MAGNITUDE BACKPACK BY MODERN INDUSTRY

The Magnitude Backpack is not something you’ll find in stores or on Amazon, it’s a uniquely American rucksack made by a small team of dedicated designers based in San Francisco and after a successful Kickstarter campaign, they’re now taking pre-orders for the first production run of Modern Industry bags.

Each Magnitude Backpack is made from a combination of Martexin Original Wax 10.10 oz. Army Duck Canvas and vegetable tanned Horween leather, the interior is lined with a brightly coloured organic cotton canvas to make the contents easier to see and the zippers are all waterproof – to keep your stuff dry should you get caught in the rain.

The Magnitude has a padded laptop compartment capable of holding up to a 17″ MacBook Pro, it also has a unique aluminium clasp system that can shrink or grow the bag’s size depending on how much stuff you need to carry around. It looks to be an excellent bag for motorcyclists, cyclists and other people who have an exposed commute – Visit Modern Industry here to read more or click here to pre-order yours today.

via SILODROME

5 Things You Didn’t Know About BMW Motorbikes

We asked Simon de Burton to come up with five little-known facts about BMW motorbikes, and this is what he told us: from the technically interesting tidbit to the simply bizarre.

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Hot stuff

Although modern-day BMW bikes are available with a variety of engines ranging from the water-cooled, six-cylinder unit of the mighty K1600GT to the single-cylinder powerplant of the G650GS trail bike, it is the 'flat twin' configuration for which the marque is celebrated. The shaft-driven, horizontally opposed layout was originally conceived in 1922 by aeronautics engineer Max Friz – but few people know that one of the main reasons he went to work for the firm was because he was promised an office which benefited from a wood-burning stove.

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Quite a Combination

Anyone who has watched The Great Escape will be familiar with the Wehrmacht R75 motorcycle combinations which appear in several scenes and which were issued to the German army in the early years of WWII – but, outside their enthusiast following, few people appreciate just how remarkable they were. Producing a mere 26bhp, the 750cc engines had a compression ratio of just 5.6:1, meaning they could run on fuel of the worst possible quality. They had eight forward and two reverse gears, a driven sidecar wheel with a locking differential, and all three wheels were interchangeable. There were hand and foot warmers heated by exhaust gases – but the dry weight of the outfit was 420kg!

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Streamlined

In the autumn of 1937, Ernst Henne rode his 500cc BMW 'kneeler' to a world solo motorcycle speed record of 173.67mph. As the name implies, the 'kneeler' was ridden in a kneeling position, with rider and machine fully enclosed in teardrop-shaped bodywork. The shape of the body was based on pre-War concepts of streamlining and actually made the bike inherently unstable at higher speeds. BMW went on to lead the way in motorcycle aerodynamics, famously with the introduction of the R100RS in 1976 – the first motorcycle to have a full fairing that was designed as an integral part of the machine.

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Well Travelled

Between 1997 and 2002, Slovenian Benka Pulko established the world record for the longest solo motorcycle ride by a woman – both in terms of distance and duration – when she circumnavigated the globe on a BMW F650 single. She travelled a total of 111,856 miles (180,015km) through 75 countries. She also became the first woman to ride solo through Saudi Arabia and the first motorcyclist to ride in Antarctica.

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Best Seller

BMW's R1200GS 'adventure sports' bike was recently announced as being the UK's best-selling motorcycle in the 'above 125cc' category for the third year in succession, with 1,742 sold in the country during 2012. Sales of GS models began to soar in 2004 after Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman used R1200GS 'Adventures' for their Long Way Round tour. They had wanted to use KTMs but the factory didn't want to get involved. The original GS 'big trail bike' was the R80 version, introduced in 1980 after a prototype model won the 1979 German Off-Road Championship. 

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Text: Simon de Burton (Classic Driver)
Photos: Getty Images

What Katie Did

TRIUMPH TR6 CUSTOM

I love it when a killer bike comes through from a builder I’ve never heard of. This stunning 1969 Triumph TR6 custom is the work of Raccia Motorcycles, a low-key outfit based in a century-old bottling factory just north of Los Angeles. The lines and stance are simply perfect, and if you’ve ever tried to build a custom bike, you’ll know how difficult that can be. The builder of this machine is Mike LaFountain, and his philosophy is simple: “I’m always trying to change proportions and form new lines to create a unique look, which stems from my love of vintage GP race bikes.”

Mike upgraded the motor with a Morgo 750 kit, which now breathes through a dual manifold for even more power. After relocating the battery and electrics for a tidier look, Mike crafted a new oil tank, seat unit and rearsets out of aluminum. “Never was a big fan of fiberglass,” he says. The tank is from a Kawasaki KZ1000R, but heavily modified. “The original lines are a bit 80s, so it took time to reshape the tank to create a softer, more 60s feel. A purist would probably think it’s blasphemy to put a Japanese tank on a British bike, but I haven’t had any complaints yet!”

The frame has also been modified, to drop as much weight as possible. “One of the hardest parts of the build was coming to terms with hacking up a perfectly good Triumph frame,” Mike admits. But his judgment was justified by a win at last November’s Hansen Dam British Bike Ride and Show, the annual showcase of the southern California motorcycle scene. I have a feeling we’ll be hearing more from Raccia Motorcycles in the future.

from BIKEEXIF