Gravelscout

“I have to say no one really inspired me to start riding. My father passed away due to a motorcycle accident, and almost everyone in my family has been injured while riding. For me though, it was always fascinating to see others ride on the street, on the internet or watching Rossi on TV during the weekends. So as soon as I had some money, I was 25 by then, I got my license for cars and motorcycles. After failing the car exam once, I succeeded in the motorcycle exam on the very first try even though I couldn’t see much due to horrible weather conditions that day.” – Robert Hoffmann

The thirty-one-year-old Berlin-born rider has been on the pegs for the last four years. “I’m an online marketer, working for a European bank in Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany. My focus at work is on generating traffic and new customers for the company. People might say it sounds like a lame office job, but I love what I do, even though it’s stressful and puts a lot of pressure on me at times. Good thing I know how to stay balanced: Shutting down the computer, hopping on the bike and pressing the starter button always helps.” And to that end, two of the last four years of riding has seen Robert work steadily on acquiring the skills for successful off-road riding. “I’ve focused on doing three to four off-road training courses per year to get better at it.”

But Robert hadn’t started with gravel in his sights. “There was this old black Suzuki GS500E that my uncle rode 25 years ago and then sold later to a good friend in Berlin. She stopped riding so that bike was up for sale again, 300 Euros plus 150 for transport and there she was, my first motorcycle. I didn’t own a car, so that ride was also a piece of freedom and independence for me.” With 18 650 mi / 30 000 km on the clock Robert added another 11 185 mi / 18 000 km within the first year. “I did almost everything with that bike. I rode to work, even though my employer paid for public transport, managed the weekly shopping and even transported a shelf bought at IKEA.” The next stop in his bike life would be an R1100 GS. “I found it in almost mint condition, 13 050 mi / 21 000 km, completely stock and it looked like new. The bike was built early 1994, so it’s got the smaller front mudguard and the rare plastic tank.” With the R1100 GS Robert reports that he often pushed himself to the limit while riding on-road. “Two years ago I would sometimes drive a bit too aggressive. I realized that after not making a hard turn and ending up in a farmers field at 60 mph / 100 kmh.” Luckily Robert walked away from that accident unscathed. “The first off-road classes I took earlier that year probably helped me to stay in control. A hiking couple even asked me afterward if that was intended, they said it looked cool! I had a hard time trying not to smile, because to be honest I almost shit my pants because of the shock and my stupidity for riding so fast. I want to enjoy my biking life, discovering the world out there and someday ride my bike on every continent. I want to be able to enjoy what is to come on two wheels, so making it home safe is now always the biggest priority.”

Robert’s distinct love for off-road riding is primarily focused via the power and feel of the famous boxer engine. “While I still had my R1100 GS I spoke to HPN about upgrading my beloved R1100 GS to withstand any off-road adventure I could throw at it. Back in the day, they built the legendary R900RR and the R1100 GS/RR, and I still think these bikes are one of a kind. Unfortunately, they informed me that this would be very complicated. The big problem being to get it licensed in Germany because so much would change that it might not be classed as a BMW anymore. It would cost a fortune to drive legally on the streets here.” So he started to look for other ways to fulfill his dream of going off-road with a big adventure bike. “HPN is a legend in the motorcycle industry, and I love the old Dakar look of these bikes. Luckily I found one used, in almost new condition. After seeing the bike for the first time, I was already willing to pay the full amount. I was just simply blown away by the bike! After riding the HPN for two minutes, I’d even already started thinking about possible modifications I’d need to prepare the bike for some upcoming off-road fun. You could say it was love at first sight, and for sure love for life after riding it.”

Robert’s R100 GS was produced in the BMW Motorrad factory in Spandau, a borough of Berlin situated on the western banks of the Havel river, in 1990. The bike saw several owners before Robert but at 8080 mi / 13 000 km on the clock it was Robert’s turn to own part of street-legal BMW Rally history. “Before the BMW Motorrad Days 2017 in Garmisch-Patenkirchen began I was able to get a new set of HPN decals in the same bright red/orange ‘ish color and some Acerbis hand guards, so the bike didn’t have a too innocent look. I found foldable mirrors at FAR for just 25 Euro; they also produce the mirrors for KTM, but I love them because they almost look like stock BMW ones.”

“The fueling had been tuned by Siebenrock who also fitted one of their SGS exhaust systems. They also relocated the oil cooler and shortened the rear subframe.” But it wasn’t until 2011 that the fourth owner really started modifying the machine for a more adventure orientated appeal. “He traveled to Seibersdorf, a small town near to the Austrian border. Many BMW Dakar fans know and love this town because it is the home of HPN, the company that built the legendary boxer Dakar bikes for BMW in the 80s. After talking about the proposed changes with Mr. Pepperl, the “P” of HPN, the rebuild to an HPN Sport got started.” After this initial round of upgrades, the motorcycle saw the second round of major upgrades in 2015 by Gletter. This is when the HPN 11.4 gal / 43 L tank, originally produced exclusive by Acerbis Italy, that is now on the bike was added along with an aluminum subframe, a two into one exhaust system, an oil pan enlarger, and a suede covered solo seat. “The originally reinforced HPN rear frame got traded into Gletter. I asked for it years later, but it had unfortunately already been sold. I like the Gletter one much more, but it would have been nice to have that part just as a backup.”

Overall the changes to date have been significant with almost three decades of reviews. The main frame is a reinforced HPN product coupled with a modification for the rear centrally mounted shock. The gearbox being treated to a more extended 5th gear for highway cruising while the swingarm/driveshaft is from a R1150GS with some added transmission ratio changes. The front suspension is a set of WP forks that boasts 250 mm’s of travel and held by a set of HPN triple trees. The rear suspension is from Ohlins with 220 mm of travel. “Right before a trip to the Friaul region in Italy, I’d wanted to upgrade the HPN and get her a bit more off-road resistant. After many hours searching the internet, I decided to switch my oil pan with the spacer ring from one without a bash plate to one with a heavy duty one. SWT Sports offers an eight-millimeter thick bash-plate that is mounted directly on the oil pan. It’s intended for competition use, so I’m sure that monster of a plate will outlive me.”

“Initially I thought I might miss the ABS from my R1100 GS in dangerous situations, but to be honest, I feel confident that I can break down to zero better, faster and more stable with the HPN than with the newer bike. The two discs in the front with the Brembo calipers is a bit much for off-road, but on the pavement, it is a beast of a set-up that does its job well. Overall there is nothing to miss, the HPN one is much lighter and handles better in any situation as far as I can say.”

Currently, Robert is riding with a classic TomTom Rider navigation unit. “It mostly keeps you on the streets, if you listen to it! So you can see the error there, I want to go off-road as often as possible, scouting for gravel, searching for the smallest tracks. That’s why I’m currently planning on getting a GPS and doing some further upgrades to the bike like a road book, learning to navigate and hopefully test those skills in a rally event in 2019. First on the list though will probably be a pair of lighter but way stronger rims to go off-road with.” He’s also planning to relocate the rear brake lever while a new heavy duty cover for the seat is already on order. “I’ve also thought about getting an electric MX bike to play with or to build another old beemer, that is exactly the way I want it. Gregor Halenda did a tremendous job on his BMW, and because of his build, I started to make some plans for the future. An 18’’ rear wheel, more suspension, 300mm instead of 250mm in the front, and many other things I would consider for building that bike. My uncle is a genius mechanic, who worked for BMW for many years repairing motorcycles, so I hope to make that a shared project some day. Sharing the experience of him helping me and teaching me his knowledge.”

Social media has become a big part of the adventure motorcycling scene in the recent years. “I started posting pictures of my bike life on Instagram for no specific reasons. This led to me finding new people who share the same passion, new friendships with people all over the globe and many ideas on where to ride. Pure inspiration for me are folks like Priscilla Troxler, Jess and her husband Jeku, and also communities like XLADV and so many more. And the best moment on that platform for me was a woman writing to me out of the blue saying that she loved my bike. And that ended up with me actually falling in love with her!”

“I’m always in two minds about what the best part of adventure motorcycling is for me. Depending on my mood its either good company, great food and empty tracks or it can be no company at all, great food and empty tracks. Sometimes I simply love being alone out there, doing my thing, riding towards the unknown and living the adventure. Riding with friends who share the same passion is, of course, great as well. In groups, you help each other with obstacles, and for some tracks, it is simply a must to ride as a pack. Having an accident alone up in the mountains off-roading is not something I want to experience in my life. Another plus for riding in a group is the good motorcycle stories you can hear after a day of riding, sharing experiences and building up friendships while having a drink together in the evening.”

Images are by Gravelscout and Peter Musch.

For more on Robert Hoffmann’s adventures follow him on Facebook.