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Bill Conger, #188 at Dakar

STAGEHAND

New member
Well since BMW now really officially owns and operates Husqvarna, there seems to be no other good place to put this... but our friend Bill Conger, who some of you may know as an instructor at the BMW Performance Center in Spartanburg, SC is on his way to the Worlds Toughest Race. He leaves the day after Christmas to fly to South America and the race starts on January 1.

THis year it goes about 6000 miles in two weeks through Argentina, Chile and Peru.

Info on the Dakar is pretty easy to google, but only right here and a few other places can you get info on Bill... namely his blog at www.BC2Dakar.com

Husqvarna was generous enough to supply him with a brand new TXC449, and some spare parts. Bill had to fabricate a bunch of goodies for it, like a one-off bigger gas tank that fits on the subframe, and a combo bashplate/water tank up front underneath, a whole tower to accommodate the navigation gear, AND not least, an oil cooler takeoff and return point.

Cross posting pics here from his blog would be redundant to a degree so I urge you to check it out.


Here's a video of him training:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vJevJr0SXWA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


I'll try to update this as I hear more. Go Bill Go! :usa
 
This race has been on Paul's and my radar for as long as I can remember. It's always more fun if you "know" someone and can get an up close and personal look.

Thanks for sharing this. We'll be rooting for him!

Voni
sMiling
 
Bill lead our "hard" day ride through the coal mines at this year's GS Giant.... aka the Black Dakar. :thumb
 
He needs more stickers. I'm kicking myself for not getting him an Airhead Rallye Team sticker when i had the chance. :eat
 
This race has been on Paul's and my radar for as long as I can remember. It's always more fun if you "know" someone and can get an up close and personal look.

Thanks for sharing this. We'll be rooting for him!

Voni
sMiling
+ 1 Voni & Paul :nod I wish him all the best. He was an outstanding asset being part of our GS Giant !
 

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This not a random shot of a hotel room I swear, but Bill has made it to Buenas Aires!

vus7t.jpg



Now to get the bike unwrapped and set up :eat
 
Ian- Thanks for the help on the name change, and i didnt realize till just now that you authored that video of Bill! :doh I'm a little slow on the uptake, occasionally :D

THere has been some confusion at the ports, getting the bikes for some competitors off of the boats and out of customs... Bills bike was not one of them, but all his spares were in a delayed container with some other guy's bikes.... It looks like everything is finally at Mar Del Plata, though (a mere 600kms from the Buenas Aires port)

They picked up the gps and iritrack and other event supplied navigational equipment and were fitting it to the bike all day yestertday, and today at 4:30pm EST (6:30 local time) they are scheduled to go through Scrutineering.

Bike being gone through:
20111228-142417.jpg


Nav gear:
20111228-190434.jpg


This photo was taken by Deadly99 (Ted) who is helping out Rally Pan Am as a support team member.

You can see Jonah Street's Yamaha on the far left, and Bill's bike on the right (and Bill! :thumb)
You can always tell Bill's bike by the squared edge gas tank hanging off the left hand side of the bike.

3135384_l-1.jpg


Looks like Bill's bike is the only true Husqvarna in the race. All the other SPeedbrain bikes are the heavily modified RAlly bike versions.


www.bc2dakar.com
 
oh, i know. your heart would sink whenever a guy on a Husqvarna pulled up next to you on the starting line....
 
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