Honda preparing Dakar assault

Mx mum

Would you be so kind as to send me direct link to that comment as I'm very keen to get a jacket and pants.

Putting heat reflective tape under the tank helps with keeping the fuel cool in the tank.
Did this on my bike and it works well.

No doubt HRC would do something along the lines of that too would be my guess.

JC has always been one of my heroes and I have had the honor to "race with him" twice (most recently at the Taft GP last year when he destroyed the Vet class 30+ class and I had a few minutes to ask him about co piloting Dakar with Robby Gordon) and a super nice guy.

Cannot wait to see how he does this year!!

That's right MC and we have to remember that all the bikes are riding on public roads, so to do so they need to be registered and insured in one country or another.

I don't know if there is any advantage in having a UK registration - I doubt it, but to register it will have to be in the country of the registered owner of the vehicle - so on this bike in particular we can assume it is owned by Honda Europe based in Slough - so this could be Helder's bike or Sam's (which is there) - that is assuming that JC's is owned by Honda USA and Javier's and Philippe's (also there) by Honda South America ? - perhaps the on the ground spies can check out all the registrations?

Any Honda fanboys know what's stored in these little compartments? Or is this just the "fill" for the portion of the tanks that was removed as mentioned earlier. Aesthetics aside (the bike does look wide in the back and pear-shaped in the front) I have the feeling that Honda engineers did a good job in getting this bike to its current state in the time they had.

- Ken

Thorium.

I will have to do it tonight as I am "blocked" from facebook at work but perhaps "Too Old" could assist before then !!

Saw the refernce, but can't find it now - this is the HRC facebook link https://www.facebook.com/#!/TeamHRC

Very odd to see a Q plate! I guess they've not based this on anything remotely resembling a production bike or even a production bike's VIN numbers and have had to resort to this. Usually the UK based competitors all have regular number plates but I guess theirs were all based off production bikes.

I also noticed in today's MCN that the HRC support trucks are wearing Netherlands registration plates!

From DN Desporto today: http://www.dn.pt/desporto/outrasmodalidades/interior.aspx?content_id=2973914


Hélder Rodrigues may make history on "motos"<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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The "biker" Hélder Rodrigues leads the rally in hopes lusas all-terrain Dakar 2013, which starts on Saturday in Peru and will pass through Argentina and Chile, while Carlos Sousa is the only Portuguese in cars.

Return to Honda, a brand that represented early in his career, Helder Rodrigues, world champion in 2011 and third place in Dakar last year, took aim first to win the race, that hypothesis was strengthened by the withdrawal of Spanish Marc Coma, winner in 2006, 2009 and 2011.

"I want to do better than last year and better than last year's fight for the win and the title. This year I have a team with 40, 50 people to work and I will be 30 with a completely different logistics. Conditions I have to keep training and preparation, "said Helder Rodrigues Lusa, before the presence of his seventh Dakar.

To become the first Portuguese to win the mythical race, Helder Rodrigues, 33, will have to overcome the hot favorite and defending champion, Frenchman Cyril Despres, who once again will be supported by the Portuguese Ruben Faria, his colleague at KTM.

"An excellent result is Despres win and I can finish in the top five. Last year, I was near the fifth and my best result ever, but I lost too much time on penalties. This year I have to get some attention to that, "said the pilot of 38 years, who was ranked eighth in 2011.

The slopes and desert South American presence will also repeat, both with a Husqvarna, Paulo Gonçalves, who was 26. º last year, and Pedro Bianchi Prata, 42. º overall in 2012 and this year was at risk of fails to participate due to lack of funding.

What you quoted in orange pertains to Ruben Faria, not Helder.

JC at tech inspection.

Lovin' the HRC mirror

King of MIRRORS!

Probably whatever was handy on Honda Peru's premises. Maybe even from a CBX 250 -- they seem to have enough of those around.

Good catch! I'm a dweeb. Post corrected!

Don't the 'Racing kits' refer to the fairing, tanks, etc. on the bike rather than the gear the riders wear?

HRC pushing the edge of bike design as usual

http://www.rallymaniacs.nl/2013/172-mirjam-pol-terug-in-de-dakar

Dutch lady, Mirjam Pol.

Multiple Dakar participant is now assitant manager by HONDA, but one day..................



[SIZE=+0][SIZE=+0]GE translate:[/SIZE][/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0][SIZE=+0]Mirjam Pol occurs as a participant this year not compete in the Dakar, although they are working on a return to the engine.[/SIZE][/SIZE]
[SIZE=+0][SIZE=+0]Yet the sober Twente in the 2013 edition to be as assistant team manager of the Honda HRC Rally Team, with Clear Roriques, Javier Pizzolito and Johnny Campbell as riders. [/SIZE]Opposite Dakar.com says Miriam still go for a Dakar as a participant: "I'm working on a return in the Dakar, but under good conditions in terms of preparation and participation, so I two times in a row can join and am in great shape" . [SIZE=+0]The coming weeks will "Gesina Pol", the baptismal name which they officially designated by the organization continues to be, her hands full with her role in the new Honda factory team. [/SIZE][SIZE=+0]That means they are now monitoring the inspections. [/SIZE][SIZE=+0]Pol it: "It's a big team with a lot of Japanese engineers and technicians. Because I know the test track is better when I am there to make sure that everything goes well and as quickly as possible is done".[/SIZE][/SIZE]