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Enduroboxer, a BMW airhead transformed from a police motorcycle into an winning enduro racer!

Casper van der Ven — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 09:29:14 +0000

Enduroboxer…

Yes, what about it? The first BMW R80G/S? The airhead that jump-started the career of dualsport motorcycles and dominated the Paris-Dakar Rally?

Yes, that one, on steroids! Or on a diet..? I’m not sure, let’s get into it!

Intro

Inspired by German legends Fritz Witzel, Eddi Hau, and Herbert Schek, Manuel had the idea to enter an 800cc airhead into an enduro rally for twins >500cc. Not the obvious choice, since the airheads are neither particularly lightweight nor particularly powerful. Especially the ones that were originally assigned to the German Police Force. So what did Manuel do to this battleship of a bike to allow him to race in the enduro class and even become German national champion in the Interessengemeinschaft Enduro (IGE) class?

The donor bike

He acquired the former Augsburger bike and reinforced the frame to allow for the abuse he was about to put it through. He designed, cut, and welded reinforcements to the steering head, the top tube, and to the swingarm attachment points. Then, he swapped the original twinshock for a later model paralever. This reduces the reactionary forces of the drive shaft construction and allows for the use of a centrally mounted rear shock. The top of that shock mounts to the main frame, rather than to the rear subframe, which was common standard on the original twinshock airheads. The current subframe Manuel built himself, and hosts the Maico seat and the SR Racing muffler, another weight saver. The elongated design allows for sufficient padding and shifting weight easily in rough terrain. A Preston Petty MX fender prevents the mud from collecting on top of the bike.

The modifications

At the front, all mid-1970’s components have been swapped out for more modern, high-performance parts. A WP AER fork sits in reinforced CNC aluminium triple clamps. These too Manuel designed and produced inhouse. Just behind that sits an aluminium petrol tank, kindly donated by a Husqvarna. The engine sits centrally in the frame and Manuel heavily modified it to suit his needs. Most obvious are the additional oil-cooler, the rerouted exhaust headers, and the hefty bash-plate. Yet something is off when you look at it. If you look closely, you will find that he ground off the top of the engine case, timing cover, and front engine cover to save weight. It currently boosts 880cc and puts out sufficient grunt to get Manuel across the finish line first. It’s not comparable to what a modern 900cc engine would put out in terms of power, but remember that these engines were engineered to be very rideable. They put out an impressive amount of torque across the rev range. And that is saying something! Especially when you consider that Manuel stands over 2 metres tall. Perhaps that’s the secret to his success. He found a niche where he can combine his height, his talent, and his wrenching skills, and compete at the top level. When you see him on his enduroboxer, he whips it around like a dirtbike!

Put to action

What makes the bike so special is that it has been built to ride, and that it is ridden. For many years now it accompanies Manuel at sport events, and they have experienced many highs and lows together (pun intended!). They have ridden the Erzberg Rodeo, Le Tourquet, and the many IGE enduro competitions. And still, it makes him happy to ride! About the bike in his own words [translated from German]: “The motorcycle rides great, it is really fun. One should not forget though, that I built it specifically for myself, and that I massively modified it over the years. A bike so fitting, I would never have been able to buy off the shelf.”

Inspired?

Now if this has tickled your fancy, or if one of our earlier posts about enduro or dualsport boxers did, get in touch with Manuel. During the week when he is not winning on the track, he is giving it his best in the shop. Over 130 frames have been straightened and/or reinforced by their hands. And if you look closely, you will start to see Manuel’s work in many other motorcycles. Frame modifications, custom builds, and parts, SWT-Sports is a one-stop-shop for getting the airhead of your dreams, especially when you’re looking beyond a bobber or cafe racer!

Photos provided by Manuel Schad

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Moto Adonis Delivers Another Custom Masterpiece with BMW 416 R100RS Build

Adnane Bensalah — Sun, 02 Apr 2023 09:02:30 +0000

Moto Adonis is a custom bike workshop located in the Netherlands, known for their sleek and clean designs. They recently took on a BMW R100RS build, which was a stock bike with an aftermarket subframe and a specific request from the customer for to use the color Carbonschwarz metallic 416.

The Moto Adonis team got to work and transformed the bike into a custom machine with a high level of attention to detail. They added gold double striping to the new paintwork, which matched the golden front fork, and fitted a GSXR front fork, upgraded brakes with GSXR calipers, and a set of Moto Master brake discs with a golden center.

Moto Adonis also incorporated a full Motogadget system, including a speedometer and #mo.blaze bar end turn signals. They used high-quality parts such as Renthal bars, Motogadget mirrors, YSS shocks, Biltwell handlebar grips, and Tarozzi foot controls. They installed a Motone fuel cap and a Sp connect phone mount and charger, along with a custom leather seat by Mr. Miller. To top it all off, they made a stainless exhaust with MAD exhaust mufflers and DNA air filters, resulting in a great sounding bike.

The BMW 416 R100RS build is a perfect example of how Moto Adonis puts their touch on custom bikes, making them not only visually appealing but also enjoyable to ride. As Moto Adonis puts it, “We like to build bikes with high-quality parts and a high level of attention to detail, resulting in great-looking and great-riding machines.”

Moto Adonis has been making waves in the custom bike scene for some time now, and this BMW build is just another example of their craftsmanship. If you’re interested in seeing more of their work, check out our previous article on Moto Adonis’ Harley-Davidson Sportster build, where they turned a stock bike into a beautiful cafe racer.

The BMW 416 R100RS custom build by Moto Adonis is an impressive machine with sleek lines and high-quality parts. Moto Adonis continues to show their expertise in the custom bike scene and makes another customer happy with their dream bike. You can check out more of their work on their Instagram page (@moto_adonis) or their website (MotoAdonis.com).

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LM Creations R00: The Revolutionary BMW R-Series Electric Motorcycle

Adnane Bensalah — Sun, 26 Mar 2023 05:12:57 +0000

Are you tired of the noise and pollution of your conventional motorcycle but still want to experience the thrill of riding? Luuc Muis of LM Creations has created a solution that will let you have the best of both worlds. Say hello to the BMW R00, the world’s first bolt-on electric drivetrain for vintage motorcycles.

The idea for the R00 came from the trend of converting classic cars to electric power. While this is relatively easy for cars, it becomes a challenge when it comes to motorcycles. The original design of vintage motorcycles, with their exposed frames, makes it hard to hide the electric powertrain. Additionally, most electric motorcycle conversions lose the iconic characteristics of the bike due to their bulky battery boxes and hub motors. However, LM Creations set out to design an electric drivetrain that would replace the existing crankcase, maintain the gearbox, and keep the motorcycles’ engine characteristics intact.

The BMW R-Series was chosen as the starting point for the R00 due to its iconic engine design and popularity in the custom scene. However, any pre-unit drivetrain, such as BMW, Moto Guzzi, vintage Triumphs, Harley Davidsons, URAL, and English brands, are suitable for conversion. The engineering involved in designing the new casting for the motor housing and battery pack that fits the original frame, as well as all the necessary and safety components, was a significant undertaking.

The LM Creations team wanted to uphold the excitement of riding a custom or vintage motorcycle, including the sound and experience of shifting, revving, torque, and turning heads. The R00 has a unique sound, combining the whine of a supercharger and a JET turbine, along with incredible torque. Instead of a fixed-geared E-drive, the R00 maintains the gearbox, allowing riders to take off in any gear and switch gears any way they like. The ability to play around with the torque and power wheelies was never possible with the original BMW R-Series engine.

In a nutshell, the R00 has a 72V power unit capable of a max peak up to 20kw and 72Nm with a max RPM of 7500. It has a new aluminum cast housing, which comes in black or silver. The urban range is 80km, thanks to the 4.3kwh battery pack that weighs just 24kg, only 2kg more than the original gas tank. The charge cycles are more than 2000, equivalent to approximately 160,000 km. The charger comes in two options, a 1.8 or 3.3 kw 230V charger, and a gel coat paint-ready fiberglass shell. The R00 is bolted on to R-type airhead engines from 1969 to 1995 (R45-R100).

The BMW 11kw EV kit 4.3kwh battery with a 1.8kw charger retails for €8950, while the BMW 11kw EV kit 4.3kwh battery with a 3.3kw charger costs €9450 (excluding shipping). For pre-orders, LM Creations includes a free ROEG helmet. LM Creations also offers an option to have the kit installed for an additional €1450 (cover paint and gearbox rebuild not included), and custom modifications to the bike are available for an extra cost.

The R00 is a revolutionary electric motorcycle that offers the best of both worlds. It maintains the excitement and experience of riding a vintage motorcycle while eliminating noise and pollution. LM Creations has taken up the challenge of designing and engineering a bolt-on electric drivetrain for vintage motorcycles and has done an exceptional job. The R00 is the first of many innovations to come, and we can’t wait to.

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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
Website
Instagram
Facebook

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BMW R80 – The Dude by UNIKAT

Adnane Bensalah — Wed, 26 Oct 2022 09:31:13 +0000

We have become accustomed to the motorcycles that leave the workshop of Unikat. The Warsaw Poland based outfit have their own unique take on a number of different motorcycles. That’s why their motto is: “1-of-1”. As in, there is and will only be 1 model of each of their handcrafted machines. From a business point of view this could be seen as risky. But from an artistic point of view, well, there is no other way.

Luckily for us, the standard is pretty high when it comes to their custom built motorcycles, and the BMW you see here today is no exception. Built on behalf of Bartek Prokopowicz, a Polish movie director and lifelong petrolhead, Grzegorz Korczak decided to do something different this time. What started out as a standard BMW R80 police style motorcycle, has been transformed into a cafe racer styled tracker. What makes this 1978 BMW even more special is the treatment all surface areas were given to get a very distinct look. Take a closer look and you’ll see what we mean. Some parts look a bit rusty, and maybe even a bit rough and dirty. Make no mistake, this was done on purpose, through a series of rigorous processes, to achieve this unique, patina look. As if this BMW was built a long time ago. Very cheeky!

It’s clear that this BMW R80 is meant to look a bit rough and used, but that’s just one part of the story. Underneath the surface, everything was redesigned. Let’s start with the most notable changes, like the rear subframe. Or rather, the lack thereof. We see that on top of the minimalistic subframe a beautifully stitches single seat is resting. It almost looks as if it is floating. Some of the worlds’ smallest LED brake and indicator lights can be found underneath the seat.

To keep a clean look, the battery had to be relocated somewhere less obvious; underneath the bike. A custom battery bracket was fabricated to allow for the relocation. This gives the BMW a clean look. The engine and air intake has been kept stock for a change, and we love that! Everything was done to ensure the 800cc boxer is up to snuff, thanks to a thorough inspection and service. At the front the suspension was upgraded to YSS springs and received a pair of fork gaiters. A set of YSS fully adjustable twin shocks take care of business at the rear.

But there is more! Although the rest of the front looks stock, most isn’t. First there is the Motogadget speedo, that looks a lot smaller than the factory cockpit. A black aluminium handlebar replaced the stock steel unit. The handlebar grips have been wrapped with leather, and at the end of them, a pair of Motogadget bar-end indicators have been mounted. A classic oversize black round headlight adds to the distinguished look. The custom short fenders, the blacked out exhaust headers, and the twin brushed end cans all add to the classiness of this R80. No wonder it took almost a year to complete this project!

In the end, UNIKAT managed to create yet another timeless looking custom motorcycle. It’s hard to imagine that they built another bike simultaneous to this project. And yet, they did just that! Stay tuned for more, here on BikeBrewers.

Photo credit: UNIKAT

Builder details:
UNIKAT Motorworks
Website
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube

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BMW K100 Scrambler by Moto Rebuild

Adnane Bensalah — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 14:37:46 +0000

A Different Kind of Build
The 30-year-old Maarten Bressers has amazed us before with some beautiful custom BMW motorcycles. Although his preference usually went to boxer twins, the man behind Moto Rebuild decided to take a walk on the wild side, and to venture into the world of BMW inline engine motorcycles

Realistically, we have seen countless of gorgeous builds that were based around the R-series Bavarian pride. A K-series BMW however, is something completely different. When you think about it, where the R-series were meant as no-nonsense motorcycles, using the simplest of technologies, the K-series was nothing short of high tech when it first came out. No round, organic shapes on the K-series, but hard straight lines and a boxy design.

Fallen like a Brick
So why a K-series then? Maarten and his father, who is his partner in crime at Moto Rebuild, wanted to do something different this time. Were a boxer engine BMW allows for easy work, the K-series bikes require a lot more thorough thinking. Modifying a K75 or K100 and making it look balanced is not an easy job. But when Maarten saw a modified K100 on Instagram, the seed was planted and he wanted to have a go at one for himself.

Once the craftsman had made up his mind, a BMW K100 from 1987 was quickly sourced. He didn’t know exactly what the end result was going to look like, but he knew that the strength of this particular model lays in its angular design, so a robust front was a must. The biggest challenge was going to be to get the rear subframe to look nice and to allow the lines of the fuel tank to match with his design.

Community United
Maarten made a number of molds to create a custom set of fairings for his K100 project. We know firsthand that he regularly asked his followers on Instagram for their opinion. In a way, this has helped him to shape his project into what it is now. One could argue that this has been a collaboration between Moto Rebuild and his followers, which makes it quite unique!

Premium Parts
At the front we see a custom set of triple clamps, with LSL mirrors and a KOSO speedometer. The wide handlebar is also courtesy of LSL, as are the indicators and rear taillight. The side panels of the fuel tank are custom made by Maarten himself. The same goes for the custom subframe that now has a seat-pan from Cafe4Racer and a custom-made seat from Miller Kustom Upholstery. The LED headlight and handlebar grips are from the catalogue of Max Inc. A unique mounting system is used at the rear, which allows the shock absorber to sit almost horizontal, clearing the view to that beautiful rear wheel. The rear shock is from YSS, and ensures proper traction, as do the Michelin Anakee dual-sport tires.

When you look closely, you will see that this BMW has a ton of small details, like the 3D printed injection cover, ignition cover, and even rear wheel hub, courtesy of Motoism Custom and Raw Metal Racers. If you look closely you will spot built-in indicators on the front fork cover, built to spec by Motoism. All of this combined with the matt red/orange color, we think this is one of the best looking custom K100 we have seen passing the revue here on BikeBrewers. What sets this build apart from all other K100’s is that this scrambler looks very sporty, almost aggressive. Although a boxer twin has more “character” to its rumble, the K100 shines in smoothness.

FOR SALE!
And if you’re thinking “Hey this bike looks amazing, I want to own it!” then you’re in for a treat! Moto Rebuild is selling this BMW as well as another custom BMW R80. Send Maarten a DM on Instagram for more details.

Photo Credits: Maarten Bressers

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CNCPT MOTO – NEW NAME, FAMILIAR FACES

Casper van der Ven — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 17:35:45 +0000

We have previously featured bikes called the Dominator, the Starship Meteor, the Mutant, and the Alchemist. Seasoned readers and followers may recognise these names and ‘Cloud 9’ does not sound too far fetched to follow. Indeed, Arjan van den Boom is behind this revolutionary design for a 2019 BMW R9T. This time he teamed up with Timothy Somers from Powerbrick Performance under a new name: CNCPT Moto.

About the build

What started on a flimsy napkin in 2019 turned out to be a real roller coaster ride: throw in a pandemic, raw material shortages, skyrocketing prices, and weeks quickly turn into months. Only to be topped off with a tight deadline to drive the project home. Yet, they managed to pull it off and revealed their first bike under the new brand at the Bikeshed 2022.

This futuristic looking machine is the result of unhinged creativity and thinking out of the box. Combining their skills from different backgrounds and with the help of skilled and dedicated friends they transformed the napkin sketches into clay models and finally into 3D printed and CNCed parts. This pioneering work gives us a glimpse into what the future may hold for us when it comes to motorcycle and custom parts. The builders imagine this as their idealistic approach to the future of customising motorcycles, “a teleport to 2084”.

About the body

The monobody was printed with ASA (acrylonitrile styrene acrylate), a thermoplastic that is UV, chemical, and weather resistant, as well as high-impact, wear, and temperature proof. Thus, it is an excellent material for outdoor use and exposure to the elements, making it particularly suitable for automotive applications. The body actually consists of two parts, the tail part with the seat, and the top front part. It is mounted using stock mounting points on the R9T frame, however, several stock brackets had to be removed prior to installing the new body. 20 individually 3D printed parts were glued and bolted together to make up the body.

The sharp edges of the body are part of the lines that make this motorcycle look so futuristic. These lines run from the front axle to the tail and from the headlight to the tail. The angle between these lines give the bike a fast look, and several parts are aligned with these lines.

In the first line are the valve covers, the air box opening, the bottom of the seat, the edge of the body underneath the seat, and the handmade stainless steel exhaust. The valve covers were designed in house by Timo, as was the timing cover, and CNC machined. Both will be available for purchase soon! The exhaust headers run below, yet parallel to this line. The same goes for the handfolded aluminium sumpguard, tying it all together.

In the second line, the headlights, the custom CNC billet bottom yoke, the purple trellis frame, and the sharp edge and mating surface of the two body parts also align to end in the taillight. Jeroen from Silvermachine Seats upholstered the seat in alcantara and leather. Jacco at Royal Kustom Works did the paint. And Brother Coating performed the powder coating.

Zooming in

If we take a closer look, we can spot quite a few high end parts, including the carbon fiber fork tubes provided by Cera Carbon housing fully adjustable Matris cartridges, and carbon fiber wheels by Rotobox wrapped in Pirelli Diablos. Continuing, the custom TFX rear shock absorber, Beringer clutch and brake cylinders and levers, and Brembo calipers are also executed in purple to create elegant highlights. Electronically the bike is decked out with Motogadget controls and speedo.

Less visible is the work that went into designing an airbox to house a DNA inlay filter behind the black, perforated hexagon grill. As is the handmade aluminium shoe box that houses the fuel cell underneath the monobody, and the resin printed headlight brackets holding power LEDs.

Particularly impressive is the fact that these two set out and succeeded to raise the bar for themselves, and for the field, in terms of combining skills, adopting novel technologies and materials, and turning their self-funded brainchild into a running prototype of the future. If this bike tickles your imagination as much as ours, you’re in luck. The bike is currently for sale, conditions and pricing via CNCPT Moto. Cloud 9 will be displayed at Pure&Crafted 2022. See you there!

Photos by Paul van Mondfrans Lindén

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BMW R80 Cafe Racer by Ferry Westerlaken

Adnane Bensalah — Sun, 27 Mar 2022 16:51:31 +0000

Humble beginnings
There are BMW boxers, and then there are BMW boxers. The difference? Well, here goes. Ever since BMW introduced their famous boxer twin configuration back in the 1920’s, they kind of had a reputation of being a bit…dull. That was until they started kicking the competition’s butts in the 1981 Paris-Dakar Rally. And just like that, boys and girls, the BMW boxer became a legend. That doesn’t mean that all of their BMW’s motorcycles were “cool”. BMW built their motorcycles really well. They were considered to be the ONLY European motorcycle manufacturer that built genuinely reliable motorcycles in the 20th century. And their bikes handled pretty decently. As a matter of fact, with the exception of the GS models, BMWs were considered to be mostly…ehhh…boring.

High in demand
All of this meant 2 things really: 1. There are a ton of old BMWs still riding around, since they were built to last. 2. Owning a second-hand BMW was something of an acquired taste for most people, well, mostly young people. This lack of desirability made them cheap to buy as a pre-owned vehicle. Enter the mystical realm of cafe racer building. With a doubt, one of the most popular base motorcycles to build a custom machine out of are, hands down, BMW motorcycles. Because of their popularity with builders, the old boxer has become one of the hottest bikes in the scene. Don’t just take our word for it, just make sure to check out all the other BMW bikes we have covered in the past, oh I don’t know, year or so.

The Builder from Dussen
Which brings us to the subject of the matter. The BMW we see in front of us today is the prized possession of Ferry Westerlaken. The 45 year old Dutchman who, until recently, owned Ace-Cafe Racers Parts, and founder/owner of Beemer Boys, which is a private label he created for custom BMW parts, built this BMW from the ground up. Did we forget to mention that he also runs a company that trades classic motorcycles? It’s called Altena Classics, make sure to go check it out. He also has a family with three daughters. We find it incredibly difficult to imagine how and where he finds the time to juggle all of this, truly impressive. It isn’t the first time we covered a bike that was built by Ferry. Who remember this Moto Guzzi?

Barn-find!
It all started with a 1985 BMW R80, which was found in a shed only a couple of hours away from where Ferry lives, covered in a thick layer of dust. It was clear that doing a standard cafe-racer job wouldn’t suffice; Ferry wanted to take things to the next level. Not just because he likes to keep his standards high, but also because the bike needed to showcase all the cool new parts he offers through his private label Beemer Boys. The list of mods is very long, however, the most notable piece of work on this R80 has to be the custom exhaust system. It definitely looks unique, almost menacing.

Where there’s a will…
We asked Ferry what he found most challenging about this build: “There were quite a few challenges. The greatest challenge was finding the time to do things. I have a full time job, two webshops, a motorcycle shop, and a family with 3 awesome daughters. So quite a busy life. In addition, the exhaust system was a thing. I didn’t want something standard, but a system made of segments that would run along the top instead of the bottom. Some of the problems to deal with the exhaust is the heat emission along carburetors, tank, fuel hose from the fuel taps. Oil level checks also had to remain possible, and the exhaust had to follow the lines of the motorcycle. The motorcycle had to be built in a minimalistic way with as little fuss as possible around the clip-ons. The BMW is a widely used motorcycle to build a cafe racer or bobber. Despite the differences, they often look like each other. I like the exhaust the most. The lines are good, the looks of the tubes are great, the segments are mint, and the sound is fantastic. I must admit that it rides better than stock. When the motorcycle was ready, she went on the dyno for optimal tuning. This gave the R80 a little bit more horsepower. The handling has also improved with the right adjustment of the suspension. I wanted something different, and I’m very happy with the result!”

Despite the fact that Ferry is very capable, he couldn’t have done this without the help of Ace13 and Hakky Motorsport.

The mods:

Complete engine and transmission rebuild
New wiring
Tank cleaned and re-sealed
Frame + subframe powder coated
Vonzeti Subframe
Handmade Vonzeti seat
Vonzeti Monza fuel cap
Powdercoated wheels
Tarozzi rear-set
Kawasaki ZZR front fork
Aluminium engine cover
Siebenrock valve covers (limited edition)
YSS MZ366 TRL 410mm shock absorber full black
Motogadget M-unit blue with smartphone app
Motogadget m-Lock RFID ignition lock
Motogadget motoscope mini odometer and tachometer black
Motogadget 2 Button M Switch
Harley Davidson (1967) headlight
LSL headlight brackets
Side-mount Curved LED Tail-light
Beemer Boys battery box stainless steel
Beemer Boys handmade segment exhaust system
Akrapovic exhaust muffler
Tomaselli adjustable clip-ons
Custom made top yoke
Brembo brake calipers
Mikuni carbs

Photo Credits: Willeke van Oudheusden

Builder details:
Ferry Westerlaken
Beemer-Boys
Altena Classics
Instagram

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Pan American trip

Ron Betist — Sun, 09 Jan 2022 09:00:27 +0000

Introduction
With this first post we introduce our new correspondent on the West Coast.
Yes, it is another Dutchman who has decided to explore the world beyond the dikes surrounding the Netherlands. A little while ago we presented Daan Staffhorst, who is residing on the East Coast, with a first report on his Alaskan adventure.

Being bitten by the motorcycle bug in Asia, our new reporter Koen Theeuwes became restless, paused his career and moved to the United States.
Currently residing in California, he has got plans to head South following the Pan American Highway.
We leave it up to him to introduce himself and his motivation for his trip.
Editorial team.

About Koen Theeuwes
Let me start with a short introduction about myself, before we get to the important topics.
My name is Koen, a typical Dutch name, (I guess my parents never meant for me to go abroad) but still, as it means ‘brave’ it is a name I wear with pride. I was born and raised in the Netherlands. I studied Business and Finance, which I still love, but around 10 years ago I discovered my greatest interest: people and their different cultures.

Only one thing allows you to experience people and their cultures to its fullest; travelling. So this is what I decided to do. Now you may think to yourself: ‘I’m on a bloody motorcycle blog, what do I care about this guy loving people, I want the smell of gasoline and roaring engines’. Good thought, keep it, we’ll get there in a sec.

How was this dream born?
During my studies in Rotterdam, I did an exchange in Istanbul and an internship in Nigeria.
That fueled my ‘wanderlust’ (terrible term, I agree) even more. So before starting work in the Consulting sector, I traveled South-East Asia for 6 months and lived the life. This is where my love for two wheels began. After renting all motorbikes in Thailand, Malaysia, The Philippines, Myanmar and Indonesia I made it to Vietnam.

My Asian bikes
For $ 250 I bought a Chinese rip-off version of a Honda Win. No less than 110 ccs of pure power and beauty (..). Who needs a licence, insurance or lessons? Not me!

I rode it from Ho Chi Minh down the Mekong Delta and back up all the way to Hanoi. After these 4000 km / 2500 miles I was hooked.
The motorbike was going to be my means of transport to explore the world.

Back in Holland
In hindsight riding Vietnam without any preparation of course was rather irresponsible (sorry mom, we’ll talk about this later). So coming back home I came to my senses and decided to actually get a licence. Of course I got a bike as well. My second love was a custom Kawasaki CSR 305. It wasn’t fast, but it looked amazing and sounded even better.

While riding in Vietnam I promised myself I would make a big trip on a motorbike, before I turned 30. When I learned about the Pan-American Highway I instantly knew this was going to be the next one up.

Finding the right moment
But as with most dreams, regular life kind of got in the way. My career was going well and I really enjoyed what I did (after Consulting I worked for Kraft Heinz, who doesn’t like to sell Ketchup?). However, the itch for an adventure trip kept creeping up.
But when is the right time? One thing I learned: there is never a good time. You just have to go for it. I luckily did manage to find a slot that was less ‘bad’ than others. The actual planning started in February (2021), I informed my employer in April I needed a year off and decided on leaving in September.

I was finally going to do it! Maybe not finish before turning 30, but starting it, for sure!

Preparations
In daily life I am very organized, but when traveling I like to go without a plan as much as possible.
There were a few things that required my attention:
1. COVID – needed to wait for vaccinations, hence my leave date in September. Otherwise I would have started in Alaska in July
2. Route – I wanted to make sure it was actually possible to ride my bike all the way. Turns out, it is not. But there’s solutions
3. Motorbike – was I able to legally ride a motorbike in all the countries on my route? With an American vehicle, yes. Any Latin / South American vehicle was probably going to raise questions of border officials at some point. This thus also concluded my starting country
4. Starting point – I have a good friend in Vancouver (Washington state, just North of Portland) who rides bikes as well. Figured it would be helpful to start somewhere where I had a ‘guide’
5. Other ‘trivialities’ – insurance, vaccinations, luggage, visas, other documents, etc. Will not go into the boring details here, but please find my contact details below if you have any questions.

In my next blog I will write about my arrival in the US and all the hoops I had to jump through to actually start riding. Sneak preview: it was a success, see my monster below. Stay tuned!

Contact
By popular demand.. :-) ..I started using Instagram.
Please feel free to follow @koentheeuwes
If you have any more specific questions you can reach out via email: koen.theeuwes@gmail.com. (Happy to answer or help!)

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BMW R80 “BIG dude” by Moto Adonis

Adnane Bensalah — Thu, 23 Dec 2021 08:00:23 +0000

Moto Adonis
We have seen a couple of incredible builds from the workshop of Moto Adonis. The Dutch builders, which consists out of Arthur Renkema and Job Leussink, have been busy the last couple of years. Who remembers the menacing Harley Davidson LiveWire? Or the BMW RnineT Girder? Only a few months later, they’ve already announced the culmination of 2 more projects. One of which is the BMW R80 dubbed “BIG Dude”, the bike we will be discussing further below.

Popular Bike
In all honesty, we can list the factory bike specs here again, but that would be pointless at this stage. Yes, the BMW R80 is probably the most popular motorcycle to use as a base bike for a myriad of projects. Be it a café racer, scrambler, tracker or even a resto-mod; there is something about the simplicity of the airheads that inspires creativity. But there is more to it than that. The overall build quality and availability of new parts, considering the fact that these aren’t new motorcycles, inspires confidence.

Project “BIG Dude”
It was no different with this build. A customer called the workshop and asked a simple question: “Can you build me a BMW R80 Scrambler?”. The answer Arthur and Job had for him was “Sure!”. All seemed fine, until the customer paid them a visit. It became clear that they needed to take a few things into consideration. The “biggest” one being the customer’s size. The dude was bigger than most BMW riders, measuring in at 2 meters, the builders knew that they had o make some serious modifications to allow for a bigger rider to enjoy the ride. Hence the name “BIG Dude”

A few ground rules were set before the project started. The most important one being the motorcycle had to be comfortable to ride, without making it look like he was riding a kid’s bicycle. This is a problem many riders face, and of the reasons why big guys ride big bikes. And let’s be honest, most café racers, scramblers and trackers look quite petit.

Taller is Better
The modification was made to the rear subframe. It got chopped away, and a new subframe was fabricated with 2 things in mind: it had to be minimalistic, and it had to raise the rear a bit higher. It goes without saying that the complete subframe had to be very strong to deal with the weight of the rider under all conditions. A taller rear shock was added, as well as a taller front suspension, only to increase the overall height of the BMW. One of the benefits of adding the taller front forks, which are upside down, is that they can accommodate for double disc brakes. Not a luxury considering the projects aim.

Modifications
On the subframe sits a new custom-made seat, courtesy of Miller Kustom Upholstery, with built-in taillight, finished in a beautiful brown leather. Moto Adonis has collaborated with MAD Exhausts before, and they have yet again provided the crew with a one-off custom exhaust. A bunch of off-the-shelve gear has been used to enhance the riding experience. A Motogadget m.unit has been adopted to simply electrics. An Acewell speedo provides all the critical info, while we also spotted a set of mo.blaze bar-end indicators on the handlebar together with a set of bar-end mirrors. The original BMW cookie-cutter wheels got a new layer of black glossy paint, and are now wrapped in Continental TKC80 rubber to add function to the form. The matt black color with white stripes brings everything together.

Happy owner
Like all custom-built motorcycles, they are built in the image of its creator. This particular R80 was built with a very specific goal in mind. Its new owner is very pleased with his scrambler, and we can clearly see why. The BMW looks great; the Moto Adonis team can be proud of how this turned out.

Photos: Lennart Stolte

Builder details:
Moto Adonis
Website
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