Most riders dream of heading out on the road and never looking back. Chasing the next village or border can at times be the de facto image for intrepid motorcycling. The reality though tends to be framed more by the practical than by boundless vistas. With day jobs and responsibilities at home, most will find themselves on weekend excursions dreaming of longer trips. But for a group of riders from Denmark this wasn’t enough. And they’ve managed to find a way around it.
“Some of us are professional photographers and travel quite a bit for various commissioned jobs. It seemed only logical to extend these work trips and do some riding together when possible. Other times, of course, we get together and ride as part of vacations, etc.” explains Lasse Bech Martinussen. “We like to refer to ourselves as simply, ‘Friends on Dirt Bikes.’ Some in our group have years of experience riding, both enduro, motocross, and street; others are newer to the world of motorcycles.” Drawn by a shared love for bikes, as well as the lifestyle and potential for adventure that goes hand in hand with dual sports-style riding, Omaha Motorcycles was born: a group of friends in their late thirties out of Copenhagen who love to ride.
“It all started with a shared interest in dirt bikes and photography. Then we started a facebook page to share info for potential rides amongst our group of friends in Copenhagen. After a while, we thought of giving our group a name.” Which was soon followed by an Instagram account so they could share their journeys. “The name came about as a play on ‘Yamaha’ which most of us ride (80ties Yamaha XTs). We also had various talks, different opinions, about how the round shape of the ‘O’ in Omaha could make for a wheel in a logo. For now, though, we all agree that it just sounds nice. The group now numbers eight and consists of Kristian Holm, Lasse Bech Martinussen, Thomas Skou, Mads Emil Hilmer, Adam Lefeuvre, Morten Vontilius, Julian Falck and Enok Holsegård.
“Portugal is always a treat with a long, rugged coastline to explore off-road or on street bikes. Especially the area around Lisboa north and south, with the amazing Peniche, Sintra, Estoril and the roads South to Setúbal along the coastline… Portuguese people also always greet us very kindly, even in the small villages when we arrive on noisy 430 RR Beta bikes. We rent these bikes through Enduro-Lodge in the town of Arrifana. We had some good friends guiding us around the national park on the Betas, riding tracks and climbs that are quite technical and challenging for us…. It’s possibly some of the best riding in Europe along that coastline with hidden gems like windswept old houses and beautiful beaches. Driving here kinda gives you the feel of being in a James Bond movie”
Portugal was one of their first major trips that took place in 2016, but along with that, they’ve managed to chalk up eight rides abroad in under two years. From the Southern Andorra Mountains in Spain to Los Angeles, and two tours to South Africa, Dubai, then back to Portugal and over to Spain again. “Each year we spend a week in Northern Spain with a group of friends. We keep finding more beautiful areas there to discover on bikes and to photograph. Last year our local friend and owner of the fantastic Cal Viso house (where we stay) Gilliem joined us for a ride, showing us his amazing route through the mountains and out to Cadaqués by the east coast just south of France.”
“Some of us have been traveling to South Africa a lot the last six years, covering the Western Cape in cars, and dreaming of doing it on two wheels. In 2016, we finally realized this dream for the first time there. We didn’t want any new heavy bikes to start out with, so we asked around and, through the nice guys at Woodstock Moto Company, we found Harry Wassermann. We rented his three XT500s along with him as a guide, covering the beautiful Cederberg Mountain ranges on our first three-day trip.” But their southern excursions weren’t just limited to farm roads. “We also did some road riding on Triumphs. A lot of the roadways around Cape Town, especially Chapman’s Peak Drive, and some of the passes like Bainskloof, Franschhoek, and Slanghoek pass feature some of the best street riding in the world. Incredible routes, the roads, and surroundings change constantly and will keep you happy on any ride.”
Covering miles in a group can be challenging, but Lasse explains that keeping the right mentality is key. “The most important part of a ride is to enjoy it and have a great day on the bikes. As such, it’s best to have a good group of people together, with similar riding skills and experience. Be patient and ride responsibly as sometimes even small mistakes can create big problems for the entire group of riders. Our friend Harry Wasserman said, ‘Never ride to your limit, always ride 10% under it.’ This is a philosophy we can relate too. We don’t always follow it, but we probably should.”
But being out on the road is not without its challenges, especially when heading off-road for extended periods of time. “We’ve had situations with breakdowns and punctures, you know, small stuff. When it gets extremely hot, and you’re all geared up, the mood can change too and put everyone under pressure. Riding off-road in 104°F / 40°C heat with the sun and warm armor can be a bad combination sometimes. And in the beginning, the more inexperienced riders sometimes had too high ambitions relative to their skill set. There have of course been a lot of crashes too, which go hand in hand with off-road riding. A couple of these crashes have knocked the confidence right out of us for a while. But we’ve thankfully avoided any serious trouble.”
But with adventures seldom being found in easily accessible locations the effort can prove worthwhile. “Riding the deep sand in the desert outside Dubai and into the sunset was amazing. It was just dunes as far as you could see in all directions, and we were literally riding into the desert sunset. Though you know, other truly special moments riding are often more about the people you’re with, the camaraderie, shared energy and the feeling of experiencing something very special together.” The sense of fraternity while in the unknown is a common thread amongst adventure riders of all corners.
And for as far as finding one’s way in places unknown; “When required we use our phones as GPS’s. The best GPS deal though is to bring a local rider of some sort that knows the area you’re riding in. That’s the thing with GPS’s; they rarely have personality.”
For more of Omaha Motorcycles journeys follow them here on Instagram.
Photography by Kristian Holm, Lasse Bech Martinussen and Thomas Skou.
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