Pre-Event/lead up Dakar 2014 thread (moto & quad)!!!!

Couldn't wait for the new thread.
Since it's only 1,5 month to go, I nearly thought you guys might have forgotten

Thankfully I've got some time of, begining of January, so i can follow all the F5ire here. It's going to get stressfull to read every post, but i look forward to it.

Greetings
Matti

Here's something to lighten the mood after the tragedy at Baja.


Hugo Payen is back again with the number 69 and his traditional sponsor.




Rest of his usual promo shots here:
http://mototribumedia.com/competition/enduro/2014/rallye/dakar/team/payen/wallpaper/index.html

Nice bikes! Please post more of these great bikes and also private bikes and their story. :)

thanks

NSFW right there

Love the candids... Faria is hillarious.

Kind of surprised that the introductory text and the video don't quite match up. :huh

http://www.redbull.com/en/motorspor...216/fistful-of-trophies-red-bull-desert-wings

agreed

It's not too early to brush off the rust and prepare ourselves for January:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/PwSGdl_JgNg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

still remember last years TV breaks ... The female tennis was more interesting for sure

Entry list is up

http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2014/us/rider/rider-list-bikes.html#ancre

KTM - 64
Yamaha - 39
Honda - 36

GasGas - 9
SpeedBrain - 5
Kawasaki - 5
Sherco - 4
Suzuki - 2
BMW - 2
Husqvarana - 2
Beta - 2
TM - 1
Exotica total: 32


First 25 riders are all potential contenders on solid machinery. It's going to be fun.

David Casteu on KTM ???

Hmm.

Who knows French? At the begging he says something about announcing witch moto he'll be riding, but I'm not sure about the rest.
http://youtu.be/3kRnrFL34Qk

2014 Regs -

15P2 STARTING ORDER

1) There is no Prologue for Dakar Argentina – Bolivia – Chile 2014.

2) Starting order for the first Stage

a) Bikes and Quads will start in order of the race numbers:
- the first 10 Bikes every 2 minutes,
- the following 10 every minute,
- the remainder, 2 by 2 every 30 seconds.

b) From the 2nd Stage, the Bikes / Quads will start in the order of the previous day’s Selective Section:
- the first 10 Bikes every 2 minutes,
- the following 10 every minute,
- the remainder, 1 by 1 or 2 by 2 every 30 seconds.

So, that's effectively the prolouge over with and CDP starts first with the hounds all behind him, it should be interesting to see what stage 1 looks like and how they will all line up for stage 2 after this


46 sleeps to go

Do I live under a friggin rock that I don't get all the important news???? :huh
Since when is Barreda Bort with Honda?

HRC - Since May this year! - the Honda itself simce Morocco in Oct - but there's a long story (and much speculation) which I'm sure you will catch upon in the 000's of threads to come

Since a few rallies ago

So, that's effectively the prolouge over with and CDP starts first with the hounds all behind him, it should be interesting to see what stage 1 looks like and how they will all line up for stage 2 after this

Mind you, Cyril could get the rules changes yet !

How i understood it, he says, that he is until yet riding with Yamaha but for the Dakar 2014 we will have some surprise and he will make a press conference.
I remember his last race in South America was on a KTM 450 Rally Replica.
And he says, he is racing alone with his own team, no teammate.
So, KTM could be possible, let's wait and see.

Cyril Despres and Yamaha YZ450F

http://mototribu.com/competition/enduro/2013/rallye/team/yamaha/rallye_yamaha_despres.html