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The difference is Williams
World Enduro Championship arrives in Wales
Posted on 4th Aug 2008
Taking place in Llanidloes, Wales, the latest round of the World Enduro Championship was the first to be held in Britain for nine years. The event was the first time a BMW Motorrad factory off-road team had competed on British soil.
At the halfway point of the season, the BMW Motorrad riders performed admirably in the three classes that they were involved in, and hoped for continued success in Wales the following weekend. In the team’s first full year of top-flight, world championship competition, all riders are contributing to the success story of the G 450 X sports enduro. In the Enduro 2 class Simo Kirssi is poised for a late charge, currently sitting in eleventh position having gained 76 points. Anders Eriksson is also impressing, currently in ninth position in the Enduro 3 class, while youngster Bert Meyer – BMW Motorrad’s hottest prospect for the future – is currently tenth in the Enduro Junior category.
The Hafren Dirt Bike Club, which organised the event, has plenty of experience in staging enduro competitions. Since it was formed in 1979, the club has progressed from providing a practice facility for its members, though to hosting British and European enduro events – and is now having the honour of hosting a World Championship round.
Competitors had to complete the full race distance of around 90 miles (150 kilometres) if they are to be in contention for victory. For all WEC events there was a motocross special test, an Enduro Test and Extreme special test. Many new rides had been created in the Hafren forest with the inclusion of some old tracks that have lain dormant for many years.
One of the highlights of the weekend was undoubtedly the BMW Motorrad Extreme Test Award. With points gained at the UK round going towards the overall points table to decide which rider will get their hands on a brand new BMW G 450 X at the end of the season, expect the competition to be intense.
The BMW Motorrad Extreme Test took place in a small forest just a short walk from the main spectator area. According to Rowan Jones, Vice President of Hafren Dirt Bike Club, the course was unashamedly challenging. “This really tested the rider’s technical abilities, with some slippery rock climbs, tree roots and difficult stream sections. Towards the end of the test there was a man-made boulder and log section. This should be a real draw for the spectators,” he says.
The WEC GP of Wales was not only be an important weekend for the factory motorsport team in terms of the championship standings. BMW Motorrad UK used the event as its launch pad for the eagerly awaited G 450 X series production machine – a bike set to revolutionise the enduro world. The customer version of the works machine was on display in the trade village, where members of the public can get up close and personal with this soon-to-be-released motorcycle.
Around 45 representatives and ‘off-road ambassadors’ from BMW Motorrad dealerships nationwide attended this world championship round on the Sunday to familiarise themselves with the sport of Enduro at the highest level and in preparation for the UK launch of the bike in Motorrad Dealerships nationwide on 20 September. Along with many off-road fanatics and BMW devotees, they will see the new G 450 X in race action for the first time, and will be lining the track to cheer on the BMW Motorrad Motorsport team riders.
Visit www.hafrendbc.co.uk or www.abc-wec.com for further information on the Hafren Dirt Bike Club and World Enduro Championships.
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