Enduristan

“Isabel got an old Honda Custom 125 from her uncle for her 18th birthday. Immature as I was, I struggled with the idea that she was riding and I was not. I needed a bike, and I needed it fast. I had always enjoyed outdoor activities, so in the end, I settled on an old, and quite run down, Kawasaki KMX 125 dirtbike.” It was this evolution that got David dreaming of traveling with his not so new set of wheels. “I wanted to see different cultures, cross the Sahara and camp in the middle of the Australian Outback.” – David Jenni

“Of course a pair of 125cc bikes were not the right vehicles for such endeavors. However, Isabel and I decided to give it a try anyway. We set off to Tunisia in July 2000 and headed straight for the edge of the Sahara. That’s where we learned our first lessons on adventure riding the hard way. We quickly figured out that there are better seasons to travel through a desert than in the summer. There are suitable clothing for riding in hot weather, and there are more suitable bikes for true off-road riding than old 125cc motorcycles. However, the most important lesson we learned was not to use low-quality gear. Although our tank-bags were from a well-known supplier, their riveted straps didn’t even make it halfway through the trip without breaking.”

The founder of Enduristan, David Jenni, was born in Winterthur northeast of Zurich, Switzerland where he and his wife Isabel still live today. After studying mechanical engineering at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, he became a commissioning engineer for a gas turbine company. “In this job, I was dispatched to challenging places such as Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Angola or Azerbaidzhan to recommission power plants after outages, perform tests and adjustments on gas turbines after upgrade installations or commission completely new control system upgrades. In parallel, I established Enduristan together with my friend Christoph and Isabel. So when my employer at the time was sold to General Electric, whose first managerial decision involved mass layoffs, I decided to go full time on Enduristan. I’m proud to say I’ve never looked back.”

The idea for Enduristan started in 2006 when Isabel and David were on their second big motorcycle trip through the Australian outback. “Riding two KTM 640 Adventures, the issue with the bikes was now solved. However, the issue with the luggage was not. Our tank bags kept entertaining us with jamming zippers, broken rivets, and general all-around bad usability. In addition, the straps holding them kept failing and stitching them became a regular activity. So by the glow of our headlights, we started sketching out ideas for the ideal tank and saddle bags. To Isabel’s surprise, I didn’t just end up settling for sketches. After the trip, I started chatting to a few friends and played around with the idea of making our luggage. Christoph, a friend from the Swiss KTM Adventure Club, was game to make that dream happen so together we started working. It was those sketches from evenings under the stars that took shape and became our Sandstorm tank bag and Monsoon panniers.”

“We never wanted external funds in Enduristan. So with limited financial means, the hard part was to make our first product, the Sandstorm Tankbag. Of course, the factory we choose had a minimum order quantity. So when the first order arrived, and the delivery truck’s rear door opened, we couldn’t help but think; “who the hell is going to buy all these tank bags?” So we presented it at the Swiss KTM Adventure Meeting, and Christoph traveled to Germany and the rest of Switzerland to visit potential dealers. This was quite a stressful time. We found out that most dealers were not very keen on adding yet another brand to their range, no matter the quality, features or the usability. When you develop a product, you are always in danger of falling a bit too much in love with it. So what counts is customer feedback, and this was, to our relief, very positive.” Luckily a few dealers did share their enthusiasm for the Sandstorm, and it was they who helped them get started. “Most of those dealers are still with us today and now carry the full Enduristan range. We definitely could have grown our sales network and our product range faster if we’d had more money. However, Enduristan is still a wholly owned family and friends business. We don’t owe anybody a single dime. So I guess we did the right thing.”

The Enduristan team currently consists of Christoph, marketing manager Stefano, Isabel and off course David. At the moment they offer thirty-seven main products. “I’m very proud of our line of waterproof Sandstorm Tankbags, which are currently in their 4th generation. They don’t need a rain cover, and you do not need to bother with internal bags or roll tops. My personal favorite though is our waterproof Hurricane Backpacks.” Testing these products thoroughly before they are brought to market is a big part of Enduristan’s success story. “Dakar rider and world traveler Lyndon Poskitt is right now testing our new Monsoon Evo Panniers in Africa. If anybody can break a piece of gear, it’s him! We get a lot of valuable feedback from our riders, which we use to refine the products and make them better.” This year the Swiss team plans to unveil four new products at the annual EICMA show scheduled to be held in Milan in November.

Currently, David rides a KTM 690 Enduro with the KTM Basel AG Quest Tune-Up Kit. “During our third trip to Australia, my 640 had almost 62 200 mi / 100 000 km on the clock and needed repairs every week. So it became obvious that I needed a new bike. The 690 Quest not only filled that gap, but it was also a huge step forward. At 148kg it is much lighter and has about 12 hp more.” The 690 Quest is based on the KTM 690 Enduro with added front tanks, navigation tower, fairings and a rear tank from the KTM 690 Rally. “For me, It’s the perfect adventure bike considering the way I like to travel.” With this kit, the standard fuel capacity is raised by 5.3 Gal / 20 L to a total of 8.5 Gal / 32 L. With some riders reporting a range of over 500 mi / 800 km. “The design of the tanks are slim, and weight distribution of the gasoline is as far down as possible which guarantees you the perfect off-road handling and that “ultra-light” feeling. The knee position is also natural and not bent outwards as it would be with other hi-capacity fuel tanks.” Wind protection to the rider is enhanced by the kevlar reinforced glass fiber fairing that also holds a very illuminating twin light setup.

Behind the fairing, a stainless steel navigation tower holds all the required navigational equipment. The fairing is removable via four quick connectors providing easy access when doing maintenance or cleaning. “We chose to make it out of four separate parts to ensure it will withstand the extreme vibrations of off-road riding and make it possible to repair or replace only the damaged panels in a worst-case scenario.” A true rally style Selle Dalla Valle saddle is also included in the kit. “We chose to use a Selle Dalla Valle seat for the perfect balance between profile, height, and comfort. The seat is made with a ‘wild-leather look,’ and a small cardholder is added to the front of the seat to give it the perfect ‘Rally’ heritage.” Also included in the kit is a new two-part stainless steel header and exhaust. Aimed at riders who prefer a rally style of riding it’s not designed for comfort but for the speed and discipline that comes with full throttle rally riding. “An adventure bike is always a compromise. On one hand, we ask for comfort on long road sections, on the other hand, we want a small dirt bike as soon as we head for single trails. Then depending on what endeavors we have in mind, we will need a bigger range. Of course, this is a conflict of interest and we all have to decide what our priorities are. For me, off-road capability and range are key. I don’t need the comfort and top speed of a big adventure bike.”

The name Eduristan, as with all of their products, comes from the experience of being out on adventures. “Over here in Europe, the countries of the former Soviet Union such as Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan or Tajikistan are a primary destination for adventure bikers and overland travelers. Offering stunning landscapes, friendly folks and enough enduro riding for a lifetime. So it was a bit of a natural jump for us. Enduristan pretty much translates to; The perfect travel destination for enduro and adventure bike riders.” It’s about the places, the people and the adventures that the Enduristan family of riders seek out.

With the current trend of the motorcycle industry being to focus on the refinement of large bore adventure bikes and aluminum panniers David imagines a different future for the ADV scene. “Personally, I have always believed in light adventure bikes, soft luggage and taking only the essentials. So I’m enjoying seeing smaller, lighter adventure bikes and riders switching to soft luggage. I believe that this development will continue and open the field to enduro riders who want to travel, and riders of heavy adventure bikes who want to do more serious off-roading. I also think that the ADV scene, in general, will see more younger riders with enthusiastic plans for crazy trips. All in all a positive development I think. Let’s see, if I’m right!”

For more on Enduristan follow their Instagram page or check out their products on their website.

Foot Note: Swiss KTM Adventure Club. “The motorcycle part of my life wouldn’t be complete without mentioning that I was one of the three founder members of the Swiss KTM Adventure Club in 2002. I also had the honor of serving as president for seven years. Off-road riding is forbidden in almost all of Switzerland, so the clubs original function was to organize events to offer off-road riding to its members. To organize meetings and facilitate training for owners of KTM Adventure and other adventure motorcycles. Today, the Swiss KTM Adventure club is still only one of five organizations allowed to rent the Bure tank training grounds from the Swiss Army for ADV riding events.”