Bimm Fest draws 34,000

From BMW: More than 34,000 BMW Motorrad fans trekked to the quiet town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in the Bavarian Alps recently to enjoy a weekend devoted to their favourite motorcycles.

BMW Motorrad Days drew in visitors from more than 40 countries, including motorcyclists from Australia, Malaysia and South Africa.

Italy supplied the largest group of visitors, and brought sunnier weather with them, Friday's rain clearing to allow mixed conditions on Saturday and while Sunday lived up to its name with bright warm weather.

Shows on the MotoX-track in the middle of the grounds attracted lots of spectators. Joel Smets, five times Motocross World Champion, Simo Kirssi, winner of this year's Erzberg Prologue and the King's Class, Sascha Eckert, multiple German Enduro Champion, Andreas Lettenbichler, five times German Motorcycle Trial Champion, and Chris Pfeiffer, Indoor Streetbike Freestyle World Champion and TT Freestyle Streetbike Champion - all ploughed their way around the demanding off-road track and demonstrated some extrovert riding skills.

BMW Motorrad Days always draws a diverse crowd, many trekking vast distances to attend. Jeffrey 'JJ' Polnaja came from Indonesia. He was moved by war and suffering throughout the world during his "Ride for Peace" which took a mammoth five years. With his silent protest ride on an R 1150 GS Adventure, the 46-year-old Indonesian is pursuing a very special mission. He wants to overcome borders, make friends and spread peace.

Ricky Godoy Ferrari from Chile offered an insight into his off-road training programs and tours on BMW motorcycles through the diverse landscapes of his home country - a real dream for enduro riders. Here, like Australia there are massive empty stretches between signs of civilisation.

The chirpy Chilean covers more than 80,000 km a year there. Having trained as a confectioner and with German roots, he also runs the famous "CafŽ Hildegard" in Santiago de Chile. A speciality of the cafŽ is Black Forest Gateau, cherry pie, apple cake and stollen - all made to German recipes.