FIU Magazine issue 2

HISTORY
LESSON
DEVELOPMENT
HISTORY OF
THE BMW GS
ALSO INSIDE
• BIRDS EYE VIEW
• TRIUMPH DIRTBIKES?
• IS THERE A NEW
MOTORCYCLIST IN TOWN?
• TECH TALK: FLASH ‘N GO

Working with as many brands as we do
it has been the biggest challenge of my life
to find the perfect workshop team led by
someone who shares my commitment to
customers. I am proud to announce that
Johan Liebenberg has joined our workshop
team in Johannesburg and I am really enjoying
working with him. You can read his story
elsewhere in this issue.
Our new offering is ‘The Price You See is
The Price You Pay’. This includes licence and
registration, full service plan, 2 year mechanical
protection plan, finance rates; the list goes on.
Simply put, why would you buy anywhere
else? That has been my motivation to build the
perfect experience.
Out with the old, in with the new. You can
expect great things now and in the future at
Fire it Up.
IF YOU’RE NOT
FIRST, YOU’RE LAST
BY CRAIG LANGTON
While every racer will agree with the
statement it applies to business.
In the small but highly competitive
motorcycle industry all fighting over the
same stock and customers the race
has never been tighter.
Since starting out in motorcycle sales
in 2005, I have always tried to find a
way to be innovative or add value to the
purchasing experience. In 2005 it was
free Nerf bars, Shock Covers, Trailers
and exhausts; in 2010 it was parallel
importing (also known as Grey Imports)
making motorcycling more affordable
and giving more access to immaculate
motorcycles at great prices. In 2016 we
launched our free warranties and other
value-adds in an effort to stay ahead of
our competition.
As the industry becomes more
competitive and our old strategies are
copied we have had to become more
innovative in order to stay on top. By
sticking to our core value of TRUST we
often have to re-evaluate staff, structures
and offerings. In Spring Fire It Up will
launch our all-new strategy and new look;
I am quite excited to share it with our
customers even if it means parting ways
with old popular structures and staff.
The new strategy is, in my opinion,
unmatchable and when my team all
agree that they would buy their bikes
here - and have, on many occasions - I
think we have it right. The new strategy
focuses on making motorcycling more
affordable and on the showroom and
workshop experience.

WELCOME NOTE
Welcome to issue two of the Fire it Up!
magazine. This is a very exciting new venture
for Fire It Up, being another step in involving
its customers and helping to foster the sense
of community.
Having watched the growth of Fire It Up
over the past five years, it’s a challenge to
‘join’ the team and be part of the innovation
that has been such a defining element of the
growth of Fire It Up. Craig has never been
afraid to try new things and, more often
than not, they work and make the customer
experience ever better.
Over the coming months, the magazine
will grow and develop, with ever changing
story contents, reflecting what is happening
in motorcycling in general and at Fire It Up.
We want the magazine to have something for
everyone. At the beginning, the page count
is small but that too, will grow as we develop
the concept.
As with everything at Fire It Up, it’s all about
giving the best experience to the customers.
More than any other dealership, the Fire It Up
customer becomes part of a community of
like-minded friends who enjoy motorcycling
in all its forms. The magazine is part of this
community and it is your magazine. Please feel
free to let us know what you would like to see
in the magazine; all suggestions welcome.
One of the first things I did when we started
the magazine, was to invite Mishka Möller to
write for us. A very well-known personality
in motorcycling in South Africa, she brings a
female perspective to the content but, more
than that, she brings a really positive outlook
on what motorcycling can bring into our
lives. I never finish one of her articles without
thinking how lucky I am to be involved
with such a fantastic bunch of like-minded
enthusiasts.
Elsewhere in this issue, you’ll meet the
new workshop manager, Johan Liebenberg,
who brings a wealth of experience to the role
and who is another great example of Craig
Langton appointing the very best to enhance
the overall experience.
With Fire It Up selling all makes of
motorcycles, including those with long
histories, I though it would be useful to
include brief histories of some of the more
popular models. This month it is the turn of
the ubiquitous BMW GS.
We’ll have technical articles, travel articles,
buying and selling advice, products features
and advice, new model reviews and some
of the more interesting news stories from the
world of motorcycling.
One of the most startling pieces of news
to come out in recent years, is the news that
Triumph is about to enter the off-road market
with a brand new range of Motocross and
Enduro bikes. This is a typically ballsy move by
the British manufacturer and some might think
they’d be unwise to take on the established
kings, KTM. But Triumph has succeeded in
every category it has entered, so why should it
be any different this time? Details are scarce at
the moment, but it just goes to show that, even
in the middle of the worst trading conditions
for a generation, innovation and imagination is
not dead by any means.
The same could be said for Fire It Up. I look
forward to the journey we’ll all be taking with
this magazine over the coming months.
Ride Happy,
Harry Fisher

EMPLOYEE
OF THE
MONTH
JOHAN LIEBENBERG
WORKSHOP MANAGER
Ask any dealership and they’ll all tell you
that the success or otherwise of the whole
enterprise depends largely on aftermarket
care, which means the workshop. The
buying experience can be first class, but if
the customer then encounters problem after
problem when getting the bike serviced or
fixed, then this will sour the whole experience
and, in all likelihood you’ll have lost a customer.
Which is why it is so important to have the
right hand guiding the workshop and, in new
appointee Johan Liebenberg, Fire It Up! now
has that person.
While his recent work history includes
Workshop Manager at Bikers’ Warehouse,
Raceworx KTM and Italian Motorcycle
Importers, home to Aprilia and Moto Guzzi,
Johan has spent the vast majority of his working
career as a race mechanic on cars, with bikes
always in the background as a passion.
It’s been an illustrious career, with spells
at Opel Motorsport and Nissan Motorsport,
involving rally and touring cars, running A1 GP
cars for Team South Africa, GP Masters with
Derek Warwick, the Baja 1000 with Giniel De
Villiers, working with Rob Green Motorsport;
the list goes on.
When the call came offering an opportunity
at Fire It Up!, Johan found exactly what he was
looking for; a position with the responsibility of
setting up and running the workshop exactly
as he knew it needed to be run.
“When I first spoke to Craig, he was
telling me how the workshop isn’t making
money, In fact it was costing him money,
so there was a lot of detail work to be
done to turn that around. Simple things
like looking closely at productivity, costs,
correct invoicing, close attention to checking
jobs both before and after, making sure the
details are attended to properly.
“It’s also about managing the staff;
identifying the right person to do the job,
whatever it is. Bikes were coming back two
or three times to have the same fault rectified
which the customer doesn’t appreciate so the
important thing is to make sure the job is done
right the first time and that all comes down to
the proper checks before during and after the
job is done by the right person for the job.”
Another important factor is respect not only
between Johan and the workshop staff but
between Craig Langton and Johan. With a
CV like his, Johan’s reputation precedes him
but that doesn’t always guarantee a smooth
working relationship. Johan insists that there
is already a healthy respect between him and
Craig and that will only grow as Johan pulls
the workshop into line and turns it into a profitmaking
part of the company.
Not that it’s all about profit. As mentioned,
a workshop that operates efficiently and with
a very high hit-rate of success goes a long
way to cementing the relationship between
the customer and the dealership. Craig knows
enough to trust Johan to get on with what
needs to be done. Together, they will make a
formidable team.
With the closure of the Performance Technic
centre at Kyalami and the moving of the
operation to Fire it Up’s premises, it would be
easy to think that space might be at a premium
and things could get a bit tight but Johan is
confident that, with the right processes in
place, space need not be an issue.
“I have everything I need to do the job
properly here. Only specialist work, such as
on Ohlins semi-active suspension units, for
example, has to be farmed out but everything
else we can do in-house. It all comes down
to not overwhelming the workshop with too
much work to do every day. When I first arrived
here, there was far too much work booked
in each day and there was no way the guys
could get through all of it. If they tried to, then
things would get missed or rushed and that’s
where the problems start. I would rather do
less work each day to a higher standard.”
If his recent career has involved short spells
at several locations, I asked Johan what would
keep him at Fire It Up for the long term.
“I would have to say, stability! I’m not a
young man any more. In my youth, I would go
for anything and everything that came along
which led to me changing jobs all the time.
Now, with the wisdom of age, I’m looking for
stability and the chance to grow this part of
the business. Ultimately, I’ll be responsible for
not only the Bryanston workshop, but also
the new workshops that will be opening in
Pretoria and Cape Town. I’ll get Bryanston
working properly and then make sure the other
locations are working to the same set of values
and productivity.”
With all this to sort out, his priority is not
to roll his sleeves up and work on the bikes
himself, although he will do that if the need
arises. His main goal is to get the right people
in place, whom he can trust to do the job right.
“I wouldn’t say I have a free hand to bring
in all the people I want but there are a few I
want to bring who have the knowledge and
the expertise needed in a place like this. I can’t
do everything myself - there are only so many
hours in the day - but I need to trust the guys
to do it the way I want it to be done, which is
the right way. We might take on less work each
day but I’d rather deliver quality than quantity.
It might take a little longer but it will be done
right first time and that is the key.
“I’m just a cog in
a big machine and
I will make sure
my part of the
machine works
correctly, as
everyone else will
do in their roles
and together we
will make Fire It
Up what we all
know it can be.”

A BIRDS
EYE VIEW
BY Mishka Moller
Lockdown doesn’t mean you have to stay
indoors to stay safe – especially when you
ride a motorcycle! There are still such amazing
rides to do and interesting venues to visit that
are still open to the public. It’s also our duty
to support establishments and adventure
companies, don’t you think?
I believe as motorcycle riders we are
privileged indeed. Why? Because we
can get out of the city or simply our
neighbourhood when we want to. I simply
love Sunday mornings bundled up warm,
feeling a bit like a Michelin Man with all
the right gear (all the time), but with the
feeling of freedom in the air, and in search
of a delicious cuppa coffee at a beautiful
destination near or far - it’s your choice!
COVID has certainly created additional fear
and anxiety in our world and it’s not easy to
always stay positive – and by that I mean in
a happy way, not the covid way! We really
have to dig deep to keep our heads above
water to remain assertive and positive, yet I do
believe the motorcycling aspect gives us the
opportunity to ‘self-isolate’ with a helmet on,
enjoy the fresh brisk winter air and get out on
your motorcycle to feed and nourish your soul.
I must admit, all this covid and quarantine
stuff has me really missing the ‘Brotherhood’
- I miss seeing the faces that automatically
bring us together at biking day jols and
motorcycle events and rallies. I miss the

crazy times and the stories shared. I miss the
planning and the excitement of the events and
most of all – I miss the human element!
Although we might be friends on social
media, the human element of interaction is
missed most of all – it’s so evident in all our
posts on social media and Whatsapp groups.
Human beings crave the company of others
and motorcycling enables us to get together in
a safe way.
The thing I love most about motorcycling?
Camaraderie. As a people person, I am
interested in you; if you ride a motorcycle I am
even more interested in you and I enjoy the way
motorcycling brings people together – whether
it’s at a dealership or at your club rides.
When you meet someone else who rides,
there’s an instant bond, something you share
no matter what other differences you have.
Sure, we ride different kinds of motorcycles,
but you know the saying: It’s not what you ride,
it’s that you ride!
For over 100 years, bikers have forged a
family that is stronger than steel. This multigenerational
legacy embraces a culture like
no other.
And even though it’s called a ‘brotherhood,’
there are some serious women riders, too. Got
to give them credit. Go Lady Riders!
Women riders have grown in numbers over
the years and yet it’s not called a ‘sisterhood’
as the word ‘brotherhood’ is related to the
biker code and most of us are pretty cool with
that now. I quite like being called ‘a brother’.
We all believe it’s important to help out a
fellow brother on two wheels rather than
worry about the brand of bike or type of bike
they ride.
Motorcycling is really part of my DNA, it’s
part of who I am, it’s part of my belief system,
it defines me as a person and it’s even part
of my subconscious support system, in that,
most the people I know, that are part of my
world, are related to motorcycling one way
or another. We share an unspoken bond of
integrity and honesty and we relate to one
another even though we might all come from
different backgrounds or parts of the world.
We can share stories of the road including
detailed stories of breakdowns, accidents,
races, rallies and dreams of that perfect
motorcycle.
I am sad to see how many biking adventure
events, rallies and races that have been
cancelled lately due to the delta strain but
I’m also so happy to see that there are
companies still offering riding adventures –
and especially those that encourage the lady
rider to participate.
I am involved in an annual adventure
ride called the Jozi 2 Kozi and this year we
celebrate 6 years of annual adventure riding.
Our strap line is #AfricaNotForSissies – quite
relevant at the moment right? This ride, I feel,
is perfect for the lady adventure or lady enduro
rider. It’s five days of awesome riding from
Oom Jan’s fabulous spot ‘Country Trax’ in
Amersfoort – through Bivane Dam – Mkhuze –
Sodwana – Kozi Bay and back to Jozi.
The beauty about this ride is that our route
directors - renowned ‘White Zulu’ GG Alcock and
fellow journo and my life partner Gavin Morton -
personally recce and prepare GPS routes for the
adventure rider and the enduro rider.

You decide if you want to ride the Adventure
green or red route OR the Enduro green or red
route. At some points you can either change
your routes - up or down! This allows you the
freedom to ride at your pace and if you feel like
it, you can challenge yourself to up your pace
or chill out and enjoy the scenery. It’s perfect
for pillion riders and we embrace the beauty of
this magnificent country of ours.
The Jozi 2 Kozi offers technical assistance,
so should anything happen to your bike,
people are on hand to assist you – never mind
the camaraderie from the other riders that
within a matter of hours become your mates!
Obviously, all bikes should be serviced and
tyres checked by an expert prior to attending
any adventure event and you find many of the
motorcycle dealerships offer a special service
package prior to events such as these.
J2K also offer full medical assistance with
the well-known medical motorcyclist and
Paramedic Bertus Prinsloo from Outdoor
Medical. He is on a motorcycle and he has a
paramedic in an ambulance that follows with
the back-up vehicles.
Aha, there is another element of biking;
anybody who is part of the back-up crew also
enjoys a fabulous scenic experience as we
travel some of South Africa’s most beautiful
landscapes and roads less travelled. We share
in the stories of the day as we meet up for
lunch and share stories over the fire at night.
We ensure that every person on this event
is properly taken care of and we create a big
drive to encourage pillion riders and lady riders
to join us on this annual event.
The lure of the motorcycle brotherhood
and sisterhood is a strong one. The Biker
lifestyle offers a sense of belonging that lasts
a lifetime. Bikers are truly brothers and sisters
in arms, from the formal brotherhood found
in motorcycle clubs, to two riders who just
happen to meet on the road and decide to
ride together for a while. Friendships found on
the road, and in the dirt often last a lifetime.
Motorcycles are all about fun and freedom.
As the old biker T-shirt states: ‘If I have to
explain, you wouldn’t understand.”
Anyway, would love to stay and chat but
have found a stunning coffee shop in Cullinan
who bake a mean lemon cheesecake that I
need to test…So, I guess I’ll see you on the
road then x
Keen on the Jozi 2 Kozi – drop me an email:
mishka@personaltouchonline.com
Winter Edition: Wednesday 04 - Sunday 08
August 2021
Summer Edition: Wednesday 29 Sept -
Sunday 03 October 2021
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jozi2kozi
Instagram: www.instagram.com/jozi2kozi_
motorcycle_challenge

NEWS
IS THERE A NEW
MOTORCYCLIST
IN TOWN?
Triumph Enters
the MX and
Enduro Market
BY CRAIG LANGTON | PICS BY BJORN MOREIRA / ZA BIKERS
Once we finally landed our Hero Motorcycles
in South Africa, we had a clear plan that
the bigger models (Xpulse200T) would be
ideal for the leisure market and the Eco
Deluxe and Eco 150 aimed squarely at the
commercial segment.
Recently we have sold several of our Eco
Deluxe models to a younger generation
motorcyclist ranging from 21 years up, that
view motorcycling as transport rather than
recreation.
I chatted to a young gent (23), well
educated, who had just purchased an Eco
Deluxe and I asked him why he had chosen to
purchase the motorcycle? It was interesting
to hear his perspective when he mentioned
that he wanted the most economical means
of transport to work, was extremely mindful of
the environment and wanted to create as little
pollution as possible. He also believed the
fuel price was going to continue to rise. When
I offered him membership to our TRIBE Club
and to join other customers on our Economy
Adventure (JNB to DBN) he shared no interest
whatsoever, he viewed motorcycling purely as
a means of Transport! I was horrified at first
but then wondered, are we starting to finally
see the next generation of motorcyclists who
choose motorcycles over cars?
If so, that’s great news for the industry.
Development of a brand new range
of MX and Enduro models under way,
with help from two of the greatest offroad
racers of all time.
Triumph has announced that it is part-way
through development of MX and Enduro
bikes, with a likely launch in 2022. Yes,
there have been rumours that something
like this was in the air and the recent
appointment of Ricky Carmichael and
Iván Cervantes, both legends of MX and
Enduro racing, was a pretty big clue, but
it has still come as a shock. A welcome
shock, but still a shock.
Details of the new bikes are virtually
non-existent, but Triumph did say
that “development is well underway
on a comprehensive range of all-new
motocross and enduro motorcycles.”
Further details will be released in the
coming months.
The important phrase is ‘all-new’. This
indicates that Triumph will develop the
chassis and engine in-house and not buyin
those components from outside. It’s
worked for them in the past and, given the
company’s track record in developing all
of its own models this way, why should it
be any different this time?
Bud Ekins
The company already has supply
relationships with the likes of Bosch,
Showa, Ohlins, as well as tyre companies,
so there will be no problem there. There
is also a relationship with KTM through
the likes of WP suspension, which is
ironic as it will undoubtedly be KTM for
whom Triumph will be gunning on the
competition stage.
On a business front, it also makes a lot
of sense. The off-road market in the US

is booming and, given the relative lack of
legislation for off-road bikes, this would
be a relatively cheap way for Triumph to
boost its presence in that market.
Then there is the fact that Triumph
already has a distribution and dealer
network in place around the world, which
is often the major headache for start-up
brands. Triumph also has the financial
resources to do this properly, cutting no
corners along the way.
Triumph CEO Nick Bloor had this to say;
“Today’s announcement marks the
beginning of a new chapter for the
Triumph brand, which everyone at Triumph
is incredibly excited to be part of. We are
100% committed to making a long-lasting
impact in this highly competitive and
demanding world, with a single-minded
ambition to deliver a winning motorcycle
line-up for a whole new generation of
Triumph riders.”
Bud Ekins
It’s no good building such bikes if you’re
not going to race them. That this will
happen is pretty much a given, especially
with the presence of Carmichael and
Cervantes on the development team.
In them, Triumph has two enormously
experienced and successful team
members; Carmichael won fifteen
motocross titles and five Supercross
titles, with 150 career wins, while
Cervantes won the Spanish national MX
championship five times before moving to
the world stage in Enduro, taking titles and
competing in the Dakar Rally.
Triumph has a long history of off-road
racing success, albeit a long, long time
ago! Almost from the company’s inception,
its bikes were being used for competition.
With the appearance of the Triumph Twin
engine in 1939, here was an engine that
was light and powerful, perfect for trials
and scrambling events. Not that everyone
thought so at first; popular opinion at the
time said that the low-down lugging power
Bud Ekins
of a single-cylinder engine was what was
needed and the relatively high-revving twin
would be unsuitable.
The doubters were soon proved
wrong and, into the 1950s and beyond,
models such as the TR5 Trophy, TR6 SC,
Bonneville T1200TT and T120C, in the
hands of the likes of Bud Ekins, ruled the
desert races in the U.S., at least until the
light and powerful two-stroke Husqvarnas
came along in the late 1960s.
Far from being dedicated off-road
machines, competition bikes of that era
were modified road-going models. But, as
Ekins found out, Triumph built strong, light
and fast motorbikes with all the agility,
responsiveness and power that made
them perfect for the gruelling races, often
of up to 1000 miles in length.
Today’s MX and Enduro bikes are a far
cry from those simple days of ‘modify and
race’. Triumph will have to develop brand
new bikes that bear no resemblance to
Ricky Carmichael
anything they currently build, including a
brand new single-cylinder engine, most
likely of 250 - 450cc.
By coming into the class so late,
Triumph can learn a lot from the mistakes
- and successes - of its rivals. Of course,
Triumph can’t use a crystal ball to see
what these companies are working on
for the next generation of their off-road
models, but with the help of Carmichael
and Cervantes, they will have a pretty
good idea.
This is a fantastically exciting
announcement by Triumph. Critics might
say the the company has no chance
of de-throning KTM, Yamaha, Suzuki
or Kawasaki but history shows us that
Triumph has succeeded in every class
they have chosen to enter. Just because
this is a completely new class for the
company has no bearing on the matter.
Triumph will enter and they will win. It’s as
simple as that!

While he raced cars on track, his
motorcycle racing was done on dirt and
while he raced Triumphs early on in his
career, his favourite off-road bike was the
Swedish Husqvarna. He owned several
examples over the years but now, the very
first Husky he owned is coming up for
auction and is expected to fetch a sixfigure
number.
It was a Husqvarna that Steve rode in
the film, ‘On Any Sunday’, in company
with Mert Lawwill and Malcolm Smith. In
1968, McQueen witnessed Swedish World
Champion Bengt Åberg competing on
his Husqvarna Viking 360 and bought it
there and then, forcing Åberg to finish the
season on a new bike.
The Viking 360 was developed from the
250cc 2-stroke version that had won the
250cc World Championship in 1966 and
1967. The 360 produced 37bhp which,
with an overall bike weight of 215lbs, was
making life very difficult for the heavy fourstroke
bikes and pointed the way to the
future for off-road bikes.
Husqvarna was keen to penetrate the
US market, which led to Åberg bringing
his to the ‘States to race. This exposure
and McQueen’s subsequent endorsement
of the brand played a big role in the
popularity of the Swedish brand.
While much of McQueen’s collection
comprised vintage machinery, his racing
bikes were state of the art and the Viking
360 was the first in a long line of Husqvarna
machines to pass through his hands.
After McQueen died in 1980, the Viking
passed into private hands and it was fully
restored in 2014. It’s now up for auction
in California with RM Sotheby’s in mid-
August. Theres no price guide at present
but it’s not unreasonable to expect it to go
for $100,000+.
Steve McQueen’s
First Husqvarna
Could Make
Six-Figures at
Auction
Steve McQueen is as famous for his
motorcycling exploits as for his acting.
While he may have been the highest-paid
actor at one point in the 1970s, he was
never happier than when on a motorcycle,
among people who treated him as a fellow
competitor and not a screen idol.

HISTORY LESSON
DEVELOPMENT
HISTORY OF
THE BMW GS
BMW’s G/S (Gelände/Straße, German
for ‘Off-Road/Road’) first appeared in
1980 as the R80G/S. The first models
had fully air-cooled engines, shaft drive
and what BMW called Monolever rear
suspension, which was basically a
monoshock suspension system acting on
a single-sided swing arm, as opposed to a
twin shock set up and conventional twinfork
swing arm that had been common
up to that point. Front suspension was by
conventional forks.
The most distinctive version was the
R80 G/S Paris-Dakar, which featured
a larger tank painted white with red
and blue stripes and was released to
celebrate BMW’s victories in the famed
Paris-Dakar rally in 1981, ’83, ’84 and ’85
(when it really did travel between Paris
and the city of Dakar in Senegal). By this
time, the R100G/S was available, with a
1000cc engine.
By 1987, the name had changed
slightly to GS, with the ’S’ meaning
‘Sport’. Rear suspension was changed to
BMW’s patented Paralever system, which
incorporated a parallelogram singe-sided
swing arm.

Introduced in 2001 and running alongside
the ‘standard’ 1150GS was the GS
Adventure. This model differed from the
‘standard’ GS in having a much larger fuel
tank (30 litres as opposed to 22), larger
screen, taller suspension and a lower ratio
first gear. The engine management system
was revised to allow it to run on lower
quality petrol as would be likely to be found
off the beaten track, where this model was
destined to be ridden.
The Adventure models continued into
the R1200 GS era, with crash bars fitted as
standard and with the tank being enlarged
to 33 litres which could give 500km of
range; seriously impressive. They are
imposingly large bikes but are so well
balanced that they don’t seem that large
when on the move.
In 1995, a new engine was fitted,
this featuring oil cooling to the cylinder
heads. Capacity was 1100cc at first,
rising to 1150cc and finally 1200cc.
Front suspension was changed from
conventional forks to the Telelever system,
designed by British company Saxon
Motodd, which features an A-arm and
single spring/shock absorber unit to
eliminate dive under braking.
In 2004, BMW scored a huge PR coup
when Ewan McGregor and Charley
Boorman used two 1150 GS Adventure
bikes for their Long Way Round trip, where
they rode east from London, all the way
round the world to New York. This really
put the GS on the map and it has been the
best-selling adventure bike ever since. The
pair then reunited with BMW for the Long
Way Down trip, on R1200GS Adventure
models, riding from John O’Groats at the
northernmost tip of Scotland to Cape
Agulhas in South Africa, the southernmost
point of the African continent.
In 2013, the engine was upgraded
again to feature liquid-cooling to the
cylinder heads. These were known as the
R1200GS LC. These bikes are identified
by the position of the air/fuel inlet on top
of the cylinder, as opposed to behind the
cylinder on previous models. Similarly the
exhaust outlet moved from in front of the
cylinder to the bottom of the cylinder.

Talking of being on the move, the GS
manages to combine incredible offroad
ability with equally impressive road
manners. They truly are the new breed of
touring bike, as opposed to something like
the BMW R1250RT, which is a dedicated
touring bike. The GS simply offers the best
of both worlds; long-distance comfort
allied to a chassis that makes things fun
when the going gets twisty, all wrapped
in a package that can take you anywhere
your off-road skill will allow.
Naturally, electronics have advanced
enormously since that first R80 G/S.
The only thing that was electronic on the
first G/S was the ignition. Since then,
electronics have become as much an
essential part of any motorcycle - not
just adventure bikes - as an engine or
wheels. Some may argue that electronics
have become necessary due to the everincreasing
size of the bikes but another
argument states that more people can ride
these bikes because of the electronics;
in other words, they have made them
accessible to more people.
Whichever side of the fence you stand
on, electronics are here to stay and those
on the BMW GS have always been at the
cutting edge. To go into them here would
take up too much space but you can rest
assured that they do exactly what they
say on the tin, often to an extent that your
mind might not be able to comprehend.
Back to the development of the GS.
In 2015, the engine was enlarged again
to 1254cc to produce the R1250GS.
While the previous 1200cc model made
105bhp, the 1254cc unit produces 136bhp
(although that translates to around 116bhp
at the back wheel) which is more than
enough to provide effortless performance
in any situation. Don’t let those pesky KTM
owners tell you that anything less than
160bhp is not enough. It is!
In 2019, the engine gained variable valve
timing courtesy of the patented Shiftcam
technology. This physically shifts the inlet
camshaft lengthways to engage a different
set of cam lobes which give alternative
valve lift and duration properties. No more
power is produced, but the torque curve
(the really important number) is flattened
so that there is urge when you need it, in
any gear, at any revs.
The BMW GS tends to be pretty
bulletproof, as long as service and
maintenance intervals are adhered to.
The bottom line is that, no matter which
generation you opt for - the original 800cc
(although, these are more collectors
items now and unlikely to be used
for serious adventure riding), 1000cc,
1100cc, 1150cc, 1200cc or 1250cc -
you are buying yourself an incredible
piece of engineering and ability that will
generally always be beyond your personal
ability. Given that it is the most common
adventure bike out there, spares should
not be a problem.
The great news is that buying one
second hand has all sorts of benefits.
Generally, used bikes have low mileages
and have rarely ventured off-road. Also,
many have been fitted with full pannier
and top-box sets, relieving you of that
expense. Fire It Up always has a selection
of these models on the floor, with price
tags that you might not believe, given the
ability that’s built into each and every one.

T E C H
T A L K
exhaust systems, ECU software and emission systems
in order to achieve the lowest emissions particularly in
city environments and at speed while still offering better
performance, fuel efficiency and extended service
intervals. Today’s sophisticated ECU’s can have up to
1000 MAPS managing the motorcycle!
While it is possible to fit an exhaust cannister or slipon
to a modern motorcycle without performing revised
software, the catalytic converter’s muffle the sound we
used to get and on some models very little difference is
heard. Unfortunately removing the catalytic converter
or fitting a full system is impossible without revising the
software.
With the cost of a new aftermarket exhaust system
costing tens of thousands, we set out to establish if
performing an ECU software calibration which focused
on keeping the stock exhaust system or Catalytic
converter and removing restrictions in the ECU.
The results are startling, not just from performance
perspective but from a rideability point of view, even
though the bikes are stock they were more economical
and easier to ride with revised throttle maps offering
great mid-range and roll-on performance. We tested
everything from an NC750X to a BMW R1250GS
FLASH
‘N GO
DEAN MICHAU
Remember the days when you could
remove the rear Cannister/Exhaust
from your motorcycle and the Catalytic
Converter and feel an instant difference?
Besides the sound, you could instantly feel
the difference with the ‘CAT’ removed. It
was great as no real fuelling adjustments
were necessary; Lambda sensors were
simply removed, if fitted. How things have
changed! Today’s motorcycles won’t even
run properly with the CAT and/or Lambda
sensors removed.
Manufacturers are forced to cleverly
restrict emissions through complicated

with gains of up to 20% in the midrange without
compromising safety or reliability!. With the cost of an
ECU calibration starting from R2950, is a slip-on or new
filter your first choice? On commuter and adventure
bikes maybe not but the sound of a modern Superbike
with a full exhaust is half the experience.
As an example the new 2020/1 BMW S1000RR,
S1000XR & R1250GS’s, we have many complex and
complicated map structures.
With hundreds of different map layouts, we have
chosen a map set where we can access the important
tuning areas of the ECU.
These map structures are extremely unique and seen
for the first time on these new EURO5 motorcycles.
We have carefully developed and chosen which map
sets are required for our tuning operations and these
are split according to the shift Cam position and then
further split according to the warm up phase, optimum
operating temperature, optimum fuel grade, minimum
fuel level, upper threshold operating temperature and
full load conditions as just a few examples.
With advanced features such as cold start deletion,
exhaust valve deletion and specific RPM limiter to
name a few, we are able to offer various stages of
customised tuning for the end user whether we flash
the bike in house or offer our handheld enduser
flash tool that is recognised around the world!

Fire It Up Tribe
This all started in 2019 as the Fire It Up Club, an initiative thought up by Craig
Langton who has a knack for coming up with great initiatives.
It’s one thing buying a motorcycle from Fire It Up, it’s even more fun when
there are fun things to do with it. Or, fun stuff to do with other people who like
motorcycles.
And so the Fire It Up Club formed with rides, workshops and social gatherings.
With the move to the new Bryanston store came a rebrand with the Club
becoming the Fire It Up Tribe.
The popular monthly rides remained, with outings to Parys, Heidelberg,
Cullinan, Hartbeespoort and everywhere else. The rides entail a leader
setting a faster pace out front with a sweeper behind. All riders of all
experience are welcome, and everyone rides at their own pace.
With the new restaurant, the Tribe is hosting MotoGP Sundays with big
screens, food and drink showing all the MotoGP action.
Coming soon will be technical workshops, riding workshops,
motorcycle movie nights, quiz nights, a Member’s Only section
upstairs and much more.
A membership to the Tribe comes free with one of Fire It Up’s
service and warranty products, or fans of Fire It Up can join for just
R199 per month. The membership includes all of the above plus
free coffee and meals from the restaurant worth R300.
It’s worth joining just for the food.
To join, contact Fire It Up and enquire about the Fire It Up
Tribe. Tel: 011 467 0737

Hero Eco Deluxe
Commercial Pack includes:
• Crash Bars
• Top Box & Brackets
• Licence and Registration
• First Service Free
• 5years/100 000km Warranty
R17 999
Hero ECO 150
Commercial Pack Includes:
• Crash Bars
• USB Charger
• Top Box and Bracket
• Licence and Registration
• 5 year/ 100 000km warranty
• First Service Free
• 60km/l
R22 999
Hero Eco 150 Trail
Commercial Pack Includes:
• Spoked Wheels
• Crash Bars
• USB Charging Port
• Trail/Off-road specific
• Licence and registration
• Top Box and Bracket
• 5year/100 000km warranty
• First service Free
R24 999
Hero XPulse200 – SA’s new
favourite! Includes:
• Navigation
• USB charge port.
• LED Headlight
• Aluminium Bash Plate
• 21”Front Wheel.
• 45km/l
• Licence and registration
• Hand Guards
• Screen
• LED Display including caller ID
• Hurry nearly sold out!
R40 999
Bryanston
TEL: 011 467 0737
EMAIL: info@fireitup.co.za