but, more importantly, for his fellow motorcyclists. Ken is the author of two books, “Riding in the Zone” and “Motorcycling the Right Way.” The latter is a compilation of the “Proficient Motorcycling” columns published in Motorcycle Consumer News. “I wrote that column for 14 years—2,800 words, plus photos, every month,” he tells “Driven to Ride” host Mark Long. Condon also penned “Street Strategies” for the same title. That’s to say Condon has devoted most of his life to not only becoming a better rider himself but to helping others become better riders. “‘The well is very deep’ is what I tell my students,” he says. “You can choose to swim on the surface and tread water, or you can dive deep and get down there and see what it’s all about. And there’s an awful lot there. It just goes, and goes, and goes.” Riding In The Zone Website Ken Condon on Facebook Connect with Us: Website: www.driventoridepodcast.com Instagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcast Facebook: www.facebook.com/driventoride Email: hello@driventoridepodcast.com

Sam Manicom spent eight years roaming the world by motorcycle, which is an accomplishment by itself. He later put those experiences into words, authoring four books: “Into Africa,” “Under Asian Skies,” “Distant Suns,” and “Tortillas to Totems.” Each volume takes readers through a different portion of his journey, Manicom tells Mark Long on this episode of the “Driven to Ride” podcast. Manicom has traveled most of his life, using all manner of transportation. He explored Europe on a bicycle, hitchhiked by semi-truck, and crossed an ocean via cargo ship. All were tremendous experiences, he says, but motorcycles—a BMW R 80 GS, in particular—tick all the right boxes. For a chunk of that nearly decade-long journey, he even had a companion, aboard her own motorcycle. During his time abroad, Manicom made an important discovery. “I found that a handshake and a smile and a ‘hello’ in somebody’s language gets you through an awful lot of very difficult situations,” he says. “You show respect to people and they’ll be gobsmacked, to begin with. Then, they tentatively smile back. All of a sudden, so many issues just melt away. It was such a good lesson to learn.” Connect with Us: Website: www.driventoridepodcast.com Instagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcast Facebook: www.facebook.com/driventoride Email: hello@driventoridepodcast.com

iRideArusha is the entry point for exploring Tanzania by motorcycle. On this episode of the “Driven to Ride” podcast, Kevin Bulger describes to host Mark Long how he and wife Sylvia, a native of the East African country, founded the company. Bulger’s big idea was to share his passion for adventure, motorcycles, and travel with like-minded enthusiasts from around the world. “I’m not one of those guys that’s been riding since I was five years old,” admits the Chicagoan. In fact, he didn’t even throw a leg over a motorcycle of his own until he was an adult. “I bought that bike and literally rode it to every corner of every neighborhood in the city. It opened my eyes. ‘Wow, how diverse and broad and wonderful Chicago is.’ That got me interested to explore the wider world." An investigative trip led to an opportunity better even than the Bulgers imagined. Rather than start an entirely new company, they partnered with the owner of iRideNairobi, a tour company in Kenya. “I thought, ‘We can open locations across East Africa,” says Kevin. “That’s sort of our grand vision—multiple outposts where riders can start in one location and end in another.” Grand, indeed. Connect with Us: Website: www.driventoridepodcast.com Instagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcast Facebook: www.facebook.com/driventoride Email: hello@driventoridepodcast.com

Cory Texter was practically born with a throttle in his hand. His grandfather Ray owned a Harley-Davidson dealership in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Father Randy was a successful national-number flat-tracker and an AMA U.S. Twin Sports champion. Sister Shayna has won 19 American Flat Track Singles races. Cory himself notched two AFT Production Twins titles. Texter is the very definition of a self-starter. Before retiring from professional competition, he earned a college degree and tried his hand at journalism, podcasting and, most recently, race promoting—all successfully. In fact, he just wrapped the eighth edition of the “Winter Throwdown,” a Florida tradition geared toward amateur flat-trackers that draws 800-plus entries. Racing is a metaphor for other aspects of his life, says Texer, 38, a husband and father of two young boys. “It’s such a simple thing when you break it down. There’s a green light to start the race, and there’s a checkered flag. You have to figure out a way to get to the checkered flag before everybody else, and you don’t always have to be the fastest guy to do that.” Connect with Us: Website: www.driventoridepodcast.com Instagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcast Facebook: www.facebook.com/driventoride Email: hello@driventoridepodcast.com

If you like watching riding vlogs, motorcycle reviews, or hey, even listening to a moto podcast, you have Genevieve Schmitt to thank for it. Genevieve has blazed her own trail for basically her entire career. From reporting on the seat of a motorcycle on the Speed Channel (and earning the title of first woman to do so) to founding Women Riders Now dot com back in the early 2000s - before most people even thought about launching a motorcycle website - and growing it to an audience reaching the hundreds of thousands, she’s led the charge in the industry for not just women in motorcycling, but for any moto-content creator. Genevieve wrote and covered stories from the female perspective, and surprise - it turns out that a whole lot of riders, male and female, appreicated Genevieve’s work - sharing her opinions on industry trends, motorcycle legislation, and reviewing bikes from not just stats from a spec sheet, but how a motorcycle actually makes you feel when you ride it. There’s a reason she’s has earned the the title of “top 100 leaders in powersports”, too - Genevieve has toured the country giving seminars on introducing women to motorcycling, she’s been featured on the History Channel, ABC News, USA Today, The New York Times, and more, and she’s scooped up industry awards left and right, including the AMA’s Bessie Stringfield award. Connect with Us: Website: www.driventoridepodcast.com Instagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcast Facebook: www.facebook.com/driventoride Email: hello@driventoridepodcast.com

WATCH THE FULL FILM HERE In the classic 19th century Jules Verne novel, “Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours,” eccentric Brit Phileas Fogg and his French valet, Passepartout, wager they can circumnavigate the world in 80 days. That nearly three-month time table would have been a walk in the park for the Vancouver-based content team at YouTube motorcycle sensation “FortNine.” Ryan Kluftinger , Connor Bondlow, and Edwin El Bainou set out to ride across America, Europe, India, Southeast Asia, Australia, and then back through Alaska, the carrot being the current world record of 19 days and change, all while filming their every move. Their motorcycles of choice for this ultimate “Iron Butt” adventure? A pair of Ducati Multistrada V4 Rallys. While Kluftinger describes their global lap as “the greatest ride of my life,” the two-plus-week excursion (no spoilers!) wasn’t without moments of undeniable reality. “What we were doing was fun and exciting,” he says, “and suddenly you remember the danger associated with it.” “Yalla Habibi!” premiered at the Rio Theater in Vancouver on December 22. Watch the trailer , or jump into the full film ! Connect with Us: Website: www.driventoridepodcast.com Instagram: www.Instagram.com/driventoridepodcast Facebook: www.facebook.com/driventoride Email: hello@driventoridepodcast.com