On the podium at the Catalunya circuit. (Photo: BMW) » More Photos

“We qualified in 22nd position on the grid but we knew that the HP2 Sport had several advantages over its rivals. While the Catalunya circuit with its two long straights puts our twin-cylinder bike at a disadvantage over the four-cylinder Japanese machines in terms of outright top speed, we knew we’d be strong in the braking zones and also in terms of fuel consumption. Our riders were able to stay out on track for around one hour and 15 minutes, compared to about 50-55 minutes for the other teams. This meant that we only needed 17 fuel stops, whereas the other teams needed around 24.”

The team changed tyres every second pit stop and had they been able to use a quick-release system for the front as well as the rear wheel, this would have made quite a difference to the time sheets, as it took around a minute to swap over front wheels. Despite this though, the team’s massive achievement didn’t go unnoticed in the paddock, where many of the other riders congratulated the excellent result on the HP2 Sport, as Gerhard explains.

“There was tremendous interest in the bike – not only from the fans, but also from the other teams that were happy to see BMW in this historic race. We were congratulated on our success by many riders, especially those who kept passing us on the straights – where we had a 60 km/h disadvantage in top speed – only to see us fight back in the braking areas and through the corners, where the true potential of the HP2 Sport’s chassis could be seen. We were the most successful twin-cylinder bike in the race, beating several Ducati and both KTM teams, and we had no mechanical problems whatsoever during the 24 hours of racing. You can’t ask for more than that!”