BMW R1200GS

The BMW R1200GS and R1200GS Adventure are motorcycles manufactured in Berlin, Germany by BMW Motorrad, part of the BMW group. It is one of the BMW GS family of dual sport motorcycles. Both motorcycles have an 1,170 cc (71 cu in), two-cylinder boxer engine with 4-valves per cylinder. The Adventure has a larger capacity fuel tank and longer travel suspension. As of 2012, BMW's R1200GS bikes are their top-selling models.

History

At its launch in 2004, the R1200GS was 30 kg (66 lb) lighter than the R1150GS it replaced, and produced 100 bhp (75 kW), an increase of 19%. BMW continued to produce the R1150GS Adventure, releasing a final run-out special edition model, before launching the R1200GS Adventure at the end of 2005, for the 2006 model year.

Upgrades for model year 2008 included increased power to 105 bhp (78 kW), a new Integral ABS II anti-lock braking system was released without servo assistance and new options were added including electronic suspension adjustment (ESA) and the Automatic Stability Control (ASC) traction control system.

Ewan McGregor

Ewan Gordon McGregor, OBE (/ˌjuːən məˈɡrɛɡər/; born 31 March 1971) is a Scottish actor who has had success in mainstream, indie and art house films. His first professional role was in 1993, when he won a leading role in the Channel 4 series Lipstick on Your Collar. He is best known for his roles as heroin addict Mark Renton in the drama Trainspotting (1996), the young Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy (1999–2005), poet Christian in the musical film Moulin Rouge! (2001), and Dr. Alfred Jones in the romantic comedy-drama Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2011). He received Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor – Musical or Comedy for both Moulin Rouge! and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.

McGregor has also starred in theatre productions of Guys and Dolls (2005–07) and Othello (2007–08). McGregor was ranked No. 36 on Empire magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list in 1997. In 2010 he won Best Actor for playing the title role in Roman Polanski's film The Ghost Writer at the 23rd European Film Awards.

Charley Boorman

Charley Boorman (born 23 August 1966) is an English TV presenter, travel writer and actor. He is known for his enthusiasm for motorbikes, as demonstrated in several documentaries of his travels, including two with his friend, actor Ewan McGregor.

Early life and background

Born in Wimbledon, southwest London, Boorman spent much of his formative years in County Wicklow, Ireland. Boorman is the son of German costume designer Christel Kruse and film director John Boorman.

Boorman was educated at independent schools, attending three in the Republic of Ireland: St Gerard's School in Bray, Co Wicklow; St. Kilian's Deutsche Schule (English name: 'St. Kilian's German School') in Dublin and St. Oliver Plunkett School in Malahide, County Dublin. He then attended Sibford School, a Quaker school near Banbury, Oxfordshire, England from 1980 until 1983, where he received extra lessons in a specialist department catering for pupils with dyslexia.

He is married to Olivia with whom he has two daughters, Doone and Kinvara. He resides in Barnes, south London.

Honda XRV750

The Honda XRV750, also known as the Africa Twin, is a 742 cc dual-sport motorcycle manufactured by Honda. The motorcycle was based on the NXR-750 which won the Paris-Dakar rally four times in the late eighties.

It was preceded by the eponymous XRV650 Africa Twin which was a lighter, higher specification version made in 1988 and 1989 by Honda Racing Corporation with a 650 cc engine producing 42 kW (56 hp). The much earlier Honda XLV750R was a shaft driven motorcycle.

Built in homage to the giant desert racers of the Paris-Dakar Rally, the Africa Twin is a large, dual sport bike, powered by a softly tuned V-twin engine. It has twin headlights, a windscreen, and a long dual seat which stretches back from the tank to an aluminium grabrail and plastic coated luggage rack. An aluminium bashplate protects the bottom of the engine from flying rocks and impacts.

In December 1989 the original Honda XRV750 Africa Twin was launched, which became known as the 1990 model. In 1992 the Tripmaster computer was added. In 1993 the motorcycle had a major redesign including new frame, body work plastics, fuel tank, engine modifications and a lower seat. Nevertheless, it gained weight slightly. In 1996 the XRV gained an improved seat and clutch, larger silencer, modified upper fairing and luggage rack. However, the rear shock absorber lost some of its adjustability. In 2003 the Honda XRV750 Africa Twin ceased production. Nowadays good second hand examples are very much sought after among aficionados. Several aftermarket products exist with which to equip the bike such as crash bars to protect the vehicle's plastics and tank from damage in a low speed fall.

Honda ST series

The Honda ST (for Sport Touring), also known as the Pan-European in Europe, is a range of motorcycles comprising the ST1100 and the later ST1300. Both ST models have a V4 engine mounted inline, with shaft drive, a full fairing and matching panniers.

Introduced in 1990, the ST1100 provided many of the amenities required by touring enthusiasts in a sporty package better suited to European roads than the Goldwing. Its successor, the ST1300, was introduced in 2002 and continued through the 2012 model year.

With a dry weight of 297 kg (655 lb), considered "on the touring end" of the sport-touring spectrum, they filled the niche between lightweight sport tourers such as the VFR750 and full-dress tourers such as the Goldwing.

ST1100

The ST1100 has a 1,085 cc longitudinal 90-degree V4 engine. The fuel tank is located below the saddle (the tank at the usual location is actually the cover for the air filter) to lower the center of gravity and thus improve the riding behaviour.

ST1300