Off-road motorcyclists from all over the world compete in Namibia

Namibia was at the centre of the off-road motorbike world in September. 60 bikers from all over the world took part in the International GS Trophy 2024 organised by the BMW motorbike division. They had qualified for the challenge in the land of endless horizons at special tournaments last year.

'Team Germany' emerged as the clear winner of the 16 men's teams, 60 points ahead of second-placed 'Team South Africa'. The outcome of the five women's teams was much closer. There were only 28 points between first place for 'Team International' and fifth place for 'Team South Korea'.

But despite all the competition, the BMW GS Trophy is not about finishing first. Rather, the event is a test of skill, endurance and team spirit. Over six days, the bikers had to cover a total distance of 1,350 kilometres. Slippery gravel tracks, narrow rocky paths, dunes and dry river beds posed particular challenges.

Namibia as an endurance test for off-road motorbikes

For the BMW motorbike division, the GS Trophy is of course also a major advertising event. The BMW R 1300 GS celebrated its debut in Namibia. BMW developed this powerful machine exclusively for this event.

Technical data: 1,300 cm³ air and liquid-cooled boxer twin engine, 143 hp, 145 Nm of torque. In addition, there are special off-road accessories such as engine protection bars, adjustable levers and robust cross-spoke wheels.

The BMW F 900 GS Trophy Marshal Bike was available for very demanding routes. According to the manufacturer, the 895 cc parallel-twin engine delivers an output of 105 hp.

Namibia on the bucket list for off-road bikers

In addition to the participants, there were journalists, marshals, mechanics, paramedics, partner representatives and a film and photo team. The GS Trophy thus brought together almost 190 people from 32 nations, 120 motorbikes and 32 support vehicles.

Detailed reports on the GS Trophy 2024 in Namibia can be found on the BMW Group press portal. BMW has also published impressive videos on YouTube for each day:

Opening

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6.

Specialist tour operators have long been offering customised tours for motorcyclists through Namibia. After the GS Trophy 2024 at the latest, Namibia is likely to be on the bucket list of off-road fans in the biking community worldwide.

Sven-Eric Stender