Track Days

October 19, 2026

Sport Touring CornerBy Norm Kern Motorcycle track days are organized events where riders take their bikes to a closed racetrack to ride in a controlled, traffic-free environment, typically divided into skill-level groups (novice, intermediate, advanced) with sessions lasting 15-20 minutes each throughout the day. They’re popular among those who want more than just street riding.…

About Quickshifters

October 14, 2026

Sport Touring Corner By Norm Kern What is a Quickshifter? Quickshifters use a strain gauge sensor in the gearshift lever linkage that detects force on the gearshift lever when shifting. The signal is used to momentarily reduce engine power and unload the drive train to enable shifting to the next higher gear without having to use…

How to Store Your Motorcycle Over the Winter

October 9, 2026

A Simple Step-by-Step Guide to Protecting Your Bike During the Off-Season Storing your motorcycle properly during the winter months is essential to keep it in good condition and ensure a smooth ride when spring arrives. Cold temperatures, moisture, and long periods of inactivity can cause damage to your motorcycle if not addressed beforehand. This guide…

The Most Popular Concealed Carry Firearms

October 6, 2026

A Comprehensive Guide to Top Choices for Personal Defense In a world where personal safety and preparedness are rising concerns, the decision to carry a concealed firearm is an important one for many individuals. The choice of which firearm to carry is influenced by a range of factors including reliability, size, caliber, capacity, ergonomics, and…

Rider Hand Signals: Speak Up Without Saying a Word

October 5, 2026

Rider Hand Signals: Speak Up Without Saying a Word Long before Bluetooth headsets, phone mounts, and handlebar gadgets, riders had a simple way of keeping the pack together: hand signals. No batteries. No pairing. No dropped connection. Just a rider’s arm cutting through the wind, letting everyone behind them know what’s coming next. And truth…

CHASING THE LAST GOOD MILES

September 16, 2026

Fall can deliver the best riding of the year: crisp air, spectacular color and less traffic. It also quietly removes your margin for error. Shorter daylight, cold pavement, wet leaves, low sun, fogged shields and deer can turn a familiar road into a different ride. TREAT FALL AS ITS OWN RIDING SEASON The smart move…

Reasons to Ride Ride Stop Poker Cards!

September 15, 2026

Something to go with those custom poker chips you’ve been collecting! Yet another crazy idea from your friends at Reasons To Ride – Ride Stop Poker Cards! Every year, we hand out thousands of promotional cards featuring upcoming rides, motorcycle events, and recommended Ride Stops. This year, we decided to do something a little different—and…

Layering Your Motorcycle Gear

September 14, 2026

A few suggestions for Staying Safe and Comfortable on the Road This time of year – riding a motorcycle can expose you to changing weather conditions – including wind, temperatures, and rain (maybe even ice and snow!)  It’s important that you dress appropriately – and we usually recommend layering your riding gear.  Layering not only…

Downsizing My Dual Sport Bike

September 9, 2026

Sport Touring Corner By Norm Kern As my regular readers know, I have been downsizing my bikes to postpone aging out. The process began in 2020 when I added a 650 Suzuki V Strom XT to my stable and learned I could live with a much lighter chain drive bike.  Last September I purchased a…

What is Moravec’s Paradox and What it has to do With Motorcycling?

September 3, 2026

Sport Touring Corner By Norm Kern Moravec’s paradox is an observation by artificial intelligence and robotics researchers that reasoning requires very little computation while sensorimotor and perception skills require enormous computational resources. What does that have to do with riding motorcycles? For me, everything! When I read about Moravec’s paradox the other day, it took…

Reasons To Ride Blogs ///

Reasons to Ride is your one stop for all reasons to ride, from flat track racing to articles from industry leaders. Enjoy blogs from Reasons To Ride Contributors!

PAY ATTENTION

by RICK WYATT Got a big yuck out of a meme I saw the other day, it was a picture of a crotch rocket lying on its side in front of a gas pump with the caption “Motorcycle faints after seeing the price of gasoline!”  It was funny and cute, but unfortunately there was that sliver of truth that is…

Preparing for 2022 Riding Season

Welcome back, hope you all are doing well, if not, please don’t hesitate to reach out for help. I’m so ready for the riding season here in Michigan, actually I was ready 4 months ago LOL.  I want to remind everyone before they go start up their bike that there are a few things you need to remember to do. …

Answers to Common Questions about
Ohio’s New Permitless Carry Law

Senate Bill 215 has been signed into law and will make it legal to carry a concealed handgunwithout a license in Ohio beginning on June 13, 2022.Generally referred to as “permitless carry” or “constitutional carry,” this legislation will make several important changes to Ohio’s concealed carry laws:Ohio’s concealed handgun license (CHL) will become optional. If you are currently qualified by…

STUDY PROVES THAT RIDING A MOTORCYCLE REDUCES STRESS By Laura Thomson

We knew it! Article courtesy of Visordown.com It’s the age old remedy to a bad day, going for a ride. And now a study from the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behaviour, at the University of California, Los Angeles, has proven that riding is, in fact, very good for your mental health. The study, which was funded by Harley-Davidson…

Vinton County Wild Turkey Festival & Bike Show

This year we are kicking off the Thunder Roads Bike Show Series and really our riding season with the Wild Turkey Festival in Vinton County.  For over 35 years, the Festival has been held at the intersection of US Route 50 and State Route 93 in downtown McCarthur. Inspired by our experiences in Geneva-on-the-Lake over the last 10 years, our…

TRO CHAMPIONSHIP BIKE SHOW SERIES  APRIL 2022 UPDATE!

We’ve always believed that the best thing about our bike show series is the people that both exhibit and attend.  This isn’t just about the bikes – but about the people building and riding them as well.  After doing these shows for more than 10 years, its great seeing how many connections and friendships that have developed over the years…

Finding Fun Adventure Riding Nearby-Sport Touring Corner By Norm Kern

Last month we discussed how to find nearby twisty roads for day rides. For this month I’ve been working on a couple of routes that I can use to practice riding my 650 Suzuki V Strom on gravel roads. How do you find gravel roads other than go out looking for them? I started by asking adventure riding friends who…

Finding Run Riding Nearby-Sport Touring Corner By: Norm Kern

During regular riding season (which is just around the corner!) Sport Touring Corner will concentrate on multi-day trips and rallies, but most sport touring riders with little vacation time and have to get most of their riding enjoyment from short rides of a day or less, limiting them to a one or two hundred mile radius from home. Even though…

15 DIY TIPS to Ready your Motorcycle for Spring

Did your heart sink as you watched the snow melt and realized you hadn’t winterized your motorcycle? These DIY motorcycle tips can get your bike ready for spring and get you on the road for a smooth highway cruise. 1. Check for Small Animals and Debris If you haven’t covered your bike thoroughly for the winter, you may be surprised…

Getting Older Without Getting Old- Extending Your Riding Years-Part 1- Downsizing

Sport Touring Corner By Norm Kern 2021 has been a good riding season for me- attended a dozen sport touring rallies with over sixty travel days, enjoyed many one-day rides and even a few adventure and dual-sport events. Am fortunate to have had good health this year- plenty of energy and no aches or pains- but know it won’t be…