Honda preparing Dakar assault

[rmhrc628]

Is there any views on how HRC would have gone with their 2 other guns - Sam and the guy in hospital ?

I reckon Sam would have motored in this years Dakar

[too old]

Originally Posted by rmhrc628

Is there any views on how HRC would have gone with their 2 other guns - Sam and the guy in hospital ?

I reckon Sam would have motored in this years Dakar

Sam has had his plaster removed and has started on physio, still a bit sore but mending.
He is back on his push bike and in the gym, it will be another few weeks until he is back on the 450 though, but is looking forward to the Desert Challenge in April - that is the current focus.

No recent news on Philipe, he was still in hospital in the states before Dakar and they said they were hoping to fly him back to Brazil "soon" - nothing since, but it's now been 7 weeks since the accident.

[too old]

From Helder's FB:

Hey guys I'm back to Portugal, went to this Dakar very well prepared both physically with technically and so, unless one or another mountain stage, never felt really fatigued. This project brought Honda back to Dakar, after the Japanese successes in African competitions the years 80, was filed just six months before the start of the rally and implied that this participation has been a big test for the future. Over the course of the rally we were rectifying, evolving and adjusting all situations that weren't as good as we wanted to, but the whole team has worked tremendously in giving his best and I'm sure the experience in these fifteen days will be extremely important for the future. Honda wants to win the Dakar as a brand and I want to win the Dakar as a pilot. The year 2013 will be hard work, eventually many races and trainings, for a return to the maximum force on the Dakar 2014. I am very pleased by the commitment that Honda did me and I thank you all that I have provided, a thank you is extended to my sponsors, TMN and Red Bull, and all sponsors, the people who work with me throughout the year, to my family, friends and to all of you who supported me in this new stage of my career.



On the HRC effort the latest video had Yamasaki-San saying they were looking at next year with a new structure, new machine, new team and budget!

That could mean a host of things and open season for the speculators, but on the team I would expect that the nucleus will stay, certainly sounds like Helder is?

We would expect to see Sam there, still much to show us?

Perhaps JC may not be racing next year, but he will of course be around for Honda during the year and we are yet to hear how Philipe is doing, so for the SA input who knows, but Javier did pretty good considering he was Philipe's no. 2.

For 2013 the season may just be beginning when the feeling for many after the Dakar, is that it is just over! - The annual Rally cycle, is the Dakar the end or the beginning?

Plenty to look forward to during 2013 and leading up to Dakar 2014.

http://youtu.be/9Kh_Gxf3w5M

Nice touch with the Brazilian flag

[troy safari carpente]

Originally Posted by 8340SU

Highlights of a tv interview with Hélder Rodrigues:

I hoped to win the Dakar, or at least to get to the podium. I wasn't happy.

I had 2 problems with gas. On the 2nd and 3rd day I ran out of fuel, and I lost 25 minutes. On the Fiambala stage I had a problem with a wire that connects the telemetry and the cdi and lost another 50 minutes. That's 1 hour and 15. To much in a race like the Dakar.

The flaws weren't too serious. They could happen next year in a more developed bike. These thinks can't happen but they did. I had bad luck.

On the sandier stages the bike did 14 L / 100 kms and we thought it would be 10 L / 100 Km. We made tests on hard terrain and not enough tests on sand.
6 month to prepare a new bike for the Dakar is too little, for me and for the bike.

We had a metting after the Dakar and the big Honda bosses came. They were very happy.
Honda is already making a new bike with a new chassis and engine. All for the next Dakar. We are going to do a lot of tests, we are going to compete in almost all races of the world championship.
This is very good. It's very important for a rider to finish the Dakar and know what the next year will be like.


http://sicnoticias.sapo.pt/1974081

Originally Posted by too old

New bike, new chassis, new engine - WTF

Originally Posted by Deadly99

I read this as instead of utlizing the testing of this bike and fixing the weak links we are going to rebuild a new bike from the ground up again. Seems like an odd approach but maybe it makes sense from a perspective I dont see.

[avgas]

Perhaps it was their plan to build a new bike from the ground up for the dakar, but doing so would have meant they would miss this years race. So they threw together a different bike so that they could gain some experience this year.

[troy safari carpente]

Originally Posted by too old

New bike, new chassis, new engine - WTF

To give the other "pre-DAKAR/HRC" rumour some of our attention for just a moment... and draw a parallel to this latest "development"

Let's assume (however unlikely one would think this eventuality would be... on the back of this; his fifth win with the Austrian mother company) that Cyril Get'spaid move's to the land of the rising sum and signs with Mr Who'sazuki's team for an obscene amount of spend yen...?

What's the odds (and how paradoxical would it be) if this "new" bike turns out to be a ladder framed CRF engined bike with a moulded unibody rear subframe/fuel cell... EFI (sorted) and a "brains trust" (behind the rider) that would otherwise take ten years to educate/refine in house at eh? (H) uh? (R) see (C)...?

In other words... if "Cyril" defects... it WON*T be just Cyril... cause in wasn't "just Cyril" what won dakar 2013...?

[Balkan Boy]

Originally Posted by troy safari carpente

In other words... if "Cyril" defects... it WON*T be just Cyril... cause in wasn't "just Cyril" what won dakar 2013...?

You mean he's taking Marek Dabrowski with him?

[troy safari carpente]

Originally Posted by Balkan Boy

You mean he's taking Marek Dabrowski with him?

i'm sure the contract will have something in it about "preferred suppliers" and "spare parts"... so yeah maybe...?

I was thinking more about the "legal department" in the bivouac; you know; the bloke who keeps an eye out for ducking the rule book, stepping through loopholes and is on PR/makeup duty keeping that Andorran complexion mud free, the beard trimmed, bandanas ironed... oh, and someone to remember where he left his gloves...

[Sparrowhawk]

Originally Posted by troy safari carpente

In other words... if "Cyril" defects... it WON*T be just Cyril... cause in wasn't "just Cyril" what won dakar 2013...?

And Faria wins for KTM in 2014.

HRC looks like it plans to put together an "All Star" team. That's not a bad approach but it's no guarantee for success. As demonstrated by many sporting events utilizing assemblages of stars, the level of play often does not rise to expectations.

Just using Cyril as an example, HRC may be able to hire his skills, supply him with a competitive ride, and back it all up with a competent support crew and supplies. All of that is necessary for a win but not sufficient. Will HRC also provide the personal trainer who knows just what CD needs to be in top condition on race day? Will HRC proved CD with the kind of personal support that allows him to stay focused on racing and not worries at home? All the other elements such as cultural differences, team dynamics, depth, personal relationships, inspiration, and drive must also align for success.

KTM is just a piss in the ocean compared to Honda Motor Company yet they have been able to assemble a winning Dakar team for the last 12 years. There is some kind of magic there. No doubt Faria is loyal by nature but there must also be something about the way KTM runs their Dakar effort that makes him give them his blood, sweat, and tears as a support rider. When it comes to Dakar, KTM has something special that drives the team to succeed.

A good example of that "something special" dates back to the beginning of the last century. Samuel Langley was given $50,000 by the US War Department and $20,000 from the Smithsonian Institute in 1898 to develop a piloted flying machine. He was the head of the Smithsonian, had a seat at Harvard, was well connected, and hired the best minds money could buy. Regardless of all that might, it was a couple of driven brothers and their small team with no college education, working off the profits of a bicycle shop, that first took to the air.

[DruncleWill]

Note from Honda about the pilot Felipe Zanol won: "Felipe Zanol won the pilot Team, HRC, who was hospitalized in California (USA), landed in Brazil on Thursday (01/24).

Zanol won, who crashed during practice in preparation for the Dakar Rally, will continue the sessions of physical therapy here in the country.

The Honda team is to provide support to the pilot and his family and twists for his full recovery.

Nota da Honda sobre o piloto Felipe Zanol:

"O piloto Felipe Zanol, do Team HRC, que estava internado na Califórnia (EUA), desembarcou no Brasil nesta quinta-feira (24/01).

Zanol, que se acidentou durante os treinos preparatórios para o Rally Dakar, dará continuidade às sessões de fisioterapia aqui no País.

A equipe Honda segue prestando apoio ao piloto e sua família e torce por sua plena recuperação.

Moto Honda da Amazônia Ltda."

[too old]

Originally Posted by DruncleWill

Note from Honda about the pilot Felipe Zanol won: "Felipe Zanol won the pilot Team, HRC, who was hospitalized in California (USA), landed in Brazil on Thursday (01/24).

Zanol won, who crashed during practice in preparation for the Dakar Rally, will continue the sessions of physical therapy here in the country.

The Honda team is to provide support to the pilot and his family and twists for his full recovery.

Great news

7 weeke to be able to travel, sounds like it going to be a tough road to full recovery, for a quick return and to the support from Honda

[Bluebull2007]

Originally Posted by DruncleWill

Note from Honda about the pilot Felipe Zanol won: "Felipe Zanol won the pilot Team, HRC, who was hospitalized in California (USA), landed in Brazil on Thursday (01/24).

Zanol won, who crashed during practice in preparation for the Dakar Rally, will continue the sessions of physical therapy here in the country.

The Honda team is to provide support to the pilot and his family and twists for his full recovery.

Great news! He must be delighted to be home at last. I hope he will be able to ride again. His last victory was the Sertoes last year, and you can see what a humble an nice bloke he is at the end of this video (09:15).

[doyle]

Originally Posted by Bad Translation From Google

Hélder Rodrigues: "It's good for me to pass the Cyril Honda»
By Hugo Santos.

Although not confirmed, the passage of Cyril Despres for the official Honda team in the All-Terrain world is already well regarded by Helder Rodrigues, current leader of the structure of Japanese litter this year returned to the Dakar Rally.

Faced with the entry of the French rider on the team, Rodrigues is evident.

"It is possible and it is good for me to pass the Cyril Honda» he said.

Honda bets on strong return to the panorama of the All-Terrain world wanted 'reach and win', but different mechanical setbacks prevented the success of the bikes Nipponese.

The HRC team wants to reach the top and seems to be the specialty of eyes set on a partnership with Cyril Despres now official KTM rider and five times winner of the mythic Dakar.

"It was not just a pilot to pull the team were two and that was very important" , confessed the 'starlet' Portuguese.

[ThomasVolomitz]

," but different mechanical setbacks prevented the success of the bikes Nipponese."
Priceless

[husqvarna]

I reckon Honda should hand over 2014 to JCR for the Dakar.

Off topic a little; I'm not sure Faria is as fast as Depres (or say, Helder) but then Cyril started as a water carrier with KTM. For sure Faria deserves a decent shot.