Episode 45, in which we Ride the Wall (and more) with Sterling Noren

Despite what I said in Episode 44, my guest in Episode 45 is not Leslie Padoll. I wasn’t able to connect with Leslie in time to get her on the show, so this episode features who would have been my next guest, none other than Sterling Noren.

I became familiar with Sterling’s work through the Backcountry Discovery Route documentary films – the Mid-Atlantic or MABDR is the most recent one I’ve seen, but the (Southern) California (CABDR) is out now for your viewing pleasure.

The reason I wanted to talk to Sterling now is different, though. Those of you in the US and maybe some of you outside of it know that one of the things in the news lately is a lot of talk about the border between the US and Mexico and part of that conversation is about a wall – or lack thereof – between the two nations. Now, I’m not going to get into a political discussion here because that’s not what this show is about, but – stay with me – that brings me to Sterling’s new YouTube series called Riding the Wall.

As you can see from the photo, NOBODY does helmet hair better than Sterling. Anyway, in Riding the Wall, Sterling and some of his riding pals are going to ride the length of the US-Mexico border and not just explore the border region, but explore what’s there as far as the people go. There are three episodes out as of this writing, and I have to tell you they’re incredibly well done and apolitical to boot. You can check out not just his YouTube stuff (Motorcycle Travel Channel), but his website (Noren Films) and the NF presence on Facebook and Vimeo as well.

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My discussion with Sterling covers not just his work on the BDR films and this new YouTube series, but a bit about his approach to riding and cinematography as well. I even snuck in some technical questions about the gear he uses – and not just cameras – for those of you who find interest in those sorts of things. (I know I do, especially as I’ve gotten more opportunity to shoot video lately.) It ended up being quite the fascinating discussion despite what were apparently really big trucks going past Sterling’s window. (PS You can learn more about the BDR by checking out Episode 12 with Paul Guillien of Touratech USA and Episode 18 with Court Butler of Butler Maps.)

The News kicks off with a bit of a downer, the passing of John Haynes of Haynes (tech manual) publishing fame (and Clymer too). From there, we move on to a bit of World Superbike news (no link for that, I just obsessively watch the races) and find out why the St. Paul, Minnesota, police department is disbanding its motorcycle unit. Yamaha announced the pricing and availability of its new Ténéré 700, and here’s a photo of the lovely (and new) 2020 Zero SR/F electric motorcycle that has more range an costs less than a certain other soon-to-be-on-the-street electric motorcycle. If you want to read the report I reference in the news segment about the electric motorcycle industry, why, you can do just that by clicking this here link.

Please visit our sponsors on the web – the BMW MOA and Dunlop Motorcycle Tires. Also check out Chasing the Horizon on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram. Sign up for the mailing list to gain early access to each new episode and remember – being on the mailing list is the only way to be eligible for any prize drawings we have (and those are going to come up soon – you’ll be able to win a copy of one of Sterling’s films).

By the way, we’re fast approaching Episode 50 … and if I can pull it off, that one’s going to be a Very Special Episode. Stay tuned!

See you out there on the road somewhere … or off it! Ride safe.