sijohnston
Registered user
I've just returned from a trip to Mongolia and Siberia (see the link from my signature (awayfromhere) at the bottom for the 'in process' ride report). The bike has now approaching 40k miles on it and other than the main nut on the thrust pin coming off in the clutch, the bike behaved faultlessly, and I've written to BMW to say so. After inspecting the clutch which has done a lot of off-road work and 1st and 2nd gear feathering, there is only a little wear!!! Rotax know what they're doing. Oh, and by way of critique, judging by the dings, the rims are quite soft!
Out of all the bikes I rode with, everyone acknowledged that it was the best suited bike for the job. Those with 1200's and African Twins which I met commented that they were going to chop them in for the 800 on their return. If I was to change again, I'd go for the same bike or maybe the 650 X-challenge modded up.
I took a pretty bad spill in Mongolia after hitting a dog at speed. The bike got well and truly trashed and yet was still able to get me home, in spite of the engine bars knocking one of the header pipes out, and it sounding like a bag of bolts. The binnacle/screen came off, one of the adv-spec bars was ripped out at right angles, headlight smashed, and the fairing is in bits.
Thus, I have a project on my hands. Mechanically, the bike has had more services than required and is absolutely sound. But rather than chop it in, I've decided that since I now own it outright and have the finance squared away, I'm going to give it a make over. I'd like to find a boat builder to build a dakar-esque cockpit, throw in full ohlins suspension, and recondition the whole thing, as well as give it a paint job. Any suppliers who want to help me ready it for its next voyage (in return for profile) or anyone with good ideas, please check in with me. Given that I normally ride during the winter, this will be a painful, but necessary project.
Contrary to those who think otherwise, my opinion is that the F800GS is a piece of mechanical art and probably the finest overland bike on the market.
Out of all the bikes I rode with, everyone acknowledged that it was the best suited bike for the job. Those with 1200's and African Twins which I met commented that they were going to chop them in for the 800 on their return. If I was to change again, I'd go for the same bike or maybe the 650 X-challenge modded up.
I took a pretty bad spill in Mongolia after hitting a dog at speed. The bike got well and truly trashed and yet was still able to get me home, in spite of the engine bars knocking one of the header pipes out, and it sounding like a bag of bolts. The binnacle/screen came off, one of the adv-spec bars was ripped out at right angles, headlight smashed, and the fairing is in bits.
Thus, I have a project on my hands. Mechanically, the bike has had more services than required and is absolutely sound. But rather than chop it in, I've decided that since I now own it outright and have the finance squared away, I'm going to give it a make over. I'd like to find a boat builder to build a dakar-esque cockpit, throw in full ohlins suspension, and recondition the whole thing, as well as give it a paint job. Any suppliers who want to help me ready it for its next voyage (in return for profile) or anyone with good ideas, please check in with me. Given that I normally ride during the winter, this will be a painful, but necessary project.
Contrary to those who think otherwise, my opinion is that the F800GS is a piece of mechanical art and probably the finest overland bike on the market.
