The BMW R nineT City G/S is a tricky tablet to swallow. From a styling standpoint, we completely get it; the unique BMW R80G/S was iconic, and one of many few bikes to ever actually pull off a pink seat. Many riders give it credit score for kickstarting your entire journey driving style—and whereas there’s some debate available there, there’s no denying the road cred of an unique Paris Dakar G/S.
Sadly, the trendy BMW R nineT City G/S is a G/S in identify solely. Its 19” entrance wheel helps—but it surely has about as a lot enterprise off pavement as some other 500 pound avenue bike with extraordinarily restricted (and smooth) suspension. And that’s a disgrace, as a result of, as any BMW boxer fan will let you know, it’s constructed round some of the pleasurable engines within the historical past of motorcycling.
The parents at Monduke Moto perceive this higher than most. Because the customized construct division of the manufacturing firm, Monduke Productions, they’ve already transformed 4 City G/Ses into off-road-worthy scramblers. Their newest is dubbed ‘Candy Caroline,’ and it’s the sweetest one up to now.
“I traveled to Africa on a bike for the primary time again in 2003,” say founding accomplice, Dani Rodriguez. “It was a bunch of seven buddies, all driving these large BMW R1150GSes, and we coated almost 2,000 km within the Atlas and Sahara. On that journey I fell in love with the Atlas mountain tracks, the silence and light-weight of the desert, and the way agile and versatile these large and heavy BMWs might be.”
Within the years that adopted, Dani’s obsession with Africa solely festered. He joined Gasoline Bikes on eight consecutive runs of their ‘Scram Africa’ journey—an journey tour for contemporary scramblers and customized builds solely. With every journey he realized extra about what made for a purposeful off-road customized, and methods to flip a heavy manufacturing unit ‘scrambler’ into a correct software for the open desert.
Then in 2019, lightning struck. Dani discovered himself with the chance to create his personal journey journey by means of the Sahara, and together with the undertaking got here commissions to construct 5 off-road bikes for purchasers on the trip. Of these 5 bikes, two of the donors occurred to be BMW’s R nineT City G/S—and thus Monduke Moto’s distinctive area of interest was born.
They’ve developed a profitable components for the platform at this level; swap out the lackluster entrance finish for a set of lengthy journey forks, rework the manufacturing unit Sachs rear shock, and lace up a set of correct 21F/18R enduro wheels that may take a beating off-road.
This specific construct makes use of a set of inverted Marzocchi forks, customized tuned by the parents at TNT Suspensiones out of Barcelona. They greater than double the unique suspension journey to a whopping 11” of fully-adjustable bliss. The wheels are additionally notably fascinating—Monduke retained the unique BMW cross-spoke hubs, however laced them as much as a set of conventional Excel Takasago wheels.
This allowed the bike to retain its manufacturing unit ABS, but in addition gave ol’ Caroline a correct collection of off-road rubber to select from—together with the MotoZ Tractionator Journey tires (and heavy obligation Michelin tubes) at the moment on the bike.
From there, this off-road construct actually took on a lifetime of its personal, with Monduke doubling down on the City G/S’s retro roots.
The 24 liter [6,34 gallon] tank, for example, was pulled from an R75/5 police bike and modified to suit the nineT body. You’ll discover it nonetheless wears its tank-mounted utility field, which Monduke says is totally purposeful, and nonetheless makes use of the unique sq. key.
Curiously sufficient, Monduke additionally saved the unique twin petcock setup on the gasoline tank intact. This meant painstakingly relocating the manufacturing unit gasoline pump and filter to exterior the tank—however contemplating how properly the classic metallic pulls this construct collectively, we’re glad they put the additional work in. (That further gasoline additionally is useful for lengthy stretches of desert.)
The intense pink seat was changed with a chunkier association, with white leather-based and tan Alcantara upholstery. An elastomeric gel topper was added as properly, for lengthy days within the saddle. Extra creature comforts embody 40 mm bar risers from Wunderlich, much-improved Excessive Sider Montana mirrors, and Rallye low foot pegs.
When you observe Monduke’s workforce on social media, you’ll additionally know that they don’t simply construct these bikes for off-road use, they really take them out and get them soiled. To that finish, Monduke added an additional contact of safety as properly by way of an SW Motech skid plate, folding gear levers, and a set of crash guards from Unit Storage.
Additionally they changed the City G/S’s manufacturing unit air field with a customized made unit usual after the unique R80G/S. Dani says that accessing the OEM filter requires disassembling half of the bike, which doesn’t bode properly for the frequent cleanings required of desert rigs. This new unit merely requires eradicating two clips, which might be completed simply by hand with none instruments.
Ending touches right here embody a set of Motogadget Blaze flip alerts (cleverly tucked into the radiator shrouds), customized made fenders and fender helps, and a classic NOS OSSA tail tidy, full with a license plate holder and taillight meeting.
And, as a result of no boxer could be full with out that trademark ‘offended chainsaw’ soundtrack, a full titanium Akrapovič exhaust system was bolted up as properly. It’s been by means of just a few warmth cycles already and it seems totally magnificent—as does Candy Caroline’s white and orange livery.
A BMW R nineT City G/S constructed for the Sahara desert… the irony is simply too good. Who says you may’t train a brand new canine previous tips?
Monduke Productions | Monduke Moto Instagram | Pictures by Andrea Caredda on location at Mud’n Sardinia
