Monduke Moto builds an Enfield Enduro…
Launched in 2018, the 411cc Royal Enfield Himalayan struck a resonant chord amongst bike fanatics, who discovered the scale, design, and low worth arduous to withstand. A minimum of the legendary Peter Egan of Cycle World praised his 3500-mile “Himalayan Summer time” aboard the midsize ADV bike, evaluating it to his previous Honda XL350:
“If any person had informed me 10 years in the past, once I was doing trackdays on a Ducati 996 and tearing across the backcountry on a KTM 525, that I’d find yourself spending virtually a whole driving season seated fairly fortunately behind the handlebars of a 24 hp, 411cc, $4,700 adventure-touring bike made in India—leaving the opposite bikes in my small secure virtually unridden—I might need been fairly puzzled.” -Peter Egan
Whereas the Himalayan has scored excessive marks for its worth, it’s removed from a hardcore off-roader, with comparatively low energy, excessive weight, restricted suspension journey, and a number of other different shortcomings.
Enter Dani Rodriguez of Monduke Moto, a lifelong motorcyclist whose found his love of desert driving 20 years in the past, when he and 6 mates rode 1200+ miles throughout Africa’s Atlas and Sahara Deserts:
“On that journey I fell in love with the desert, the Atlas mountain tracks, the silence and light-weight of the desert, and the way agile and versatile these enormous and heavy BMWs might be.”
He went on to take part in seven straight editions of Scram Africa on his trusty 1986 BMW R80GS, studying what it took for bikes to outlive the desert, and in 2019, he was commissioned to design and construct 5 bikes for a 3000-km (1800-mile) journey throughout Morocco — a route much more demanding than the Scram Africa.
When 2020 threw a monkey into their African journey plans, Dani and his crew pivoted rapidly and arranged the Ruta Iberica, a 3000-km journey throughout the Iberian Peninsula, utilizing the identical logistics vehicles, medical autos, and so forth., which they’d lined up for Morocco.
The Himalayan you see right here was constructed for a shopper who was a fan of the Monduke’s earlier builds, together with their first Himalayan, however wished much more off-road efficiency from the platform.
“We put lots of effort into enhancing the off-road skills of the Himalayan by enhancing the elements that we felt have been weaker to make it a real enduro bike…”
The modifications have been fairly in depth, together with Marzocchi Shiver forks with 280mm of journey (+70mm from inventory), a customized TNT rear shock with 300mm journey (+120mm), 320mm Nissin dual-piston entrance brakes, a elevating hyperlink, PowerTRONIC piggyback ECU, ABS disconnect, Termignoni exhaust, upgraded clutch, customized paint and carbon fiber finishes, and extra.
The bike makes about 30% extra energy, is ~30 lbs lighter, and most significantly, the bike handles a lot better off-road — the largest level of pleasure for Dani:
“The suspension has wonderful poise and a behaviour, which supplies you lots of safety on very tough terrain, even with massive rocks.”
Beneath, we get the total particulars on the construct from Dani himself, and share extra photographs from Antatol Gottfried (@i_am_anatol).
Himalayan Enduro: Builder Interview
• Please inform us a bit about your self, your historical past with bikes, and your workshop.
My title is Dani Rodriguez, born in Barcelona 48 years in the past, father of two kids, promoting producer and nice lover of motorbikes and journey journeys.
My relationship with the world of motorbikes began once I was 7 years previous, when my father let me attempt a motorcycle for the primary time. It was a white ’76 Vespino GL. I bear in mind I felt like I used to be flying!
Shortly after that first expertise on a motorcycle, my father purchased me a 50cc LEM mini trike made in Barcelona with a Franco Morini engine. From then on I at all times wished to trip a motorcycle.
Motorcycling was at all times extra of a ardour than a pastime. However what actually modified my way of life the world of motorcycling was once I mixed my ardour for motorcycling with my different nice ardour, travelling. Then I found Africa. My first massive bike journey to Africa was in 2003. A bunch of seven mates from Barcelona went down there with our BMW R1150GS’s and we coated about 2000 km between roads and tracks of Atlas and Sahara Desert.
On that journey I fell in love with the desert, the Atlas mountain tracks, the silence and light-weight of the desert, and the way agile and versatile these enormous and heavy BMWs might be.
Then got here the seven editions in a row of the Scram Africa, from 2013 to my final one, 2019, however these have been carried out with my previous 1986 BMW R80 G/S. An indestructible bike constructed and designed to make nice routes on and off-road and that, furthermore, had been the idea of these Dakar champion BMWs ridden by Auriol and Rahier.
Throughout these Scram Africa years, I had a fantastic friendship with Karles Vives from Gasoline Bikes and was capable of see first hand the design and construct means of most of his bikes, in addition to serving to him with Scram Africa design and occasion manufacturing.
On the finish of 2019 I used to be offered with the chance to create from scratch a mission that was going to be a clothes, bike customisation, and journey journey model.
I began by organising a Sahara journey journey that will cowl 3000km in 12 days via probably the most lovely areas of Morocco, however upping the bodily and technical calls for of the Scram Africa to the next stage.
I used to be then commissioned to design and construct 5 bikes particularly for this journey. They have been to have the ability to cowl 3000 km in excessive circumstances and to final to the top:
- 1 Ducati Scrambler Desert Seld
- 1 Dab
- 1 Royal Enfield Himalayan
- 2 BMW NineT City GS
That was the beginning of Monduke Moto.
Then got here the pandemic and Morocco closed its borders. The journey that I had already designed and arranged couldn’t be carried out. However we determined to go forward and alter Africa for the Iberian Peninsula. And so the Ruta Iberica was born. A 3000km journey via forest tracks and firebreaks organised in simply 10 days, with a part of the infrastructure we already needed to go all the way down to Morocco: logistics vehicles, medical autos, new tracks, and the Monduke manufacturing staff to observe the journey and get some incredible photograph and video pictures.
Then got here the subsequent two BMW R nineTs and the Himalayan that we’re speaking about now. So, lets say that the method has been gradual however essential to be taught every part I find out about this world.
• What’s the make, mannequin, and 12 months of the donor bike?
Royal Enfield Himalayan 411 from 2018.
• Why was this bike constructed?
This Himalayan was a fee from a shopper who grew to become a fan of the bikes we had beforehand made.
• What was the design idea and what influenced the construct?
The client wished to make a Himalayan with a extra radical look than the earlier one we had made and to enhance the off-road efficiency much more. So we put lots of effort into enhancing the off-road skills of the Himalayan by enhancing the elements that we felt have been weaker to make it a real enduro bike:
- Low energy
- Very poor entrance brake
- Too quick suspension
- Ergonomics not tailored to folks of a sure peak
- Considerably excessive weight
So the idea of this bike was to create an enduro bike with the bottom of a Himalayan, which is a incredible path bike, with a 411cc engine and solely 24 hp, nevertheless it has a formidable body, which jogs my memory of my previous R80 G/S.
• What customized work was carried out to the bike?
The setup options:
- Marzocchi Shiver 45 fork with 280mm of journey
- 320mm Nissin twin piston entrance brake discs
- Customized fabricated TNT rear shock with 300mm journey
- Hitchcock’s quick drop hyperlink to lift the bike’s peak
- Renthal Fatbar enduro handlebars
- Two pairs of risers
- Husqvarna entrance mudguard
- Full LED entrance masks from a KTM
- Modified, raised seat with viscoelastic and gel inside and Alcantara upholstery
- Rear mudguard from a 1980’s Kawasaki enduro bike
- Customized fibre finishes
- Rear gentle from a Honda CR450 Rallye.
- Powertronic management unit that offers the bike a extra aggressive energy supply, gaining about 3 hp.
- Termignoni exhaust that offers about 5 extra hp
- Hitchcock’s clutch plate improve
- Decrease and wider Beartrap Rally-style footpegs from SWT
- ABS disconnect change
- Powertronic management change with two modes: easy and radical
- Koso tachometer
- Carbon paint end with metalflakes, gold, orange and pink strains
• Does the bike have a nickname?
Sure! “Attractive Andrea.”
The reason being, after delivering the bike to its proprietor, we did a fantastic weekend off-road over in Monegros, Spain. That’s a really good space for doing off-road with sand trails — the place the place the Baja Aragon Race occurs.
In case you’ve ever ridden a motorcycle over sand, that you just by no means minimize the gasoline (throttle) to keep away from taking place very fast. After we arrived on the sand trails, one of many days, the proprietor was full gasoline and the bike started a form of sensual dance over the sand, however at all times going straight on the observe! Then the proprietor determine to name her “Attractive Andrea.”
• Any concept of horsepower, weight, and/or efficiency numbers?
With the Powertronic ECU and Termignoni exhaust, it ought to be between 30 and 32 hp. After eradicating some elements from the unique bike it ought to be near 170 kg.
• Are you able to inform us what it’s prefer to trip this bike?
The bike has unbelievable off-road behaviour:
- The suspension has wonderful poise and a behaviour, which supplies you lots of safety on very tough terrain, even with massive rocks.
- The entrance braking feels very constant
- The engine works a lot better and delivers extra energy at low revs. Rather more torque than the unique.
- Barely modified driving place, increased and wider handlebars than the unique, increased seat peak and decrease and extra snug footpegs, offers a way more snug driving place, even standing up.
- The lighter weight and quick wheelbase make the bike excellent for slender mountain trails and trials.
- As well as, the chassis works very effectively and it’s very easy to regulate course modifications rapidly and nobly.
• Was there something carried out throughout this construct that you’re significantly pleased with?
What I’m most pleased with is the ultimate behaviour of the bike. It’s a motorcycle that offers you lots of enjoyable.
• Is there anybody you’d prefer to thank?
I want to thank the entire staff of nice professionals who’ve collaborated on this mission:
Observe the Builder
Instagram.com: @monduke_moto
Internet: https://monduke.professional/
Pics by Antatol Gottfried (@i_am_anatol)
