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Even before the first challenge of the CFMOTO Challenge Benelux 2025 had begun, Benjamin Torbijn's whole adventure hung by a thread. On arrival at the site in Bilstain came the shocking realisation: Benjamin had brought the wrong key to his chain lock. Without engine, no qualification. Without qualification, no world ticket. In a race against time, he managed to free his bike after an emergency visit to a hardware store for a grinder. He appeared at the start just in time, winning the qualifiers and thus securing his trip to the other side of the world.
The win in qualifying was followed by a long flight to Melbourne, Australia for the CFMOTO Challenge 2025 world final! There, together with Alexander Leurs, Luc Attema and motorbike journalist Arno Jaspers, Benjamin formed the team representing Benelux. Between the kangaroos and the dense Australian forests, the team was put to the test on technique, speed and strategy. Although at home Benjamin is used to the agile 450MT , he had to get straight to work here with the greater power of the 800MT-X on a technical course full of obstacles. Despite the switch to this more powerful model, team Benelux put in a performance and took tenth place. During the award ceremony, Benjamin made contact with the winning team (coincidentally!) from New Zealand! This encounter proved invaluable later in his journey.
For Benjamin, this was just the beginning; while his teammates flew back home, he boarded a plane to Auckland, New Zealand for the ultimate six-week motorbike adventure. "Leave that to the drummer," it still sounded in the departure lounge. Although he is used to travelling as a freelancer for international artists, a six-week solo motorcycle adventure was a completely new challenge. It proves that legendary motorbike travel is within reach for anyone, no matter what your daily occupation is.
As a proud 450MT owner in North Brabant, Netherlands, Benjamin was determined to choose this bike in New Zealand too. But that decision did not come out of the blue. After an earlier motorbike trip of 20 days through Thailand on a model of another brand, considered very reliable, the riding experience disappointed him badly. He did not want to take any chances with his riding this time. So for this new adventure, the 450MT was the only right choice for him to get the experience he was looking for.
Benjamin decided to start north to avoid the latest snowstorms on the South Island. Before picking up his bike from the dealer in Auckland, he worked through an important to-do list. At the top was safety. Because he would ride off-grid for hours without coverage, he replaced his cellphone for a new model with a satellite function. That new phone was his digital lifeline; should anything go wrong on those remote mountain trails, at least he was not "screwed". Indeed, in New Zealand's rugged wilderness, he would explore territories hidden from most people.
You could say that in doing so, he managed to ''unlock', a wonderful 'full-circle' moment compared to that first day in Bilstain; where then he was fighting with a grinder to free his own bike, he was now opening the gates to a part of our world where few people actually set foot. The CFMOTO 450MT gave him the freedom to truly experience life to the fullest and experience the pure, untouched power of nature.
The contact with the winning team from New Zealand proved to be golden. After Benjamin picked up his 450MT, he drove straight to CFMOTO New Zealand's headquarters. The atmosphere was great. John, one of the winners from the MT Challenge Final, immediately offered to ship Benjamin's excess luggage to their office in Christchurch. This allowed him to start light and agile. Rodney, also part of the winning team, also stopped by quickly to show off a prototype phone holder for the handlebars.
For the first few days, he was joined by Jock McLauchlan, motorbike journalist for KiwiRider Magazine. Jock took him along the most beautiful off-road trails towards Cape Reinga. An absolute highlight was Ninety Mile Beach: 90 kilometres of legal plank throttle over the beach. The 450MT roared it out as the counter hit 157 km/h. Here, Benjamin felt more alive than ever. In that moment, nothing existed but the speed, the sand and the overwhelming feeling of pure, unfiltered freedom. Cheering into his helmet, over the most beautiful winding roads, he reached the northernmost tip of the country.
After the kick on the beach, the days and adventures flowed effortlessly into each other. The infamous "travel flow" was a reality. Benjamin hopped from hostel to hostel, explored the area with short boat crossings and came face-to-face with New Zealand's oldest inhabitants: giant trees as much as 3,000 years old.
After the first full week, he ended up in the town of Taupō with Scott, another acquaintance of Team New Zealand from the world finals. Over dinner at a local restaurant, Benjamin fell from one surprise to another. Scott explained that for years he was the regular competition mechanic of enduro legend David Knight. He had travelled all over the world at the champion's side. Benjamin listened breathlessly; he used to have posters of David Knight hanging over his bed, flanked by Stefan Everts and Ricky Carmichael. Now he was sitting at the table with the man who had tinkered with those machines.
Scott invited him to spend the night in a cosy gazebo at his remote home surrounded by mountains. Life smiled at Benjamin. The next day was marked by contrasts. First, he paid a "zen visit" to geothermal hot springs to rest his muscles. Then, less than 1omin away, he drove to the Digger McEwen Motocross Park for an MX competition. The combination of the wellness and the long but fun days on the bike took its toll: amid the brutal violence of the 450cc motocross riders, Benjamin fell into a deep power nap. He only woke up much later on a now completely deserted field...
The night before his departure for the South Island, the BBQ was lit at Scott's home and MotoGP was watched fanatically on TV. With the map on the ground, the passionate motorbike enthusiasts mapped out the route for the rest of his journey. The next day, the ferry took him across, where, as icing on the cake, he spotted dolphins in the splashing water.
What followed on the South Island was a bizarre culture shock. The scenery, the insane roads and especially the lack of them, made this the number one country for off-road motorcyclists for Benjamin. The hospitality of the locals and clicking with other solo travellers completed the experience. He traversed the west coast to Queenstown and rode back to Christchurch via the imposing Mount Cook.
Time flew by with mostly beautiful weather, but Benjamin knew this was also a matter of luck. In New Zealand's mountains, nature is unpredictable and unforgiving. There was a story going around about a group of 4x4 drivers who had to bivouac on a remote trail for days a week earlier due to a sudden snowstorm. Even the emergency services could not reach them. At such times, you realise that you definitely don't want to be stranded on a lonely off-road trail high in the mountains.
Despite that constant threat of unpredictable elements, Benjamin did not know a single moment of doubt. Throughout the journey, the 450MT did not budge. With no major crashes, no punctures and, above all, no technical problem, he was able to focus completely on the road and the environment. The fact that the bike did not need any kind of maintenance after 7,000 intensive kilometres was the ultimate proof for him. Thanks to this rock-solid reliability, he could continue to ride with peace of mind and enjoy freedom to the full, knowing that his bike can always bring him back to civilisation.
Besides the adrenaline of the trails, Benjamin experienced another absolute highlight: a sightseeing flight in a small fixed-wing plane. He took off from Lake Tekapo, overlooking the clear blue water below him that slowly changed to deep greens. The flight took him to the snow-capped peaks around Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest mountain.
During this hour-long flight, he fell from one surprise into another. As he peered over the white peaks and icy glaciers, he realised that he would probably never see such an incredible view again in his life. And that for his very first recreational flight ever; an experience he wouldn't have wanted to miss for anything.
After 6 weeks in this off-road motorbike paradise, Benjamin secretly even briefly dreamed of emigrating, but the music scene in New Zealand turned out to be too small for a full-time drummer. Lucky for us, as Benjamin is now bringing all his experience back to Europe! Besides drumming, he will now work as an all-road motorbike tour guide where he would guide tours and training in countries such as Greece, Italy, France and the Belgian Ardennes. So plenty of reasons to set sail back home and continue the adventure in his own continent!
"6 weeks, 7,000 kilometres, 0 technical problems and 0 service calls later.... The 450MT, the people and the landscapes make this wonderful adventure a memory to remember!"
~ Benjamin Torbijn
Make a test drive with the 450MT or 450MT Rally at your local dealer and find out for yourself why Benjamin chose this model.
Curious about his next adventure? Follow Benjamin on social media!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benjamin_torbijn
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/benjamin.torbijn/
website: https://www.benjamintorbijn.com/allroad-motorreisbegeleider-trainer
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