The GS Trophy is about more than riding the bikes. (Photo: Jonathan Beck)

The riders wait for elephants to clear the road. (Photo: Jonathan Beck)

The winners, Team UK, begin their celebrations in South Africa. (Photos: Jonathan Beck)

The trophy this year went to Team UK.

Riders frequently stop in small villages, where the children have fun checking out the bikes. (Photo: Jonathan Beck)

Everyone riding in this event can expect a few spills along the way. (Photo: Jonathan Beck)

Riders receive both air and ground support. (Photo: Jonathan Beck)

Scores after Day 4 of the GS Trophy.

The gang is all here: the following nations will take part in the GS Trophy 2010: USA, Canada, Germany, Spain, Italy, Japan, Denmark/ Sweden/ Norway/ Finland, the UK/ Northern Ireland, South Africa, Switzerland/ Austria. (Photo: Jonathan Beck)

The GS Trophy participants gather on November 13 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo: Jonathan Beck)

(Photo: Jonathan Beck)

Near the start of the event. (Photo: Jonathan Beck)

The final result

... and the winner is ... TEAM UK!

Ranking GS Trophy 2010:

• 1 Team UK 152 Points
• 2 Team South Africa 151 Points
• 2 Team Nordic 149 Points
• 4 Team Canada 124 Points
• 5 Team USA 107 Points
• 6 Team Alps 105 Points
• 7 Team Spain 101 Points
• 8 Team Germany 95 Points
• 9 Team Italy 86 Points
• 10 Team Japan 54 Points  

Nov. 21, 2010

Johannesburg, South Africa

The BMW Motorrad GS Trophy 2010 has reached its conclusion and despite very strong final day challenges Team UK has emerged as the winner. The victory came over Team South Africa with Team Nordic third.

The day involved a trials riding special test at the Country Trax estate (riding a BMW R 1200 GS), followed by a 300km return journey to Johannesburg where the results of the final photo competition were later announced - all on a hot sunny day with temperatures in the high 20s (ºC). The trial involved sections containing a seesaw, tree logs, and iron beams. Team South Africa convincingly won, while Team Nordic also outpointed Team UK for the runner-up. This reversed the points table, putting Team South Africa in the lead by one point with just the photo competition results to be decided.

The photo competition has proven a great success and this third and final round saw over 10,000 votes cast. Team Canada won with almost a third of the votes but Team UK importantly snuck in with the runner-up while Team Nordic significantly also beat Team South Africa for third.

And so with scores of 152 to 151 Team UK regained their lead - a lead they have held since day three - and took the GS Trophy title. Team Nordic were third just two points behind South Africa.

Team UK: Alastair Allan: What can I say? Job done. Great feeling, loads of fun. As a good friend of mine says, it might have been only one point but a win's a win, and that's all there is to it. It's been a fantastic time. We made a brilliant team, we all got on like a house on fire and that's what made it a great event to take part in. And I think the fact that the team got on so well is the reason the result ended up as it did.

ST12: Trial: 1, Team South Africa; 2, Team Nordic; 3, Team UK

Photo Competition: 1, Team Canada; 2, Team UK; 3, Team Nordic

Team Nordic: Börre Skiaker: Every day has been a really good time, and every minute has been a good time. Me and my colleagues in Team Nordic have enjoyed the trip, the competition, the meeting with the other people, it's been great!

Team Italy: Marco De Muri, Italy: Our favourite moment was when we reached this village up in the mountains on Day Four (we submitted a photo from that into the second photo competition). We were stopped for a special test and we had time to meet the children from the village. They had nothing but their smiles, they were amazing.

Team USA: Shannon Markle: The best bit was hanging with my buddy Iain Glynn. That's number one. We'd never met before the GS Challenge, but when we met it felt like we were soul mates. It was also my first real experience of meeting so many nationalities - it was really cool to see how enthusiastic the Spanish and the Italians are, full throttle through everything! And towards the end we got to understand it wasn't about who was first, second and third - everyone had won just by being here.

Team Japan: Shigechika Aikawa & Tohru Tamiya: For us, the help from the other teams and BMW staff was our highlight. If Team South Africa and Team Germany had not helped us on days three and four then we would not have been able to complete our journey. Also on day three in the deep sand Shigechika broke the gear mechanism on his bike and the mechanics repaired it overnight. Then on day four he crashed and injured his foot and the medical staff helped him, he could not have ridden without their support.

Team Canada: Dominique Lemaire: I think it's a culmination of events. I came here with the intention of enjoying myself and I think that's been achieved. I wish that it could carry on but I'm also at the same time glad it's over and that I made it here safely. We touched a little bit of everything and you really get to leave here with a taste of what South African is, we've been in places I could never go. It was really something else.

Team UK: Kevin Hammond: This morning we said to ourselves 'what will be will be'. We thought we're all winners, it's been a fantastic trip, we've done 2000km, everyone's back in safe and it's been absolutely fantastic. The best bit for me was reaching Ponta do Ouro and turning the corner and seeing the Indian Ocean. It was my 50th birthday, we'd ragged the bikes through the sand and we sat there having a cold beer.

Team Alps: Johannes de Cuitiis: The whole week was great. The first thing is not to win, but see new things, to help each other. But then yesterday we had that beautiful position - a win - and this was a very good push forward, we can win, it's possible!

Team Spain: David Borcha Mateo, Spain: We have a team with good feeling, we come here to have an adventure with riders from other parts of the world and it was complete. We had adventure, we had good tracks and roads, we had accidents (sometimes it is necessary!). And we have good food, good feeling. The Spanish people are always laughing, having fun, making friends, we enjoy a lot, it's a pity we can't do some things' better, but we are happy and really satisfied. The marshals, the organisation - everything is more than perfect.

Team Germany: Dirk Remmel: Probably the comedy of the towing test. There was a lot of adrenaline involved. I remember going for speed, speed, speed and there were cows blocking the track and I could hear only crying from him (Werner Modelmann) behind! I remember thinking we needed only one cow to move to make space for us, and she did at the last moment. You know we did so much this week I can't remember it all. I can't wait to go home, to go online to find out what we did do!

Team South Africa: Roger Kane Berman: That sand ride with the Japanese was the hardest day's riding I've ever had. But they were so grateful and so it was so rewarding, it was a battle with the language and the cultures. It was an amazing ride, so intense, we went through so many emotions in the course of a day, it'll stand out in my mind for a very long time

Tomm Wolf, co-organiser GS Trophy: Everyone is at home, standing on their own two feet and smiling - I'm really happy now. My really tough part was mid-week crossing the border for Mozambique and then reaching the Indian Ocean. I was so happy to reach there ­- we'd called the day 'Mission Ponta' - and after that the most difficult part was over. We're looking to 2012 now. People have asked can we better this? I think we can. Can you imagine breakfast in Machu Pichu or canoeing on Lake Titikaka? I think we can find nice places.

GS Trophy 2010

Final standings:

1. UK                                                                         152

2. South Africa                                                          151

3. Nordic                                                                   149

4. Canada                                                                 124

5. USA                                                                       107

6. Alps                                                                       105

7. Spain                                                                     101

8. Germany                                                               95

9. Italy                                                                        86

10. Japan                                                                  54

Nov. 13, 2010

The GS Trophy is held every two years at alternating locations. To mark the 30th anniversary of the BMW GS series, BMW Motorrad is planning a special GS Trophy for this year. It will be held from November 13th - 21st in South Africa, Swaziland and Mozambique - undoubtedly one of the most fascinating areas in which to ride a BMW GS motorcycle.

Nov 12, 2010

Prepping for the International GS Trophy

This year, the following nations are taking  part to the GS Trophy 2010: the USA, Canada, Germany, Spain, Italy, Japan, Denmark/ Sweden/ Norway/ Finland, the UK/ Northern Ireland, South Africa, Switzerland/ Austria.

Visitors to the recent Intermot and EICMA motorcycle shows in Cologne and Milan were lucky to see some specially prepared BMW 30 Years of GS special edition machines that have been equipped with everything necessary to tackle some of the world's toughest riding conditions imaginable when the 2010 BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy begins on November 13.

Having prepared all the motorcycles for the inaugural GS Trophy event in Tunisia in October 2008, Touratech's Executive Director Herbert Schwarz once again found himself tasked with making sure that a whole fleet of special-edition BMW 30 Years of GS machines were ready for action and on a boat at Hamburg, bound for Durban in South Africa.

Having prepared 35 GS Trophy bikes needed for the 2008 event, Herbert had the benefit of being out in Tunisia and witnessing how the Touratech-prepared BMW F 800 GS machines coped with conditions far tougher than 99 per cent of enduro riders will ever encounter. And just like in the first GS Trophy event, none of the 2010 machines require any engine modifications whatsoever. The majority of the work has been carried out to minimise the effects of crash damage, because the variety of terrain encountered and the competitive and challenging nature of the seven-day event will mean that riders will undoubtedly crash the bikes on a regular basis.

Furthermore, because of the success of the inaugural Tunisian event, there are twice as many teams and riders now entered into the 2010 GS Trophy, meaning that Herbert's technicians have had to prepare around 60 GS machines for this forthcoming African adventure - a fitting end to the 30 Years of GS celebrations.

"This time we had to prepare 50 F 800 GS and 10 R 1200 GS machines, but from the experience of Tunisia we knew exactly what to do," said Herbert. "It was great to see the bikes finally leave the Touratech headquarters in Niedereschach and once they arrived in Durban, they were transported to the Touratech South Africa headquarters in Jo'burg, where the International GS Trophy will begin. Each machine has had a selection of additional Touratech parts added, all designed to protect the machine and rider from the African conditions."

The preparation process takes around five hours to complete for each motorcycle, with a lot of the parts being added specifically to give increased protection against the conditions the riders will face out in South Africa, Mozambique and Swaziland. Each bike has engine protection bars added, as well as a skid plate to protect against rocks. There are special foot-pegs with additional grip, foldable brake lever and adjustable gear change lever, hand protectors, brake fluid protector, and cross-brace protection pads for the handlebars.

"A headlight protection grill is an essential item, as is special foam in the sump guard, which protects against stones damaging the radiator," continues Herbert. "We also fit front sprocket protection, a chain guard, frame protector and mirror protection which allows the mirror stems to be tilted both ways without bending or breaking. Finally, all the bikes are being fitted with Metzeler Karoo off-road tyres, which are perfect for the conditions participants will encounter. With all this protection, I don't envisage any problems with the bikes when they are crashed or dropped. As for actual spare parts, we'll take a few clutches and chains, plus lots of air filters because of the dust and sand. We'll have two Touratech mechanics in Africa to look after the bikes during the Trophy."

Because of the nature of this 'extreme' off-road competition and the variety of terrain, riding conditions and rider ability, the F 800 GS and R 1200 GS bikes should be equipped for every eventuality. In everyday conditions of course, the standard production machines will more than suffice, but what the 2010 Trophy participants can expect to encounter during this off-road competition will be anything but ordinary. Additionally, with the rainy season fast approaching and ten teams from 13 different countries all intent on being the best GS riders in the world, anything could happen - and it probably will!

Follow the action each day here at WWW.BMWMOA.ORG