Ergonomics and adventure capabilities brought together
Walt Siegl Motorcycles built this machine and named it simply the Adventure. It has a 1100cc Ducati engine and weighs only 159 kg (350 pounds) which comes in handy when tackling offroad terrains. Also, the manufacturer offers a bunch of customization options to suit each rider’s needs.
Walt has been hand-building custom bikes in his New Hampshire workshop since 2007. He manufactures cafe racers such as Leggero, Bol D’Or and a sporty model in the form of the WSM SBK. But not all of his bikes include cafe racers as one of his creations, the Adventure, is focused on tackling the offroad.
Walt Siegl the Adventure features a 1100cc Ducati engine fitted on a first-generation Hypermotard frame. The engine was fully rebuilt and has two-valves per cylinder, thus it could be the one on the first series Italian supermoto. There are no details regarding the power output, but if the engine is the same with the one on the 2007 Hypermotard 1100 it could deliver 90 hp at 7,750 rpm and a lot of torque – 103 Nm (76 lb-ft) at 4,750 rpm.
“I designed the bike so it is light, with a powerful engine to do long trips with full off-road capabilities. Visually, I wanted to lend an 80s/90s aggressive rally look without giving up a bit of elegance,” said Walt Siegl.
The bodywork for this adventure motorcycle is made from Kevlar and thanks to the fasteners it can be removed within a few minutes. There are two aluminium fuel tanks, one underneath the tank shell, and one within the subframe which are connected with a quick disconnect line. Siegl offers two options for the fuel tanks – 15 or 23 litres (4.4 or 6.5 gallons).
The bike is fitted with a tuned suspension to match the 159 kg (350 pounds) weight. The Marzocchi fork was modified to allow the front end to feature Brembo radial brake callipers. On the rear, Siegl equipped the bike with an Ohlins shock. The suspension travel sits at 203 mm (8.5 inches). Moreover, the suspension setup can be upgraded with full motocross suspension components and also there’s an option for the geometry setup.
Siegl designed the seat to make it comfortable for long-distance journeys.
“I wanted to make sure that the seat doesn’t end up as a wedge, as it is normally the case with true off-road bikes, so I gave it the correct height for its purpose, but I made it wide and cushioned enough so it is comfortable for long travels,” said Walt Siegl.
Furthermore, The Adventure motorcycle was fitted with a GPS which has 22,530 km (14,000 miles) of trails downloaded. It also reads speed and has the option to be disengaged by the rider and used as a tablet.
The Walt Siegl The Adventure is an interesting piece of machinery and it’s not his latest model as the manufacturer developed an electric motorcycle the Pact.
Tech spec
Engine: 1100cc Ducati two-valve unit (fully rebuilt and blueprinted)
Frame: first series Hypermotard with additional bracing
Fuel cell: 15 or 23 litres (4.4 or 6.5 gallons)
Suspension: 203 mm (8.5 inches) travel with Marzocchi forks (upgraded internals). Ohlins rear shock
Swingarm: Single-sided
Final Drive Ratio: 14/41
Wheels: spoke, 19/17 combination. 70/30 on/off-road tires
Brakes: Brembo dual disc radial callipers
Bodywork: Kevlar carbon
Sophisticated GPS system with removable tablet
Heated grips
Optional panniers system
Weight: 159 kg (350 lbs) with 23 litres (6.5-gallons) fuel cell
