$2000 Streetbike Surgery - BMW F800GS

Barkbusters hand guards shield from cold and contact with hard surfaces. Duct tape is impromptu waterproofing for the Countdown roll-chart holder.

Barkbusters hand guards shield from cold and contact with hard surfaces. Duct tape is impr

The stock, road-biased Bridgestone Trail Wing tires were swapped for off-road-ready Metzeler Karoos, with massive knobs on the rear tire for improved forward motion and sharper side knobs up front for better penetration in soft surfaces. McNeil also installed heavy-duty, puncture-resistant tubes and ran higher-than-recommended 20-psi pressures. This prevented flats, but didn't protect from a badly dinged front rim caused by a particularly nasty square-edged bump.

Bags-Connection tank bag and tail pack are well built and waterproof. The former expands from 17-22 liters, the latter from 25-38.

Bags-Connection tank bag and tail pack are well built and waterproof. The former expands f

Because the AMA/NARS events are multi-day and self-supported, luggage was a must. McNeil again turned to Twisted Throttle, which delivered a tank bag and tail pack designed specifically for adventure-touring. Made by Bags-Connection in Germany, the tail pack features an internal aluminum frame to hold its shape and all-metal mounting hardware for maximum security. The Enduro tank bag utilizes a strap-on base affixed with optional clips designed for anchoring to tubular frames like on the GS. "Both bags stayed on and stayed on good," McNeil reports.

Crash bars and skid plate from SW-MOTECH afford further protection, and are essential additions before venturing off-road.

Crash bars and skid plate from SW-MOTECH afford further protection, and are essential addi

Given the limitations with both time and budget, McNeil's quick-and-dirty off-road overhaul was an overwhelming success. The only major oversights were a headlight guard (the bike suffered a cracked lens) and shorter gearing (the stock gearing proved too tall for technical off-road riding). Turns out it doesn't take much time or money to transform the F800GS into a capable off-road companion.

LeoVince aluminum muffler drops weight, adds power and features an optional quiet silencer insert to fend off the noise police.

LeoVince aluminum muffler drops weight, adds power and features an optional quiet silencer

"My instructions from BMW were to go out there, beat the snot out of this bike and show everyone what it can do," McNeil summarizes. "I gave it everything from 100-mph dirt roads to first-gear, 5-mph canyon descents, even some snow and sleet. In the end, the modded F800GS had an advantage over both the true dirtbikes and the big-bore adventure-tourers just about everywhere."

Take that to mean this project was an unqualified success.

RESOURCES
www.f800riders.org
www.bmwmoa.org/forum
www.advrider.com