Congrats to Oz

[PaulG]

A big congrats to Toby Price for winning Dakar 2016 for KTM.  Not bad for a guy who's head is held on to his body by pins and screws in his neck.  In 2013 he broke his neck, in 2015 he makes his Dakar debut and comes in 3rd, and wins this year.  With many more to come I'm sure.

Also...

Happy Australia Day.  Congrats on surviving another year in the land where everything wants to kill you.


http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-25/dakar-rally-winner-toby-price-returning-to-australia/7112016

[Firehawk068]

I watched the daily coverage of the Dakar. I look forward to it every year.
Congrats to Toby Price. World Class for sure! 

I wish they would bring the "Big" bikes back though. They have been limited to 450cc for a number of years. 

[PaulG]

I wish they would bring the "Big" bikes back though. They have been limited to 450cc for a number of years. 

I don't follow the rule changes that closely.  Are they actually limited to 450 cc max or is that just a marketing decision?  Like running the 600cc SS for the Daytona 200? 

I would like to see a run whatya brung class - as long as it meets safety regs, why not?  It would certainly spark some innovation.  The "cars" they race aren't even close to what you can buy - and those "trucks"...?  I know they have lesser classes that are closer to stock machines, but then they never televise those.  (At least not in Canada - I have to download from the web).  How can you when they only show 25 min of coverage over 12hrs of racing each day?

At least I got my fix for now.  Another 3 months at least before any rideable weather is upon us.   

[Firehawk068]

I wish they would bring the "Big" bikes back though. They have been limited to 450cc for a number of years. 

I don't follow the rule changes that closely.  Are they actually limited to 450 cc max or is that just a marketing decision?  Like running the 600cc SS for the Daytona 200? 

They changed the rules, banning bikes bigger than 450cc some time around 2010-2011.
Some have said that it was an effort to stop the KTM dominance of the event, others say it was done to slow the bikes down and make them "safer"?