BMW Motorrad returns to world championship road racing

Factory team to race R 1200 S in Endurance World Championship BMW Motorrad has made the historic announcement that, for the first time in 50 years, the iconic motorcycle manufacturer is to enter a factory team in a world championship motorcycle racing event. Considered the ultimate test of motorcycle endurance, the BMW Motorrad factory team has entered the Le Mans “24 heures moto”, which takes place over the weekend of 21-22 April 2007.

The factory team, under the management of Motorrad’s Head of Motorsport, Berti Hauser, will be running a specially modified version of the R 1200 S sport boxer, which has been designed, developed and manufactured by the Munich factory. The archetypal twin has been entered and accepted into the Open Class of the FIM Endurance World Championship.

A line-up of experienced BMW riders from the BMW Boxer Cup and Power Cup race series will be at the helm of this factory effort. The team will consist of endurance motorcycle racing legend and multi-world championship race winner Stéphane Mertens, Thomas Hinterreiter, Rico Penzkofer and substitute rider Markus Barth.

As well as Le Mans, the Motorrad team will compete at Oschersleben, Germany (11-12 August), the famous Bol d’Or at Magny Cours, France (15-16 October), and the non-championship Barcelona 24 Hours, Spain