![Kitti and Martha Forget Black Dog CYCLE WORKS](https://cdn.magzter.com/1438112326/1687884151/articles/P1BBc6GBz1690280087240/KITTI-AND-MARTHA-FORGET-BLACK-DOG-CYCLE-WORKS.jpg)
Here’s how they built an ADV motorcycle armor and upgrades company, how they test their products, and how they stay consistent in a constantly evolving industry.
Let’s talk about how BDCW got started and how things have progressed.
Kurt: We opened for business in 2007 with three products, one of which was a skid plate for the KTM 950 Adventure. We eventually brought in other brands to fill in the catalog—products that we tested or already used ourselves. If it wasn’t something we knew was quality, we didn’t carry it. At one point, there were about 400 items on our website from 50 different brands, which got a little too crazy to maintain, so as we expanded, we chose to cut back on other brands.
In the beginning, we were mainly focused on KTM and created the prototype for a friend competing in the Baja 1000 on a KTM 950 Super Enduro just in time for the race. In 2009, we expanded into BMW adventure motorcycles a big move that transformed the business and took BDCW to the next level.
Martha: There’s a community of small adventure-motorcycle-oriented businesses like Black Dog out there, and we are all big fans of each other. We don’t really think of each other as competitors, which further builds the community and has made it a really fulfilling life for all of us.
Denne historien er fra July - August 2023-utgaven av Adventure Motorcycle (ADVMoto).
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra July - August 2023-utgaven av Adventure Motorcycle (ADVMoto).
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
![Stuant Gregory IS IT AN ADDICTION?](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/10772/1556395/WhVsXaigk1704273490793/STUANT-GREGORY-IS-IT-AN-ADDICTION.jpg)
Stuant Gregory IS IT AN ADDICTION?
Five-Time Dakar Malle Moto racer
![INTO THE MUD](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/10772/1556395/Y35K9PjNH1704273294556/INTO-THE-MUD.jpg)
INTO THE MUD
Strategies for Successful Off-Road Riding
![CHASING PEAKS IN THE HIMALAYAS](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/10772/1556395/G0-ASGJ2_1704273000599/CHASING-PEAKS-IN-THE-HIMALAYAS.jpg)
CHASING PEAKS IN THE HIMALAYAS
It was 2:00 a.m. on my fourth day in India. My eyes blinked open in the dark of a hotel room in Drass, a town in the Himalayas on the Indian side of the border. Yesterday was our first day riding on a six-day trip through the Himalayas, and my brain could not process everything I'd seen and experienced.
![Angels and Demons RIDING TWO-UP SOUTH THROUGH ALASKA](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/10772/1556395/lSeJl4Cmx1704272706842/ANGELS-AND-DEMONS-RIDING-TWOUP-SOUTH-THROUGH-ALASKA.jpg)
Angels and Demons RIDING TWO-UP SOUTH THROUGH ALASKA
A not-so-warm welcome as we entered Hatchers Pass from Willow to Palmer, Alaska.
![EXPLORING THE THRILLING WORLD OF RALLY RAID](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/10772/1556395/7ELp7_Fur1704268037273/EXPLORING-THE-THRILLING-WORLD-OF-RALLY-RAID.jpg)
EXPLORING THE THRILLING WORLD OF RALLY RAID
A GUIDE TO GETTING STARTED
![MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/10772/1556395/ZghKV2d7_1704267454592/MOTORCYCLE-MAINTENANCE.jpg)
MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE
LESSONS LEARNED ON THE ROAD
![White Desert](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/10772/1358041/2ToalR-jj1690280389412/WHITE-DESERT.jpg)
White Desert
Riding Across the Frozen Landscape of Siberia
![Kitti and Martha Forget Black Dog CYCLE WORKS](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/10772/1358041/P1BBc6GBz1690280087240/KITTI-AND-MARTHA-FORGET-BLACK-DOG-CYCLE-WORKS.jpg)
Kitti and Martha Forget Black Dog CYCLE WORKS
How do you start something from nothing? That’s what Kurt and Martha Forgét did when they created Black Dog Cycle Works (BDCW) out of their garage 16 years ago
![Essential GROUP RIDING Tips](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/10772/1358041/iYhQBSY2l1690279705172/ESSENTIAL-GROUP-RIDING TIPS.jpg)
Essential GROUP RIDING Tips
FOR ADVENTURE RIDERS (ON OR OFF THE ROAD)
![MAKING MEMORIES](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/10772/1358041/VE_SVXPtT1690279388048/MAKING MEMORIES.jpg)
MAKING MEMORIES
Kevin and I initially met in the Marines. We have been riding together for a few years, and riding BDRs the entire time. Our first attempt at a BDR was in Utah, where we were completely unprepared and significantly ignorant of our capabilities. It led to some interesting moments conquering Lockhart Basin where we developed our backcountry motto: “Less Gear and More Water.” We document our rides on our YouTube channel, “Be Gone for Good.”