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Sam's 600 started out as just another GS KTM until his eye for design and detail took over. Sam takes up the story...
"I bought my '84 KTM GS 600 new from Malcolm Smith Motorcycles in
Riverside, California. It came with white Acerbis plastic, an orange
frame and black engine.
I rode it in this trim until the '91 Gulf War when, as a product
designer and aerospace engineer with a military background, I decided
to convert it to what I thought a military dirt bike should be. I chose
the desert tan color for minimum visibility especially at dawn and
dusk. This is similar to the reddish brown almost pink color that the
British SAS used on their vehicles in North Africa during WWII.
It is fitted with a night vision driving light and a quick detachable
rack mount compatible with the current issue LC-1 pack frame. It also
has a full skid plate and CNC milled headlight guard. I designed and
built all of these components.
The motorcycle has accommodations for a VHF/UHF radio, either bike mounted or carried by the rider.
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The 560cc Rotax engine was completely disassembled to apply and bake on
the Kal Gard moly coating. It was reassembled by Dave Brant of Brant
Engineering of Woodland, CA.
The frame was stripped and sprayed with Emron epoxy paint. The
suspension was beefed up with new heavier springs and valving to carry
the extra weight of up to 80 lbs of field gear and ammunition. I
completely rewired the electrical system for street legality and for
the night vision driving light.
I had problems painting the tank as the fuel would breathe through
the plastic and cause bubbling. This was remedied by making a padded
Cordura tank cover with plenty of D-ring attachment points. The
remaining plastic was painted with a flexible acrylic enamel and has
held up well.
I've had a lot of fun riding this bike in the Mojave Desert over the
years. It's fast, comfortable, extremely reliable and has a 150 mile
range."
Thanks for the photos and the history of the bike Sam, it's a real credit to you. |
