2011 Dakar Rally Thread

[ms51ves3]

It started yesterday. You can watch yesterday's highlights on Eurosport at 7pm followed by the bivouac live at 7:30 and then today's highlights at 10pm.

Post your ramblings here.

[Dom]

It's a huge shame that the bikes are now all piddly 450s but I'll still be glued to it like I am every year. God I wish they'd go back to Africa.
____________________
Photos and that

[ms51ves3]

[Dom]

That's the first I've heard of it. Even if it does become 'official' I wouldn't take their word for it until the race actually started, given that the last one was cancelled after most people had already gone through scrutineering.
____________________
Photos and that

[G]

They had an article in TBM about it with a back to back ride of a KTM 690 Rallye and a 450 rally prototype.

The 450 was lacking in the significant grunt of the 450, which of course is what you want for the desert, especially with big-power cars to keep out of the way of; but was noticably more agile and more enduro-like.
Could be an interesting base for a new adventure bike; a reliable pretty lightweight 450 with big tanks and still a reasonable amount of power.

Oh and have to keep an eye out for some old 690 ralleys going cheap too .

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

450s Only for Elite riders

GROUP 1 ASO ELITE RIDERS – 0 to 450 cc

GROUP 2 Not on ASO’s ELITE list
2.1 Super Production 0 to 450 cc
2.2 Super Production over 450 cc
2.3 Marathon0 to 450 cc
2.4 Marathon over 450 cc

In Groups 1 and 2, twin cylinders of over 451 cm3 are forbidden
____________________
Diabolical homemade music Bandcamp and Soundcloud
Singer songwriter, Artist and allround good bloke Listen to Andrew Susan Johnston here
The Harry Turner Project

[G]

I wonder if they made any rules on turbos or 2 strokes?
A 450cc (turbo charged? ) 2 stroke could be interesting and still be fairly light, even presuming making it pretty tough for longevity.

Some years ago, believe there was a 400cc dakar bike. Very rare and don't think it did amazingly.

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

Might find the info Here
____________________
Diabolical homemade music Bandcamp and Soundcloud
Singer songwriter, Artist and allround good bloke Listen to Andrew Susan Johnston here
The Harry Turner Project

[G]

[ms51ves3]

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

So Carlos Sainz had to wear his co-drivers helmet. Who had previously thrown up in it.

1 rider already crashed into the crowd.
____________________
Diabolical homemade music Bandcamp and Soundcloud
Singer songwriter, Artist and allround good bloke Listen to Andrew Susan Johnston here
The Harry Turner Project

[Dom]

[Rogerborg]

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

Agreed Dom. Even the twonk Carlton Kirby mentioned that some of the Elite riders were having trouble with the lower horsepower. Altitude will add to the loss so to speak.
Braking issues were also mentioned. Why?
____________________
Diabolical homemade music Bandcamp and Soundcloud
Singer songwriter, Artist and allround good bloke Listen to Andrew Susan Johnston here
The Harry Turner Project

[Dom]

[Rogerborg]

Ah, I'm only tweaking your. I agree that $YOUR_BIKE_CAPACITY is the best sized engine, and that anyone who buys something other than $YOUR_BIKE_CAPACITY is a pansy boy who could never go as fast over genuinely rough terrain as a bike with $YOUR_BIKE_CAPACITY, the only capacity of champions.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Dom]

[G]

[Rogerborg]

[G]

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

[Eurosport in background]
Just heard that a competitor in the 2000 Cairo Dakar came into the timing station with a swollen arm....was asked by the medics if he was retiring...No he said and opened up his arm with a scalpel and fitted a catheter before racing off again.
____________________
Diabolical homemade music Bandcamp and Soundcloud
Singer songwriter, Artist and allround good bloke Listen to Andrew Susan Johnston here
The Harry Turner Project

[multijoy]

Loving the coverage, good to see KTM taking the restrictions in their stride!
____________________
'11 CBF1000A, '99 C90, '98 CB500
silky666: He rode amazingly well considering his bike is the weight of a small van and had slicks on.

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

Stage 5 - Dunes.
Stage 6 - Plains.

Fast riding in the dunes

The Mini Countryman is still going
____________________
Diabolical homemade music Bandcamp and Soundcloud
Singer songwriter, Artist and allround good bloke Listen to Andrew Susan Johnston here
The Harry Turner Project

[Dom]

[G]

Just watching it properly and didn't really watch it last year.

While I was disappointed to see the 'Paris Dakar' in entirely the wrong place; I think it actually is a more suitable location!
The latin-american people are showing their typical enthusiasm for such things and you feel maybe fully appreciate it a bit more than many of the countries (European and African) that it did previously pass through.