The motorcycle category was full of surprises at Dakar 2018
THE DAKAR IS HOME TO THOSE who look forward to a fortnight of rallying across treacherous and challenging terrain the same way we look forward to our pizza delivery. This year, in its 40th edition, the lineup boasted of champions, accomplished Dakar veterans, and rookies who were keen to experience the fabled life-changing experience of the Dakar. the race was flagged off in Lima, Peru, and drew to a finish at Córdoba, argentina, after crossing three countries (Peru, Bolivia, and argentina), covering almost 9,000 km. on to the action then.
Participants were flagged off from Lima at the Las Palmas air base and they set off towards the ica desert. the 31-km-long special was fully off-piste and enabled the riders to get used to controlling their machines on the dunes. the downhill section towards the end of the stage required skill to negotiate and was easily dismissed by sam sunderland (red Bull ktm Factory team) who finished first. Right on his rear wheel was adrien van Beveren (Yamalube Yamaha official rally team).
The 278-km-long second stage was a loop in the Pisco desert. The predominantly off-piste stage tested the riders’ skill in navigation and their agility on the sand. Joan Barreda (monster energy honda team) emerged victorious from this one, closely followed by Beveren and matthias Walkner (red Bull ktm Factory team) in second and third places respectively.
In addition to the desert, the third stage was filled with challenging terrain like a chott (salt lake) and canyons. Furthermore, there was a 15-km-long detour off the main course exclusively for motorcycles and quads. Sunderland regained his lost momentum from the previous day and charged to victory. After Walkner and Beveren surprisingly disappeared further down the order, kevin Benavides (monster energy honda team) stepped up to take second place. He was followed by toby Price (red Bull ktm Factory team) in third.
This story is from the March 2018 edition of Bike India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 2018 edition of Bike India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Bagnaia Stamps His Authority
The 2024 MotoGP World Championship starts where it was left off as Francesco Bagnaia reminds the field why he is the reigning world champion
Apaches on a Go-kart Track
TVS invited us to their Apache Racing Experience GP. We had a lot of fun and we also learned a lot. Here is how the experience was
A Visit to Harley's Indian Home
It is always fascinating to watch things being put together. This time we got to watch X440s come to life in the \"Garden Factory\"
A Classic Re-energized
Kinetic Green launched the E-Luna recently and we just got our hands on one. We took it around town and here is what we feel about it
Almost Perfect
Anyone thinking of upgrading to a 600-cc-plus motorcycle must ride the Kawasaki Ninja 500 at least once
Xtremely Convenient
We had a ride on the Hero Xtreme 125R a few months ago at the time of its launch in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Of late we had an opportunity to test it out on our roads and here is how the ride went off
The Process of Elimination
The Kawasaki Eliminator has little competition, for it has always belonged to its own niche. We do not see other manufacturers bunging sport bike engines into cruiser chassis, do we?
Reincarnation
The first Super Duke arrived in 2005. Some 12 years after its demise, that magic \"990\" capacity returns to the fray. This time not as a Super Duke-only the gargantuan 1390 gets the \"Super\" tag these days-but simply as the 990 Duke. Here is how our first ride went off
Singularly Purposeful
Ducati produce a road-going single-cylinder for the first time in half a century and enter the supermoto class with intent
2024 Husqvarna Svartpilen 801
Drops All Pretence of Being an Off-roader
