O/T Its (KTM) Dakar time again

[ZuluFoot]

Attached is the entrant list, check out Mr HopeFull on #55, hehe
http://www.dakar.com/2005/presentationus/r2_engages_motos.html

[Wobbly]

He's just relying on some o that legendary 2-stroke reliability! I'm surprised Ash hasn't got the YZ all tricked up for an assault on it...! :poke: ;)

Looks like Caldecott has some decent backing this year! :up:

[ZuluFoot]

Looks like Caldecott has some decent backing this year! :up:

Now is he the bloke who broke his foot last year after running top 5 or something? he's brill!

I have to support my countryman Mr Cox however cos its gotta be his last hope of winning, Andy will be 2nd on my list tho ;)

[Flash]

Funny you should mention it, I've been trying to get a 30 tank for the YZ!!
Just kidding.
If they brought out an oil injected 500 2 stroke dirt bike I'd be riding one of those right now. LONG LIVE THE OIL BURNERS
I didnt look into it that hard so if by some freak of nature there is one DON'T TELL ME. :lol:
Ash

[Wobbly]

Yeah, its called a KX500 with a squeeze bottle tied to the handlebars! :lol:

[ZuluFoot]

Funny you should mention it, I've been trying to get a 30 tank for the YZ!!
Just kidding.
If they brought out an oil injected 500 2 stroke dirt bike I'd be riding one of those right now. LONG LIVE THE OIL BURNERS
I didnt look into it that hard so if by some freak of nature there is one DON'T TELL ME. :lol:
Ash

Nah, 500cc smokers are for gurlz, if you really want a smoker that bites, try out this 700cc pig from ATK :shock: ....:

http://www.off-road.com/dirtbike/machines/2004/atk/700/

Hehe, "A piston so big you can mix paint in it"

Now thats gotta rip!

[Flash]

Holy crap
I would've put up with pre-mixing for that bad boy!!
I was thinking CR500 but 700. I used to race against guys with 100cc Rotax gokart engines and they used to go like shit off a shovel.
700 man it's going to take some getting over that one!!
Ash

[Muzzard]

:( Sadly it will be short Richard Sainct, he was killed 3 months ago in a crash on the Rallye of the Pharoahs in Egypt. After a crash early in the leg, he remounted against medical advice, fell again heavily later in the day and died...Muzz...

[Wobbly]

Just in case anyone was wondering, SBS is covering the Dakar each night from 6-6.30pm :up:

[ZuluFoot]

Go Andy!

1st on todays stage, 1st Ausie eva :partyman:

[dicky]

umm....
Not quite.

Andy Haydon won a couple of stages back in '98 and finished 3rd outright.
And Caldecott is now 3rd outright, even better than last year.
Hope he doest bust anything this year.

dicky.

[Wobbly]

2nd outright isn't he? Damn impressive stuff!!

[dicky]

yep, you're right.

[ZuluFoot]

umm....
Not quite.

Andy Haydon won a couple of stages back in '98 and finished 3rd outright.
And Caldecott is now 3rd outright, even better than last year.
Hope he doest bust anything this year.

dicky.

Aha, never knew that, just found a link, apologies gents.

http://www.abc.net.au/southeastsa/stories/m816116.jpg
Andy Haydon, from Gawler in South Australia, rode an incredible Paris to Dakar in 1998. No other Australian has got as close to Haydon's third on the podium, truly an astonishing achievement.

[Flash]

That's all nice but how's my mate on the 125 going!!

[ZuluFoot]

That's all nice but how's my mate on the 125 going!!

Hehe, good old #55, he's a 58 year old to make it more intresting, looks like he retired yesterday after running third last overall, poor old loke, wot was he thinking :lol:

[Flash]

I'd say he needed to do some more conditioning. He had the best bike!!!

[Wobbly]

Here's another thing with caldecot as well - he was on the coverage on TV the other night and was saying that the factory guys get new tyres every day, but his budget only covered one every two days :shock:

[Muzzard]

When your riding through that friggin camel grass, who would care if the tyre came right off, and would you notice? :lol:

[Muzzard]

I'd say he needed to do some more conditioning. He had the best bike!!!

Does that mean your up for next year then Ash aboard the club Vespa Motard Turbo! :shock:

[Flash]

I'll give it a go! Who'll put up the burbon though??

[Wobbly]

Watching the footage of the circular stage last night ... wow, talk about some serious bike control at high speed 8) And having a KTM cartwheel on top of you definately didn't look like fun :lol:

Bad news on the fatality though ... that's 2 people that didn't make the dakar, Sainct (back in the Pharoahs rally) as well as Fabrizio :(

[Muzzard]

With the passing of Fabrizio Meoni do you think there will be alterations to Dakar formatting next year?...

[dicky]

They had already changed the event for this year.
More navigation and technical stages, less flat out stages, to try and take the speed factor out of the event and give the smaller bikes a chance.
It might sound harsh, but competing in the Dakar is a bloody big risk.
Caldecott broke his ankle last year and he didn't even stack. He said he didn't know how it happened because he had not crashed during the stage.
I hope the format will continue like this years, more emphasis on nav and tech, less on speed.

dicky
<motor racing is dangerous>

[Flash]

Don't know about the Dakar, but I really want to have a go at the Finke. I'll start on a 125 first then after I do one I'll think about doing it on a quicker bike. Anyone else up for a run? :twisted:

[Wobbly]

More emphasis on navigation and then they go out and ping people for straying from the designated 'track' which is only 3km wide? :?

Hmm, and the ban on twin cylinder machines came in this year as well didn't it? But yeah, racing is inherently dangerous, and the dakar is probably one of the lesser forgiving events, but there's still a few around (IOM and Maccau in the road racing world for example).