5th International BMW Motorrad Biker Meeting

Over 30,000 visitors descended on Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Upper
Bavaria for the 5th International BMW Motorrad Biker Meeting from July
1st to 3rd 2005. The unpredictable weather did not stop the guests from
40 countries celebrating the 5th anniversary of the Biker Meeting and
25 years of GS with BMW Motorrad. And there was plenty of motorcycling
too. On the Saturday and Sunday, some 1,200 bikers took part in the 84
kilometre parade ride. Spectators were vocal in their enthusiasm too:
the spectacular offroad runs of the three HP2 riders Simo Kirssi,
Christian Pfeiffer and Jimmy Lewis attracted a large audience. The
three racers demonstrated their expertise - and that of the new HP2 - on
the slopes of the Hausberg. Many bikers wanted to try it out for
themselves and tested their own skills on the handling circuit set up
by "Motorrad" magazine, where the best motorcyclists of the
2005 Biker Meeting pitted their skills against each other every day.
Not only dexterity with the bike was required here but also the ability
to judge speeds correctly and the appropriate braking distances. Over
700 bikers took the opportunity to explore the Werdenfelser Land, test
riding all the BMW motorcycles of the current range. On Saturday
evening, the traditional big Biker Party was held in the BMW Motorrad
tent, with the band Blechblos'n creating a real party atmosphere. The
French "desert fox" Jean Claude Morellet alias Fenouil, the
first Paris-Dakar rider on a BMW motorcycle, made one biker especially
happy: he drew the winner of the special edition model "25 Years
of GS", a R 1150 GS Adventure. Motorcycling passion could be felt
throughout the Biker Meeting, and Igor Brezovar from Slovenia won a
special prize for his: he had travelled through 75 countries on his
R1100 GS. Participants could also enter their bikes in other categories
and receive rewards. The category "Longest distance
travelled" was surprisingly won by two inhabitants of
Garmisch-Partenkirchen. To get to the BMW Motorrad Biker Meeting they
had taken a 18,950 kilometre detour around the Mediterranean, and thus
took longer to complete the trip than a biker from Great Britain who
travelled from London via Istanbul to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The
category "Highest mileage" was won by a K 100 RS which had
335,816 kilometres on the clock. An R 62 from the year 1929, used by
its current owner for 11 years, won the "BMW Classic" prize.
One biker couple had given an RL 50 and an F 650 CS a spectacular paint
finish: the partner look with chessboard pattern and rally stripes won
them first prize in the category "Most original conversion".
In the glorious sunshine on Sunday, not only did visitors enjoy a
traditional "weißwurst" breakfast and the biker church
service but also the vintage motorcycle parade. Some 100 participants
rode their classic bikes from Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Grainau, past
some 3,000 spectators. Friends of the brand and riders of BMW
motorcycles would do well to note down an important date. From July 7th
to 9th, BMW Motorrad will be celebrating the 6th International Biker
Meeting in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.