In February, I received a call from one of my sponsors. Bridgestone informed me they were having a press launch for the latest adventure tire designed for bikes like my Super Tenere, and wanted to know if I could join them. Because I was one of the biggest personal consumers of this type of ... Read more
Long Haul Paul and Accidental Samaritans
The odds of crushing my motorcycle’s exhaust header into a pancake, destroying the engine sump guard, ripping off the oil filter, having four quarts of oil spew onto both wheels at high speed and living to tell about it are fairly slim, so someone was looking out for me on a cold and wet ... Read more
Should I Change my Latitude?
The New Hampshire winter started off pretty darn cold. December’s temperature never went above freezing, and the first snowfall is still on the ground, way at the bottom. Living in New England makes riding a motorcycle year-round a slightly unintelligent choice for transportation. Last year I found myself on one of New Hampshire’s scenic ... Read more
Adventure Capitalist
Adventure junkies are always seeking bigger and riskier adventures. Adventure for most of us comes with reading, planning or visiting a new place or trying new things. I write a lot about adventure, and I do seem to have my share of them as I crisscross the country chasing the cure for multiple sclerosis ... Read more
Challenges, Choices and Chances
As I sit here in the Salt Lake City airport waiting for an impromptu flight home, I cannot scrape together a single bad thought about the motorcycle I am leaving behind; possibly for good. Well, OK, maybe just one bad thought; I still have 18 payments to make on it! The bike and I ... Read more
A LifeCycle
Having an unpredictable disease like multiple sclerosis (MS) helps me separate out and concentrate on the things in life that are really important to me. I understand the disease is unpredictable and, at any moment, I could be dealing with a completely new physical or cognitive symptom. I also appreciate how lucky I am ... Read more
I have MS!
“No, I am not one of Jerry’s kids. That’s muscular dystrophy.” “No, Michael J. Fox does not have multiple sclerosis (MS). He has Parkinson’s.” I have MS. Before MS came into my life, I must admit some of these diseases all blended together for me too. A quick search on the internet will define ... Read more
No Matter What
It was a simple text, yet it was the start of a life-changing experience. “Hey Paul, do you want to speak in Anchorage or Fairbanks?” I’d been receiving invitations to speak at events in California as part of a West Coast tour this past June, but riding my bike to Alaska had been on ... Read more
Battling MS Symptoms
It’s been four years since I concocted this million-mile motorcycle journey for multiple sclerosis (MS), and I thought it might be a good time to review and evaluate my mission. I know I’ve missed some original goals and opportunities, but like fighting the disease itself, I charge forward with determination daily while continuing to chase the cure. I may have fallen ... Read more
At Least I Wasn’t Rat Food
You would think meeting racing legends and top corporate executives in the motorcycle industry would warrant a good story, but, unfortunately, this adventure is about surviving a lodging experience at what will herein be referred to as “The Resort.” The AIMExpo is an international trade show, held once a year in Orlando, Florida, for ... Read more