Barely two and a half months after its world premiere, the new BMW R 1300 GS proves its outstanding off-road expertise and unique robustness in South America. From December 6-7, 2023, starting from sea level on the Nevado Ojos del Salado – at 6,893 meters the highest active volcano in the world – a fleet of fully equipped BMW R 1300 GS models managed to reach an altitude of more than 6,000 meters in less than 24 hours. The climb, which is very difficult for riders, bikes and tires, culminates in the notorious “Rock Channel” on the northern flank of the Nevado Ojos del Salado, where the expedition climbed to reach a maximum altitude of 6,027 meters.
The backdrop for the expedition, which represents an extreme challenge for man and machine, is the Circuito de los Seis Miles in the Atacama Desert in Chile, the highest active volcano chain in the world, to which the Nevado Ojos del Salado belongs. The four standard BMW R 1300 GS models set off on 6 December at 3.00 pm local time from Bahia Inglesa, a town near the port of Caldera on the Pacific Ocean in the Atacama region, to climb the Nevado Ojos Del Salado.
Riding the BMW R 1300 GS were Christof Lischka, BMW Motorrad Development Manager; Salvatore Pennisi, Metzeler Test and Technical Director; Michele Pradelli, Italian Extreme Enduro Champion and tester for Italian magazine InMoto, and Karsten Schwers, tester and journalist for German magazine MOTORRAD.
A further unique feature of this expedition was the decision to undertake it with standard motorcycles and standard tires.
Christof Lischka remarks, “With this extreme ride up to more than 6,000 meters, the new BMW R 1300 GS has shown what it can do and what it is made for. It masters off-road and adventure riding as well as a sporty pace on tarmac and long tours. Even in standard trim with off-road tires. It was important for us to emphasize these core competencies of the new GS once again with this expedition.”
Long-term preparation and prior acclimatization to the region are essential. In the days leading up to the expedition, several base camps were set up at different altitudes and a simulation was carried out on Mount Etna in Sicily, the highest active volcano in Europe. Specific medical tests and checks at the University of Enna were also part of the preparation of the expedition participants.
At over 5,000 meters above sea level, the cold and low air pressure place particularly high demands on the electronic control of the air-fuel mixture of the Boxer engine, but also on all other vehicle components of the new BMW R 1300 GS. The chassis and tires are also put to the test by the varied terrain with stony tracks, unpaved roads, endless sandy areas and sometimes even ice and snow.
