Stasis Dakar

“I’d fallen in love with the R1200G/S Adventure platform, but the classic lines, nostalgia, and provenance of the R80G/S are undeniable. I wanted the modern performance and suspension travel of the R1200GS Adventure but the look of the R80G/S. There are plastic cover-kits that mimic the R80G\S Dakar tank, and even BMW released their Urban Scrambler which is just an R9T in Paris Dakar colors. I wanted to create an honest facsimile of the R80G/S with 100% functionality.” – Cliff Fisher

Cliff was born in Houston but has lived in Austin for twenty-five years. “I feel pretty lucky to call it home, a Texan through and through.” Central Texas, and Austin, in particular, has a thriving motorcycle community. It’s home to Revival Cycles, and the now famous HandBuilt Show which focuses on showcasing the best custom builds from all over. “I’d customized the last 4 or 5 motorcycles I’d owned with increasing complexity. I was mid-way through a 2001 Thruxton that became the Stasis Scrambler 900, and the show created a deadline for me to strive toward.” Up to date Cliff has had four builds accepted to the Handbuilt Show, and it continues to set the bar for his projects.

“Having just experienced the Handbuilt Show this past weekend, I can tell you that it’s a quality experience every year. I volunteer for the last couple days of setup each year leading up to their Friday opening, and I cannot emphasize enough how much physical effort is involved. The Revival Team builds their signage, bike plinths, lighting fixtures, merchandise stands and it’s a lot to install. The second part of this experience is the builders themselves. It’s a unique experience for a local part-time builder like me to meet the heroes of the industry in person. Guys like Craig Rodsmith, Maxwell Hazan, Alex Earle, Walt Siegl, Hugo of Untitled Motorcycles as well as all the guys and gals working from their garages, living rooms or sheds after their day-jobs. There is such a diverse cross-section of the industry present that you can find inspiration and solutions to problems you haven’t begun to imagine yet. The best of every style and brand get represented, and it offers the opportunity to see the builds you’ve been following online, in person.”

Cliff’s own workshop is a “cluttered garage” behind his home. “A handful of incomplete projects patiently waiting their turn. As building custom bikes is not my full-time job, my projects are often quite drawn out over months, sometimes years. I work on them here and there, as time allows, and complete about one per year.” His love for motorcycles had a bumpy start, growing up Cliff’s father didn’t allow him to own or ride a motorcycle. “The deal with my father was, the moment I was paying my own health-insurance bills, I could get one.” Which is precisely what he did the first chance he got. “Just a few months after graduating college and starting my first professional job, I purchased a 1979 Moto Guzzi G5 V1000.” But it wasn’t until several years later when he saw his first footage of the Paris-Dakar Rally that he got hooked on Rally and heavy Enduro motorcycles.

“I purchased my first Adventure bike in 2002, a Cagiva Elefant 900, which I flew out to Fort Lauderdale to pick up and ride back to Texas.
 Turns out a tropical storm had blown in the same day I landed, so I had a two-day immersion course in Adventure motorcycling through strong wind and torrential rain.” Not being put off by this though Cliff eventually started his side project called Stasis Motorcycles. “It’s a Scientific term that a lot of Science Fiction shows use meaning a state of inactivity or equilibrium. It’s a self-directed joke referring to all the non-running project bikes I’ve accumulated over the years.” Currently, Cliff has four projects on the go. A 1985 Cagiva Elefant 650 and a 1995 Elefant 900 along with 1990 BMW R100G/S PD and a 1986 R80RT all destined for a more dirt orientated approach.

With the Stasis Dakar Cliff felt it was essential to keep this build within the G/S family as much as possible, so a 2007 R1200G/S Adventure was used as the donor. “I was given an R100G/S PD rear rack that mated up nicely with the existing subframe.” Along with a custom rear hoop, this supports the vintage Maier rear fender that was a common mod by many R80G/S and R100G/S owners. A fender off of an R100G/S completes the look up front. But incorporating an actual R80G/S tank was the greatest achievement of this build. “I removed the original airbox from the R1200G/S and utilized the space below the seat to create additional fuel capacity since a cluster of electronics takes up space beneath the original tank.” The Stasis Dakar now breaths through short pod style air filters. No remapping for the EFI was required although it’s “a little poppy on the over-run, but hasn’t changed character notably.”

“Zac Roberts, the owner of Full Custom Fabrication, with whom I work on most of my builds, used a wire pattern and his plasma table to create the puzzle pieces for the sub-tank. It incorporates one of the OEM fuel pumps, a relocated OEM filler ring, and negative space that allows an Antigravity battery to hide under the tank. At fully wet, the tank carries 8 gallons / 30 liters of fuel in an impressive nostalgic package. “I’d suspect it’s probably similar to the OEM range of 300+ Miles. The bike is lighter now, but there is more wind resistance without the front fairing. Unfortunately, I had lost the convenience of the Range feature from the OEM tank, which was an afterthought during the sprint to finish for the Handbuilt Show in 2017.”

Cliff tries to utilize parts from different models of the same make when possible. An R9T headlight now adorns the front along with the original instrument cluster. A set of BMW R1200C split oil coolers helps manage the engine temperatures and has been mounted to a custom alloy bracket that integrates around the headlight mount. “I looked at a static crash-bar mounting solution for the oil coolers, but Zac and I decided that mounting them higher kept them out of harm’s way and also provided cooler air.” A kit from Unit Garage completes the aggressive look of the front end creating a bolt on point for the vintage style fender and gauges. Remus stainless headers & muffler along with a Full Custom Fabrication mid-pipe creates a very pleasing visual and improves on the legendary Bavarian sound of the G/S. The custom LED taillight is milled from acrylic and then topped with a BMW roundel while the turn signals are from MotoGadget. Cliff also runs a set of Heidenau K60 Scouts on the original wheels.

A local craftsman, Russell Stinnett of ElevenATX, shaped and stitched the solo seat to replicate the OEM R80G/S unit. Cliff had also wanted some stylish but functional storage solutions to round off the look of the Stasis Dakar. “I asked Russell for a waxed cotton and leather tank bag to match the seat, and a BMW Dakar-style rear tool bag of the same materials, which couldn’t have turned out better, and they’re functional!” These are secured to the bike by hoops installed on the tank and rear-rack during fabrication.

Cliff usually has a few items that he’d like to add after he finishes a build. “But this bike turned out just as I’d envisioned it. I wanted a fun, unique daily ride, capable of bombing down dirt roads when required, and that is exactly what I ended up with.” Unfortunately for the rest of us, the Stasis Dakar was a once off build. “It took so many hours to complete the tank alone, and the changes to the rear sub-frame were fabricated and welded in place to blend with the existing frame. This, like every build I’ve competed, is one of a kind.” And when asked about where all this passion for building unique adventure motorcycles comes from: “I’ve always needed a creative outlet to stay balanced. When I was young it was drawing and Legos, then playing guitar and writing music as a teen, and now customizing motorcycles as an adult. I think everyone who follows ADVroad can relate to the feelings of freedom, independence and sometimes accomplishment that riding can provide… but there’s another side to that which is the pride in your machine. Creating something unique that others can appreciate is fulfilling for me.”