Rides, Wrenching, and Road Stories

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Rides, Wrenching, and Road Stories

This is where the rides, the repairs and the road stories live. Some of it is how-to: oil changes, tire swaps, trailer wiring, the jobs that look intimidating until you have done one. Some of it is trip write-ups from the RV and the bikes. All of it is written from my own garage and my own miles, including the parts I got wrong the first time.

New here? Start with who I am and how this started, have a look at the bikes and the RV, or see the gear I actually use.

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Latest Posts

How to Change the Oil on a 2014-2018 Mazda 6 (2.5L)

How to Change the Oil on a 2014-2018 Mazda 6 (2.5L)

Every step of a Mazda 6 oil change on my 2015 2.5L: the numbers, the tools, the drain plug, the filter, the fill, the oil…

How to Change the Oil on a 2014-2018 Mazda 3 (2.0L)

How to Change the Oil on a 2014-2018 Mazda 3 (2.0L)

The full walkthrough of how I change the oil on my 2015 Mazda 3: the tools, the undertray, the drain plug, the filter, the fill,…

Why Motorcycle Oil, Not Car Oil

Why Motorcycle Oil, Not Car Oil

Car oil will run in your motorcycle. It is cheaper, it is probably already on your shelf, and the bike will start and ride and…

How to Swap Your Own Car Tires

How to Swap Your Own Car Tires

Seasonal tire swaps are one of those jobs that gets outsourced by default, and it should not be. It needs almost no tools, it takes…

How to Set Up a Motorcycle Hauler Trailer

How to Set Up a Motorcycle Hauler Trailer

We opened our trailer at a rally once and found the toolbox flipped over, the drawers ripped out, and the contents across the floor.

Wildly Midwest 2026: The Trip I Planned

Wildly Midwest 2026: The Trip I Planned

Twenty nine days, eight states, and one clockwise loop through the heart of America. This is the trip exactly as I planned it, before any…