Adventure Rider Radio podcast: Ari’s multiple lives on two wheels

As a third-generation rider, Ari was surrounded by bikes since he was a wee lad. His progression from track brat to title-winning racer to RevZilla Media Lead was anything but linear, though. In fact, there was a time when Ari stepped away from motorcycles altogether. 

That hiatus occurred when Ari was a young teen, after his father, Todd, suffered a traumatic brain injury in a racing crash. Only after a 17-year-old Ari got his dad’s old Honda VT500 up and running again did he rediscover his love for two wheels. It’s just one of the periods of his career covered in the latest episode of the Adventure Rider Radio podcast, which is a great way to get to know one of the faces of Common Tread a little better. 

The conversation spans Ari’s decades-long motorcycling life, examining each twist and turn along the way — as well as those that lie ahead. 

“I like to think about my motorcycling career, as well as my life in general, in terms of seasons,” explained Ari. “I'm in the season of having two young kids at home, so I don't actually get to ride motorcycles very often. But there's also a season of my life where I road raced a lot. And there's a season of my life where I did a lot of touring. And there's a season of my life where I did a lot of off-road riding. I don't know what the next season will be, but I look forward to it because [there are] so many opportunities to enjoy two wheels.”

It’s worth recognizing that podcast guests are only as engaging as the host who’s lobbing them questions, and ARR’s Jim Martin not only tugs at all the right threads — including the emotional ones — but also does so with a mix of professionalism, compassion, and poise. 

It’s the kind of conversation that only two longtime motorcyclists can share. It’s that quality that makes the podcast so relatable as a rider. No matter how you found your way to motorcycling.