“I actually went out on a limb and asked Walt if he’d be interested in building an adventure bike, not expecting him to accept the challenge. To my delight, he accepted. We had a quick phone call about ideas and what was most important to me, my type of riding style, etc. He seemed to know immediately what I was looking for and I felt like he was getting just as excited as I was.” Bryan Jennings – Owner.
Austrian born motorcycle designer and builder Walt Siegl needs little or no introduction when it comes to the world of custom motorcycles. Based out of his New Hampshire workshop, Walt Siegal Motors (WSM), he has gained significant respect for his road-going limited edition production run models. But it’s WSM’s third offering, L’Avventura, that has been getting all the attention for the last couple of months.
We wanted to know more about what went into the making of this machine. We spoke with builder Walt and owner Bryan about the technical specs and rideability of the newest WSM family member.
“I grew up in eastern Washington and started riding motorcycles around the age of 9. My first bike was a Yamaha YZ80. It’s been a passion of mine ever since. Now that I’ve passed the 46-year checkpoint, most of my time is spent on enduro/adventure type bikes exploring new terrain.” Bryan says.
“I love riding off-road and own several dirt bikes myself. I really wanted to build a WSM version!” Walt says. And of course, the base for this adventure machine would have to be a Ducati.
The L’Avventura is powered by a rebuilt 1100cc air-cooled Ducati L-twin motor. The ECU runs a Ducati performance program which is tuned in-house by the WSM team. It sits in a new trellis frame, which is a strengthened unit from a Ducati Hypermotard. Holding the rear wheel is a new alloy swing arm. Upfront, custom crash bars along with a discreet radiator guard blend seamlessly into the overall design of the bike. Custom designed headers wind into an SC Project muffler on the right rear of the motorcycle with a custom skid-plate covering the belly of the beast.
The triple trees are Ducati units holding Showa front forks with Racetech internals. Although Walt says “In the future I plan to use Ohlins for the full off-road model.” A custom axel lug makes it possible to use a radial Brembo caliper giving snappier feedback to the rider when braking. The rear shock is Ohlins with a bike/weight specific rated spring. On the aftermarket handlebars sit a pair of Acerbis hand guards protecting the hydraulic clutch and brake levers.
The wheels are specially built. The front hub is from Dubya with a Ducati Scrambler hub bringing up the rear – both with Excell rims. Making this all stick to the road is a set of Pirelli MT21 Rallycross with a 21 inch front and 17 inch rear. All of which is rounded out with a quick release axel in the front and a standard axel in the rear. “The tires hooked up like a champ and I never once felt like I might slide out or lose control under power or braking. Obviously, the weight is not that of my KTM 500 EXC, and I might opt out of motocross tracks and super technical single track work, but for the purpose for which this bike is built, it is perfect.”
Up front a removable GPS unit sits comfortably below the riders line of sight and above the gauges. This all is encompassed by a kevlar fairing developed and produced in-house at WSM. Twin Hella LED headlamps, one clear and one yellow light the way. The rally style Hella cover draws attention to the front end when the yellow left lamp is not in use.
A specially designed seat gives ample width while making use of modern materials to cushion longs days on the road. Covered in a water-resistant vinyl, it provides grip to the rider but still gives the requisite amount of mobility required for moving around while riding off-road.
The fuel capacity of the L’Avventura is yet another detail that speaks to WSM’s way of solving problems with design. Two aluminum fuel cells give a total combined capacity of 6.5 gallons / 24.6 liters: One is set in the traditional location and the other sits in the subframe. An easy-disconnect line links the two tanks making filling and draining easy when pit stops are on the cards. And, with all of this amounting to a weight of 345lbs / 156kg’s it clocks in well below the competition.
“Walt is an absolute master at his trade. His bikes are works of mechanical art, and the performance is second to none. He and Aran [Lead Technician] are producing some hand-built, bespoke, masterpieces that have to be seen in person to appreciate what sets them apart from the majority. If you are lucky enough to ride one, you’ll never forget it. On top of all of that, he may be the kindest, most genuine person you will ever meet.”
When asked what he liked most about the L’Avventure Bryan noted, “My favorite parts of the bike are the huge custom fuel tank (6.5 gallons / 24.5 liters), the perfectly tuned air-cooled Ducati 1100, the custom suspension and tuned exhaust, and the amazing ergonomics. The GPS head unit is super cool too. I’m so incredibly thankful to Walt and the WSM crew.”
“When I first saw Walt’s L’Avventura, I was set into a trance. Could this possibly ride as good as it looks? The first start and the sound of the tuned exhaust were magical. It was hard to take the time to let it warm up before I blasted off down the road. The power, the sound, the handling, the ergonomics, the new larger than life GPS unit, was all too much to soak in on the way to the trailhead. I felt myself riding much faster than I normally would on the road and wondered how the power and weight would transfer over to the dirt. Answer: like a dream.”
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