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BRINGING HOME THE BMW MOTORRAD INTERNATIONAL GS TROPHY

Woodcliff Lake, NJ - November 17, 2008... Like desert warriors... they came, they rode and they conquered. After a strong overall performance and victories in both of the final two challenges, Team USA emerged victorious in the inaugural BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy in Tunisia, October 15-24. Teams from Spain and Germany tied for second; while the Italian team captured third place and the Japanese team took fourth.

F 650 GS/F 800 GS

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Team USA Reflects on Sand, Scorpions and Star Wars in the Tunisian Desert

Woodcliff Lake, NJ - November 17, 2008... Like desert warriors... they came,
they rode and they conquered. After a strong overall performance and victories
in both of the final two challenges, Team USA emerged victorious in the
inaugural BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy in Tunisia, October 15-24.
Teams from Spain and Germany tied for second; while the Italian team captured
third place and the Japanese team took fourth.

BMW GS owners Brad Hendry (Thornton, CO), Jim Stoddard (Middlegrove, NY), and
Jason Adams (Rosendale, NY) along with journalists Jimmy Lewis (Dirt Rider),
Ryan Dudek (Cycle World), and writer/photographer Jonathan Beck represented the
United States in the 1,900-kilometer desert rally, involving 30 participants
from five nations, seeking to demonstrate their skills over challenging terrain
on identically prepared BMW F 800 GS motorcycles.

"This was by far the best motorcycle ride or event that I have ever been part
of," said Stoddard. "It was really sad to have it end."

"This was an incredible experience," added Hendry. "I don't think anyone from
our team wouldn't do it again."

"I am terrifically proud to have been chosen and to have done this," commented
Adams. "I was a BMW fan before; that's obvious! But an all-expense paid trip
to ride my butt off on these excellent bikes is almost too much!"

The ambitious enduro amateurs from the USA, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Spain
qualified for the first international GS Trophy just weeks in advance in
independently organized national challenges. In the U.S., the "Tunisia Three"
were selected after a day of "Survivor-Style" motorcycle competition at the BMW
Performance Center, in Spartanburg, SC, on August 28.

A total of 14 media representatives from the participating countries
accompanied the national teams, riding and competing alongside the GS owners to
obtain an up-close and personal experience with the event.

The premier tour, organized by BMW Motorrad, began in Milan, where teams
assembled and rode to Genoa and then travelled by ship to Tunis. In North
Africa, the riders set out on a long circuit from Kairouan via Ksar Ghilane,
Tembain, Zaafrane and Port el Kantaoui and back to Tunis. From there, the GS
Trophy returned to Genoa by sea and back to the starting point in Milan.

BMW Motorrad provided each rider with an equipment bag, tent, sleeping bag,
camping mat, headlamp, hydration pack, compass and Rallye Pro Suit.
Competitors were asked to bring helmets, gloves, boots, goggles, sport shoes,
tracksuit, fleece jacket, swim suits, sandals, suntan lotion, sunglasses,
energy bars and mineral drinks, camping utensils, travel pillow, towels and
personal hygiene items.

In a series of six challenges in Tunisia, the teams not only had to tackle
orienteering tasks but also had to cope with massive sand dunes.

"The dunes proved to be a filter of riding ability," observed Beck. "Attrition
on other teams was mainly due to fatigue from riding in the sand and dropping
bikes. It was amazing to watch the ease with which Jimmy rode through the
sand."

"The hardest moments were the first day of hard sand, in and before Tsar
Guilane when I was cramping up and learning the hard way," commented Adams. "I
was worried that I was going to let my team down."

"Sand is easy as soon as you relax," remarked Lewis. "Just ask Jason.
Relaxing is hard. Just ask Jason. He is actually a really good sand rider
now."

Asked if there were any particularly challenging moments when they were ready
to throw in the towel, Hendry responded, "The toughest moment was actually the
day on the beach coming back. I didn't sleep well, and helped as many riders as
I could, and completely wore myself out. Even the sweep riders rode past the
last fallen guys, so I ended up picking up everyone at the back and getting
pretty tired. I never felt like throwing in the towel, though. Hell, the
journey through the swamp in SC was tougher!"

Team USA members all responded with similar observations when asked to reveal
the key to their success.

"At no time did anyone on our team become injured," said Stoddard. "Our motto
was to ride today so we can ride tomorrow."

"Since we had to finish each challenge as a team, we rode slow and
methodically," observed Beck. "We allowed riders to take off individually to
avoid clogged air filters. We also rode the bikes within their design limits
and didn't push too hard. As a result, we had no mechanical problems and no
attrition. In fact, members of the Spanish team commented that we were going
so slow, yet we were going to win!"

"The taste of victory was addicting and our teamwork was really strong too,"
added Lewis. "We were successful mostly because we rode during the day within
our means and the capabilities of the bike, not using up a lot of energy and
not breaking stuff or hurting our bodies."

The rally entourage, which included 35 BMW motorcycles and several support
vehicles, drew the attention of local Tunisians wherever it went. The event
gave the participants an opportunity to absorb the local culture as well as
make new friends.

"It afforded us time to absorb the area, the culture, tour towns, and see the
architecture," commented Beck. "One of my most memorable experiences was
having tea and discussing politics with Ryan Dudek and a local Berber in the
middle of the Sahara."

What were the best moments of the trip for Team USA?

"Meeting the other teams. Viva Espana!," said Hendry, "and pulling countless
wheelies including a tandem standup with Jimmy past a grinning police officer.
Classic!"

"The best moments of the trip for me were the two nights that we camped in the
dunes," recalled Stoddard. "The riding every day was a challenge once we
arrived in the desert, but thanks to the camaraderie of our team we were able
to learn from the more experienced riders and make every day enjoyable."

"Visiting the Star Wars movie set was like being in a time warp," said Beck.
"I had seen photos of the set when I was younger and it was just like I
imagined it to be, right in the middle of the desert."

"At night, the stars were amazing, Beck added. "Jason was a bit of an
astronomer and taught us about the constellations. It was like being in a
million acre planetarium."

Any advice for next year's aspiring GS Trophy participants?

"Training is important, and we showed that," remarked Hendry. "We were all fit
and attrition never stepped into our game."

"Get in shape and practice," advised Stoddard. "Take your GS into places that
you believe you cannot achieve and overcome that obstacle. Find riding
partners that have the motivation even if they are not as capable of a rider as
you think you are and practice together as a team."

"Shelve your ego, and be prepared for anything and everything," suggested
Adams. "Maintain a positive attitude no matter what. Maintain a situational
awareness. Get as fit as possible beforehand, and save as much energy during
the day as possible. Don't crash hard. Listen well to your fellows. In the
desert, drink more water than you think you need, and eat a lot of salt. If
you don't have to pee all the time, you are not drinking enough."

"Do a lot of cardio training and practice riding and running in the sand," said
Beck.

Team USA members were asked whether they encountered any scorpions during the
adventure.

"I saw three, and it was incredible to see their little tracks around the camp
each morning," recalled Hendry.

"We were introduced to scorpions, big white spiders, lizards and many camels,"
said Stoddard. "I really enjoyed seeing the camel caravans in the distance
across the dunes."

Organizers of the inaugural BMW Motorrad event plan to increase the number of
participants next year to include teams from other nations and make the GS
Trophy a popular, annual enduro event.

"I was waiting for them to do some challenge where we had to eat something
strange or communicate with some of the locals, where I can only speak English,
and then I would have suffered," commented Lewis. "I'd like to be in charge of
hosting one of these in the U.S. I have some crazy ideas."

For more details and photos of the adventures of Team USA at the BMW Motorrad
International GS Trophy competition, visit the following sites and threads:

http://www.bmwxplor.com/forums/topic/show/3197?page=2
http://www.bmwxplor.com/forums/topic/show/3197?page=2>
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=394192&page=17
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=394192&page=17>
http://www.motorrad-adventure.com
http://jasona.smugmug.com/gallery/6384542_9FHCq#P-1-12.

Brad Hendry
http://www.bmwxplor.com/riders/Racing616
Jason Adams
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=394192&page=13
Photos:
http://jasona.smugmug.com/gallery/6384542_9FHCq#P-1-12
Jim Stoddard
Story and photos:
http://www.bmwxplor.com/forums/topic/show/3197?page=3
Jimmy Lewis
http://www.bmwxplor.com/riders/JLewis/blog/show/1068
http://www.bmwxplor.com/riders/JLewis/blog/show/1068>
Jonathan Beck
http://www.jonbeckphotography.com

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