Our long-term F800GSis finally back on road—and trail. Plans to install an off-road-oriented Öhlins cartridge fork kit never came to fruition, so, after waiting several months for parts that failed to materialize, we begrudgingly reinstalled the stock damper assembly.
Making up for lost miles was fun and included participation in the annual Cycle World Trek. This invitation-only, industry dual-sport ride has for the past decade taken place in the Sierra Mountains of central California. This year’s course had a large chunk of off-road single-track, so prior to departure, we made a few prudent modifications.
First, we fitted Fasst Company’s 15-degree-bend “Woods High” Flexx Handlebar System ($350; fasstco.com). This innovative design uses different-density compression elastomers to absorb road shock and minor engine vibration. Barkbusters VPS handguards ($160; twistedthrottle.com) protect the bars, brake and clutch levers, and, most importantly, hands. They feature heavy-duty aluminum supports and bolted quickly and easily to the Fasst bars.
Placement of the oil cooler and filter low and toward the front of the engine leaves these components vulnerable to damage from road debris and rocks. BMW’s aluminum Enduro Engine Guard ($273;bmw-riders-gear.com) protects the aforementioned parts as well as a significant portion of the underside of the engine. Think of it as cheap insurance.
The standard GS headlights don’t exactly blast holes into the night, so we fitted PIAA’s 1100X VSX Dichroic Halogen Light Kit (#77110, $320; piaa.com). Hardware and wiring are included, and the lights mount easily and offer excellent illumination—they even helped one tester avoid hitting a deer on a dark night.
We’ve used two sets of tires since our last update. Continental’s semi-knobbed TKC 80s ($325;conti-online.com) provided excellent off-road grip but didn’t last as long as Pirelli’s Scorpion Trails ($360;us.pirelli.com).
Our only issue with the F800GS during the last 3100 miles was a faulty fuel-level sending unit, which on three occasions left us stranded without fuel. This, and two other recall-related issues, will be remedied at the next service.
Carefully selected modifications and semi-knobbed tires were all that was needed to make our long-term BMW F800GS a true off-road-worthy machine.
SPECIFICATIONS |
|
|---|---|
| Total miles: | 6034 |
| Next service: | 6200 miles |
| Maintenance costs (including tires): | $685 |
| Repair costs: | $0 |
| Average fuel mileage: | 46 mpg |
| List price (2008): | $10,520 |
