adventure Archives - BikeBrewers.com

The Mastodont – BMW R1100GS by Moto Adonis

Adnane Bensalah — Sat, 19 Nov 2022 12:16:11 +0000

Dakar History

Long before BMW gained popularity as the adventure motorcyclist weapon of choice, thanks to Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman’s escapades and their Long Way-series, BMW already had a reputation for building bullet-proof adventure bikes. It had everything to do with the company’s Dakar rally history, where it all started with the R80G/S back in 1980. BMW was a force to reckon with in the 1980’s all the way up until the end of the 1990s. The R80GS grew into the R100GS, which eventually transformed into the R1100GS; which was a completely different bike compared to the ones before.

Adventurers’ choice

When the R1100GS was first introduced back in 1994, it was a bit of an odd-looking machine, most notably because of the famous “beak”. Combined with BMW’s proprietary front Telelever suspension, it took a lot of people some time getting used to. Nevertheless, BMW built an extremely capable dual-sport machine, which took countless of travelers around the world. It was also extremely popular as a commuter and touring bike. There is a reason why you see so many BMW GS’s when you travel around in Europe. They’re comfortable, powerful, easy on fuel, reliable, and most of all, hassle-free. It doesn’t matter where you are in Europe, BMW can get you any spare part that you need, within 3 business days. And they’re usually faster than that.

Extraordinary

Which brings us to the topic at hand: the BMW R1100GS. Turning something as sacred as the a GS into something more aggressive and unique is not an easy feat. Luckily, we know a couple of guys who never back down from a challenge. As a matter of fact, Moto Adonis really do dare to do things differently. Like the Honda Monkey they built for Rusty Stitches. This particular BMW R1100 used to be owned by Job Leussink, co-founder of Moto Adonis. He sold it to a customer, who later decided that he wanted to have it built into something special and extraordinary. A sketch was made, and after approval, the angle-grinder was put to work.

The owner gave the craftsmen of Moto Adonis the full reigns and had only one hard condition: a flat bench. Achieving that on the GS meant removing the factory subframe and fabricating a new one from scratch. The seat was custom made by Miller Kustom Upholstery and finished in a luxurious brown leather. The fuel tank looks massive and is the centerpiece of this project. It’s a one-off unit built in-house by Moto Adonis. It’s big, bold, and makes the BMW look mean as hell. To complement the aggressive look, a custom 2-in-1 exhaust was fabricated by MAD exhausts, finished in a special black coating. A pair of custom-made fenders were built to match the rest of the bike. The original BMW wheels were retained and received a fresh coat of black paint and some aggressive Bridgestone rubbers.

Devil in the Details

It may not look that way at first, but there are a ton of details on this particular project. There’s the push-in screw fuel cap that looks very classy. The scrambler headlight, Biltwell grips, YSS shocks and small digital speedo courtesy of Acewell add just enough flavor to the mix. The steel braided brake lines ensure sufficient stopping power. All these parts work together really well. Combined with the blacked-out metal parts, green fuel tank, and brown leather seat, this BMW R1100GS has transformed into a real neck-turner. Hate it or love it, you most definitely won’t be able to keep your eyes off it!

Builder details:
Moto Adonis
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Energica Experia First Ride

NHWS — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 05:00:10 +0000

It’s electric
Okay, let’s start by answer some burning questions. Yes, it’s electric. Yes, you miss sound and vibration. Yes, you miss shifting gears and the feeling of being directly connected by the clutch. And yes, you have to get used to it. But no: it is not the end of the world!

Electric motorcycles have been around for a while now and there are still die-hard motorcycle enthusiasts who maintain, with some persistence, that they never want to be seen on such a thing. Or that ‘the fun stops as soon as you can’t put any more petrol in it’. Or something like that. And then the comments come from the other side, it becomes a fight and the conversation, if it ever was one with so many rigid attitudes, gets bogged down in a kind of bingo card with cliché remarks and it’s done, until the next time. This is that next time, so I’ll get right to it.

Especially with a back-to-back comparison, it stands out even more; you miss some of the sensations you would normally get on a petrol powered motorcycle. But that doesn’t make it bad; it’s just different. And I’m certainly a firm believer in internal combustion engines myself. The bonus of sound, feeling and experience is not something you can ignore. Do yourself a favor though, you might want to keep an open mind.

The Experia Experience
The Experia is Energica’s latest model and after a supersport, naked and retro naked, Energica has now gone for a real Adventure bike style. Pretty ambitious, because you immediately think ‘cases, payload, aerodynamics and mileage’. Not the things you think of with an electric motorcycle, so my curiosity was piqued. Quite simply, if they have an answer to this, you could call it a breakthrough. If this succeeds, every other genre is a cinch and you have swept aside almost all, if not all, objections.

Energica does not cut back on materials or suppliers; the Experia is no exception. And they go even further, because for an Adventure bike you need even more than the minimum. Different suspension, luggage racks and panniers to name but a few, but also totally new bodywork, without losing the characteristic Energica look. New on the Experia are the charging ports on the side, with 2 different plug options. There are different power settings, with a possibility for a custom map. This allows for a personalised power delivery and regeneration. The electric motor itself has been improved for economy and performance. Just take a look at these specifications:

POWER: Continuous: 60kW/80Hp at 7000 rpm – Peak: 75kW/102Hp at 7500 rpm
TORQUE: 115 Nm / 85 ft lb. – 900 Nm / 664 ft lb. at wheel
TOP SPEED: Limited at 180 km/h (112 mph)
ACCELERATION: 0-100 km/h (0-60 mph): 3.5 sec
RANGE:

City: 420 km (261 miles)
Combined: 256 km (160 miles)
Extra-Urban: 208 km (130 miles)
WMTC: 222 km (138 miles)

Nimble
The single biggest advantage that Energica has now embraced is mass. Indeed, up until now, electric motors have still been on the heavy side. That’s fairly inevitable, the batteries and motor are just heavy. But… an average Adventure often is too. And with that Energica erases one of the biggest objections; the Experia is not much heavier than an average competitor with a claimed weight of 260kg.

In terms of ride quality, we’ve never had anything to complain about with this brand, and now that the details have been addressed as well, we can get ready for an exhilarating ride. And am not disappointed immediately after. The best part: the instant power delivery. Holy cow this thing goes. As the speed increases, so does my confidence. There’s something about the sound the electric motor makes that makes it addictive. The Experia also feels lightfooted, almost nimble; a rare combination on an Adventure bike of this size. Those that are brave could venture off road. We stuck to the tarmac this time, but see no problem in the Experia going anywhere a BMW GS would go.

Energica has mastered the art of mass centralization. Their engineers have succeeded beautifully in getting the center of gravity in the right, balanced place so that you can actually just point and shoot. Just like a regular motorcycle. The frame is top-notch, the suspension is great and the controls are intuitive. It’s incredibly predictable, overwhelmingly powerful and super comfortable. Maybe except for the windscreen, which is adjustable, but not super effective.

Got juice?
And that load capacity? Look at the specifications and you know. Of course you have to recharge every so often, but now you only have to combine that with a cup of coffee instead of a three-course lunch. And you were on vacation, right? Who’s in a hurry then? With the various connection options you can charge wherever you want, whether it’s at a Tesla fast charging station or a half-decayed, cobwebby outlet in a farmer’s barn. Okay, the latter will take longer and you have to make sure that you do not start a fire, but it is possible. Literally anywhere. And once full you can really go a long way with it, before you have to look again. I would like to try it in practice for a realistic impression though. But it already promises a lot and it is anyway better than what we were used to so far. Only question I have is how it will work with a passenger and luggage added to the mix, but that too is a nice idea to figure out.

CAPACITY: Max. 22.5 kWh / Nominal 19.6 kWh – lithium polymer
LIFE: 1200 Cycles @ 80% Capacity (100% DOD)
RECHARGE:

Fast Charge DCFC Level 3 Mode 4: 400 km/h o 6,7 km/min (248 miles/h o 4 miles/min)
Slow Charge Level 2 Mode 2 or 3: 63,5 km/h (39,5 miles/h)

So. Conclusion? I think it’s swell. As I said at the beginning, it’s irrefutably different, but that really doesn’t make it, by any means, totally and utterly, the end of the world. If electric motorcycles really do go this way, I’m looking forward to it. One by one the differences and objections will disappear and you’ll just be left with a super-thick, really cool motorcycle. And if you disagree, you are welcome to prove me wrong.

Photo credits: Vincent Burger

Energica Motorcycles

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Getting lost in Alaska: Part I

Ron Betist — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 17:07:25 +0000

Introducing a new BikeBrewer!

Since last year, BikeBrewers has been growing at an exponential rate. Not only do motorcycle manufacturers and motorcycle-gear producers find their way to us, but since we’ve made our content available in over 15 languages, our reach has also expanded significantly. Although we are based in Europe, our ambitions not limited to this continent. We try to go the extra mile and beyond. This can only be achieved with the right people.
It is with this in mind, that we are proud to present a new addition to our editorial team! Dutchman Daan Staffhorst is a fellow rider in the Classic Riders community and an avid motorcycle enthusiast. He and his wife Anne moved to New York in 2019, just days before the outbreak of the pandemic. Daan has agreed to take on the position as our East Coast correspondent in the United States.

In his daily-life, Daan works as a director in a finance company. A busy job, no doubt! During weekdays, all dressed up in a suit and tie, he keeps himself occupied by staring at spreadsheets, sometimes forced to make tough decisions. But on weekends, he jumps on his Triumph Scrambler and roars around on country roads, to clear his mind.

We welcome Daan as our new colleague and look forward to sharing his motorcycle adventures with us all. We start off with a first ride-report on a recent trip he made to Alaska with his wife Anne. Daan clearly is ‘trigger happy’ as he supplied us with 5.000 (!) photographs to chose from, as well as an awesome video.
Interesting fact; Daan took these drone shots while riding pillion, as Anne took over the handlebars. No mean feat!

Here’s the first part of his Big adventure:

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/Rk0eiZA6JEs” width=”800″ title=”‘Getting lost in Alaska’ a BikeBrewer’s Road Trip”]

The Last Frontier; the Alaskan mile
Whether you are on the road or on a hiking trail in Alaska, the Alaskan mile is local slang for the inability of a traveler to accurately estimate how far the next viewpoint, mountain range, or rest stop is. Due to the combination of rough terrain and the sheer size of America’s 49th state, the Alaskan mile takes longer to traverse than the average ‘normal’ mile, and will test you more, before rewarding you with it’s the state’s unparalleled natural beauty (or a hard-earned break). At the end of August, my wife Anne and I learned all about the Alaskan mile.

Looking for adventure
This is a first report on a challenging ride we had wanted to make for a long time.

As a motorcycle enthusiast who is on the lookout for new riding adventures, I came across the social media account of local Alaskan motorcycle rental company MotoQuest. Based in Anchorage, MotoQuest provides an offering of both guided and self-guided tours. My wife and I were specifically interested in one of the tours offered at the end of the riding season. The closer you get to fall and winter, the more likely you are to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights. However, on the downside – you can expect a fair amount of rain too.

Now, while I have been riding for several years, my off-road experience is limited. Coming from the Netherlands we have more asphalt than that we can enjoy testing our skills on gravel. In addition, Anne obtained her license not too long before we would be riding through the Denali Mountain range. Following an intake over the phone, we booked a Suzuki V-Strom 650 for a 10-day self-guided tour, allowing us to customize the tour and plan our days as we desired.

Into the great wide open
We started gearing up, planning, corresponding gas stations with anticipated mileage, adding more days and miles along the process. Satellite phone rental, bear mace, first aid kit, tire pump, tire patch kit, battery packs – we aimed to make sure that a worst-case scenario would not be the last scenario. In an effort to build more stamina, we went on a test ride together on our 2018 Triumph Street Scrambler. A 4-day ride covering 900 miles of backroads through the Catskills region, located north of New York City. It proved to be a useful exercise, as we learned more about the benefits of Gore-Tex and the downside of tiny pillion seats. Unexperienced in motorcycle travelling to this extent, we had prepared ourselves as much as we could.

A Dutchman in New York
Living in NYC, I wanted to go to Alaska to experience the contrast of the insanity between the hustle and bustle of the urban jungle, and the solitude of Alaska’s spruce forests, river corridors, and mountain ranges. As such, our route included the Denali Highway and McCarthy Road, both offering off-road sections and limited traffic. The itinerary targeted about 4 hours of riding per day on average: the longest day would take about 6.5 hours of riding. In addition, out of the 10 days, we ensured 2 days of rest. We planned an amazing glacier hike for our first rest day, and we would spend the second rest day on an unforgettable glacier kayak tour. So much for resting, but we would not have missed it for the world!

First leg
Prepared and packed, we picked up the bike in Anchorage and headed to Talkeetna via Hatcher Pass. Off-road, switchbacks and a steep incline made this pass a good test for our skills and the Suzuki. Impressed with the performance of the 650cc engine, both the bike and our egos got through Hatcher Pass unscathed. Feeling reassured, we aimed for the Denali Highway the next day – supposedly one of the most spectacular routes in the world.

Impressions & emotions
It is hard to describe the feeling when we crossed onto Denali Highway, McCarthy Road, or any of the other roads on our route, crossing from the tarmac onto the gravel. The promise of a road ahead that will lead you through such a beautiful region is thrilling. Valleys, forests, lakes and wildlife – we took it all in. There is a certain serenity in the unforgiving vastness of these areas. Switching seats every now and then, hours of riding fly by, racking up viewpoints, hikes, sockeye salmon, and miles as we cruised along – while learning Alaskan miles in the rain can be challenging. Slow and steady wins the race, and there is no reason to race with the hours of sunlight in Alaska during our trip.

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Daan’s Instagram

This is the end of part I.
Make sure to stay tuned for the rest of this ride-report.

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“Myth 001” BMW R80GS by Myth Motors

Adnane Bensalah — Tue, 30 Mar 2021 07:57:55 +0000

Two Wheels South
If the name Matias Corea sounds familiar to your ears, it may be because you have heard about his story, or perhaps even read his book “Two Wheels South”. In 2016, Matias travelled 20,000 miles from New York to Ushuaia on his trusty 1983 BMW R80 G/S. This was an emotional journey for Matias, that led to many revelations. We are not going to spoil the contents of his journey yet; a review on Matias’s book will follow soon. However, we are going to have a closer look at Matias’s love for BMW airheads.

Overlander
After traveling 22,000 miles on his stock R80 G/S, Matias came up with the idea to build the ultimate adventure bike for a trip he has been dreaming about for a long time. He considers his Pan-American journey a great learning experience, and knew exactly what worked well on the BMW and what didn’t. Matias wanted to build the ultimate overland machine, based around a BMW airhead, for obvious reasons. He also knew that slapping on a larger fuel tank and a pannier rack weren’t going to cut it. It needed to be perfect.

BMW R80ST
So why not start with the R80 G/S that was already at hand? The answer is simple: the G/S now holds a sentimental value. Modifying it to something else would be too painful. So a different bike was going to be needed. He managed to find a 1985 BMW R80 ST, which in many ways is nearly identical to the R80 G/S he did his trip on. Matias knew the R80 inside and out and felt confident in using it as a base bike. Being a perfectionist, Matias wanted to do as much of the work himself, including the welding, grinding, and electrics. A graphic designer by trade, Matias first started with a couple of sketches and drawings. Once he knew what look he wanted to go for, the project could commence.

Long traveller or long travel?
Building the perfect overlander is not an easy process. Every part of the build needs to be well thought of, and often takes many hours before a final decision is made. First, the R80 ST got stripped to its bare bones. To improve the overall handling, the chassis needed some beefing up. 16 (!) reinforcement plates were welded in 6 different stress points on the frame. To improve front end responsiveness and increase suspension travel, the stock forks were replaced with a set of WP open chamber forks, now delivering a proper 250mm of travel. At the rear, a custom made Wilders shock was added to increase the rear wheel travel by 50%. The rear swing-arm has been extended with 100mm. All of which improves handling and stability at both low and high speeds.

Takasago rims on Talon hubs in the front and rear are held together by heavy-duty stainless-steel spokes. Interesting detail is that the rear wheel has a slight offset, allowing for a wider section rear tire. A Brembo 4-pot front calliper and a 320mm front brake disc give this BMW some modern stopping power.

No replacement for displacement
1001cc. That’s how much volune the boxer engine now measures. The cylinders were bored out to fit high compression 95mm pistons from Moorespeed. The crankshaft, rods, piston, and flywheel assembly were all dynamically balanced together for a smooth and responsive feel. This engine now pulls a healthy 72hp at the rear wheel.
The displacement and flow increase, required larger carbs. Since this is ultimately a touring bike that will have to cruise at both 20 and 80mph, Matias decided to go with classic 40mm Bing units instead of more aggressive options. Bings are consistent, fuel-efficient, and easy to maintain.
To improve the gas flow, the heads were ported, an open air filter were added, and a new Siebenrock exhaust was placed. The new exhaust system helped get rid of the collector box, and simplified the removal and installation of the whole system on the road. The weight reduction of 11 lbs was an added bonus. With travelling across Africa in mind, Matias thought of a way to deal with poor fuel quality. The ignition was upgraded to a dual curve ignition. This can be switched from the dash to retard the timing and avoid pinging with poor quality fuel.
DAKAR vibe
Looking at the pictures Matias sent us, we can’t help but notice the aesthetics of this BMW. First, there is that magnificent HPN 43 litre (11.3 gallon) nylon fuel tank, which was painted by the same people that paint Walt Siegl’s bikes. A nice detail is a small strip that was left unpainted at the front, to act a as a visual aid to check the fuel level. The rear fender also comes from HPN, but uses stock BMW taillight and indicators. Matias left the dash pretty essential. He wanted it to be easy to read and operate, with gloves on. It’s housed in a HPN Acerbis Cockpit with the stock ST gauges. Matias also added a dual-port marine USB hub, a hazard light switch, and a switch for the second curve on the ignition were added.

More to come…
With the completion of this build, a new era has started for Matias Corea. The responses to this BMW “Myth 001” were overwhelming, leading Matias to start a new company: Myth Motors. Customers can now order their own custom-built BMW “Myth” motorcycle, built to their needs. Something tells us that we will see a lot more from the Myth Motors workshop in the near future!

Photo Credits: Ryan Handt

Builder details:
Myth Motors
Website
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