Lifestyle World

BMW Models Catalogue

2010-07-09T22:01:00.000-07:00

The complete range of brochures and catalogues of all models about your dream BMW and other interesting topics (see Blog Archive):

BMW 1 Series models: 116i, 118i, 120i, 130i, 118d, 120d, 123d
BMW 1 Series (three-door)	BMW 1 Series (five-door)	BMW 1 Series Coupe
BMW 1 Series Convertible
BMW 3 Series models: 318i, 320i, 325i, 330i, 335i, 318d, 320d, 325d, 330d, 335d
BMW 3 Series Sedan (2008)	BMW 3 Series Sedan	BMW 3 Series Touring (2008)
BMW 3 Series Touring	BMW 3 Series Coupe	BMW 3 Series Convertible
BMW Individual 3 Series Sedan	BMW Individual 3 Series Touring	BMW Individual 3 Series Coupe
BMW Individual 3 Series Convertible
BMW 5 Series models: 520i, 523i, 525i, 530i, 540i, 550i, 520d, 525d, 530d, 535d
BMW 5 Series Sedan	BMW 5 Series Touring	BMW Individual 5 Series Sedan
BMW Individual 5 Series Touring	BMW 5 Series security vehicle
BMW 6 Series models: 630i, 635d, 650i
BMW 6 Series Coupe	BMW 6 Series Convertible	BMW Individual 6 Series Coupe
BMW Individual 6 Series Convertible
BMW 7 Series models: 730d, 740i, 750i, 740Li, 750Li, 760Li
BMW 7 Series Sedan (2008)	BMW 7 Series Sedan	BMW Individual 7 Series Sedan
BMW 7 Series security vehicle
BMW X3 Series models: X3 xDrive20i, X3 xDrive25i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 xDrive20d, X3 xDrive30d, X3 xDrive35d
BMW X3
BMW X5 Series models: X5 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive48i, X5 xDrive30d, X5 xDrive35d
BMW X5	BMW Individual X5	BMW X5 security vehicle
BMW X6 Series: xDrive35i, xDrive35d
BMW X6
BMW Z4 Series models: Z4 2.5si, Z4 3.0si
BMW Z4 Coupe	BMW Z4 Roadster	BMW Individual Z4 Coupe
BMW Individual Z4 Roadster
BMW M Series models
BMW Z4 M Coupe	BMW Z4 M Roadster	BMW M3 Sedan
BMW M3 Coupe	BMW M3 Convertible	BMW M5 Sedan
BMW M5 Touring	BMW M6 Coupe	BMW M6 Convertible

BMW USA Facebook fans

2010-07-09T09:59:00.000-07:00

OFFICIALLY PROCLAIM YOUR “LIKE” FOR BMW USA ON FACEBOOK.

There’s a reason we call BMW fans “enthusiasts”—drivers and followers alike know what they love about the Ultimate Driving Machine and proclaim it proudly. Join thousands of other BMW USA Facebook fans and stay up to date on exclusive events, videos, interviews, and more.

5 Series Gran Turismo

2010-07-09T09:37:00.000-07:00

FUNCTION MEETS LUXURY IN THE 5 SERIES GRAN TURISMO.

4.4-liter, V-8 engine with TwinPower Turbo Technology xDrive, intelligent all-wheel-drive

Boasting a 400-hp, turbo-charged 4.4L V8 engine, the 550i xDrive Gran Turismo is a luxurious powerhouse that now has the all-weather capability of All-Wheel Drive. It arrives in showrooms in July, and the 535i xDrive Gran Turismo, with a 300-hp, turbo-charged 3.0-liter, inline 6-cylinder engine arrives in October.

BMW the ultimate driving machine

2010-07-09T01:52:00.000-07:00

WHAT MAKES BMW THE ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE®? DON’T TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT. TAKE THEIRS.

Simply put, BMW is the type of vehicle that makes you, “…feel as if you’re getting away with something.” Perhaps that “something” is what defines the experience of an Ultimate Driving Machine: be it “edgy and dynamic,” with “extra attitude,” or just pure, unbridled exhilaration.

M3 GT2 Art Car

2010-07-09T01:42:00.000-07:00

JEFF KOONS UNLEASHED HIS M3 GT2 ART CAR AT THE 24 HOURS OF LE MANS.
Typically known for his large, colorful, neo-pop installations, Jeff Koons indulged motorsport and modern art enthusiasts alike with his M3 GT2 Art Car. Learn more about this 35-year-old tradition, and view images of the M3 racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The BMW M3 GT2

On June 1st, at the premiere of the 17th BMW Art Car, Jeff Koons unveiled and signed his car in front of 300 international VIP guests in the Centre Pompidou, one of the world's most prestigious cultural institutions for modern and contemporary art. Jeff Koons' art car can be seen racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France on June 12-13, 2010. This event will proudly celebrate the 35th anniversary of art cars. From September on, Jeff Koons' art car can be seen at the BMW Museum in Munich, Germany.

Derived from the BMW M3 high-performance sports car, the BMW M3 GT2 boasts a 4.0-liter V8 engine with a maximum output of 500 bhp, an upgraded chassis, racing-caliber brakes, and extensive use of lightweight materials. Able to reach 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds, the BMW M3 GT2 is rapidly emerging as a real first year contender at this year’s event.

New bmw? How about a 0.9% apr?

2010-07-08T05:21:00.000-07:00

LOOKING FOR AN EXCUSE TO GET INTO A NEW BMW? HOW ABOUT A 0.9% APR?
From now until June 30th, take advantage of BMW’s MY11 finance offers, with a low 0.9% APR on all 2011 models, including the all-new 5 Series. And, with summer weather finally here, now is the perfect time to drop the top on a Z4 roadster, a 135i or 335i convertible.

2011 BMW 5 Series Sedan new

2010-07-08T02:24:00.000-07:00

There has never been a BMW sedan that so elegantly embodies the drive it creates—from a charismatic front end and muscular rear, to its powertrain founded on BMW EfficientDynamics. As Motor Trend put it, it’s “a physics-defying technological wonder.” The 2011 BMW all-new 5 Series Sedan, now available to own.

Download 2011 BMW 5 Series Sedan Desktop Wallpapers (Widescreen format: 1920 x 1200) free:

BMW Ultimate Driving Event

2010-07-08T02:14:00.000-07:00

The BMW Ultimate Driving Event is coming to your area soon. BMW is unveiling an unprecedented array of new models this year, making this an event you won’t want to miss.

Here is your unique opportunity to get behind the wheel of many new vehicles, all in one day and in one place. Drive and compare the ready power and agility of the all-new 5 Series Sedan against the Mercedes-Benz E350. Or enjoy driving any of the other exciting models available at the event.

While you’re here, we invite you to tour our center, and see all that we offer the BMW owner. We also have an exclusive offer reserved only for event attendees: a valuable gift good toward the purchase or lease of a new BMW model.

To register, or for more information on all the vehicles at this event, visit us online at bmwusa.com/UltimateDrivingEvent or call 1-866-905-4BMW (4269).

First BMW emergency roadside assistance mobile app.

2010-05-31T16:13:00.000-07:00

With the new, complimentary Roadside Assistance app from BMW, unlock your vehicle’s doors and locate dealerships easier than ever before.* In case of emergencies, a BMW representative can automatically locate you, while easy-to-use “service selection” buttons can send information about the state of your vehicle for even faster repair. All from your iPhone and other compatible mobile devices.

2011 335i xDrive Convertible Metallic

2010-05-30T12:16:00.000-07:00

3.0-liter, inline 6-cylinder engine with TwinPower Turbo technology / Rear-wheel drive.

2011 BMW 335i Convertible

biturbo N54 engine

ABS, stability control

sporty, rear-wheel drive

ZF-built six-speed BMW 335i

BMW Convertible with a retractable hardtop

luxury sports car photos

3-Series Convertible BMW 335i model

2011 335i xDrive Coupe Red

2010-05-30T11:12:00.000-07:00

3.0-liter, inline 6-cylinder engine with TwinPower Turbo technology / xDrive, intelligent all-wheel-drive.

2011 BMW 335i xDrive Coupe

Vermilion Red Metallic Color

turbocharged, all-aluminum engine

300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque

6-speed manual gearbox

multifunction steering wheel

two-door vehicle from BMW

unique exterior design

newest 3 Series Coupe

Xenon Adaptive Headlights

xDrive all-wheel drive BMW 335i Coupe

The 2011 3 Series Coupe and Convertible

2010-05-30T09:11:00.000-07:00

The new 3 Series Coupe and Convertible, including the 335is, are the latest standouts in one of BMW's most awarded model lines. Following their predecessors, expect unbridled exhilaration from first sight, with fresh design details like LED accent lights and a re-sculpted front and rear design. And now you can drop the top on your very own 3 Series, just in time for summer.

2011 BMW 3 Series Coupe and Convertible

BMW 335i cars

new models on sale in Spring 2010

All-new is the engine for the 335i model

Joy loves head-to-head competition

2010-05-28T11:40:00.000-07:00

The BMW Ultimate Driving Event is coming to your area soon. BMW is unveiling an unprecedented array of new models this year, making this an event you won’t want to miss.

Here is your unique opportunity to get behind the wheel of many new vehicles, all in one day and in one place. Drive and compare the ready power and agility of the all-new 5 Series Sedan against a leading competitor. Or enjoy driving any of the other exciting models available at the event.

While you’re there, we invite you to tour your BMW center, and see all that we offer the BMW owner. We also have an exclusive offer reserved only for event attendees: a valuable gift good toward the purchase or lease of a new BMW model.

The new 740i and 740li Sedan

2010-05-25T13:30:00.000-07:00

The fuel consumption of a six-cylinder engine. The power of a V-8. An output of 315 horses with 330 lb-ft of torque, and an impressive mix of innovation and luxury—all of which is almost as impressive as a starting price of $71,025. Looks like this could be your year to get behind the wheel of a 7 Series.

The 2011 BMW 750i and 745Li Sedans

Exclusive Nappa leather, fine wood interior trim

Their luxury is indisputable. And now, so is their efficiency.

2011 BMW lineup has arrived

2010-05-24T10:47:00.000-07:00

It's a big month for BMW and an even bigger month for drivers, with the 2011 lineup now in showrooms. From a newly redesigned 3 Series Coupe, Convertible, and X5 SAV, to the 335 hp of the new Z4 sDrive35is, and our turbocharged 6-cylinder 740i flagship—BMW has style, sport, and luxury for all those seeking The Ultimate Driving Machine®.

Plus, year-end savings have arrived a little early. From now until June 30th, take advantage of a low 0.9% APR on all 2010 models.

BMW IQ - BMW’s maintenance program

2010-04-22T07:22:00.000-07:00

BMW Ultimate Service, BMW’s $0 cost maintenance plan is the most comprehensive program in its class. When you purchase a BMW, everything from inspections and oil changes to replace-ments will be completely covered for the first four years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first.

BMW has compiled data pertaining to the average cost* of maintaining other vehicles during the first four years of ownership. See how BMW's no-cost Ultimate Service plan compares:

Brand	Maintenance Costs

Acura	$970.75
Audi	$967.17
BMW	$0
Cadillac	$744.26
Infiniti	$649.40
Jaguar	$1112.53
Land Rover	$233.52
Lexus	$974.22
Lincoln	$922.14
Mercedes-Benz	$1086.60
Porsche	$1032.14
Saab	$385.29
Volvo	$918.93

The new 535i gran turismo

2010-04-22T05:05:00.000-07:00

A luxury vehicle that handles like a sports car.

With ample storage space and sports car like handling, the new 535i Gran Turismo is versatile enough to go from a weekend in the country to a joy ride around town. It features a TwinPower turbo 6-cylinder engine with 300 hp and can go from 0 to 60 mph in a mere 6.2 seconds, while still getting an impressive 26 mpg.

Explore the beauty of the all-new 5 Series

2010-04-22T04:13:00.000-07:00

Now, you can get a preview of the all-new 5 Series’ stunning design.

View videos and images of the car and learn how new features like our innovative Dynamic Handling Package with Adaptive Drive drastically alter the dynamics of your vehicle. With four different comfort and sports settings to choose from, there’s a setting for any preference you have.

BMW Motorrad Desktop backgrounds

2010-02-21T08:33:00.000-08:00

Desktop 1 "Uncompromising"

“Nice road here” or - the HP2 Enduro and rider engaged in one of their favourite pastimes.

Download 800x600 (ZIP, 567 KB)

Download 1024x768 (ZIP, 770 KB)

Desktop 2 "Sporty"

“I collect bonus miles while flying” or - the HP2 Enduro from a different perspective: from below ...

Download 800x600 (ZIP, 359 KB)

Download 1024x768 (ZIP, 391 KB)

Desktop 3 "Exclusive"

“I leave everything behind me to experience this feeling” or – what goes through your mind when you let the HP2 Enduro do what it is built for: showing what’s possible ...

Download 800x600 (ZIP, 675 KB)

Download 1024x768 (ZIP, 995 KB)

High Performance by BMW Motorrad

2010-02-21T08:30:00.000-08:00

Video "The Vision" The Birth of the HP2.

For years, a team of enthusiasts have been developing and testing the HP2 Enduro – here you have a chance to have a glimpse over their shoulders.

QuickTime 6

High Quality (7,1 MB)

Low Quality (3,3 MB)

Windows MediaPlayer 7

High Quality (7,3 MB)

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Video "Dig the Dirt" Rollout for the HP2 Enduro.

"One hundred bhp off the road - truly out of the ordinary ..."
Take a look at what real pros do with the HP2 Enduro.

QuickTime 6

High Quality (8,4 MB)

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Windows MediaPlayer 7

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HP motor racing The Videos

2010-02-21T08:08:00.000-08:00

What a season! The final race at the GCC in Eckolstädt.

On a 7-kilomtere long XXL racetrack. Will Simo bring all the strenghts of the HP2 to bear here? A conciliatory end and lots of optimism for next season...

QuickTime 6

High Quality (13,2 MB)

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Windows MediaPlayer 7

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First showdown at the GCC Goldbach

Simo vs. Sala - or HP2 Enduro against KTM EXC 950: where does the better rider come from, Finland or Bavaria? Held on one of the toughest tracks, the race of 100 bhp and beyond ran a fascinating course ...

QuickTime 6

High Quality (12,9 MB)

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Windows MediaPlayer 7

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Higher & Further at the GCC Höchstädt

Rider and machine are harmonising even better – in the fourth race, the only direction was forward resulting in the best position to date!

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Airtime at the GCC Walldorf

The second race by Simo Kirssi on the HP2 Enduro. Demanding conditions and a jump into the top ten? It's all shown here:

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Baptism of Fire at the GCC Tollwitz

Simo Kirssi and the HP2 Enduro on the starting line for the first time – pure, nail-biting excitement. Will everything go right, will it all hold? Join the thrill. Now.

QuickTime 6

High Quality (13,5 MB)

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Windows MediaPlayer 7

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Chris Pfeiffer on the HP2 Enduro

2010-02-21T08:06:00.001-08:00

Born
20 April 1970 in Halblech, Germany

First steps
First motorbike at the age of 5

His support
His wife Renate and his daughters Pia and Amelie

His vocation
Professional rider since 1996

His passion
Shows, extreme riding, stunts

Always at the limit
Freeride skiing, mountain biking as well as enduro and trial

Fights won
2006
Winner Stuntwars (biggest stunt contest in the U.S.A)

2005
1st place standard Enduro race, Dirt Days, Penzberg
3rd place Hillclimbing EC, Obersaxen, CH
2nd place "King's Class" Erzberg Rodeo
5th place Erzberg Rodeo Prologue
5th place ACC, Roppen

2004: European Stunt Riding Champion
2003: Stunt Riding World Champion
1996, 1997, 2000, 2004: Winner of the Red Bull Hare Scramble, Erzberg
1996: Winner of the Offroad Challenge
1988: German Trial-Pokal-Champion

Jimmy Lewis on the HP2 Enduro

2010-02-21T08:04:00.001-08:00

Born
20 June 1968 in Santa Monica, California (USA)

His vocation
Rally rider

Job
Offroad editor

Always at the limit
Mountain biking, snowboarding, surfing, BMX, trial riding

Fights won
2005: 3rd place Erzberg Rodeo Prologue, 3rd place Baja 1000 Mexico
2000: 3rd place in the Paris – Dakar – Cairo Rally, Winner of the two-cylinder class, Winner of the Dubai Rally
1998: Baja 1000 Rally
1997: 4th place in the Paris – Dakar rally, Winner of the one-cylinder class
1993: 2nd place in the Baja 1000 Rally
1992: ISDE Junior World Champion
1991: AMA Amateur of the Year
1989 – 1992: 4 x gold at the International Six Days Enduro

4 x AMA National Hare & Hound
3 x AMA National Reliability

Simo Kirssi

2010-02-21T07:47:00.000-08:00

Simo Kirssi is a man of few words. The 26-year-old from Helsinki prefers to let his riding do the talking and therefore interviews are rare. However, during a break from pre-season testing in Italy, the ‘flying Finn’ spoke to BMW Motorrad about his plans for 2006 and his ambition for success in this year’s motorsport programme.

There’s an old saying that talent will only take you so far, and that you also need a little luck on the long road to success. Well, Simo’s lucky day came two years ago in April 2004 while participating in a German Cross Country race (GCC), when by chance he met a man who would turn out to be his future manager and mentor. Simo was only really racing because he was visiting some friends in Germany and decided to ‘have a go’.

Like a lot of privateers, Simo had sunk all his spare funds into racing, even to the point where he no longer had enough money to get back home to Finland. Buying spare parts for his bike was completely out of the question but – somehow – he won this GCC race against very strong competitors such as motocross world championship runner-up Fred Vialle.

Despite the win, Simo would still have been forced to stop racing due to lack of money and no one would have ever heard of him but Ulrich Hanus, Executive Director of off-road racing organisation ‘Baboons’ took a big risk and offered him a management contract there and then. That was beginning of Simo`s professional career and also the start of his involvement with BMW Motorrad’s motorsports department. Simo soon paid back Ulrich’s faith in him by winning the 2004 German Cross Country Series.

Simo came to the attention of many BMW fans with the HP2 Enduro in May last year when he set a new record of 09:05.65 in the gruelling 13.3 km Iron Road Prologue at Erzberg in Austria. In a field of more than 1000 entrants, Simo went faster than anyone else had ever gone before – even beating his nearest challenger by a massive six-second margin. He then went on to achieve a runner-up spot in the Italian and European Cross Country Championships. Overall, it was a great debut year for the BMW factory rider, but one he hopes to improve on during 2006.

“I was not happy with my results from last season,” said Simo, who first rode a motorcycle at the tender age of six and actually competed in his first international race at just 12-years-old. “But I was surprised to win the Iron Road Prologue at Erzberg last year and am looking forwards to this year’s event because we have some new parts for this kind of race.”

After year’s of riding lightweight dirt bikes, Simo had no problem adapting to the vicious power delivery of BMW’s HP2 Enduro and has in fact already tasted victory on the 105 hp bike in 2006, at the Baboons Snow Speedhill event. This consisted of 60 riders all competing against each other for the fastest time up an 800-metre ski slope!

“I’m not sure whose idea it was to race motorbikes on snow, but it was great fun because the HP2 Enduro has a lot of power and you can use all of it in the snow. I had been riding motocross bikes for most of my life and thought that it would be difficult to switch over to the HP2 Enduro but I was surprised at how easy it was.”

One would imagine that growing up in Finland gave Simo the skills to race a motorcycle on any kind of surface and it is clear that he has a fondness for the country of just five million inhabitants that holds its sports starts in high esteem (Simo cites Finnish motocross stars Heikki Mikkola and Pekka Vehkonen as his heroes). It is also obvious that Simo has found his niche in life, and is quite happy to exploit it.

“I love everything about Finland – the lifestyle, food, nature, environment and the overall harmony of the place and the people. The Finnish rally drivers are also the best in the world and I try to get home every year to watch the World Rally Championship round there but up until now I have never been tempted to have a go competitively. It’s the same thing with road racing or desert rallies, such as the Dakar. They are great fun to watch but I’ve no plans to ever try and compete in them.”

Simo is, however, used to riding on the limit and during his military service, even served as a motorbike scout in a fighter battalion. However, unlike a lot of off-road riders, he enjoys road bikes (“as long as they are powerful”) and has even tried his HP2 with street wheels. But it’s the challenge of the various off-road races that Simo is looking forward to as part of BMW Motorrad’s motorsport team.

“We have a strong team in place for 2006. Jimmy [Lewis] and Chris [Pfeiffer] are good riders and the rest of the team works really well together. I’m just concentrating my efforts on the immediate future though and am enjoying my racing. I don’t really want to think too far ahead in terms of my future. It’s a scary sport we’re involved in and there are some moments – like when a big jump is going wrong – that you fear for yourself, but then you soon forget about it.”

See Simo and the rest of the team in action at the following events throughout 2006.

Date, Event
April 15-16 ICC, Malandrone
April 22-23 ACC, Reisersberg
April 29-30 GCC, Tollwitz
May 13-14 ACC, Tirol
May 20-21 GCC, Walldorf
May 26-28 Erzberg, Austria
June 3-4 Endurance day, 24-hour
June 4 Baja 500
June 17-18 GCC, Höchstädt
June 17-18 Obersaxen Hillclimb, Switzerland
June 30-July 2 Pikes Peak, USA
July 1-2 GCC, Mernes
July 7-9 International BMW Biker Meeting, Garmisch
July 22-23 GCC, Goldbach
August 24-26 ACC Waldviertel
September 2-3 ICC, Cassale Monferrato
September 9-10 GCC, Mühlhausen
September 16-17 ACC final, Mattighofen
September 23-24 GCC final, Eckolstädt
7-8 October ECC final, Schefflenz
15-17 November Baja 1000

Simo Kirssi on the HP2 Enduro

2010-02-21T07:17:00.000-08:00

Born
3 October 1979 in Helsinki, Finland

First steps
Rode in his first motocross race at the tender age of 10.

His support
His parents and two siblings.

His vocation
Professional rider since the age of 21.

His passion
Offroad biking. The wilder the better.

Always at the limit
During his military service, he served as a motorbike scout in a fighter battalion.

Fights won
2005
1st place Erzberg Rodeo Prologue
2nd place Italian Cross Country
2nd place European Cross Country
BABOONS honorary award for the most spectacular 2005 cross country racing season.

Winner of the German Cross Country Series 2004.

Clear goals
Simo Kirssi loves a challenge. That is why he would like to rise to the top with the HP2.

BMW Motorrad Baja 1000

2010-02-21T07:05:00.000-08:00

There were 431 entries and only 231 finishers in the 2006 Tecate Score-International Baja 1000, but the BMW Motorrad off-road team was one of them, posting 14th overall in the motorcycle class. The team, consisting of riders Beau Hayden, Ron Bishop, Chuck Dempsey, Tony Megla and Peter Postel, tore the 105 horsepower HP2 Enduro through a treacherous 1047-mile course, racing for twenty-four hours straight to reach the finish line at La Paz.

In a race where just surviving is a victory in itself, the team´s 14th overall win was quite an accomplishment - even more so when you factor in that the 13 bikes that finished ahead of the 1200cc HP2 Enduro were all 650ccs or less.

The race began at 6am in Ensenada, with Beau Hayden tearing off the starting line into the coastal morning haze of dust and fog. Hayden did approximately 215 miles to checkpoint 3, just north of Puertocitos and had this to say about the race:

"I started the 22nd bike out of 26 open pro entries. There was no wind but very thick dust and the sun was in my eyes for the first 40 miles of the race. The dust rarely let up during my stint on the bike. My ride was fairly uneventful as I concentrated hard on not making mistakes or misjudgments in the dust. The bike worked flawlessly and I steadily moved forward through the pack. At one point we moved up to approximately 6th overall around Valle de Trinidad. My highlight of the day was crossing El Diablo dry lake bed where I could open up the bike and let it run."

"It was a tight race up to this point where I would get passed in the very rough areas of the course where there were big whoops and ruts and I would blow back by them in the faster sections. We did a tyre change at pit 3 (mile 185) and three or four riders passed me there. A few riders also passed me during a whoop/rock section prior to checkpoint three and I handed the bike to Ron in 10th place overall."

Averaging just above 42 mph, the team navigated hundreds of waist-deep water crossings, extremely rocky sections of boulder fields, pitch black night conditions, lava rocks, washouts, and tons of deep, deep silt, not to mention the numerous other surprises that the Baja throws at riders. From local traffic, roaming cattle, and hurricane-ravaged terrain, the hazards were ceaseless, but the team endured to capture a genuinely remarkable result. After Hayden´s first leg, Baja legend Ron Bishop-a veteran of every single Baja 1000 ever run-handled his section smoothly and then Chuck Dempsey took the helm. Chuck had this to say about his section:

"I rode as safely as possible in the whoops because they were pretty big and sandy. I wanted to save the bike for when I got to the fast roads. This was my 21st year racing in the Pro Class down in Baja and I´d have to say that the HP2 Enduro is the fastest bike I have ever ridden in my life. I started passing guys right off the bat which surprised me - when I got on the roads it was like taking candy from a baby."

"The middle of my section was fast," Dempsey continued, "but the last 20 miles were tight and rocky so I knew I had to get there as fast as possible before all the guys would pass me back, and then we headed into the night. I turned on the headlight and it lit up for about three seconds, and then turned off. That´s when I knew I was in trouble because Baja is pitch black when there´s no moon. I rode as fast as I could, even though I couldn´t see much in front of me. That was a handful on the HP2 Enduro when you can´t even see your own fender - and that´s when everybody started passing me back."

I tried riding next to other riders, but they were not happy with that since I had passed them earlier. So about seven miles from HWY 1 I saw a group of 30 or so Mexican locals standing and drinking beers watching the race, so I pulled up to them and grabbed a flashlight right out of their hands and took off. I guess I owe them a flashlight! I started to ride holding the flashlight with my clutch hand - it wasn´t much but it was better than nothing."

"I was so happy to see my BMW team waiting for me at HWY 1. It seemed like I rode 50 miles that night with no light. From there we jumped on HWY 1 and I rode behind the chase truck to where Tony was waiting for us with new lights. We did another wheel change and the new race lights were installed on the bike, after which Tony took off to complete his section."

Megla reports: "I was the rider from San Ignacio (mile 554) to Loreto, (mile 776) and from Insurgentes (mile 855) to checkpoint 9 (mile 943). In San Ignacio the bike showed up late because of a blown headlight fuse in the wiring harness. This was the pit where we had to change to the stock headlight with the Baja lights. I left San Ignacio about 6:45pm and tried to make up as much time as possible. We had dropped back to around 38th overall. The course from here was fast graded roads, sandy roads, and tidal flats with a few muddy spots on the Pacific coast before it turned inland to the town of La Purisma.

"From La Purisma it was a lot of old washed out rocky roads to the Gulf side of the coast. The last 60 miles into Loreto was the toughest part of my section. Some parts were brand new road freshly cut just for the race. It was twisty, tight, and technical with a lot of sand washes and rocks - first and second gear for long sections."

"I passed about eight riders - three with broken bikes - and had a trouble-free ride. I arrived in Loreto at 11:45pm, then jumped into our chase truck and drove to Insurgentes for the next section. Peter Postel was scheduled to ride the HP2 Enduro from Loreto, but a slight change occurred.

"The original plan was for me to ride from Loreto to the finish," said Postel, "however, Tony came in and said he was feeling great, so the decision was made for me to push hard through the next section to stay ahead of the Trophy trucks and then he would get back on the bike. We checked the bike when he pulled in, and the rear tyre was completely gone so we changed it there. The amount of spectators was unbelievable, even at 1am."

"South of San Javier, there was a lot of water left over from the hurricanes. Postel went on to say, "I believe there were about 27 water crossings. Also the course was extremely rocky, riding over boulders for miles. I passed six other riders in this section. Then going out to the highway, there was lots of single lane silt. From there to the finish there were big silt beds to the ocean, some so deep the cylinder heads were dragging. This was an area to just get through and survive. "

Postel did just that, before handing off to Megla, who had this to report: "When Pete arrived he was completely soaked from all the water crossings. I got back on the bike at around 2:30 in the morning. In this last section I made a wrong turn when the locals took down the course markings and I went about five miles off course. Once I was back on course there were miles and miles of deep silt. The ruts in the road filled in with the silt and the road looked hard until the bike just drops out from underneath you and the ruts almost completely stop you. I arrived at mile 943 at about 4:30am and gave the bike back to Peter."

Postel finished about 100 miles later in La Paz, bringing the BMW Motorrad off-road team to the 14th overall position in the motorcycle class, and sixth in class 22 (Pro/Motorcycles over 251 cc). This strong finish on a motorcycle as large as the HP2 Enduro in conditions as challenging as the Baja 1000 is nothing short of amazing.

"I very much enjoyed racing the BMW and truly appreciate the strong efforts put in by BMW, my teammates, and Baja Bound, said Hayden. "The HP2 Enduro certainly drew its share of attention at Tech/Contingency and at the start people were constantly surrounding the bike, asking many questions."

"The HP2 Enduro is a blast to ride!" added Postel. "You just have to respect it and ride it accordingly. I can´t wait to ride it again. It was truly a unique experience."

HP motor racing, Schefflenz, D

2010-02-20T13:05:00.000-08:00

An amazing mud fight was to be seen at the European Cross Country final in Schefflenz - the finale with the best riders of the Austrian, Italian and German Cross Country Championships.

Heavy showers transformed what is in fact an attractive meadowed area into a mud bath for this last race of the professional class.

Even regular climbs became a real challenge. But not for Simo Kirssi - as a Finn accustomed to such difficult conditions, he powered his HP2 Enduro with incomparable skill round the circuit to the applause of the numerous spectators.

Gerhard Forster also lined up for the start: the two BMW riders were able to give an impressive demonstration of the power and traction of the HP2, thundering straight up the slopes where others fell.

Simo Kirssi was able to achieve an outstanding 6th position after 2 hours of exceptionally tough racing time. Gerhard Forster managed 11th place with the semi-professionals.

The European Cross Country Champion was Bert Meyer, who had finished second in the German Cross Country series.

As the best 2-cylinder rider in the series, Kirssi enjoyed well-deserved special applause at the celebrations after the race.

A very pleasing conclusion to a successful BMW HP2 racing season!

Gerhard Forster: "At first I had to get used to the power of the HP2 again, but the more selective it got, the getter I was able to get some drive out of the bike´s incredible traction.

Pure off-road pleasure in these conditions!

"Simo Kirssi: "Today it was really hard work again on this difficult, slippery surface.

But it was also great fun ploughing everything up with the power of the HP2.

I´m certainly looking forward to the next cross country season with BMW."

HP motor racing, Eckolstädt, D

2010-02-20T06:17:00.000-08:00

The seventh and final race of the 2006 German Cross Country Championship (GCC) took place in Eckolstädt near Jena last weekend, with BMW Motorrad Team Offroad´s Simo Kirssi and Sascha Eckert posting their best results of the entire GCC season.

The BMW HP2 Enduro factory rider´s plan for the weekend was to secure the season´s target - to finish in the top eight overall rankings of the professional class, in spite of one missed GCC race because of participating instead in the Pikes Peak mountain race in the USA.

Sascha Eckert wanted to put everything into showing what he is capable of on a fast motocross course - and the race proved to be sensational.

Simo was in the leading trio on the first lap, and managed to get back into the top ten after a slight fall in the early stages. After an hour he found himself battling it out near the front with the newly crowned GCC champion Arnaud Demeester.

Although visibility deteriorated due to the dust, the two HP2 riders were able to put the power of their BMW machines to maximum effect on the fast, flowing circuit. Simo finally managed a sensational sixth place, with Sascha Eckert just two places behind him.

This result also moves Simo Kirssi two places up in the series rankings, so he finishes the 2006 season as seventh overall in the German Cross Country Championship.

In addition to the honour of winning the 2006 GCC title, new champion Arnaud Demeester was able to take both a Knaus caravan and a brand new BMW HP2 Enduro home with him.

After the race he was pleased to take up the offer to ride a few extra demonstration laps on the BMW factory racing bike, and was visibly impressed by its power.

The last race of the 2006 season for the BMW off-road factory team will take place in a fortnight´s time at the European Cross Country final in Schefflenz.

HP motor racing, Mattighofen, A

2010-02-20T06:13:00.000-08:00

What a race! A first-class result for the HP2 Enduro and Simo Kirssi, who was once again able to demonstrate his exceptional talent and the outstanding performance capacity of his motorcycle.

The Flying Finn achieved an outstanding podium place in the final race of the Austrian Cross Country Championships in Mattighofen. Right in the ´lion´s den´ just a few kilometres from the KTM headquarters, the Finn put in an excellent start and was always up in the leading group throughout the race.

The technically highly demanding circuit in Mattighofen included long stretches of narrow forest path riddled with roots and stones. In front of a large crowd of race fans, Kirssi controlled his BMW HP2 Enduro with enormous concentration and perseverance around the winding track, once again showing the potential of the big enduro bike in difficult conditions.

However, on the last steep climb two lapped riders were blocking his path and Bernhard Walter - until then in third place - managed to overtake him. The multiple German enduro champion Sascha Eckert once again lined up as the second HP2 rider. He struggled more than Kirssi with the winding track and finished the race in 15th place.

The race was won by Austrian Cross Country Champion Rudi Pöschl. The next race for BMW Motorrad Team Offroad will be next Sunday´s final of the German Cross Country Championship in Eckolstädt near Jena.

HP motor racing, Mühlhausen, D

2010-02-20T06:03:00.000-08:00

Conditions were perfect for the penultimate heat of the German Cross Country series in Muhlhausen near the city of Erlangen.

After emerging from the Le Mans heat in second place, the spectators? favourite, Simo Kirssi wasted no time in showing the crowd what he was made of.

On board his superior performance BMW HP2 Enduro, he had plenty of opportunities to turn the throttle right up, on a course that was half classic motocross and half a special-class skills test for Enduro riders.

For a good few laps, he was even able to hold off the attacks of the cross-country champion and runner-up, Samuli Aro and Marco Tarkalla from Finland.

Sascha Eckert, three times German cross-country champion and second team rider on the HP2 found his feet more quickly, although this was only his third race on a Boxer Enduro.

His aggressive riding style stood him in very good stead indeed.

At the end of the race, Simo Kirssi, who was forced to undergo a rear wheel change in the middle of the race due to sponge rubber damage, finished 9th, while Sascha Eckert made it to 11th place in the first professional class.

Sascha Eckert: ?Once again it was great fun to take the HP2 through its paces with its perfectly coordinated power distribution for two hours.

I have managed to improve considerably in the big jumps in the motocross section.

The overall winner of the race was the guest rider and Enduro World Champion E2, Samuli Aro.

The next heat is set for next Saturday at the final of the ACC Championship in Mattighofen, Austria.

HP motor racing, Goldbach, D

2010-02-20T05:56:00.000-08:00

The 5. race of the GCC on the wonderful nature motocross track in the Goldbach stadium near Aschaffenburg, which was Extended to the surrounding fields for the cross country race once again turned out to be one of the highlights of the racing season.

After a few rainshowers in the morning the conditions were dustfree and truly ideal for the final run of the professionals and semi-professionals with more than 500 participants.

Apart from BMW works rider Simo Kirssi, two other BMW HP 2 factory enduros took part for the Munich-based motorcycle manufacturer.

Guest starter and multiple German enduro champion Sascha Eckert and extreme race expert Gerhard Forster successfully reinforced the team.

Man and material performed superbly during the 2-hour heat battle.

The results: a 10th and 11th overall ranking for Simo Kirssi and Sascha Eckert in the professional class and Gerhard Forster rode to 24th place in the extremely competitive semiprofessional class.

To prove just how high-calibre the semi-pro field currently is, one just has to compare the racing times.

Forster?s time would have taken him to 12th place in the pro-class directly behind Sascha Eckert.

The race was won by the defending champion Arnaud Demeester from France.

After the summer break a further five Cross Country races are on the program for the BMW Motorrad Team Offroad in Germany, Italy and Austria.

BMW Motorrad Biker Garmisch-Partenkirchen

2010-02-20T05:48:00.000-08:00

International BMW Motorrad Biker Meeting Garmisch-Partenkirchen, D photos:

HP motor racing, Mernes, D

2010-02-20T05:44:00.000-08:00

Mernes, D (GCC) photos (01-02.07.2006):

BMW Motorrad Pikes Peak

2010-02-15T11:53:00.000-08:00

BMW came, saw and conquered at the US hill-climbing classic at Pikes Peak in the Rocky Mountains.

At the first appearance of the BMW Offroad Factory Team with factory rider Simo Kirssi and guest rider Casey Yarrow (26) from California, they dominated the Exhibition Class for motorcycles above 750 cc on their HP 2 Enduros, taking first and second positions.

In the unofficial total ranking of all motorcycles, the BMW riders are placed fifth and sixth.

The race up to the 4300 metre Pikes Peak, first held 90 years ago, is the undisputed US off-road classic.

The track starts at a height of 2900 metres and ends right at the summit.

The "84th Race to the Clouds" takes riders over a distance of 12.47 miles (about 21 kilometres); it has 156 bends and serpentines.

About a third of the track is now asphalted, the rest consists of a sand-covered and heavily compressive natural path; there are virtually no sidings.

Casey Yarrow finished in 12.20 minutes - a very respectable result; this put him seven seconds ahead of Kirssi.

The 26-year-old sunny boy from California was the fastest rookie with an average of just under 100 km/h and a total time below the track record up to last year - a milestone in PPIHC race history.

With a top speed of 156 km/h, Simo Kirssi managed the top performance for motorcycles on the "Americas Mountain" as Pikes Peak is also referred to by locals.

"I have no experience on asphalt whatever, and of course four hours of training isn?t enough to be really fast," said the Finnish BMW rider, obviously in a good mood.

Casey Yarrow, right up front in the US Supermoto Series, praised the HP 2 Enduro ("a great bike) and beamed after his successful performance.

"I hope to be in it again next year when BMW has a second go," he said.

BMW Motorrad head Berthold Hauser was more than satisfied with his team?s showing.

"We came here as rookies and we?re taking a class victory home with us.

This great result shows us where we are and next year we will certainly be able to get involved in the overall rankings.

"Micky Dymond, who set a new record last year on his KTM with 12:12 minutes, improved by 24 seconds this year, but still finished one second behind winner Gary Trachy (Husqvarna 660), making him only second in the 750 cc class.

HP motor racing, Obersaxen, CH

2010-02-15T11:43:00.000-08:00

It seems that BMW Motorrad rider Chris Pfeiffer is in the middle of a rich run of form at the moment. Just one week after the German secured the 2006 European Stunt Riding Championship he once again stood on the podium at the Obersaxon Hillclimb in Switzerland.

His third place finish mirrored his result last year at the same event and came as a pleasant surprise to Pfeiffer who was expecting a harder run in this year´s event. Despite the track lacking the grip of last year´s course Chris once again proved how effective the combination of him and his HP2 can be by finishing third for the second year in succession.

"This year´s event was very difficult," explained Chris. "The track was very dusty and the weather was really hot. It meant there was very little traction so I couldn´t use all the power of the HP2 Enduro."

Although the HP2´s main advantage of 105 hp was limited by the terrain it was left to another of its unique features - the air suspension - to be the deciding factor. "The air damping that the HP2 is fitted with is the perfect suspension for hill climbs," admitted Chris. "There is nothing better; it really flew across the rocks at the bottom of the hill."

According to Chris he also had added help from the crowd who really got behind the German on his HP2. "The HP2 was the darling of the crowd. Everyone loved it because it was the big bike next to all the tiny single-cylinder bikes. It also sounds awesome, much better than the other bikes."

The semi-finals didn´t go quite according to plan though and with Chris down in seventh position he thought he would have to quite literally ´climb a mountain´ in the final. However as usual the German extreme rider found the performance he needed when it mattered and reached his personal best (204.7 metres) in the final.

Competing in the hill climb wasn´t enough for Chris though. He also decided to take his F 800 S stunt bike along to entertain the crowds between rounds and gave several displays that confirmed just why he was crowned European Stunt Champion last weekend.

"The whole weekend was great," said Chris. "There were over 7,000 people there and the atmosphere was really good. I´ll definitely be back next year for another go."

HP motor racing, Höchstädt, D

2010-02-15T11:27:00.000-08:00

The 3rd race of the GCC at the ADAC Motodrome turned into a heated battle. The track with its infamous and technically demanding forest section combined with the classic Motocross section demanded everything of the more than 500 participants.

Organiser MSC Höchstädt did everything it could to keep the dust under control as well as possible at temperatures of over 30 degrees, but the heat and the difficult track caused many to drop out from sheer exhaustion.

BMW factory rider Simo Kirssi caused a stir: he started by getting away from the start in second place and staying in the top five on the early laps.

After 40 minutes of racing time he then had clutch problems due to the extremely work forest passages with its roots and stones and had to reduce his speed somewhat.

In the second half of the race, the Finn started to suffer from the effects of a ´flu from which he had just recovered two days prior to the race: normally a miracle of stamina, his strength started to wane. Nonetheless, Kirssi gave his all and finished in an impressive 9th place.

The race was finally won by last year´s overall winner of the series, Arnaud Demeester from France.

Several times German Enduro Champion and ex-Motocross rider Sascha Eckert was in the factory team as a guest for the first time and achieved an outstanding 12th position in the professional class to crown what was a highly successful appearance in Höchstädt. Kirssi now holds 9th place in the overall championship rankings

BMW HP2 conquers Baja

2010-02-15T11:23:00.000-08:00

In what was described as the roughest and toughest Baja 500 course ever, Jimmy Lewis, Dave Donatoni and Beau Haden took the BMW Motorrad Team Enduro HP2 to its best Baja finish to date. The trio completed the 424-mile long course in Baja California, Mexico, in 10:38:07, averaging just under 40 mph over the duration of the race. The milestone for the bike was physically finishing in sixth position and eighth overall on adjusted time.

Everything went really smoothly," Lewis commented after the race. "The bike is continually getting better and better with the little improvements we are making and our team - from the riders to the support effort - is getting more solid each time we race. In fact, the support effort played a large part in helping us run so much faster today."

The race started off in thick fog with Lewis riding the first 40 miles. "In the fast stuff there is no way other bikes can come close to passing us, but in the really tight and rocky sections, some of the smaller bikes with fast riders will come through. I was passed by the eventual second place team - the 1X of Mike Childress - but that was it. I passed three or four guys and gave the bike to Beau."

Haden took the bike through the next 100 miles of course referred to as the "Pine Forest" section. He passed all but three of the Open Pro bikes and was only overtaken by a few of the faster class 30 (for riders over 30) teams in the tight and twisty northern section of the course. "It went really good, I was just fighting the dust the whole time and trying to be careful because the washouts and ditches were so bad and they could get you if you weren´t careful."

After nearly three hours on the bike Haden handed it back over to Lewis to ride the Mike´s Sky Rancho section. Physically in 12th position, Lewis was on a mission to bring the bike around in a higher position.

"That is the roughest and most beat I´ve seen the course, but since it was over 100 degrees outside I knew it would wear down the other riders. Even though everyone thinks the HP2 is a beast to ride in sections like that, it is really smooth and I just snuck up on guys and blew by them. They jumped out of the way like a helicopter was going to land on them - that´s the way a flat-twin sounds when it gets right up on you!"

Through the section Lewis (above) managed to pass six other teams and hand the bike to Donatoni in Valle de Trinidad for a dust-free run to the coast. Still with zero down-time and only ´gas-and-go´ stops, Donatoni kept the hot pace all the way along the Pacific Coast and back to Santo Tomas before it was time to put on a new rear wheel. "The tyre was completely smoked, there wasn´t a knob left across the center of the tyre because I was letting that HP2 eat. It was still moving forward but I could count the seconds I was losing because of the spinning, so I decided to get a new wheel."

The support team did a magical 48-second wheel change and Donatoni was off, heading back inland for the final rider change in Ojos Negros. "This was the first time that Beau and I´ve had an HP2 to practice and pre-run the course on and it made a huge difference on learning how fast I could go during the race. It really helped come race day, plus it´s a whole lot of fun to ride one down here!"

Away from the coast and into the desert again the scorching temperatures soared above the 100-degree mark. Lewis hopped back on the bike for the final stretch to the finish. "It was a bit sketchy since the course was the same as the way out and there were still some stragglers coming head on at us. You´d think SCORE would be more concerned about this as we have enough dangers dealing with local traffic, but with race cars coming at you it is a whole different matter, and there were six guys ahead of me, and a couple right behind, who had the same situation. But I´m glad we finished strong and without even one little mishap. The riders would like to thank all the support from Baja Bound and Mag 7 for great pits and all of our chase truck drivers and helpers who were ready for everything but didn´t have to do much in the end!"

This finish marks the first time the HP2 has finished physically in front of the four-wheeled vehicles and is the highest placing overall finish for a BMW in SCORE Baja racing. Lewis commented: "The bike is getting better each time and there is really a strong following of guys looking at what we are doing with such a big bike. There are places in this race where I´m sure we were the fastest vehicle on this course. There is nothing like that feeling and it sure is fun."

HP motor racing, Extreme conditions

2010-02-14T13:23:00.000-08:00

The BMW Motorrad Team Offroad has been in Langensteinbach, near Chemnitz in Germany this weekend, competing in the gruelling 24-hour Endurance Day event.

Team riders Simo Kirssi, Sascha Eckert, Werner Haubold and Gerhard Forster all had the same aim - to give all they could for 24 hours and achieve the best possible result with the BMW HP2 Enduro in the PRESTIGE class.

The start was promising with the fans´ favourite Simo Kirssi getting away in third place, following the ´Le-Mans´ start. His expert riding skills were evident right from the outset and the talented Finn even took the lead on the first lap.

The second section of the circuit, with its steep climbs, showed the benefits of the HP2 Enduro´s considerable power, but the extremely narrow and deep grooves, slippery descents and mud passages would always make high demands of the technology.

Because so much rain had fallen in the days prior to the race, the forest soil was completely sodden and as predicted, it started to pour again not long after the 5pm start. BMW´s pit team had its work cut out removing as much mud as possible from the HP2 at the hourly rider changeovers, putting a fresh rider in the saddle and sending him off on the next lap.

The team fought through the night in deteriorating conditions and had to recover and restart the HP2 several times in metre-deep grooves that were just about passable for single-cylinder bikes but virtually impossible for a flat-twin engine configuration.

Finally the disappointing end came at 6am - after 13 hours of riding - when the team had to retire with engine damage. To make matters worse, this occurred just after the route was shortened and the most difficult passages had been taken out for the remainder of the race.

Despite the incredible efforts of the riders, the race regulations did not permit a change of engine, so it was a disappointing end to a very promising performance from Simo, Sascha, Werner and Gerhard.

However, this has not affected the motivation of BMW Motorrad Team Offroad in any way and they will be back this Saturday in Kaplice, where Simo Kirssi contests the next round of the Austrian Cross Country Championship.

HP motor racing, The Iron Road 2

2010-02-14T11:43:00.000-08:00

This was another huge success for BMW, as Simo Kirssi won on the HP2 ahead of Werner Muller and Cyril Despres.

Although Kirssi was not able to better his previous day?s time due to the drastic deterioration in conditions (because of rain) his time of 09:05.82 was still 24 seconds faster than nearest challenger Cyril Despres.

Chris Pfeiffer - four-times winner of the Red Bull Hare Scramble - once again finished fourth on his BMW HP2 and Jimmy Lewis was sixth.

In the rain they were also considerably slower than they had been in the first Prologue race, but the HP2 Enduro riders felt more comfortable than most in the difficult conditions due to the bike`s legendary traction, as Chris confirmed: "I used to find the Prologue rather boring as a qualifier for the Hare Scramble, but on the high-speed HP2 it`s really exciting.

Bombing across gravel at over 170 and braking as late as possible on so many hairpin bends really gets the adrenalin going."

Berti Hauser, BMW Motorrad Sports Director summed up another successful weekend for the HP2 Enduro riders: "As expected, the KTM factory team was a very powerful opponent in a "home game".

Nonetheless, the perfect performance of the HP2 and the great team spirit and enormous dedication of our riders gave us this truly wonderful result, of which everyone should be really proud."

HP motor racing, The Iron Road

2010-02-14T11:39:00.000-08:00

Never before in the 12-year history of the Erzberg Rodeo have so many world stars lined up for the start. It was Simo Kirssi however, who made a lasting impression, as he was virtually unstoppable on the BMW HP2.

His fastest time up the 17.5 kilometre mountain track was almost five seconds faster than his nearest challenger and he was in fact the only rider to complete the Prologue in under nine minutes.

Local rider Werner Müller finished in second place, Dakar winner Cyril Despres was third and BMW Motorrad´s Chris Pfeiffer finished fourth on the BMW HP2 Enduro, while rally specialist Jimmy Lewis finished in sixth.

All in all, there were representatives from 23 nations for the Prologue races and the overseas superstars put on an impressive show. US Supercross legend Jeremy McGrath finished a sensational seventh and freestyle-MX superstar Travis Pastrana came a respectable 10th.

HP motor racing, Royal Class

2010-02-14T11:36:00.000-08:00

An entry list of 115 riders in 2006 clearly reflected the great success of this new racing class, where only road-legal motorcycles with at least two cylinders are allowed to start.

The route is exactly that of the legendary Prologue and consists of 17.5 kilometres of full throttle action on the gravel tracks of the Styrian Erzberg. The KTM factory team meant business and its starting line-up included Enduro World Champion David Knight, former Enduro World Champion Giovanni Sala, and Dakar winner Cyril Despres.

Perfect conditions greeted the riders for the first race, which started at 1pm on Thursday. Lots of grip, sunshine and dust-free conditions allowed riders to keep their throttles pinned, with top speeds of over 175 km/h possible for those who dared. Simo Kirssi had set his sights particularly high this year, because he narrowly missed out on winning the 2-cylinder class last year in spite of an absolute best time in the second race.

Unfortunately, Simo made a braking error in the first race, came off on a bend and lost vital seconds. His renewed attack came with a perfect second race but it was regrettably too late.

Even though he won the race and was the only top rider to improve on his personal time, the increasing amount of ruts appearing in the bends (caused by the effects of over 100 riders braking in almost exactly the same spot) meant that he could only reduce Knight´s lead from the first race to 1.94 seconds - and only the faster of the two races counts towards the result.

In third place was another KTM, ridden by Cyril Despres. The previous year´s winner Giovanni Sala took fourth place, while Chris Pfeiffer came home in fifth place, just in front of Jimmy Lewis. Guest BMW rider Gerhard Forster was eighth, while other HP2 riders included Peter Bachler in 12th and BMW instructor Andreas Rothballer in 15th.

BMW Motorrad wins at Erzberg again!

2010-02-14T11:32:00.000-08:00

The ´Mountain of Iron´ beckoned and BMW Motorrad Team Offroad answered the call as the factory team travelled to Styria again to demonstrate the potential of the HP2 Enduro at this legendary off-road event.

Like last year, this 12th Erzberg Rodeo also included a separate 2-cylinder race so BMW sent its top riders to tackle the 17.5-kilometre rough gravel track.

Flying the flag for BMW at Erzberg were Simo Kirssi, Jimmy Lewis, Chris Pfeiffer and guest rider Gerhard Forster. Here´s what happened.

HP motor racing, German Cross Country

2010-02-14T08:45:00.000-08:00

The second race of the German Cross Country Championship in Walldorf turned out to be a great offroad show for all the attending fans. The record figures for the Walldorf race were: more than 600 racers and over 3000 spectators at the Walldorf woods ride.

The MSC Walldorf showed its gratitude by organising a fantastic event and preparing a true challenge in tough-going terrain where Simo Kirssi and his HP2 Enduro crossed the finish line in a great eighth position.

On Saturday thunderstorms and endless rain created some really dramatic situations in the muddy woods. On Sunday, too, the conditions still proved to be extremely difficult for the professionals? race.

The racetrack had dried off a little so the race management permitted a full-distance race. BMW Motorrad Head of Motorsports Berti Hauser, who also took part in the race on Saturday, said: " Whoever manages to complete even one lap here has already proved he is a true enduro rider. This shows once again what a great racer Simo Kirssi is to ride 12 laps without any problems at all."

Like clockwork Simo rode the HP2 over the tight, root-covered, extremely steep inclines and let the BMW really fly on the rockhard motocross section of the approx. eight kilometre-long race track.

The beefy yet easy-to-controll engine power of the HP2 Enduro was also well exploited by the BMW guest starter Gerhard Forster in the technically difficult sections. "The seemingly endless grip with which the BMW climbs up the steepest hills is simply amazing." Behind the victorious KTM riders Samuli Aro and Marko Takkala (not listed in the championship), the battle for the top ten raged and Simo Kirssi managed to ride to 8. place directly behind Aprilia two-cylinder rider Lars Nonn. Gerhard Forster rode to a good 21. place in the semi-professional class.

From Thursday to Saturday the spectacular Speedhill race will be held on the legendary Erzberg "ore mountain" in Styria where Dakar veteran Jimmy Lewis/USA and stunt pro Chris Pfeiffer will be reinforcing the HP2 Team.

HP motor racing, Roppen-Tyrol, A

2010-01-31T05:09:00.000-08:00

The Austrian off-road elite and top international riders came together for the second round of the ACC in the Alpine quarry of Roppen/Tyrol.

This rock-hard desert terrain revealed who still had control over their bike after two hours.

BMW team rider Simo Kirssi guided the HP2 with virtuoso skill and at breakneck speed through loose gravel and across countless steep climbs and descents, all scattered with boulders the size of footballs.

Once again the flat twin BMW showed its potential against the powerful single cylinder competition.

Starting from fifth position, Simo worked his way to the front and during the last half fought against last year´s winner Bernie Walzer for third place.

In the end, the Finn on the BMW HP2 Enduro had the endurance required - a small error by Walzer on the last lap cleared the way for Kirssi to gain a more than deserved 3rd podium position, behind Rudi Pöschl and Daniel Stocker on KTM.

Kirssi is now in second position in the ACC overall rankings after several of his rivals had problems with the circuit in Roppen and championship defender Thomas Günther/Germany was forced to give up with a deep cut wound in his face.

The trend is definitely upwards: the next HP2 racing appearance is next weekend at the second GCC race in Walldorf, then there is the legendary Erzberg 2-cylinder race.

1st GCC race in Tollwitz, Leipzig, D

2010-01-31T04:26:00.000-08:00

After the sensational results of the races in Italy and Austria, the first race of the Baboons German Cross Country Championship for BMW Motorrad was held at the Tollwitz Sand Pit near Leipzig. Even before the race, appreciation was shown for the fact that BMW factory rider Simo Kirssi was competing on the 2-cylinder HP2.

The physically highly exacting course had been extremely ploughed up by hundreds of motorcyclists in other categories, with deep grooves running throughout. Nonetheless, Kirssi got off to a successful start and geared himself towards the top ten as planned. In spite of an extremely strong field including the current Enduro World Champion and runner-up from Finland, Aro and Tarkkala, Kirssi looked like gaining 8th place.

But Kirssi, who is particularly able to bring out his physical strength in the second half of a race, lost out on his laurels due to a small problem with serious consequences. A loose screw on the rear wheel drive forced him to make an unplanned pit stop. He was able to re-enter the race after the repair had been carried out and even caught up several places after putting on a superb chase, but unfortunately he couldn´t do better than an overall 20th in the professional class.

Bad luck also pursued the leader, KTM rider Samuli Aro: just three bends before the finishing line he ran out of fuel and his fellow country man Marco Tarkkala won the race.

The race of the GCC Series will be held on May 21st in Walldorf, before which the BMW Motorrad Team Offroad will be participating in the ACC race on May 13th/14th in Tirol.

HP motor racing, Reisersberg/Passau, D

2010-01-31T04:18:00.000-08:00

After his sensational start and second place finish on the HP2 Enduro at the ICC race in Malandrone/Italy at the Easter weekend, Simo Kirssi this time faced up to the notorious "Hard Enduro" course at Reisersberg near Passau on his factory HP2.

The first race of the Austrian Cross Country Series started in magnificent weather and the mighty Finn was quickly able to work his way into the top ten of the 18-man field of top class motorcyclists in Professional Class 1.With its steep climbs and downhill passages, narrow forest sections, stone and mud hole sections, the route not only demanded everything of the machines but in particular required great endurance and refined riding technique during a race lasting a total of two hours.

Without technical problems, Simo mastered the entire racing distance and once again showed the competitive power of the off-road flat twin, some 70 kilos heavier than the single cylinder sports enduros - even over highly challenging terrain.

The fact that Kirssi finished "only" two minutes behind winner Rudi Pöschl in an outstanding 6th position was partially due to the fact that overtaking and lapping was very difficult with the powerful flat twin machine in the deep grooves and at key technical points.

Simo has set himself an ambitious goal for the first German Cross Country race next weekend on the sand track at Tollwitz near Leipzig: "A place among the first eight on the HP2 Enduro would be really great," said the likeable Finn.

BMW Motorrad 2006

2010-01-31T03:03:00.000-08:00

In Malandrone, Tuscany, the BMW Motorrad Offroad managed a virtually perfect start to the 2006 season.

In the 2nd round of the Italian Cross Country Championship (ICC), Simo Kirssi missed first place by a hair´s breadth - but the first victory on a BMW HP2 at a cross country race was in the air.

In excellent conditions, the "Flying Finn" finished in an outstanding second place in the overall rankings on his HP2.

In addition to Simo Kirssi, guest rider Gerhard Forster represented the BMW Motorrad Team Offroad and finished in 10th position on a standard HP2 in the Professional Class.

From the start, Kirssi showed what is possible with the HP2 against the single cylinder sport enduros.

From the Le Mans start area he was fourth away on his 3-cylinder flat twin in a field of almost 100.

So things started well, with three Italians ahead of him - two of whom were no problem at all and were forced take a look at Simo from behind shortly afterwards.

Only Matteo Paoletti, leader of the ICC overall ranking to date, defended his position for almost an hour against the sonorous flat twin roar until he too was finally beaten and had to hand over the leadership to Kirssi.

While the top riders in the field took the many table jumps on the rather cross-oriented and narrow track at heights of three metres and lengths of 15 metres, the BMW Motorrad factory pilot flew up to four metres high at lengths of 20 metres.

The fans at the trackside were repeatedly in awe at such impressive jumps and most riders respectfully gave way to this huge bundle of power when they were overtaken or lapped.

The HP2 was the eyecatcher of the race.

After an hour and 45 minutes of the two-hour racing distance, everything seemed to be decided.

Kirssi led with a lead of about 30 seconds over the rider assumed to be in second place.

However, the latter - namely - Denis Pregnolato - was able to close up on Kirssi from nowhere.

After a brief struggle, Kirssi let him pass and had to make do with second place himself.

"I´m very happy with this race," said the taciturn Finn at the end of the race - in other words "almost perfect". The first victory on the HP2 in a cross country really is in the air...

1st International Snow Speedhill

2010-01-30T12:51:00.000-08:00

A new winter sports discipline is born: Snow Speedhill.

Held for the first time on March 4th in Götschen, the "Flying Finn" Simo Kirssi once again demonstrated his top-class ability and became "Snow Speedhill King" on his HP2 Enduro.

Chris Pfeiffer, BMW Motorrad´s second company motorcyclist, also made the final and finished sixth.

The enthusiastic crowd was offered a unique motorcycling spectacle. 60 entrants lined up for the start - not just to climb an 800-metre snow slope but also to beat their opponents in doing so. Of course, not everyone could be king, but they all received the applause of the masses.

Due to the great success of the event, biker friends and winter athletes can look forward to a Snow Speedhill again next year.

We will then see if His Majesty Simo I. can defend his crown!

HP motor racing, Baja California 1000, USA

2010-01-30T05:57:00.000-08:00

HP motor racing, HP2 Enduro finishes

2010-01-30T05:51:00.000-08:00

A pair of BMW HP2 Enduro motorcycles finished 3rd in their respective class. In fact the BMW Motorrad Team Baja Bound scored a third-place finish in the top-ranked Class 22 (Open Class) as well as the Team Mexico finished third in Class 30 for riders over 30 years of age.

Drawing the last class starting position, Jimmy Lewis, belonging to the BMW Motorrad Team Baja Bound, began the first leg of the race just after 6:35 a.m. on Friday morning. Riding out from Ensenada in front of many of the 300.000 fans that lined much of the course, Lewis was soon passing competitors through the very technical first miles. After some handovers and approx. 18 hours drive, Donationi, also member of the famous Team Baja Bound, blazed through some 150 miles of darkness as the course headed back toward Ensenada. Lewis took over for the final 30 miles of the race to the traditional finish line inside the baseball stadium, finishing the journey he began some 20 hours before.

"The HP2 Enduro survived a very tough Baja 1000," said Berthold Hauser, General Manager Motorsports of BMW Motorrad. "Each rider reported very difficult conditions, but they also told that they had a lot of fun riding the race. A third-place finish is a great result, but to see that each rider enjoyed the experience is equally gratifying and is proof of the HP2 Enduro concept."

After thr race, Jimmy Lewis was strongly in love with BMW Motorrad´s new High Performance brand. The HP2 Enduro embodies the spirit, passion and technology of more than 80 years of BMW Motorrad motorcycle manu-facturing.

The HP2 Enduro bike of the BMW Motorrad Team Baja Bound will be shown at the International Motorcycle-Show in Long Beach, California from December 9th through 11th.

Altogether, the final results were the best finish in the race by any European manufacturer.

HP motor racing, Motopark Volary, CZ

2010-01-30T05:42:00.002-08:00

International Cross Country Finals.

The last race in this year´s cross country season confronted all participants with new challenges.. In Volary, Czech Republic, the cross country promoter BABOONS had set up a circuit of approximately 4 kilometres which could hardly have been more varied.

The BMW Motorrad Team Feil and HP2 rider Simo Kirssi were surprised to find that the circuit consisted of a supermoto track, an indoor supercross facility and a classic off-road terrain section, each in approximately equal thirds.

The correct choice of tyre was crucial here. After a perfect start, Kirssi came away in second place and shortly afterwards was one of the first to turn into the tarred supermoto track. Here, the young Finn stretched the HP2 Enduro to its limits in practically every situation. With extreme banking and spectacular drifts he was able to consolidate his second place up until the subsequent off-road section of the course. "Yes, it really was a new situation for me. But it´s great fun to burn through the bends on the HP2," said Kirssi in the interview after the race.

On the classic cross country section, Simo Kirssi left nothing to chance either. Fast leaps, hairpin turns and "washboard" tracks made heavy demands of man and machine. Then came the entry into the hall. With one table after another, there was a thorough remixing of the field through to the end of the lap. In these sections, Kirssi´s enormous stamina paid off. The HP2, not actually designed for the demands of a supercross circuit, had no problems whatsoever. With the machine´s powerful torque, the flying Finn was even able to fly over large tables with a very limited run-up. Due to his spectacular performance, Kirssi quickly became the spectators´ favourite as the laps went by. He engaged in particularly breathtaking duels with his friend and arch-rival Thomas Günther on the 450 Husaberg, with one or the other alternately coming out top.

Simo achieved his lap time virtually to the second on every round and was able to hold his second place consistently. Not until the last quarter of the race did he reduce throttle somewhat and briefly stop in the pits for a technical check before taking home his overall second place with supreme ease.

As Simo said after the race: "I´ve now been riding the HP2 Enduro for a year in all racing conditions and on all kinds of race tracks here in Europe. But every time I still feel the bike has a lot more potential than what I am currently able to get out of it. In the winter we´ll have more time for training and working on improving details, then we can really look forward to the new season."

Incidentally, Simo Kirssi´s excellent placing in Volary puts him in a sensational overall second place in the European cross country rankings. Congratulations!

HP motor racing, Eckolstädter Offroad Arena, D

2010-01-30T05:42:00.001-08:00

There was plenty of good news but a little bad news too for the BMW Motorrad Enduro-Team Feil at the final race of this year´s German Cross Country Series in Eckolstädt, near Apolda. On the one hand, Simo Kirssi easily achieved his target for the season - to be placed among the top ten; however, he and his team would have liked to have performed better on the final day.

It all started well. The popular Kirssi pulled away from the Le Mans start in second place and showed what he was made off from the very beginning. With the powerful BMW HP2 Enduro he was really able to pull out all the stops on this super fast track. The bike´s superb directional stability turned out to be perfect for the tough ground conditions in Eckolstädt. After ongoing rainfall during the night, the course at the former rocket base was sodden and slushy.

HP motor racing, Lahnberger Drift Course, D

2010-01-30T05:24:00.000-08:00

In the penultimate race of the German Cross Country Championship on September 11th in Lahnberge/ Wolfshausen, Simo Kirssi on his HP2 was once again both "king of hearts" as well as king of the show. At the end, the "silent Finn" clearly had mixed feelings: he did reach a ranking amongst the top ten with ninth position - as had been his stated aim - but he could also have done a lot better.

At the start of the two-hour race over the sandy track approximately 4 kilometres long, everything went smoothly. In Le Mans manner, Kirssi went into the first few bends in fourth place. As usual, he started by taking a good look at the track and his opponents and letting a few "firebrands" pass: after about thirty minutes in the drizzle he was placed sixth. Again and again, the young offroad professional displayed his motorcycling skill as his HP2 flat twin roared out of tight hairpin bends - completely redefining the concept of acceleration on a loose surface.

However, he was then hit again by bad luck - something which had almost been forgotten in the last few races. The spring strut was no longer working as it should and Simo Kirssi had to go into the helper´s area.

This unanticipated interruption cost Kirssi about ten minutes (approximately two laps) and it was clear that he would not be able to make up this time before the final flag came down. But this was exactly what spurned Kirssi on: unleashed once more, he worked the throttle and set about taking the field apart from behind.

The Frenchman Arnaud Demeester, currently leading the series, was to feel the consequences of this wild chase. Kirssi hung doggedly to his rear wheel to the applause of his many fans at the trackside, and the popular Finn finally managed to overtake Demeester on the penultimate lap, actually taking another 14 seconds off him by the end of the race.

"I was actually satisfied with my race up to the interruption," said Kirssi afterwards, although he had previously said he did not expect the circuit to be to his liking. In purely arithmetical terms according to lap times, he could have made fifth position, but 9th just about fulfils the season of target of being among the top ten in the series ranking, where Kirssi is currently 8th.

HP motor racing, Goldbacher Stadion, D

2010-01-30T04:00:00.000-08:00

The 5th race of the German Cross Country Championship in Goldbach near Aschaffenburg, Germany, marked the highlight so far of this year´s GCC series; not only did several 1000 spectators crowd the track, but with his 9th place in the professional class, Simo Kirssi rode to his first top 10 placement on the BMW HP2 Enduro. The 26 year-old Finn got off to a flying start and was in 4th position coming out of the first bend on to the very narrow and demanding course. The field of starters was even more high-calibre than ever before in this series. For example the well-known cross specialist Bernd Eckenbach put in an appearance and also the multiple Enduro all world champion Giovanni Sala on the newly-developed 950 KTM showed up ...

After the start the field of riders got sorted as usual. Simo kept an eye on his opponents and guarded a firm position in the group between 5th and 10th place. The course in Goldbach gave the spectators ideal opportunities to follow the race. In a valley hollow covered with fruit trees, the MSC Goldbach had designed a track which fully met Cross Country demands. There were tight winding sections with hidden jumps and also a few short full speed straights.

Once again the HP2 proved that it can cope with any sort of terrain. It handled the two hours of racing without any problems. Once again Simo was the crowd´s darling. "Near-perfect", said HP2 rider Kirssi after the race and his 9th position. "I got on very well here. Apart from a slight ground contact after about two thirds of the distance I had no problems at all. In one hairpin bend it was extremely dusty and I wasn´t able to see the track properly. Thank God the HP2, wasn´t damaged."

The "duel of the giants", as the meeting of the two 2-cylinder bikes - the BMW HP2 Enduro and the new KTM 950 - resulted in a clear victory by points for Simo Kirssi. He had taken up the challenge to defeat the world champion in aggressive style. And he proved that he was the stronger rider on the HP2. At no time did he leave Giovanni Sala even the slightest chance.

This season´s objective for the HP2, namely to be among the top 10 at the end of the season, is drawing ever closer. Of seven races there are still two left with Lahnberg and Eckolstädt , and Simo Kirssi is currently in 10th place overall. And the current trend is towards single digit placements as the season proceeds.

HP motor racing, Motodrom Höchstädt

2010-01-29T21:07:00.000-08:00

At the demanding 4. race of the German Cross Country Championship in the Franconian ADAC Motodrom in Höchstädt, Simo Kirssi on the BMW HP2 managed to convince even the very last sceptic. The flying Finn did battle the whole time in the top group of the Professional Class and rode to his first GCC series top ten placement among the high-calibre field of racers. And it could have been even better.

Following an unusually poor start, Kirssi slotted in at twelfth position in the first round. In typical Kirssi style he did not go all-out right away to get to the front of the pack, but after a third of the distance played his best card, namely his consistency and physical condition, thereby leaving five further competitors behind him.Meanwhile Simo Kirssi has become a sympathetic figure in the GCC and the crowd once again carried him on a wave of excitement. Football-style "La Ola" waves accompanied the seemingly disadvantaged HP2 Enduro and its rider.

The track was all but easy. Its heart-piece was a rock-hard cross track featuring murderous jumps. Then there was a big forest section with difficult root and stone covered uphills and downhills. At the bottom, the route took the riders across a slippery meadow.

"This time everything was going quite well" said the modest Kirssi after the race. "The HP2 had to prove its all-round talent here today." In the course of the race the Finn had ridden up to 7. place. He couldn´t move much further ahead since the German Champion Arne Domeyer was already one minute out front. However, Kirssi was also almost a minute ahead of his pursuers. Then another stroke of bad luck threw him back. A technical defect on the rear suspension slowed him down so had to more or less nurse his bike to the finish line on the last kilometres thereby losing three places and valuable championship points.

At the next GCC race on July 17th, 2005 in Goldbach there will be a showdown. No less than the multiple Enduro World Champion Giovanni Sala on the 950 2-cylinder KTM will challenge the Finn on the BMW HP2 Enduro.

BMW performance speaks volumes

2010-01-22T07:54:00.000-08:00

Thank you for your interest in the full line of BMW cars and SAVs. If you’d like to learn more about any of our vehicles, why not take a test drive at your local authorized BMW center?

Over the course of these emails, you’ve heard about what we believe makes every BMW The Ultimate Driving Machine ®. To give you a different perspective, we’d like to share a few of the kind words that the automotive press has said about us:

“We once again behold the definitive sports sedan...”
- Car and Driver, January 2010, celebrating the BMW 3 Series’ appearance on its 10Best list for a record 19 consecutive years.

“…in 17 years no other carmaker has quite managed to package these attributes as successfully as BMW, although many have tried.”
- Car and Driver, 2008, on the 3 Series

“…no company – not Cadillac, Mercedes or Audi – delivers the fundamental feeling of oneness between driver and automobile that BMW does.”
- AutoWeek, 2006

“…Luxury-car buying doesn’t get any better than this.”
- Car and Driver, 2006

Hopefully, we’ve piqued your interest enough that you’d like to experience a BMW for yourself. To schedule a test drive, simply find the BMW center nearest you. Thank you once again for your interest in The Ultimate Driving Machine ®.

Acura Integra with BMW 5-Series

2009-11-03T13:17:00.000-08:00

Acura Integra GSR modified with a BMW 5 series headlight an taillight conversion.

Acura Integra BMW 5-Series

Acura Integra GSR

Acura Integra wheels

BMW Acura Integra rear

Acura Integra interior

---
“Super Hybrid Sports” model that would be powered by a 450-hp 3.5L V6 engine mated to a hybrid system.

New Acura NSX

HP motor racing, Türnitz, A

2009-08-04T18:45:00.000-07:00

What a spectacle! HP2 Enduro rider Simo Kirssi enthralled the Austrian offroad world last Sunday. At the fourth race of the BABOONS Austrian Cross Country Championship in Türnitz/Lower Austria, the Finn simply set new standards.

Offroad only: the track consisted of 5% cross and 95% country. What a scenario. The approx. 5 km long Enduro world cup level course is probably the most demanding track to ride in the cross country series in Germany, Austria and Italy. Steep and narrow forest uphills, bristling with damp and moss-covered stones which simply beg riders for a fall. Similar style downhills loaded with winding tree roots are a nightmare for every front wheel.

Kirssi said after having walked the course: "This is almost unrideable on the HP2. We´ve got two wide cylinders and about 60 kg more weight onboard than the single cylinder competition. In some places grooves will be dug out which almost reach up to the seat bench."

Nevertheless "Coolman" Kirssi launched his attack on the leading group starting from 10. place as if the race would only last one round. Kirssi wove his way through tightly winding forest paths as if doing a slalom race. And it was truly thrilling what the crowd witnessed on this day. In 3. gear Kirssi milled a 100 m long strip into a steep forest incline which would have done any lumberjack proud. The spectators were absolutely stunned. Kirssi: "It´s amazing when you´re able to call up enough power in practically all riding situations at any time and that this power is transferred to the rear wheel in just the right amount. The new Conti damping is simply unbeatable in this respect."

The crowd caught its breath in the 12. round when Kirssi´s rear wheel drifted out of control when crossing a loamy hill and Kirssi and his bike slid down 10 m into a brook-bed. Once at the bottom though the Finn picked his bike up again and rode along the bed of the brook for about 100 m until he got back on the track.

his artistic contribution was also one of the reasons why Kirssi was awarded a special prize by the organiser for the most spectacular stunt. After 2 hours and a total of 15 rounds Simo Kirssi and the HP2 ended up in a fantastic ninth place. What a show by man and machine! Nobody would have thought it possible that they would even have managed one round.

More information and result lists at: www.austrian-cross-country-championship.com.

HP motor racing, Hillclimbing. Obersaxen

2009-08-04T17:43:00.000-07:00

European Hillclimbing Championship, Obersaxen (CH)

Hillclimbing - the steeper the better! The aim is ride up an extremely steep, almost invincible hill on a motorbike. Whoever "climbs" highest wins.

To everyone´s surprise Christian Pfeiffer rode to a place on the podium on the BMW HP2 Enduro in Obersaxen (CH) at the European Hillclimbing Championship. It was probably the first BMW which ever took part in a hillclimbing event where normally light and powerful single cylinder bikes with about 500 cc are ridden in the cross enduro class.

After Pfeiffer had successfully completed more "normal" Enduro races over the past weeks, the extremist rider thought up the extraordinary plan of taking part in the European Hillclimbing Championship. His reasoning: "The bike´s tremendous traction had always impressed me. Output is of course also very important and there´s proabably been nothing more powerful than the HP2 with 105 bhp in the offroad sector!" So he said to himself: just do it. And the HP2 really showed what an outstanding hillclimber it is.

The sceptical frowns on some of the spectators´ and participants´ faces turned to great interest as Pfeiffer climbed up to 203.4 meters in the qualification and then to 208.6 meters in the ensuing semi-final. The record from the previous years at the so-called "Sax Mountain" was 206.2 which was beaten by Pfeiffer! Only the hillclimbing specialist Lars Nonn (D) on his 450 cc all-wheel-drive Yamaha rode up higher. With his second place in the semi-final and third place in the final, where once again Lars Nonn got further, Chris Pfeiffer and his HP2 Enduro once again exceeded all expectations and demonstrated what outstanding performances this bike can deliver.

More information and results at: www.hillclimbing.ch.

HP motor racing, Cervarese, I

2009-08-04T17:31:00.000-07:00

The tremendous Erzberg victory a week before encouraged the BMW Motorrad Enduro Team Feil and its rider Simo Kirssi.

This high-speed success has now been followed in Italy by a top ranking which is at least as important from a racing point of view.

Kirssi in fact "only" finished second in the Italian Cross Country Championship race in Cervarese near Padua. However, it was actually a real victory for the HP2 Enduro and its talented rider.

The track in Cervarese was everything but ideal for the HP2. The young local club had made every effort to set out a perfect and demanding trail through its new motocross facility: it was extremely tight, angular and including the entire motocross track with murderous table and double jumps.

And then the "flying Finn" conjured up a real fireworks of a performance which left spectators speechless. First of all he won the start, though he was overtaken by three riders of the Italian motocross elite who pitted all their skills against him.

The BMW man maintained fourth position for a while, sizing up his opponents. After about an hour`s racing time, Kirssi then launched his attack and put two of his rivals in the bag.

The last one - Matteo Rubin, Enduro World Champion in 2000 - had already moved too far ahead by this time. In the last few laps, Kirssi?s amazing stamina took him up close to Rubin and he finished just 35 seconds behind him.

HP motor racing, Baja California 500, USA

2009-08-04T16:53:00.000-07:00

At the start for the Baja 500: Jimmy Lewis, Jonah Street, Tim Morton.

Jimmy Lewis 1

Jimmy Lewis 2

Jonah Street 1

Jonah Street 2

Tim Morton 3

Tim Morton 4

Race report and results at: www.score-international.com.

HP motor racing, Mernes, Simo Kirssi

2009-08-04T16:50:00.000-07:00

For Simo Kirssi, the winner of the Siemens/Telering Iron Road Prologue of last weekend, it´s all go at the moment. The 25-year-old Finn was already back in the saddle again only a few hours after his glorious success at the Erzberg race in Austria. Overnight Simo knocked off the 800 kilometres to Mernes near Frankfurt to arrive at 10.00 am and be on the starting grid at 2.00 pm for the 3. race of the German Cross Country series.

Here he pulled out all the stops again right from the start on his HP2 Enduro and rode among the first six in the first five rounds. A defective fork, however, brought the Finn´s spectacular race to a halt after only 25 minutes and he had to quit the race at an early stage. The BMW Motorrad Enduro Team Feil hit the road right away to return home quickly and get the racing bike back into shape again after the successful but deadly races at the Erzberg.

Simo and his HP2 will already be racing again next weekend at the 3. race of the BABOONS Italian Cross Country Championship. Near Padua the team will be on location again in full force to beat the 4. place achieved in the last ICC race and to thrill the Tifosi fans once again.

Further information and result lists at: www.german-cross-country.de.

HP motor racing, Iron Road Prolog, 2

2009-07-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

The 1,500 contestants of the previous day turned the track into a nightmare. Toughest conditions for the riders as well as for the bikes - not to mention the dust that got even worse.

Would the King´s Class winner Giovanni Sala be able to strike back and defeat the young Fin Simo Kirssi in today´s 2nd run? Or would the young generation take over? All three HP2 Endurists had splendid runs - skillfully powerdrifting the bikes through the hairpins and up the hill.

Giovanni Sala (ITA) vs. Simo Kirssi (FIN)

Everybody waited excitedly for the official results. In the meantime the top-riders of the event showed their best tricks to the gathered crowd.

Jimmy Lewis

For Stunt-Champion Chris Pfeiffer the laws of gravity didn´t even seem to apply any longer, performing breathtaking wheelies during an extremely steep hillclimb.

Simo Kirssi

No wonder that there were numerous requests for autographs afterwards! Again, the BMW Motorrad Instructor Team took part in the event as well - with a lot of fun - and also highly successful: In the Desert Bomber category for 2-cylinder-bikes 2 instructors made the Top-Ten. On their 100 % production R 1200 GS Enduros!

Responsible for the best news of the day was again the young Fin Simo Kirssi. Despite the tough conditions he reached a fabulous 9:02,67 min. - even two seconds faster than his time in the first run.

A time noone else was able to beat. So Congratulations to Simo Kirssi, the overall winner of the Iron Road Prologue 2005!

Jimmy Lewis also improved his time - by unbelievable 20 seconds, which put him on third overall, right behind the Erzberg-Legend Werner Müller (KTM).

Chris Pfeiffer´s fifth place overall and places 1, 2 and 3 in the Desert Bomber class turned BMW Motorrad´s first official appearance at the Erzberg into a complete success.

Sometimes one cylinder simply isn´t enough!

The complete result lists overall and of all single classes can be found at www.erzberg.at.

HP motor racing, Iron Road Prologue

2009-07-27T09:28:00.000-07:00

Where else can you watch the world´s top motorcyclists starting next to ambitious amateurs and fun-riders? No place else but here at the Erzberg Rodeo. No matter if Enduro-Champion, Dakar-Expert, Freestyle-Superstar or just anyone else of the up to 1,500 starters - they all have the same sand between their teeth and the same goal before their eyes: to conquer the hill. Fast. Very fast. Last year the Sunday event had been stopped due to a cruel snowstorm, this year the curse of perfect weather conditions was the dust, reducing visibility down to zero.

Eat my dust

"Eat my dust" quickly became the motto of the day on the 13.3 km long and approximately 13 m wide track. Among the first group of starters - sent on the prologue one after each other with a few seconds delay - were also the HP2 Enduro riders Simo Kirssi, Jimmy Lewis und Chris Pfeiffer.

Power-Pack

After an impressive demonstration of their skills on the track they commented their runs with cool understatement: "It felt rather unspectacular," Pfeiffer explained. "But sometimes, unspectacular is quite fast." "No special occurrences," let Kirssi know. Nice to receive such relaxed reports right after flat-out runs up the hill, spiced up with some nasty gravel chicanes.

BMW Motorrad Enduro Team Feil

Later on the official results brought the sensation. At first, nobody was willing to believe it - so the announcer waited for another confirmation. Then it became official: Simo Kirssi (9:05,65 min) defeats Kurt Nicoll on his 1-cylinder KTM by breathtaking 6 seconds. With Chris Pfeiffer on 3rd and Jimmy Lewis on 5th (9:29,38 min) the BMW Motorrad Enduro Team Feil was highly pleased that evening.

What 13.3 km of Iron Road do to the tassels...

"Best time counts" say the regulations for the Iron Road Prologue. Which simply means that the personal best - no matter if reached on Friday or Saturday - determines the final result. So for the next day everything is still possible - therefore, on Friday night, preparations are taken seriously.

HP motor racing, Erzberg Rodeo, A

2009-07-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

Insiders are not fooled by the heavenly beauty of the Austrian "Steiermark" - cause once a year, the "mountain of iron" calls for the ultimate offroad-spectacle.

For the 11th time the erzbergrodeo takes place - with a new challenge, for big, strong twin-cylinder-bikes only: the so called King´s class.

B. Hauser, S. Kirssi, J. Lewis, C. Pfeiffer

The BMW Motorrad Enduro Team Feil sends its top-riders Simo Kirssi, Jimmy Lewis and last year´s winner of the Hare Scramble Chris Pfeiffer on HP2 Enduro in the race. 13,3 kilometers up the hill of rough gravel will be a tough test for the riders and bikes.

Chris Pfeiffers strategy for the two runs of the challenge was simple: "Always at full speed." If the times of a rider´s two runs are more than 60 seconds apart, a 30 second penalty is added to his personal best for the final result.

the equipment should be ready to go

Before a cheering crowd in downtown Eisenerz Berti Hauser, General Manager Motorsport BMW Motorrad, started - as the first contestant - the chase up the hill.

Jimmy Lewis: pushin´ the limits

With Dr. Herbert Diess, General Manager BMW Motorrad, sending him as well the the officially supported Feil-Team on the track.

Chris Pfeiffer: Flat out

Then the big twins demonstrated why it´s called the King´s class: with a wild roar the bikes were thundering up the hill, sliding through the turns, accelerating hard up the long straights, reaching top-speeds of 180 kph!

Simo Kirssi

Rallye Dakar-experienced Jimmy Lewis were pushin´ the limits.

The Flying Fin

Afterwards stating: "I´m quite sure that in some corners nobody went faster than me". The "Flying Fin" Simo Kirssi, who some insiders already had on the list for the title, impressed everyone with the fastet run of the day: 9:11,91 min.

Unfortunately a technical problem stopped him 300 m short of the finish line which caused a 30 sec. penalty.

At the press-conference - after a most exciting day of offroad-fun - stunt and trial expert Pfeiffer commented: "It´s amazing that someone like me, who spends 90% of his time on motorcycles in first and second gear and who lacks offroad-experience, obviously can be that fast on the HP2 Enduro.

The controllability and grip of the bike is amazing." With two excellent runs he finished second, only 1,2 sec. behind the winner Giovanni Sala. With Kirssi on fourth and Lewis on fifth the conclusion of this hardcore-test for the HP2 Enduro can only be: Mission completed. And there´s more to come.

The Instructor Team of the BMW Motorrad Rider Training also had lots of fun, while presenting their travel and training program to the offroad crowd. With Andi Rothballer on eighth, Robert Schweiger (11.) and Tomm Wolf (24.) they showed the audience where to go in order to train your offroad skills: to the Enduro Park Hechlingen, Germany.

HP motor racing, Roppen-Tirol, A

2009-07-27T08:50:00.000-07:00

Roppen in Tyrol was where the action was for the BMW Motorrad Endura Team Feil and the HP2 Enduro with its rider Chris Pfeiffer. The second race of the ACC was anything but ideal HP2 terrain. An approx. 5 km long, extremely tight course, covered with almost head-size rocks which are just lying in wait to give every bike a technical knock-out. 270 riders took up the challenge.

Chris Pfeiffer, a "qualified" trial specialist and reigning stunt riding vice world champion had all the prerequisites for riding the HP2 Enduro into the top 10 in this race. Pfeiffer before the start: "During the last races with the HP2, the team has gained a lot of experience and we can now really exploit the HP2 to the full to ride right up front even in this very difficult terrain."

No sooner said than done. Right from the start the man from the Allgäu showed everyone that the HP2 would be in the front pack. Long, almost trial-like passages alternated with short and fast full throttle sections. But it was above all on the extremely steep up- and downhill rides where Pfeiffer showed his class.

The spectators and the competition were stunned. One participant said: "Unbelievable. I would never have thought it possible to move the HP2 on this tough tight course. You have to see it to believe it."

And the ore mountain (Erzberg) specialist really was able to hold onto his position at the front for almost the entire race. The HP2 reeled off the laps like clockwork and was even up to fourth place almost to the end of the race. Only in the last third Chris had to give in to a pursuer but easily rode home in 5. place.

BMW Motorrad Sports Director Berti Hauser: "We are very pleased with this position and have proved that we can ride right up front with a two-cylinder bike among a very good field of racers. We are looking forward very much to the next races at the Erzberg and at the GCC in Mernes."

Further information and result lists at www.austrian-cross-country-championship.com.

HP motor racing, Neiden-Torgau, D

2009-07-27T06:55:00.001-07:00

It could hardly have been more extreme. The 24-hour race of the BABOONS Endurance-Days in Torgau near Leipzig turned out to be torturous for both man and machine alike. Shortly before the start on the eve of Whitsunday at 5 p.m. all the heavens opened up - and didn´t close again until the next morning. Hence, the almost 10-kilometre long circuit turned into one big "mud pack".

Despite these adverse conditions the atmosphere at the track and among the participants was great, even among the BMW Motorrad Enduro Team Feil that went to take up their starting positions in a prominent, international array with the BMW HP2 Enduro. Simo Kirssi (Finland), Jimmy Lewis, Jonah Street (both USA) and Markus Theobald (Germany) fought for every metre in the Prestige Class. In this class, four motorcyclists ride the same motorcycle alternately.

Notable at the start: Kirssi got into the lead at the start with no trouble at all and remained in the very top group for a long time at first. In the subsequent course of the race, the HP2 were always between fourth and sixth place during the evening and throughout the whole night.

In the box, there was a great deal to do. Heavy mud had to be cleared as much as possible from the motorcycle time and again and small repairs had to be carried out. The team worked intensively round the clock. At about 7 a.m. the bad news then broke: power loss on the left cylinder. The thick mud had resulted in cooling problems. Thus, after exactly 14 hours and 46 laps, the team was prematurely out of the race. At this moment, the HP2 Enduro was in fourth position close behind third place.

Under these conditions, the track proved to be materially murderous. Almost 50 percent of the teams competing in the Prestige Class met the same fate as the BMW Motorrad Enduro Team Feil.

In spite of the breakdown, the BMW camp was not low in spirits. According to BMW Motorrad sports manager Berti Hauser: "The mood at the track was terrific. We will also be competing here again in 2006." The BMW participation was regarded as a success because the HP2 has shown once again that it can keep up in the leading group of sports motorcycles.

Even Jimmy Lewis (several times a competitor in the Paris-Dakar) was bowled over: "It was really great. I never imagined it would be so difficult. I´d love to come again." And Simo Kirssi: "It was too bad that we couldn´t ride till the end. I was really dying to show what the HP2 Enduro was made of."

More information and results at www.endurance-day.de.

HP motor racing, Malandrone-Livorno, I

2009-07-27T03:26:00.000-07:00

At his Italian Debut in Malandrone at Livorno, Simo Kirssi gave a perfect show a la Italia with his HP2 Enduro. If the numerous Italian riders and spectators were still sceptical about what a 2-cylinder bike had lost in this race before the start, at the second race of the Italian Cross Country Championship (ICC), this scepticism changed quickly into pure enthusiasm. Numerous cross-country fans could be observed intensely gesticulating to share the news with their friends even during the race. Then, relatively quickly after the race had started, there was basically only one bike that attracted any interest: the HP2 Enduro. You couldn´t help feeling that lots of spectators at the track had only come because of the appearance of the new BMW.

Simo Kirssi fought an inspiring duel for the lead in the first three laps with Matteo Paoletti, the Italian Enduro champion. But the latter soon had to accept the fact that Kirssi and the HP2 were simply faster on this day. And thus, the flying Finn went into the lead with his BMW for the first time during a cross-country race this year. In the meantime, he had continuously extended his lead to about a minute. "Finally I could do as I liked and showed what the HP2 was made of ", said Simo after the race.

It was unfortunate that bad luck struck again. After three quarters of the distance had been covered, a stone whirled up damaging an electric cable of the fuel pump. The consequence: The engine only ran on one cylinder. Kirssi decided to continue riding despite power loss. "If I had ridden to the pits, I would have lost far more time." As a result, the likeable Finn was not able to stay in the lead until the end of the race, but still managed to gain fourth place in the overall assessment.

After the finish, the HP2 Enduro together with its swift rider were surrounded. Kirssi had to give many autographs; proving that BMW and the young rider has captured the hearts of the Tifosi by storm. "I have never experienced so much warmth as in Malandrone", said Simo, who was really taken by the openness of the Italians.

The track in Malandrone was hard, dusty and well open and had more of a motocross character; which, in turn, proves the versatility of the HP2.

More information and result lists at www.italian-cross-country-championship.com.

HP motor racing, Walldorfer Waldprüfung, D

2009-07-25T05:19:00.000-07:00

The 2 race of the German Cross Country Championship was held on 2.2.2005 in Walldorf. As in the two last races in Tollwitz (GCC) and Reiserberg (ACC) Simo Kirssi lined up at the start on his HP2 and enthralled the crowd of spectators.

Kirssi said before the start: "Walldorf is going to be a tough piece of work. The course is over 8 km long and loaded with difficulties. There are narrow, winding steep inclines in the forest and a rock-hard motocross track with lots of long-distance jumps".

Nevertheless the young Fin confidently got to work over the next two hours. Starting from 15. position he flipped the switch to "full throttle". With more than 100 hp and approx. 70 kg more battle weight compared to the competition on their single cylinders, this really is saying something. Kirssi raced with the leading pack right from the start and won the hearts of the approx. 3000 spectators thanks to his unspectacular yet supremely controlled riding style. "Above all in the uphill forest section where the narrow ruts make riding difficult, the chassis and above all the beefy engine of the HP2 really moved me up to the front." The likeable Fin always came out of the difficult sections back into the open with top-notch times.

"On the motocross sections things then really started to heat up. The many jumps, some up to 15 meters far, call for full concentration but the well-tuned suspension and above all the Conti damping system always gave me the feeling of being in control."

From lap 4, Kirssi was always racing near position 10. His lap times remained in a window of only 6 seconds until approx. 10 minutes before the end of the race. You could set your watch by the constant times of the HP2 as it came past the start and finish.

Only in the second-to-last lap a defect of the rear wheel suspension brought the Fin to a standstill. HP2 development head Markus Theobald: "Simo is always instructed to carefully observe the riding behaviour of the HP2 during the race. If he notices anything he is to come into the pits so we can analyse the fault right away. And that´s just what he did. The exact cause of the fault still has to be deduced.

The Cross Country Championship gives us the ideal conditions for conducting these extreme tests. We´re very pleased and are confident that the HP2 will shake things up again at the 24-hour race on 14./15. May."

For further information and to view the results lists, please go to: www.german-cross-country.de.

HP motor racing, Reisersberg-Passau, D

2009-07-24T10:52:00.000-07:00

Following his sensational start on the HP2 Enduro at the German Cross Country opening race in Leipzig, BMW rider Simo Kirssi is a top contender for a place right up front in the European XCC series. The 25 year old Fin lived up to this claim by riding to 14. place on April 23rd in Reiserberg at the first race of the Austrian Cross Country Championship (ACC), the Austrian equivalent of the series.

"The bike showed how very easy it is to handle. You feel you`re always in control, even in extreme situations", said Simo Kirssi before the race which he then confidently started into aiming to use his experience gained in Tollwitz.

At the start the young Fin got off very well and was able to work his way forward in the first three rounds. In fifth position, however, a flying rock damaged the fuel supply of his HP2 Enduro and forced him into the pits. Simo: "At first I didn`t even know what had happened but suddenly the bike had no more power and I headed for the pits." The damage was quickly discovered and repaired.

Simo went back into the race 20 minutes behind. Places at the top were now out of the question but the dedicated Fin gave everything he had. After a spectacular chase he battled his way forward to 14th place overall. What is especially remarkable is that Kirssi`s lap times remained virtually constant for the entire 2 hours of the race. The last lap was even his fastest: "The HP2 gives you a relaxed feeling even after 2 hours of racing. Especially the superb suspension simply irons everything flat".

Simo has quite a few things planned for the next German Cross Country race on May 1st in Walldorf: "To finish among the first 12 on the HP2 Enduro would be fantastic," says the likeable Fin.

HP motor racing, Dirt Days Penzberg, D

2009-07-24T10:01:00.000-07:00

Although the Dirt Days in Penzberg, south of Lake Starnberg, formerly known as the notorious "Accept no Limits" event, are not part of any racing series, the race is well known throughout the country and always attracts a large number of visitors.

For Christian Pfeiffer it was virtually a home game, when last Saturday afternoon, he lined up on his HP2 Enduro, together with Simo Dirssi, in the large 4-stroke class (450 cm³ and above) event, hoping to qualify for the grand "Master of Dirt" final the following Sunday.

Right from the start, the two of them were among the front runners. Over the first few laps, they managed to work their way to second and third place (Kirssi and Pfeiffer respectively), despite strong defensive tactics from the others and the at times narrow track.

From this point on, the two of them alternated positions, and roughly half way through the race, they finally overtook the leader and dominated the field in duo formation.

Pfeiffer was forced to relinquish the peak position to the somewhat more forceful Kirssi, but unfortunately, twenty minutes before the finish, he fell following a table jump and had to leave the race.

As a former world stunt champion, Pfeiffer survived this spectacular move with little more than a few bruises.

Kirssi continued the confident leader, at times he was even two whole minutes of the rider in second place - but only three laps before the finish, his fuel reserves ran out, costing him the race.

Despite the delay necessitated by the refuelling, Simo Kirssi still managed to finish the race in second place - an excellent performance.

On Sunday morning, Christian Pfeiffer took part in the standard Enduro race, in order to secure himself a place in the final event. He won the race confidently, which was only to be expected, since - it has to be said - there really was no serious competition for this top-class combination of man and machine.

And so to the "Master of Dirt" final, where everything counted. All qualifying riders start off together in a fast lap. The last one to finish has to leave the competition and the remaining riders take part in the next elimination round. This continues until the Master of Dirt has won through.

Pfeiffer and Kirssi started well every time, winning a number of holeshots in the process. Around half way through, Pfeiffer lost out due to a stalled engine. Kirssi continued impressively until the fourth round from the end, when an error of judgement caused him to drop out of the race.

HP motor racing, Tollwitzer Talkessel, D

2009-07-24T08:18:00.000-07:00

BMW Motorrad celebrated its successful return to off-road sports with its brand new HP 2 enduro motorcycle, on Saturday, 10 April, when it took part in the first heat of the German Cross Country Championship (GCC) in Tollwitz, near Leipzig.

The BMW Motorrad Feil Enduro team selected Simo Kirssi, winner of last year`s GCC, to enter the Class 1 (professionals) race. The HP 2 enduro immediately demonstrated its competitive confidence, despite the fact that the other motorcycles participating in the event were around 70 kilograms lighter.

The start of the race in Le Mans fashion was compromised somewhat due to a jammed wooden slat, and a loose cable in the first lap also resulted in a considerable time loss.

But this was not enough to worry Kirssi, and once the repair had been completed, he rejoined the race from behind, racing along the sandy ground surface.

Altogether, he had around 80 (!) other riders to overtake over the two hours of the race. And in the end, the three minutes lost in the first lap unfortunately proved too much to afford him a place in the first ten.

The "Flying Finn" was the eighteenth to cross the finish line, but he nevertheless managed to complete the course ahead of a number of other international stars (including the European Enduro Champion 2003, Werner Müller).

The winner of the race was the Frenchman, Arnaud Demester, who finished ahead of the Swede, Thomas Benipson and Valeriy Doczenko from the Ukraine.

Altogether, a total of almost 600 riders, both men and women, had lined up at the start of the course in Tollwitz. The climax came with the Class 1 and 2 heats on the Sunday afternoon.

For further information and to view the results lists, please go to: www.german-cross-country.de.

HP2 Megamoto models

2009-07-24T08:17:00.002-07:00

Originally single-cylinder enduros were fitted with road tyres, thus creating a new class: the Supermoto.

But now the BMW Motorrad engineers have put a 2-cylinder on wheels which simply goes way beyond the usual dimensions. A truly exceptional motorcycle which defines its own class: the HP2 Megamoto. With refined features ex works, this model is a blend of the typical Supermoto elements – perfect handling with outstanding directional stability and low weight – with the strengths of a powerful flat twin – low centre of gravity, abundant pulling power even at the lowest engine speeds – to form a unique synthesis. By using top quality parts and materials, a motorcycle has been created which is like no other. For the ambitious BMW Motorrad developers this was a fascinating opportunity to put their ideas into practice. Individual design perfectly geared towards functional efficiency, serial production technology of the highest quality which has passed the toughest practical tests – an absolutely exclusive, distinctive and high-performance model which stands apart from all others. And which is rides like no other. A true BMW.

HP2 Enduro models

2009-07-24T08:17:00.001-07:00

This dream has now been brought to fruition by a team of enthusiastic developers who are all passionate offroad motorcyclists themselves.

The BMW HP2 Enduro is a lightweight, off-road flat-twin enduro born out of this passion, impressively demonstrating the sporty potential of BMW Motorrad. This is not a design study never to be made reality or a modified version of a serial production motorcycle: it is an exclusive, distinctive, high-performance model in its own right. And it is a motorcycle which does not need role models – because it is one itself. A bike full of individualised and innovative solutions. And one which is like no other to ride. A genuine BMW.

HP2 Megamoto Details

2009-07-24T08:16:00.001-07:00

The HP2 Megamoto is full of fascinating details which make riding on any road surface a unique experience.

Cockpit
A feast for the eyes and a comprehensive source of information: in addition to tachometer, speedometer and info flatscreen, the cockpit also comes with fixed handlebar trim which takes up the theme of lightweight construction with a mixture of plastic and visible-structure carbon fibre.

Finish
BMW Motorrad motor racing style through and through – even the paint finish reflects pure sporty flair with its characteristic blue and white combined with visible-structure carbon fibre.

Exhaust system
The Akrapovic sports exhaust system, optimised for the HP2 Megamoto, not only gives the bike its meaty, sonorous sound but also provides excellent support for the high-torque engine.

Conclusion: the HP2 Megamoto – made by professionals for professionals, a product of passion.

HP2 Megamoto Chassis

2009-07-24T08:14:00.000-07:00

The HP2 Megamoto is fitted with a chassis which designed for uncompromisingly sporty in its design:

* Upside-down fork, compression and rebound stage adjustable
* Forged aluminium single-sided swing arm with BMW Motorrad Paralever, Öhlins single suspension strut
* Tubular space frame

Upside-down fork

The upside-down fork used in the HP2 Megamoto is precisely designed for active use. Both compression and rebound stage are adjustable, enabling perfect adaptation to the prevailing conditions.

Rear wheel suspension
The combination of the forged single-sided swing arm - modified for the intended purpose of the HP2 Megamoto - the Paralever principle and the high-quality Öhlins single suspension strut is simply perfect. The very finest response, maximum stability and of course adjustable in compression and rebound stage. Spring preload is also adjustable to continuously variable levels.

Tubular space frame
The light tubular space frame is based on the BMW 900 RR, which proved its effectiveness in rally racing with numerous victories. The design combines a high degree of rigidity with an extremely compact construction, thus preparing the HP2 Megamoto excellently for challenges sought by the most ambitious riders.

Conclusion: a chassis which sets new standards on asphalt.
Optimum directional stability due to the long wheelbase and extended Paralever swing arm, low centre of gravity and an amazing dry weight for a 2-cylinder of just 178 kg due to various lightweight construction measures: in the HP2, everything is geared towards impressive performance.

Frame:
Steel composite tubular space frame

Front wheel suspension / suspension elements:
Upside-down fork, rebound and compression stage adjustable

Rear wheel suspension / suspension elements:
Forged aluminium single-sided swing arm with BMW Motorrad Paralever, Öhlins single suspension strut, spring preload adjustable to continuously variable levels, compression and rebound stage adjustable

Spring travel front/rear:
160 mm / 180 mm

Wheelbase (in normal position):
1,616 mm

Wheels:
Aluminium cast wheels

Rim size, front:
3.50 x 17"

Rim size, rear:
5.50 x 17"

Tyres, front:
120 / 70 ZR 17

Tyres, rear:
180 / 55 ZR 17

Brake, front:
Dual disc brake, diameter 320 mm

Brake rear:
Single disc brake, diameter 265 mm, swing-arm mounted

Measures / weights

Seat height:
890 mm (845 mm with low seat and lowered chassis)

Dry weight*:
178 kg
* with fluids

Usable fuel tank capacity:
13.0 l, including approx. 2.0 l reserve.

HP2 Megamoto Engine

2009-07-24T08:13:00.000-07:00

The 1200 flat-twin engine in the HP2 Megamoto provides optimum characteristics for sporty riding on winding roads: with over 110 bhp, and power which is available at low engine speeds on, is easy to control and which is maintained through to maximum engine speed.

Torque which is always above 100 Nm across a wide range – with a low centre of gravity for truly impressive performance. Due to the engine characteristics specially created for the HP2 Megamoto, the engine provides impressively high revving from standstill and enables the jerk-free riding which is typical of this model even at the very lowest engine speeds. The engine management system ensures optimum idling speed control.
The result is an engine which allows you to take on any challenge you choose.

Type:
Air/oil-cooled 2-cylinder 4-stroke flat twin engine, one camshaft and four valves per cylinder

Bore x stroke:
101 mm x 73 mm

Capacity:
1,170 cc

Rated output:
over 81 kW / 110 bhp

Max. torque:
115 Nm at 5,500 rpm

Compression ratio
11.0:1

Fuel preparation / engine management:

* electronic manifold injection/digital

* Engine management: BMS-K with overrun fuel cut-off, Dual ignition, Emissions control: closed-loop 3-way catalytic converter, Exhaust gas norm EU-3

Other engine specifications:

* Use of Super Plus petrol (98 RON), anti-knock control also allows use of Premium with 95 RON.
* No balancing shaft
* Significantly weight-optimised exhaust system
* Reinforced transmission output shaft

HP2 17 road wheels

2009-07-24T08:11:00.000-07:00

HP2 17" Street-Wheelset – top-class asphalt performance.

HP2 Enduro Details

2009-07-24T08:10:00.000-07:00

The HP2 Enduro is full of practical details which make riding over any terrain a unique experience and ensure that even exciting situations can be confidently mastered.

Brakesnake
It starts with the Brakesnake – a safeguard device which prevents branches or stones from coming between the footbrake and engine and impairing their function.

Salvage bars
Then there are the solid salvage bars – designed at the front as a headlamp fixture, at the rear as pillion passenger grasps: these allow the HP2 Enduro to be recovered in any situation.

Fuel tank
The fuel tank in semi-transparent plastic with markings at 5 and 11 litres provides simple and fast feedback on the current fuel level.

Protectors
Hand protectors and protective elements on the engine, cylinder and gearbox give this motorcycle even greater robustness - as befits its use.

Ergonomics
An adjustable footbrake ensures excellent ride comfort in both seated and standing position, and the bike’s perfect ergonomics are supported by an adjustable handlebar clamp. For off-road use, registration plate holders and indicators are easily removable.

Conclusion: the HP2 Enduro – developed with passion by professionals for professionals.

HP2 Enduro Chassis

2009-07-24T08:07:00.000-07:00

The HP2 Enduro has a chassis which is uncompromisingly designed for sporty use.

In every individual component, BMW Motorrad underscores its claim to leadership in the field of innovation and technology, including these:

* WAD spring fork
* Air Damping System
* Tubular frame

WAD spring fork
The Upside-Down fork especially designed for the HP2 Enduro has a travel-related damping system which effectively minimises the risk of bottoming out. Both compression and rebound stages are adjustable, making the bike perfectly adaptable to the required purpose.

Air Damping System
Another innovation is the Air Damping System: a unique pneumatic suspension system which weighs just half as much as conventional systems but which provides significantly increased traction compared to other systems. It is maintenance-free and can be adjusted to continuously variable levels via the air volume in the cylinder. This means that the motorcycle can be as precisely adjusted to the size and weight of the rider as it can in compression and rebound. It’s revolutionary: both suspension and damping function by means of air!

Tubular frame
The lightweight tubular frame is based on the BMW 900 RR used in rally racing, demonstrating success with numerous victories. The design combines a high degree of rigidity with an extremely compact construction and prepares the HP2 Enduro excellently for the challenges that await it from ambitious enduro riders.

Conclusion: a chassis which will do anything you want it to
Optimum directional stability due to a 21“ front wheel and extended parallel swing arm, low centre of gravity and - due to various lightweight construction measures - a surprisingly low dry weight for a 2-cylinder bike of just 175 kg, as well as a sensible combination of innovative ideas and successfully established components: in the HP2 Enduro, everything is designed for impressive performance – both on road and off road!

Frame:
Steel compound tubular frame

Front wheel control / suspension elements:
WAD spring fork; stanchion diameter 45 mm, compression stage adjustable to continuously variable levels in two areas, rebound stage adjustable at continuously variable levels.

Rear wheel control / suspension elements:
Aluminium cast single-sided swing arm with BMW Motorrad Paralever; unique BMW Motorrad Air Damping System

Spring travel front / rear:
279 mm / 250 mm

Wheelbase (in normal position):
1520 mm

Wheels:
Cross-spoke wheels

Rim dimensions, front:
1.85 x 21

Rim dimensions, rear:
2.50 x 17

Tyre, front:
90/90

Tyre, rear:
140/80

Brake, front:
Single-disc brake, diameter 305 mm

Brake, rear:
Single-disc brake, diameter 265 mm, swing-arm resistant

Dimensions / weights

Length:
2350 mm

Width (incl. mirrors):
880 mm

Height (not incl. mirrors):
1430 mm

Seat height:
920 mm

DIN unladen weight, in running condition*:
195 kg
* According to Guideline 93/93/EWG with all utility materials, including fuel up to at least 90% of the usable fuel tank volume

Dry weight**:
175 kg
** without utility materials

Maximum authorised weight:
380 kg

Usable fuel tank volume:
13.0 l, including reserve capacity of approx. 2.0 l.

HP2 Enduro Engine

2009-07-24T07:12:00.000-07:00

The 1200 cc flat-twin engine of the HP2 Enduro offers excellent engine characteristics for sporty off-road motorcycling: slightly modified for increased power, with gently delivered and easily controllable power in every situation, a torque level which is always over 100 Nm and available across a wide range, and a low centre of gravity: this means absolute off-road capability with impressive performance.

Due to the fact that a balancer shaft has not been used, the engine turns even faster and with greater sporty flair than that of the R 1200 GS. As is characteristic of the flat-twin engine, it allows jerk-free riding without clutch support even at the very lowest engine speeds, with the engine management system providing optimum idle-speed control.
The result is an engine which will enable you to meet any challenge.

Type:
Air/oil-cooled 2-cylinder 4-stroke flat-twin engine, one camshaft and four valves per cylinder

Bore x stroke:
101 mm x 73 mm

Capacity:
1170 cc

Rated output:
77 kW (105 bhp) at 7000 rpm

Max. torque:
115 Nm at 5500 rpm

Compression ratio:
11.0:1

Fuel preparation / engine management system:
Electronic intake pipe injection/digital engine management: BMW-K with overrun fuel cut-off, dual ignition, exhaust gas purification.

Additional engine specifications:

* Use of Super Plus fuel (98 RON), anti-knock control also allows use of premium fuel with 95 RON
* No balancer shaft
* Significantly weight-reduced exhaust system
* Reinforced gearbox output shaft

Star spoke 124 – wheel, tyre set

2009-07-24T06:21:00.000-07:00

Cast alloy wheel, 18-inch size. 8J x 18 245/40 R18Y. RSC complete wheel and tyre set with runflat properties, tyres: Goodyear. For models without xDrive, not for M5.

Available for 5 Series.

Star spoke 124 in black – wheel, tyre set

2009-07-24T06:19:00.000-07:00

Cast alloy wheel, 18-inch size. 8J x 18 245/40 R18Y. RSC complete wheel and tyre set with runflat properties, tyres: Bridgestone. For models without xDrive, not for M5.

Available for 5 Series.

Star spoke 123 – wheel, tyre set

2009-07-24T06:18:00.000-07:00

Cast alloy wheel, 18-inch size. 8J x 18 245/40 R18Y. RSC complete wheel and tyre set with runflat properties, tyres: Goodyear. For models without xDrive, not for M5.

Available for 5 Series.

Star spoke 122 – wheel, tyre set

2009-07-24T06:16:00.000-07:00

Cast alloy wheel, 17-inch size. 8J x 17 245/45 R17W. RSC complete wheel and tyre set with runflat properties, tyres: Bridgestone. Not for M5, 530i Touring, 535d Touring, 540i Touring and 550i Touring.

Available for 5 Series.

Star spoke 105 – wheel, tyre set

2009-07-24T06:15:00.000-07:00

Cast alloy wheel, 17-inch size. 8J x 17 225/45 R17W front, 8.5J x 17 255/40 R17W rear. RSC complete wheel and tyre set with runflat properties, tyres: Bridgestone. Not for Z4 M Roadster and Z4 M Coupé.

Available for Z4 Roadster up to 02/09, Z4 Coupé up to 02/09.

Spoke styling 176 – wheel, tyre set

2009-07-24T06:14:00.000-07:00

Cast alloy wheel, 19-inch size. 9J x 19 245/45 R19Y front, 10J x 19 275/40 R19Y rear. Complete wheel and tyre set, tyres: Pirelli.

Available for 7 Series up to 11/08.

Radial spoke composite wheel 198

2009-07-24T05:50:00.000-07:00

Cast alloy wheel, 19-inch size. 8J x 19 225/35 R19Y front, 9J x 19 255/30 R19Y rear. RSC complete wheel and tyre set with runflat properties, tyres: Bridgestone.

Available for 3 Series Saloon from 03/05, 3 Series Touring from 09/05, 3 Series Coupé from 09/06, 3 Series Convertible from 03/07.

Radial spoke 50 – wheel, tyre set

2009-07-24T05:46:00.000-07:00

Cast alloy wheel, 17-inch size. 8J x 17 225/45 R17W. Complete wheel and tyre set, tyres: Bridgestone. Not for M3.

Available for 3 Series Saloon up to 03/05, 3 Series Touring up to 09/05, 3 Series Coupé up to 09/06, 3 Series Convertible up to 03/07, 3 Series Compact.

Cast alloy wheel, 16-inch size. 7J x 16 225/55 R16W. Complete wheel and tyre set, tyres: Michelin. For models without xDrive, not for 530i, 530d, 535d, 540i, 545i, 550i and M5.

Available for 5 Series.

Radial spoke 32 – wheel, tyre set

2009-07-24T05:41:00.000-07:00

Cast alloy wheel, 18-inch size. 8J x 18 245/40 R18Y. RSC complete wheel and tyre set with runflat properties, tyres: Dunlop. For models without xDrive, not for M5.

Available for 5 Series.

Cast alloy wheel, 17-inch size. 8J x 17 225/45 R17W. RSC complete wheel and tyre set with runflat properties, tyres: Pirelli. For 3 Series Saloon (except 320si), 3 Series Touring (except 330i, 330d, 335i, 335d, 330xi, 335xi), 3 Series Coupé and 3 Series Convertible (except 325d, 330i, 330d, 335i).

Available for 3 Series Saloon from 03/05, 3 Series Touring from 09/05, 3 Series Coupé from 09/06, 3 Series Convertible from 03/07.

Radial spoke 216 – wheel, tyre set

2009-07-24T05:32:00.000-07:00

Cast alloy wheel, 18-inch size. 7.5J x 18 215/40 R18Y front, 8.5J x 18 245/35 R18Y rear. RSC complete wheel and tyre set with runflat properties, tyres: Bridgestone. With BMW Motorsport lettering.

Available for 1 Series.

Cast alloy wheel, 18-inch size. 8J x 18 225/40 R18Y front, 8.5J x 18 255/35 R18Y rear. RSC complete wheel and tyre set with runflat properties, tyres: Michelin. With BMW Motorsport lettering.

Available for 3 Series Saloon from 03/05, 3 Series Touring from 09/05, 3 Series Coupé from 09/06, 3 Series Convertible from 03/07.

Radial spoke 196 – wheel, tyre set

2009-07-24T05:27:00.000-07:00

Cast alloy wheel, 18-inch size. 8J x 18 225/40 R18Y front, 8.5J x 18 255/35 R18Y rear. RSC complete wheel and tyre set with runflat properties, tyres: Michelin.

Available for 3 Series Saloon from 03/05, 3 Series Touring from 09/05, 3 Series Coupé from 09/06, 3 Series Convertible from 03/07.

Radial spoke 190, bicolour – wheel, tyre set

2009-07-24T05:20:00.000-07:00

Cast and polished alloy wheel, 19-inch size. 8.5J x 19 245/35 R19Y front, 9.5J x 19 275/30 R19Y rear. Complete wheel and tyre set, tyres: Continental. For models without xDrive, not for 5 Series Saloon models up to 03/04, 5 Series Touring and M5.

Available for 5 Series Saloon.

Cast alloy wheel, 19-inch size. 8J x 19 225/35 R19Y front, 9J x 19 255/30 R19Y rear. RSC complete wheel and tyre set with runflat properties, tyres: Bridgestone.

Available for 3 Series Saloon from 03/05, 3 Series Touring from 09/05, 3 Series Coupé from 09/06, 3 Series Convertible from 03/07.

Radial spoke 139 – wheel, tyre set

2009-07-24T05:11:00.000-07:00

Alloy wheels, 16-inch, cast. 6.5J x 16 195/55 R16V. RSC complete wheel and tyre set with runflat properties, tyres: Bridgestone. For 116i, 118i, 118d.

Available for 1 Series.

Radial spoke 118 – wheel, tyre set

2009-07-24T00:03:00.000-07:00

Cast alloy wheel, 18-inch size. 8J x 18 245/45 R18W front, 9J x 18 275/40 R18W rear. RSC complete wheel and tyre set with runflat properties, tyres: Bridgestone. Not for M6.

Available for 6 Series.

Parallel spoke 85 – wheel, tyre set

2009-07-23T23:58:00.000-07:00

Cast alloy wheel, 17-inch size. 7.5J x 17 225/45 ZR17 front, 8.5J x 17 245/40 ZR17 rear. Complete wheel and tyre set, tyres: Michelin. Not for M3.

Available for 3 Series Saloon up to 03/05, 3 Series Touring up to 09/05, 3 Series Coupé up to 09/06, 3 Series Convertible up to 03/07, 3 Series Compact.

M double spoke 68 – wheel, tyre set

2009-07-23T23:57:00.000-07:00

Cast alloy wheel, 17-inch size. 7.5J x 17 225/45 ZR17 front, 8.5J x 17 245/40 ZR17 rear. Complete wheel and tyre set, tyres: Michelin. Not for M3.

Available for 3 Series Saloon up to 03/05, 3 Series Touring up to 09/05, 3 Series Coupé up to 09/06, 3 Series Convertible up to 03/07, 3 Series Compact.

M double spoke 207 – wheel, tyre set

2009-07-23T23:55:00.000-07:00

Cast alloy wheel, 17-inch size. 7J x 17 205/50 R17W front, 7.5J x 17 225/45 R17W rear. RSC complete wheel and tyre set with runflat properties, tyres: Goodyear.

Available for 1 Series.

M double spoke 184 – wheel, tyre set

2009-07-23T23:53:00.000-07:00

Cast alloy wheel, 18-inch size. 8J x 18 245/45 R18W. RSC complete wheel and tyre set with runflat properties, tyres: Bridgestone. Not for M6.

Available for 6 Series.

Cast alloy wheel, 18-inch size. 8J x 18 245/40 R18Y. RSC complete wheel and tyre set with runflat properties, tyres: Bridgestone. For models without xDrive, not for M5.

Available for 5 Series.

M double spoke 172 – wheel, tyre set

2009-07-23T23:51:00.000-07:00

Cast alloy wheel, 19-inch size. 8.5J x 19 245/35 R19Y front, 9.5J x 19 275/30 R19Y rear. Complete wheel and tyre set, tyres: Continental. For models without xDrive, not for 5 Series Saloon models up to 03/04, 5 Series Touring and M5.

Available for 5 Series Saloon.