View Full Version : KTM withdraws from Dakar
FYI
http://www.ktm.com/KTM-News.223.0.html?nodeID=106583&cHash=ecd1127720
Sparky Bills
5th June 2009, 19:21
WOW! That must have really pissed them off! What a time to do that.
Well that's very shortsighted by the organisers. I hope Honda/Yamaha made it worth their while......
Choco
5th June 2009, 19:21
what are the Dakar organizers doing? :blink:
.chris
5th June 2009, 19:21
The whole Pro level 450cc restriction is an interesting move from the ASO.
But then again, I would love to see/own one of those BMW G450 setup with large tanks as a dakar bike. That would be one fun adventure machine.
I see this change as setting up for a heap of 450cc adventure style bikes filling that gap of a trail bike that can cover some decent km's
Box'a'bits
5th June 2009, 19:24
FYI
http://www.ktm.com/KTM-News.223.0.html?nodeID=106583&cHash=ecd1127720
Looks like the Dakar organisers have shot themselves in the foot again....I wonder where this trend will end. Will the Dakar just becoming another six day (or 10 day) enduro....?
Paladin
5th June 2009, 19:27
Geez thats a bit of a shocker; looks like the ASO has really stuck it to KTM unnecessarily for this year - very harsh!
Gremlin
5th June 2009, 20:08
Wow... you would think people would learn from the arrogant actions of other bosses... like F1
Lets hope KTM sticks it to them and creates a more exciting competition! :2thumbsup
warewolf
5th June 2009, 20:09
Terrible!
Even if they could justify the change, making it apply to currently-preparing teams mere months out from the event is extremely poor.
Paladin
5th June 2009, 20:14
Terrible!
Even if they could justify the change, making it apply to currently-preparing teams mere months out from the event is extremely poor.
Too right! That's just a seriously shitty thing to do to people! Its gonna really put people off havin any trust in the ASO - very short sighted of them!
Honda and Yamaha will be sweet.....
CrazyFrog
5th June 2009, 20:18
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!! !!!!
Especially with only 6 months to go, think of all the pissed off competitors who've spent so much time/money prepping bikes over 450cc, not just the factory teams. I could understand a 18 month advance warning of class change, but hell, nearly everyone would have already commited race entry fess etc, and be riding 690 rally bikes or BMW's. :nono:
I guess David Fretigne will be stoked....
Padmei
5th June 2009, 20:24
FM!!!
How arrogant of the organisers. Surely if the <600cc bikes were better they'd be leading the most winningest bikes list.
Over the last year I have been folowing trailbikes & from all the reviews there seems to be NO bad 450. This will open the field up immeasureably.
Padmei
5th June 2009, 20:26
Shit there will be some awesome 2nd hand bikes up for sale next year:eek:
I'll be watchin ebay for a rallye 660/690 :) Might make a passable ADV steed.
CrazyFrog
5th June 2009, 20:31
Me too, mmmmm, cheap rally bikes.
I just hope some well heeled privateer sticks it to the organisers on a KTM450EXC Rally kitted bike and wins!
Woodman
5th June 2009, 21:08
Seems a bit silly really, why couldn't the other manufacturers build some decent big bores to compete instead of lobbying the aso to change the rules.
They won't be able to run full hp 450's so it will slow it down quite a bit. Maybe that is their hidden agenda. Safety first wankers.
Will have to stop prepping the klr now.
Why can't they run full HP 450's?
Woodman
5th June 2009, 21:15
Why can't they run full HP 450's?
just don't think they will be all that reliable really. isn't there a lot of constant throttle high speed work involved? and factoring in the extra load being carried etc its gonna be pretty hard on the motors if they gonna run mx type hp.
I could be wrong though and can be enlightened.
.chris
5th June 2009, 21:17
From what I read on advrider.com it is only the factory teams that have the 450 restriction.
So all the non factory teams with the 650's can still race in 2010.
Padmei
6th June 2009, 09:35
Safety first wankers.
.
I don't think the Dakar has been particularly safety first considering the no of lil african kids killed & watching charlie doing Race for the sky where his mate was jjst left in the desert after pulling out- they did make sure to take the gps thingy off his bike before saying goodbye.
NordieBoy
6th June 2009, 11:10
Lets hope KTM sticks it to them and creates a more exciting competition! :2thumbsup
The Dakar is only 1 rally on the world circuit.
Gremlin
6th June 2009, 11:18
The Dakar is only 1 rally on the world circuit.
:Oops: Ah well... I don't follow it too closely, but love the bits I have seen... does my noobness show? :eek:
NordieBoy
6th June 2009, 11:25
does my noobness show? :eek:
Some metal putty and a bit of duck tape will fix that.
NordieBoy
6th June 2009, 11:26
I think that in the long term it won't hurt the Dakar it's just the way they announced it without consultation with the factories/riders.
It's the ones who've already bought >450 bikes that will be spitting...
What about the Aprilia 450?
NordieBoy
6th June 2009, 11:35
Good points...
Anyway, the case for the 450 is simple.
Every manufacturer got one,
Lighter and slower bike, means safer.
Almost all tires issues disappear
Even playing field where the rider will make more of a difference not just the bike.
More riders will win stages and the race will be more open and more interesting.
Such riders will be heroes in their countries and it will create some dynamics in sponsorship hunts for a lot more people.
And a lot more money will be available for our sport, which means more coverage and more professionalism.
Bummer is for privateers and small rally service businesses who have invested in those bikes (I got two and half!)
But in the long run it will be better for the sport and people living from it.
KTM only really had 2 factory bikes at the Dakar anyway.
Apparently a month or so ago at one of the rallies a petition went around and most of the riders signed it asking for the 450cc limit.
Peril
6th June 2009, 14:06
"Following the decision for the deployment of 450cc motorcycles, which are unthinkably unsuitable for use in long distance rallies"
A bit shortsighted of KTM to make that statement when Fretigne has come close to winning the rally a couple of times,no? If not winning,then he's won his fair share of stages over the big bikes.
And why can't KTM shoehorn a 450 or sleeved down 530 engine into the 640/690 bikes they have now? They still have 6 months to develop that engine and make it last the distance.
cooneyr
6th June 2009, 14:14
This is seriously crap management by ASO let alone the other implications. Why give teams only 6 months notice and why take such a shot a a single manufacturer. Surely David Fretigne's efforts (3rd place) have indicated that going to a smaller bike woun't make that much difference to the overall pace? The net effect as I see it is two fold the cost of running a team significantly increases due to the increased costs of maintaining the 450's and KTM get seriously pissed and walks as they have done - fair enough too I recon.
It will be interesting to see how long it takes for the Prilla 450 twin to be banned.
From what I have learned the whole ethos of the ride was to challenge human and machine to the limit. If the machines cant handle the distance the race will eventually be shortened to less days and the human challenge will be lost. Then it is just another Pharaohs rally or the like with the 6 - 10 days. The length of the Dakar is what made it special.
Wonder how many marathon stages they will run now?
On the up side we might see some interesting 450's be developed and unless a privateer wins Yammy will still have the most wins (9 to date as opposed to KTM's 8). In some ways it would be cool for a privateer to stick it to ASO on a 450EXC.
Cheers R
NordieBoy
6th June 2009, 18:08
Rallys like in Sardinia are all enduro based smaller bikes 'cause it's too rough for the bigger bikes.
Next years Dakar looks really rough but with some really big sand sections where the lighter bikes will go well too.
Eddieb
6th June 2009, 18:43
No-one seems to have picked up on this bit.
Could be a lot of competitors affected.
We have the entire material for the 690 Rally motorcycles for our factory team as well as that for 50 customers’ motorcycles in our storage facility ready to be constructed in June.
warewolf
6th June 2009, 22:25
The timing is still the worst bit of it, it's just too short notice. The 450s are nicer bikes to ride fast; the LC4s are too heavy. Although the big bikes probably cope with the extra weight better, and the sustained high-speed runs, which is probably where KTM are coming from.
Re: 450s not having tyre issues... ummm I think that's wishful thinking.
Re: shoe-horning a sleeved-down 530 into a 640 (actually the Rallye models were 660s) or 690. An engine/frame swap will create more problems than it will solve. Apart from the drive chain being on the opposite side, which is kinda hard to fudge up, why would you bother when you can wheel out your existing well-regarded 450 model? Fit up the rally tanks/fairings and away you go.
The Dakar is the grand-daddy of all the rallies, where the big bikes shone in the long fast sections. End of an era... :weep:
NordieBoy
6th June 2009, 22:53
They've been running the sleeved down 660 as a 450 for 4 years now.
warewolf
6th June 2009, 23:24
As a 450cc version of the LC4? That doesn't sound like much fun, but I'll bet it'll run forever if they aren't trying to get stratospheric power from it.
buggsubique
7th June 2009, 20:11
just don't think they will be all that reliable really. isn't there a lot of constant throttle high speed work involved? and factoring in the extra load being carried etc its gonna be pretty hard on the motors if they gonna run mx type hp.
I could be wrong though and can be enlightened.
Travis Pastrana did the Baja 1000 (well most of it) on a DRZ 400 before it died on him (choked airfilter). But yeah, it would sure be toasted after a dakar, even if you could load it up with gas and chose to big bore & stroker it, re-carb it, suspend it etc etc.
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