For the first time since its 2008 debut, the BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy competition will be held in Europe. Located above the northeast border of Greece, Albania is home to just under three million people and covers more than 11,000 square miles (a bit more than Maryland).Albania is emerging as a tourist destination thanks to a long Adriatic Sea coastline—just east of the heel of Italy’s boot—and many heritage sites within its borders. Albania’s interior is largely undeveloped outside of the capital of Tirana, making it perfect for the 2022 BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy event.Albania: Home of BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy 2022 Southeast Europe
“After Tunisia (2008), South Africa (2010), Patagonia (2012), Canada (2014), Thailand (2016), Mongolia (2018), and most recently New Zealand (2020), BMW Motorrad was once again on the lookout for a location that offered the perfect GS terrain,” Dr. Ralf Rodepeter, Head of Brand and Product BMW Motorrad explains. “Lots of legal off-road kilometers are required, with demanding route profiles and plenty of unknowns. Albania offers the ideal conditions. Varied landscapes with high mountains, plateaus, deep forests, beaches along the Adriatic coast, fantastic riverbeds to cross, and deep mountain lakes provide the ideal backdrop for what we believe to be one of the most exciting GS Trophies ever staged.”Rather than a rally raid, the BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy is an event made up of 28 international teams—including six women’s teams. The teams compete on BMW GS motorcycles (naturally) in special stages that are more about teamwork than riding skills. To enhance the team experience, the participants sleep in bivouacs.Qualifiers for the GS Trophy 2022 Southeast Europe will be held in Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Latin America, Mexico, Netherlands, Russia, South Africa, South East Asia, South Korea, United Kingdom, and the United States. Right now, South Africa has a three-Trophy win streak. Information can be had at GStrophy.com.After the event’s conclusion, BMW Motorrad is offering Follow The Trails tours to replicate the ride without the competitive aspect.“Explore the unexpected” is the motto for the BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy 2022 Southeast Europe.We have tested the BMW R 1250 GS Adventure.
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This week, in the first segment Editor Don Williams talks to us about the new Kawasaki Versys 650 LT. It’s the middleweight ADV style machine that uses the same 650 parallel twin motor as the Ninja 650, so it’s an excellent performer in a user-friendly, good looking package.
In the second segment, I chat with one of my dearest industry friends—now retired Honda PR executive, Jon Seidel. Jon’s fascinating career spans some 30 years with Big Red, and gave him some great experiences with some incredible machines. I was fortunate enough to be invited on many of the press launches that he organized. His new project is documenting and saving many of the old archives from years gone by—and incidentally, if you have anything that may be of value to the project, please contact us by email at producer@ultimatemotorcycling.com and we’ll pass it all on to Jon.
So on that note, from all of us here at Ultimate Motorcycling, we hope you enjoy this episode!
