Miles Davis will ride a BMW’s R 1200 GS Rallye X in the 2017 Finke Desert Race
To celebrate the arrival of the new BMW R 1200 GS Rallye X, BMW Motorrad marketing manager Miles Davis will be piloting the new adventure weapon across 465km of desert terrain in the gruelling Finke Desert Race this June.
Preparations are already in full swing, with Davis having completed a pre-run covering the Finke course on a locally-prepared R 1200 GS featuring the sports suspension package that will be standard on the Rallye X.
Miles Davis
“After riding a pre-production version of the Rallye X in the two GS Safari events last year I knew it was a much more off-road focused bike. I came up with the idea of showcasing this by riding it in Finke and started to get excited about the idea. There are around 500 motorcycles entered in the 2017 event – it sold out in less than a day – and entrants generally ride lightweight 250cc to 500cc motocross machines, so riding a 200 kilogram-plus R 1200 GS is definitely going to be a bit different.”
The Finke will immediately be followed by a customer ride programme that will traverse the Simpson Desert’s 1100 sand dunes, running from Alice Springs to Birdsville via Mount Dare.
Miles Davis
“The pre run went about as well as I could have hoped for, it was tough physically and mentally, especially because I did both legs in one day. In these conditions it takes 100 per cent concentration to pick the right speed for the different sections of whoops. I won’t really be treating it as a race, it’s an endurance test, so I just need to look after the bike and be as smooth as possible. Something this epic trip will really showcase is how capable and versatile the R 1200 GS really is.
“On this trip we will have two support vehicles, allowing riders to ride the sandy route without the weight of luggage and extra fuel, so it will be easy and enjoyable. Obviously riders thinking about coming along on the BMW GS Tours Simpson Crossing, by BMW Safari, need to be experienced in riding off -road, with a bit of sand experience too. We know that many GS Safari customers are very good riders, so this is a chance for a small group to be part of something very special.”
BMW GS riders looking to register interest in the BMW GS Tours – Simpson Crossing can email: [email protected]. For more information on BMW Safari events see www.bmwsafari.com.
