Munich/Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Last weekend, the 19th edition of the BMW Motorrad Days took place at midsummer temperatures in Garmisch-Partenkirchen at the foot of the Zugspitze. This year more than 40,000 visitors once again turned the festival grounds at the Hausberg mountain into the world’s biggest BMW Motorrad meeting. The magnificent sunshine and glorious blue skies made it the Saturday with the most visitors ever at the BMW Motorrad Days.
International flair.
Visitors from all corners of the earth travelled to the BMW Motorrad Days this year as well. While many visitors from Germany, Austria and Switzerland attended, lots of BMW Motorrad riders also came from France, Italy and Spain. Friends and fans of the brand from as far away as Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, the USA, Canada, South Korea, India, the Philippines and other countries also undertook the long trip to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The impressive number of 114 accredited journalists from all over the world shows just how great media interest is in the BMW Motorrad Days.
The new BMW R nineT /5, customizing and motorsport.
In addition to numerous new products presented by the around 80 exhibitors from the world of customizing, tuning and accessories, fans were in for a world premiere in Garmisch-Partenkirchen this year. BMW Motorrad presented the new BMW R nineT /5, a motorcycle which skilfully echoes the legendary BMW R 75/5 of 1969. True to the motto “classic, authentic, original – and air-cooled”, the four bikes shown on the festival grounds went straight to heart of the fans as reflected by the almost euphoric reaction to the latest BMW Motorrad model.
The two concept bikes by BMW Motorrad also proved to be special highlights. First there was the BMW Motorrad Vision DC Roadster, a highly emotional and electrically powered naked bike and then there was the BMW Motorrad Concept R 18 custom bike with the large-capacity boxer engine for the cruiser segment. The Concept R 18 was also the centrepiece of the new Heritage Area which thrilled many visitors with its many attractions and its relaxed atmosphere.
Many visitors also used the opportunity of talking to the BMW Motorrad product specialists in person and of getting to know the current model generation better in the product tent.
Motorsport enthusiasts were also fully catered for in a number of ways. For example at the autograph sessions of Helmut Dähne, the TT winner of 1976 or also at the live broadcasts of the Superbike World Championship in Donington, England where Tom Sykes from the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK team took the first pole position for the new BMW S 1000 RR followed by a second place on the podium in Saturday’s race.
Live music, stunts and great outings.
As always, the 19th BMW Motorrad Days were dedicated to generating a relaxed party atmosphere. Be it in the festival tent in the evening, in the Heritage Area, at the campfire or in the US Lodge – everyone was sure to find their favourite spot with a wide variety of live music on offer.
By contrast pure action was delivered at the Original Motodrome Wall of Death Show by Donald Ganslmeier and his team as well as at the BMW Motorcycle Drift Show by Alex Le Marseillais from France or the Freestyle Show by Irishman Mattie Griffin at the Event Arena. Visitors were also stunned by the gravity-defying stunts conducted at airy heights at the FMX Show.
Anyone who felt like getting in on the action themselves, had lots of opportunity to do so: Over 1,000 participants went for test rides, over 600 visitors did offroad laps in the Enduro Park. The Kids Trial Taster Training sessions were surely the highlight for the bravest of the young visitors. 150 of them gained their first experiences on motorised two-wheelers.
Record food figures and two lucky winners.
Once again the pleasures of the palate were fully catered for – how else could it be in Bavaria – in the festival tent and the numerous food stalls and locations. No less than 5,000 scoops of ice cream, 1,000 crepes as well as 2.8 tons of French fries, lots of meat and around 20,000 litres of beer were consumed by the many visitors.
Two visitors of the 19th BMW Motorrad Days went home truly happy after the event. On Friday evening a brand new BMW R nineT /5 was raffled among the visitors and a BMW F 850 GS followed on Saturday evening.
Another record was announced from the BMW Motorrad rider equipment tent and the fanshop. More than 15,000 articles were sold this year – more than ever before.
A big thank you goes to Garmisch-Partenkirchen and the BMW Motorrad fans.
A very special thank-you goes to the local authorities again this year who ensured that everything went smoothly at the world’s biggest BMW Motorrad meet-up. The Garmisch-Partenkirchen market community, the public order offices, the Bavarian Red Cross, the Federal Agency for Technical Relief, the fire department, the police and the many local emergency personnel are the ones who made it this large-scale event possible in the first place.
But what would the BMW Motorrad Days have looked like without its enthusiastic fans? That’s why BMW Motorrad extends its heartfelt thanks to the more than 40,000 motorcycle enthusiasts who turned Garmisch-Partenkirchen into the centre of the BMW Motorrad Community once again for three days.
The BMW Motorrad Team is already working on the 20th edition of the BMW Motorrad Days which will take place from 3 – 5 July 2020.