Dakar 2017

[MickeyT]

Goeie hel!  Sien dag tien (ek dink) is in totaal amper 1000km!   

[BlueBull2007]

First time I have ever heard of urine sampling on a rally. I mean seriously?

[JAmBer]

Long stages this year, but lots of it liason. IMHO, liasons are a horrible waste of a riders time. They should be minimised wherever possible and not used to artificially pad the race's distances.

[EtienneXplore]

Some pics from the Dakar Facebook page of the press conference

[EtienneXplore]

And some pics of Toby's race bike........................... 

[EtienneXplore]

This is a thing of beauty!

[Offshore]

 

[Koet]

 

[JAmBer]

Wow, that sure is a purdy tower setup! Anyone know what a carbon fibre setup like that costs?! I'm looking at alternative tower options for my Amageza bike now.

And some pics of Toby's race bike........................... 

[Koet]

This is a thing of beauty!

Why would there be a wire between the 2 bolts by the caliper?

[BlueBull2007]

Long stages this year, but lots of it liason. IMHO, liasons are a horrible waste of a riders time. They should be minimised wherever possible and not used to artificially pad the race's distances.

The endurance part of the Rally. A lot more goes wrong on a liaison than one thinks. Its mind-numbing & boring at times but still very much a part of any long rally.

[Koet]

This is a thing of beauty!

Why would there be a wire between the 2 bolts by the caliper?

I see the wire might be putting some tension on the bolts to keep them tight?  So I assume it's there to help ensure they don't rattle loose?

[BlueBull2007]

Wow, that sure is a purdy tower setup! Anyone know what a carbon fibre setup like that costs?! I'm looking at alternative tower options for my Amageza bike now.

And some pics of Toby's race bike........................... 

Joey mentioned to me that the two parts that make it up cost around R80,000

"No way!!" you say? I say "way!"

Think that is why we stick to the other versions.
Interesting these are made by Akropovich, the exhaust guys.

Dimitri, my Greek rally bud who makes those Aurora rally road book holders also has a new tower design which he has put a lot of thought into. You might want to consider it as an alternative?

[BlueBull2007]

Thanks for the pics Ettienne.

Rally fans will notice that he still has the conventional ICO cable in place. People say that the ICO cap is the same, but I though it is was pertinent that they decided to keep the older technology in place on this factory bike

[Weedkiller - Adie]

Thanks for the pics Ettienne.

Rally fans will notice that he still has the conventional ICO cable in place. People say that the ICO cap is the same, but I though it is was pertinent that they decided to keep the older technology in place on this factory bike

As far as I remember there MUST be a wheel driven distance meter on the bike.  I think it is a redundancy thing. 

Adie

[BiG DoM]

This is a thing of beauty!

Why would there be a wire between the 2 bolts by the caliper?

Old trick of racers to drill and wire critical bolts so as to ensure they stay in place and are not lost - a paint stripe often accompanies so that can be checked is tight at a glance.

This bike is SEERIOUSLY  SEXY and rally porn pimped 

[I&horse]

This is a thing of beauty!

Why would there be a wire between the 2 bolts by the caliper?

I see the wire might be putting some tension on the bolts to keep them tight?  So I assume it's there to help ensure they don't rattle loose?

Correct. Aircraft mechanics use the same method. The rest of us tighten until it strips and then a 1/4 turn back 

[EtienneXplore]

Another one from Toby's Facebook page

[Weedkiller - Adie]

This is a thing of beauty!

Why would there be a wire between the 2 bolts by the caliper?

Just some more 'useless' information.

Most racing regulation require 'life threatening' parts to be 'Wire locked'  Even Sump plugs on track cars.

The wire might not 'Prevent' the nut/bolt from coming loose slightly (depending on the position of the little hole bla bla bla) but reduce the chances of 'completely' undone.

So, it is a SAFETY lock wire.

Adie

[Rokie]

I just had a look through the competitors list (for bikes). My initial observations:
- GREAT to have 3 SA riders! I didn't know Walter Terblanche had entered - he is going with the same team as Kobus did. Go Joey!! Go David!!!
- Nice to see so many non-KTM bikes. Up to number 20 there are 10 of them (and only 1 is a Husky) [even though I am a KTM fan]
- I would have loved to see Riaan v N in the Dakar again. He is a quality rider and has a better Dakar record than some sponsored riders. It is a shame and feels unfair
- I counted 51 Rookies!!! I am not sure what the rate normally is, but that is almost one third of the field!
- I am Keen to see how Lyndon Poskitt does - he has a very cool number (100) and I suspect his experience will come  through for him.
- Joan Barreda Bort remains a very dark horse - not only has he gone very quiet (does not even say anything on his Dakar profile), but he has not proven that he can be fast AND reliable . . . yet.