Few things make me roll my eyes more quickly than the words “celebrity judges. ” My mind immediately goes to washed up pop stars and snooty englishmen passing judgement on unsuspecting contestants whose enthusiasm outweighs their good judgement. Yet when BMW Motorrad announced the judging panel for the upcoming “One World, One GS: The Ride of Your Life ” tour, it was immediately obvious that those chosen aren ‘t simply famous. They ‘re genuine riding enthusiasts.

Judges Jutta Kleinschmidt, Adrian Brody, Charley Boorman and Rick Yune will choose the the participants for next year ‘s One World, One GS tour, which if you hurry, you can still enter.

With the help of the judging panel, BMW Motorrad is looking for motorbike riders who are ready to take on the great adventure of a road trip across five continents. They’ll be giving five bikers from around the world the chance to live almost every motorcyclist’s dream. The five winners will set off on their exciting journey with the new BMW R 1200 GS at the start of 2013. Beginning in Laos, the tour then travels through New Zealand, South Africa, the USA and Europe. The tour will end at BMW World in Munich, Germany in April.

The four judges are enthusiastic motorcyclists who know exactly what it takes to complete such a demanding tour around the world. So they can well imagine the challenges that the participants in the “Ride of Your Life” will have to face. Bikers across the world have got until November 30 to apply for a place on the “Ride of Your Life” at www.bmw-motorrad.de. The bikers who have the best chance of winning a place will be those who embody the ideal of the R 1200 GS: the perfect blend of sport, adventure, action and style.

These four dimensions are also reflected in the panel of judges. As one of the most successful rally riders of all time, Jutta Kleinschmidt represents the sporty nature of the bike. Charley Boorman is the adventurer and has travelled around the world (not to mention up and down it) on a GS 1200 Adventure. Actor and martial artist Rick Yune is the action man, and even when riding for fun he always chooses BMW motorbikes because safety is a key priority for him. Oscar winner Adrien Brody has been riding motorbikes since he was 13, and expects a bike to offer a combination of power and design.

Judging panel profiles

Jutta Kleinschmidt

A motorsport pioneer, Kleinschmidt took part in her first rally in 1987, in Egypt. In 1988, she took part in the demanding Dakar Rally through the desert on an HPN BMW motorbike. In 1992, she won the rally’s women’s competition on a standard BMW R100 GS and in 2001 she won “Paris Dakar” – as first women ever. Until 1992 she worked for six years in BMW’s development division, and alongside this built her own bikes, winning many more motorsport trophies along the way.

Charley Boorman

As the son of a director and a costume designer, Boorman first appeared on screen when he was still a child. In 1997, the Englishman appeared in a film alongside Hollywood star Ewan McGregor for the first time, and the two men have been close friends ever since. In 2004, they went on a motorbike tour together from London to New York going East, via Siberia. A film of that journey, Long Way Round was later shown on television and has become an inspiration to adventure riders around the world. A second tour from the North of Scotland to the Southern tip of South Africa followed in 2007, was also filmed, and was dubbed Long Way Down.

Rick Yune

Korean-American Yune first made a name for himself as an Olympic taekwondo athlete. He then earned a living as a hedge fund manager on Wall Street while completing his studies. Here, he was discovered by a model scout and became the first Asian-American to appear in Versace and Polo campaigns. In 1999, he won his first big role in the film “Snow Falling on Cedars”. He then became known to the wider public when he played Pierce Brosnan’s adversary Zao in the 20th James Bond film “Die Another Day”. Yune practises several martial arts and enjoys riding fast motorbikes.

Adrian Brody

An Academy Award winning actor, Adrian Brody likes to have his adventures both on and off the big screen. An avid motorcycle enthusiast, Brody has ridden bikes all over the world. These two worlds were able to meet in The Darjeeling Limited, where he and his two co-stars rode, in fine Indian fashion, three-up on the back of a small motorcycle.

Official Gallery

Source: BMW