All-terrain – Motorcycle rally-raid: Honda back on the Dakar – Used HONDA

Motorcycle rally-raid: Honda back on the Dakar

All-terrain - Motorcycle rally-raid: Honda back on the Dakar - Used HONDA

Honda will officially participate in the 2013 Dakar rally, which will cross South America from January 5. The world’s leading manufacturer of motorized two-wheelers will unveil a prototype specially designed by its racing department (HRC) on the basis of the CRF450X.

Honda will officially participate in the 2013 Dakar rally, which will cross South America from January 5. The world’s leading manufacturer of motorized two-wheelers will unveil a prototype specially designed by its racing department (HRC) on the basis of the CRF450X.

This is a major event in the world of rally-raid, since Honda is a serious "customer" who could quickly come to counter the hegemony of the formidable KTM. The winged coat of arms has indeed five victories over the "king of rallies", acquired between 1981 and 1989.

The official Honda team, called "Team HRC", will include in its ranks the experienced Portuguese driver Helder Rodrigues (3rd in) and the Brazilian Felipe Zanol (10th in). The two Honda officials will have English Sam Sunderland and Argentinian Javier Pizzolito by their side.

"The Dakar demands a lot from the competitors, it is a very long and very hard race in sometimes extreme conditions for men and equipment", explains Tetsuo Suzuki, director of Honda’s two-wheeler R&D center. "This event requires very specific machines. Honda has in the past accumulated a lot of experience on the Paris-Dakar with the successes that everyone knows. We have devoted a lot of energy to designing and building a machine capable of very good performance ".

In short: Honda will not be there to make up the figures, and that’s good for the show! In addition to its return to the Dakar, Honda will continue to supply parts for a limited number of teams entered with the "standard" CRF450X..

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