Please prioritise my Green Lane Mods - F800GS
- Thread starter Blobby
- Start date
Blobby
Registered user
get some protective body armour and good boots
phone
Dont go out on yer own - make sure the roads lanes trails are legal
then yer bike bits
enjoy yerselfand it always seems to be either the first two or last two lanes that yer drop yer bike on or hurt yerself
If yer come up here give us a call/mail and I will show you around
HTHY
Re the "Protective Body Armour", do you mean like Enduro gear or is the SAS-Tec stuff in HG Cruise II clothing ok? Mt boots are TCX Infinity Gore-Tex. Are they ok as they are padded but certainly no solid armor in them?
Re "make sure the roads lanes trails are legal", I am one of the dull people who go and sit in County Highways Dept looking at definative maps. Apart from making sure one is legal, it paid dividends once when I got confronted by a very angry farmer who parked his tractor across a track to stop me going through shouting that I was trespassing
. Telling him that I had checked the routes and showing him the highlighted map took the wind out of his sales (I also had to add I would drive round his tractor & through his crops if he did not move) and he became very chatty. Transpired he was angry because so many 4x4's and bikes go through and drive straight across his fields which are not rights of way. Sadly, it's those people who screw it up for the law abiding green laners......but I am sure that topic has been discussed many times.MickDB1 - If I am passing your way it would be great to have a guided tour. Many thanks.
Deathiance
Registered user
Need some armour in your boots really when off road what with ruts and roots etc, different boot to road boots.
Hey up again
First trials bike I had I went practicing in Wellies - big misstake
Got some proper boots when the lump on me shin eventually went down
Years later I started "greenlaning" or as I like to call it now
"pony trecking on two wheels" I have a peaked helmet to shade from sun with a dropdown visor as I dont like goggles cos when it rains hard and yer gooowin fast its like shotblasting me nose and I am a wus
decent off road boots are a must have - with shin and ankle hard parts
I also wear a shirt style body protector with elbows shoulder and chest and back protectors in it ( it is possible to have sex in this Item as well, you are thinking arnt you ??) and I use hinged knee armour
Look like a right burke but I have been off quite a few times in my biking life
and I dont get hurt as much with it on
Still broke me ankle last year though and I just fell over more than owt
Dropping on to a rock is just the same as having a rock thrown at you so wear some protection
You could apply this rule to yer bike cover yer engine cases up with a good sumpgard put some gaffer tape over some exposed paintwork
Knuckle guards save yer levers you would have to be very very unlucky to break one off with them fitted
My old mans tip is to fit a SS wire off front of yer brake and gear lever to yer sump guard to help stop things snagging the levers back and braking them off
These have saved my foot controls a few times I am sure -
Also if yer travel with others you dont all need to carry the same stuff for spares
Lads that ride with me seem quite happy to let me carry all the spares and tools and jump leads cos I am daft enough to do it
Ride safe and stop and say hello to walkers sometimes and switch off for horses
the lanes are not motocross tracks - they were once, and still could be, used for pony trecking on either two or four wheels or on horseback or at a push walking
see you soon maybe
First trials bike I had I went practicing in Wellies - big misstake
Got some proper boots when the lump on me shin eventually went down
Years later I started "greenlaning" or as I like to call it now
"pony trecking on two wheels" I have a peaked helmet to shade from sun with a dropdown visor as I dont like goggles cos when it rains hard and yer gooowin fast its like shotblasting me nose and I am a wus
decent off road boots are a must have - with shin and ankle hard parts
I also wear a shirt style body protector with elbows shoulder and chest and back protectors in it ( it is possible to have sex in this Item as well, you are thinking arnt you ??) and I use hinged knee armour
Look like a right burke but I have been off quite a few times in my biking life
and I dont get hurt as much with it on
Still broke me ankle last year though and I just fell over more than owt
Dropping on to a rock is just the same as having a rock thrown at you so wear some protection
You could apply this rule to yer bike cover yer engine cases up with a good sumpgard put some gaffer tape over some exposed paintwork
Knuckle guards save yer levers you would have to be very very unlucky to break one off with them fitted
My old mans tip is to fit a SS wire off front of yer brake and gear lever to yer sump guard to help stop things snagging the levers back and braking them off
These have saved my foot controls a few times I am sure -
Also if yer travel with others you dont all need to carry the same stuff for spares
Lads that ride with me seem quite happy to let me carry all the spares and tools and jump leads cos I am daft enough to do it
Ride safe and stop and say hello to walkers sometimes and switch off for horses
the lanes are not motocross tracks - they were once, and still could be, used for pony trecking on either two or four wheels or on horseback or at a push walking
see you soon maybe
Deathiance
Registered user
+1
Excellent advice.
Excellent advice.
Hey up again
First trials bike I had I went practicing in Wellies - big misstake
Got some proper boots when the lump on me shin eventually went down
Years later I started "greenlaning" or as I like to call it now
"pony trecking on two wheels" I have a peaked helmet to shade from sun with a dropdown visor as I dont like goggles cos when it rains hard and yer gooowin fast its like shotblasting me nose and I am a wus
decent off road boots are a must have - with shin and ankle hard parts
I also wear a shirt style body protector with elbows shoulder and chest and back protectors in it ( it is possible to have sex in this Item as well, you are thinking arnt you ??) and I use hinged knee armour
Look like a right burke but I have been off quite a few times in my biking life
and I dont get hurt as much with it on
Still broke me ankle last year though and I just fell over more than owt
Dropping on to a rock is just the same as having a rock thrown at you so wear some protection
You could apply this rule to yer bike cover yer engine cases up with a good sumpgard put some gaffer tape over some exposed paintwork
Knuckle guards save yer levers you would have to be very very unlucky to break one off with them fitted
My old mans tip is to fit a SS wire off front of yer brake and gear lever to yer sump guard to help stop things snagging the levers back and braking them off
These have saved my foot controls a few times I am sure -
Also if yer travel with others you dont all need to carry the same stuff for spares
Lads that ride with me seem quite happy to let me carry all the spares and tools and jump leads cos I am daft enough to do it
Ride safe and stop and say hello to walkers sometimes and switch off for horses
the lanes are not motocross tracks - they were once, and still could be, used for pony trecking on either two or four wheels or on horseback or at a push walking
see you soon maybe
Greggers
Registered user
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I lost my post from last night ..
I was going to say that compared to a 'proper' green laner the 800 is a right old lump to chuck about... my regular laning bike is an old 400 LC4 which even now is considered to be too heavy by those 'in the know' ...
Mick's advise on brake snakes and hand guards is great and could save you a lot of money. Decent boots are a real essential, I used to use Sidi Couriers that look like MX boots - but they're not and I learned the hard way after a simple tarmac slide put me out of action for 6 fookin weeks. I just bought a pair of Alpinestarts Tech7 boots on the 'Bay - cheapish at £130 but so supportive that they make my Sidis look as protective as a pair of woolly socks.
I took the 800 on a regular TRF run a couple of months ago and it was a real struggle when the going got a bit slippy or on wet grass... you do need to be really careful. On harder packed tracks it's great and you can have some fun, but when I got home that night my body was telling me that maybe I should make sure the KTM is ready for the next run.
Stay within your comfort zone and it'll be a real blaaaaaast!
Greg
I was going to say that compared to a 'proper' green laner the 800 is a right old lump to chuck about... my regular laning bike is an old 400 LC4 which even now is considered to be too heavy by those 'in the know' ...
Mick's advise on brake snakes and hand guards is great and could save you a lot of money. Decent boots are a real essential, I used to use Sidi Couriers that look like MX boots - but they're not and I learned the hard way after a simple tarmac slide put me out of action for 6 fookin weeks. I just bought a pair of Alpinestarts Tech7 boots on the 'Bay - cheapish at £130 but so supportive that they make my Sidis look as protective as a pair of woolly socks.
I took the 800 on a regular TRF run a couple of months ago and it was a real struggle when the going got a bit slippy or on wet grass... you do need to be really careful. On harder packed tracks it's great and you can have some fun, but when I got home that night my body was telling me that maybe I should make sure the KTM is ready for the next run.
Stay within your comfort zone and it'll be a real blaaaaaast!
Greg
I am going to use my F800GS 85% on road and 15% on green lanes so think I need to add a few bits. This bike is a toy, not a commuter so please would someone with green lane experience advise and/or revise my proposed purchases to make sure I will be buying bits in a sensible order as and when funds allow. This is my proposed list in the order I though seemed logical :
1. Puncture kit & tyre levers/spanners (something to carry them in?)
2. Hand Guards (F800GS ones)
3. Engine bars (probably Motec)
4. Centre stand (to make tyre changes easier)
5. Knobbies
6. Tank Bag
7. Taller screen
8. Maybe panniers but v. low priority
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
Definitely Hand Guards, I dropped my 800GS twice before I had my crash/engine bars and NO damage at all thanks to the hand guards. I have the barkbusters (£80) from Adventure Spec. I also have the crash/engine bars from Adventure Spec, looks good almost like part of the bike and the Famsa tank bag, guess what, also from Adventure Spec and works very well
For luggage I only have a Touratech luggage plate bought from NippyNormans.
My next mods are:
Centre Stand (although I haven't missed it yet, maybe only when parking in tight spaces in central London)
Panniers (when I get seriously into this touring stuff, although for me a few overboard/ortlieb waterproof bags are enough for now)
Some spotlights which I have, but need to find the time to fit them.
Headlight Guard
... but seriously, get the hand guards first
Blobby
Registered user
... but seriously, get the hand guards first
I did that yesterday
and they look very new. Good to know they offer that much protection. I am going to get a BMW Centre Stand tomorrow as it will just make chain maintenance so much easier since as I have added 500 miles in three days of ownership, I want to make chain fiddling as easy as poss. The BMW chap raised the problem of rust on the stands but I intend to get two aluminium plates and rivet them onto the base of the stand so they become the bit that touches the ground, hence can't rust.
57.5mpg so far based on miles covered divided by fuel in. I am not complaining for sure. I am really impressed by the F800GS. It is such an adaptive/flexible bike that's at home in more places than any other bike I have owned to date. There is something a bit agricultural about it though which is perhaps a combination a twin which generates a few vibes and an exhaust note that I don't think draws attention for the right reasons 
. But I still love this bike - a lot!
MickDB1 - Great photo and I will now work towards the same look as I too want to be one of todays green laners. Grrrrr.
