U.S. Qualifiers Announced For BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy

Troy Siahaan
by Troy Siahaan

The BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy comes around once every two years, and for the 2016 event sees two new surprises: first, three qualifying rounds will be held in the U.S. Second, and the main event will take place in Thailand. This marks the first time the competition has featured three qualifiers and the first time Thailand will play host to the grueling event.

The competition pitts international teams against each other aboard identical BMW R1200GS motorcycles in grueling daily stages and special challenges, amidst sand, gravel, dust, and foreign cultures throughout the world.

If you think you’ve got what it takes to compete in BMW Motorrad’s International GS Trophy, qualifiers for Team USA will be held in the following three locations:

East Coast Qualifier – September 11-13
BMW Performance Center
Spartanburg, South Carolina

Central Qualifier – September 25-27
Midwest Trail Riding Association (MTRA)
The Viburnum Trend Riding Area
Bixby, Missouri

West Coast Qualifier – October 23-25
RawHyde Adventures California
Santa Clarita, California

Participation is open to entrants with any BMW Motorrad adventure motorcycle that is licensed for road use (with the exception of the BMW G 450 X sport enduro). More details on how to qualify for BMW Motorrad’s International GS Trophy will be announced shortly.

In addition to 18 international teams of male riders, there will be an all-female team of enduro competitors. Ten women, selected this summer from a field of 119 riders, will compete for three spots on the all-female team in a special qualifier held September 9-16 in South Africa.

Troy Siahaan
Troy Siahaan

Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.

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