The BMW GS Trophy’s is all about adventures on BMW Motorrad’s iconic GS line and has seen events take place in some if the most far flung regions of the world.
For the 2022 event, BMW Motorrad is bringing the GS Trophy home to Europe with the event heading to Albania is south west Europe.
After coming to New Zealand for the 2020 edition of what can only be described as one of the ultimate GS experiences, the event is lined up to explore as BMW outs it “one of the last still largely untouched off-road paradises in Europe.”
BMW has already confirmed 15 teams will be participating, with Team China receiving wildcard entry due to missing out on coming to New Zealand in 2020 as a result of Covid-19 restrictions.
As Dr. Ralf Rodepeter, Head of Brand and Product BMW Motorrad, explains, Albania will offer qualified GS riders completely different riding environments and experiences:
“After Tunisia, South Africa, Patagonia, Canada, Thailand, Mongolia and most recently New Zealand, BMW Motorrad was once again on the lookout for a location that offered the perfect "GS terrain". Lots of legal off-road kilometres 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 river beds 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."
BMW is yet to announce which bikes will be used for the 2022 GS Trophy after the 2020 event using the F850GS instead of the new R1250 model.
The 2022 edition features 22 teams and in light of the pandemic it will be interesting to see how many teams make it to Albania.