Racer Profile: From Ultra- Distance Running To The Ultimate Rally Race Kyle Mccoy Trains Up For Dakar 2020

Although the Dakar Rally has undergone major changes in the past 15 years, the battle to conquer the world’s toughest races rages on in the U.S.A.

- Carl Parker

Kyle McCoy will be running the 2020 Dakar Rally in the wake of his friend and ADVMoto’s 2019 Dakar featured rookie finisher Nathan Rafferty. With a military background, and now working in the finance world, Kyle shares with us his background in racing, how he prepares for the Dakar and also why he thinks we have a better chance of winning than ever.

ADV: How did you get started motorcycling? What was your first bike? Also, was there an individual or group who sparked the fire?

KYLE McCOY: I started motorcycling in late 2012, after coming across several adventure motorcyclists in Washington State’s backcountry. At the time, I was a competitive trail runner and excited about using the bike to access hard-to-reach running trails. I was also fascinated by Washington’s Backcountry Discovery Route, which crosses the state’s pristine landscape south to north, using back roads. After watching a documentary on the route, I was ready to gear up and plan my own trip.

My first bike was a Tiger Triumph XC. The triple had an incredibly smooth engine, but I found it was a little too heavy for my style of riding.

I tend to dive in deep when I find something I really enjoy doing. I quickly ramped up my riding at the Touratech Rally West. The rally takes place in Plain, WA, where my family has a cabin. The rally is incredibly inclusive and packed with all kinds of learning opportunities, which were much needed for me. I went on to train and ride three times with the excellent instructors at Rawhyde Adventures in Castaic, CA. As my skills improved, I went and trained with