Standard motorcycles and conventional tires faced an extreme challenge. A team representing the METZELER brand and BMW Motorrad, with a fleet of BMW R 1300 GS equipped with Metzeler Karoo 4 tires, reached and surpassed 6000 meters above sea level, starting from the sea, in less than 24 hours. A very difficult climb for the riders, bikes and tires, which culminated on the famous northern slope of Nevado Ojos del Salado, where the expedition reached 6006 meters in just 19 hours and 22 minutes, reaching a maximum altitude of 6027 meters.
The expedition consisted of an adaptation route up the Circuito de los Seis Miles, on the slopes of Nevado Ojos del Salado, located right on the border between Argentina and Chile. At 6891 meters, it is the highest active volcano in the world, and its twin, the Nevado de Incahuasi, is 6610 meters high. The BMW R 1300 GS equipped with Metzeler Karoo 4 tires then descended to sea level, on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, in Bahia Inglesa. They set off at 15:00 local time on December 6, crossing the Atacama Desert to reach Nevado Ojos Del Salado, successfully surpassing 6000 meters above sea level in less than 24 hours. The goal was reached at 10:22 a.m. on December 7.
The riders on board the BMW R 1300 GS fully equipped with Metzeler tires were Salvatore Pennisi, Metzeler’s Director of Testing and Technical Relations, Christof Lischka, BMW Motorrad’s Director of Development, Michele Pradelli, Italian extreme enduro champion and test rider for the Italian magazine InMoto and Karsten Schwers, test rider and journalist for the German magazine Motorrad.
Salvatore Pennisi, Metzeler’s Director of Testing and Technical Relations, said: “This expedition allowed us to confirm the strong relationship between Metzeler and BMW Motorrad but, above all, to demonstrate the value of two standard products that anyone can buy and use even in the most difficult conditions. The climb to 6000 meters was extremely tough, especially for our team, who had to undergo a demanding physical preparation before getting on the bikes. So, before even expressing our joy at the effectiveness of our tires, we have to congratulate the riders.”