Bike Show | The Overland Event

OVERLAND BIKE SHOW

The Bike Show has been the centre-piece of the Overland Event since 2015 and was again in 2019, sponsored by TWS Vehicle Wiring,

the overland bikes on show were...

XRW 964M is probably the most famous Triumph motorcycle in the world of overland travel. It’s the 500cc twin that Ted Simon rode around the world over a four-year period in the 1970s, ultimately spawning his remarkable book, Jupiter’s Travels.
That book in turn was the catalyst for thousands of others to load their panniers and set off to explore what was over the horizon, or to dream of doing it.
It is only thanks to our partnership with Coventry Transport Museum and their incredible generosity, that we are able to have this bike on show, reunited with Ted Simon and placed among friends at the heart of the overland bike show.

Sam Manicom’s BMW R80GS

Libby (short for Liberty) is Sam’s globetrotting bike and friend.
Purchased for a ride down to the southern tip of Africa, Libby ended-up taking Sam on an 8-year, 200,000 mile odyssey. She now has 300,000 miles on her. Her gear box was rebuilt for the first time at 250,000 miles. She's on her 5th shaft drive, which is only one more than the number of books her exploits have spawned.
Apart from the impressive Acerbis 43 litre fuel tank, mods include a WP Shock and WP progressive fork springs and panniers made for Sam by an 80 year-old Australian millionaire in his garden shed.

Stanley Glanfield’s Rudge Sidecar

Over eight-months from July 1927, Stanley Glanfield rode this Coventry-built 500cc/3½ H.P. singe-cylinder Rudge-Whitworth motorcycle around the world from London, across 16 countries in Europe, Asia, Australia and North America.
The lightweight sidecar was built and fitted in Vienna after the bikes frame had broken from the stresses it endured along the way and a small vice was carried on the back of his bike to assist in making roadside repairs.
During the trip he was variously turned back by guards, forced to ride in darkness, risked kidnap, murder and malaria, thrown into goal, crossed deserts, bogs and rivers, improvised bridges from railway sleepers and rode 200 excruciatingly painful miles after hitting a pot-hole and running over his own foot.
With thanks to Coventry Transport Museum for loaning this historic overland vehicle.

Helen Lloyd’s 225 Serow

Things look bleak for this 27 year-old XT. Although Helen has taken care to always use the bike for its intended use, the 95,000km odometer reading points to a full life, visiting 36 countries. It’s been up and down the UK several times, across Europe twice and been ridden through Africa, off-road whenever possible.
This is Helen’s first bike and it’s a tribute to the capability of these machines that the only upgrades Helen has made are a long-range tank and hand guards.
Helen and her Serow spent last summer in Iceland, which was the last straw for its wheels and front forks, piston rings, starter motor, wiring and carburettor.
The engine only seized once (sheared starter clutch bolts), otherwise it has just kept going but is now reluctantly retiring from overlanding - unless someone reading this thinks it’s worth resurrecting.

Norman and Maggie Magowan’s BMW F650GSs

These are the 2002 Single Spark model. Norman and Maggie Magowan bought them in early 2003, with 2 miles and 2,700 miles on their respective clocks. Since then they have added well over 100,000 miles to each.
From 2004-06 they rode from Chile to Alaska covering 35,500 miles over 15 months on the road. Read about it in their two ‘Adventures in Yellow’ books… ‘Leprechauns in Latin America’ and ‘Leprechauns in Alaska’ or on www.panamericanadventure.com
Then, from 2015-18 they took off around the world, riding 65,000 miles in just over three years on the road and chronicling it on www.adventuresinyellow.com
The bikes carry Hepco & Becker Panniers (which Norm and Mags regard as ‘fantastic!’), Scottoilers, Front Tool Holders, single-side Scorpion Exhausts & Rear Dummy Exhausts made from Plumbing parts.

Suzie and Kelvin's DR650SEs

These two endured 50,000km over 27 months in South America, taking in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Brazil and Uruguay.
Purchased in standard form for approximately £1,500 per bike, they proved great for travelling around the back roads although Kelvin’s bike almost snapped in half after the frame broke in five places and Suzie’s engine was opened a total of six times, mainly due to well-meaning but incompetent mechanics.
Modifications include upgraded carbs, high output stators, fans on the oil coolers, 26 litre Acerbis fuel tanks, Guglatech fuel pre-filters, modified saddles (Kelvin’s sheepskin seat cover was eaten by a friendly hostel dog, LED lighting and drastically modified Honda ST1100 windscreens.

Elspeth Beard’s BMW R60/6

In 1982, twenty-three year-old architecture student Elspeth Beard left her family and friends in London and set off on a solo adventure around the world with only limited savings from her pub job, a tent, a few clothes and some tools all packed on the back of her bike. Over the following two and a half years she rode 35,000 miles through unforgiving landscapes and war-ravaged countries, witnessed civil uprisings that forced her to fake documents, fended off sexual attacks, biker gangs and corrupt police convinced she was trafficking drugs.
Meet Elspeth in the Moto Freight Authors’ Tent and get a signed copy of her book: ‘Lone Rider: The First British Woman to Motorcycle Around the World’

Tommy the Triumph sidecar outfit

Husband and wife team Richard & Mopsa English rode around the world on “Tommy” the sidecar outfit in the early 1980s, when the world didn’t seem quite as dangerous and when a British passport was a jolly good thing to carry in your waxed cotton jacket. Taking four and a half years to cover 90,000 miles across North and South America, Africa, Asia, the middle East, Australia and the Pacific rim, theirs was anything but a direct route.
Modifications include Stadium windscreen, Squire sidecar, Hedingham leading-link front forks.
Their story is told in their brilliant book ‘Full Circle’, which is sadly no longer in print but they are here to tell their tale.

Ian Coates’ Africa Twin

Perhaps the world's most famous Honda Africa Twin 750. This is the bike that Ian Coates set off on from Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire. He just went for 'a bit of a ride' and was still at it 14 years later. One of the most bestickered bikes you’ll ever see, the mileage on it is phenomenal while the many practical yet simple modifications Ian has made are simply answers to problems encountered along the way.
One of the most entertaining, genuine, down-to-earth, tellers of tales about travel and life you could ever hope to meet Ian will be easy to find over the weekend – just look for a gaggle of spell-bound giggling Event-goers near the bar.

Paddy Tyson’s Aprilia Pegaso 650ie (Peggy)

‘Peggy’ is the cantankerous Italian mare that carried Overland Magazine’s editor, Paddy Tyson, through the Americas on the journey immortalized in his book, ‘The Hunt for Puerto del Faglioli’. Mileage is unknown as the speedo broke somewhere in Mexico.
Following the issues experienced on that and other trips, it now boasts a bespoke wiring loom by TWS Vehicle Wiring Services with isolated lighting circuits and no common earths; two reg/recs mounted in airflow (one as spare); 3x auxiliary power take offs; safety horn; crashbars with integral fuel (5l) and water (5l) holders, bash plate and centre-stand deflector fabricated by TWS. Rear Wilbers shock. Front Hagon springs.

Glynn Roberts’ R80GS

Registered in 1983, one of only 5 sprayed in red and sold with all the extras available at the time, this is a 1981 build with the later petrol tank.
Glynn bought it in 1986 for £1,750 including the panniers and optional(!) side stand. The bike is in pretty much original condition even if all the parts aren't original.
This bike has done 2 big trips, accounting for 103,000 miles of its 183,000 total mileage.

Heather Sinclair's DRZ

London-based Californian Heather Sinclair threw herself in at the deep end by starting her trip in Indonesia and heading home. Fitted with a 4.1 gallon IMS tank, her DRZ was well equipped to cope with sparse fuel availability in places along her route taking in Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, India, Nepal, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Artsakh, Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, and France.
Over 22,591 Miles Heather contended with five flat tyre and six breakdowns and being hit by a bus. The bike needed 12 oil changes, 2 clutches, 2 batteries, 1 carb rebuild, a set each of tyres, brake pads, chain and sprockets, a starter motor (as well as two rebuilds), 2 Stators, a rectifier/regulator, 2 sets of rear wheel bearing and 3 Spark Plugs.
Next year, Heather and The Doctor are heading to Africa.

Jacqui Furneaux’s Enfield 500

This unassuming 500cc Royal Enfield carried Jacqui around the world on a seven-year odyssey and stars in her book ‘Hit the Road Jac!’ It remains her daily transport.
Modifications have happened 'on the road' as and when required. The clutch lever, for example, is an upside-down Yamaha front brake lever that was fitted in Thailand; the reflector on the rear mudguard was a gift from the owner of a bicycle shop in Queensland, Australia; the ex-Belgian army panniers were bought in New Zealand after bags that had been hand-made in India were stolen. The bike has many 'features' from all over the world - every continent in fact.
Jacqui will be with her book in the MotoFreight Authors’ Tent if some particular modification intrigues you!

John Manning’s KLE500

Budleigh (or ‘Budders’) carried John 18,000 miles from the UK to Japan through Norway, Finland, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia and Siberia.
Modifications include pannier ‘shelves’ made from scrap metal and fixed together with amateur blobs of weld, a raised front mudguard with homemade steel brackets, off-road foot pegs, a quick-release fishing rod on (used many times, but with a zero success rate). Tea making facilities are carried in a Bergen attached to front left engine bar.
The inlet camshaft broke in two on the plains of Kazakhstan. The resourceful steppe people welded it together while it was still in the engine! The shaft did the rest of the journey fine clocking up over 12,000 miles without any noticeable effect to performance. The welded shaft is now a table lamp.

Nich Brown’s Royal Enfield Bullet

Enfields are remarkably rugged, equally at home in India, Nepal and Tibet as they are on England’s gentle country lanes. Perfectly suited to a slow, relaxed riding that lets you appreciate your surroundings, Overland's sub-editor and co-founder chose this 500 single named 'Joy' for a recent two year trip.
Joy’s first 35,000 miles have taken in Western Europe, Scandinavia, New Zealand and Australia – not just on tarmac but corrugated roads, dirt, rocks, dust and sand.
Engine bars with extra strengthening have proven to be very effective while bags mounted to their insides bring the weight of an extensive tool roll well forward and keep useful things like waterproofs and a folding chair handy.
Other mods include a freer flowing exhaust system that won’t frighten the wildlife, extended mirror arms with anti-vibration mounts, 12 volt power outlet, a height-adjustable side-stand to cope with taller off-road tyres and Rotopax containers for extra fuel and water.

Simon Millward’s 'John T. Overlander'

Hand built for Simon in his native Devon by John T, this bike was designed to cope with the rigours of Simon’s demanding riding style and also to deal with any kind of terrain – even down to the adjustable angle of the quadruple rear shocks.
Simon started his RTW ride in 1999 aiming to mark the Millennium promoting motorcycling and humanitarian issues around the world.
Over the next five years he travelled through North Africa, the Middle East, the Asian Sub-Continent, Australia, SE Asia, Japan, Russia, North, Central and South America, and Africa where Simon sadly lost his life in an accident, on the road between Kayes, Mali and the Senegalese border, on March 4th 2005.
Enroute he established a continuing project in Flores, Indonesia, providing motorcycles for healthcare workers in remote areas where primary medical services are often unavailable due to the nature of the terrain, roads and tracks. This became the basis for the charity Motorcycle Outreach.

Will Brix’s 660 Tenere 'Glory'

This bike has been to 40 countries (and counting) across Europe, Africa and Asia.
It competed in the 2019 Gibraltar Race without issue, despite being thrown down the track several times daily.
Will says it’s very tall, but great for the ruts of Africa and deeper tracks.
It has huge torque in 1st and 2nd gear. You can throw it down a cliff and it will start again first time and it has never failed to start once, or ever broken down.
The list of modifications wouldn’t fit here, but among the more interesting mods are a remote operated Kill Switch (200m range), a ‘go dark’ switch for full lights out running, the large stopwatch on the dash for time trials, homemade Radiator protection and over 100 litres of lockable storage space.

OVERLAND BIKE SHOW

The Bike Show has been the centre-piece of the Overland Event since 2015 and was again in 2019, sponsored by TWS Vehicle Wiring,

the overland bikes on show were...

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