Pikes Peak - going sideways at 100mph towards a 3000 ft drop

The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is the second oldest automotive motorsport event in the United States. An annual happening since 1916, the race takes place on July 21 when very brave riders and drivers attempt to scale this 12.42-mile (20-km) course that begins at 9,390 feet (2,862 metres) and finishes at the 14,110-foot summit (4,300 metres) of the spectacular Pikes Peak Mountain. One rider’s experiences: “At the speeds we are going now the road gets very skinny, and at the edge is a 50-3,000-ft drop-off! I was battling for the lead one year when my handlebars got locked with the other rider’s. We were going about 100 mph (160 km/h) towards this turn with a 3,000-ft drop on the outside. At the last second we were able to break apart and turn…...”

As the competitors climb toward the summit, the thin air slows reflexes and saps muscle strength - plus it also robs engines of 30 per cent of their power at the summit. Therefore, riders and machines must be in top shape simply to finish - let alone win!

This year's race has 11 classes and features cars, trucks, quads and motorcycle categories. For the first time, BMW Motorrad Motorsport is taking its new HP2 Megamoto to this historic race and has a line-up of experienced riders, all hoping that they will be the fastest on two wheels up this Colorado Rockies mountain . But what's it like to actually compete at this hill-climb, where a combination of bravery, outstanding riding skills and perfect machine set-up are vital for any chance of success? The BMW Motorrad Motorsport riders offer their own thoughts on this famous event.

Gary Trachy

Gary Trachy was the winner of last year's race and will be hoping to better his record time of 11:46.84. He currently runs a supermoto riding school and is looking forwards to returning to defend his title on the HP2 Megamoto.

"Pikes Peak is very special for me - the mountain, the people and the history of the race - and I look forward to this event like no other. Every moment is exciting, right from when practice starts. We wake up at 3am and drive to the start line, and just as the sun comes up we start up the bikes and speed up the hill. It's a very different place from Erzberg; for a start it has asphalt, but ultimately it is different because the dirt is very flat and slick. Erzberg has sections just like Pikes Peak, but with rocks all over the place.

"I'm really looking forward to riding the HP2 Megamoto because the suspension and brakes are much better for the pavement and ultimately in the dirt once a blue groove develops. The Megamoto was made to be "King of the Mountain! It handles so well, yet has so much power and you can really throw it around. It is better suited for the high-speed demands of Pikes Peak because is fast and smooth, and I am training now to make sure I don't get altitude sickness at Pikes Peak - that's the last thing you need with the increased speed and demands of the Megamoto.

"The weather can change dramatically here; in fact last year the bikes went before the cars and when it started snowing the cars were only able to make it three quarters of the way up for their run. Interestingly, there are spectators all the way up to the top and when you are racing, you sometimes see somebody way up in a tree or on top of some rock and you wonder just how they got up there.

"To stand any chance of success at Pikes Peak you really have to push yourself. I have fallen a few times and went off the track once. I was lucky that where I went off was relatively safe. Success is about being in control, but also on the verge of being out of control - you really need to know where you are and also where you can go fast, because time is lost very easily and one mistake can lose you the race. I think tyre selection will end up being one of the most important things for us this year and I think a 'rain' front tyre will be the best choice. In the past I ran rain front and rear tyres, but this year we have an added asphalt section that will possibly allow us to run grooved slicks. I think my record time will be broken if the weather works in our favour."

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