Today's update as I take a little break from my "real job:"
The low beam blew on the RT. I would rather stab myself in the eye with a rusty nail than replace that bulb myself. RT bulb replacements are an endeavor from the seventh level of Hell - at least when you have large hands. The manual comically shows the space where the bulb is located, as though it's actually accessible. Cruel German humor... Ugh......
The Dainese rainsuit review is officially in at #MCN. I also got some exciting secret news from one of my editors who wants to collaborate on some videos. I also got more kind words from viewers encouraging me. All I see are flaws, but they seem to enjoy the "conciseness" of the info as presented. The wind is at my back! I got Rider and MCN to "like" my Facebook page, so hopefully there will be some cross traffic there. Meanwhile, the Youtube channel continues to grow, closing in on 200 subscribers in only a few days.
I also rejoined my original Sportster forum, where I used to hang out from 1998-2006. Some of the old crew are still in there, and remember me! I will try to give the Sportster crowd something to watch, too. Who doesn't love Sportsters?
I think that next I will focus on the Helite Airbag vest. That's a pretty nifty product! I have one here to test, and the 13 year old living inside my head can't wait to pull the cord on the gas canister and watch the vest "explode" open. I think I'll start that piece tonight after work.
I wonder how flexible I can get with my channel. I'd like to rant a little. Meditate a little from the road, where I do my best thinking. I'd like to show common household items which can help riders save money. Maybe people are interested in what I think about other riding topics, not just product reviews. Or maybe not. We'll see where we go. It's nice having the freedom to experiment!
Another productive day. The Thunder Press article on the #Harley FXRG is officially submitted, and I almost finished with another for #Motorcycle Consumer News, testing Dainese's new D-Crust Plus rain suit.
It's hard to photograph this neon green color, which just *pops!* I was dry, and that was good, but getting in and out of the pants was a different subject entirely.
Meanwhile my first vid seems to be doing OK. I've got 173 views in 22 hours, and I'm up to 180 subscribers in only a few days. Most comments are positive, and I even got some great advice from some pro videographers on bmwrt.com, my favorite BMW forum.
So much to learn, but it's all fun.
Next week's vid is more fun, by definition, because it involves #Moto-Guzzis. What could possibly be more fun than Guzzis??
It's hard to believe that just a few weeks ago, when the idea came to fruition, I didn't know the first thing about any of this. My only real social media experience was on Facebook. Now I'm trying to branch out, to spread the word about this idea, and to see if anyone's interested in it. I had an awful flu plus allergies when I recorded this first vid, so my voice is rather muted, but that will get better on the next vids. Also, I have a new Go Pro on the way so I can start taking proper action shots.
What a morning at #Orlando's! (Orlando's is a cafe in Hopewell, NJ, which attracts a large contingent of classic and vintage motorcycle riders on Sunday mornings.) It must be the holiday weekend, combined with the threat of imminent rain tomorrow, but the turnout was tremendous today. Of all the old beasts on display, this 1975 Moto Guzzi 850 police bike stole my heart...
Obviously there have been "improvements" from the original along the way, such as the Eldorado instrument cluster. The motor, I believe, is a 1,000cc mill, not an 850. The rear passenger pad is from BMW. But everything was so tastefully done, and.... The electric siren (which you can see right behind the rear saddlebag's guard) works!
I love these old machines. I pulled in on my 2013 V7 Racer, and parked right next to this Goose. Lineage. Character! I love it!!
I launch my first Youtube video tonight. I'm up to almost 150 subscribers on the channel and over 400 views of my trailer, in barely over 24 hours. I hope the viewers like what they see!
I posted my trailer vid in a few Facebook groups that I follow. About 24 hours have gone by since I started, and I'm up to 121 subscribers on Youtube. My trailer has been viewed over 310 times! Pretty amazing. I hope the viewers are happy with the content of the videos I'm going to post in the coming days.....
I also finished up a review of Harley's #Switchback #FXRG jacket as well, for a Thunder Press article. I've been using it for 3 seasons and was initially skeptical, but grew to like it over time. Some serious engineering went into the removable panel design, which allows the rider to strip nearly all the leather off the jacket in 2 minutes flat, leaving a lightly armored mesh exterior shell underneath for those roasting summer days. One jacket for all seasons? The Harley / cruiser crowd will approve, I think!
Monday it's supposed to storm, so it's a perfect excuse to finish my my #Dainese D-Crust rain gear review, and more importantly, to take pictures in the downpours!
It's either in the blood, or it's not. For me, it always has been. No matter
what forces the universe cooked up to throw my life for a curve, there was
always the glorious, soothing feeling of simply going for a ride. No doctor, no
pill, and no money could cure the blues faster than a quick rip-roaring tear
through the local serpentine back roads. It's in the blood! It has been since I
was two years old, when I kicked my stroller over so I could sit on a random
Honda I spotted in a Californian parking lot. It can't be denied, like
breathing itself.
Over the past two decades on two wheels, I’ve ridden hundreds of thousands of
miles in multiple countries, tested hundreds of products, and published
countless reviews in national motorcycle magazines like Motorcycle Consumer
News, BMW Owner's News, Thunder Press, Rider, and many others. A couple of weeks ago, meditating on my well worn riding suit as I commuted to
work on the miserable New Jersey Turnpike, it hit me: Reviews generally focus
on gear when it's new, or nearly new. This dovetailed with another nagging
annoyance, which is that print leaves so much out of the experience. Would a
motorcyclist want to read my description of what an aftermarket exhaust sounds
like, or would she rather hear it for herself on video? Within the span of that
commute, the idea for Moto-Mouth Moshe was born. So, I started a Youtube channel a few days ago, and I have a few videos which
I'm going to upload soon. Two weeks ago, my idea of photography was "point
and shoot in auto mode." Now, I'm learning the skills of videography
required to make what is hopefully valued content to my fellow riding comrades.
My plan is to examine new products, as well as revisit some previously tested
gear to see how it’s held up under abuse. Motorcycle jackets, pants, boots,
gloves, glasses, helmets, action cameras, exhaust systems, radar detectors,
rain suits, tank bags, aftermarket seats, windshields, aux lights - basically,
farkles. I'll also cover other motorcycle topics like technical instructions,
modifications, and safety tips. The ultimate goal is interactivity. A democratic process where my viewers can
decide what products they want to see reviewed, and a system in which I can
speak to them and vice versa directly, and nearly instantaneously. It's very different than the print media I'm used to, but I'm excited to start
down this path and to see where it leads. If you like motorcycles, please visit
my Youtube page at Moto Mouth
Moshe's Youtube Channel
My first upload is a simple trailer
of what's to come. See you guys out on the road, and don't forget: Keep the
shiny side up! -MKL
