I always ride fully loaded with gear to get
me through any situation, so I played around with the preload, which adjusts the bike’s ride height. It allowed me to get the bike a little lower (did I mention how short I am?). Then I moved to the high speed dampening, which changes the way the bike absorbs bumps in the road (wash- board, rocks, etc.). After each adjustment, I took a pass down the same road at the same speed to see how it felt different, and adjusted it until it felt perfect for me. I adjusted the low speed dampening next; this controls the way the bike handles over bigger stuff like big potholes and how much it sinks when going over jumps and large obstacles. Think of how much the bike feels like it’s trying to buck you off when you hit something big, and that’s where low speed dampening comes into play. There are a couple cattle guards that I've heard allow for testing the GS's flying capabilities at higher speeds. Six hundred pound bikes can fly— but they have to land, too. After just a few adjustments and more passes down the road than I would normally take, it felt per- fect to me. When I got to the technical por- tions, the shock wouldn't bottom out. Rocks, ruts, jumps, sand—and did I men- tion the jumps? The old shock would have rattled my teeth out with all the abuse I was giving the new one. I don't get to ride very much during a
roads is what I live for. The shock made my bike feel planted on the road. I rode it harder than I had been able to before, and thought to myself, “I haven't even played with all the adjustments yet.” The shock has different ways to adjust it for each person’s riding style. I started with it in the out-of- the-box settings, and it was amazing. Once I got to the washboarded dirt road,
the fun really began. The dirt road has some corners that would throw a vehicle into a ditch if you were driving too fast. I hit them at a pace that would make the bike feel like
it was going to wash out. Like it did on the asphalt, my F 800 GS felt planted in the cor- ners, even with loose gravel and bumps. The wide-open stretches allowed for a little more speed. I rode down the road to get a feeling of how the bike felt. After taking a pass down the road, I pulled over and got the instructions out. I know, I know—guys don't read instructions—but adjusting a shock takes a few degrees in physics that I don't have. Much to my surprise, with very little reading and a couple adjustments, I started to fine-tune my new shock.
weekend of teaching, but the five days of touring would allow me to ride every type of terrain Colorado has to offer. Amazing twisty roads, high mountain passes, water bars, rocky sections of road, and enough dirt to put the proper patina on the new gear. The 1,000 or so miles I rode were amazing. The Touratech Extreme shock has changed the way I can ride, and I would recommend this upgrade to anyone that asks. If you want more comfort, better han- dling and a custom feel for your ride, then check out the options Touratech has to offer. I have many of their parts on my bike, but THIS one is my favorite! For more information, visit
www.tourat-
ech-usa.com/Store/316/PN-048-5870X/ Touratech-Extreme-Rear-Shock-BMW- F800GS.
March 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS 35
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