The BMW Motorrad GS Trophy UK Qualifier runs over the weekend from Friday 6th to Monday 9th September. It all starts with competitor sign-on from 3pm to 8pm on Friday. The event campsite will close on Monday around 11am.
Walter Arena Motorsport Complex. The event location will be signposted off the A4109 between Glynneath and Onllwyn, South Wales.
You can use the app What3words to find the exact location, using the code below. Find out more about the What3Words service here.
///washable.chimp.ranch
This is the venue headquarters, campsite, bar, meals and challenge start points. The gates will only be open from 3pm on Friday. You must use this entrance only.
Irrespective of riding class, all participants will need the following:
Should you wish to qualify for the finals, participants will also need the following documents:
You won't need these when signing in; however if you score well enough to secure a place in the Event Final, you should be prepared to present these to the organisers, as a requirement to participate.
*As previously, Non-BMW owners are welcome participate and enjoy the event on any make or model of motorcycle. However, only BMW-owners will be eligible for the final on Sunday afternoon.You will need your own tent and camping equipment. There will be full toilet and shower facilities throughout the festival site, so be sure to bring a towel.
You are welcome to bring food and snacks. Food vendors on-site will serve breakfast from 7am each morning, and other meals and snacks throughout the day, right up to last orders for the bar at 11pm.
Please be aware we only have limited capacity for these vehicles, and a Motorhome Pass is required. This is free, but must be booked in advance so we are able to allocate your pitch.
If you would like to bring a friend or partner along...This is a spectator-friendly event, and so participants are welcome to bring non-riding, or pillion-riding guests with them. Entry passes for non-riding guests accompanying a competing rider are provided at a discounted cost of just £30 for the full weekend, and these must be booked in advance.
*Please note, our reduced spectator-rate is open to non-riding guests only. Partners or friends who wish to spectate, but will be riding their own motorcycle to the event will need to book at the standard entry price, even if planning to spectate on all or part of the event.
Please contact the World of BMW team at BMW@WorldofBMW.com by Wednesday 21st August AT THE LATEST, to add any last-minute guests or vehicle passes.
Sign-on will be in the site entrance, clearly signposted from the main road. Please arrive between 3pm - 8pm, ideally during the time-slot you have pre-booked with us via the Competitor Questionnaire.
You will be asked to park your vehicle in our sign-in car park to avoid lengthy queues, before making your way to the sign-in desks.
Please have your Photocard Driving Licence ready when you arrive as proof of ID so we're able to sign you in as quickly as possible.
If you are running late, or encounter difficulties on your way to us: please advise us by emailing BMW@WorldofBMW.com
We kick off with a rider briefing at 7.30am Saturday morning in the main festival site on Walters Arena, in the Main Tent.
The first rider starts at 8am and riders will leave in intervals in the order displayed at signing-on. You will be advised of your exact start time at sign-on; please arrive promptly at the start gate, ready to go so you can leave on time. Retailer teams will leave together as a group. Route cards and scorecards will be issued at the start – there are four different routes, covering the same roads and challenges but in different orders to maintain the navigation element of the event. The route cards follow a road book format, so you will need a working trip meter on your bike – the standard one on the instruments will be fine. Please work out how to reset your trip meter before the event. Around the route you will need to answer several questions, filling in the answers as you go on your scorecard.
Along the way, there are multiple challenges which may include; Motorrad Tours, Rider Training Outdoor Adventure, Fitness and Mechanical and naturally a visit to Walters Arena for the off-road riding challenges. The off-road riding challenges will be held at Walters Arena motorsport complex. There will be a sign-on desk at the entrance to the challenge area. You will have four hours to complete all the off road challenges. When you’ve completed them, you must sign back out of the challenge area; penalty points will apply if you take longer than four hours. Before or after you sign in, there is a chance to grab a bite to eat at the catering unit, so bring some change for a burger or two.
Please ride carefully and considerately up to the challenge area, there may be pedestrians on the road. You MAY NOT ride your own bike within Walters Arena other than on the marked route to access the challenge areas.
The route cards include some optional off-road sections, for those who fancy a little adventure on their own bike. The trails are not compulsory and won’t be worth any extra points. However on each trail will be the answer to one of the questions on the road route. So you can stay on the road and work out the question for yourself, or take the trail and get the answer for free. They’re intended to add an extra dimension to the ride for those who love a bit of off-road and have a suitable bike. The trail options will be shown as a detour on the main route and will rejoin a few miles later. More details of the nature of the trails will be provided at the rider briefing.
However, the Off Road Challenges will be spread around Walter’s Arena, so you will need to ride your own bike between challenges. This means riding your own bike on the main fire tracks and good gravel roads around Walters Arena. Our bikes will still be present at the Challenges and you will compete on the Challenges on our bikes.
You are more than welcome to bring a pillion passenger along for the ride, but only those signed up to ride will be able to compete on the challenges. The day’s riding will end by 6:30pm, so be sure to sign back in by this time!
Sunday morning will again start with the first riders leaving at 8am on the 3rd leg of their adventure.
All competitors will then arrive back on Walters Arena at the main festival area by 1.00pm, with the results announced at 3pm.
If you make the grade, then grab your helmet!
If you don’t, then grab a drink and get ready to cheer for your favourite.
Finals will start at 4pm and will all be based at Walters Arena to give an exciting finish for spectators and those competitors who didn’t make it through. We’ll hold the exciting head-to-head showdown between the top-scoring retailer teams, then the Individual finals to decide the podium places.
It’s worth sticking around for the final presentation, even if you’re not in the finals as we’ll be handing out prizes throughout the field for sportsmanship, the Novice and Challenge class winners and anything else we spot that we deem worthy of a prize.
No rush to depart for home; enjoy a leisurely breakfast from our on-site vendors, chat to your campsite neighbours and take your time packing.
Our campsite will close at 11am.
We look forward to seeing you all this and wish you the best of luck in the event. The full event rules are linked below, so make sure you are familiar with them.
BMW Motorrad UK GS Challenge - Regulations
While the overall prizes are definitely exciting, don’t forget to have fun; enjoy the riding and hopefully make a few new like-minded friends along the way.
Wave to the local farmers, smile at the lads and ladies running the challenges and give the sheep on the mountain a wide berth. See you there!