Moto Trail Enduro preparations

In the world of personalization, the scrambler is the versatile model for the road and to travel the paths (a little).

However, for the more adventurous , those who do not like to ride on the road but in the undergrowth, in the middle of the vineyards or along the coast, the trails are made for you .

Having a trail is good, but having a personalized trail is even better . This is how we see more and more preparation of the trail enduro motorcycle type with preparers as well as on specialized sites.

This type of motorcycle is also called Dual-Sport or Custom ADV.

WHY PREPARE A TRAIL ENDURO MOTORCYCLE?

Because the scrambler is versatile, but you need more. A real motorcycle ready to ride on rough terrain and collect hundreds of kilometers in a row.

The other advantage of having this type of preparation is to have a more original motorcycle, less common than a scrambler which is more and more common on the roads.

HOW TO PREPARE YOUR MOTORCYCLE FOR MOTO TRAIL ENDURO?

We are going to see some examples of motorcycles prepared in the dual sport way, before and after, to fully understand the characteristic elements of this type of preparation.

There are several inspirations and different styles in the motorcycles prepared for trail enduro motorcycles .

PARIS-DAKAR INSPIRATION

The many bikes (especially old ones) that took part in the Dakar as well as commercial derivatives are among the logical inspirations for this type of preparation.

This BMW R80 G/S produced in 200 units is a perfect example of inspiration and preparation:

We will see later that this motorcycle inspired a company to make a kit for a more modern motorcycle.

DIFFERENT STYLES, SAME PURPOSE

Old style trail enduro motorcycle

We have seen the type of motorcycle inspiring for this type of preparation. Let's move on to a first example on the same basis.

Now here is a BMW R80 G/S again, in standard version this time, which has been fully prepared for the adventure.

This preparation is close to what is called restomod .

Mark Johnston, the owner of this BMW R80 changed a lot of parts to make it an adventurous bike.

For the most important changes:

- 43 liter tank

- 48mm WP Suspension inverted fork

- The fairing assembly (headlight, fender, rear fender)

To know more about this preparation: Africa Shox: A hard-charging R80G/S from Cape Town | Bike EXIF

If you like this type of preparation on the BMW R series, here is another model that you will like:Overlander: A BMW G/S built for serious adventure travel | Bike EXIF

In the same style, here is a Royal Enfield Himalayan prepared by Fuel Bespoke Motorcycles :

This model is very popular for this type of preparation and for making rallies. It is robust and has simple mechanics .

This is the motorcycle used by the famous motorcycle travel agency Vintage Rides in these expeditions around the world.

As the preparer of this motorcycle says, speed is not important in this use compared to lightness, maneuverability and simplicity which are the essential points.

It takes up the codes of the typical trail enduro motorcycle . We will detail them later.

To find out more about this preparation: https://www.bikeexif.com/royal-enfield-himalayan-fuel

In a different style, the Lyonnais preparer BAAK has also worked on this model: Royal Enfield Himalayan 400 I BAAK (baakmotocyclettes.com)

We continue at Royal Enfield with these 2 Interceptors which participated in a 2000 km race over 5 days:

This huge KTM fork and these PIAA optics give this bike an insane look.

The hybrid style

Harley Sportster Enduro by LC Fabrications:

Turning a Sportster into a trail enduro motorcycle is no small feat. Indeed, this base is not the most suitable for enduro. It's a custom at the base!

Jérémy Cupp has done a lot of work to prepare this Harley . There are not many original parts left on this machine.

To learn more about this preparation:

HIGH FIBER DIET. LC Fabrication's Carbon 'SX1250' Harley Sportster Enduro - Pipeburn

The style is a mix of classic and modern with a very industrial side due to the significant presence of gray and exposed metal.

Modern style trail enduro motorcycle

The VAGABUND V13 based on a Honda NX650 :

Vagabund is a famous Austrian tuner with a modern approach to motorcycle tuning. In addition to their beautiful achievements such as the R100RT V12 or the R9T V15 , they are also known to put their motorcycle in a kit or in a box like a toy.

This Dominator which is the 13th motorcycle presented by VAGABUND is in the characteristic style of this brand. That is to say a motorcycle with a modern style, with a short rear and a lot of basic work on the motorcycle.

Honestly, it's hard to recognize a 1991 Honda NX650 in this photo!

They used 3D printing to make several parts of this motorcycle like Viba Motors , which is a specialist in the field.

This motorcycle is distinguished by the installation of a luggage rack at the front, and 2 jerry cans at the rear on each side.

Here is the complete presentation of the project: Vagabund Moto | Vagabund Moto (vagabund-moto.com)

Vagabund started a KTM EXC 350 along the same lines.

The LMTG 450 RALLY made Le Motographe :

We find here the WR450F but in a totally different livery.

Indeed, the French workshop has done a very big job on this bike. It now benefits from a magnificent frame and aluminum fairings.

In addition to being a success from an aesthetic point of view, this bike is really designed to go on an adventure.

To see more: Rally Raider: A gleaming Yamaha WR450F by Le Motographe | Bike EXIF

Style 100% Functional 100% Adventure

THE CARDUCCI SC3 ADVENTURE

This is the ultimate Harley for adventure.

She was groomed by American engineer Jim Carducci for several years. He gradually improved this bike. He tried several types of suspensions, several exhausts, different types of brakes, etc. To get the best possible dual sport equipped with a Vtwin Harley.

The cycle part has of course been completely redesigned for off-road driving.

The engine is not left behind with the installation of a 1250cc NRHS kit associated with an Andrews N4 camshaft and other parts. Jim announces that he expects 100 horsepower with his engine preparation.

With the heavy work on the chassis, Jim managed to lower the weight of the bike to about 200 kg in the configuration with fiber gas tank, plastic headlight and some other adjusted elements ( Baja model).

This gives us a very correct weight/performance ratio for a dual sport.

The SC3 adventure is currently on sale for $48,000.

For your details of the changes: https://www.instagram.com/p/CTvN4icPuMt/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Neo retro style trail enduro motorcycle :

In this comparative photo, we can see the elements that were changed during the preparation to give the place a retro look.

The headlight plate , the tank , the saddle and the paint are among the characteristic elements of this type of preparation.

This motorcycle is inspired by the 1981 XT500 Paris-Dakar .

To see more about this preparation:

Dakar Redux: Iron Cobras' 2017 Yamaha WR450F | Bike EXIF

The Roland Sands KTM Neo Retro:

It's a real surprise when you learn about the base used for this preparation. In fact, the difference is stark.

Here's a before and after to get it right:

Roland Sands has created the perfect design to transform a modern trail bike into a more civilized modern retro bike.

The elements changed are the same as the previous motorcycles to transform the look: tank, headlight, saddle, fairings and mudguards.

With this type of preparation, we realize the potential of certain motorcycles .

To find out more about this trail enduro motorcycle :

Urban Assault KTM 790 - Roland Sands Design

CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS TYPE OF PREPARATION:

Now that we have seen different types of preparations and several examples, we can list the distinctive elements of this type of motorcycle.

Large volume tank

Who says adventure, says long distances without seeing a gas station.

A large capacity tank is important to enjoy the trip without feeling like you have to go to the pump 3 times a day.

Above is the tank of a Husqvarna FE501 handcrafted from aluminium. Its shape echoes that of period tanks.

This is a significant expense item, depending on your project, other alternatives can be found to increase capacity. We think of jerrycans as Vagabund offers on its Dominator .

Low pass exhaust

We favor a low or middle passage exhaust for this type of preparation in order to avoid any contact with the pilot and reduce heat.

A shoe is often added to protect the exhaust in the low position and prevent it from being damaged.

The exhaust tube usually ends in a bulky muffler.

Suitable tires

This Ducati Alaskan is equipped with PIRELLI SCORPION tires.

It is necessary to adopt tires adapted for the adventure.

If you are going to travel 50% road / 50% off-road, the EURO 3 SAHARA type model from Metzeler is your ally.

Bag, suitcase or satchel holder

When you go on an adventure, you have to go equipped. Thus, having storage elements on your motorcycle is essential.

The motorcycle can be equipped with a luggage rack, beacons or saddlebags.

In the illustration photo, the Crooked tuner opted for a luggage rack and two side bags on this DR650 .

Enough to go on a road trip of thousands of km without missing anything!

Hand guards

Here is another element of the panoply of accessories for an adventure motorcycle.

The hand guards , as the name suggests, protect the hands from flying stones, earth and the cold by cutting the wind.

This BMW R80 uses plastic hand guards from the ACERBIS brand.

Headlight plate

The headlight plate is often associated with a windshield on an adventure motorcycle.

Above is a 90s enduro-style headlight plate extended with a windshield.

The choice is wide for this room. A small aluminum windshield can be installed or even a complete fairing descending on the sides of the motorcycle.

This choice will depend on the objectives and the style of the bike.

Shock absorbers

Mandatory element in most projects. Indeed, the original shock absorbers are not made to undergo as many tests.

Except, if your base motorcycle is a trail enduro motorcycle , of course.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by CROOKED (@crookedmotorcycles)

Crooked used a YSS monoshock for their DR650 adventure project detailed in the Instagram photos above.

In addition, the shock absorbers are changed to provide greater ground clearance.

For this, the new shock absorbers are usually longer than the original shock absorbers.

Fork

Depending on the base chosen, the donor motorcycle, the fork is either improved or replaced.

An original fork can be upgraded using a kit consisting of springs, valves and tube plugs.

Otherwise the fork can be completely replaced. For this, the preparers take a fork from a suitable motorcycle and adapt it to the base.

If your base is a Transalp , you can keep the original fork.

If it's a Bonneville , it would be better to change it.

Pictured above is a Yamaha YZ 250 fork installed on a Harley Sportster .

The change of fork can also make it possible to recover the front rim and the braking system of the donor motorcycle.

Fork gaiter

Fork gaiters protect the fork tube from sand, dirt and other elements that can prevent the damping from working properly.

On inverted forks, fork guards are installed instead of gaiters.

Mudguards

Who says adventure, says mud, says projection, says big mudguards!

Here is a perfect example of a fender made for this type of motorcycle executed by Gasser Customs .

Saddle

Above all, the saddle must be comfortable. This is the watchword when you know you will be riding for hours on rough terrain.

The saddle made by RSD for its R1200GS project in an 80s style looks very comfortable.

The list of characteristic elements being made, place to the preparation.

For your preparation, you can use pieces found on the left and on the right or go for complete kits made by preparers.

PROFESSIONAL MOTORCYCLE TRAIL ENDURO TRANSFORMATION KIT

DUCATI SCRAMBLER X EARLE MOTORS

If you own a Ducati Scrambler , the Californian company EARLE MOTORS offers a kit to transform it into an adventurer. The codename is Alaskan .

The kit is composed of:

• 22 liter custom tank.
• A set of wheels in 21 and 18 inches
• Kevlar protection plates
• A low front fender
• A powerful lighting system.
• Protection bars.
• A more ergonomic solo saddle.
• A system to extend the swingarm by 7.62 cm.
• As well as a robust luggage rack system.

Learn more about the Alaskan: The Alaskan - ADV custom bike — Earle Motors

XR NINE T GARAGE UNIT

For BMW R nineT fans, Unit Garage offers a kit to transform your motorcycle in the style of the mythical R80 GS Dakar of the 80s.

It also offers a wide choice of parts to prepare your motorcycle for ADV.

You can try their configurator which is very well done, here is the link:

Kit R NineT Urban GS (with low exhaust) (unitgarage.com)

And here is the complete set of the RnineT Dakar :

It also offers a kit for Ducati Scrambler .

To learn more about Unit Garage and the R Nine T Dakar, you can also read Bike EXIF's article: Giving the BMW R nineT the Paris-Dakar treatment

If you prefer the original, you can check with @siebenrockbmw who offers parts for the R series:

See this post on Instagram

A post shared by Siebenrock ...for your BMW (@siebenrockbmw)

CRISPY CLUB X YAMAHA TENERE

Crispy Club on this side, offers a kit for the YAMAHA TENERE 700 which bears the name of Heritage :

This is a "plug-and-play" kit made in France and composed of the following elements:

- Tank scoop x2
- Headlight plate with integrated led lamp
- Offset speedometer
- High fender
- High fender kit
- Complete painting

Shop here: Heritage 1VJ - Yamaha T7 Kit – Crispy Club

BONVENT MOTORCYCLE X INTERCEPTOR

The French at BONVENT are offering a kit for the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 . Parts are also available at retail.

See this post on Instagram

A post shared by BONVENT MOTORBIKES (@bonvent.motorbikes)

The kit is composed of:

- A tank cover

- A headlight fairing

- A pair of mudguards

- Side covers

- A leather saddle

- A rear light with a plate holder

- A luggage rack

- A handlebar with these saddles.

The kit is available on their site at 1260€.

They are preparing a kit for the CB500X .

BAAK X TRIUMPH SCRAMBLER

Baak , with their BAAK AVENTURES experience, have just presented the Triumph 1200 AVENTURES . And offers the parts of the trail enduro motorcycle kit for sale.

See this post on Instagram

A post shared by BAAK (@baakmotocyclettes)

This is a preparation based on Triumph XC or XE equipped with:

- leather saddle

- 25 liter aluminum tank

- A complete fairing kit

- Plate holder

They offer to carry out the complete preparation for 8900€.

If you are ready for adventure and you like the raw geometric style, this prep is for you.

Learn more .

Conclusion

If you like trail enduro motorcycling , here is an Instagram account to follow:

Umberto Mongiardini (@umbertomongiardini) • Instagram photos and videos

He is the ultimate fan of this type of motorcycles and even customizations.

English speakers can also follow the ADV PULSE site which is a wealth of information: ADV Pulse - Adventure Bike / Dual Sport News, Reviews, Tests & Tips

Are you tempted by this type of preparation?

What is your favorite model among the selection of trail enduro motorcycles?

Biker, Rémi