BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy Southeast Asia 2016, Day 2. Thailand reveals its natural splendour to the GS Trophy teams.

Munich/Mae Hong Son. It was 'business as usual' at the second day of the International GS Trophy 2016 competition as the heat returned, allowing full access to some memorable tracks and trails, and thrilling special stages that combined to offer all participants a day to remember on the route from Pai to Mae Hong Son.

The team riders experienced the full GS Trophy effect today; if day one had been a gentle introduction, this was a taste of the tough, demanding reality that will be the week ahead. The overall distance might have been short, too, at 170km, but the intensity meant every kilometre was measured if not in blood, then certainly sweat and tears.

Named the ‘Helicopter Trail’, today’s course started gentle, again seeing the competitors ride through quiet rural villages, passing along centuries-old paths between paddy fields, before ascending into the mountains. The high point came at 1,686m, marked by the wreckage of a crashed ‘Huey’ military helicopter that gave today’s course its name, close to the border with Myanmar.

The descent from there proved to be the day’s riding highlight, as the trail grew increasingly steep and technical, narrowing to a single track, then down to a single Metzeler-tyre’s width through the most critical sections. Not all competitors made it through unscathed, but none were injured either. It was intense and increasingly hot work as the temperatures rose, from 20º at the summit to 32º in the valleys.

The first special test of the day, ‘Mai Daeng’, required the competitors to beat the clock as they rode down a bridge embankment, then under the bridge along a rocky riverbed before chasing a zig-zag path up the far side of the valley. Like a special stage in a rally, this was about speed and aggression – and a modicum of calculation, for the teams needed to get all three bikes to the finish without a crash, as a dropped bike would incur a 30-second penalty. Team South Africa were victorious in this one.

Special Test Two, called ‘Do You Know?’, was sprung on the riders randomly during the day as they were challenged on their knowledge of the BMW R 1200 GS motorcycle, including the capacity, horsepower and weight.

A stunning ride through the valleys, with staggering cliff formations and jungle-vistas brought the competitors to the overnight bivouac at Mae Hong Son where the third and final test of the day awaited in mid-30s heat and high humidity.

Simply titled 'Dead End, the teams were shown two parallel single trails about 50 metres long and marked with barrier tape. Starting from one end, two teams at a time faced off against each other with the goal to be the fastest to push all their bikes to the 'dead end', touch tyres and then reverse them back again – all against the clock. With time penalties awarded for touching the barrier tape or going into the other lane, it was certainly harder than it looked, especially in the intense afternoon heat. After all 19 teams had run the gauntlet, it emerged that Team Latin America pushed harder and faster than all the other challengers.

As all the results were compiled after a fantastic evening meal at the bivouac at The Dai resort, it is Team South Africa who lead the Trophy after day two, with Team UK and Team Latin America rounding out the top three.

John Harris, Team South Africa: ”As a team we came together. We had one or two snags along the way but we didn't get upset about it. We stayed motivated, enjoyed it as a team and thoroughly enjoyed the day – that made the difference.”

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Results BMW Motorrad Int. GS Trophy 2016 Day Two

1      South Africa                                                   85 pts.

2      UK                                                                  76 pts.

3      Latin America                                                 74 pts.

4      China                                                              69 pts.

5      CEEU                                                             66 pts.

6      France                                                            62 pts.

7      Argentina                                                        61 pts.

8      Germany                                                        60 pts.

9      USA                                                               59 pts.

10    Brazil                                                              57 pts.

11    Italy                                                                55 pts.

12    Canada                                                          52 pts.

13    Mexico                                                           49 pts.

14    Russia                                                            48 pts.

15    International Female Team                            29 pts.

15    Alps                                                                29 pts.

15    South Korea                                                   29 pts.

15    South East Asia                                             29 pts.