2013 Dakar Pre-Event Discussion

[Southest US Thumper]

Originally Posted by atgreg

Africa Twin 750 Marathon from about 1990/91 , modded proddie bike

Ding, Ding, Ding!!!! We have a winner, it's a '91 veteran spotted at Intermot, I forget who the pilot was.

[barrier]

Originally Posted by Bluebull2007

No doubt about it, I personally thought RG was treated unfairly by the ASO this year, with the whole tyre boost thing.

Those of you on the F5ire hose this year will remember someone's (sorry cant remember who it was) detailed explanation how it all worked and how it could not not possibly affect the engine performance. So I was very surprised to learn that the FIA ruled that he has cheated in June or July this year.

Does anyone have more info on this? Did RG really cheat? I would hope not and think maybe it was a political thing rather than anything else?

Anyway against this backdrop RG's logo US vs Them makes a lot of sense. The rmost of us had read it wrong I think, it was not supposed to be the US vs. the rest. Thats why I keep coming back, crazy rulings like this and the stories like people being DQ'd for being 35 minutes late at the start of an SS make the favourite not necessarily the favourite. It reminds me of my school days when people werent necessairly fairly beaten by the teachers, but we took our stripes with pride having survived it and became heroes despite and as a result of it.

Didn't we just decide the spare tyres must have been filled with nitrous oxide!

[Ferrys]

Chaleco with gasgas????
http://www.aventuratouareg.com/noticias2012/kh7.html

[beechum1]

asi parece...

[Flood]

Originally Posted by Ferrys

Chaleco with gasgas????
http://www.aventuratouareg.com/noticias2012/kh7.html

Doesn't say GasGas, does it? I'm reading that Chaleco will be supported by Team KH-7 together with Laia Sanz, Nani Roma and Juvanteny (trucks).

Laia is on a GasGas, Chaleco is on a KTM, no?

[tHEtREV]

Originally Posted by Bluebull2007

Does anyone have more info on this? Did RG really cheat? I would hope not and think maybe it was a political thing rather than anything else?

My understanding of it was that because he had the tire deflater thingy plumbed in after the restrictor, it had the potential to get extra air into the intake system and negating some of the restricting effects of the restrictor plate.

Someone on here pointed out that if he did indeed use it like that, then it would be ducting unfiltered air into the system, and as everyone knows, would soon result in a substantial loss in power.

Someone else also pointed out that RG comes from a Nascar background where allegedly getting around rules like restrictors etc and finding new ways to interpret the rules is just part of the racing (at least I think thats what they said, I don't know much about car racing).

From memory, after it was discovered (allegedly his car was inspected because it was going to fast, or faster than they expected it to go), he blocked of the system and it had no effect on top speed (I think he won the next stage, once again I could be wrong).

So it was a modification that had been passed, but had the potential to bypass a restriction, but may not have been all that beneficial (because of lack of filtration), and had no effect on performance when rendered inoperable (if it was used for performance gain)...

At the end of the race his result had no effect on the leader board, so no competitors had anything to gain out of his DQ (except be bumped up one place well after the fact).

Thats the way I remember it anyway.

I'm no RG fan, but I don't personally believe he was cheating at all, and I was genuinely surprised when he was DQed and do believe it was a bit wrong.

He is fast and I like the sound of his car, it's when he is out of his car and in front of a camera that I am not a fan.

[DasMatti]

Originally Posted by tHEtREV

My understanding of it was that because he had the tire deflater thingy plumbed in after the restrictor, it had the potential to get extra air into the intake system and negating some of the restricting effects of the restrictor plate.
[...]

+1

It doesn't matter wether he gaind few bhp or not. This setup was against the rules, so they DQed him.

ride on
matti

[JMo (& piglet)]

That's a good explanation tHEtREV - but I think the bottom line [as far as ASO were concerned] is that the rules clearly state that nothing should bypass the intake restrictor, regardless if it actually had any benefit or not?

As for Robbie Gordon saying "it was passed" at scrutineering, personally I think it was more likely to have been missed or 'passed over' at scrutineering, that's all...

Anyway, all that was last year - let's see what he comes up with in a couple of weeks time - woop!

Jx

[frank wheelbarrow]

He did pass tech inspection. (The first one at least)

Originally Posted by DasMatti

+1

This setup was against the rules, so they DQed him.

ride on
matti

[Ferrys]

Originally Posted by Flood

Doesn't say GasGas, does it? I'm reading that Chaleco will be supported by Team KH-7 together with Laia Sanz, Nani Roma and Juvanteny (trucks).

Laia is on a GasGas, Chaleco is on a KTM, no?

This happened yesterday.........but it does not say that.
Chaleco joined the team, not being supported, joined.
Mention that Laila is there with the new GasGas and nothing about Chaleco. It seems strange 2 manufacturers for 2 riders. We will have to wait.

[doyle]

Originally Posted by Ferrys

This happened yesterday.........but it does not say that.
Chaleco joined the team, not being supported, joined.
Mention that Laila is there with the new GasGas and nothing about Chaleco. It seems strange 2 manufacturers for 2 riders. We will have to wait.

KH-7 is a manufacturer of cleaning products sponsoring Team Epsilon which is less of a team per-se and more of a bigger support organization. The way I understand it is Laia Sanz and Marc Guasch are riding for the Gas Gas factory team with Miguel Puertas as a paying rider. The teams mechanics and logistics are being handled by Team Epsilon with KH-7 being a sponsor of Epsilon but also a personal sponsor of Laia Sanz. They will be riding the EC Raid 450.

Chaleco has bought himself a factory KTM package. He pulled his mechanic from Bordone-Ferrari and the two of them are being supported and logistics handled by Tamarugal XC out of Chile. Obviously Nani Roma's team and mechanics are all from X-raid BMW, so the KH-7 thing is more personal sponsorship for both Chaleco and Roma.

Clear as mudgate, huh?

[Ferrys]

Things happen very quickly lately.
As per Octuber, Puertas was the water carrier of Laila and Guasch was free and the top rider of the team.
Now with Chaleco, with a KTM and on his own???. He is a top rider.

[doyle]

Originally Posted by Ferrys

Things happen very quickly lately.
As per Octuber, Puertas was the water carrier of Laila and Guasch was free and the top rider of the team.
Now with Chaleco, with a KTM and on his own???. He is a top rider.

Not sure that I'm reading that correctly, but As far as I know, Puertas is most definitely riding a Gas Gas even though the competitors list shows a Yamaha. I believe he is a paying, support rider.

[barrier]

Originally Posted by doyle

Not sure that I'm reading that correctly, but As far as I know, Puertas is most definitely riding a Gas Gas even though the competitors list shows a Yamaha. I believe he is a paying, support rider.

Don't GasGas'sss have Yamaha engines?
That clears that one up!

[wilkinsonk]

Originally Posted by barrier

Don't GasGas'sss have Yamaha engines?
That clears that one up!

Last year yes, but this year the Gas Gas crew will be riding home-grown rally bikes. No more rebadged WR450s.