First Ride: 2014 Lauge Jensen review

DENMARK, famous for its bacon, Lego, Bang & Olufsen and Carlsberg and did I mention bacon?

This is a conservative country, where people seem to quietly get on with things and don’t boast. It’s the antithesis of big, brash, bold ‘Murica, home of the brave, modest, freedom-enjoying citizens who love their bacon resting on half-pound beef burgers and their motorcycles covered in flames, chrome and Harley logos.

So it’s funny to think that a conservative country like Denmark is the birthplace of Lauge Jensen, makers of these brash and bold custom motorcycles.

There is only one model in the Lauge Jensen range but no two motorcycles are the same. Hand-built to order, owners can specifiy any finish they desire. And I mean any finish.

Love it or hate it, I doubt you’ll only look at it once. At first glance, it might look like another-American-cruiser but don’t let the raked out front wheel and V-twin engine fool you. While it has a simple, elegant silhouette, you can get lost in the details, from the custom-made brake calipers, to the way the exhausts leave the S&S motor, to the lines of the tank sliding in to meet the seat.

Is it good-looking? Well, that depends on your tastes. Is it well proportioned? You could argue it isn’t but I wouldn’t be nodding along with you.

The man behind Lauge Jensen motorcycles, Uffe Lauge Jensen, is a true character, a maverick who probably escaped from the same nuthouse as Erik Buell. I’ve met some amazing people behind some of the best bikes and motorcycle brands on the planet and a few of them stand out as something a bit special. Uffe is one of those people.

Uffe started Lauge Jensen in 2004 and has dedicated the last 10 years to creating the country’s only internationally renowned motorcycle manufacturer.

Vastly clever, he has a background in engineering and has worked on countless projects from electricity turbines to shipping cranes. On the face of it, he appears to have the attention span of an eight-year-old. I get the impression he’s bouncing off the rev-limiter the minute he wakes up.

He’s absolutely bursting to give me the background on any part of the bike that I look at or touch. He’s itching to show me the initial sketches and tell me about the hurdles he jumped to get this or that part exactly right. He’s as keen to tell me about the position of the footpegs as the challenges he overcame to pass the EURO4 emissions regulations with his new ‘1-Eleven-Squarehead’ engine.

The engine’s name gives you an idea of the fun the guys at Lauge Jensen have when creating their motorcycle. When Harley heard about it, they called Uffe to say they were sending a couple of staff to check out it out, and would sue if they recognised any part as theirs.

Uffe knew he had nothing to worry about on that score. The name ’1-Eleven-Squarehead’ might have a Harley-esque ring to it but it also reflects the motor’s 111-cubic inch capacity. That and its square-shaped head.

Uffe has designed, prototyped and built almost every part of his motorcycle. He doesn’t produce the individual parts but gives the plans to people who can. They then produce them for him and, quietly, for other industries. He seems to know about this but not care.

Half the people to meet him will think he’s a genius. The rest will conclude he’s mad. He shrugs off patenting designs, even though it could make him more money. He doesn't appear to be motivated by money, he has the air of a Michelin-starred chef, who's decided to make a Sunday roast. He could probably do something more technical but you know it'll be the best roast you've ever tasted.

In the workshop are two 2014 Lauge Jensen motorcycles. They are the first motorcycles in the world to meet EURO4 emissions, which aren’t even due to be implemented until at least 2016. The 1780mm wheelbase says more than I ever could. These are big bikes. They have the presence of a ’60s Cadillac. They’re long, low and with enough paint and clear coat to add at least 10kgs to the kerb weight.

It’s every bit the custom bike. The seat is so low you feel like you’re sat below the engine, while the reach to the bars is more of a stretch.

The 250-section rear tyre almost does away with the need for a side stand. It’s so wide it’s funny.

Despite the assault on your senses ar a standstill, it doesn’t sound as loud as it looks. The engine ticks away on idle without spluttering or stuttering and the noise from the exhaust is more restrained than I thought it would be. It’s surely quite a feat to get an engine as big as this 1792cc V-twin through the EURO4 emissions regulations, especially considering the absence of a massive catalytic-converter and collector box, as found under almost every production motorcycle out there. It’s taken Uffe three-years working alongside a Californian professor to develop his engine and fuel injection system to be as efficient as this.

Of the two motorcycles we have to ride, one is running the standard map while mine is running a slightly more aggressive map. The chromed throttle is so large it’s like gripping onto a can of Stella but despite its size the response is crisp and predictable, not lumbering. I wouldn’t want the response any sharper, it wouldn’t suit what this bike is all about.

The bike corners but it makes you work for it. Let’s face it, the 323kg kerb weight makes you work for it, regardless of wheelbase and rake. Its lack of cornering prowess is a trade-off to its straight-line composure. The gearbox is heavy but not agricultural. I didn’t miss any gears, each selection slots into place without a fuss and I can feel the moment the transmission engages as it sends a thud up through my left foot. I know I’ll sound like a bit of a geek when I say this but, it makes you feel quite manly. Where’s my gold medallion?

The riding position is a long way away from what I’m used to. Over 100mph I feel like a shirt hung out on a washing line in a storm. Maxing the bike out, I feel slightly disappointed when I look at the speedo and see 200kmh (120mph). It feels closer to 250mph. The noise and wind turbulence make me feel like I’m on the bow of a ship sailing into the eye of the storm.

This isn’t a bike for going fast but the undiluted windblast at 100mph is fun in its own way. You feel like you’re somewhere you shouldn’t be. At the top of a K2 in a force-nine gale, perhaps. In contrast to a superbike, which can make 100mph feel pedestrian.

Despite the huge numbers - 1792cc, 323kg, 250-section rear tyre and a 1780mm wheelbase - the bike isn’t the unmanageable, compromised, crude experience you might expect. It’s at home from 30-70mph in third and fourth, the motor spooling out torque from 2,000rpm. Shuddering and clattering its drive out onto the rear wheel, the drive belt tenses up under load. Every time you change gear, you feel the motor relax before digging deep and driving on. It’s an animated experience, I don’t think I’ve ridden a bike that makes you think so much about everything that’s going in to moving you forward.

If you want to press-on, you have to work for everything but if you want to relax, stick it into the overdrive sixth gear and the bike will get you there with minimal input.

A Lauge Jensen is a complex motorcycle. While it offers a riding experience free from today’s techno-treats like traction control, power modes and ABS, with its EURO4 stamp and Lauge Jensen’s own fuel-injection system, it’s not just another hunk of old-school iron. It’s a seriously well-engineered motorcycle doing its best to masquerade as a chop-shop custom.

Lauge Jensen have sold just under 100 motorcycles and estimate they’ll produce between 15 and 30 a year. While some owners have ridden them down to the South of France, that wouldn’t be my first choice. At the same time, it seems like a waste to do what I suspect most owners have done: display them in the corner of a room in a wing of their mansion, never to be ridden.

If you look at Harleys and think they’re too expensive for what they are, then you’re never going to be interested in a Lauge Jensen. However, if you look at Harleys and think they’re too common, you want to meet the man making your bike and specifiy it exactly the way you want it, this is the different kind of motorcycle you’re looking for.

Model tested: 2014 Lauge Jensen

Price: from £44,500

Contact: www.laugejensen.dk