Brappy Thoughts Archives - Motorcycle Mojo

Don’t Let Ego Get in the Way

Ever since I was a kid, I always look forward to January. Sure, new year, new beginnings, blah, blah, blah. What really got me excited was the anticipation for the Dakar Rally. Reading news and...

Mighty Max

I want to preface this column by saying this is meant to convey a happy realization rather than a morbid understanding. Some of you may be familiar with Max Burns, writer and long-time journalist for...

Beware: The Common Tourist

There’s nothing quite like exploring the wilds of North America. Peaks that reach the sky, decorated with trees older than the creatures that call them home. And, as summer ascends the snow-capped...

A Juxtaposition

It’s funny how when you’re immersed in an industry you may not see just how much something might be wrong; maybe you’re too close to the picture to understand what it looks like. Recently I...

Taking Safety Into Your Own Hands

In the January/February 2024 issue of Motorcycle Mojo, I wrote a column titled “Organized Chaos.” I was surprised to see the heightened response in readers. Thank you to everyone who wrote in and...

The Shows Must Go On

It’s that time of year again: the snow slowly dissipates from the earth to reveal a glimpse of what summer will hold (at least in the parts of Canada that received snowfall this year). But before...

A Reflection of Self

Do you ever catch a glimpse of your motorcycle and see yourself embodied by the machine I do, and I’m happy that we still have an emotional connection to the bikes that we ride — we thrive when...

Organized Chaos

One thing I’ve learned this past year with humility is how driving in North America is different to everywhere else in the world, and not necessarily for the better. I used to think it was great: a...

To See, or Not to See.

Ahh, but what would I be doing if I didn’t spend as much time as possible trying to hurt myself I, of course, would then have no words of wisdom to pass on to you fine readers. I wouldn’t be able...

Healing Pains

I am sitting here on the couch with my arm in a sling while writing today. I’m specifically reminded of my very first column in Motorcycle Mojo, “Life After an Injury” (August 2020). In my...

Don’t Wait to See the World

As I sit here in Mozambique soaking in the salt water from the Indian Ocean, I’m contemplating how to get back here on my own bike. It’s becoming more and more apparent why tour companies are so...

Feels Like the First Time

There’s nothing quite like the experience of getting a new, or new-to-you, motorcycle. From the moment you first see it and inspect it, to when you bring it home and imagine all the experiences...