GlobeRiders BMW F 800 GS DVD

An On-The-Road Review by KLC & HBC for webBikeWorld.com

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As offered up by the Editor, the early July mail delivered the new GlobeRiders DVD from John Wehman, the Marketing Representative for GlobeRiders LLC.

I had figured on leaving the set at home and tackling it once back from our journey south (of the Canadian border).

But with my spouse and riding partner back in North America on her mid- tour break, having the video along would provide an excellent opportunity for two F800GS owners to review the offering.

We haven’t yet gotten around to a more public viewing to see what a larger audience consensus might be, but we will.

Needless to say, receipt of the set was eagerly anticipated given my enthusiasm for the abilities of the smaller GS and appreciating who it was made by.  GlobeRiders and all that the name entails is the stuff that many dreams and desires are made of, and the great thing about it, is that so riders actually get a chance to experience a GlobeRider adventure first hand.

GlobeRiders LLC is a motorcycle travel adventure and multi-media production company founded by Helge Pederson.  For over 20 years Helge has travelled the world by motorcycle, visiting over 100 countries on six continents and covering over 600,000 miles.

An internationally recognized expert in long-duration motorcycle tours, Helge and GlobeRiders continue to offer up new tours almost every year to some of the most remote parts and exotic countries around the world. 

And if you can’t take one of the tours, there is a good chance you will be able to experience it in HD DVD thanks to their strategic partnership with Wide World HD Productions LLC.

For those expecting four hours of rough 'n' tumble riding action, you might be disappointed.  The production is exactly what the title says - an Adventure Touring Instructional DVD that like other releases in the series provides step by step instructions and information on setup, care and field maintenance of the F800GS.

The whole video is hosted, narrated and performed by none other than Helge Pedersen.

This is the fourth instructional DVD produced by GlobeRiders during the past three years.  The others cover the F650GS (single), the R1100/1150GS and the R1200GS.  But, this is the first one that we have seen from end to end.

If the title of the DVD is not understood, the menu listing of each DVD seems mundane and to be honest, if you want lots of speed and crashes, you will have to jump to the bonus video material that provides a bit more action footage.

We weren’t bored.  What really hit home for both of us is how simple, informative, honest, educational and totally entertaining the whole production is.  The synergy between the host, the videographer and those interviewed really adds to the content of every chapter.

Even if you have never met Helge in person or been part of a GlobeRider tour you will feel as if you have been part of the F800GS experience by the time the credits roll.

His simple style, wry sense of humour and ability to acknowledge the learning curve presented by the new F800GS sets the tone for all the featured activities.

Like any good instructional and thus educational presentation, Helge lays out each activity and then walks you through it and confirms everything, and yes, there is some Q & A.  At times we were just about ready to run out and start working on one of the 8GS machines just to try what he was doing.

What he has learned, and as he says, continues to learn from other riders and enthusiasts, is on display throughout the whole video.  You can tell that Helge is new to the F800GS in comparison to other adventure mounts, but his enthusiasm seems to grow as he works through the individual repair and maintenance activities presented and there is an obvious change in the comfort level between some of the chapters, rehearsed or not.

Some of the best sequences are those where he demonstrates what many would call the ‘field expedient’ solutions or workarounds - things that many riders wouldn’t think of doing or even trying, out in the boonies, especially when using only what is carried on the motorcycle itself or aids that fall to hand.

The one on one session with the six other F800GS owners and adventure riders is another chapter that adds more personal perspective to the whole video.  As usual, each of the individuals has their own thoughts on why they purchased the 8GS, what they use it for and how they have or are accessorizing it.

There is no right or wrong implied from the interviews, but everything presented is pure information for viewers to appreciate and take away regarding accessories used or installed.  If you own an F800GS, you will relate, big time.  We found it to be one of the most interesting chapters in the video.

Bonus Stuff
Looking for the action stuff?  The short sequences included under the Bonus Videos chapter will give you some insight into the shenanigans that go into making a video like this -- life can’t be serious all the time, right?  As well, the riding clips, some of which are shown at the beginning of the video, will give you an idea of the terrain being ridden by the on-screen personalities during production.

The interview with Doris Wiedemann, who travelled from Key West FL to Prudhoe Bay AK on her heavily loaded F800GS during the white season, accompanied by a Yamaha R1 mounted companion, is short but provides a good overview of what machine preparations were made for the trip.  The video clips of winter road riding brought back some pleasant and, not so pleasant memories.

DVD Content
The first DVD opens with a short video sequence that shows the mobility, agility and overall abilities of the newest GS from BMW.  For both of us westerners now living in the east, the background scenery and riding terrain did much to enhance our enjoyment of the video as well.

The chapters included on the first DVD include Tire Change; Puncture Repair; Bonus Videos (Bloopers, Crashes, Roughing It, Doris Wiedemann: Alaska Winter Rider and GlobeRiders Trailers); Contact; Credits; Sponsors; and, Chapter Index.

The chapters included on the second DVD include Air Filter; Oil Change; Chain Drive; Radiator; Brake Pads; Accessories & Modifications; and F800GS Rider Bios.

Summary
With two farkled and usually dirty F800GS motorcycles making up part of our current fleet, there is some bias to our assessment, but by the same token, owners tend to be the harshest critics as well.  Fear not, this video has the straight scoop about some of the most critical service and repair procedures, you know, the ones that always seem to require attention in the middle of nowhere.

Whether you own an F800GS, want an F800GS or just appreciate the GlobeRider productions for what they are, this one is worth getting.  Don’t forget to view the Bloopers, Crashes and Roughing It segments -- there is nothing like living off the land, especially when it includes pizza.

And for those that really need the bean-counter bottom line, the repair and maintenance activities demonstrated and discussed in the video is worth far, far more, than the 0.5 hour of shop labour (give or take) that this video set costs.

▪  Buy GlobeRiders Videos (wBW Affiliate Link to Amazon.com)

▪  Buy the GlobeRiders BMW F800GS DVD (wBW Affiliate Link to Amazon.com)

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