This year the Legendary Motorcycle exhibition in Milan offered only 2 interesting new models! Kawasaki KLE500 and BMW F450GS. They are both in the same competition than almost every other brands are: Middleweight bikes that you can ride with A2 license.
Kawasaki KLE500 has 451cc parallel twin and 21″ front wheel (17″ rear). Almost all other specs are still unknown.
BMW F450GS has 420cc parallel twin. It weights 178kg and it has 48hp. Front wheel is (only) 19″ and rear is 17″. Ground clearance is 22cm. Here are some more bike brands and bike models that were in EICMA 2025: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-s_KmtGM9E
This is mind blowing! It’s revolutionary. Until now everyone who wanted to talk to the video while riding a motorcycle had to install either a mic with the wire (so called Lavalier microphone) or somekind of wireless microphone inside their helmets. I was using one of the best ones (RØDE wireless Go II) and I did find a place for the microphone inside my helmet but then there was the problem of the reciever and the adapter on the side of the camera.
The sound quality from this RØDE microphone was very good! But because of the rain I did brake 1 mic adapter last summer. Then on december 2023 they released this new Insta360 Ace Pro camera and it has bluetooth connectivity!! I didn’t even realize this when I bought it. But about in the same time when I got this new camera the DJI Osmo Action 4 shared new firmware update that allowed it to be connected to DJI Mic 2. That was the first time when I knew something quite important was about to happen! In DJI’s version you still need to install this microphone inside the helmet. Only few weeks later Insta360 released new firmware that had already more than 5 different helmetphone Brands and models that was supported by Insta360 Ace Pro camera!! I had Sena 30K and it was not on the list…. So I sold my helmetphone and bought the new one! It was Sena Spider ST1 and to pair it with Insta360 Ace Pro you do like this:
I knew that when you are using helmetphone microphone they have this “Advanced Noise Control™” that will block all ambient sounds (sounds from the outside of your helmet). So I started testing how can I easily disconnect the helmetphone from the camera so that camera’s own microphone will record all sounds when I’m not talking to the microphone. It can be done but it’s not very easy.
Finally today (3rd of february) it was so warm weather so I decided I will install the battery to my bike. And because my bike’s engine started like it was not winter at all… I decided to go for a ride! And ofcourse test how this Sena Spider ST1 will work as a microphone in insta360 Ace Pro camera. Here is the video:
As a result I can say that yes, you can hear the engine sound on the video. But it’s not too loud. Actually if I will use music on the video it will cover pretty much all engine sound… So I will try to remember to disconnect the helmetphone (microphone) when I don’t want to talk to the video. And when I want to talk again I need to stop recording and connect the helmetphone to the camera again. And start recording again (Sounds little bit complicated here! But it isn’t.)
Biketeam Finland was helping me in a difficult situation. I got a loaner bike for one week since I had some interesting things to do (with motorcycle)! This was before I got my own bike back.
It was an interesting ride! To realize that Suzuki is very capable of doing pretty much same things than BMW GS. The ground clearance is little bit shorter and factory tires wouldn’t be ok in muddy conditions but otherwise the difference to GS is almost zero. We did also some “OffRoad” riding! Here’s the video:
The next day I did already pretty much same kind of riding with this GS than I usually do! Checking TransEuroTrail Tracks. And also some offroad tracks. GS feels heavier than my own XChallenge especially in the tricky parts. But other than that the 800GS is very “Adventurous”! Here’s the video:
I would enjoy more riding with GS compare to my own bike if I would do many days long trip. In the paved road this bike feels pretty much like any other road bike and when you come to the gravel roads and smaller forest tracks it is still very capable doing all you want. The big Touratech screen I would change to smaller right away -I didn’t like it!
The Starter clutch blew up (This post only in Finnish, sorry) Tämä tapahtui 1.5. aamulla kun olin lähdössä ajelemaan. En päässyt kuin muutaman sata metriä kun pyörä ei enää pysynyt käynnissä. Sitten sitä yritettiin käynnistää apukaapeleilla melko pitkään kunnes selvisi että akussa kiinni ollut kaapeli olikin löysällä. Kiristyksen jälkeen pyörä starttasi melkein heti! Mutta ei pysynyt käynnissä kuin n. minuutin. Tämän sammumisen jälkeen pyörä ei enää käyntiin lähtenyt ja lopulta kaikki virratkin hävisi. Mun pyörä on siis BMW G650XChallenge. Muutamien päivien ihmettelyn jälkeen sain sovittua Biketeamin kanssa että sponssaavat hieman ja katsovat mikä siellä on ongelmana. Vein pyörän Tampereen Biketeamiin lauantaina 6. toukokuuta. Saatesanoiksi laitoin seuraavan tekstin:
Ei mitään virtaa, akussa on normaali 12,8V jännite mutta pyörässä kaikki on pimeänä. Virtalukko?
Ennen kuin virrat hävisi pyörä oli käynnissä n. 1 minuutin mutta sammui täysin yllättäen eikä sen jälkeen lähtenyt käyntiin edes apuvirralla. Bensapumppu?
Pyörän käynnistymistä varsinkin lämpimänä vaikeuttaa se että starttimoottori pyörittää siten että se välillä jumittaa/ pyörittää huonosti. Pyörä on välillä huono lähtemään käyntiin lämpimänä. Starttimoottori?
10. toukokuuta pyörää oli ensimmäisen kerran tutkittu ja ammattilainen kuuli heti että startatessa kuuluu sen verran paha rohina että startin vapaakytkin on levinnyt. Muutamissa puheluissa arveltiin että jo pitkään vaivannut lämpimänä huono starttaaminen johtui kenties siitä että vapaakytkin oli jo hieman levinnyt aikaisemminkin. Samaa epäiltiin viime syksyn metallihiluista kampiakselin asentotunnistin -viassa. Tämähän saatiin kuntoon öljynvaihdolla mutta jos vapaakytkin on hiljalleen mennyt palasiksi niin sinne on saattanut syntyä sitä metallimoskaa ajan myötä vähitellen.
Itse vapaakytkin on tämän näköinen “laakeri”. Tämä lukkiutuu silloin kun startti pyörittää vauhtipyörää mutta kun moottori lähtee käyntiin se antaa vauhtipyörän pyöriä vapaasti ja startin pyörimisellä ei ole enää merkitystä koska se pyörii niin paljon hitaampaa. Virtojen katoaminen oli onneksi helpompi juttu. Pääsulake oli pimahtanut kun olin niin pitkään sitä apuvirtaa pyörälle antanut. Tässä on lopulta koko huoltoraportti mun pyörästä:
Sulake palanut, tämän takia ei saatu virtoja päälle
Moottori pyörii hunosti ja kuuluu rutinaa startin vapaakytkimen suunnalta
Sulakkeen palamiselle ei löydetty syytä
Startin vapaakytkin purettu; täysin tuhoutunut
Vaihdettu startin vapaakytkin, staattori ja roottori. Laskettu öljyt koneesta ja säiliöstä, öljyn seassa metallihippua ja tyhjennysropun magneetti täynnä samaa tavaraa.
Koitettu puhdistaa parhaan mukaan ilman moottorin avaamista, vaihdettu öljynsuodatin ja kaadettu uudet öljyt koneeseen. Käytetty lämpimäksi.
Suositellaan öljyjen ja suodattimen vaihtamista vielä muutamaan kertaan, jotta isoin osa moottorissa olevasta metallihipusta jäisi suodattimeen ja tyhjennysropun magneettiin.
Pyörä on vielä n. viikon verran Biketeamilla koska siinä sattui olemaan parikin takaisinkutsua jotka saadaan hoidettua nyt samalla kuntoon. Sitten kun minä saan pyörän jää kontolleni ainakin pari öljyvaihtoa ja öljynsuodattimen vaihtoa ja samalla täytyy tarkkailla sitä kuinka paljon öljyn seassa on mahdollista metallihilettä. Toiveissa olisi ettei sitä löytyisi juuri lainkaan koska silloin pyörällä olisi vielä paljon kilometrejä edessä! Moottorin sisältä löytyy paljon osia jotka ovat helposti rikkoutuvia jos siellä öljyn seassa jotain metalliroskaa on mukana. Öljypumppu, vesipumppu, staattori magneetteineen sekä se asentotunnistin ja tietenkin hurja määrä laakereita ja liukupintoja jotka tarvitsevat öljyä ihan sellaisenaan eikä mitään metallihilettä siinä seassa!
There’s alrady new routes (sections) made… but we need to check everything before anything will be published. Here are the plans:
So there will be these new sections – Tikkakoski to Juva and from Juva (via Savonlinna) to Parikkala – Porvoo (via Juva) to Suonenjoki – Section 2 will have new route going from the westside of Tampere – From Siikainen to Kyröskoski (between sections 2 and 3) – From Yli-Ii to Taivalkoski (Between 2 and 3) – From Tornio to Muonio (Final part of section 3)
At the moment TET Finland looks like this. It is impossible to say when these will be published but we will start checking them pretty soon after all the snow is gone! At the moment it looks like it’s going to be before march!?!
Early this year I paid my deposit to join this big adventure motorcycle event. But soon I got a phone call from the person who is one of the organizers… And I was asked to join as one of the “group leaders” to make this event possible to happen. And of course I said “Yes!” Moto Adventure Days is pretty much similar than any other adventure motorcycle event all around the world. This year it was the second time they arranged it and it was already many times bigger than last year, There was more than 180 participants and the event was sold out quite early in the spring.
About 9.30 PM tuesday evening
I started my ride on tuesday evening to Jämsä. It would be about 240 kilometers and I was choosing many times smaller roads. So I was in Himos only after it became dark. After Kuhmoinen I was already riding only the main paved road because it was dark. This was my route:
Route to Himos on tuesday evening
On wednesday all the teamleaders had some practise at Haaralankangas motocross track. We were testing quite many different things about riding enduro but it was too hot! After 2 hours I was loosing my concentration and after 3 hours I simply had to stop riding!
Uphill startSteep Uphill start
We had routes in 5 different categories: Black, Red-Black, Red Technical, Red Tempo and Blue. Balck route was mainly offroad even with swamp and other wet parts and then the categories after were easier and easier. Blue being mainly simple wide gravel road. I was one team leader for Red Technical routes and my team number was 16!
The event itself started on thursday when all the riders started to arrive to Himos. And on thursday afternoon about 15.30 we started the first group ride!
First ride in MAD 2022
I had one 1250GS Adventure that was stuck in the loose sand part in the beginning. But after that we didn’t have any problems. Route was the best of all three different routes I was riding. It had so many different kind of surface to ride! Second time riding was on friday morning 8.30 AM.
Second ride in MAD 2022
On this ride there was pretty much no problems at all! Third ride was on friday afternoon after 3PM
Third ride in MAD 2022
From this afternoon ride I remember that it was very hot! And that in the end of the route I made the water crossing… which was very nice experience! I have low adventure boots so I got a little bit of water inside but much. It looked deeper when I was watching the others riding there… Saturday morning was the next ride. 8.30AM!
Fourth ride in MAD 2022
On this ride there was mainly quite big bikes. All of them were much bigger than mine! The last ride of the event was on saturday afternoon. I was changing the route quite a lot… Mainly because I wanted to make it shorter.
Last ride in MAD 2022
The routemasters had been doing excellent work! These routes were super nice and fun to ride. Thank you again from me as a team leader and I think all of the riders are happy and grateful too! I can only hope I will be a team leader again next year. This was so perfect experience! I was riding back home (or to Espoo) on sunday with 2 friends. Route was pretty much the same that I was riding few days earlier. Only in EVO area we made a little bit exploring… Like this:
Exploring in EVO
In EVO
This was Great and Amazing event. I hope to see you all again in 2023!
BMW was very early! BMW Group Press release came out today and it says: “BMW Motorrad model revision measures for the model year 2021” S1000XR is now available in “Style Sport” colour which is with Lightwhite non-metallic/ Racingblue metallic/ Racingred non-metallic. It looks like this:
There will be also some new and additional things: – Titanium sports silencer, M Endurance chain, Windshield Sport, additional Core Screen with Laptimer. – Tank cover and card pocket in motorcycle colour. – Tour package with expanded content. USB charging port, new luggage rack with integrated holder for 30 l and 49 l topcase. – New optional equipment: M milled parts package*. M folding brake lever, M folding clutch lever, M engine protector left, M rider footrests right/left and M pillion passenger footrests right/left.
This new colour with extended accessories should be ready to order from 1st of August! Check your nearest dealer!
Today I took the testride with the S1000XR (New 2020 model). My wife was there with me so she could give some opinions about the rear seat and how the bike feels from her POV.
IceGrey BMW S1000XR
When you sit on the bike you can notice right away that the seat feels quite different. It’s more narrow and the edges are too sharp. Luckily I’m quite tall and my knees are coming quite high so I don’t feel this sharp edge almost at all. In my 150km testride I didn’t feel uncomfortable and I could ride longer trips easily!
#OneWorldOneXR
Then I notice the narrow handlebar. But it doesn’t bother me at all! Maybe I should’ve gone to some heavy traffic where you need to use the maximum steering… But in this kind of normal street riding it didn’t bother me (Even I like the wide bar of the old XR!)
Boxroad in Sipoo Finland
The bike feels maybe little bit lighter, it feels like it wants to take the corners tighter and faster -it reminded me about S1000R that I was riding back in 2014. All the buzz or vibration is gone from the handlebars but there was few times when I felt a little bit of buzz in the bike itself -somewhere around 4000rpm.
Spjutsund pier
Since I have owned already 3 XR’s it makes me think “Is this bike really so much better than my old XR?” The price of the new bike is about 4000 euros higher. Is it worth it? I think there is 2 correct answers to this question! 1) No it is not worth it! Keep the old one and you will be very happy with it! 2) Yes definitely! They made it little bit better, little bit more unique and little more nice in every way (except maybe the seat!)
Bike by the sea
My wife didn’t like the backseat of the bike. She thought it was too short and the handlers for her were too short also. They should go further behind the seat. One thing I found very interesting! There was 1 page in this new TFT screen where you can see the leaning angle of the bike… I think I would be staring this page only… all the time! Or at least when I’m riding in the curvy road.
It will be mine, someday!
Thank you Biketeam Vantaa for making this testride possible.
BMW Motorrad made a quite big miracle when no-one shared any pictures about new model. So it was first time for all of us on November 5th 10 am when they released the new models: BMW S1000XR, BMW F900XR and BMW F900R. Here is the video of BMW Motorrad Press Conference at EICMA 2019.
First time for everyone to see the new models
There was few surprises in technical specs of the new XR. It has the same engine than the new RR has but does not have the Shift Cam technology. I asked about this from BMW Motorrad and they answered like this: “Hi Gozamite. There will be no ShiftCam technology. Above all, since this technology offers great possibilities for achieving maximum engine performance, the use of a ShiftCam has no advantages due to the specific demands on the full midrange power curve in the XR engine. In addition, additional weight could be saved in this way, which benefits the agility of the entire vehicle.“
BMW S1000XR (Red color with Carbon details)
Second surprise was that even the bike has new engine it doesn’t have more power than previous model! The consumption is also about the same. So for all those who were waiting much more powerful bike this is a big disappoinment!
S1000XR (Ice Grey color with carbon details)
But the new model looks very nice. I don’t like the color options too much. So I’m thinking I will not change to this yet…. But you never know, maybe I can’t say no when I will see the bike in february in Helsinki.
GoZa Mite 