BMW GS Trophy 2020 Oceania: The custom F850GS for the epic New Zealand adventure

Introduction

The BMW F850GS is possibly one of the best middle-weight adventure bikes ever made. In fact, our F850GS roadtest concluded with the same thoughts. Maybe this is why BMW Motorrad decided to use the F850GS at the GS Trophy 2020 Oceania instead of the proven 1250GS.  While the standard motorcycle did a fantastic job on the road and off-road as well, the German brand decided to create a special edition for this adventure. In this story, we tell the extra features BMW equipped the F850GS with. 

Larger Windscreen

This F850GS got a larger windscreen compared to the standard bike. Majority of off-road route in New Zealand is filled with gravel. So when a large group of 10 riders ride together, the gravel or the stones are bound to hit the motorcycle or the rider. So with the larger windscreen, the riders could focus more on the road ahead rather than figuring out a way to tackle the gravel.  

Headlight protector

Imagine riding through dark and a huge stone hits the headlight, damaging the entire unit. The ride for that evening is definitely over. So in order to avoid that, BMW equipped the GS trophy bike with headlight protector.  

Handlebar risers

The GS Trophy 2020 was 20 per cent on-road and the rest off it. That means, a lot of time was spent standing-up and riding. So to make our lives easier, especially for the taller riders, BMW had equipped the F850GS with a handlebar riser. This small piece of equipment increased the overall comfort by a large margin.  

Rally Seat

The rally seat was slim, super comfortable and also increased the overall seat height by a decent margin. Interestingly, this seat had hard padding, but it managed to offer a great comfort level.  

Enduro footrests and adjustable foot lever

The enduro footrest were such a boon on this adventure. It was pretty easy to use the ADV boots on these footrests. Plus, with the adjustable feature, it gave us more control during braking.  

Akrapovic exhaust 

The titanium-clad Akrapovic exhaust reduced the overall weight by 2.3kgs. But more importantly, it offered a sound that was addictive. The interesting aspect of this exhaust was the GS trophy logo printed on it. Looked super premium.  

LED auxiliary lights

This was probably one of the most important equipment at the trophy. These LED ones were really bright and proved a boon while riding before dawn.