Custom Builds From Bikebrewers

[DaveM]

Rotterdam Dirt Ride 2021 – The Mud Edition

Once upon a time…
…there were two guys from Rotterdam who were avid dirt racers.
Unfortunately if you want to experience some good off-road riding, there are not many places in the Netherlands where you can just hop on a bike and freely hit gravel or proper sand dunes. Most of this country below sea level is securely fenced off and when you decide to not mind the barbed wire and plough your way through small country roads, chances are, you will find an angry local official on your way.

Time for some fun
So, to have a bit of unadulterated fun, the boys turned South and found themselves riding the Fuel fuelled Scram Africa back in 2017. Having crossed this event off their bucket list, they decided it was time to create a mini version of this, closer to home and share it with others who may never have the chance to cross the Mediterranean to ride the desert.

Imagine creating an off road event with lots of participants on loud smelly bikes, dressed in the silliest outfits you can imagine on motorbikes that are more often than not absolutely unsuitable for the terrain they are digging their way through. All of this in the country we described at the start of this story and with loots of excited visitors arriving on vintage or retro styled custom motorcycles to cheer the muddy madmen (and women!) on.

City slickers
Add to that the idea to organize this on the outskirts of the second largest city in the country, and you will find yourself in long meetings with city officials and local government, constantly shaking their heads in disbelief of your audacious plans.

Not so in Rotterdam! With the invaluable help of a local policeman who knows his way around city hall and is a big motorcycle fan, Gideon Schipaanboord and his buddy Joey Delwell managed to squeeze out a permit to organize the first Rotterdam Dirt Ride back in September 2018.

This in itself being a major feat, they found themselves scratching their heads while looking at the papers allowing them to go and create a unique date on the international motorcycle calendar. Coming up with a great idea on paper is one thing, actually making it happen is something else.

Gideon is a seasoned marketeer who works for major motorcycle brands and associated businesses and Joey has a professional background in logistics. Both of them have a large network within the motorcycle community and many of their contacts are good friends. It is with the help of this network they have managed to throttle off the starting line and build an event that offers tons of fun for all those who come to enjoy some dirt.

The Fun Factor scale
The ‘fun factor’ is what they all do this for. Definitely not for the money, as most of this is made possible with the kind help of sponsors and ticket sales at a friendly price. Getting permission to organize an event like this might have been a major and unexpected victory, but the list of security measures just goes on and on. The Dutch are not just really good at fencing off the territory, but are true champions at creating rules and regulations to keep things under control in this densely populated piece of ground, owned by the Gods of the Sea until our ancestors decided to build dikes and pump out the water.

Year after year the event grew organically from a local club of around 25 friends slinging mud on a piece of land next to the highway, to a steady date on the calendar. The growth was exponential each year, and even in one of the most historically difficult years, they managed to continue with 70 participants and 250 people to cheer them on.

Fortunately in the course of this year things started to go back to the ‘normal’ as we all knew it and Rotterdam welcomed 110 riders from all over Europe and 750 visitors (the maximum allowed) during the two-day edition. According to Gideon they would have easily been able to get an audience of between 3.500 to 5.000 had they not been strangled by post-covid regulations.

Go large
The event moved from its initial slab of land, to a slightly larger piece of dirt just outside the Rotterdam city ring; much closer to the heart of the city. Having the luxury of more space, the organizers decided to create more excitement by adding an oval dirt track and a mini bike course for kids to the already existing motocross layout.

Schipaanboord says: “The foundation of the event is to have fun with your family of motorcycle enthusiasts. We also want this to be an easily accessible tournament for both riders and people along the track. A true meeting of old and new friends to which you can safely bring your kids.

In spite of the fact we have a competition and give out prizes to winners, it is the participation that really matters. We try not to take things (safety regulations aside) too serious. This really shows in all the pictures you will see of this colourful event. Smiles all over the place!

Weather permitting, we actively invite people to camp on the track and share stories while sitting around the camp fire. I know it sounds romantic, but it truly works.”

Rain dance
This fourth edition was late in the riding season. Moving from September to the start of October was an invitation for Pluvius to join the fun and take it up a few notches on the difficulty scale for both riders and spectators. The saying goes ‘it never rains but it pours’. And pouring it did. A steady flow of buckets was emptied over the heads of everyone attending. On the Saturday as well as on the Sunday.

However it was impossible to extinguish the inner fire to anyone present at this festival of mud and we share the pictures to prove it. After a couple of nice, dry, sunny and dusty editions, having to plough (or perhaps sail is a more apt description in this case) through the deep ditches of sticky mud seemed just to add to the exhilaration. As trying to stay dry was impossible for the spectators, being covered up to their ears in mud was the outcome of any knight swashbuckling across the muddy groves.

But man did they have fun!

Rearview mirror
Looking back, Gideon smiles with satisfaction. He adds: “The upbeat spirit of everyone attending was just unbelievable. As an organizer you take a big risk in setting up something like this. After those sunny years, we toned it down in 2020 but still managed to go ahead and make it a modest success. Continuing to build was our main goal that year.

When the horses are finally set free in the meadow again, they jump around with joy. In our case it was more like a rain dance and we went into the weekend looking at the sky with concern. But when people continued to pour in as well, we were relieved and enjoyed the two days just as much as everyone else seemed to do.”

Continuing: “We look towards the future with confidence. Again this year we managed to grow against the tide. Quite literally hahaha! We want to grow in the years to come, but keep it within certain boundaries. Our mission is to spread the word to the world what fun you can have with a likeminded group of people and show the love and passion for the sport of motorcycling at any level.

It is all about that and emotion. Period.”

Missing the point
More seriously: “It is surprising to experience such little support from the motorcycle industry. There are a few brands that have dipped their toes into the water, but no one never really jumped in. It is as if there is no full understanding for the retro and custom scene and what makes those afficionados tick.

It surprises me even more when you look at the number manufacturers producing retro styled machines to cater for this audience. Getting them on the road is what they are really good at, going with the flow of this growing band of brothers who want to have fun with them like people did in the sixties and seventies seems to be more difficult to grasp for the brands.

They miss out on great opportunities on the calendar throughout Europe. Whether it is riding on beaches, in the dirt or smashing bikes full throttle through mud, there are large groups of people enjoying all aspects of riding on two wheels with a twist.” Concludes the free-lance marketeer.

Amen to that! Is all the BikeBrewers team can say to sum this all up.

And see you all next year!

Rotterdam Dirt Ride
Rotterdam Dirt Ride Instagram

Photography:
Sjoerd Schenk
Joep.Photo
Remko van Diggelen

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[DaveM]

Retro Rider vs. Adventure Addict

Before we get started, we at BikeBrewers, feel that we need to share some developments from the past year. As you may have noticed we have been publishing quite a variety of motorcycle and apparel reviews on our website and on our social channels, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube included .

This is in response of the influx of invitations from manufacturers to test-ride and review their new models, helmets and clothing. This has inspired us to include more, what we like to call ‘petrolhead lifestyle’ articles on our website. We believe that it is an excellent opportunity for us to give our followers a broader look on what is going on in the world of motorcycles. We try to take a slightly different approach when we write about our experiences. Staying away from all the deep digging technical stuff we try to express our emotions when we ride something new or different.

Of course we will always stay loyal to our core principle, and that is custom built motorcycles. But in our view the spice of life is variety.

In the article below our team member Ron was invited for some serious riding in Spain. He always claimed never to be seen riding on adventure bikes, but he came back a changed man.

Enjoy his coning out!

Editorial team

Retro guy
Retro styled custom motorcycles are mostly designed for riding in urban areas. Being a huge fan of retro- and vintage styled motorcycles, you would probably expect me to become very excited at the prospect of riding a Kawasaki Z900RS rather than the Versys 1000 S model of the same brand.

That’s a very logical train of thought as I am mostly known for my involvement with the retro and custom scene. However, things changed dramatically after spending a full day of riding on twisty country roads in Cataluña, Spain.

1000+ curves in 9 hours
On invitation by Kawasaki I took part in the ‘Kawasaki Versys Experience’ which is a Kawasaki Europe organised event in collaboration with the CromRide. The CromRide celebrated its fifth anniversary this year and is more or less a ‘local Catalan ride’ organized by Joan Martí Utset and his team at Crom Events. When I say ‘local’ I really mean regional as riders come from all over Cataluña and other parts of Spain to participate.

The ride itself is a 12-hour, 570km and 2000+ curves challenge, leading riders along awesome roads and enthralling views across the mountains of the Pyrenees. In partnership with Crom Events Kawasaki had organized a ‘Versys Experiential Event’. 18 journalists from various European countries were invited to try out the 2021 Kawasaki Versys 1000 S during a full day of riding. In our case it meant a ‘light version’ of 10 hours, 370km and 1000+ curves to be conquered.

Versys 1000
It was my very first encounter with the Versys 1000 S on the day we set out on this 370 km journey. There have been the odd courtships with adventure bikes in my 45-year motorcycling experience, but never as serious a ride as the one I was embarking on that day.

I have an open mind when it comes to riding motorcycles and I get easily excited by anything motorised with two wheels. As long as there is torque and speed involved, you can count me in!

The Kawasaki is an impressive machine from whatever angle you look at it. If you see it approaching in the rear view mirror you will let it pass rather than challenge it to a duel. The bike has some aggressiveness built into its front end, but the overall design is classy, modern and distinguished. It has ‘ready to take you wherever you want to go’ written all over it.

Kawasaki’s Versys 1000 S and SE are clearly designed to offer maximum riding enjoyment across a wide variety of street riding situations. Whether riding solo or two-up, around the corner or around the globe, this fun-to-ride sport-touring bike’s combination of a highly responsive In-Line Four engine, which is clearly tuned for flexibility, and a nimble chassis that is fitted with dynamic suspension, it is sure to have riders smiling broadly in their helmets. Even though I was wearing a full face adventure helmet for the occasion, I am sure my grin was easily detectable from afar.

Rider position
With the prospect of having to ride for 10 hours or more, I was hoping for more comfort than what I was used to on all the retro and vintage machines I regularly ride. I was pleasantly surprised by its relaxed, upright riding position which offered a high level of machine control, and was complemented by a highly comfortable seat and good wind protection, making it easy to spend a long time in the saddle.

Talking about level of control; that was something I was and still am Kawasaki very grateful for. The ‘local boys’ I encountered, who were also participating in the CromRide at points where the two routes intermingled, were nose-diving ‘full throttle’ into each bend we encountered. It goes without saying that my testosteron shouted at me to go for the pursuit, but I was no match for them. The clear disadvantage of insufficient mountain road experience and being new to all those curves, they clearly knew what they were doing. They probably new these roads as well as the back of their hands.

Just the bike and I
Leaving their backs for what they were, I decided to opt for an experience with just me and the Versys 1000 S. Still riding slightly faster than what is legally allowed, the Versys and I developed quite the love affair along the way. We hardly encountered any other vehicles for most of the day, it was easy to focus on establishing a true relationship between me and the Versys. I was impressed with its beauty, its sure-footedness along those curvy country roads, but perhaps mostly, by the ample amount of torque available in all the gears. The admiration must have been mutual, as the Kawasaki was clearly satisfied with my handling and speed at which I thrusted the bike through the Pyrenees mountains.

Most noticeable was the forgiveness of the machine when it came to making stupid braking mistakes at the end of leg one, just before lunch. After a great start in the morning and having a lot of fun, my empty stomach and lack of caffeine clearly put me back into the ‘consciously incompetent’ quadrant of the matrix. There were a couple of hairy moments when I braked at the wrong moment, but the Versys took control and led us safely through those corners.

The Kawasaki Versys 1000 comes standard with 3 different ride-modes: sport, road and rain. In the ‘road’ mode there is more than sufficient power readily available. Switching to ‘Sport’ will make the Versys loose the woollen jacket and show its ‘wolf power’. Quite the difference and it is good to have a choice according to your personal mood.

After lunch dip
Our lunch stop was scheduled at the ‘Hostatgeria Restaurant Santuari de Montgrony’ somewhere high up in the mountains in a location that can only be reached via a dedicated passage way, ending in a ‘cul de sac’. There, our hosts were waiting for us. While sharing the delicious food, it was also time to compare notes with fellow members of the press. It was very clear that all of them were as impressed with the Versys as I was, and we were all looking forward to the second part of the ride. Some of them were afraid of an ‘after lunch dip’, but with the adrenalin rushing through my veins there was nothing of that sort on my part.

I had gone through a steep learning curve in the morning. But with over 45 years of riding experience I am still a quick learner and for the remaining 180 kilometres, I really got into a flow. With time not being a factor, it was just the road, the uninterrupted succession of exciting curves, the Versys 1000 S and myself for the next five hours. What a glorious feeling.

Looking back
I started this post by stating that I am not really an ‘adventure bike’ guy. I retract those words now. I most definitely am! The Kawasaki Versys 1000 has managed to convert me to the conviction that there is tons of excitement and fun in riding this type of motorcycle, especially on roads like we were challenged to ride that day.

In short; The Kawasaki Versys 1000 is definitely a bike I will be adding to the stable. It has everything you are looking for in a bike that you want to take for a ride which is more than the occasional tour in your own country. It will seduce you to take the ‘long way home’ each time you climb on board or perhaps add a few extra days to an international trip.

It is a reliable companion which comes with a complete package of electronic gear to help you enjoy the ride even more.

Final conclusion in one word: YES!

Technical data:

Dimensions
Overall length: 2,270 mm
Overall width: 950 mm
Overall height: 1,530 mm / 1,490 mm (High/Low position)
Wheelbase: 1,520 mm
Road clearance: 150 mm
Seat height: 840 mm

Curb mass
SE: 257 kg
S: 255 kg
Fuel tank capacity: 21 litres

Performance
Max. power: 88.2 kW {120 PS} / 9,000 min-
Max. torque: 102.0 N·m {10.4 kgƒ·m} / 7,500 min

Engine
Type: Liquid-cooled 4-stroke In-Line Four
Valve system: DOHC, 16 valves
Bore x Stroke: 77.0 x 56.0 mm
Displacement: 1,043 cm3

Kawasaki Versys 1000
CromRide
CromRide – Instagram
CromEvents

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[DaveM]

Getting lost in Alaska: Part I

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 2020, 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 and an awesome video.
Interesting fact; Daan took those drone shots while riding pillion, as Anne took over the handlebars. No mean feat!

Here’s the first part of his Big adventure:

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.

id=”attachment_17150″ align=”aligncenter” width=”4000″]

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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[DaveM]

Review: 2021 BMW R18 ‘First Edition’

BMW R18 – 1800cc cruiser
There are moments where you see a picture of a motorcycle, and it doesn’t make you blink or think twice. Something like that happened when we saw the first pictures of the BMW R18 circulating the web; we weren’t too impressed. Another manufacturer that tips its toes in the cruiser segment, we thought. Why would BMW, who is the industry leader when it comes to big adventure bikes, venture into the realm of cruisers? As it turns out, the R18 harkens back to BMW’s heritage dating back to one of the first BMW boxer models; the R5 from 1936/1937. Much of the inspiration for the modern R18 comes from this particular motorcycle. Moreover, the R18 is not BMW’s first attempt to enter the heavy cruiser market in recent history. Who remembers the R1200C? That hardly brought BMW the success they had hoped for, even James Bond couldn’t change that. Despite this, I was not immediately impressed by the R18. It looks nice and the chrome is shiny, that’s about it.

Until you start reading the spec sheet, and realize that there is something quite provocative about the R18. To begin with, there’s that massive engine. 1800cc boxer twin engine to be precise, still air-cooled, but with a little bit of help from an external oil-cooler. The 90hp of peak power at a lowish 4750 rpm isn’t too bad considering the displacement, but the 158Nm of torque at a ridiculous 3000 rpm is what gets our hearts pump faster; this we gotta try!

And try we did. BMW Motorrad in the Netherlands invited us to try out their new, dressed-down version of the R18, called ‘First Edition’, and the full-fat version of the R18 known as the ‘Trans Continental’. This review is about the R18 ‘First Edition’. The review on the R18 ‘Trans Continental’ will follow next.

First impression of the R18 ‘First Edition’
Wow, this thing is massive! That was the first thing that came to mind when I saw R18. It’s that engine that blows your mind. 900cc on each side, the barrels are huge compared to what we’re used to. The black color with white pinstriping is simple and elegant at the same time. It looks timeless on the R18. Then there are the beautiful chrome polished fishtail exhaust pipes; they look incredibly beautiful; we wish more manufacturers would put them on cruiser! What BMW did really well with the R18, is hide the ugly catalytic converters underneath the engine, between the exhaust headers, out of eye-sight. Wire-spoked wheel, with stainless steel spokes and black rims add to that distinguished look and feel. But the ‘piece-de-resistance’ has to be that exposed shaft drive. It’s so incredibly old-school, we fell head over heels for it. That’s how you build a retro bike!

Second impression
When you swing your leg over the seat, you feel you are seated on something special. There is one minimalistic speedo, but make no mistake, it has an LCD display that allows you to access information most companies would be jealous of! The R18 is brought to life in a similar way like most modern cars and motorcycles. You keep the key in your pocket, and simply press the power button on the right controls. There are 3 ride modes from which you can choose: Rock, Roll, and Rain. We had to guess and search up what Rock and Roll did, but there was very little doubt about the Rain-mode. This impacts the throttle response and traction control in a pleasant and non-intrusive matter. Rock would be similar to ‘Sport’ mode on most bike, and Roll is the equivalent to ‘Normal’ or ‘Touring’. We kept the R18 on Rock, because it allowed for a very useable throttle response.

Third impression
Picking the bike from it’s side stand immediately gives away the elephant on the room; 345 kilograms of wet weight. Maneuvering the R18 at stand still is difficult to say the least. Getting the bike rolling will help, so you hit the start button. First thought: This bike rocks! Quite literally! The slightest opening of the throttle results in a massive swing to the right, caused by the inertia exerted by the flywheel, which must be huge. That’s also when the first lesson was learned: you keep both feet firmly on the ground when you pull up in first gear. If you forget that, you risk tipping the bike over to the left by the sheer force of the flywheels’ movement. But, as predicted, once the mass is in motion, the R18 hides its weight pretty well. A neat feature the R18 has was the ‘reverse’ gear, which needs to be operated manually. This helps with moving the bike backwards without looking like you’re hitting the gym, if needed.

King of the road
The sound the exhaust produces when you open up the throttle is magnificent. It reminds me of the sound a turbo-charged V8 diesel engine makes; deep, short, throaty. With a similar powerband too! A small twist of the right wrist results in incredible acceleration. It feels as if the road is moving underneath your tires, and not the other way around! The R18 invites for some serious mile-munching. The handlebars aren’t too far of a reach, the seat is very comfortable, but the seating position leaves much to desire. If you have a larger shoe size than 43 (Size 10), you’ll struggle with keeping your feet from hitting the cylinders and air-intake. You want to sit with your feet a bit further to the front, but you can’t. Instead, it looks like you’re sitting a on a small camping chair. Too bad, because it could have made a massive improvement on the ride quality. The same goes for the suspension. The front Showa fork works well under most circumstances, but the rear ZF shock with its limited travel of 90mm only (!) can be a bit too harsh on anything that isn’t silky smooth tarmac. The brakes are good for such a massive bike, but they’re not nearly as good as the radial Brembo brakes that can be found on Moto Guzzi’s 1400 California. The 16-liter fuel tank provided a sufficient range for comfortable riding without getting range anxiety, we averages around 16 km/l or 38 US MPG under mixed riding conditions. Rides of up to 2 hours or done effortlessly, especially with nice comforts like cruise-control and heated grips, which worked flawlessly.

Verdict
Overall, the BMW R18 ‘First Edition’ was a very pleasant surprise, to the point where we are foreseeing a renaissance of the custom cruisers. We’ve seen revivals of retro style motorcycle before, such as café racers and scramblers. Could the cruiser be the next big thing? If so, then BMW has set the standard pretty high as far as we’re concerned. Just like with any other new BMW, there is an accessories catalogue that seems to be endless with exclusive and high-quality special equipment, were a potential buyer can opt for features such as cruise control, special paint, special wheels, heated comfort seat and so on. With a starting price of just below 28,000 Euro in the Netherlands, prices can go up to nearly 40,000 euro. That’s a lot of money, question is if the R18 is worth it. We’ll let the market decide, but we sure would love to see these beasts more often on the road.

Photographs:
Gijs Paradijs
BikeBrewers – Adnane

BMW Motorrad Nederland
MotoShare

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[DaveM]

How To have fun with two bottles of Coke – BMW R18 Transcontinental

How to have fun with two bottles of Coke
This must be the strangest opening I have ever used to start a review of a motorcycle. Nevertheless the first picture that popped into my head when I fired up the massive engine of the BMW R18 Transcontinental, was of me holding two bottles of coke in each hand while shaking them vigorously from left to right.

Having ridden Beemers for years I was quite used to the feeling, but to have a 900cc piston on each side was a whole new sensation.

As MotoShare and BMW Motorrad Benelux had teamed up to promote the R18 models. I was offered the opportunity to ride this giant for a week. Next thing I knew I was finding myself riding my ‘rear fender-less’ caféracer for an hour while avoiding cats and dogs falling from the sky in large quantities.What a start of my Monday morning!

Arriving in style but soaked to the bone at BMW Motorrad’s Fleet Services, I quickly wrapped up the paperwork and hopped on the R18 to speed to my next business meeting.

The rain was with me all the way for another hour while I was doing my utmost to get to grips with this battleship. Traditionally riding with a jet helmet, I had my goggles fogging up constantly. My very limited view turned my close encounter with this baby into a challenging ride, sweaty armpits included.

Learning curve
It took me about a day to get used to the BMW and its unique road behaviour, but that might well have been more between my ears than anywhere else. It’s the sheer size that may scare you off at first glance. When starting up the bike, it will greet you by wiggling its hips. Automatically you will find yourself immediately planting both feet firmly on the ground to create a sense of stability, but after a while, stopping at a traffic light will feel OK with just the right foot on the ground. It takes a bit of getting used to, that’s all. The R18 is much more of a Gentle Giant than you might expect.

Hooligan
I was riding the ‘option 719’ edition which comes with about all the extra’s (and more) you can think of. Anything you can imagine is added to the R18 making it utterly complete and always ready for long hauls. The storage space side cases are a bit limited by the speakers mounted in the lids, but leaves enough room to store stuff you may want to drag along on a longer ride. The top case is spacious and will let you squeeze in loads of goodies that don’t fit into the side cases.

The top case being the larger one, I decided to store my inner hooligan in that little dark cave. There was no room for him on this machine I figured. It was funny to experience the difference in attitude I had when riding this awesome machine. A sense of royalty if you will, stimulated by the reactions you get from other people on the road. The R18 is by no means a bike you will often see on the road and the Transcontinental is even more outlandish. You get a lot of second looks and passengers in cars giving you the thumbs up.

All of this will make you (at least this is the effect it had on me) sit up and have a face that beams with confidence. You have it all under control and you are having the time of you life. No hooligan in sight.

Pandora’s box
However…… after a couple of days riding it felt as if the machine and I had grown really fond of each other. We started playing around and curves yet again became the usual invitations to twist the throttle. The top case must have been Pandora’s box, and I must have given my inner demon a chance to escape. Together we challenged the R18 to a duel and experienced the might of the 1800 cc engine. Floorboards were scraping the tarmac on a regular basis as the mutual respect between rider and machine continued to grow.

Straight as an arrow
The steering damper is an accessory that added a lot of stability to the road handling at high speeds straights (we hit 170 km/h easily) as well on fast corners at around 130 km/h. The signature on the bike reads ‘made in Berlin’. It refers to the heritage of the R18, but it has the Bavarian seal of modern day quality that makes riding a blissful experience.

In spite of its size the R18 it is surprisingly nimble and has a very short turning circle, making it easy to manoeuvre even in tight urban spaces. Unfortunately these bikes are wide because of their front fender and the cases in the back, so I had to give up on my habit of crawling forward in the city between rows of cars to be the one on pole position at the traffic lights.

Lane splitting is something else however. When the ‘Batwing’ appears in people’s rear view mirror the immediate reaction is to veer sideways to let you through. Which is kind of nice. Lane splitting works on highways when there is enough room the keep a safe distance from the cars on either side. On smaller roads the bike is just too wide for comfort.

Road side reactions
The response from people you meet on the way vary enormously. The majority will admire the BMW and comment on the way the German manufacturer has designed this build. As it should be, every little detail is just right. And, yes indeed, the Bayerische Motoren Werke have done a damned good job as you might expect.

But then there are the fans of American Iron. They will claim the R18 Transcontinental is nothing more than a rip off of one of their beloved brands. Also they will complain about the footboards being mounted too much in the center which they view as less comfortable compared to the forward positioning of the controls on American machines. This being caused by the two gigantic cylinder heads sticking out on either side of the frame.

I did not experience it as being more uncomfortable. And those cylinders, with the two bottles of Coke vigorously swinging left and right on the inside, are a very pleasant sight, also when riding. In response to the remarks on the position of the feet I’ll add that riding those big V-twin bikes, especially in the Summer, can sometimes become unpleasant with the heat from the rear cylinder warming up your inner thighs beyond comfort.

But as always it is a matter of very personal preference.

Technical data on this particular R18 Transcontinental:

• It comes with a package called ‘option 719’** which includes lovely extra’s such as exquisite special paint, hand striping, meticulously hand-stitched seats and loads of other stuff
• They also added a whole list of accessories such as:
o Hill start control
o Headlight Pro
o Central locking
o Reverse gear (electric)
o Active cruise control
o Automatic tire pressure sensors
o Intelligent Emergency call
o Marshal Gold series Stage 2 Sound blaster (magnificent sound!)

Special thanks to:
Bikes:
BMW Motorrad
Apparel:
Lifestyle Motowear
Photography:
Gijs Paradijs

The post How To have fun with two bottles of Coke – BMW R18 Transcontinental appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

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[DaveM]

‘Starship Meteor’ – Royal Enfield meteor by Ironwood Customs

Skyrocketed to top position
After the crowning of the Meteor 350 to MCN “2021 – Retro Bike of Year”, Ironwood Motorcycles, have launched “The Starship Meteor” – a custom version of the affordable urban cruiser.
Earlier this year BikeBrewers had a fun day on this bike when it was introduced. Read about our experience in this post.

Since its launch at the end of 2020, the Meteor 350 has quickly built up a cult status worldwide and won multiple awards and accolades around the world. Praised for its build quality, retro styling and refined design – and the remarkable price point for a motorcycle that offers so much more than the sum of its parts – it offers a rather remarkable blank canvas to then stamp your own personality on.

Build your own
The in-house Custom Team of Royal Enfield’s English technical centre challenged Ironwood Motorcycles and its creative director and founder Arjan van den Boom to design and build their own ideal Easy Cruiser.

Arjan van den Boom of Ironwood Motorcycles: “The Meteor meets a lot of requirements, and it was our job to spice it up a bit. As a basic package, the Meteor is hard to beat for the budget-concious rider. Ultimately, we wanted this important element of accessibility and entry into the world of motorcycling and customizing motorcycles, which the Meteor offers, retained – but of course add our unique ‘Ironwood creative touch’ to this particular build.

Hitting the streets of Amsterdam
We received a Meteor Fireball Yellow from the team at Royal Enfield and immediately rode it through the streets of Amsterdam as much as possible to get used to the feel and ergonomics of the bike before taking it apart.
Because the seating position is super comfortable and the balance refined, we wanted to preserve as much of the original Meteor DNA as possible. Motorcycles with a smaller displacement engines are too often classified as ‘entry-level engines’, which is really unfortunate. Our goal was to give the Meteor a sprinkle of the Ironwood sauce and an overall more powerful look by upgrading a number of parts, while ensuring that the Meteor’s core identity would remain intact.”

Clear vision
Continuing: “We had a very clear visual identity what we wanted to develop. This was largely inspired by our love for all things Star Wars! We decided to blacken many of the parts so that the fantastic “Meteor Rain” paint from Royal Kustom Works on the tank would really stand out from the rest. The black fork protectors, the black supercross handlebars, custom fenders, the fat thick rubbers from Continental and the piggyback shock absorbers from YSS compliment what we consider to be a very exciting look
The CNC manufactured saddle support, our signature floating bobber saddle, further adds to the true custom look of the motorcycle. The diamond pattern on the saddle is all hand finished by our good friend Marcel Miller of Miller Kustom Upholstery.

The Biltwell grips, Motogadget turn signals in the front and the Kellermann 1000DF taillights, combined with the custom piping that breathes through an Akrapovic muffler, result in a beautiful little Urban Cruiser that exceeds expectation.
Each time you start this air-cooled one cylinder engine, a nice growl comes out of the racing exhaust and you feel like hitting the road.

Mission accomplished!”

Royal Enfield’s view
Adrian Sellers, Head of Royal Enfield’s Custom Programme, reacts: “Ironwood’s creative minds have followed the assignment we gave them more than perfectly and we are very happy with the end result. Importantly, the core identity of the Meteor 350 – a motorcycle we know provides a fantastic basic platform for creative expression – has been retained and embraced.

This project reinforces how important accessibility is for us as a brand, and how much can be achieved with a little imagination. All credit to Arjan and the Ironwood team – this is the first custom build we have done with the Meteor, and it marks an important and exciting milestone for this 350 engine platform”

The Ironwood Custom Meteor 350 will be on display at the EICMA 2021 in Milan at the end of November.

The post ‘Starship Meteor’ – Royal Enfield meteor by Ironwood Customs appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

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[DaveM]

Madrid calling – Ducati ‘La Guapísima’ by XTR

The Ducati Panthah
Let’s first rewind to the year 1976.

When Ducati’s 350 cc and 500 cc parallel twins could hardly be called a marketing success, their fabulous engineer Fabio Taglioni set tout to develop a replacement.
The Pantah 500 originates from the last of the GP500 racers of 1973. The Pantah and many bikes afterwards, have shown that, a twin-cylinder motorcycle can compete successfully against bikes with a four cylinder engine. This is contrary to all expectations and that’s where the greatness of Taglioni lies.

The Panthah was first introduced during the Milan Bike Show (now EICMA) in December 1979. It was quite revolutionary as it had a trellis frame, contrary to earlier Ducati motorcycles. The engine is suspended in the frame acting as a stressed member of the whole. It was the first Ducati not fitted the old bevel-gear OHC design. Instead it had belt-driven cams. That, and the trellis frame, would turn the bike into the spearhead for the brand for generations of V-twins for years to come.

Although the 500cc engine was already endowed with impressive power, Ducati decided to amp it up a bit in 1981 by introducing 600cc engines, later to be increased to 650cc and even 750cc. The single overhead camshaft was driven by toothed rubber belt and primary transmission was via Morse chain. The Pantah’s performance gloriously surpassed that of the ill-conceived 1976 parallel twins.

Madrid Calling
Enough history for today.

Whenever we get a phone call from Madrid our hearts skip a beat. More often than not Pepo Rosell manages to get us excited straight from the starting line when new build roll through the doors of his workshop.
This time was no exception. The ‘La Guapísima’ (‘The Beautiful One’) is in your face from the moment you feast your eyes on her.
There is so much beauty and excitement going on with this machine, you just want to get on it and twist the throttle South!

Irons Café Racer
We are quite familiar with this shop in Madrid, even though we are yet to set foot in the door ourselves in person.

As BikeBrewers are involved with the innovative European rental platform MotoShare also, we used this location to launch Tamarit built ‘The Gotham’ earlier this year.

This shop, which sells motorcycle clothing and accessories, is obviously run by oil-blooded motorcycle afficionados. It is clear why they commissioned their next door neighbour to come up with this magnificent machine.

Upping the ante
The donor bike used is a 1986 Ducati 600TL Pantah. A nice machine already but Pepo would not be XTR Pepo if he did not do some magic on the engine before mounting it back in the frame.

He installed a Cagiva Elefant 900 Marathon motor with high compression pistons added. The heart of the beast has ported heads a ‘SLIENT HETKIT’ ignition kit with 16 maps and a lightened fly wheel for more immediate responsiveness.

While we are on the subject of technicalities; breathing in arranged by adding two Keihin FCR 39 carburettors with DNA filters, while the exhaling is done via a two-in-one Wolfman exhaust.

A Ducabike antihooping clutch is mounted to keep the horses at the rear wheel under control, but riders may skip that part as a quickshifter is also part of the package.

And that on a 1986 machine!

More technical stuff
There is much that meets the eye when you look at this apparatus. But the list of (sometimes invisible) modifications just never stops!

As we are more about the bike and what it does to your hormone levels when riding it, we will just sum it up below. But before moving over to that, we point out the front fairing.

This is a particular piece of the bike that makes it stand out we think. It is nice and streamlined with a feel of those 70’s and 80’s dragracers we grew up with. This element is produced inhouse by XTR, while the cool paintjob is done by their friend Pintumoto.

Modifications:
(inhale deeply)

PANTAH modified frame
Engine : CAGIVA ELEFANT 900 Maraton , high comp , ported heads, SILENT HETKIT ignition kit with 16 maps , lightened flywheel,
DUCABIKE antihooping clutch , quickshift , KEIHIN FCR 39 carburators , DNA air filters.
RC racing oil radiator
Exhaust : 2 in 1 WOLFMAN.
Swingarm : CAGIVA ELEFANT 350
Rear suspension : OHLINS
REGINA gold chain
HYOSUNG GT 650 Front fork, lightened yokes, wheel ,NG rotor and brake caliper with BREMBO pads
BREMBO front brake pump with XTR regulable and foldable lever
BREMBO rear brake pump
FRENTUBO front and rear brake line
BREMBO Clutch pump with XTR regulable and foldable lever
FRENTUBO clutch line
XTR front mudguard
XTR clip-ons
RIZOMA Nex brake fluid reservoir
RAV footrests
AVIACOMPOSITI Dashboard (rev counter)
DOMINO quick open gas throttle and grips
DOMINO starter commando
FULBAT LIPO battery
4,5 x 17 inches alluminium rear rim
OO lenticular covers
CONTINENTAL Conti Sport Attack 4 front and rear tires.
XTR front fairing and bracket
XTR fuel tank
CNC racing fuel cap
XTR MK2 solo seat
XTR upholstery
XTR carbon fiber bellypan
PINTUMOTO painting

(…aaand exhale!)

Finish line
As usual we wish we lived in Madrid to be close to the man and his work. Searchin online we noticed a video with a very lucky lady rider hitting the throttle on this Duc!

As we understand the bike was supposed to be at the starting line of the Sultans of Sprint in Glemseck this past season. Unfortunately COVID came in between and we can only imagine what this ‘Guapísima’ would smell and sound like in real life.

We hope to meet her in the flesh one day.

Builder details:
Builder: XTR Pepo
Instagram
Photography: Ruben del Valle Producciones

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[DaveM]

Shed built: Yamaha SRC600 ”Scrambler Road Cross 600” by Remco Witkamp

No introduction needed
The venerable Yamaha XT600 doesn’t need any introduction as far as we’re concerned. We’ve covered a number of builds the past couple of years that involved a Yamaha XT in one way or another. We can definitely see a trend going on here, and we like it!

Meet Remco Witkamp from the Netherlands. A classic example of a biker who loves to wrench, weld and paint. Started at a young age building MX-style mopeds, Remco also raced dirt bikes and competitions for many years.

Scrambler
Back in 2017, he saw something that he really liked. In this case it was a Scrambler. This gave him an itch and made him think about potentially building his own scrambler. It’s funny how an idea can turn into actions. Remco found a 1991 Yamaha XT600 for sale which ticked all the boxes for a base bike. The XT wasn’t running, but that wasn’t going to be an issue since he had plans for the powerplant anyways.

The XT600 got pulled apart and stripped to its bare bones. The frame, swingarm and handlebar got sent out to get powder-coated. All other parts were painted by the man himself, such as the fuel tank, which was sourced from a 1978 Suzuki GT250. You may look at the XT and wonder how Remco came up with this design. Well, as it turns out, he used to paint MX helmets in the 1990s, using his own designs. It is this experience that helped him come up with what we see here today.

Hommage
To add some old school flavor, Remco paid tribute to the XT’s heritage and made sure that the sides are recognisable from the Yamaha XT’s of the past. A smart play with lines makes it look like the XT is moving at speed while at standstill. The devil is in the details, and this XT is full of them. The black and white paint, combined with the raw look of the modified OEM aluminium fenders and the thin red paint on various parts, it brings everything nicely together.

This Yamaha XT SCR600, as this project is called, SRC standing for “Scrambler Road Cross”, has more than just looks going for it. We’ve mentioned the fuel tank and fenders. At the front we see a ProTaper handlebar, held in place by a set of T-Tech risers. A mini speedo from Sigma (that’s right, like the bicycle speedometers!) provide the necessary info. A set of Domino grips with bar-end mirrors at the end help the rider stay in control.

Not just good looks
The suspension are courtesy of WP at the front and rear and are modified to increase the height and ground clearance. They also make sure that the Continental TKC80 rubber, which have been wrapped around 17” Takasago aluminium rims, stay connected to the road. We love the dual-sport knobby tires, they make this Scrambler look very serious. The Galfer oversize brakes ensure proper stopping power.

There are number other parts that make this XT stand out. The seat for instance, which is handmade and looks quite comfortable for a change, and rests on a completely rebuild subframe. While the front of the XT looks conservative with a classic round headlight, the rear has a bit more modern touch. LED rear-brake light with integrated indicators help to clean up the rear. You may also notice that a starter-motor is missing. That’s because this XT is a kickstart only. All the wiring has been completely replaced with new wires. The engine got a rebuild too, and got treated to a fresh layer of paint. What caught our eye was the exhaust system, which has a header that was partly made in-house, and a silencer from MPW Speedshop.

Considering that this bike was custom built by a single man in his own shed is simply mind-blowing. It is clear that Remco has “the touch”, and we truly hope that we will see more from this man’s shed.

Photo credits: Remco Witkamp

Builder details:
Remco Witkamp
Instagram
Facebook

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[DaveM]

A new dawn for Norton Motorcycles

Secret fantasies
Those who know me a bit are familiar with my fondness for iconic British motorcycle brands.

In spite of being an avid Triumph rider for many years many friends will also recognize my catchphrase:
“I may be married to Triumph is my mistress”.

Until now my life has been too straight in this sense, and I have never had the pleasure of actually owning a Norton. When the brand was resurrected a little more than a decade ago, the burning desire deep within me caught fire again.

I have had the pleasure of establishing a good relationship with those behind the brand at the time. Unfortunately for all parties involved, things spiralled South early 2020 and the company filed for bankruptcy amidst a tornado of media attention. As there are more than enough media channels reporting on that particular subject, I prefer to look ahead. And the future for the brand looks pretty bright at the time of writing. Norton Motorcycles is now part of TVS Motor Company and can rely on sufficient funds to really revive this icon once again.

In recent months there was only the odd little news bit that trickled out here and there, but it is now clear they have been working very hard in the eye of the storm.

A new dawn
This week Norton Motorcycles has announced the completion of its new global headquarters. The all-new facility houses state-of-the-art manufacturing capability and the company’s new global design and R&D hub. It forms a key part of Norton’s strategic growth plan on its journey to becoming the world-leader in luxury hand-crafted motorcycles.The new HQ is a clear display of significant commitment by TVS Motor Company in its prosperous partnership with Norton Motorcycles. Within just 18 months of acquiring the iconic British marque, TVS Motor has overseen the creation of its world-class facility in Solihull, West Midlands, UK paving the way to design and produce an exciting new generation of motorcycles built with world-leading manufacturing standards.

New Ownership
Says Sudarshan Venu, Joint Managing Director, TVS Motor Company “The opening of the new headquarters represents a significant step forward for Norton Motorcycles and is a proud moment for everyone. We are creating the foundations for a sustainable long-term future for the Norton marque.
“We are setting out to create a bold future for the company, our employees, our customers and our partners that lives up to the highest expectations, enabling Norton to once again become the real global force its legacy deserves.”

Robert Hentschel, CEO, Norton Motorcycles comments: “The new Norton Motorcycles headquarters is a true embodiment of this iconic British marque. The facility is home to design, engineering, purchasing, sales, marketing, and support departments, as well as the highly skilled production team overseeing the build of our new generation of motorcycles. It is the perfect platform to re-energise our business as we lead the Norton brand to onward success where it will play a key role in the future of mobility.

“This investment demonstrates our unwavering commitment to the motorcycles we build. We will not compromise on quality, and we continue to work alongside every supplier to ensure that our high standards are always met. With this new HQ opening, Norton is now fit for the future – creating an innovative and sustainable business model which will see us producing world-class motorcycles that are true to the unrivalled legacy of Norton.”

Scrutinizing the operation
The new Norton leadership, together with TVS Motor Company, has conducted a wide-ranging review of Norton Motorcycles operations, resulting in new appointments and processes, specifically in engineering, design and manufacturing to ensure that the highest quality standards are met. The headquarters is creating over a hundred of new high-skilled jobs (and more in upcoming years) and will be able to build around 8,000 motorcycles a year.

Design Guru
Even though there are many new appointments, the BikeBrewers team are very happy to see a very familiar face in the crowd! Simon Skinner, affectionately called ‘Skinner’, was a key figure in the team that set out to re-create the brand. He was instrumental in designing the Norton V4SV. An exciting bike the world is waiting for, but will unfortunately be affordable to only a few of us.

Says Skinner: “I joined Norton Motorcycles over twelve years ago in 2009 and was one of the employees carried over to be part of the new company under TVS ownership. My role as Head of Design is incredibly varied, from supporting engineering to helping marketing with historical or brand knowledge, I work closely with all departments of the business. However, I am fundamentally responsible for delivering the design element of new products that are true to the core brand principles of Norton. This means spending time on product definition, sketch work, 3D CAD and visualisation, and working to improve integration of design with concept engineering.
Over the last decade, I have been responsible for the design of all Norton motorcycles and their derivatives, including the Commando 961 Classic, the Superlight, and our new V4 motorcycle, plus a series of racing bikes. One of the best parts of my job though is seeing people grow and develop, such as when a graduate becomes a senior member of the team – it’s very satisfying to be a part of that.

My goal within Norton is simply to develop my team to create the best motorcycles in the world and return Norton to its former glory.

Top notch quality
According to Norton Motorcycles the new manufacturing process, every single component of every new Norton motorcycle will be evaluated in a new quality-testing laboratory to ensure the highest build quality. Within the laboratory are inspection rooms, testing areas including destruction testing and a rolling road. A customer reception and showroom, service workshop, and office are also housed at the new Headquarters.

Continuing, ‘the Norton manufacturing facility has been engineered to be highly sustainable and to minimise waste. The result is an intelligently engineered solution using flexible components that mean that Norton Motorcycles can expand and evolve, within the new space. The build used numerous sustainable and rapid build techniques on the project, the components of which are

At BikeBrewers we can’t wait to see all this exciting work in progress in real life with our own eyes

 

For those not yet familiar with the brand:
Norton Motorcycles was founded in 1898 as a manufacturer of fittings and parts to the two-wheel trade.
Norton Motorcycles went on to become one of the most iconic British motorcycle brands, manufacturing famous models such as the 650SS, Atlas, Commando, Dominator, Manx, Navigator and more – constantly innovating in motorcycle technology, with features advantageous for lightness and strength in motorcycle racing. Norton Motorcycles has an unrivalled history in motorsport and the brand name is synonymous with Isle of Man TT racing.

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[DaveM]

Product review – Fly Racing cooling vest

New ‘kid’ in town
We are very proud of the constant growth of the BikeBrewers team.
Recently we published the first part of the report from our NYC base correspondent Daan Stafhorst on his trip to Alaska.

To keep things in balance we wanted someone to share his adventures based in the Southern Hemisphere. We were lucky enough to have a good friend who was back moving to Brazil a little while back.

New Zealand born and a biker in every fiber of his big frame. It is with great pride and pleasure we introduce the one and only Jonathan Rattray Clarke a.k.a. ‘Captain Kiwi’ or ‘Kiwi-Moto Menace’.
His wife being a Brazilian diplomat, they have lived all over the world. When they were about to move to Amsterdam in 2017 we connected, helped him find his feet and together we set up the Amsterdam community for the Classic Riders.

Many adventures rides later duty called and they shipped all their belongings to Brazil. Once properly settled in, Jonathan replaced the Triumph Thruxton he left behind in Amsterdam, with a spanking new Royal Enfield Interceptor.

He is currently working on that bike to customize it to his taste and will share reports on progress of this build with us.

In the meantime Summer is setting in and there is riding to be done. While we are bracing ourselves for the cold, Jonathan’s first report is a review on a cooling vest.

Enjoy.
BikeBrewers editorial team

Brazil calling
Brasília is the federal capital of Brazil and seat of government of the Federal District. The city is located at the top of the Brazilian highlands in the country’s center-western region. It was founded by President Juscelino Kubitschek on April 21, 1960, to serve as the new national capital. Brasília is estimated to be Brazil’s third-most populous city. As my wife is a diplomat, this is the city we now use as our home base for the time being.

Riding in the heat
I am a self-confessed moto maniac, and I love living in the tropics in the middle of the savanna and love those long rides without a pre-set goal. .

After a three-year stint in New York we moved to Amsterdam. The climate of these two cities is comparable and very different from Brazil. Yet as much as I love the warmth and the endless sunshine, the heat when riding here can take a toll on your energy levels. Riding your bike in this climate you need to stay alert. Keeping it cool is not limited to your head, but you need to take care of the rest of your body too.

Keeping it cool
So I began my search for a product to help remedy that situation. After an in-depth investigation, I finally settled on a “Fly Cooling Vest“, paid my money and anxiously waited for my order to arrive.

When Fly’s product finally landed on my doorstep I was eager to give it a proper test. Was it as good as my research had led me to believe, or was it just a piece of, you know what?

Yet after my first ride out wearing the garment, I am delighted to say riding now is like sitting in my own personal air conditioner. I found the solution to my fatigue in this excellent moto-wear item. This is undoubtedly the best $49.95 I have ever spent on motorcycle apparel!

It really is a brilliant bit of kit; all I need to do to activate its outstanding cooling properties is soak it in a bucket of water, allow the vest to absorb all up the water, and put it on to wear under my mesh riding jacket.

The Fly Cooling Vest works by process of evaporation and wicking as the hot tropical air blows through my jacket to create the most relaxing and comfortable cooling effect as I ride. It even keeps me cool just standing around and chatting with the moto bros shooting the breeze, and talking bull at a lunch stop or a photo-op on the way across the savannah.

I am now geared up and ready for my task as southern hemisphere correspondent working alongside BikeBrewers buddies around the globe. I highly recommend this product if you are living in those hotter riding zones of our wonderful planet.

Off to a great start and I look forward to sharing many motorcycle adventures with all you BikeBrewers afficionados!

Product details:
Item:
Fly Racing Cooling vest (SKU #477-6023S)
Product details:
-Hyperkewl® polymer embedded fabric uses a safe and natural method to keep you cool
-Evaporative-cooling process
-Outperforms competition by keeping you more relaxed for longer due to the larger evaporative surface area
-Quick 2-minute activation
-Remains hydrated for up to 10 hours

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[DaveM]

Triumph Bonneville 1200 Bobber “K18” by UNIKAT

We’ve seen builds from the Poland-based crew of Unikat. They have their own style, making them instantly recognizable from afar. In the past couple of years Unikat has built quite a reputation for themselves, especially with their unique 1-of-1 project that usual revolve around Triumph motorcycles.

This time Grzegorz Korczak, the man behind Unikat, got his hands on a 2021 Triumph Bonneville Bobber. I know, I know, this looks like a different kind of bobber. Truth be told, there are different definitions of what makes a bobber, a bobber. There are European and American style bobber, there are also Japanese style bobbers. Regardless of the different styling exercises, one thing that they all have in common is the fact that they appear to be minimalistic. In a way, you could look at this like this: what a café racer is to a road bike, a bobber is to a cruiser. Same rules apply: get rid of all unnecessary parts to reduce the weight, and make the bike look as simple as possible.

Coming back to Unikat’s Triumph Bonneville Bobber, which has been name “K18”, we see that a number of stylish mods have been made to the original. No doubt did the original Bobber look great, but what Unikat did here takes the stock bike to a whole other level.

The original bobber wheels have been replaced with a pair of lightweight, black Takasago Excel 17” rims with stainless steel spokes. What’s interesting about the wheels is that they have adopted the BARTubeless system; transforming them into tubeless wheels. The rims have been wrapped by a pair of sticky Pirelli Dunlop Mutant tires.

The rear fender had been completely removed, while the front fender got a nice trim job and received a distinguished Unikat 1-of1 logo, kind of like an easter-egg, waiting to be discovered. Staying at the front, we can also see that the speedo and the headlamp have both been lowered for a sportier stance. There’s a set of Motogadget bar-end indicators, which have been combined with a set of bar-end mirrors. The handlebar grips have received a nice leather wrap treatment. Womet Tech supplied the sporty clutch and brake levers. A pair of fork gaiters keep the front fork clean and mean.

Moving a bit more backwards to the fuel tank, we spot a beautifully milled, gold anodized fuel filler cap. Underneath the fuel tank, the original factory airbox has been removed and a pair of free flow air filet, curtousy of K&N have been placed to take care of the breathing. The ‘faux-carburetor’ injection covers have been treated to the 1-of-1 logo treatment too. Underneath the engine, a stainless-steel exhaust system, in combination with Unikat’s very own in-house built exhaust pipes, ensure that the combustion gases leave the engine in an effective and dramatic manner.

A lot of work has been put in cleaning up this bike by hiding as much of the wiring as possible. Part of that is the Hi-sider 3-in-1 taillight, that have built in indicators and license plate holder, and is in fact completely road-legal. The special thing about is, is that it is integrated into the single-seat. The finish of this Triumph in a gorgeous dark green color in combination with glossy black, with all the little gold-colored details really distinguishes this build from any other Bobber we have seen so far.

Builder details:
UNIKAT Motorworks
Website
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube

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[DaveM]

BMW K100RT Cafe Racer by Blackout Custom Design

Blackout Custom Design
Somewhere in the small town of Karvina in the Czech Republic, that’s in Central Europe, is a garage which was found only a few years ago. It’s called ‘Blackout Custom Design’ and it is run by a man named Marcel Galuszka. We would like you to remember that name, because he is about to send waves in the café racer building scene. Like most builders, Marcel comes from humble beginnings. What started out as a hobby with the build of a 1979 Suzuki GS550E Café Racer, turned into a full-fledge motorcycle custom operation.

The Flying Brick
We’ve been noticing a strong trend in the past year or so, a revival if you will, of café racers that are built around BMW K-series motorcycles, a.k.a. the flying brick There is a reason for that. They can be sourced cheaply to begin with, since they were sold by the bundles from 1982 till 1996 (K75 and K100). They also have a reputation of being bulletproof. And to be honest, they weren’t really good-looking bikes to begin with, so a little make-over can improve the aesthetic appeal. We have to say that it isn’t the easiest bike to turn into a smashing café racer, still there are quite a few builders out there that manage to amaze us.

Classic meets Modern
This 1985 BMW K100RT turned Café Racer is a fine specimen of what is possible with the right vision and skills. This bike was rebuilt from the ground up, which meant that no bolt was left unturned. The frame was chopped and coated with a fresh layer of paint. On the newly built subframe sits a custom leather seat with a classic café racer hump. Marcel created a see-through frame by getting rid of any excess wiring and moving the battery lower into the frame. Kellerman Bullet indicators also serve a tail- and brake-lights, they fit the bike nicely. A custom license plate bracket was also made to keep the BMW road-legal.

Technology
Moving to the front and we spot a Motogadget speedo (Motoscope Pro). However, when we look more closely, we see that Motogadget has provided a lot more than just the speedo such as the front indicators, handlebar grips, switches, and even the controller for all the electrics (m.unit blue). It goes without saying that all the wiring is new too. At the front we have a large round LED headlight with a matt black finish. The bar-end mirrors are a nice touch and add some flair to this BMW.

Subtle
The engine stayed mostly stock with the exception of a rebuild and some fresh paint. The exhaust got chopped and fitted with a small lightweight free-flow unit. The headers received thermal wrapping for the café racer looks. What’s interesting is to see that the footrests have been moved slightly forward to expose the beautiful rear wheel which is suspended in a single swingarm. The modified geometry makes the riding more comfortable too.

More to come…
We absolutely love the color of this bike. The deep dark blue color is so classy and fitting to this bike, we find it hard to imagine how this café racer would look like in any other color. Combined with some really tasty details, such as the custom BMW logo that can be found all over the bike, it truly is a sexy café racer. This build by BCD has the right mix between modern and classic, and it sets an example on how simplicity is often the best way to go. We can’t wait to see what the future will bring, but we are 100% convinced that it will be amazing again.

Photo credits: Nikolas Stergiadis

Builder details:
Blackout Custom Design
Website
Instagram
Facebook

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[DaveM]

ONE MILLIONTH HINCKLEY TRIUMPH

ONE MILLIONTH ‘HINCKLEY PRODUCED’ TRIUMPH KICKS OF THE ICONIC BRITISH BRAND’S 120-YEAR ANNIVERSARY PLANS

Hand in hand with the announcement of plans to celebrate next year’s 120th anniversary of the most iconic British motorcycle brand in the world, Triumph unveils the landmark millionth (!) Hinckley Triumph produced.

Just in case you wonder why the particular mentioning of Hinkley;
The original factory, Triumph Engineering Co Ltd was a British motorcycle manufacturing company, based originally in Coventry and then in Meriden. In the 1980’s of the last century the company went bankrupt largely due to the heavy competition of the Japanese manufacturers. Just like most other iconic British motorcycle brands.

The current company, Triumph Motorcycles Ltd, is now based in Hinckley. It gained the name rights after the end of the company in the 1980s and is currently one of the world’s major motorcycle manufacturers.

The Millionth Triumph of The Modern Era
Triumph has reached a historic milestone in its modern era with the reveal of the millionth motorcycle built since the brand’s return in 1990. Unveiled at Triumph’s Global Headquarters in Hinckley on December 1st 2021 by Nick Bloor, CEO, in front of the UK team, the millionth Triumph is a one-off custom painted model of Triumph’s incredibly successful Tiger 900 Rally Pro.
Launched in 2019 the Tiger 900 Rally Pro provides a perfect demonstration of Triumph’s world leading design, engineering and production capability, courtesy of its class defining character, capability, quality and attention to detail – attributes shared by all of Triumph’s modern line-up

With its sophisticated custom Silver paint scheme and one millionth graphics this very special milestone motorcycle will be displayed on Triumph’s stand at this year’s Motorcycle Live show at the NEC and then on show in Triumph’s Factory Visitor Experience.

Says Bloor: ‘’Everyone at Triumph is incredibly proud to have played a part in achieving such a momentous moment in the modern history of this iconic brand. Over the 31 years since we re-launched Triumph with a new line of British designed motorcycles in Cologne in 1990, we have shared so many great moments with our fans across the world. Triumph’s success has always stemmed from the passion and commitment we share with our riders.’’

‘’Whilst the last year has been challenging for all of us, this passion and commitment has driven Triumph to even greater heights, including the successful entry into new categories with the Trident 660 and Tiger Sport 660.”

“Over the last three decades Triumph has maintained sustained and significant investment in our people, our partners and our in-house design, engineering and manufacturing capabilities, in order to grow the reach and reputation of this iconic British brand. This investment in home grown talent, both in the UK and around the world, matched by the passion we share with our riders for delivering the complete and perfect motorcycle, has seen the brand go from strength to strength, achieving the most successful year in the brand’s entire 120-year history.’’

‘’Furthermore, we are committed to taking the brand to even greater heights, and with the forthcoming launch of our brand new Tiger 1200, new competition MX and Enduro motorcycles, plus our strategic partnership with Bajaj to create smaller capacity bikes, I am delighted to say that the future for Triumph and its fans across the world will be just as exciting and rich as the last 30 years has been.’’

Celebrating 120 Years of the Most Successful British Motorcycle Brand
Encompassing millions of passionate fans who share the same obsession for motorcycling Triumph announce their plans to celebrate in 2022 the landmark 120-year anniversary of this iconic British motorcycle brand.

The very first production Triumph motorcycle went on sale to the public in April 1902, starting one of the world’s richest and most exciting brand stories; a story that has gone on to encompass countless legendary motorcycles, and playing a significant role in shaping the motorcycle world we enjoy today.

Triumph’s modern era began in 1990 with a completely original range of motorcycles designed and built in a brand new, state-of-the-art factory at Hinckley. In the three decades since, Triumph has built and sold more motorcycles than at any previous time in its history through an international network of more than 700 dealers in 57 countries.

And despite recent challenges, the passion for Triumph shared around the world by owners, riders, fans and dealers has made the last 12 months the most successful ever, with more than 75,000 bikes registered globally and a turnover of £650 million.
Triumph represents the very pinnacle of Great British design and engineering, with a line-up of world-beating bikes spanning multiple genres from adventure to roadsters to modern classics, each delivering Triumph’s renowned reputation for class-leading handling, finish and detailing and original, authentic design.

Today Triumph operates across five manufacturing facilities, all managed and led by the global headquarters in Hinckley, Leicestershire, where every Triumph is conceived, prototyped and tested in Triumph’s centre of design excellence by our in-house team. The most recent addition to Hinckley’s impressive infrastructure is an all-new UK assembly plant, built to enhance Triumph’s global manufacturing flexibility and complement the existing multi-million-pound paint shop and rapid prototyping facilities.

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[DaveM]

Rewriting history – the lost 1901 Triumph Prototype

Historic discovery
BikeBrewers are known for their preference of bikes that have been stripped to the bone and build from the ground up into new works of art. We get excited when builders light up their torches and switch on their grinders to send sparks flying in their workshops.
In this particular case we would not dare to request riding the bike in question and give it hell like we would normally do.

Following last week’s announcement of the production of the millionth Triumph from Hinckley, the iconic British motorcycle brand also proudly presents the first ever Triumph prototype! To be touched only while wearing white gloves.

The prototype from 1901
This is truly nothing short of an amazing historical find. The prototype was discovered and restored by leading vintage Triumph collector Dick Shepherd. The 1901 prototype rewrites the history books and actually adds a whole new chapter to the period leading up to Triumph’s official sale, starting in 1902.

The rumors about the existence of this very first Triumph prototype were persistent, as it was referenced to in advertisements and reviews that appeared in 1901. The prototype was developed on the basis of a standard Triumph pedal bike, with a motor supplied by the Belgian manufacturer Minerva. The brand did this to arouse interest and at the same time to gauge among the public whether there would actually be a demand for a Triumph motorcycle.

Surreal discovery
Dick Shepherd says: “When I was approached by a friend of a collector, who unfortunately had recently passed away, to appraise an old Triumph, I was exuberant. Especially when I found out that this bike possessed unique details that I had never seen on any of the the first production Triumphs. Along with the engine, the collector had also received a letter from Triumph, dated 1937, describing the unique origin of the motorcycle and providing important details.”

Continuing: “With an engine number consistent with references in Minerva’s engine data from a first agreement with Triumph in 1901, the historical importance of this motorcycle became immediately apparent.”

“As a lifelong fan of the history and successes of this incredible British brand, it gives me immense satisfaction to have had the honor to ‘unearth’ this amazing survivor. Added to that feeling is the fact it is incredible to have been allowed to restore it to the glorious state in which it would have been, when it was first exhibited in 1901.”

Unveiling
The 1901 prototype, which was first unveiled at the Motorcycle Live show in the UK, will be on display at a special event at Triumph’s Factory Visitor Experience on December 14th. For this special occasion, the machine will be ridden in public for the first time in more than 100 years.

This important historic bike will be on display together with the millionth Hinckley Triumph in a new showcase specially made for the 120th anniversary in Triumph’s visitor centre.

The Triumph Factory Visitor Experience is free to visit and is located at Triumph’s headquarters in Hinckley, England. It is open daily from Wednesday to Sunday, from 10:00 to 16:30.

The BikeBrewers team were invited for the opening back in 2017 and have been back a few times since then.
When visiting Birmingham on a road trip, make sure to add it to your stops. It is definitely worth spending some time in.

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[DaveM]

Release the Tigers! – 2022 Triumph Tiger 1200

Gotta catch them all!
‘Tis the season to be merry. It is nearly Christmas and Triumph Motorcycles have decided to convince us that we need to add another present to our wish list. To the very top of that list that is.
It was a present that has been long awaited and rumors have been abundant in the past months, with spy pictures of camouflaged bikes appearing left, right and center.

The adventure bike segment is probably taking the most rapidly increasing slice of the motorcycle cake. It seems the whole world is looking for both road and off road adventures on two wheels these days.

To provide for all those thrill seekers and those who just want to have a very cool bike to ride, a lot of manufacturers are actively trying to grow their adventure bike market share. At EICMA we even spotted Italian brands, famous for their race pedigree bikes, introducing motorcycles ready to take their riders to the most remote locations on our planet.
Triumph motorcycles have been in the adventure game for many years and are releasing no less than five different versions of the Tiger in 2022.

Lighter, stronger, better
According to the manufacturer the new models are ‘strikingly lighter and a lot more powerful, with class-leading handling and specs, plus the benefits of Triumph’s new T-plane triple – the all-new Tiger 1200 leaves little to the imagination: it’s built to be the most capable, agile and controllable, large displacement adventure engine on the planet.’

Continuing: ‘As said, those adventure bikes are a real treat under any circumstance. With a transformation in capabilities and performance on the tarmac, and the most dynamic and exhilarating off-road experience, the new generation brings together the best of all worlds in an all-new Tiger line-up.”

To make those aforementioned remote locations easier to reach there are now two all-new Tiger Explorer options with 30-liter tank, in theory capable of getting you no less than 600 Km in between fill-ups. All other models (the standard GT, GT Pro and the Rally Pro) only hold 20 liters.

Innovations
The new and exciting Explorer versions of the Tiger 1200 are also fitted out with an innovative blind spot detection system to warn the rider of vehicles that could be invisible in the rear-view mirrors.

In spite of the fact that Tigers are by nature solitary animals there now is a whole new group of them that belong together; The Tiger 1200 is aiming to gain traction in new fields with the addition of GT and Rally editions of the adventure bike. On top of that, the 2022 model will also be available in new Explorer versions, boasting long-range 30l fuel tanks mentioned earlier, plus higher-spec kits and added tech stuff.

In case you lost track; summing it all up there is a more track-oriented GT, and the more off-road-focused Rally. There is a Pro version available on both models. Then there is the Explorer version (with a suitcase set as the main extra). Last but not least Triumph also present a basic version of the GT, completing the group of five new Tigers set free in the wild.
 

Beefy engine
The Triumph Tiger 1200 is powered by a 150 hp variant of the three-cylinder from the new Speed Triple; with T-plane crankshaft with uneven ignition order. This will give the rider more torque at the bottom and more character overall.

The engineers found a way to add 9 BHp to the mix in comparison to the previous edition. However, the word is now out and Triumph is hunting for those GS fans, made very clear in a statement about the Tiger delivering 14 Bhp more than ‘that other big adventure with cardan in this class’ (..). Still there is a bit of work to be done in the torque department. With 130 Nm @ 7,000 rpm (8 Nm more than before), the Tiger still has less maximum torque than the BMW R 1250 GS, which boasts a 143 Nm.

But the fun is not over yet. Dieticians managed to trim an impressive 25kg off the Tiger. The lean machine now weighs a mere 240 kg (ready to drive), which is (here we go again) significantly lighter than the average weight of a GS.

This is in large part due to using an aluminum frame, which lessens to total weight with 5.4 kg. This includes the bolt-on aluminum subframe. The engineers decide to add a double swingarm. But even with adding extra steel, they managed to lower the weight of the total with another 1.5 kg.

Wheelies and stuff
The GT versions are fitted with 18-inch die-cast aluminum wheels, bot in front and rear. The Rally versions come with tubeless wire wheels (21 inches front, 18 inches rear). Showa is used for the springs, with 200 mm of travel on the GTs and 220 on the Rally version. These are semi-active ones on all versions. Stopping power is courtesy of Brembo with the Stylema monoblocs we also find on the Rocket. The ABS got an upgrade as well.

More technical stuff
Of course there are significant improvements in the cosmetic department. But there are a lot of technical improvements too:
• A double radiator (also found on the Tiger 900) making it easier to remove hot air from the engine
• Better ergonomics, very important for bikes in this segment
o both sitting and when riding while standing upright.
• Adjustable seat height (GT: 850-870 mm, Rally: 875-895 mm),
• A cockpit window which can be adjusted (while riding) with just one hand.
• Explorer versions standard fitted with blind spot radar,
• Heated grips and seats
• Tire pressure sensor.
• A new 7″ TFT display on all models including connectivity,
• Improved inclination-sensitive TC,
o (with six driving modes depending on the model
• New LED lighting on all sides with DRL and adaptive cornering lights
o Not on the base GT
• Updated quickshifter and Hill Hold
o Also not on the base GT

First reaction
Although we are fond of the Christmas season and riding a sleigh can at times be quite adventurous too, it will never be a substitute for the experience you will get on a purebred adventure bike.

The Triumph Tiger 1200 has been pretty decent from the start, but with all of the improvements it has become as strong a competitor for the world title as Max Verstappen is in Formula One. The BMW is the one to beat and the heat is on.

We hope BikeBrewers will be selected for the official press introduction in the beginning of next year. We really look forward to riding the machines as soon as they are available an will share a first hand report when we do.

For now, just continue to drool over the pictures and dream about your next adventure on two wheels.

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[DaveM]

BMW R80 “BIG dude” by Moto Adonis

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
Instagram
Facebook

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[DaveM]

TOP 5 Cafe Racers 2021 by BikeBrewers

We’re gonna be honest, we are a sucker for lists. More specifically, end-of-the-year-top-5-motorcycle lists! It’s one of those things that we never can seem to get enough of. Whether you’re sitting with your friends or family, or on the workfloor with your colleagues, top 5 lists always add flavour to the discussions. We are going to try to avoid a massacre that is usually brought by questions like “what engine oil is best” or “what tires should I get”.

We have seen some incredible builds the last 12 months, and we have to say that despite the world pandemic, we are very pleased to see that so many people still take time work on that what we love most: motorcycles. For 2021 we have created a TOP 5 of some of the most interesting, esthetically pleasing cafe racers we wrote about here on BikeBrewers. We looked at the number of views and shares on our website and social media channels, but also at originality. After all, the list is subjective.

So without further ado, and in complete random order, here are the BikeBrewers TOP 5 Cafe Racer builds of 2021

1. Moto Guzzi 1100 Cafe Racer by Robin Mehnert
When Robin Mehnert, the woodwind instrument maker from Germany, messaged us that he and his father had built a cafe racer based on a Moto Guzzi 1100 California, we got very excited. When you see the pictures of the Guzzi, it’s not hard to see why. Make sure to read the full article to find out more about this clean looking example of Italo-Germanic craftsmanship

2. Icon Motorcycle Triumph Bonneville Triton
Okay, so this Triumph Bonneville was actually built a couple of years ago. However, we only really heard of Icon Motorcycles last year. We didn’t know much about the outfit, and sadly their website has gone offline since. All we know is that the 2 Triumph Tritons they’ve build are unlike anything we have seen in a very long time. It’s almost like a spiritual experience. Luckily, we spent some time writing an article about the work of these fine people, that are based in the Netherlands.

3. Harley-Davidson LiveWire “Rule Breaker” by Moto Adonis
Moto Adonis has been working hard in 2021, with a number of unique projects and builds, we are impressed by the work the 2-man team from the Netherlands has been delivering. When they presented their Harley-Davidson LiveWire project our jaws literally dropped to the ground. This must be the most menacing looking electric motorcycle we have ever see. Period! It looks like a great white shark. In black. On 2 wheels. We dare anybody to show us a custom electric motorcycle that looks better than this.

4. Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 “Lilith” by XTRPepo
There is such a thing as a match made in heaven. In this case, it would be Pepo Rosell, founder and owner of XTRPepo, and Royal Enfield. Let us explain. Pepo has been building race bikes since before we could remember. He has been doing that passionately for the past 25 years. The last 6 years or so, he decided to take step back from building radical custom racing machines for high end customers, and to focus on the more “fun” side of business. Which brings us to Royal Enfield. The people’s champion as far as we’re concerned. Royal Enfield has rapidly gained popularity outside of its domestic market in India. No frills, simple, classy, and affordable. Heck, 2 of our editors bought a Royal Enfield 650 for personal use! That says something! Pepo built a period-correct racer around the Continental GT, and it looks the part.

5. Triumph Bonneville “Gotham” by Tamarit x MotoShare
Tamarit has been building bikes for a long time now, and this heavily modified Triumph Bonneville was their 81st build to be precise. The Alicante, Spain based builders were commissioned by MotoShare to build a cafe racer that provokes people. A bike that gets people talking. José Antonio of Tamarit says: “We took a 2007 Triumph Bonneville and turned it into this ominous looking machine. It was during a video call that one of the guys from MotoShare mentioned it looked like it was made for Batman. It was ‘The Gotham’ from there on.”

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[DaveM]

Honda CB 750 ‘Abomination’ by Moto Adonis

In 1969 when the Honda Motorcycle Company introduced to the world their CB 750, with its air-cooled, inline 4-cylinder 750cc engine, it literally blew away all the competition. Not only did they build the world’s first mass-produced superbike, but they also sold it at an affordable price point. It was called “The Dream CB 750 Four” and it became the great granddaddy of what would later be called “Universal Japanese Motorcycles”. With a top speed of 200 km/h (125 mph), disc brakes (the world first motorcycle to get those), and a wide number of technological innovations, the CB 750 became an imminent success worldwide.

Since the CB 750 competed directly with Triumph, BMW, and Harley-Davidson, it too became a popular object to modify. As far as we’re concerned, the Honda CB 750 is probably the most customized motorcycle ever! We covered numerous of projects that were built around the platform, and yes, HD-Triumph-BMW are also incredibly popular base bikes, but they just can’t compete with the Honda in terms of affordability; it is the people’s champion after all.

Its 2022 now, and still we get notifications of newly built motorcycles that revolve around the Honda CB 750. So, when the guys from Moto Adonis gave us a call, we answered. We have been featuring builds from the Dutch customizers more often recently, and the rate at which bikes leave their workshop is incredible. Make no mistake, these guys have an eye for detail, and they do it with a ton of passion. This might be the right time to mention that they have some room in their schedule and are now actively looking for new challenges. Make sure to head out to their website and reach out to the guys yourself!

Despite its superbike status in the late 1960s and early 1970s, nowadays when people think of the Seven Fifty, they think of a modest, soft, naked touring bike. Very reliable, easy to maintain, and how do we put this nicely, a bit boring. A challenge the Moto Adonis crew, which exists out of Arthur Renkema and Job Leussink, know how to deal with. As the team usually starts, at first a couple of ideas were sketched out on a piece of paper. Once the ideas started to become more concrete, a digital render was made on the computer. From those designs the owner of the Honda could get a good idea of the final product. Once he greenlit the render, the build could start.

The idea was to build a scrambler around the 2001 Honda CB Seven Fifty. A clean one at that. With some big ol’ knobby tires. Something you would want to have with you when the zombie apocalypse brakes out. The first order of business was to chop up the subframe, raise it by a few inches, and weld a shorter version back in place. This allowed for a pair of taller rear shocks. A simple bench seat was fabricated and upholstered by Miller Kustom Upholstery in diamond-stitched brown leather with black piping. Moto Adonis added their signature built-in tail light to the rear seat to keep things looking clean. A custom battery box was created to accommodate for the under-seat battery. MAD Exhausts are responsible for the sick stainless-steel exhaust system. Combined with the pod air-filters, this thing must sound loud!

Up front, a new handlebar was fitted for a more commanding stance. A minimalistic speedo provides all the necessary info, and the new LED round headlight ensure visibility at night. A pair of fork-gaiters prevent dirt and grime from sticking on the fork tubes. Custom short fenders at the front and rear help somewhat with that as well. The bar-end mirrors provide with rear-view vision and look spectacular on this Honda, especially in combination with the bar-end indicators. The Heidenau K60 dual sport tires look like they are up for the task. The grey color of the tank combined with the blacked-out engine, wheels, and swingarms really make this scrambler look great. To make sure that the CB also runs great, it was put on a dyno and tuned to a healthy 81 hp at the rear-wheel. Not bad at all!

Photo credits: Lennart Stolte

Builder details:
Moto Adonis
Website
Instagram
Facebook

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[DaveM]

Pan American trip

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: [email protected]. (Happy to answer or help!)

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[DaveM]

And then there was light_Arch Motorcycle teams with J.W. Speaker

Boutique Manufacturer
Los Angeles-based ARCH Motorcycle describe themselves as a ’boutique manufacturer’. We would rather describe them as cool dudes that create magnificent bikes.

Co-founded by Gard Hollinger and Keanu Reeves, they produce bespoke production motorcycles in their state-of-the-art, Los Angeles area factory.
They are smart about the way they go about their business too by creating over 200 unique parts in-house, which are proprietary to the currently available ARCH KRGT-1, their first production model, as well as their upcoming ARCH 1s and ARCH Method 143 models.

Designer and builder Gard Hollinger oversees a seasoned staff of devoted craftsmen who hand-assemble each unit to meet their client’s ergonomic and aesthetic preferences. According to Gard ARCH Motorcycle was founded on the idea of redefining the American performance cruiser. Their bikes are manufactured with “the idea to deliver an unrivaled riding and ownership experience through an obsession for innovative design, engineering excellence and dedication to the rider. Every ARCH Motorcycle is delivered via a uniquely collaborative process tailoring livery and ergonomic fit to each owner. What started off as an exploration of what may be possible in the world of motorcycling has quickly evolved into the benchmark for the premium motorcycle category”.

Phew! Sounds great. Unfortunately the BikeBrewers team has not yet had the pleasure of experiencing their claim to fame in real life, so in the meantime we just have to believe them on their word.

Quest for quality
Anyway, all joking aside, as a result of their quest to create awesome bikes, the boys from LA are teaming up with J.W. Speaker, an LED and emerging lighting technologies designer for automotive, power sports, transport, and industrial products.

J.W. Speaker will provide its LED headlights for all ARCH Motorcycle units built in 2022, including the ARCH KRGT-1 and the upcoming ARCH 1s and ARCH Method 143 models. J.W. Speaker and ARCH Motorcycle will also partner in developing customized LED lighting technology for future ARCH models.

Innovative lighting
To find out what this deal was all about we had a quick call with Trish Logue, Director of Marketing at J.W. Speaker.

According to her “the team at J.W. Speaker are beyond thrilled to be working with ARCH Motorcycle as their lighting partner for 2022 builds and beyond. We look forward to collaborating with the ARCH team. We have been at the forefront of innovative LED lighting designs for decades and developed the world’s first dynamically Adaptive Motorcycle Headlight

, designed to calculate bank angles on a real-time basis, automatically sending light up or down as the motorcycle leans into a corner. ARCH Motorcycle has built its brand around utilizing best-in-class components and we’re proud to be part of its roster of partners.”

So we quickly race back to Gard who responds: “J.W. Speaker has been an important partner of ours for years, so we’re excited to evolve that relationship further as we look ahead to the release of upcoming models like the ARCH 1s. Our riders’ safety is of utmost importance and working alongside a trusted partner like J.W. Speaker with their Adaptive 2 Series headlights ensures we deliver best-in-class lighting technology for all ARCH motorcycles.”

Well, if two people are so happy about working together, magical things are never far away.
We look forward to seeing all those excellent plans come to fruition that will further enhance the pleasure of riding those magnificent machines created on the West Coast.

Even better, we look forward to receiving the invitation from ARCH Motorcycle and J.W. Speaker fly over to test them and serve a live report about all those wonderful things we just read about.

More information
Bikes
ARCH Motorcycle
Light
J.W. Speaker’s premier LED lighting technologies,

The post And then there was light_Arch Motorcycle teams with J.W. Speaker appeared first on BikeBrewers.com.

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