AMA And BMW Motorrad USA Announce Winner Of BMW F 800 GS

American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) member Chuck Aughinbaugh of Denver, Pa., is a fan of nearly every type of riding: off-road racing, long-distance touring, and dual-sport riding. Now, thanks to his dedication to adventure riding in 2010, he gets to sink his teeth even further into the sport with a brand new BMW F 800 GS motorcycle.


Aughinbaugh won the drawing for the 2010 BMW F 800 GS from last year's AMA National Adventure Riding Series sponsor, BMW Motorrad USA. The drawing included everyone who participated in events that were part of the national series.


"I used to run enduros, did Blackwater, rode Iron Butt events," said the 55-year-old Aughinbaugh. "I still do a lot of off-road. I spend time in Arizona and Colorado every year. I ride a lot of street and dirt, and this bike will allow me to put more miles under me that are not on bone-jarring trail or smooth asphalt, something in between."


Laurence Kuykendall, community and communications manager for BMW Motorrad USA, said the company is pleased to recognize Aughinbaugh's participation in last year's series with the highly sought-after BMW F 800 GS -- a motorcycle designed to conquer the back roads and two-track trail that highlighted the national series.


"We congratulate Chuck on winning the F 800 GS," Kuykendall said. "The mid-sized GS adventure bike has received exceptional praise from owners and pundits alike, and we're certain that he will enjoy this bike for many seasons to come, riding with the confidence that GS performance provides."


Aughinbaugh says that while he loves competition, dual-sport and adventure rides allow him to capture nearly the same thrills without the additional risk.


"I'm an extreme competitor," said Aughinbaugh. "I choose not to put myself in any competition events, even with the idea that I'm just going along for the ride, because as soon as the starter says '10 seconds,' my mind goes back to my younger days and I ride over my head. With dual-sport rides, I just enjoy going riding with some buddies. I like the two-day events in particular. It's a whole weekend for me. It's so enjoyable."


The F 800 GS won by Aughinbaugh is one of the BMW's newest models. With the motorcycle's lightweight design and plentiful power, it has achieved new heights of off-road capability for the GS line. More information about BMW motorcycles can be found at www.bmwmotorcycles.com and on the entire GS lifestyle including off-road training, events and travel around the world at www.xplorgs.com.


The 2011 AMA National Adventure Riding Series is sponsored by Yamaha as the AMA Yamaha Super Ténéré Adventure Riding Series, and it will feature at Super Ténéré giveaway bike. The 2011 calendar kicks off on April 16-17 in Bybee, Tenn. Events are scheduled in California, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Alaska, Indiana, North Carolina, New Mexico, Arizona and New Jersey. For the full schedule, go to AmericanMotorcyclist.com > Riding > Dirt > Events & Series.