Today we present an interview with the Internet's own "Prubert", Sport-Touring.net's resident industry insider. But what some people might not know about Prubert is that he's the former co-host and founder of the Motocast motorcycle podcast, and later the short-lived Sidestand Cafe podcast, presented by Aerostich. Readers who wish to subscribe to back episodes of Motocast can visit the website at http://motocast.libsyn.com/.
Pru, thanks for taking the time.
No problem, thanks for asking...
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself. General biography type stuff, and how you got interested in riding in the first place. What bikes or bike styles have you enjoyed and prefer?
A: It started in 1986 when I took the MSF course on a 1982 Yamaha Seca 400. My friend John's family owned the local Honda Motorcycle dealer and he got me into it.
I have been on few bikes since then but I always come back to a Sport-Touring type of bike. I have had a couple of Honda VFRs, a Triumph Sprint ST and a Speed Triple. Got a Buell Ulysses for a while and now I'm on an FJR. I just enjoy the Sport-Touring bikes, they are comfy enough to ride as long as you want but still can be quite a fun bike on the backroads.
Q: I know you work in the industry that we all love, and I'm sure you're under pretty specific guidelines about what you can and can't say, so we won't ask for any specifics in that regard. But I think we would all love to know; is working in the motorcycle industry the dream job that we all envision it to be? Do you find it getting in the way of actually enjoying the lifestyle, or enhancing it? Or is it best for you to consider it "just a job"?
A: Yeah, this is all of my own opinions and not of my employer, "the typical legal stuff". I think I am "living the dream" for now. My job allows me to ride as part of the job and when I am at work, it is all about motorcycles. There are some people at work that it is just another job, and others that have been at it so long they are worn out, but I am not there yet.
I can be at my desk reading cycle mags and looking at cycle sites and I am doing my job!! How cool is that!
Q: Again, without going into any specifics you may not be able to discuss, can you tell us a little bit about what you do in the industry at the moment? Can you tell us a little bit about the work, the rewards for the type of work you do? The perks?
A: I can tell you that I work for Rider's Edge, part of Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Company. I help the dealers in my region that carry the Rider's Edge program with their programs.
My job is to make sure my the Rider's Edge dealers programs are operating within the rules that are set by the MSF, their local & state governments and Rider's Edge. I also consult with the dealers to help them optimize the their programs.
I work in the field about 60% of the time and I get to ride to my dealers. So, I get paid to ride my bike!! How much of a perk is that?? I also get to attend events sponsored by the company as a employee representative.
H-D has quite a history and it is very cool to be a part of it.
Q: Let's talk about the podcasts. What got you interested in doing the podcast initially? Was Motocast your first effort? Do you have other experience in journalism or broadcasting?
A: My co-worker (Chuck Tomasi) got into podcasting early on and shared it with the group that I worked in at the time. He does a podcast called Chuck-chat and had me on as a guest for one show. When it was done I had the idea of doing a motorcycle related podcast, and Chuck helped me get it going. I had NO broadcast or journalism experience... none. That is the great thing about podcasting, you can do it for almost nothing and you really don't have to have any prior skill.
My idea was just to talk about bikes, much like I did with the folks I met in person or online. I asked a few of my friends if they were interested and we started from there. Chuck got us started, pointing out all of the free programs to mix and record shows. There is a site called libsyn that is a hosting site for amature podcasters...we used them as our distribution point and we were up and running!
We did motocast for about a year and half then Andy Goldfine from Aerostich approached me with an idea to do a podcast with him. After some meetings we set things up, but unfortunately it didn't go as well as Motocast. I guess I am not the staged performance type of person that Andy was looking for and the show faltered. When I got the job with H-D I had to get out and the show ended.
I must say it was a great experience but if I had to do it all over again I would stick with motocast. Just a bunch of moto-nuts talking bikes and having fun. Andy had some excellent ideas, but I was not the guy to carry them out.
Q: Motocast was a group- or panel-hosted show most episodes, was it not? Were your co-hosts all personal friends or were you all business contacts that got together to do the show. Whose idea was it? Can you tell us a little bit about the other members of the 'cast?
A: Motocast was a panel type show that I hosted. It started with Nate & Brandon, a couple of friends from one of the VFR related mail lists that we were on. I asked them to join me after hearing a one-man show and how plain they could sound. I figured that having a couple of us would make things interesting. Brandon was not available as much as we needed him so a local (to me) guy heard the show and wanted to join. That is where Dr. Dave came in and most of the shows were Nate & me, with Dr. Dave and Brandon sometimes showing up.
The show started out as my idea that I pitched to the others, then it grew as we started doing it. Nate & Dr. Dave really did add much to the show. I did most of the show mixing/editing but Nate would do some shows to share the load.
All of us were just the run of the mill guys that you see on any motorcycle mail list; we went audio with our chats.
Q: Motocast is still considered by many to be the standard in motorcycle podcasts. From my personal perspective, I haven't found any that measure up. You obviously were doing something right as you were able to get sponsorship and later Aerostich sponsored the 'Cast exclusively. Can you tell us a little bit about the format and formula you chose? And was it something you tweaked considerably before the first episode was ever heard by the public?
A: Wow, thanks for the compliment!! I don't know how I came up with it. I was listening to what others did and figured out how to plug in motorcycle content. We got into it on the ground floor and I still think the medium has a lot to go. Sponsors were trying to get in and there were not many choices, our appeal was that we were very broad with our material. We would talk about anything dealing with motorcycles, where other podcasts were very specific at the time (MotoGP, Crusiers, ama racing, etc).
The first episode was me convincing Nate and Brandon to call in via Skype, then getting to the Chuck-Chat studios (I didn't have a clue how to mix a show at that point) and coming up with a really rough outline for the show. Chuck queued us up and we were off and running. From there I learned how to mix the shows then we did them all from our living rooms. We would create a show idea, come up with an outline and go. Once we started getting outside people wanting to join us it just started to grow.
Q: Later, Motocast was shut down in favor of The Sidestand Cafe podcast, presented by Aerostich. The show didn't last all that long. The format was very different, the production quality was different and it seemed to be more socially focused than product or event focused. Can you tell us a little bit about the changes and what happened to make Sidestand Cafe such a short-lived property?
A: Andy approached Nate & I to do a podcast for him. It was funny, Nate flew over and we rode up from the Appleton, WI area to Duluth to meet with him. It was October and snowing. We got a late start and were riding the snow and dark to talk to the Aerostich staff about the podcast.
(editorial note: I remember when that ride was featured on the 'Cast. One of the guys was on a borrowed Triumph, IIRC.)
At first Andy said he liked Motocast and wanted to sponsor it and wanted it to be Aerostich branded with something. He really wanted something that was more of a show, not just a bunch of guys sitting around. So, it went from a very loose Motocast and turned into a very elaborate production and type of Radio Show that was called the Sidestand Cafe. I assembled quite a staff of current podcasters, motorcycle industry folks and some random motorcyclists. The only problem was that I was out of my element. I am not that artistic and the show needed that.
We started out weak and really didn't have that much time to gel. I got the new job with H-D and had to bow out of the show and left it to Nate and Marc Cook to run. I think that once I left no one was really liking were it was going and it podfaded.
Andy did have a great idea but I think I was the wrong person for the job. If I had to do it again, I would have stuck with just doing plain 'ol Motocast.
Q: Do you miss doing the 'casts? Do you see yourself getting back into the public eye again in the future? Or do you consider the podcasting a "been there, done that, moving on" part of life? Are you happier working more "behind the scenes" now in regards to being an "Internet celebrity"?
A: I think I may do another podcast again... although my wife may not like it. It takes A LOT of time to put even a basic show together. With my job I am very busy and don't know if I would have the time to do anything consistently. I think if you had a show you would need to do it enough so it would be fun for people that would listen to it. Nothing is worse than hearing a good show and then wanting more, then never getting it!
I donít think I ever reached internet fame, never was trying to. I was just having fun talking about bikes and meeting new folks along the way.
(editorial note: Pru'... ask around man. A LOT of people know about Motocast!)
To tell you the truth, I don't know how much people know about our show. We would watch downloads and see if anyone was listening, but it was not important.
Q: What are the other members of the Motocast doing with themselves now? Do they work in the industry? Are they still in the public eye?
A: Nate finally got a job as a Fireman, Dr. Dave left his position with Safety First racing and is a tech inspector for the AMA series. Brandon has dropped off the face of the earth... I don't know where the hell he went off to.
Let's change gears a bit, here. I always wonder about other riders' perspectives on several of the more controversial topics in the motorcycling world. Let's do a few "10 words or fewer" topics. Just rattle off what comes to mind in a few short words. Feel free to "pass" on any you don't wish to talk about, or expand on if you so choose. Let's go...
Q: Helmet laws
A: Less Govt intervention, more education. Wear a helmet because you want to.
Q: Headlight modulators
A: Is that guy signaling me? Irritating, but that's the point.
Q: ABS
A: Love it. Everyone should try it, once it saves your bacon once you are hooked.
Q: ATGATT
A: Yes I do. Again, everyone has to choose for themselves, hopefully they learn why I do and choose to do the same.
Q: "The Pace"
A: The best way to ride.
Q: Track days
A: Have never been... on purpose. They are a gateway drug.
Q: "Tail of the Dragon" and other hyped-up roads
A: I love the dragon!! Go when no one is around in the early morning. There are lots of good roads and I like them all... and looking forward to finding more.
Q: Auto-clutches or shiftless riding like the FJR/AE or the Mana 800
A: Not for me, I can still shift, thank you.
Prubert, thanks so much for taking the time today. As a fan, I really miss the Motocast podcast. I really enjoyed the more general nature of Motocast, and the topical "segments" rather than making the whole show about one single topic. You had a good thing going, and there's a hole in the market now.
Is there anything you're currently working on that you'd like to talk about? How can people reach you if fans of the cast want to stay in touch? Thanks again.
Dood, I could bring it back.... but didn't think it was missed!! Funny, it was just something I did during the winter to expel my moto energy and was fun.
I am really surprised that some corporation has not jumped in by now. With the gaining popularity of MP3 capable players it seems like a natural step. I think if everyone knew how easy it was they would be all over it.
I gotta run and make some phone calls... maybe a reunion cast is in the works??
Thanks for listening to Motocast!!!
Smoke 'em if ya got 'em!!
Interview: Prubert, industry insider, podcaster, sport-touring fanatic
