An interview with Two Indians Youtube Channel
Who is Two Indians?
Brian is a Florida native, while Barbra is from Massachusetts. Both have full time jobs to take up most of their time, but they enjoy taking time off to get out and ride. Brian created the YouTube channel two years ago after wanting to record a trip to the Black Hills. Their channel is focused on Indian-centric content including reviews, how-tos, trips, vacations, and having fun! He has always loved video editing and recording, which shows in his videos, and his passion has since grown the channel to over 7,000 subscribers. They always make their content family-friendly to encourage younger riders and future riders to watch and enjoy their content.
So how did Brian and Barbra get started riding?
"I rode as a kid until the age of about 16 and then got away from it for many reasons. I mainly rode trail and dirt bikes from about 7 to 15 years old. Barbara never rode until three years ago. It all started when our son purchased a small Yamaha 250 cruiser and then left it in our garage when he decided to move in with a buddy out of state. One day, Barbara got a wild idea and decided to learn how to ride. She watched a few YouTube videos and within an hour she was cruising back and forth in our neighborhood while I was cutting the grass. She stood next to the bike and said I needed to give it a try and to be honest I hadn't ridden in so long, I was like 'yeah, whatever, been there done that.' She insisted I get on and ride it, which I did and she asked me "fun, right?" then she told me to go buy a bike. She didn't have to say it twice! I'll never forget the look of pure joy on her face that day."
What video has been your favorite so far to make? To edit?
"Well that's a hard one because to be honest, the hardest ones to edit are the most satisfying. Generally, the travel videos are my favorite. For example, the video we did of our trip to HIghlands, NC, Savannah, GA or the Florida Keys or my Iron Butt videos. There are real stories in them, stories that have a personal meaning for me but they're told in a way that everyone can relate to with topics that can be thought provoking. The Savannah video is about a trip a bunch of us made to support a fund raiser for suicide prevention and one of the riders had just experienced the death of his teenage child in that manner, so it really hits home for a lot of people. There's fun, yes, but there are things in life we have to deal with, and I think those things are important. But as far as making videos, I enjoy anything that challenges me, or forces me to look at new ways to present the material."
What are some other creators that you like to watch or that inspire you?
"Oh, well, most of the creators I watch are not moto-related at all. I watch content that focuses on film-making, editing, and sound design. Peter McKinnon, This Guy Edits, Casey Neistat, and I love Sailing La Vagabonde, even though its about world travel on a sail boat, but the content is so well produced its just fascinating to watch. And they're a cute couple that are so cool! I also watch camera and gear reviews by Jason Vong, Potato Jet, and my favorite editing tutorials are by a guy named Justin Odishio. For moto-related content I still enjoy watch Adam Sandoval because the guy is such a natural in front of the camera. I wish I had his gifts for presentation! And of course my favorite is Brandon Bicasso. his editing is the gold standard for moto content. I'm not interested in crazy stuff or wheelies or watching a guy do 185 mph on his Ducati, zero interest."
If you could give one piece of advise to a new rider, what would it be?
"Ignore the noise about what kind of bike you should ride. Get your endorsement first, then if you're unsure, buy something small and cheap and spend a few months riding it to figure out what kind of riding you're going to do. Short breakfast runs and bar hopping, or long distance riding like trips and touring, then ride as many bikes as you can and get a bike that suits your size, style, and needs. When we bought our Indians, we were very much into the Adam Sandoval videos and really thought H-D was going to be our go-to choice of brand, but after multiple bad experiences at literally every Harley dealer we went to, we decided that wasn't the best route. Additionally, a friend had a Scout Icon and I fell in love with the looks, so that was my first bike as an adult. When we decided the smaller bikes were not enough, we eventually landed on Indians. I didn't want to be another black Street Glide in the crowd, so American made was priority #1, quality product #2, and a good dealer experience was #3. Indian fit the bill!"
Anything else you would like to tell the audience?
"Honestly, I love riding in the evening and at night. I've done several Iron Butt rides (yes., there are videos on that) and I could honestly get on my bike right now and leave for a 6 week journey with nothing but a pair of shorts and a T-shirt (and deodorant) and be happy as a bird soaring above a mountain top. I love riding with my wife, with friends, or just by myself. Its always calling to me. Always tugging on me."
Where can they find and follow you?
YouTube - Facebook - Instagram