Product Review: Ricochet Skid Plate for BMW F800 GS
17 Jun 2010, written by moto 0 CommentsI get a lot of questions via IAATB and my twitter account as to what is the best skid plate (bash guard) for the BMW F800 GS. The plastic unit that comes stock on the bike is a joke, and doesn’t protect your engine, particularly the exposed oil filter, oil cooler, and exhaust manifold pipes from rocks that you might encounter while riding the F800 offroad. I settled on purchasing the BMW brand (made by Touratech, but only sold through BMW dealers) last season, and have about 3,000 miles of mixed riding on it.
I am now testing out a locally-made product from Ricochet Offroad Armor, based right in Salt Lake City, Utah. Let me disclose that I approached them with the opportunity to try their product out and provide a review, and was generously supplied with a demo unit. Below are my thoughts on ease of install, comparative weight, likes and dislikes thus far. This will be a long term product review, and I will do a follow-up post after some miles off the beaten path. This is the only way to truly test the worth.
A little history on Ricochet: founded by motocross racer Don Gibbs, Ricochet Offroad Armor has been making aluminum skid plates and armor for motorbikes and ATVs for 30 years, originally under the Utah Sport Cycle name. I saw a little tiny ad in a dualsport digital magazine, and noticed they were here in Utah and a product for the BMW, so I gave Don a shout. I also learned they make skid plates for Toyota FJ Cruisers. How convenient, because I have one of those too.
The first thing I noticed about the Ricochet product; it’s black anodized finish is going to look sweet on the bumblebee. The next thing I noticed was the weight. Noticeably thicker aluminum than the BMW Touratech skid plate, but also heavier. In fact, below are the actual weights of the stock plastic guard, the BMW Touratech, and the Ricochet (all weighed by me, and including necessary hardware:
Stock plastic: 1.4 lbs (600 grams)
BMW Touratech: 3.8 lbs (1,700 grams)
Ricochet: 4.6 lbs (2,100 grams)
Why is this an issue? A pound here, a pound there. These bikes start getting less nimble in the dirt every time you add a farkle or doo-dad. But in this case I am willing to let it slide, because you really do need good protection to your engine.
The last thing I noticed was the amount of hardware required for the Ricochet: 20 pieces of hardware including nylock nuts, washers, bushings, brackets and bolts. The stock plastic plate only uses 6 pieces of mounting hardware, and the BMW Touratech uses only 5 of the 6 stock parts. Something tells me less is better, and although the install was easy despite all the parts on the Ricochet, I was still blown away. The Nylock nuts are a nice touch, and we’ll see if they loosen up. The hardware pieces on my BMW Touratech skid plate were not much more than finger tight when I went to take them off, which means I was probably one good ride away from losing a nut. If I put that one back on, I’ll have to use some Locktite.
That’s about it for first impressions. Below are some photos. The BMW model wraps around more of the engine casing in the front, but the Ricochet is sturdier and feels more solid in general, even with all the extra hardware. The Ricochet is far cheaper at $129, versus the $275 or so for the BMW. You’ll notice the BMW Touratech has taken a beating, all dented and scratched up. Imagine what your engine casing, oil filter, etc would look like after the same amount of riding and no skid plate! Grim.
Ricochet, BMW, and stock skid plates for BMW F800 GS
BMW Touratech skid plate has taken a beating.
Ricochet Offroad Armor aluminum skid plate for BMW F800 GS
The Ricochet skid plate uses thick aluminum plate and burly mounting hardware.
July Wyoming Moto Weekend
14 Jul 2009, written by moto 6 CommentsA wet June kept many plans at bay for a proper summer moto trip, but our crew finally got one together in mid-July, starting from Park City, Utah, and venturing up into Wyoming and Idaho. I’m always a little scrambled when we do these trips, trying to get the gear ready for the agreed upon roll-out time. Darth always seems to have his stuff ready to go. This time was no different. With a rather new BMW F800 GS under me which was fresh off its 600 mile break-in service (had it done the morning of departure), my plan was to strap all my gear on the back of the bike in a dry bag. Get home from work, throw the gear in the bag, and strap it on the back. Which normally works fine, but isn’t nearly as convenient as packing all your stuff the night before in boxes. On our first dirt road out of Coalville, Utah, at the top of Chalk Creek Canyon, one of the straps let loose, and I had to stop and redo the whole thing. Would have been easier to take my time and do it right the first time, and would have been a lot easier to throw all my gear the night before into side-mounted boxes. Oh well. The debate will continue over costs vs. convenience, adding weight to the bike vs. keeping it as light and nimble as possible. You get clarity on these issues after a weekend away from civilization. I’ll probably get some boxes. Check out some of the photos below. More can be found on our Flickr page, as well as Darth’s Shutterfly. We welcomed two new members to the crew on this trip, and nearly had a third who was ready to go Thursday night before departure, but canceled early Friday morning. Maybe the photos below will give you guys a taste of why you need to make it on the next one!
How To Convince Your Wife To Let You Get A Motorcycle
15 Jun 2009, written by moto 8 CommentsThis only works for adventure motorcycles, definitely not Harleys, sport bikes, or motocross bikes. But if you really want to get into adventure riding and you don’t quite know how to open the dialogue with your wife, do this. Borrow or buy a copy of Long Way Round, a documentary about traveling the world on BMW motorcycles starring Ewan McGregor and his buddy Charley Boorman. Your wife will want to watch it because it stars Ewan McGregor. That’s the Trojan Horse. That’s what you use to wheel the conversation about getting a motorcycle within the gates of “categorical NO.” As you watch episode after episode, you will imagine yourself being the crafty Odysseus, on a seemingly never ending journey home. Home is when your wife gets to the end of the DVDs, and says, “that looks pretty cool, I bet you’d really enjoy that, honey.” Not exactly a “yes,” but sort of an implied OK. Home is that spot in your garage that you start clearing, long before you have made your purchase, where you will eventually wheel in your new ride. It also can work when you have already had the conversation without a definitive green light, and you are in a sense taking your own “Long Way Round” to seeking your wife’s approval. You waive the element of surprise, because if you bust out LWR at the very end, she will know what you are up to and be suspicious. But it stars Ewan McGregor, you keep telling her. At this point, you might as well be throwing a hail mary pass into the endzone, in which case, this is the only play you’ve got left. So what do you have to lose?
