Dakar 2013 - Official Event Coverage - thank you ALL TeamF5, lurkers and posters!

[kaia]

Chaleco Lopez posted a bunch of photos from the redbull content pool on his facebook page HERE

[chavo_dakar_bolivia]

Originally Posted by 640 Armageddon

In Dakar 2011 I crashed here so for this year I knew to be careful! Very funny video...

[rmhrc628]

Originally Posted by NWBoarder

Sorry, that must have been to the live show.
Try this one, it should be a link to the recorded show.
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/28910668

(edit: I tried both links and they both work. The JC interview starts about 11 min in.

Legend!!!

[Ciampa]

I wonder what this means for Speedbrain?

http://hellforleathermagazine.com/20...ing-husqvarna/

[640 Armageddon]

Originally Posted by Brodovitch

Apparently Husky has been sold to Stefan Peirer, not to KTM

As already whispered BMW Motorrad sells its subsidiary Husqvarna Motorcycles, KTM but not to the personal business of its CEO Stefan Pierer called Pierer Industries AG. The consequences for Pierers role as CEO of KTM is still unclear and will in the next six time be sought out. It is obvious that the European competition authorities to interfere with this, but also the chance that Pierer abundantly present his position at KTM will resign. For some time Pierer still the CEO of the Austrian motorcycle company, but a large part of the shares therein are sold to the Indian motorcycle giant Bajaj. Purchasing Husqvarna Pierer would potentially enable again completely with a clean slate to start again.

There will be viewed in the coming months if there is any form of cooperation between KTM and Husqvarna is possible, there is at least already a new model announced at the EICMA 2013 already will be shown

This morning we reported that KTM is not in the market to buy Husqvarna, this would also not very logical step. For BMW ensures the sale of Husqvarna for substantially losing face. The German company pumped millions into the Italian Husqvarna, but could never make a success of.

The following chart is from Cross Industries Ltd, the company which Bajaj for almost half owner. It now owns Husqvarna said Pierer Industries AG makes no part of it.

Original link in Dutch

So if Google translate is to be believed, Peirer sells his remaining shares in KTM to Bajaj and goes forth to resurrect Husky. Makes more sense, especially the part about the European anti-trust authorities

[doyle]

Speedbrain and the rider's contracts are with BMW Motorad and are in effect for one more year. Also Speedbrain owns the engineering rights to the bike, but not the motor. Interestingly, Speedbrain's engineers in Germany massaged the motors built for races previous to Dakar 2013, but the Dakar motors were supplied directly from Husqvarna Italy. With these they had problems they never encountered before.

In theory what this means is that Speedbrain continues on presumably with the TE449RR bike badged as a BMW, but with what motor is the mystery. BMW no longer produces a 450 so without a production bike, are they eligible within the rules? That is the big question.

[Rockteryx]

at the moment it's quite hard to figure out all the strings connected between BMW and Husqvarna from the outside. The new models at Husky have basically modified BMW engines (Nuda, TR650 Terra, the 449ers ...). I can't believe that BMW motorcycle will let all the know how get into the Indian market (via Bajaj) . so maybe Pierer cut off all strings to KTM and therefor Bajaj and starts all over again? Only guessing...

[hubilado]

Another report on the Husky sale:

http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/news...r-industrie-ag

[tehdutchie]

This probably should go in 'Yo Momma' but imho Dakar has now officially lost its glory for me.

It seems more like a glorified offroad trip then anything else to me. The longest days was 5 hours riding for the top guys (the offroad part) and the all other days were finished in 3 and a half hours of dirt riding. The rest of their time was spent on tarmac.

Being three times slower then the top guys I might even make the next bivvy before sunset.

Local (Dutch) enduro riders that ran this years Dakar (first time entries) told me that they ran the course with 2 fingers in their noses (Dutch expression for 'easy') as they were expecting the worst. Turned out that they were taking it a little to easy every day being afraid of a course that didnt give them much hassle at all.

What percentage did finish this year? 60% or more?

Hell, I cant ride for $%^& but if it goes on like this even I might attempt a 2 week pleasure trip in SA. WiFi at the gasstations, wont need a roadbook or roadbook skills, just follow your GPS and off I go. Fill up on BBQ and Beers along the track, the odd empenada and a fresh tyre every 2nd day because of all the tarmac. Wont even need a fancy Dakar bike with roadbook tower, just give me that tiny GPS unit and a 24 liter front tank on an enduro and off I go.


Back to AFRICA and a sub 30% finish rate!


(no disrespect to the ones that did take on the challenge as I do know what people have had to endure to even make it to the start).

[juames]

Woah! Can't wait to see the responses to that post...this should be good.

[tehdutchie]

No worries Juames, I'm a keyboard jockey :)

[Deadly99]

Originally Posted by tehdutchie

This probably should go in 'Yo Momma' but imho Dakar has now officially lost its glory for me.

It seems more like a glorified offroad trip then anything else to me. The longest days was 5 hours riding for the top guys (the offroad part) and the all other days were finished in 3 and a half hours of dirt riding. The rest of their time was spent on tarmac.

Being three times slower then the top guys I might even make the next bivvy before sunset.

Local (Dutch) enduro riders that ran this years Dakar (first time entries) told me that they ran the course with 2 fingers in their noses (Dutch expression for 'easy') as they were expecting the worst. Turned out that they were taking it a little to easy every day being afraid of a course that didnt give them much hassle at all.

What percentage did finish this year? 60% or more?

Hell, I cant ride for $%^& but if it goes on like this even I might attempt a 2 week pleasure trip in SA. WiFi at the gasstations, wont need a roadbook or roadbook skills, just follow your GPS and off I go. Fill up on BBQ and Beers along the track, the odd empenada and a fresh tyre every 2nd day because of all the tarmac. Wont even need a fancy Dakar bike with roadbook tower, just give me that tiny GPS unit and a 24 liter front tank on an enduro and off I go.


Back to AFRICA and a sub 30% finish rate!


(no disrespect to the ones that did take on the challenge as I do know what people have had to endure to even make it to the start).

Did your friends finish ?

I dont think the terrain was any harder in Africa, in fact by all accounts all the experienced riders said the terrain this year was the hardest its ever been. Time on stage hasn't changed much....

So what has changed? Longer sunlight hours in SA compared to Africa certainly makes it "easier". Liaisons are certainly easier.

From what I have seen the folks who finish with a clean run all think it may have been a bit easy but they all also comment on how demanding it was mentally and physically.

The attrition rate doesn't usually come from the terrain being too difficult, it comes from people having issues. Be those issues lack of rider skill, mechanical's, accidents and or health issues. In this manner I don't see how the race has changed much.

I also asked myself why the attrition rate was lower than normal this year. Certainly the bulk of the field being on factory produced bikes contributes. Certainly the riders being much more prepared than in the past contributes.

What I would like to see next year

• A 21 day race
• No more sleeping outside of the bivouac for racers

Your statements are pretty bold I think. The Dakar is a distance race, its not meant to be a hard enduro. The total distance hasn't changed in the last few years, the specials in a few spots got shorter in distance (race is evolving whether we like it or not) but those stages were by all accounts said to be some of the toughest and looking at stage times the riders didn't look short changed.

The sub 30 rate you mentioned was a fluke and not the norm in Africa. The ASO try very hard to control the attrition rate I believe. If it was too large people would be scared off from entering. Too small of an attrition rate and it loses its challenge. Its a fine line and one I am sure gets a lot of attention by the organizers. Creating a race that is freaking hard to finish but not impossible is no easy task


I look forward to seeing your wooden dutch shoes on the podium one of these years

[barrier]

Originally Posted by tehdutchie

The longest days was 5 hours riding for the top guys (the offroad part) and the all other days were finished in 3 and a half hours of dirt riding. The rest of their time was spent on tarmac.

You're a bit generous there Tehdutchie, Cyril won it with an average of 3 hours and 6 mins timed stage per day!
IFDE....International Fourteen Day Enduro.

[tehdutchie]

Originally Posted by barrier

You're a bit generous there Tehdutchie, Cyril won it with an average of 3 hours and 6 mins timed stage per day!
IFDE....International Fourteen Day Enduro.

Just shows that I wasnt far off.It looks like a WRC Rally/Enduro event instead of a long distance offroad marathon.

Prep has probably only changed in the way that there are now more people who can afford the entry fees and pay for technology plus support. 2 rider teams with 5 helpers and 2 support vehicles vs the odd malles moto guy.

Then again a 19Yr old 'Malle Moto' guy on a Honda CRF 'grenade' even finished.

Back to Africa and long stages, shine, please shine again oh great Dakar race!

[Drif10]

Something that I think contributed to the higher finisher rate was the selection process. The ASO as more entries than space available, and so have been selective in who they'll let in. Elite rider, then past finishers, then past competitors, then the others vetted on who has a 'pedigree'. So: better riders, more capable of finishing.

Then you have the bikes. Most run a 450RR, a well proven mount capable of completing without drama. So: Better (more reliable) bikes.

It looks to me that the regional politics play a big part in South America, dictating the routes and destinations. Couple that with areas that are just plain impassable. They cover damn near a quarter of that continent, there's gonna be a lot of distanced covered if you just rode from Lima to Santiago, let alone throwing in another country detour.

I do think the finishing stage and finish line ceremonies were in bad taste. Special guests only? Elite viewing? That would royally piss me off if they did it here, to see this sort of thing going on with Dakar kinda flies in the face of every non-elite racer.

To me, I know it had the effect of not liking Chile much, and wouldn't be interested in spending any of my time or money there. Read enough ride reports to realize that your average joe there is quite friendly, but be damned if I'm giving that gubmint any money if that's the way they treat their own in a public forum.

Makes you wonder how they treat them out of the light of day.