BMW F800GS – Off to the Safari Enduro

This entry is part 3 of 18 in the series Adventure Rider Issue #18

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GS Safari Enduro? Bring it on!

With surprisingly little work – none of it mechanical – the BMWF800GS is ready to take on the GS Safari Enduro. Several shakedown rides through some rugged terrain were capped off with a cruise through the New England region on a sunny Winter day.

Last issue we’d taken delivery of a 2016 F800GS, ridden it back from Melbourne, loved it, and sent it in for its first service. The idea was to set up the bike for the GS Safari Enduro running from Streaky Bay in South Australia up to Broken Hill in NSW, and we were a little nonplussed at just how good the 800GS is in stock trim. It’s a GS remember, not a GSA, so we were expecting it to be a little soft around the edges. That turned out to be a foolish notion, and thanks to some much-appreciated help from BMW Motorrad, the bike’s now had a few changes aimed predominantly at rider comfort and coping with a challenging off-road run.

Comfort zone

The most obvious change for an event like the GS Safari is tyres.

The stock Anakees were a road-oriented tyre, and at BMW’s suggestion, they were replaced with Continental TKC80 Twinduros – a 150/70-17 on the rear and 90/90 21 on the front.

Giant Loop Bushwackers protect the bike’s controls as well as the rider’s hands. Good stuff in the cold and wet.

We’ve had a great results and longevity from the TKC80s in the past, especially on the big-horsepower bikes, so we’re very content. There’s a noticeable change in feel on the road of course, but the extra grip and drive off-road is exceptional, and while the new tyres were being fitted, UHD tubes were slotted in place as well.

With the tyres taken care of it was time to sort things for the individual rider, Adventure Rider Magazine’s editor, and the folks at Motorrad Garage were the first port of call. The ’bar position as delivered was very close to ideal, but with the GS Safari Enduro there’s likely to be way more standing-up time than usual, and a pair of SW Motech 20mm ’bar risers gave just a whisker more comfort when the rider’s up on the ’pegs. SW Motech also has a GPS mount which fits on the ’bar clamps and offers a steady platform with stacks of adjustment and excellent insulation from vibration, so that was bolted on. With the GPS in the desired position the tacho on the F800GS is partially obscured, but it seems a totally acceptable compromise.

Bag man

It cracks us up how the editor always goes on about how he doesn’t like tankbags, but when he has to ride a bike that doesn’t have one, all he does is sulk. The BMW-supplied tankbag was a sturdy and luxurious unit, but a tad too big for his personal comfort.

The Motorrad Garage guys came to rescue again with the fitting that bolts on top of the airbox cover – what would be the tank on most bikes. This is a great system because there’s no straps to deal with. The tankbag just clips in and out of the rig.

An SW Motech City bag was also supplied, but the editor prefers his Micro bag from the same company. It’s very small and is really only suitable for a wallet, phone and small camera, which is pretty much the use it will get.

The bulk of the luggage will be in a BMW roll-top bag, and it’s a cracker bit of gear. It looks super-tough, and the design and build is brilliant. That bag will travel in the support truck during the event.

Speaking of brilliant builds, the editor’s largish toolkit travels in an Andy Strapz Pannier Trunkz. Trunkz are designed to strap on top of Andy’s Pannierz, but it’s the ideal size and gives great protection for the tubes and tools. It straps on to the rack and makes sure that everything from Torx bits to the Rocky Creek Designs Pocket Pump are there if needed.

Got wind

We mentioned last issue how the BMW handguards were fitted with wind deflectors, and how BMW had larger deflectors available. We were intending to fit those, but then we saw the Giant Loop Bushwackers. The editor had used something similar many years ago and thought they’d be a good alternative for the BMW deflectors, mainly because they offered such huge coverage. It’s not only the rider’s hands which are protected, it’s the bike’s controls as well, and on a wet, muddy ride that can make a huge difference.

The folks at BMW were happy for us to give the Bushwalkers a try so we punted the company credit card details at Adventure Moto and they arrived in the mail a couple of days later, just in time for a chilly run through the New England area in the early morning.

Brrr!

Done

So that’s it. We’re calling the 800 Beemer ready to go. We know there’s not much to talk about as far as exotic upgrades go, but as we find on so many modern bikes, the F800GS is extremely capable in stock trim. There’s just no need to make a lot of changes, except to suit specific rides or tasks.

Next stop is Streaky Bay and five days of some the best, challenging and most good-fun riding Australia has to offer.

Yee-hah!

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