BMW's new prototype 450 Sportenduro bike gets closer to success

On June 3 the BMW Motorrad Motorsport team entered their new prototype 450cc Sportenduro bike into the third round of the German cross Country Series, held in Höchstädt, Bavaria, where BMW factory rider Simo Kirssi came close to claiming a runner-up finish. Having spent much of the race in the second place position and not far behind eventual race winner Samuli Aro aboard his factory KTM Kirssi was unluckily not to finish the race as a problem with his bike’s rear hub during the closing stages of the event resulted in the bike failing to reach the finish.

Starting well Simo placed the 450cc BMW in fourth position off the start before signalling his intent to improve his position.

With each of the top riders giving their all Simo needed just a few more laps to improve his position as he moved into the runner-up spot behind reigning Enduro 2 world champion Aro.

Despite his strong start Kirssi was unable to reach higher than the second place position due to Aro opening up a commanding early lead and because Simo, having spent several days in bed prior to the race suffering with Flu, was feeling far from 100 per cent. Unsure whether he would be able to race due to his sickness, having decided to start the event Simo was well aware that the two-hour race would be even tougher than normal.

Only one day before the race the BMW team and Simo tested new suspension settings for the 450 as they continued their search for the perfect set-up. Wanting to test the new settings in the race at Höchstädt Simo was extremely pleased with the way the bike performed, although obviously disappointed not to have finished the competition. In the middle of the race the Finn detected some noise from the rear wheel, which, one lap later, proved to be a problem with his rear hub and he was sidelined from the event soon after. Such things can happen when testing prototypes commented BMW Motorrad Sport Director Berti Hauser philosophically
after the race.

Simo Kirssi: “I’m a little disappointed that I couldn’t get to the finish but the bike proved competitive, which I’m pleased with. My start was very good and I was soon in second behind Aro. Today I was not able to fight with Aro as I was ill and couldn’t train like I wanted to the week before the race. To fight with one of the fastest enduro riders in the world you
have to be 100 per cent fit and I wasn’t. The new suspension we tried worked really well, possibly a little bit too hard for Höchstädt, but still very good. We will all continue to work hard on the bike to make it better and better.”

Berti Hauser, BMW Sport Director: “It was bad luck that put Simo out of the race, but we showed how fast our new 450 is, which is important. We have to analyse the reason the hub broke but it looks simply like a material fault. These things can happen when testing a prototype.”