Author’s Note: Paul Brown is an avid AIRHAWK user and recently recalled with us his story of riding from New Jersey to Alaska:

I left Delran, New Jersey on June 18, and made it to Anchorage in 12 days. I traveled on some nice roads and some not-so-nice roads on my journey. Anything from freshly sealed and coated roads of oil, tar and gravel to mud and clay greeted us along the way. The one constant was the beautiful scenery.

I recommend riding Going to the Sun Road in Glacier Nat’l Park; we did it on the first day it was open (July 14). I also recommend the Cassiar Highway in British Columbia and the Beartooth Highway that rolls through Wyoming and Montana. Wyoming has some beautifully scenic routes in the Sunlight Basin and the Shell and Tensleep Canyons. I will also tell you to avoid Chicago. We were going to go to Muskegeon, Michigan to take a ferry across the lake to Milwaukee but it was full. Motorcycles ride free in spring & fall.

Two of the longest riding days were from Delran, NJ to Milan, Ohio (540 miles) and Cheyenne, Wyoming to Altoona, Iowa (680 miles). I also rode from South Bend, Indiana to Delran which was 703 miles. The only incident occurred on day one when the heel shifter peg fell off my bike; we had to stop and replace the part in the parking lot of a Harley dealership in Dubois, PA. I needed a new rear tire in Anchorage due to the above mentioned “roads”. The other riders, both on Goldwings, needed both tires replaced. My bike ran fine and using octane boost helped when only regular unleaded was available in Canada.

People were friendly and helpful throughout the trip and oohed & aahed over our riding roughly 10,500 miles in 35 days.

It never got totally dark in British Columbia, Yukon Territory or Alaska. I celebrated my 58th birthday in Anchorage, but I never felt older than 17 the entire trip. I was tired some days but no back problems, the usual aches & pains from long rides and of course a sometime sore hiney (monkey butt). We dealt with a myriad of elements; it was sunny, cloudy, rainy, poured for the entire ride some days and we had high winds on the prairies and it definitely rained sideways with marble sized hail.

We saw a ton of bears, deer and antelope through Yellowstone, along with the occasional elk, moose, mountain goat and Stone sheep. Bison roamed the prairies of Canada. We dined on the freshest salmon and halibut I’ve ever had while touring British Columbia and Alaska.

I took a mess of pictures, saw the Icefields Parkway between Banff & Jasper, revisited Alaska and Wyoming band other parts of the West.

So now I’m home and back to work and will have my pictures and memories to remind me until the next “GREAT’ road trip. Ideas anyone?

10,568 miles in 35 days – it’s good to be home.

If the final ride on your bike last season ended with you hopping off and throwing a tarp over the bike (if even), here’s a checklist for making sure the reconnection with your bike this spring isn’t a case of poking the sleeping bear.

Check your owner’s manual:
If you don’t have one, find one online.  Beyond the legalese, it thoroughly explains how the bike works and how to keep it running well.  Read it.

Check your oil:
Did you change the oil shortly before storing it away for the winter?  If so, you’re probably okay.  If you didn’t, maybe a change is in order.  Same goes for the oil filter.

Check your fuel:
Did you put your bike away with a full tank?  Likely not.  If you didn’t, drain the tank.  It’s possible that condensation has formed in the tank, especially if your area had those odd 60 or 70 degree days between freezing temps during November to February. Draining all the remaining fuel and replacing it with fresh gas is the prudent move.

Check your battery:
If there’s no or low juice in your battery, try a trickle charger. Check the fluid levels and give it a slow charge. If you aren’t getting any juice, it’s probably time for a new battery.

Check your tires:
If your winter has had extreme temperature swings, the pressure in your tires has likely responded accordingly.  If you don’t have a pump in your garage, please drive carefully on your trip to the nearest compressed air source. Also check tread depth and sidewalls for dry rot.

Check your brakes:
Check the brake fluid levels, but also think about the last time you changed the fluid. If it’s been a couple years, it’s probably time for a change.  It’s also a good time to check the brake pads.

Check your shine:
If your bike’s been sitting all winter uncovered – or in some case, even if it’s covered – chances are it’s collected some dust.  Give the mirrors, gauges, leather and painted surfaces the once over with a chamois or microfiber cloth.  Better yet, pull out the hose or take it to the local car wash for a full bath. Soak dried-on bug splatter with a hot wet towel to loosen prior to washing.  It will ease the elbow grease required for a thorough cleaning.

If you haven’t already, maybe this is the season you treat yourself (and your buns) to an AIRHAWK.  You can learn how to make this year’s rides a lot more comfortable: http://www.airhawk.net/.  If you already own an AIRHAWK, make sure the pressure is adjusted for best fit and comfort.  See the video story in this e-newsletter for more information.

Here’s hoping for an early spring in your area.  Happy and safe riding.

AIRHAWK is hiring!

Independent Manufacturing Sales Representative — Europe

The ROHO Group is seeking an Independent Manufacturer’s Sales Representative to direct the distribution or movement of AIRHAWK motorcycle seating products and services to customers in Europe. This person will be responsible for increasing sales and broadening our penetration in our market segment, helping to grow our product offerings, and increasing profitability.

Regular activities will include:

• Manage daily sales activities through a distributor network.
• Visit customers in the marketplace to solidify relationships and/or develop new business.
• Attend rallies and trade shows.
• Conduct sales meetings and training sessions with distributor and broker networks throughout Europe.
• Monitor and evaluate market pricing and competitive position; make recommendations as needed.
• Assist in coordinating marketing activities with major distributors, including marketing and local program negotiations and other promos.
• Perform customer service activities as needed.
• Monitor and coordinate inventory level and product placement at regional warehouses.
• Communicate business activities and needs to home office

Requirements include:

5+ years’ of Manufacturer’s Rep experience, preferably working with aftermarket motorcycle products such as wheels, handle bars, etc.; broad knowledge of such fields as advanced accounting, marketing, business administration, finance, etc. equivalent to four years of college; ability to speak multiple languages, including English, French, German, and either Italian or Spanish.

Frequent travel required.

Interested candidates should respond with cv or resume at:

http://www.therohogroup.com/corporate/careers.jsp view open jobs, Independent Manufacturing Sales Rep. Europe

Please contact Jody Rhodes with any questions at jodyr@therohogroup.com.

Each edition of the newsletter, I wanted to spotlight a member of the AIRHAWK crew, but I didn’t want to just write a typical biography — snooze. I wanted a way to really showcase the entertaining personalities of the people behind the brand — I’m pretty sure that “absurd sense of humor” and “able to withstand intense amounts of sarcasm” are listed in our job requirements! Instead, I asked each team member the most random ice breaker questions that I could find. The third newsletter showcases the Asspad Tycoon — Steve Peyton, Director of AIRHAWK Sales.

Look for spotlights of other AIRHAWK team members in the upcoming newsletters. You can find the first Spotlight on Craig Johnson here and the second spotlight on Becca Heckert. Enjoy!

-Danielle

Danielle Boenisch
eMarketing and Support Surface Product Coordinator, AIRHAWK

Steve Peyton

Name: Steve Peyton

Age: 50

Hometown: Fort Worth, TX, but I went to seven different schools all over the place — so I really don’t have a hometown.

Current City: Belleville, IL

Spouse & Children: Wife, Lynda, and three children: Ross, Jake and Rosalie

Describe a typical day for you. I wake up early and read the news while drinking my coffee.  I try to get a workout in before work. There’s really no typical day at the office, my work spans the globe and several different industries. I travel a lot working with distributors and dealers.

Favorite Food: Mexican

Favorite Song: “Born to Be Wild” by Steppenwolf

Favorite Band: Coldplay

Favorite Movie: Princess Bride or something hokey like that.

Favorite Video Game: Madden 2011

What was your best subject in school?
Any science classes — anatomy and physiology was my favorite.

If you could be any superhero, who would you be?
I’m the Ass Pad Tycoon. How can it get any better than that?

What is your favorite place that you have traveled?
Austria is my favorite country. It has beautiful mountains with very friendly people. In the US, I like Sedona, AZ. You can find about any type of geographical land formation in a 60-mile radius.

If a movie was being made of your life, who would you cast to play you?
I’ve been told that Brad Pitt looks a lot like me….

Paper or Plastic?
Paper. I’m a big time conservationist.

If you owned a CB radio, what would your handle be?
APT of course.

What’s the closest you’ve come to becoming a pop star or winning an Oscar?
Everyday when I work the AIRHAWK booth it’s an Oscar-worthy performance. I’m a closet guitarist, so I’m a pop star when I’m jamming in my basement and nobody’s there to laugh.

If you knew that you could not fail, what would you do?
Live forever?

What do you like best about your hometown?
It’s fairly small, but has all of the perks of a large city — museums, parks, zoo, arts, etc. It’s a lot more laid back than Dallas.

If you could be one kind of beer, what would you be and why?
Free beer. Who doesn’t love free beer?

If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Somewhere in the South Pacific, like Fiji.  I’ve never been out that way.

What internet site do you surf the most?
Mostly sports and news sites.

Name three things that you think will become obsolete in ten years.
P.C’s, land lines, magazines…I believe that the iPad type devices will make all of these unnecessary.

What is your favorite movie/TV show quote?
While planning the next morning’s surfing trip in Vietnam, Col. Kilgore is told that they can’t go into that area because Charlie (NVA) ownes that point… he calmly looks at the young lieutenant and say “Charlie don’t surf.”

“What is it soldier?” —Kilgore
“It’s pretty hairy in there—it’s Charlie’s point…” —Mike
“Charlie don’t surf!” —Kilgore, Apocalypse Now 

If this was your last day to live, what would you do and why?
Spend it wisely with my family… doesn’t matter where.. but it would help if it was on a boat in some clear blue tropical water…

When you were six years old, what did you think that you were going to be when you grew up?
Fireman

Would you rather be rich or famous and why?
Rich. They say that money doesn’t make you happy, but it’s a lot easier to be miserable when you have lots of money!

What TV game show would you go on and why?
Ninja Warrior – the show that takes contestants through insane obstacle courses.

AIRHAWK® sponsored Nita and Issa Breibish, a husband and wife duo who will set off on a global adventure in July 1, 2012. They will be riding their motorcycles (BMW R1200GS and BMW F650GS) and running around the world for the Lost For Good Project’s RIDE to RUN Initiative.

The couple founded the Lost For Good Project in 2011. The project’s primary goal is to promote small, positive contributions by overland travelers within the communities they visit. They will create opportunities to raise awareness and funding for causes they believe in while they ride around the world.

To find out more and to track their progress along the way, you can visit their riding journal at welovemotogeo.com. For more information about the 2012 RIDE to RUN program and how you too can get involved visit www.lostforgood.com.