Dutch companyRevit describes itself as "being on a never-ending quest to develop motorcyclegear that can be taken as far as you want to travel". Within this scope, thepromotion of its Spring/Summer 2015 collection in the USA centers around an AWDcustom build based on KTM’s 950 Super Enduro.
ProjectDouble Dare was initiated last October, when the Super Enduro arrived at ChrisCosentino’s custom shop in the outskirts of New York. The team assigned to thetask of fabricating this special motorcycle included Gerbrandt Aarts, creativedirector for Revit, fabricator Scott Kolb, and photographers Gregor Halenda and TommyLiggett. The motorcycle was christened the Revit #95, paying tribute to the yearthat the company was founded.
This was intended to be a motorcycle that embodied the company’s core values, so a typical aestheticcustomization would seem a bit trivial. Having the luxury of working with thebuilder who first installed a two-wheel drive system on a customer’s KTM 990Adventure, Cosentino’s expertise was put to good use. A similar application wouldbe the key to transforming the Super Enduro to a no-boundaries adventure bike.
The choiceof Christini’s All-Wheel Drive (AWD) system was the next step. This race-provenkit transfers motion from the transmission to the front wheel through a seriesof gears, chains and shafts. Commercially available as a kit for Honda and KTM450 enduro bikes, in this case its application required a lot of hard work,including modifications to the frame in order to make room for the whole kit tobe fitted behind the side tubes.
An extra feature is a lever on the handlebarsthat activates the AWD system at will. When the system is active it allows thefront to freewheel until the rear has lost 80 percent of its traction. Then aone-way clutch installed in the front wheel hub disengages, allowing the transferof motion to the front until the rear finds grip again.
In its new form, theSuper Enduro has a new set of wheels – a 19-in front and 17-in rear, equippedwith a set of Continental TKC80 knobbies. This choice in wheel dimensions iscompatible with a wider variety of tires, as the two-wheel drive compensatesfor the loss of the original 21-in front.
Anothershow stopper on the #95 is undoubtedly the hand-made aluminum gas tank, acentral feature that underlines both the adventurous and customized feel of thebike. The stock Keihin THB 46 mm carburetors were replaced by Keihin’s mostfamous product, a couple of FCR flatsides 41 mm, paired with a set ofcustom-made velocity stacks. The engine’s breathing was completed with thefabrication of a custom pair of exhausts.
Thetransformation of two elbow pads as hand guards on the handlebars is a reallynice touch, especially since these are the Seeflex limb protectors, a brand newline recently honored with the Red Dot "Best of the best" 2015 design award. Equallyrefreshing is the use of an iPhone in the place of regular instruments. Thesmartphone already includes a GPS and with the right apps can be whatever therider needs it to be.
The custom motorcyclewas completed on April 21 and was immediately dispatched to a GS Giants’ event inTennessee for the photo and video shoot of the new Revit collection. Soon afterthis first task, the motorcycle returned to the shop for a necessary course of bugfixing and fine tuning, before embarking on a full promotional tour around the US.
Whilewaiting for some action footage from Revit, enjoy the official video describingthe making of this special two-wheel drive Super Enduro.
Source: Revit
I gather it's a mechanical connection through a drive shaft running parallel to the front forks.
I would have thought an electric motor on the front wheel would have been a lot easier. The engine could just keep a relatively small battery charged for the purpose. And you wouldn't have to worry about the front wheel fighting the back wheel if they're mechanically connected and one's following a longer path (as in cornering).