I am nuts, but I am very very seriously considering entering this - motorcycle class. I have plenty of motorcycle experience, I am still pretty young (late 20's) and I am in pretty good shape. I know it would be dangerous, grueling, difficult and exciting - that's why I want to do it. I don't suppose anyone has ever done it? I've watched on TV and read logs of folks who have done it. What kind of sponsorship do you realistically need? Can a privateer hope to be in any way competitive? I wouldn't care if I placed too well, just would like to finish in one piece. Are there any restrictions on who can enter - any kind of special license or approval process? And are there any special permits required for traveling through those countries? Do you need visas and such? Any other info? If I do it I will call my bike the SRT Mike/Ferrari Chat Dakar Doobie.
I've only also watched it on TV and it looks sick. I hope you are in incredible shape to do this. I'm not so sure what it would take to do this, but a good start is to do some research and find out what the minimum requirements to enter are. Good luck, let us know how it turns out.
You need to be in top shape. You need to prepare for months, some of the guys do runs of all 17 stages months ahead. Remember this isn't your backyard, some of the strangest things have happened at Dakar. The saying "The Dakar always wins" wasn't coined for fun, its gruelling and takes a massive toll on your and your machine. Almost each year there are fatalities. That being said... if you do enter then good luck. Not trying to discourage you, I've been following Dakar, Camel Trophy and Baja for years now and I know of some of the tragedies involved.
something i would like to do somday too, not bike, just any type of vehicle. train hard, drive hard good luck if you enter keep us posted
Visas required and about 40K to start! As well as desert training experience, ability to multi-task,etc. It would be less expensive to ride in Baja. Carol Here's some FAQ's regarding bikes: Frequently Asked Questions (All prices quoted are approximate, in US dollars and subject to change) Every year the Dakar has a different route, which can affect the costs. For example in the 2002 Dakar, the European leg was much longer than usual and it was permitted to transport the bikes on trucks during some of the European Liason sections. This added to a competitor's hotel costs and transportation costs. How much does it cost? Entry level participation in the Dakar is about $40,000 USD. You can easily double or triple that depending on how much you want to spend and what options you select. What does the entry level $40,000 USD budget generally include? Honda XR 400 Dakar equipped bike rental From North America, transport in Europe for the Liason sections for you and your bike if required A spare front and rear wheel complete Mechanical assistance in the bivouac Spare parts transport and availability throughout the rally. Spare parts and supplies may be purchased as required. Fuel Modest accommodations in Europe - hotels, food Purchase or rental of mandatory safety equipment - emergency locator beacon, GPS, flares etc. Economy return flight to Europe from North America Economy return flight from Dakar finish to Europe Ferry services Europe to Africa Visas TSO Entry Fee What does your entry level package generally not include? Riding gear & clothing - you must supply your own clothing and gear for cold and warm weather Advance medical treatment & medications- doctors costs, vaccinations, malaria treatment, etc. Camping supplies - You will need your own tent and sleeping bag, flashlight, alarm clock, toiletries etc. Riding tools - these are the tools you will want to carry with you to be able to make a repair during the rally stages. Specialty energy foods/drinks you may want have such as Powerbars, energy drinks etc. Replacement tires with mousse Are other bike options available? Yes, we can arrange a purchase or rental of a professionally prepared Dakar Honda XR 400, XR650, BMW GS 650 and KTM. How much lead time or preparation time do I need? Ten months is a good starting point for an amateur. The required time really depends on where you are starting from and what preparations you need to make. Taking advantage of our bike rental package virtually eliminates bike preparation and saves a lot of time. Whereas, if you want to build your own bike, you'll probably need a lot of advance time to build it and test it. Do I need to be able to speak French? No, it is not a requirement. It is however an advantage. Many of the Dakar staff speak some English. Road books are available in French or English, but you will find some of the English instructions are acronyms based on French words. For example "G" on your roadbook means "left" for the French word gouche, while "D" means right for the French word droite. Rider's meetings are in French. English interpretation is provided through headsets. In the bivouac the headsets are usually available from a cart. How does the GPS work? The GPS is a limited capability GPS. The TSO provides some basic GPS training for all riders during scrutineering. If you have never used a GPS, we recommend some advance training. How does the roadbook work? It is similar to an Enduro routesheet holder, only larger. We can provide some samples to our clients for advance preparation. What riding skill level is required? This depends on your goals and expectations. Naturally, a very high championship level skill is required to win your class. However to finish, requires mostly good preparation and a medium to high skill level. Are there any special fitness requirements? Fitness is very important. Fatigue is a big factor and the fitter you are the better your chances of finishing. A fitness regime for preparation is recommended. You can consult your local fitness expert or we can make some suggestions for you. Will I crash? There is a good chance you will. This is another reason fitness is important. It is also important to have top of the line protective gear. It's a long race with many surprises. I don't have desert rally training. How should I prepare? If you have little dune experience or desert rally experience, we highly recommend going to a training camp provided by desert rally experts. We have training available from world class experts such as Jimmy Lewis, Jordi Arcarons and Alfie Cox. In a desert rally, one must be able to effectively read the terrain, operate the bike, navigate and use the GPS and roadbook all at the same time. The Dakar is not the place to learn this. What goals are realistic for a first time Dakar participant? For entry level, we suggest setting a realistic goal of finishing. This means pacing yourself so you don't burn up all of the energy today that you may need tomorrow. What if I get lost or injured? The roadbook and GPS are really quite good. With proper preparation, you should not get too far off the track. The GPS, for example, has an electronic arrow, which points to your next way station, so you always know the direction you should be headed. The TSO rescue and medical support is excellent with a significant amount of air support for rescue purposes. You also have emergency equipment, flares, and an emergency locator beacon. The TSO goes to great lengths to make the rally as safe as possible. How tough is it really? It's tough! Usually about ½ of the bikes finish and historically only 30% of first timers have finished. We think the reason many don't finish is lack of knowledge and improper preparation. If your bike is not properly prepared, it will likely let you down. If you are poorly prepared, you will likely make costly mistakes. Good preparation and planning reduces a lot of risk and makes everything much easier. We at Rally Connex are very proud of our first North American clients in the 2002 Dakar. With our assistance, they were well prepared and all finished. Two were rookies. Why should I do business with Rally Connex? Michael Hahn, the President of Rally Connex was a raw amateur in January 2000, when he saw the Dakar on television for the first time. He was captured by the drama of the event and decided to enter the Dakar. He trusted the wrong advice, made many costly mistakes and learned some important lessons from them. You don't need to repeat his mistakes and limit your chances of finishing. When you do business with Rally Connex Inc., you have a whole network of top level Dakar experts available as a resource. Our partners have finished the Dakar repeatedly in cars, trucks and motorcycles. They know what it takes to finish. What can I expect to get out of this? For Michael Hahn, it was the most awesome adventure of a lifetime. He said, "The Dakar takes a lot from you and gives a lot back. I will never forget the friendships I made along the way and the incredible memories. One day I will be able to bounce my grandchildren on my knee and be able to tell them all about it." Hubert Auriol, the General Manager of the Dakar said to Michael during scrutineering, "First it is a dream, then it is a nightmare, then it is a dream again." Any other info? If I do it I will call my bike the SRT Mike/Ferrari Chat Dakar Doobie.[/QUOTE]
It lookslike the 2006 event is already booked: http://www.dakar.com/indexus.html Good luck to you if and when you do give it a shot, best race in the world. Be careful out there!!
