Honda preparing Dakar assault

Honda 450 x engine case (similar)
External oil cooler
Frame not a standard 450x
Longer swing arm
HRC designed tanks for mass centralization
It would surprise me if it fuel injected

Now that was easy do I win the sweep?

Helder at a Baja in Portugal today.Yes, he's on a Honda, despite it looking like his YZ from earlier this year (see 2nd pic, you can see the Honda frame to the far right):

So along with tyre selection, custom exhaust, front forks and suspension, not to mention custom 450 engine, brakes and electrics, it will be interesting to see what from the 6 months of R&D get's through into mass (or limited) production units for public sale, in considering the significant investment Honda must be making on this programme.

It would also be interesting and I'm sure we will never know just as the other factory teams, what remains a secret?

It's only a guess, but considering the riders, the testing, the R&D, the componant contributers, any practice event and the event itself, that a number in excess of $7 million (but how much in excess) to the end of Jan 2013 would not be unreasonable - they have to be serious!

And after all that its still only a shiny Honda ag bike...

Just to let you know, that after the USA training (no coment from Javier on that), Pizzolito few directly to Mendoza where he won a local rally cross country series.
His team mate Pablo Rodriguez was second in another Honda (works Honda Argentina team)

Yes, it's going to be interesting to say the least if the whole team are competing in Morrocco on development bikes, not to mention the other main teams and riders. It will certainly spice up the pre Dakar speculation if nothing else and also give a great indication of the teams speed and quality on a somewhat level playing field

Honda 1, 2 and 3 in the Sertoes overall:

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=817265&page=7

Well informed media in Argentina says HRC team will be present in Pharaons rally in October.
Not Morocco (as some speculated here), but Pharaons.

I guess it will be the timing for testing HRC Dakar proto bike.

Wouldn't this also make a little more sense strategically than debuting the bikes at Morocco? If I remember correctly, Coma and Despres will contest Morocco and not Egypt so this would mean that HRC could roll out the bikes at a big event but not have the added pressure of having KTM on their backs the whole time. There's only a two week difference between the races, so Egypt does not buy them that much more time to make adjustments than Morocco.

Thoughts?

images of a honda and pyramids seem more enticing

Perhaps they are way behind in developing their quad based engine design and now need to revert back to a CRF based one and therefor can use all the time at hand?





Ps. If required I can come up with about 1200 other potential reasons too :)

Make sense that first real world trial, they do not clash with KTM works team.

If you consider the logistics that Marrocco is a short ferry ride from Spain, that they have tested there this year so know the route, which is a drive from the Dutch home, whereas Egypt is a true shipping destination with some risk and the team will still have secret development bikes that knowbody has even yet seen an image of, other than the HRC team, so they will need them back immediately, then I know where my money is.

Morrocco will be interesting as yes the best will be there, but the HRC Dakar 450 will still be work in progress, so this is little more than an R&D test under race conditions

How many HRC bikes and riders they will have on show though will be one of the hot topics!

Think you will see a press release soon

Understand it's now been tested 3 times if you include the initial test in Japan and maybe another 2 - 3 to come in one form or another including the next rally - as said, I know where my money is on that one.

fb.me/2cDDSosPp

So, looks like the cat's out of the bag, Zanol is the third rider to get fitted out in Japan and Morocco looks confirmed

Potential next "alien"

Sorry guys, but thats just the local Brazilian Japanese restaurant

That's just the local Brazilian Japanese airport

Anyhow with 3 weeks until a rumoured press conference in Germany on the 3rd Oct things should then become a bit clearer - but Morocco has got real potential to be a great event, what with the aliens and team, Speedbrain, Bordone Ferrari and the HCR team on The bike -