ADV Cannonball

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Iran can feel like a headline, a warning label, a place you’re supposed to have an opinion about without ever meeting the people who live there. We wanted something better than that, so we sat down with world-renowned author and rider Lois Pryce to talk about what actually happens when you show up on a motorcycle with curiosity, humility, and a willingness to be changed.

Lois takes us from her BBC music department days and the moment she realized she needed out, through the early internet era of clunky travel blogging that accidentally launched a writing career. From there we go deep into Revolutionary Ride and the idea that motorcycle travel isn’t “taking on” a country, it’s being in it. We talk about fear versus imagination, how Western news framing sticks in your brain, and why the reality on the ground in places like Iran can be radically more human, more funny, and more generous than you expect. We also get practical about responsibility: how to tell travel stories with nuance, how to stay aware without becoming naive, and why posting the wrong thing online can turn into real risk.

Then we switch gears to the ADV Cannonball Rally world with Deanna, better known as Dutch Minion And Her Bike, who’s building waypoints and routes for the 2027 European rally. She explains how the Netherlands becomes a rider’s playground on dike roads and reclaimed land, how to design waypoint puzzles that force smart navigation, and what it takes to ride big miles year after year. If you’re into adventure riding, GPS navigation, route planning, and the culture that makes riders help riders, you’ll feel right at home.

If you enjoyed the mix of adventure, hard truths, and laugh-out-loud detours, subscribe, share this with a riding buddy, and leave a review so more people can find the show.
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200 miles an hour is loud, violent, and unforgiving, yet the best riders describe it as calm. We sit down with Isle of Man TT racer Marcus “Spartacus” Simpson and let him talk us through the Mountain Course the way he actually rides it: markers, gears, blind crests, jumps, cambers, and the kind of decisions that happen before you even arrive at the corner. Listening to a TT racer narrate a full lap from inside a car makes one thing painfully clear: what looks like chaos on video is often methodical precision built on repetition.

Along the way, we get practical about riding and racing technique. Spartacus explains why the neutral zone (no throttle, no brake) makes the bike vague, why steady inputs keep stability on bumpy high-speed sections, and how breathing and heart-rate control can be the difference between smooth and blown apart. We also talk about the reality behind the highlight reels: normal jobs in the off-season, sponsorship that rarely means a salary, and why the TT still pulls people back even when the risks are obvious.

We wrap with community news and route planning for the ADV Cannonball Rally. There’s an update on scooter cannonball uncertainty and what modernization could look like, plus a rideout recommendation for Hurricane Ridge and Obstruction Point. Then we get into the big announcement: the 2027 Baja Edition moves fully to the USA, and the 2027 America rally goes Portland to Portland, from Maine to Oregon, with a mix of mud, slab days, mountain roads, and optional backcountry challenges.

Subscribe for more two-wheeled nonsense, share this with a rider who loves corner strategy, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What part of the TT story hits you hardest: the technique, the risk, or the sacrifice?
Support the show
Free Music from the show on SPOTIFY and on APPLE
Aaron's Ride Outs Map HERE
Support us directly on Venmo: https://venmo.com/u/Aaron-Pufal
Support us on Patreon HERE
Buy us a Coffee HERE
The Motorcycle Book and Film Clubs.
The Living List Document GOOGLE DOC
Contact the Podcast [email protected]
ADV Cannonball Rally Home
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A coast-to-coast adventure rally sounds wild, but the real story is how regular riders turn a huge goal into a workable plan. We’re joined by three newcomers to the ADV Cannonball Rally who could not be more different on paper: Alex heading in on a Yamaha XMAX 300 scooter, Matt bringing long-distance experience on a Yamaha Tenere 700, and Jan travelling from Oslo, Norway to ride his BMW F800GS in the US. Their mix of nerves and excitement is exactly what first-timers feel before a long-distance motorcycle rally, and we get specific about what they’re doing to be ready. 

We dig into the things that keep riders up at night: the strange new sound that might mean a mechanical failure, what to carry for basic roadside repairs, and how light you can pack without setting yourself up to suffer. We also talk tires and strategy across long pavement days followed by rougher off-road sections, including the real challenge of trying to schedule a tire swap mid-route when you roll into town late and dealerships close early. If you have ever debated tools vs weight, or wondered what “minimum viable kit” actually looks like, you will hear a few hard-earned perspectives. 

Navigation is the other big pillar. Offline maps, backups, dead zones, and a key warning: default GPS routing can claim you’ve arrived while leaving you stuck on the wrong side of a river or ravine. For remote checkpoints, you may need to build your own track instead of trusting turn-by-turn directions. We round it out with safety planning like Garmin inReach satellite communication, layering for heat and potential high-altitude cold, and setting realistic goals whether you just want to finish or you want to chase awards. 

If you got value from this, subscribe, share the episode with a riding buddy, and leave a review so more riders can find it. What is your number one piece of prep you would not skip before an adventure motorcycle trip?
Support the show
Free Music from the show on SPOTIFY and on APPLE
Aaron's Ride Outs Map HERE
Support us directly on Venmo: https://venmo.com/u/Aaron-Pufal
Support us on Patreon HERE
Buy us a Coffee HERE
The Motorcycle Book and Film Clubs.
The Living List Document GOOGLE DOC
Contact the Podcast [email protected]
ADV Cannonball Rally Home
GPS Checkpoint Rally & Event App Home
ADV Cannonball Rally on Facebook Instagram TikTok
Mailing Address ...

Send us Fan Mail
The Isle of Man TT isn’t compelling because it’s polished. It’s compelling because it’s real public roads, real consequences, and a level of commitment that most of us can’t even imagine. We ride out to meet legendary motorcycle journalist and author Stuart Barker, then let him pull back the curtain on what the TT actually is: a 37.75-mile mountain course with hundreds of corners, brutal hazards, and a culture that refuses to pretend the dark parts don’t exist.

We talk about Barker’s career inside the racing world, why he believes honesty is a form of respect, and what he learned from interviewing riders and families who’ve lived through loss. Along the way, we break down road racing versus circuit racing, why the TT takes two weeks, how newcomers learn the course today, and why the event keeps drawing riders back even when prize money is modest and the risks are obvious.

Then we swing back to our own chaos: Europe route scouting for the 2027 ADV Cannonball Rally, rally app improvements, and the kind of practical navigation advice that saves your day when you’re cold, wet, and staring at a glitchy GPX track. We also give a clear warning about extreme checkpoints: they’re optional, they’re serious, and “self rescue” isn’t a slogan.

If you like motorcycle racing, adventure riding, and stories that don’t flinch, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a riding buddy, and leave us a five-star review so the algorithm gods stop pretending we don’t exist.
Support the show
Free Music from the show on SPOTIFY and on APPLE
Aaron's Ride Outs Map HERE
Support us directly on Venmo: https://venmo.com/u/Aaron-Pufal
Support us on Patreon HERE
Buy us a Coffee HERE
The Motorcycle Book and Film Clubs.
The Living List Document GOOGLE DOC
Contact the Podcast [email protected]
ADV Cannonball Rally Home
GPS Checkpoint Rally & Event App Home
ADV Cannonball Rally on Facebook Instagram TikTok
Mailing Address ...

Send us Fan Mail
We’re working overseas, riding bikes, and gathering content for the next episode!
Support the show
Free Music from the show on SPOTIFY and on APPLE
Aaron's Ride Outs Map HERE
Support us directly on Venmo: https://venmo.com/u/Aaron-Pufal
Support us on Patreon HERE
Buy us a Coffee HERE
The Motorcycle Book and Film Clubs.
The Living List Document GOOGLE DOC
Contact the Podcast [email protected]
ADV Cannonball Rally Home
GPS Checkpoint Rally & Event App Home
ADV Cannonball Rally on Facebook Instagram TikTok
Mailing Address ...