Jump to content

The ultimate dual-sport ride- Racing Dakar!

By neduro,
in Dual Sport & Adventure Motorcycling

 Share

Recommended Posts

Apprentice

neduro

Posted
Posted

I'm racing the 2012 Dakar Rally (starts January 1, so it's coming right up!) and I thought it would be cool to post about what it takes to get ready for the race.

i-bCPcRFD-L.jpg

This year, the Dakar is 9200km long (about 5700 miles) in 14 stages of racing. The displacement limit for bikes is 450cc's, so just about every manufacturer makes something that could be competitive- after much consideration, I decided on a KTM 450 EXC. I chose it because I have a ton of miles on the 530 (same except for stroke) and both enjoy riding it, and trust it. And, because my dealer had a leftover 2009 on the floor I got a great deal on (KTM of Aspen- they are the best dealer I've ever found. They close the shop a few weeks per year to go riding... and they ship daily).

The requirement in Dakar is for 250km between refueling points (about 160 miles), but that can be over any kind of terrain, including soft dunes for the entire distance. I decided 28L (7.5 gallons) would be sufficient, although now that the bike has shipped and the race is rapidly approaching, I'm a bit worried I shaved it too fine. A big thanks to MX1West for helping me out with Acerbis parts to achieve this capacity.

Another aspect of Dakar that is different from most off-road racing is that the route is unmarked. To navigate, you follow directions in a paper scroll. There is a GPS, but it only gives information about where you are to the organizers, it's of almost no use to the racer.

Setting aside equipment, what fascinates me about the race is the chance to ride my dirtbike across South America, by the most interesting route possible, in the shortest time possible. For a guy who lives to trailride, what's not to like about that? My goal is just to finish, but I think that'll be challenge enough.

i-hMCxtHm-M.jpg

Some great companies have stepped up to help me with both the equipment I need to finish, and also to provide my supporters with some great benefits- discounts of up to 50%. If you're curious about that, or want to get a great looking T-shirt, check out my website at Neduro.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Mentor

pterry

Posted
Posted

How Awesome! I wish the best for you on the Dakar! I have been a big fan of the Dakar for years and realize how big of an undertaking it is to prepare, enter, race and even finish the Dakar. A once in a lifetime chance (Unless you have huge resources of money).

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 3 weeks later...
Grand Master

motoxvet

Posted
Posted

I thought about doing it too a few years ago. A particular manufacturer (it starts with "H") had a "ARRIVE AND DRIVE" deal. It was a little spendy (for me) but it didn't matter anyway. I was over-ruled by my management. Keep us updated here on TT.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 4 weeks later...
Community Regular

smaas

Posted
Posted

neduro is currently in 47th place out of 116 ridders as of the Dakar web site. Street and Cody are both out, DNF. Street due to mechanical failure and cody to a pretty bad accident.

Neduro, you have the stage, show them how it is done !

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Mentor

pterry

Posted
Posted
neduro is currently in 47th place out of 116 ridders as of the Dakar web site. Street and Cody are both out, DNF. Street due to mechanical failure and cody to a pretty bad accident.

Neduro, you have the stage, show them how it is done !

He's the last American moto rider left in the race!

Make it to the finish line Ned!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Reply with:

ThumperTalk

Register a new account Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...
Terms of Use
Copyright
Privacy Policy