2024 GS Trophy Day 2 – A Taste Test of Sand
Team USA paired up with team Latin America representing Paraguay and Chile. The sextet set out from the camp and straight into the frying pan with a twisty, sandy two track deep in the Erongo region of Namibia. The crew was welcomed to the first of two special challenges right away involving a couple of 4X4s with a winch, a dangling 1300 GS and a gap that needed crossing. The teams would have to run to the top of a hill, grab some ropes out of a tankbag, turn around, head back to the bike, and carefully hoist the GS over the gap and up the hill, with any damages to the bike deducting points. Time here is key.
Ryan Adams is in Namibia to cover the 2024 BMW Motorrad GS Trophy and Team USA. Catch more of Ryan's updates here.
Team USA was up first and managed a flawless execution but was perhaps too gentle with the machine, costing them valuable seconds as they gingerly lowered the GS before pulling it across the gap. Being first, you never know exactly how things are going to go, and that handicap didn’t help the fellas here. Despite completing the challenge successfully, the team landed in 16th place earning zero points for the first special challenge of day two, while Germany, the International team, and Brazil took the podium.
Skirting through the desert floor afterward, the crew ripped and roosted through the trails which ranged from sandy, to dry riverbeds. To say the day’s riding offered up a smorgasbord of sand trials, would be an understatement, but both teams met the obstacles head on with enthusiasm as they piloted these 500-plus pound, Boxer-driven cycles through varying levels of loose terra.
The second special challenge also took place before lunch, seeing the team navigating a granite slab up and around boulders before finishing back at the starting line. Easy enough, right? Well, the Sena branded challenge threw a curve ball in that the competitors were required to keep each of their times as close to the first rider’s time as possible while navigating the Sena Rock Challenge. Team USA squirted through with a ninth place finish earning eight points toward the Trophy, while China, South Africa, and LatAm comprised the podium.
The real challenge of the day though didn’t exist within timed and scored special tests. With Namibia experiencing an even drier season than normal, sand was on offer in every variety. From silty two-trackers to bottomless dry riverbeds, the only reprieve was the odd rocky section to gain a moment of traction before getting back to focusing on navigating these big machines through every type of sand.
At the end of the day, the team was rewarded with camp at Spitzkoppe, a group of granite peaks in the Namib desert that date back more than 120 million years. The epic backdrop will serve as basecamp for the next two evenings as team USA continues to contest the Trophy. Despite bringing up the rear of the standings, team USA is still ready to face the upcoming challenges head on, and c’mon, who doesn’t love a comeback story?
Overall Standings – Day 2:
Men’s | Women’s |
1. South Africa: 70 points | 1. Germany: 71 points |
2. Germany: 65 points | 1. Japan: 71 points |
3. International: 54 points | 3. Benelux: 62 points |
4. China: 52 points | 4. France: 58 points |
5. Benelux: 47 points | 5. South Korea: 57 points |
6. Brazil: 44 points | 5. International: 57 points |
7. Italy: 36 points | |
8. LatAm: 32 points | |
9. South Korea: 31 points | |
10. Mexico: 29 points | |
11. India: 25 | |
12. Middle East: 23 | |
13. Japan: 21 points | |
14. UK: 20 points | |
15. France: 19 points | |
16: USA: 18 points |
Become a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the latest motorcycle news first by subscribing to our newsletter here.
Ryan’s time in the motorcycle industry has revolved around sales and marketing prior to landing a gig at Motorcycle.com. An avid motorcyclist, interested in all shapes, sizes, and colors of motorized two-wheeled vehicles, Ryan brings a young, passionate enthusiasm to the digital pages of MO.
More by Ryan Adams
Comments
Join the conversation