Explore every episode of the podcast The Untypical Bikers

Well, this one didn't quite go where we expected!

This week we're joined by Dan from Drive Equals Balance, the YouTube channel that helped Liz finally get her head around slow control when she was learning to ride.

We thought we'd invited a motorcycle instructor and YouTuber onto the podcast. Turns out he's also an actor who's performed in The Lion King and the West End. How did we not know that?!

Once we'd recovered from that little revelation, we got chatting about all things motorbikes.

Why is riding slowly sometimes so much harder than riding quickly? Why do our brains seem to forget everything we've learned the moment an examiner appears? And why is passing your motorcycle test really only the beginning?

Dan shares some brilliant stories from his years teaching riders, including one determined woman who bought a Ducati before she'd even learned to ride!

And then there's Liz's Learning.

This week Liz confesses to a few questionable decisions when riding around bends, and Dan and Dazza have some advice. Apparently there's now homework involving rev matching. That should be interesting!

We've also got Dazza's Nerdy Minute, where he explains why some bikes make those lovely pops and bangs (much to Liz's delight), and a little disagreement about who owns a particular seat at Rykas.

Dan also gives us a sneak peek at what's coming next for Drive Equals Balance, including a book and a rather intriguing new project.

As always, plenty of motorbike chat, a few laughs and something new to learn.

And we'd love to know, what's something you've learned about riding that nobody told you when you were taking your test?


Mentioned in this episode and links for more information:

• i2i motorcycle academy
• Dan's video that finally made things click
• Dan's video about counter-steering
• Francis Noakes - Driving School TV
• Mindset Mastery With Claire
• I found they California Superbike School that Dazza mentioned
• Mental Health Motorbike meet in Portsmouth
  

#UntypicalBikers #DriveEqualsBalance #MotorcyclePodcast #MotorbikeLife #MotorcycleTraining #MotorcycleTips #LearnToRide #MotorcycleCommunity #BikerLife #MotorcycleSkills #TwoWheels #MotorbikeRiding #RideYourOwnRide

Darren went to France without Liz. She's not bitter about it at all.

This week, we're back to just the two of us and talking about Darren's first motorcycle trip to France in around ten years.

And it didn't exactly go smoothly.

Before he'd even got to France there were problems.

Not quite the start he'd planned.

Eventually he made it to Normandy, where he visited Pegasus Bridge, Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery before finally getting the chance to do what he'd actually gone there for, ride.

And it turns out the French roads were worth all the hassle. Quiet roads, beautiful scenery, polite drivers and what Darren reckons was one of the best motorcycle rides he's ever had.

We also chat about:

• what Darren discovered he needed before taking his bike to France
• why touring isn't quite as straightforward for either of us these days
• visiting the D-Day beaches and Normandy American Cemetery
• Darren's rather eventful relationship with ferries
• whether a two-bike trailer might make future adventures possible for us
• chain vs belt vs shaft drive in Darren's Nerdy Minute
• the little £12 throttle accessory that's made a huge difference to Liz's hands
• and a blooper that made Liz laugh so much we had to stop recording.

Links & things mentioned

🇫🇷 Information for taking a motorcycle into France, including current travel and vehicle requirements
📸 Ed the photographer, and the creator of our Nerdy Minute jingle
🏍️ Oxford Cruise Throttle Assist— the simple bit of kit Liz has been using to reduce the strain on her throttle hand
😂 Darren's definitely-not-a-stall clip on our Instagram page
🏍️ Motorcycle Live — coming up in November

We'd also really like to hear from anyone who uses a trailer to transport their bikes. We're considering a two-bike trailer so we can get the long, boring bit of a journey out of the way and save our bodies for the roads we actually want to ride.

Do you use one? What are the pros and cons? Is there one you'd recommend? Let us know.

And as always, if you've got a biking story, adventure, question, ride-out or event you'd like us to mention, drop us a DM.

Thanks for listening.

Take care and ride safe,
Liz & Dazza

What happens when you decide to celebrate your 50th birthday by riding motorbikes through the Himalayas?

In this episode we're joined by Nick Hammond, who shares the story of an incredible adventure with his brother Richard and a group of friends, riding Royal Enfield Himalayans through some of the highest mountain passes in the world.

From breathtaking scenery and challenging roads to a terrifying encounter with an Indian army lorry on the edge of a mountain, it's quite a 50th birthday experience!

We also chat about Nick's love of motorbikes, his Royal Enfield Himalayan 450, and the beautiful Ducati 600 SS that was a very special birthday present but spends rather more time being admired than ridden!

Plus, Dazza gets technical about Ducati engines in his Nerdy Minute, Liz shares another little lesson learnt out on the road, and we finally have a proper jingle for Dazza, thanks to one of our listeners! Thank you Ed Curthoys.

🏍️ Adventure Motorcycle Film Festival 2027

We're also giving a shout-out to the Adventure Motorcycle Film Festival, taking place at the Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal on 26–27 February 2027.

A weekend of motorcycle adventure films, stories and great company. Find out more and book tickets through the festival's website. This sounds fabulous.

We'd love to hear from you!

What's the most adventurous ride you've ever done? And is there a bike you've always dreamed of doing it on?

Mentioned in this episode and links for more information:

Royal Enfield
Ride Expeditions
Ghost Rail Rider
Ed Curthoys Photography

Reel Riders Podcast
Trial and Adventure Motorbike Podcast

Adventure Motorcycle Film Festival

How different was taking your motorbike test in 1988 compared with 2026?

Well, quite a lot!

This week we're comparing our very different experiences of getting our motorbike licences. From Dazza heading out on the road at 16 with no training whatsoever, to Liz navigating CBTs, theory tests, Mod 1 and Mod 2 nearly 40 years later.

And despite all those differences, there's one thing we have in common. We both failed part of it first time! Dazza in a slightly more spectacular way than Liz maybe.

Dazza also shares the story of his most serious accident just 10 days after his 17th birthday, which raises the question: Does today's more extensive training make us safer riders?

Plus, Dazza gets nerdy about countersteering, Liz shares what she's learnt about riding in the rain, and we discuss what we wish car drivers understood about motorcyclists.

A Special Mention – Iron Nomad

We've added a little extra to this episode after hearing from one of our listeners, Carl.

Carl founded Iron Nomad, a motorcycle-inspired clothing brand, in memory of his close friend Kevin, who sadly passed away in 2024, aged just 39.

Their friendship began at university in 2005 and took them on adventures around the world. Iron Nomad is Carl's way of keeping Kevin's memory and their shared spirit of adventure alive, and one we wanted to share with the biking community. Thank you, Carl, for getting in touch.

Liz also mentions the most amazing artist and biker Drawn Studio who does the most amazing drawing of motorbikes. In fact Liz has one of them in her living room. You should definitely check them out.

We'd love to hear from you! When did you take your bike test, and do you think you'd pass today's version?

And if you've got an event, a story or something you'd like us to share, get in touch!

This week we're joined by Lou and Paul from Mad About Bikes & Adventures for a conversation that goes from finding a love of biking later in life to one of the things currently dividing some issues at bike meets - rev bombing. Love it or hate it, it's here and we talk about it.

We start where we normally do asking Lou and Paul why they ride, and what they ride. Paul was super excited about picking up his new bike the following day. You'll be able to hear his smile!

Then we got onto bike meets.

Rev bombing. Burnouts. Wheelies. Showing off. And whether some of the behaviour we're seeing at bike meets could ultimately put the future of those meets at risk.

Paul and Dazza admit they weren't exactly angels in their younger biking days either - including one spectacular burnout that ended with a policeman emerging from the smoke.

We also discover:

🏍️ Why Paul is swapping his huge VFR1200 Crosstourer for a Honda Transalp
🏍️ How biking gave Lou a new adventure when her children grew up
🏍️ The trials and tribulations of parking your bike
🏍️ The difference between today's rev bombing and the showing off of the 80s and 90s
🏍️ Dazza's experience with some particularly questionable Ducati side stands
🏍️ And why Paul has somehow become YouTube's unofficial motorcycle weather forecaster.

It's bikes, friendship, questionable behaviour and plenty of laughs.

Thanks to Lou and Paul from Mad About Bikes & Adventures for joining us.

🎧 Listen/watch and let us know: what do you think about rev bombing at bike meets?

You can find Lou and Paul on:

YouTube, Insta and Facebook

And if you've got a question for Liz and Dazza, or a biking story, send it over to us on Instagram - it might make it into a future episode.

Ride safe,

Liz & Dazza
The Untypical Bikers Podcast

How do you choose the right motorbike?

For Dazza, that answer has changed quite a bit over nearly 40 years of riding. From what he could afford, to sports bikes, speed, racing and the bikes he wishes he'd never sold.

For Liz, with just over a year of riding under her belt, the process has been rather different. There was a green Harley Sportster she was convinced she wanted… until she actually sat on one. And eventually, a Triumph Scrambler 900 that turned out to be pretty much her perfect bike.

We also get into some of Dazza's favourite bikes from over the years, including his late-90s Ducati 900 SS that seemed to object to leaving the country, and the Harley that's become a bit like Trigger's broom.

Then it's time for Dazza's Nerdy Minute, with possibly one of the more unusual explanations of torque vs horsepower involving Tyson Fury, Bruce Lee and a brick.

And in Liz's Learning, Liz shares what happened when she accidentally found herself leading her first group ride… just as the heavens opened.

Plus, we chat about finding your biking community and why sometimes it's just nice to have someone else decide where you're riding.

And we want to hear from you…

Have you got – or did you used to have – a late-90s Ducati 900 SS? Dazza would love to see it, so send us a photo.

Or perhaps you've got a black and red Yamaha RD350 YPVS F2 like the one he owned back in the day. We'd definitely like to see that too.

And what's the bike YOU wish you'd never sold?

If you've got a biking question you'd like us to tackle, or something happening in the biking community you'd like us to give a shout-out to, send it our way.

Safe riding!

Liz & Dazza
The Untypical Bikers

How do you keep having motorbike adventures when your brain wants to keep going but your body sometimes says otherwise?

We’re joined by Saffy Sprocket, biker, adventurer and content creator, for a brilliantly untypical conversation about motorbikes, solo travel, chronic fatigue, hypermobility, adapting to your body and knowing when it's time to stop.

Saffy tells us how she got into biking almost by accident, failed her test five times and then, once she'd passed, headed off travelling around Europe despite having barely travelled alone or camped before.

Since then there have been some adventures.

And some questionable decisions.

We hear about creepy houses full of mannequins, wild animals raiding tents, broken bikes, military rations and why Saffy has become quite comfortable napping at petrol stations.

But we also talk about the reality behind those adventures.

Saffy shares how she manages chronic fatigue and other conditions, the adaptations she's made both on and off the bike, why she's become fascinated by heart rate variability and how she's learnt that managing energy isn't about fixing yourself.

Sometimes it's about finding another way.

Plus, Darren's Nerdy Minute returns with an explanation of why some Ducatis sound like someone has thrown a toolbox down the stairs.

🏍️ The Untypical Bikers Podcast

Motorbikes, the people who ride them and the stories that don't always fit the stereotype.

If you enjoy the episode, make sure you subscribe!

Dazza has turned up wearing a VERY bright Harley-Davidson T-shirt, a Harley hat and, just in case that wasn't enough, he's also permanently branded himself with a Harley-Davidson tattoo.

Which got us talking.

Why do bikers get so attached to the brands we ride? Can you ride a Moto Guzzi wearing a Harley T-shirt? What happens to all your Triumph merch when you sell the Triumph? And if you've bought leathers to perfectly match your bike, are you now committed to that colour forever?

Dazza takes us back to the days when biker branding wasn't quite so everywhere, including his own questionable period of bright yellow leathers, matching paint jobs and what Liz can only describe as his Bananaman era.

We also get into the other side of biker brands. Alpinestars, Dainese, Knox and the kit we choose because of safety, quality, fit or simply because we like the logo.

Then it's time for Dazza's Nerdy Minute, which once again lasts considerably longer than a minute.

This week: two-strokes.

Why do they sound like that? Why did they disappear? What makes them different to a four-stroke? And why do certain bikers of a certain age get VERY excited when they hear one arriving at a bike café?

Apparently the smell is part of it too.

We also look ahead to our trip to British Superbikes at Brands Hatch in October.

And we want to hear from you:

Are you loyal to your bike's brand? Would you wear a Harley T-shirt on a Guzzi? And have you got photographic evidence of some spectacular matching bike and leathers combinations from the 80s or 90s?

We REALLY want to see those.

Follow/subscribe for more from The Untypical Bikers Podcast.

Two very different bikers. A lot of motorbike chat. And an increasingly flexible definition of a Nerdy Minute.

Come and find us on The Untypical Biker Instagram page here

We're starting with two pretty important questions: what do you ride, and why do you ride?

Liz talks about going from a 125 to falling completely in love with her Triumph Scrambler 900, why the bike she originally thought she wanted wasn't actually right for her body, and why choosing a bike isn't necessarily about engine size or what you think you should be riding.

Dazza takes us through his current (slightly excessive) collection, including his new Moto Guzzi V7 Special, his Harleys and why, after more than a million miles on motorbikes, he's finding himself drawn back towards lighter bikes that are simply good fun to ride.

But we also get into the bigger question of why.

For Dazza, riding has been part of his life since he was 14. For Liz, it came much later and she discovered something she hadn't expected: being on a bike quietens her very busy brain.

Plus:

🏍️ Dazza introduces his first Nerdy Minute, complete with props when he talks about cc's.

🏍️ Liz shares her latest Liz's Learning: why the right bike isn't necessarily the biggest bike, but the one that feels right for you.

🏍️ We answer our first listener question: Does it matter what you ride? And what about turning up to a biker meet on a little 125?

🏍️ And we have a chat about the upcoming Brighton Burn Up and our previous attempt to join the ride… after everyone had already gone past.

Whether you've been riding for decades, you're wobbling around on L plates, you're thinking about getting your first bike, or you just really like motorbikes, you're welcome here.

Subscribe/follow so you don't miss the next episode.

And if you've got a question you'd like us to answer, or there's a biking event happening near you that you'd like us to give a shout-out to, send it our way on the Untypical Biker Instagram account here

The Untypical Bikers
Two very different bikers. A lot of motorbike chat. And apparently, now, props.

#MotorbikeLife #BikerTalk #RideYourRide #MotorcycleCommunity #TwoWheels #BikeLife #RidersOfInstagram #MotorbikeChat

Welcome to The Untypical Bikers Podcast!

Between us, we've got around 41 years of biking experience. Mind you 40 of those do belong to Dazza and only one belongs to Liz.

Dazza has been riding bikes since he was 14, has owned more bikes than he can probably remember (he is quite old now), and even had his own motorbike workshop.

Liz came to biking much later. After years of thinking motorbikes looked brilliant but that the biking world wasn't really somewhere she belonged, a midlife crisis (and meeting Dazza) changed all that.

The Untypical Bikers is basically what happens when you put a very experienced biker together with a relatively new one who asks A LOT of questions.

We'll be talking about the bikes we love, the things we've learnt, the mistakes we've made and probably going off on a few tangents along the way. But best of all. We'll be talking about our love of bikes.

Expect Liz's Learning, Dazza's Stories, listener questions and, because he insisted, Dazza's Nerdy Minute. He loves a good geek out about a bike.

We'll also be sharing what's happening out and about in the biking community, so if you've got a ride out, event or something you think other bikers should know about, send it our way.

Whether you've been riding for decades, have just got your first bike, are thinking about learning or simply love motorbikes, come and join us.

Subscribe so you don't miss Episode 1.

🏍️ The Untypical Bikers Podcast. Bikes, stories, questions and probably a fair amount of nonsense and a good laugh.

You can follow the podcast on Instgram: The Untypical Biker