Sparky's Life
Sparky's Life
Two Wheels, One Clear Head
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We explore why motorcycles help tradies switch off, how roadcraft builds calm under pressure, and why a shed session with a spanner can be therapy. Along the way we share training paths, tech upgrades, and a love letter to Wauchope and the Oxley Highway.
• tradies’ brains not switching off and the cost of constant problem solving
• riding as mindfulness through focus, vision and balance
• roadcraft skills for predictive riding and hazard awareness
• training options from beginner to advanced and adventure
• creators to learn from on YouTube for drills and technique
• maintenance as therapy and the value of DIY servicing
• useful tech: GPS, cameras, lighting and luggage
• motorcycle friendly culture in Wauchope and the Oxley Highway
• responsible riding, risk framing and mental reset
• invitation to share topics, questions and join the community
If you like what you hear on today’s show, make sure you share this podcast with your mates who are electricians or who are involved in the trading world
You can do this by contacting us on any of our media sites
And don’t forget to follow the show and leave a review
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https://www.electricianwauchope.com.au
Hello everyone, welcome back to Sparky's Life. I'm your host Brandt Dilko. Sparky by Trade, Tradey by Lifestyle. And like a lot of my followers listening, I spend most of my week solving other people's problems. On this week's episode, it isn't about tools. It's not about fault finding or chasing invoices. It's about getting away from work without running away from your life. Today we're talking about motorcycles. Not just riding for the sake of riding, but what it does for your head. Why bikes attract the tradespeople, why two-wheels can sometimes do what a week off can't do, and how learning motorcycle road craft and maintenance becomes therapy without you even realizing it. So if you have ever hopped off a motorcycle feeling calmer than when you first got on, then this show is for you. So let's get the show started. Why tradies need to switch off? Let's be honest. Tradies' brains don't shut off easily. You finish work, but your head and mind is still switched on. You're thinking about how to run that cable, thinking about tomorrow's job, replaying a customer's conversation from that day, yesterday or even last week, wondering if that circuit breaker you installed was rated at twenty or twenty-five amps. We are just problem solvers by nature. But the downside is we don't stop. And if you don't give your brain a healthy outlet, it'll find an unhealthy one for you, like too many beers, doomed scrolling on social media sites, bottling up things, or just burning out quietly. For me, becoming a motorcycle enthusiast became that switch. Not a distraction, just a little reset. The first turn of the key. There's something about turning a key on a motorcycle that instantly changes your mindset. You don't think about emails on a bike, you don't think about work dramas because you can't. Riding demands your presence, your vision, your balance, your throttle control, and your total awareness around you. You're not just riding through that moment, you're actually in it. That's mindfulness. Whether you call it that or not, and the funny thing is, most tradies I know who ride don't call it mental health. They just say, Yeah, I feel a lot better after a ride on my motorbike. Motorcycles and mental health without the labels. Let's talk honestly here. Mental health doesn't always mean sitting on a couch talking about your feelings. Sometimes it's like the wind noise instead of the noises in your head, corners instead of conversations, focus instead of frustration. On a bike, your breathing slows, your shoulders drop, your mind narrows to what matters right now. You're not pretending stress doesn't exist, you're giving your nervous system a break, and that's powerful. Especially in a trade where we're expected to be reliable, tough, on time, and problem free. Bikes don't judge you, they discuss you to ride them properly. The art of motorcycle roadcraft. Now let's talk about roadcraft because riding isn't just twisting the throttle, any monkey can do that. Roadcraft is an art, and like any trade skill, it's learned, practiced, and refined. It's things like reading traffic three cars ahead, positioning yourself to be seen, knowing when not to overtake, understanding the road camber, looking out for gravel, diesel spills, and potholes. Because have you seen the state of roads in Country Australia? It's like going adventure bike riding. But I think going adventure bike riding on dirt roads is a lot safer. And don't forget, animals on the roads. The native wildlife, such as kangaroos and emus, they just love to jump out in front of you just at the last moment. You stop riding reactively and start riding predictively. Does that sound familiar? That's exactly how we work as tradies. We read a site before we touch a tool. We anticipate problems before they happen. We learn from our mistakes, and some of those could be expensive ones. Mastering roadcraft builds confidence. Confidence reduces anxiety. Anxiety reduction improves mental health. It's all connected. The art of roadcraft is always ongoing learning. There are numerous motorbike riding courses for you to choose from. There are learning to ride beginner training programs, P training, intermediate courses, advanced courses, and adventure bike riding courses. All the various courses out there can cover road riding and track days and off-road riding days. And all these are easily found on the internet. Other useful videos can also be found on YouTube. There are tons of motorcycle content creators out there that cover motorcycle reviews and how to ride videos. Some of my favorite content creators on YouTube are Moto Jitsu, Doodle on a Motorbike, Chase on Two Wheels, and Canyon Chases. Self-taught maintenance therapy with a spanner. One of the most underrated parts of motorcycle ownership is working on your own bike. There's no rush, no client watching you, and no phone ringing. Just a spanner and your favorite tools. A workshop manual and a problem that actually wants to be solved. The maintenance that you can try yourself is endless. You can try your hand at oil changes, chain adjustments, brake pads, and basic servicing. All these options can save you money by doing them yourself. And in doing so, you're learning how things work, why they fail, how to prevent issues. That's satisfying on a deep level, especially for tradies. You finish, step back, and think, Wow, I did that. That's amazing. And not to forget, you're filming yourself as you do all of all of these things on your diet devices such as your iPhone, your camera, maybe a GoPro, or an Insta360, if you're lucky enough to have one of those, to get those 360-degree images, because it's all going straight on Facebook or YouTube. If you're a bit of a content creator and have your own YouTube channel, that sense of control is massive for your mental well-being. When it comes to aftermarket parts and devices for your beloved motorcycle, Google and YouTube are your best friend. You're researching what fits best and what improvements you can make, and then straight to YouTube for those how-to install videos. For me, having an adventure bike, it was things like bike protection, such as hand guards, engine and radiator guards, crash bars, and a front headlight guard. Now let's talk about the tech. There is so much new and amazing technology out there for motorcycles. You have the GPS devices such as the Garmin Zumo XT2. You can organize and track your next ride and simply never get lost when you're going to your next destination. Helmet chin mounts and handlebar and various bike mounts for all the camera gear you have. For those new and experienced content creators who want to share their adventures on social media or just want to keep those memories for you themselves. Lighting your bike up with spot and fog lights is all about safety and being seen on the road and also turning night to day for easy visibility. Luggage and storage is a must have also, such as tank bags, top cases and side penniers to store all those valuables, such as phones, wallet, keys, and other personal items that make the ride more pleasant. It's good to keep your pockets empty and stay stowed away safely so you're not uncomfortable while you're riding. Hi there, I'm Grant Turkgo. If this is your first time here at Sparky's Life, welcome. It's great to have you here. And if you're back here for more, welcome back and thank you for your loyalty and support. If you like what you hear on today's show, make sure you share this podcast with your mates who are electricians or who are involved in the trading world. I want to reach out and help as many tradies as I can with this podcast. I want to help tradespeople break through to the next level in their career and in their lives. Warhope New South Wales a motorcycle friendly town. Now I want to talk about my hometown of Warhope. If you're a rider, you know some towns just get it. Warhope New South Wales is one of those towns. Warhope is the gateway to a long stretch of winding road heading west through the mountains of the Great Dividing Range. The Oxley Highway from Warhope to Walker is well known and is a must-ride location with the little scenic areas and rest stops along the way. A motorcycle friendly town is one which universally welcomes and embraces motorcycle enthusiasts. This includes businesses and the wider community. And Warhope is proud to be acknowledged as the first motorcycle-friendly town in New South Wales. Riders and bike enthusiasts travel across the country to meet in Whope for all things motorcycles. Warhope has great roads in every direction, respectful drivers, riders stopping for coffee, great food at the many food outlets, fuel, and an awesome place for a chat. There's a quiet understanding here as well that motorcyclists aren't hoons, they're locals, they're workers and their families. You roll into town, park the bike, helmet under the arm, and you're welcomed. That sense of community matters, especially when riding is part of your mental reset. Now I have a little story to share with you. A person once told me motorcycles are dangerous. I said, mate, so is being on a ladder or a roof. He said, Yeah, but bikes are dangerous. I said motorcycles aren't dangerous. It's the irresponsible and erratic riders that ride bikes that are dangerous. It's very similar to that old saying, guns kill people. No, guns don't kill people. It's people kill people. Anyways, I said sitting stressed, angry all the time and burnt out, that's the dangerous part. Then I also added, at least on a bike, when something rattles, I can usually usually fix it with a spinner, unlike my brain. Alright everyone, we'll wrap up the show there. But if you're a tradey listing and you've been thinking about a hobby, something just for you, maybe it's time. Not to escape work, but to balance it. So ride safe, ride well, and look after your head. So that's all for now, folks. But before I go, if there is anything you'd like me to talk about on future episodes, maybe want to ask a question or be on the show, you can do this by contacting us on any of our media sites. I'll put the links to these in the show notes. And don't forget to follow the show and leave a review. I'm your host, Grant Tadulko. Keep safe and catch you on the next one.
SPEAKER_01:I have these thoughts in my head. Can you make it make sense? The doubt can you make it make sense? How heart can heal again when the final end?
