I guess Honda decided to get serious this year? Top 3 and 4 in the top 10 ain't bad when you're only running 5 bikes, up against 80+ KTM/Huskys.
Ricky wins the stage and moves up to P2 behind his teammate Benavides! I hope they don't install team orders since there are only 2 stages to go, but with just 10 minutes back to Sunderland's KTM, they can't back off much. Previous leader Cornejo out after crashing. Howes up to 5th, 30 minutes back is impressive for a non-factory ride. LW vehicle: Jones won the stage, but only gained 2 minutes so still in second place 10 minutes back.
I don't understand the tire rules. For trucks or cars sure whatever. But bike?? come on. That's going to get someone hurt. It's not a huge expense to have a few more tires. They are replacing the mooses anyway. Risk $100k+ bikes and riders for a few hundred in tires. Stupid.
So no wins for the Americans, but 3 podiums isn't bad. 2nd place for Ricky B. No shame in that at all as just finishing a race like this is a huge task. 2nd place for American Austin Jones in the Lightweight vehicle class. 3rd place for American Pablo Copetti in the Quads Not a bad showing. Unfortunately, with Robbie Gordon having had enough of the rules committee and I can't blame him on that one, we don't have anyone in the car class anymore. Maybe Jones or Quintero will step up from the LW vehicle class next year.
My understanding (or at least the official story) is that it was done to attempt to slow the bikes down after Paulo Goncalves' death. Seems an odd and dangerous way to accomplish that goal though.
I’ve been watching Dakar since the eighties, but this the the first year I paid attention to the overall time between classes. I was quite surprised that the bikes finished 13 ish hours faster than the atv’s. I’m not surprised they’re faster, but that’s an incredible time disparity.
I think most of the atv's are more privateer like efforts vs. big factory bike teams. Also there are a lot fewer of them out there. Still with 750cc for 2WD atvs and 900cc for 4WD atvs vs. 450cc bikes, doesn't quite add up, but maneuverability and a lot less weight apparently make up that difference and then some apparently.
That's approximately an hour per day. I'd have to look back at Baja and see what the comparison is, but given the relative newness of the quads and the well developed factory bike squads, I'm not surprised. As factory efforts move to quads and it becomes a more developed class, the difference should narrow, a bit. Cheers, Dave
Quads had their own division beginning in 2009. UTV's (side-by-sides) were introduced in 2017. Quads competed as a subdivision of bikes prior to 2009, but my recollection is they were very few in number. I could well be mistaken, but a review of the pre-2009 entry lists would be the definitive answer. Cheers, Dave