“Fuel runs in my bloodline”
En resumen
M.S.:
- Maximilian fell into motorsports when he was a little boy, and the reason is his family. His grandfather, Herbert Schek, participated in 15 Dakar and won the marathon category, in addition to building the BMW R100GS bikes that won in 1983 (Hubert Auriol) and 1984 (Gaston Rahier). His aunt, Patricia Watson-Miller, competed five times, winning the women's class. His parents also rode enduro bikes and are motorcycle dealers.
- He started riding at age 8. First with trial bike, which he describes as "the school for all other off- road racing”, before switching to enduro at 17, when his parents finally allowed it. He became one of the best German riders, dominating the national cup in 2022 and representing his country in the prestigious ISDE (2021, 2022, 2024, 2025).
- Winner of every 2023 German Cross Country Championship races, he then received interest from BMW. He developed a race bike out of a standard F900GS, won the 2024 championship with it, and started rallying the GS in Europe and Africa. Always motivated to do something no one has done before, he entered the ISDE with his BMW, becoming the first rider to finish the event on a full-size twin-cylinder adventure bike!
- “Maxi” turned to rally-raid in 2023 and quickly adapted to the discipline, finishing in the Top 40 of his first Rallye du Maroc in 2024. He had originally planned to compete in the Dakar in 2027, but he’s ready sooner than expected. A mechanic at his parents’ shop, he is resourceful enough to take on the challenge of the Original by Motul category, for his very first participation.
Ambición
M.S.: “Fuel runs in my bloodline. With my family involved in enduro and rally-raid, I grew up eating up every piece of information I could get about Dakar. Every January I stayed up until midnight to watch the daily Dakar updates. I’ve done that for the last 20 years, even though I don’t use the TV at all for the rest of the year. Ever since I was a little kid, I dreamed of riding the Dakar myself. After reaching my goals in enduro, I entered my first small rally in Greece in 2023. I realized that my riding was on point, but I still needed to gain a lot of experience, because this sport is about much more than simply being fast. My goal is to finish the rally at all costs. Whatever pain I have to overcome, there is no giving up. I will try to find my flow and pace early on. I have chosen the Original by Motul category because that’s the ultimate challenge as a competitor. It really comes down to your ability to manage your race, your energy, your logistics, and being a good mechanic, which is one of my strengths. It’s the closest you can get to the old Dakar spirit, where not just the fastest rider but the whole package - rider, mechanic, and adventurer with strong mental toughness- made it to the finish line. And that’s what has always impressed me so much about the legendary Dakar in the 80s and 90s.”
