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FYI 

BMW G 450 X American Debut

10/17/2007
Courtesy of BMW

BMW Motorrad's 450cc sports enduro prototype - the BMW G 450 X - will make it first U.S. appearance at the GNCC (Grand National Cross Country) race in Crawfordsville, Indiana October 27-28. Former motocross world champion Simo Kirssi - the one BMW entrant - will pilot the G 450 X in the class of Pro Bikes in a 3-hour race from 1:00 to 4:00 pm on the 28th.

The talented Finn rode the G 450 X to its first-ever victory in its most recent appearance in the final round of the 2007 European Cross Country Championship, held in Schefflenz, Germany, October 6-7. The on-going development of the production bike has been widely viewed by the public throughout the off-road racing season in Europe, but the new enduro has never made tire tracks on American soil.

The AMA/ATVA-sanctioned Can-Am Grand National Cross Country Series is America's premier off-road racing series. The 13-round race series stretches through the eastern U.S., beginning with the season-opener in Florida in March and concludes with the season-finale in Indiana in October.

Berti Hauser, head of BMW Motorrad Motorsport, is hoping for another cross country victory across the pond. "We've demonstrated that our sports enduro concept not only works, but is capable of winning races," he reported. "Now, we have raised the bar to aim for consistent top performance."

BMW Motorrad announced at the Paris motorcycle trade show Mondial du Deux Roux on September 28th that it would enter the Superbike World Championships in 2009.

The announcement was made by Peter Müller, BMW Motorrad Executive Vice President, Development and Model Lines.

Now BMW Motorrad is able to confirm that during the 2008 season, a new team will be formed under the management of Berti Hauser, BMW Motorrad General Manager, Motorsport.

A completely new 1,000 cc in-line 4-cylinder machine developed by BMW Motorrad will be tested and further developed in an extended series of training modules under racing conditions. The experienced partner for this ambitious project is alpha Technik GmbH, based in Stephanskirchen near Rosenheim.

“By entering the Superbike World Championship we will be competing against manufacturers and teams which are many years ahead of us in terms of experience in a segment which is new to us,” Peter Müller: said.

“We know it won’t be easy. With alpha Technik GmbH we have found a partner with a lot of development expertise and over 10 years of experience in superbike racing. We anticipate that we will be able to establish ourselves successfully within the strong international competitive field with our new motorcycle.”

BMW's highly-anticipated 450 enduro will finally make its first appearance in the States. GNCC fans will get to witness the Bavarian in action at the Crawfordsville round of race action on Oct. 27-28.