2020 BMW GS Trophy India Qualifiers – The Place to Test Everyone’s Mettle

Allow me to begin this story with a small confession. I spent the last few years learning the know-how of off-road and trail riding. In fact, I even frequent a nearby trail just to get acquainted with the whole off-road shebang. But I never participated in a competition, and I wondered why. So when BMW Motorrad India invited BikeWale for the GS Trophy, I knew it was time to bring my years of practice to play. 

Before I get started on how I spent two days astride some really potent BMW ADVs, let me tell you more about the GS Trophy. This one-of-a-kind competition hosted by BMW serves as a platform for GS riders from across the globe to come together and battle it out against each other in countries that boast of the most diverse terrains. Up until 2018, BMW employed the R1200 GSA for this reckless competition. However, the focus has now shifted to the F850GS – an equally capable ADV. But, before stepping on the global grandstand, the competitors need to prove their mettle in their respective home-grounds.  And the India Qualifiers was the way to go for the Indian riders. So, around 75 GS owners from across the country rode down to the land of sun, sand and adventure - Goa. Interestingly, one journalist also stands a chance along with the three winners. So, I found myself competing against 14 other journalists in a bid to win the qualifiers and head to New Zealand for the ultimate battle!

Here, each participant had to go through a series of challenges that were meticulously crafted by the BMW team. At the end of the day, only 20 GS riders would make their way to Day 2. This, however, didn’t apply to the journalists. Each one of us had to participate on both the days. While the other riders used their own motorcycles, we got the humble F850GSA.

The day started with the Le Mans challenge. We had to run towards the motorcycle, turn it on, set the right riding mode and take off. I chose the Off-Road Pro mode as I feel more in control when the traction control is disabled. 

The rock gardens were the first obstacle. Here, small to big-sized rocks were placed unevenly and we had to make it to the other end without dabbing or falling or stalling. Not that it would disqualify the rider, but end up adding negative points. Luckily, I managed to get through without any fuss. The idea is to look where you want to go and then just trust your vision. 

Next up was the elephant turn. The objective was to do a 180-degree turn by using the right combination of body strength and engine power. The left leg had to be kept flat on the ground, whereas the right leg had to be on the footpeg. It was a decent attempt by me. I leaned the motorcycle a bit and made sure all the weight was on my left hand. Next, I looked where I wanted to go and once that was done, I gassed it real quick and then dumped the clutch. The picture says it all.

I also managed to cross the parallel logs quite effortlessly. Just like in the rock garden test, as soon as I neared the logs, I switched my vision to the exit and the motorcycle took me there. Simple as that! 

Before I entered the staggered slaloms, I had to cross the slush pit. The F850GSA did it without any drama.

However, around the staggered slaloms, the top-heavy nature of the F850GSA proved to be a bit demanding, but with the right clutch and throttle modulation along with the bodyweight transfer, I cleared this one as well, without a single dab. 

Following that, we had to make the figure of eight, but it was tweaked to be a bit more challenging. We had to swirl the motorcycle clockwise thrice before going anticlockwise thrice again. Here, I dabbed a few times. 

Next was hitting the target. I had to use the F850GSA’s rear wheel to touch the cone. I thought that was easy, but I failed miserably. 

Now, riding on a log also looks like it’s a cakewalk, but if you are not well-focused and well-balanced on the bike, there’s a high chance you won’t be able to complete it. Just like me. 

Next up was the most intimidating test of Day 1 - the Garage. It needed mental strength, the right body positioning skills and great throttle control – something I don’t have in abundance. As a result, I dabbed thrice before I exited the garage. 

The last test for the day was a braking exercise. Here I had to enter a spot in a decent speed, lock the rear wheel, and make sure after I stopped, the side stand was placed on the designated patch. I  managed to put a decent performance here. And in the end, I was happy I could finish Day 1 without breaking any bones.  

This was where things got a bit more interesting, and a bit more tiring and frustrating too. As we were about to start the competition, we were told that barring two challenges, everything else had been changed. A quick walk around the track was enough to convey BMW Motorrad’s intention – they wanted to break us. And the challenge was well-accepted! 

But before we could get into it, there were two team exercises planned. The idea here was to gauge how individual riders would work in a team. And if you are slow, you slow the entire team down. However, those were some really fun exercises and our team did a wonderful job. 

Just like Day 1, we had an interesting start to Day 2. Before I hopped on to the bike, I had to wear my off-road boots, followed by the helmet and gloves. The F850GSA was in the rain mode. So I quickly switched it to off-road pro mode and went on. 

First, we had to climb an average-sized man-made hill. Once across, we had to make a right turn and ride through the rock gardens, which looked more difficult this time around. 

That was followed by tackling some double-parallel logs. Here I messed up a bit and dabbed a few times.

At the end of those logs was a deep mud pit for which we had to make a tight right. I, fortunately, managed to carry enough momentum. 

The next challenge involved riding through some tricky trails. The turns were really taut and tree branches were constantly coming my way. It reached a point where I had to literally transfer my weight to the back and tuck in behind the windscreen. 

Next, we had to hit the target, again. But this time, I had to do it during the right turn. And just like last time, I failed again, miserably. 

This was the most interesting part. Riding through some really good but tight trails. I enjoyed this the most because I got to save some energy as these trails lasted for more than just a minute. The trick to crack this exercise is to keep looking ahead. Set the vision in the right direction and just go with the flow. 

Then came the horrible elephant turn again. I say horrible because this time we had to do it on a gravel pit. Also, this time, the right leg was supposed to be on the ground. With those knobbies and big stones, it was impossible for me to get that right in the first attempt. I ended up dropping the bike but managed to lift it without anyone’s help. Lost a lot of energy there. 

Then came the staggered slaloms. But this one was tighter. The cones were placed in a way that it played with my strategy every time I crossed one. I ended up finishing this obstacle disappointingly. 

Then there was something called the coffee grinder. The idea was to lift one wooden rod using the right hand and do a full 360-degree turn. It didn’t look difficult at first, but then I had a heavy ADV motorcycle at my disposal that was bearing knobby tyres with less pressure on that dirt ground. Steering the bike in such situations become a lot more difficult. This is where I dropped the motorcycle for the second and the last time. 

So before I could finish off the Day 2 obstacles, I had to enter a spot with the rear wheel locked and sliding. A lot of people fell here due to the slippery surface. But, I managed to survive that fall and exited the pit with a huge grin on my face. 

But boy, what an experience! I’m glad I could be a part of this global standard off-road competition and super-excited to see what lies in store for the ADV fraternity in India. 

And as I type this story, the three winners of the BMW GS Trophy India Qualifiers, HK Naik, Shakeel Basha and V Sathyananth are busy preparing their mind and body for the International battle which will be held in New Zealand next February. 

Photography by Kapil Angane