Nobody expected me to choose this motorcycle to ride around the world | S8, EP01

Summary

In this video, the host travels to Germany to meet his customized motorcycle for an upcoming adventure. He discusses his requirements for the bike, including light weight, long service intervals, and simplicity, rejecting electric bikes due to their weight and limited range. The bike, a 1987 Tenere, has been rebuilt with modern upgrades while maintaining its classic simplicity. The host shares his excitement about the bike's features and plans to showcase it in more detail in the next video.

Takeaways

• 🛣️ The video is a travelogue, documenting a journey to Germany to meet a new motorcycle for an upcoming adventure.
• ⏰ The motorcycle project started in January of the same year and is still a work in progress.
• 🇩🇪 The reason for going to Germany is to meet an expert who is considered the best in the world for the type of bike being built.
• 🚴‍♂️ The bike's weight is a critical factor; it needs to be light enough to be lifted out of mud or ditches multiple times a day.
• 🛠️ Service intervals are important; the motorcycle should not require frequent maintenance, which is typical for many lighter Enduro types.
• 🔧 The motorcycle should be simple and not rely heavily on electronics, which can be prone to breaking down in remote areas.
• 🏍️ The previous motorcycle, a Honda, was simple but still had issues with electronics like the ABS sensor.
• 🔋 The vlogger is not considering an electric bike for the next adventure due to weight and range limitations.
• 🏞️ The vlogger is considering a motorcycle from the past, simpler and lighter, for the upcoming adventure.
• 🍕 The meeting with the bike builders is not just a reveal but also a test ride and a discussion about further customization.
• 🌍 The upcoming adventure is hinted to be a world trip, which seems unconventional considering the vintage of the motorcycle.

Q & A

What is the main reason the narrator went to Germany?

The narrator went to Germany to meet his new motorcycle for his next adventure, which is being worked on by an expert who lives there.

Why is the bike not finished yet?

The bike is not finished because the narrator came to tweak it to fit his needs perfectly, and there are still things that need fine-tuning.

What is the significance of the bike's weight for the narrator?

The bike's weight is important because the narrator needs to be able to pick it up out of mud or ditches several times a day if necessary, so it needs to be light enough.

What is the narrator's preference regarding the service interval of the bike?

The narrator prefers a bike with a larger service interval because he rides long distances and doesn't want to have to change oil every thousand kilometers or less.

Why does the narrator want a simple motorcycle?

The narrator wants a simple motorcycle because he has had issues with electronics breaking down in the past, and he prefers something more reliable in countries where there are no mechanics to fix complex issues.

What was the narrator's opinion about electric bikes for his next adventure?

The narrator thinks that electric bikes are too heavy and have too small a range for his adventure needs, so they don't make sense for him at the moment.

What is special about the motorcycle the narrator is meeting?

The motorcycle is a special Tenere from 1987 that has been completely rebuilt with many custom modifications to suit the narrator's needs.

Who are Moritz and Rasmus, and what is their role in the video?

Moritz and Rasmus are the experts who have built the bike for the narrator. They are showcasing the bike and its features to the narrator.

What is the narrator's plan for the motorcycle once it is finished?

The narrator plans to use the motorcycle for his next adventure, which will be a trip around the world.

What is the significance of the Carnet de Passage mentioned in the script?

The Carnet de Passage is a document that allows the narrator to temporarily import his motorcycle into different countries without paying import duties. He needs to return it to get his bond back since he is no longer in Alaska.

What does the narrator think about the bike after riding it?

The narrator is extremely excited and in love with the bike, appreciating the love and expertise put into building it from scratch.

Outlines

00:00

🏍️ Journey to Customize a Motorcycle

The narrator is traveling to Frankfurt, Germany, to meet a motorcycle expert who has been working on his new bike for an adventure. The bike is not yet finished, and the narrator hopes to tweak it to fit his needs perfectly. He discusses the importance of a lightweight bike for his type of riding and traveling, one that can be easily lifted and has a long service interval. He also mentions his preference for simplicity in a motorcycle to avoid issues in remote areas with limited mechanic support. The narrator shares his past experience with a Honda bike and its issues, leading him to seek a more reliable and less complex motorcycle for his upcoming journey.

05:00

🛠️ Revealing the Custom Motorcycle

Upon arriving at Motoritz, the narrator meets Moritz and Rasmus, who have built a special motorcycle for him. The bike is a 1987 Tenere but has been significantly modified. The frame is original, but other components are unique. The narrator is excited to see the bike and plans to take it for a test ride. He mentions that the bike is not yet complete and there are still adjustments to be made, particularly regarding the seat. The narrator and the builders discuss the bike's features, including a seat that can be switched without tools. They decide to go for a ride to try out the bike and to get pizza, with the narrator carrying an envelope containing his Carnet de Passage from Alaska, which he needs to return to get his bond back.

10:03

🌍 Discussing the Upcoming Global Adventure

The narrator expresses his excitement about riding the newly customized motorcycle and hints at an upcoming global adventure. He acknowledges that some might think he's lost his mind for choosing a motorcycle from 1987 for such a trip, but he believes the bike's modifications will make it suitable. He praises the love and expertise put into the bike by Moritz and Rasmus, which makes it superior to a factory bike. The group loses Rasmus temporarily but finds him again. They discuss the bike's electrical work, which Rasmus, a trained electrician, has handled brilliantly. The narrator is eager to show the bike's features in detail but decides to first enjoy a pizza together.

15:06

🍕 A Day of Riding and Pizza

The narrator enjoys a day of riding the new motorcycle through Germany, appreciating the bike's sound and performance. He notes the need to adjust the tire pressure for better off-road performance and enjoys a scenic ride through a forest track. They stop at a village where the narrator admires the houses and a castle. After having a delicious pizza, they head back to Moritz's place. The narrator promises to show more details about the bike in the next video and expresses his excitement for the upcoming season. He also reminds viewers to be careful of deer on the roads in Germany and encourages viewers to like and subscribe if they enjoyed the video.

Keywords

💡Motorcycle

The main focus of the video is the protagonist’s new motorcycle, which will be used for a world adventure. The video explores why the specific motorcycle was chosen, emphasizing factors like weight, maintenance, and simplicity. The protagonist chose a custom-built 1987 Yamaha Tenere for its mechanical reliability, lack of modern electronic systems, and suitability for long-distance travel.

💡Adventure

Adventure is a central theme, as the protagonist is preparing for a world trip on the motorcycle. Adventure in this context refers to traveling across various terrains and countries, requiring a bike that is durable, light, and reliable for long journeys. The video hints at a rugged lifestyle involving off-road riding and self-reliance.

💡Customization

Customization is a key aspect of the motorcycle. The protagonist’s motorcycle has been rebuilt and personalized by experts, Moritz and Rasmus, to fit the specific needs of the journey. Custom features like the ability to easily switch seats and unique modifications to the wiring system make the bike unique. This customization reflects the careful planning needed for the protagonist’s demanding adventure.

💡Weight

The weight of the bike is a critical consideration for the protagonist. She stresses that the bike needs to be light enough to handle off-road conditions and be easily lifted if it falls over, making weight a defining factor in her choice. The bike weighs around 150-160 kilograms, which is at the upper limit of what she considers manageable for her trips.

💡Service Interval

Service interval refers to how often a motorcycle requires maintenance, such as oil changes. The protagonist highlights the need for longer service intervals, as short intervals (e.g., every 1,000 kilometers) would be impractical for long-distance travel. This is why she avoids lighter Enduro bikes that may have shorter intervals, instead opting for a bike that balances weight and endurance.

💡Simplicity

Simplicity is another key factor influencing the protagonist’s choice of motorcycle. She prefers a bike without complex electronics that could fail during her travels, especially in remote regions where repairs might be difficult. The custom-built 1987 Tenere is mechanical and simple, reducing the chances of technical problems. She references her past experiences with malfunctioning sensors as a reason for prioritizing simplicity.

💡Electric Motorcycles

Electric motorcycles are briefly discussed as an alternative to traditional gasoline-powered bikes. The protagonist dismisses them for her adventure due to their heavy weight and limited range (about 250 kilometers per charge), which is not practical for long-distance travel. This reinforces the theme that technology has its limits in adventure motorcycling, and that simpler, conventional designs are more reliable.

💡Moritz and Rasmus

Moritz and Rasmus are the experts responsible for rebuilding and customizing the protagonist’s motorcycle. They play an important role in the video, as they are the ones who engineered the unique features of the bike, making it suitable for the adventure. Moritz is described as the world expert on the bike, and Rasmus, an electrician, contributed to the wiring, showing the collaborative effort behind the project.

💡Tenere 1987

The Tenere 1987 is the model of the motorcycle that the protagonist has chosen for her trip. Although originally built in 1987, the bike has been heavily modified and updated with custom parts to meet modern adventure needs. This motorcycle is central to the story, representing a blend of the past (simpler mechanics) and the future (customized for long-distance travel).

💡World Trip

The protagonist’s next big adventure is a world trip on her custom motorcycle. This journey is a major part of the video’s narrative and involves traveling across diverse landscapes. The protagonist’s choice of bike and preparation all revolve around the demands of this global journey, which requires a vehicle that can handle various terrains, long distances, and limited access to mechanics.

Highlights

The bike is not yet finished and requires tweaks to fit the rider perfectly.

The rider is traveling to Frankfurt, Germany to meet his new motorcycle for an upcoming adventure.

The motorcycle is being worked on by an expert considered the best in the world for this specific bike model.

The project started in January of this year but was delayed due to an accident.

The ideal motorcycle for the rider should be lightweight, with a service interval of at least 1000 km, and simple without complex electronics.

The rider dismisses electric bikes for his adventure due to their weight and limited range.

The rider is considering a vintage motorcycle from 1987, which is being customized to his needs.

The motorcycle has a unique feature where the seat can be switched without any tools.

The rider is excited to test the bike and believes it will be perfect for his worldwide adventure.

The bike is not just a restoration but a complete rebuild with modern enhancements.

Rasmus, a trained electrician, has contributed brilliant ideas to the bike's wiring.

The rider plans to show the bike in detail in the next video, revealing all the custom work done.

The rider is excited about the bike's potential and believes it will be unlike any factory bike.

The rider and the bike builders are going for a test ride to have pizza, showing the bike's off-road capabilities.

The rider comments on the bike's sound and performance on various terrains.

The rider expresses his love for the village they are riding through and its picturesque scenery.

The rider discusses adjusting tire pressure for different types of terrain.

The rider shares his excitement for the upcoming season and the details of the bike that will be revealed.

Transcripts

So the bike is not finished yet

Uh, but that's also part of the reason why I came now to kind of tweak it really to what fits me the most

Somewhere in GERMANY Season 8 - Eps.1

Good afternoon Internet, it is 2:10 in the afternoon

And welcome back to the channel. I am driving in Germany

I am on my way to Frankfurt for something very exciting

Because today is the day that I am going to meet my new motorcycle for my next adventure

A few hours earlier

And.. welcome to Germany!

You can see the road changes immediately

So you may think, why am I driving all the way to Germany for this? And that is because the absolute expert

I can probably say the best in the world who knows everything about the bike that I'm going to be riding

lives in Germany and he's been working on my bike for a long time

I've already started this project in January of this year

So I've been working on this for a long  time

Or well, I have not personally been working on it, I've been trying to set things in motion

I've done none of the actual work unfortunately, because of the accident I couldn't come earlier to Germany

The bike is not finished yet, it's not ready yet

Oh let me actually stop over here, take a little bit of a break maybe I can get some coffee

So let's talk a little bit about my next  motorcycle

Because I have been thinking about what my next motorcycle is going to be for a long time

A really long time actually so I thought maybe it's nice to uh, where's my car  keys

To include you a little bit in the thought process of why I picked this motorcycle

So there's a couple of things that I find very important for the type of riding and the type of traveling that  I do

And the main thing is the weight of the bike right? It needs to be light enough so I can pick it up, out of the mud, out of ditches

And that several times a day, if necessary

150 160 kgs dry, that's kind of the maximum weight

Well, that already excludes a lot of adventure motorbikes

Um almost everyone, then the second thing that's very important to me is the service interval

So if you start looking at lighter motorcycles, like more Enduro types

Often they have very short maintenance intervals, so they need oil changes every thousand kilometers

Or even they're counting in hours, which is just doesn't work for me. Um, I ride long distance

I just need bigger service intervals and another thing that is important to me is that the bike is simple

That it doesn't have too many crazy electronics, because in my experience all that stuff can just break

And give you a lot of issues in countries where there are no mechanics that can fix that

My previous Honda was a pretty simple motorbike, but even there I had issues with this ABS sensor

My ABS lights started to be a little bit funny in the rain

And uh, it's doing that again, going on and off, and on and off.. uh, when it rains

Of course that wasn't a major issue, but to me it kind of showed that even something simple like that

that sensor can break and give you issues

So I want a motorcycle that is light, that has a relatively large maintenance interval

And that is simple. There were also  quite a few people that asked me like, oh are you going to ride an electric bike next

But right now, to me, it doesn't make any sense

Because I've ridden one electric bike which was the adventure model

But they are way too heavy to really be an adventure bike

They're just not really capable enough for adventure bike

And the range is just still too small, I think most of them have ranges of like 250 kilometers

And that's just not enough for me. The future is not yet for me

That's kind of when I started thinking, maybe I should look at the past because bikes used to be a lot simpler right?

A lot more mechanical, not with all these sensors and electronics

They used to be simpler and they used  to be lighter

You know adventure bikes weren't always so heavy

And that's when the bike that  I'm about to meet very soon kind of came into the picture

I am almost here, I'm almost here

Motoritz. Yeah this is the place

Okay, so there is not going to be a big reveal, with a blanket or something over a motorbike  

Hey! Moritz

Hello. This is Moritz and Rasmus and  they have built a bike for me

And I can't.. I think we should just get onto it and immediately show you the bike

And then we'll talk some more

Yeah, that's an special Tenere from 1987

Same age but it's about five days younger than you I think

Yeah. I'm 5 days older than this motorcycle but it's not really from 1987 anymore right?

Well, some parts are, the frame - The frame is but the rest is really special on this bike here

They have completely rebuilt this bike and I can't wait to show you everything that they've done

It's absolutely amazing what they've done, but we were going to go in detail show you everything

But I would really like to actually make a little ride on it, is that possible?

How about to ride to pizza? - Does it.. does it start?

Yes

Hit with - Let's see, let's see

Wow

Nice choke

Never forget to place  a horn on a motorcycle right?

Fantastic

Okay, let's take it for a spin

Um -  Let's go test it

Are you okay with this seat or I have to mount this?

It's easy everything on this bike is special

You see -Oh wait, huh how did you?

You can switch the seat on that's it.. without any tools

Nice! And then what is the other seat?

So the bike is not finished yet. Uh, but that's also part of the reason why I came now

Uh, to kind of see you know tweak it really to what fits me the most

So there's a lot of things that we still have to fine tune and figure out

One of which is the seat so we have several options, I believe

This is just to try - Yeah yeah

The specialist who will build you a seat, which one you want to try?

I'll try that one yeah - Okay - See how that work

Okay, so now we have the  different seat on it for me to try

And that's going to be customized further

Alright

I am so excited. Let's try this baby out

Okay

This one has to be on run

Oh wait, yeah that's it

Yeah

Your light switch is this one

Okay lights on, yeah

Okay

Okay. Which way?

We are first. I'm not following Moritz

And he's carrying an envelope which is actually um.. ah, we got to post it here

That envelope contains my Carnet de Passage from Alaska

That's uh, with the German uh, Automobile Association

And I had to obviously return it to get my um.. bond back for Alaska

Since Alaska is not in Africa any longer

Anyway not important!

I'm telling you I am riding the most awesome bike ever

Oh and uh, I have so much to tell you because by now you might think that I have completely lost my mind

Going around the world because my next adventure is going to be again pretty much around.. the world trip that I have in mind

On a motorcycle from 1987

You might think I have completely lost my mind but it will all make sense to you

I hope or not maybe you still think I've lost my mind

But I think once Moritz starts showing you this bike, what he's done to it

And why and how it all works. I think  you'll understand why.. why I went for this crazy idea

I absolutely love it, it's something else  right? This bike is built with so much love and expertise

That you can't compare it to a factory  bike

You can't. It is built completely from scratch again

We have lost uh, Rasmus

Are you comfortable?

We lost Rasmus

We lost him

Is the seat comfortable?

It is so good

There is Rasmus

So Moritz and Rasmus have been working on the bike together and Rasmus is actually a trained electrician

So and he has come up with some brilliant, brilliant stuff with regards to the wiring on the bike

But uh, we're all going to show you. But first we thought pizza!

So we're now riding to a place to have pizza. First things first you know..  priorities

It's actually a beautiful day today

The pizza is here? - No - Oh, I was like ah

And we're going off-road again!Hihi!

Look how cute it is here

I haven't been in Germany for a long time

So we're entering now a very special area with some.. some special rules. So I'm not allowed to film

No loud, no speakers, no grilling, no fire, no tent, no swimming, no geocoaching, no glass  

There's more here, oh it's the same one. But am I a professional film and photographer?

Am I professional?

Was it uh.. is it mined or  is it natural?

I think it's mined

Mined

I am loving the houses here, look at this one

Where did Moritz go now?

Okay, thank you!

He went this way

The bike sounds so amazing!

Oh there's a.. oh there's a castle here

I don't know if you can see  that? Some sort of castle

Wow

I love this

This is one of my favorite villages

It's so cute, yeah really nice

Some more grass

Meep meep

My tire pressure is a little bit too high

Now this is a fun track through the forest

Really nice. I would like to lower my tire pressure just a little bit

Tires are a bit hard

But this is actually kind of gravelly so it's actually fine

We are here

That pizza was amazing, amazing

Um.. I forgot to film it

I just, we just ate the pizza and then I thought, ah I forgot to film it

But trust me it was very good

Now we're going back to Moritz place, it's uh pretty dark already

So that was it for today. In the next video going to properly show the bike

Show everything that Moritz and Rasmus have done to this bike

You're not going to believe really everything that they've done it is amazing

I also don't know everything yet so I'm also really curious

And uh, hopefully it will become more clear why I went for this project

So I really hope you like this video, and that you're just as excited as me for the next season

I really have to be careful because there's a lot of deer in Germany that can cross the road

So we have to be careful. Um, anyway what was I saying?

Um, I hope you like this video, if you did please give me a big thumbs up

Subscribe down below and then I will see you in the next video