Amazonas 1600 - Specifications & Review

Company History

Amazonas answered Brazil’s 1970s import restrictions with ingenuity: build a domestic big bike around the ubiquitous Volkswagen Beetle flat-four. The result was a towering touring machine with car-like torque, shaft drive, and bodywork that made a rider look like a pilot. Weight was substantial, but so was presence; police fleets and long-distance riders appreciated parts availability and the confidence of a docile, under-stressed engine. Chassis engineering wrestled with mass and cooling, while suppliers adapted automotive components to two-wheel duty. As trade barriers eased and global OEMs returned in force, Amazonas’ rationale weakened, but the legend endured. Historically, Amazonas captures a uniquely Brazilian moment—engineering around scarcity to satisfy a local appetite for displacement and distance. The bikes symbolize resourcefulness: if you can’t import superbikes, build something audacious from what you can source and service. Surviving examples are rolling conversation pieces, celebrated for turning the hum of an air-cooled flat-four into a touring soundtrack on two wheels.