FEATURE – XTR Pepo RAID Custom BMW
Last year (JUST BIKES #337), we featured Pepo’s ‘Rocket’, a BSA-styled, Triumph-based machine inspired by the BSA Rocket 3 Daytona racers of the early 1970s.
Creations from the early days of the company mix café racer styling with racing inspiration, particularly endurance racing, as evidenced by the ‘Monty’ and ‘Suzuka’.
More recently, though, Pepo has developed an interest in off-road competition, with the likes of the ‘Chico Malo’ (Bad Boy) and ‘Tracker Mk2’ from 2017 showing scrambler influences
That trend has continued with the build featured, which was completed late last year.
French African
With the 2018 Dakar just completed as this issue of JUST BIKES went to press, it’s timely to both feature this creation from XTR Pepo and reflect on its Dakar inspiration.
Titled ‘Raid’, this bike was created as a tribute to the Paris-Dakar rally raid bikes of the 1980s and specifically one of the heroes of the early editions of the marathon enduro, Hubert Auriol.
Born in Africa of French parents, Auriol lined up for the very first Paris-Dakar in 1979 and would remain involved with the event, in one form or another, for the next 25 years.
Auriol’s fiercest rival in those early days was fellow Frenchman, Cyril Neveu. Along with Belgium’s Gaston Rahier, this trio dominated the motorcycle section of the Paris-Dakar’s first decade.
Auriol won the Dakar twice, in 1981 and 1983, then finished runner-up in 1984, all on BMW R80 G/S machinery. In 1985 he switched to Cagiva, then took on the Dakar in the car category from 1988.
“I think [Auriol] was one of the best Paris-Dakar riders ever,” Pepo said. “With BMW and with Cagiva!”
So, when a BMW rally raid tribute project was on the cards, Pepo already knew what he’d use for inspiration.
False Start, then Full Steam Ahead
The base unit for this custom was a 2016-model BMW R nineT that the customer wanted Pepo to equip with a Paris-Dakar kit from Luis Moto. Released last year, that kit comprises a larger fuel tank, different handlebars, headlight and surround, a solo seat, luggage rack and other parts.
However, seeing the potential to do more than a few bolt-on bits, Pepo convinced his client to go further.
“I spoke with the customer and told him ‘Why not make a real Paris Dakar racer?’ He agreed, so we had to change the entire project!” Pepo laughed.
That meant a job that would have taken a day or two at most blew out to three months as Pepo aimed to turn the R nineT into a more authentic tribute to a rally raid machine from the ’80s.
Of course, BMW already has an off-road version – of sorts – of the R nineT in the form of the ‘Urban G/S’ variant, but like most other enthusiasts, Pepo reckons that bike’s not true to the spirit of the machines ridden by Auriol, Rahier, etc. Pepo also reckons BMW has missed a trick in not bringing their ‘Lac Rose’ concept from 2016 to production, as he feels it’s closer in appearance, purpose and spirit to the original R80 G/S.
Tank Battle
The key part in giving this custom an authentic ’80s rally raid look is the fuel tank, which is a genuine BMW R80 G/S item. Pepo explained that these are still available new, but are very, very expensive.
Getting the tank was easy, but getting it to fit the R nineT’s frame wasn’t: “The hardest part was to modify the authentic Paris Dakar fuel tank - it was complicated work.”
Despite the additional capacity (26lt vs 17lt), fitting that tank with the nine’s T fuel pump was also problematic. Pepo isn’t afraid of a challenge, though, so he found a way to modify the brackets, underside and internals of the tank to make it all work.
Another major change, and one not taken on by the likes of Luis Moto or Unit Garage with their P-D kits, is the exhaust system. Those kitmakers either use the factory exhaust or make their own, but retain an underslung configuration, which is against all logic on an off-road machine.
Pepo almost always makes all his own exhaust systems under the ‘Supermario’ moniker, and did the same with this project, but re-routing the headers above the cylinders and under the seat was challenging.
The different layout meant replacing the airbox with a pair of DNA pod filters and fitting that custom exhaust, which is capped with a stubby Sil Moto silencer. Pepo now believes that, with some modifications to the 2-into-1 system, he could retain the factory airbox if he was building a similar machine in the future.
Another space-saving measure for the exhaust was replacing the OEM battery with a lighter, more compact LiPo battery, while Pepo also modified and simplified the electrical system.
Built to Explore
Beyond the tank and exhaust, other changes to the appearance of the R nineT to make Raid include a front mudguard from Luis Moto that was modified by Pepo, a Bultaco headlight and complementary fairing.
An MX-style Accossato handlebar carries the BMW grips, levers, master cylinders and switchgear, but the factory instrumentation has been replaced with a Motogadget digital dash, with aftermarket mirrors fitted, too.
Engine crash bars from Unit Garage are topped with a pair of Hella high-beam projector lights, while the indicators alongside them are actually from a Suzuki DR 50.
The custom solo seat, from Luis Moto, was reshaped by Pepo, then reupholstered using the same leather, with the Luis Moto rear mudguard similarly modified to suit the desired look. Sitting atop that is an Ossa tail light, with rear indicators courtesy of the same Suzuki DR.
The factory braking set-up is unaltered and while the wire spoke wheels are from the BMW R nineT factory accessories catalogue, they are shod with chunky Continental Twinduro tyres in this instance.
Unlike many previous XTR Pepo projects, the stock chassis was left unaltered for this build, but was strengthened at the rear, mainly to allow the addition of an offside bracket to mount a Unit Garage pannier bag.
Finishing touches include graphics and colours inspired by (but not an exact replica of) Auriol’s ’81 Dakar race winner, painted by Artenruta in Madrid, plus side plates carrying the Frenchman’s ‘100’ race number.
Dakar Star
We reckon Raid is one of Pepo’s most striking recent builds, and the Spaniard agrees. When we asked him which part of the project he’s most proud of, he simply said ‘all of it’. It’s hard to argue with that!
While the Dakar of today is dominated by lightweight 450s that are closer to MX bikes than the larger enduro machines of days gone by, Raid harks back to an era when bikes were big and riders’ balls were bigger. How big? Try this for size: In the 1987 Paris-Dakar, Auriol was on track to record Cagiva’s first win and held a 10-minute lead over Neveu in the closing kilometres of the penultimate stage when he crashed.
Despite two broken ankles that made it impossible to stand, Auriol got fellow riders to assist him back on to his Cagiva, then rode the final 20 kilometres of rough terrain, unable to change gears or even effectively shift his weight on the bike.
At the end of the stage, Auriol collapsed in tears of agony and despair, knowing that despite an almost superhuman effort to ride with his injuries, he was out of the rally.
That performance by Auriol is one of the most gritty and gut-wrenching moments in Dakar history. No wonder Pepo thinks he’s a legend!
