2009 Dakar Rally

[voni]

Motorcycle competitors here:

http://www.dakar.com/2009/DAK/presentation/docs/engages_20081105.pdf

 

[voni]

Scruteenering is Open to the Public next Wednesday and Thursday in FRANCE!

http://www.marathonrally.com/news/d..._havre_on_november_26th_and_27th.10839.0.html

Dakar 2009: Rally launch in Le Havre on November 26th and 27th.


The Dakar Argentina Chile 2009 will start in Buenos Aires on January 3rd. Before competing over more than 9000 km, competitors have to send their vehicle to Argentina. It will be in Le Havre (France) next Wednesday and Thursday (the 26th and the 27th of November) where the vehicle will go through technical scruteenerings before boarding on December 1st.

The Scruteenerings are open to the public - they will take place at the Docks Caf?® in le Havre and will be open to the public on Wednesday and Thursday from 10 AM to 8 PM.

Voni
sMiling

 

[voni]

SPY photos of the only BMW that will officially take part in the Dakar 2009:

http://www.visordown.com/motorcyclenews/view/spy_shots_bmw_450_x_dakar/6008.html

HERE ARE the first pictures of the prototype BMW 450 X machine that will take place in the Dakar 2009 event.

Featuring new bodywork, extra fuel tanks, uprated suspension and engine tuning, the bike will be ridden by Hugo Payen and will be the only BMW officially taking part in the South American rally.

The bike was caught on camera by the excellent French magazine Tool Enduro, the lads there say that the bike has already had more than 200 hours of preparation in the build-up to the Dakar event which kicks off on January 3rd.

Voni
sMiling

 

[mika]

GREAT!

The sites I had seen previously had him on a G650X. I was disapointed that no one seemed to be developing the 450.

WOW!

 

[mika]

toolenduro.com is the French magazine that Visordown.com picked the photos from.

 

[akbeemer]

Odd Tank

toolenduro.com is the French magazine that Visordown.com picked the photos from.

I assume the tank on the left rear of the bike is an expansion tank for the radiator. Seems large for such a small engine and oddly placed. Appears over exposed to damage. It appears they've had to make some compromises as to size and placement. I wonder if they've had over heating issues that drove the compromises?

 

[mika]

Not at all certain I agree with your conclusion about the tank being overflow for the radiator. I am still doing some digging.

 

[akbeemer]

Just a SWAG. I await the results of your digging with interest.

 

[voni]

Me, too

In the meantime, this press release:

http://www.marathonrally.com/news/d...gne_grand_voyage_is_set_to_begin.10879.0.html





Dakar 2009: Etienne Lavigne - Grand Voyage is set to begin.




"The grand voyage is set to begin" said Dakar Rally-Director before the Technical Scrutineering and shipping in Le Havre on Wednesday and Thursday. "For most of the competitors based in Europe, the first decisive deadline is approaching in just a few hours, with the organisation of scrutineering and administrative checks, on 26th and 27th November. At the Le Havre port, a little more than a month ahead of the race start, the rally vehicles are booked in for a decisive appointment. On arrival, they must be race-ready, spruced up, polished and fine-tuned: letÔÇÖs not forget that they wonÔÇÖt see their drivers again until THE start - nor that between times, they have a journey to make across the Atlantic Ocean!"

He added: "Although the competitors have certainly worked hard throughout this year, demonstrating their enthusiasm for this South-American adventure, we are also delighted to note the level of media interest, which is seizing on the exceptional dimension of the 2009 Dakar and promising to cover it as never before. Images of the rally will, for the first time, be broadcast to more than 180 countries. The Dakar continues to seduce, beyond the oceans."

All vehicles being presented for embarkation at Le Havre must have enough fuel in the tank to cover 25 kilometres. In order to respect customs instructions and so as to avoid problems when crossing borders or at embarkation, you must imperatively have on board the vehicle the same stock of spare parts as that originally declared.

Eliseo Salazar, the "Magic Square"

After having completed the tour of the most prestigious events in his long career on the circuit, including the F1 world championship, the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 heures du Mans, Eliseo Salazar is setting himself a new challenge by participating in the Dakar. For this stalwart fixture of Chilean sport, the fact that the rally is travelling through his own country makes it a must.

Eliseo SalazarÔÇÖs Dakar began on 14th November. In Santiago on the day of his 54th birthday, the Chilean driver presented the McRae prototype on which he will compete in the rally raid, in January.

Exceptional TV facilities and broadcasting

Like the organisation as a whole, the Dakar TV production crew has had to modify its operation so as to manage the time lag (3 hours in relation to a Dakar in Africa) and thus deliver images of the dayÔÇÖs leg to the European channels as fast as possible.

All the technical equipment - until now transported by air - will be loaded onto trucks and dispatched to 3 strategic points. Until now the bivouac was the single place of production, montage and transmission.

Actions Dakar: Prolonging the Adventure

Although the Dakar is travelling far from its home for a South American adventure, its preoccupation with the development of environmental practice in Africa remains. The rally organisers have therefore decided to continue the ÔÇÿActions DakarÔÇÖ programme , whose impact on the ground becomes clearer each year. Indeed, it is the very lasting quality of the action that is rewarded.

 

[mika]

Have found nothing to this point. I am thinking it is more likely an expansion to the fuel supply but that is my SWAG for now.

Bikes in the Fast Lane's Mike Werner is based in Paris and has some general pictures from the scrutineering session.

 

[mika]

Video: Dakar 2009 Scrutineering

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[mika]

Team Bianchiprata – is racing a G450X apparently in association with BMW Canada

 

[mika]

Video: toolenduro.com - KTM factory team preparing for Dakar

 

[voni]

Another site to watch for updates. They promise videos during the rally:

http://www.sbs.com.au/dakar2009/

And always the best from adv:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=406665

Voni
sMiling

 

[mika]

More info on the G 450 X s that have been prpare for dakar.

tooenduro.com: Following photos of the BMW entered in the Dakar Rally by Joshua Beneteau

 

[voni]

An interview with Marc Coma, KTM rider:

http://totalmotorcycle.com/BBS/viewtopic.php?t=30958&sid=f9f38c996b69b7d58fe6c4f0fbad8eb2

Dakar 2009 - Interview with Repsol KTM rider Marc Coma
Tuesday, December 9th, 2008 - KTM Motorcycle Press Release - Total Motorcycle - http://www.totalmotorcycle.com



You are now in the final preparation for the first Dakar in South America. How did the final testing go for you in France?
The final test in France went very well. We are using the same material as we have been using throughout the year, with just small modifications with the suspension etc., and the adaptation to suit the new rule about noise requirements. So far everything is going very well.

Describe how you have been personally preparing for the Dakar 2009. As well as training on the bike, do you have any special fitness programs? Any mental training?
The work load has increased a lot in the recent months and I have spent many hours in the gym and on the bike so that I can be in top shape in January. Regarding mental training, I continue to work with a sports psychologist that I have been working with for 10 years now. These days it is quite normal for a sportsman to work together with a psychologist.

The Dakar 2009 breaks new ground and brings lots of new challenges. What are your own expectations going into the race this year?
We have a new Dakar in 2009 and this also means new deserts. But I am confident that it will also be great and that it will have the same kind of Dakar spirit. That means it will be hard and there will be risks to take.

The Dakar 2009 is going to take you over 6000 km and through a major part of both Argentina and Chile and over a lot of different terrain. Have you had any experience riding in those countries and what do you think might be the biggest challenges?
I know Argentina and Chile a bit from a previous world championship in Patagonia. The first part of Dakar will be quite familiar but the second half will be totally unknown to me. The heat and the altitude will be among the biggest challenges.

How do you feel about the idea of hold the Dakar in South America and coming in contact with different cultures?
Having the Dakar in South America represents a radical change. It is totally different to Africa but the language will be easier for us Spaniards!

Will you miss Africa?
No, but I won't forget Africa. It is a constant point of reference for me and it is a place that I would like to return to.

Before you leave for the Dakar 2009, how do you plan to celebrate Christmas?
I will celebrate Christmas with all my family. They are very special and so it this occasion.

Looking beyond the Dakar 2009, what are your plans for the next racing season and what are your special goals?
Our objectives for the 2009 season are very ambitious. We are hoping to have victories in all the events we participate in, both in the Dakar and in other events as well.

Voni
sMiling

 

[mika]

So you are getting a bit long in the tooth and week in the knees to ride a G450X in the Dakar and you have $194,000 to spend for the base vehicle; would you choose a Bentley Continental GTC as your four wheeled basis for the Dakar?

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[akbeemer]

So you are getting a bit long in the tooth and week in the knees to ride a G450X in the Dakar and you have $194,000 to spend for the base vehicle; would you choose a Bentley Continental GTC as your four wheeled basis for the Dakar?

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Is it available in a stretch limo version? I may take two if it is. The second one would haul the support crew.

Mika, did you ever find out what the reservoir on the left rear of the 450X is for?

 

[mika]

Not exactly. I have been working with translated texts that do not always make sense.

My best guess remains that it carries extra fuel and that it is made by Acerbis.

The cooling system has been expanded and has a larger overflow reservoir. The translated texts have it all over the bike.

 

[voni]

And they're on the way:

http://www.marathonrally.com/news/d...i_is_crossing_the_sea_to_america.10956.0.html

Voni
sMiling