BMW HP2 is King of the Hill

Official BMW Motorrad rider Simo Kirssi took his HP2 Enduro to victory in the first ever Snow Speedhill competition on February 25, 2006. The BMW rider beat famous competitors on their different enduros and motocross bikes from several manufacturers to take the title in the inaugural event held in Gotschen Ski Centre in the Bavarian resort of Bicchofswiesen, Germany.

The win added another accolade to the HP2 Enduro's already impressive list of race appearances that include the Erzberg Rodeo, Baja 1000 and 500, and the German, Italian and Austrian cross-country championships. The Snow Speedhill is a unique event and it takes a unique bike to master it. The HP2 Enduro's combination of power and handling (and by the way the only twin cylinder bike in this competition), along with the riding skill of Simo Kirssi was just the right mix.

Practice for the event started at 5.30pm and by the time the actual racing started there were a large number of spectators eager to watch the amazing sight of 60 riders trying to race their off-road bikes to the top of a floodlit 800-metre ski slope. The evening's entertainment culminated at around 11pm with the final race to decide the champion of Snow Speedhill. Both the Motorrad Team Offroad riders, Simo Kirssi and Chris Pfeiffer had won their respective heats to line up alongside each other to race for the crown.

The Flying Finn, Kirssi grabbed the win with an emphatic victory while Pfeiffer brought his identical HP2 Enduro home in sixth place. "The HP2 Enduro was the perfect bike for this unique and very challenging race," explained Simo. "I needed loads of power and the HP2 certainly has that but it also handles really well in the tricky conditions.

Chris Pfeiffer added: "The whole event was great fun and a unique experience. Hopefully this will be the first of many Snow Speedhills." Both Kirssi and Pfeiffer were under added pressure during the event. Berti Hauser, the General Manager of BMW Motorrad's motorsport department was also racing with his riders on a HP2 Enduro. So not only did the factory racers have to beat stiff opposition from the other manufacturers but they also had to beat their own boss!

For further information and results see www.snow-speedhill.com.

This feature originally appeared in March 2006 - Updated: 04/25/08