The Journal

Road guides, shop talk and the occasional rant. Written by riders.

11 July 2026 · Tarmac Nation

Too Many of Us Are Dying: A Queensland Rider's Guide to Not Being a Stat

Riders are 4% of Queensland's traffic but a quarter of its road deaths. Here's what's actually killing us — and the training, mentoring and gear that fixes it.

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8 July 2026 · Tarmac Nation

Ride to Zero: Queensland's Post-Licence Rider Safety Program, Explained

Q-Ride gets you licensed. Ride to Zero keeps you upright — subsidised roadcraft training for Queensland riders, new and experienced. Here's what it is and how to book.

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4 July 2026 · Tarmac Nation

Choosing Motorcycle Tyres for Your Bike and the Way You Actually Ride

Most riders buy the wrong tyre for the right reasons. Here's how to match rubber to how you actually ride in SE QLD — categories, the grip-vs-mileage trade, fitment and wear.

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1 July 2026 · Tarmac Nation

How to Get Your Motorcycle Licence in Queensland via Q-Ride

The real Queensland path to a motorcycle licence — RE learner to R unrestricted, Q-Ride vs Q-SAFE, hold periods and what a course actually involves.

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27 June 2026 · Tarmac Nation

Motorcycle Styles Explained: Picking Your First Bike in QLD

Naked, sport, cruiser, ADV, touring and more — plain-English breakdown to match a bike style to how you'll actually ride, plus how LAMS fits in.

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24 June 2026 · Tarmac Nation

How to Choose Your First LAMS Bike in Queensland

LAMS explained plainly, the two legal caps you must both meet, and how to pick a first bike that helps you learn instead of scaring you off it.

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18 June 2026 · Tarmac Nation

New to riding? Find your people first

The fastest way to get good — and stay safe — on a bike isn't a YouTube binge. It's riding with people who've been there. Here's where Brisbane's new riders start.

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16 June 2026 · Tarmac Nation

How to pick a workshop that actually knows bikes

A flashy website doesn't tune your bike. Here's what actually matters when you hand someone the keys.

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14 June 2026 · Tarmac Nation

Five roads every Brisbane rider should know

From the Mt Glorious switchbacks to the bayside run — the SE QLD rides that should be on every rider's map.

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12 June 2026 · Tarmac Nation

Why we built Tarmac Nation

The riding's never been better. The internet's never been worse at telling you where to do it. So we built our own map.

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