Gruelling day sees Australian safely ride to ninth position.
Image: Supplied.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Toby Price says the third stage of the 2019 Dakar Rally was more about survival than racing, which ultimately saw him wind up ninth on the day.
Riders were put through a gruelling 331-kilometre timed special, starting at sea level before climbing to an altitude of over 2,000 metres. The challenging stage was heightened in difficulty when fog hindered navigation, adding to the mentally and physically strenuous outing.
Price, a former Dakar victor, has been battling with a fractured scaphoid sustained in the lead up the event, however he’s been pushing on through the injury and sits fifth in the outright classification.
“I think it was more about survival than racing today,” Price admitted. “It was a really tough stage but I got through it and I’m feeling good and that’s what matters. I got lost early on and that cost me some time to the front runners. Then at about the 130-kilometre mark there was a lot of fog in the mountains.
“The road book didn’t have too many details and there were a few cliffs you could have dropped off. Luckily, I missed them. I’m still trying to hang on and get to the end of each stage but overall things are good.”
The stage caught out early leader Joan Barreda (Monster Energy Honda Team) at the 143-kilometre mark, where he evacuated by helicopter to safety after becoming stuck in the mountains.
Stage four of the 2019 Dakar Rally marks the first half of the marathon stage. Riders will leave Arequipa and head for the temporary bivouac in Moquegua where they will receive no outside assistance from their teams. The 511-kilometre stage includes a demanding 405-kilometre timed special – the longest of the rally.
It’s a bit difficult to think that 50 years ago a venerable East German company could be at the forefront of motorcycle design, but such was the case with VEB Motrradwerk Zschopau (better known as MZ) and its two-stroke racers!
VEB Motrradwerk Zschopau were better known as MZ
After establishing his company in Zschopau in 1906, Danish engineer Jørgen Rasmussen soon started supplying motors that could be fitted to bicycles.
The company was founded by Jørgen Rasmussen
In 1917 he invented a steam-powered car (the DKW) and in 1920 began production of his first 2-stroke motorcycle engines. The company was renamed DKW in 1923 and started racing in 1927.
Inventions include a steam powered car and later two-stroke racers
Success was quick to come and by 1929 the company was the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer. In 1956 the company’s name was once again changed, to VEB Motrradwerk Zschopau.
MZ was actually the world’s second largest motorcycle manufacturer in 1929!
MZ won its first 125 and 250 GPs in 1958, with rider Horst Fügner finishing second overall in the 250 class.
Racing success came later with 125 and 250 GP wins in 1958
The man behind this result was designer Walter Kaaden who was the first to incorporate three key technologies into a two-stroke motor – the conical expansion chamber exhaust, the disc-valve intake and the boost port. His 125cc design was the first normal aspirated motor to make over 200hp per litre.
Walter Kaaden incorporated a number of new technologies
The East German company’s race efforts were always hampered by both the communist regime and underfunding with the result that at the end of the Swedish GP, the final race of the 1961 season, star rider Ernst Degner defected (with a suitcase of race parts and drawings).
Ernst Degner would race MZ but later defected
The plan had been hatched earlier in the year with Suzuki, who’s racing efforts up until that stage had been rather unsuccessful. Kaaden’s work was disseminated to the rest of the world and the rise of the two-stroke, especially in competition, was the result.
Ernst Degner bringing MZ’s designs to the rest of the world is credited with the rise of two-stroke racing
MZ continued on after this setback however with a variety of designs, this 1966 RE250 being one. Riders Derek Woodman and Heinz Rosner finish fourth and sixth that year.
MZ RE250 two-stroke racer
Dieter Braun used this bike in 1969-70, finishing the season in 10th. The RE250 made 50hp (the 125 30hp) which had been increased to 58hp by 1970.
Xavier de Soultrait managed to make full use of his navigational skills during today’s stage three of the Dakar. One of the first riders to find his way out of a tricky section in the first part of the stage, Xavier secured an emphatic stage win to move up to sixth in the event’s provisional overall standings.
Xavier de Soultrait
Stage three also saw the retirement of stage one winner Joan Barreda, the Honda man out of the rally. The Spaniard came across a low visibility foggy and rocky area whilst opening the track, lost control of the bike which went into a slide down a ravine which it proved impossible to escape from. Barreda’s Dakar had ended at kilometre 143.
Joan Barreda – Out
“Sadly the Dakar ended for me today. It had been going very well, opening the track and pushing the riders ahead. When I reached the mountains I found a lot of fog that limited my visibility. Following the directions of the roadbook and the GPS I reached a cliff, when I tried to return I saw that Walkner had also arrived, they saw me and stopped and were able to turn around, but from below it was impossible for me to climb back up. I tried to go down further and look for a route out along the ravine but it was impossible.”
Joan Barreda out of Dakar 2019
San Juan de Marcona > Arequipa 798 km
The agenda of the day saw riders set out from the bivouac at San Juan de Marcona to start the first special of the day five kilometres later. The timed section concluded some 264 kilometres later followed by a short two-kilometre liaison section which brought the riders to a second 65-kilometre special. Before arriving back at the camp in Arequipa, it was back in the saddle for a 461-kilometre jaunt to take the mileage to a whopping 800 kilometres. Yamaha’s Xavier de Soultrait fared best on the biggest day so far of Dakar 2019.
Xavier de Soultrait – Stage P1 – Overall P6
“It feels great to get this stage win in the bag. We had some challenging navigation today and I’m glad I made no mistake. For me this was the first proper rally stage of this race. My plan going into this stage was to push and everything worked to my favour. I had a steady pace from start to finish and this helped me secure the win. I want to keep that same momentum throughout this first week of the race and then try to push harder whenever I get the chance to do so. Everything is going well for me so far, the bike is working great and I’ve had no crashes or mistakes.”
Xavier de Soultrait
It was Husqvarna’s Pablo Quintanilla, with a close runner-up result on the day’s timed special stage, that is now the rally’s provisional overall leader with three out of the 10 stages contested in Peru.
Putting his experience to good use, Pablo Quintanilla enjoyed a mistake free stage to cross the line with the second fastest time of the day. In a total time of more than four hours, Pablo was just 15 seconds slower than the stage winner. The Chilean rider now holds a very handy 11-minute lead at the top of the rally’s overall standings.
Pablo Quintanilla – Stage P2 – Overall P1
“The real Dakar has just started and I’m happy with where I’m at right now. Today we had a difficult stage. There was a lot of fog and in some parts you couldn’t see far ahead. If you tried to push, you ended up missing the right tracks. I took my time there and rode really carefully. At one crucial point in the mountains I made the right decision and gained some time to my rivals. Navigation today was really tricky. I’m having fun on my bike at the moment and I want to keep that same momentum going for the stages to come.”
Pablo Quintanilla
It was double congratulations for Kevin Benavides who was wished happy returns as he headed out from the San Juan de Marcona bivouac on his birthday this morning and again after an excellent stage performance by Argentinean rider when he arrived back. Monster Energy Honda Team’s Benavides had been in the running for the stage victory, but had to settle for third place on the day, 2’37 behind the stage winner. Benavides thus moved up the general rankings to find himself rubbing shoulders with rally’s top guns.
Kevin Benavides – Stage P3 – Overall P2
“Today was a very long day. I took advantage of having a good starting position to attack. I felt comfortable with the bike, I made some navigational mistakes but in the end it was a good day. I’m happy to climb some positions in the general and I’m gaining confidence every stage. It is not bad to move up to the second position of the general on my birthday.”
Kevin Benavides
Adrien Van Beveren managed to climb three spots in the provisional standings. Currently sitting 13 minutes behind the provisional overall leader and in fourth position, Adrien is looking ahead to the coming stages in the dunes of South America.
Adrien Van Beveren – Stage P4 – Overall P4
“I’m really satisfied with my performance today. The stage was hard and there was a lot of fog in the first part of it. At one point, we got stuck in the fog with a few other riders, but I managed to find my way out of there pretty fast. Going into the second part of the stage in the dunes I was planning to push more to make some time, but a small issue with my clutch didn’t let me ride the way I would have wanted to. The Dakar is a huge adventure and I’m glad I found my way out of this small issue and managed to post a decent time on the stage. All members of our team are giving their best and now our eyes are set on the marathon stage that starts tomorrow.”
Adrien Van Beveren
The sixth rider to enter the timed special, Sam Sunderland had a solid start to the day, riding consistently and navigating well. After clearing the fog-covered mountain section the Brit was able to push on a little harder to complete the day in fifth – one place up from his start position.
Sam Sunderland – Stage P5 – Overall P3
“It was a really tricky stage, there was a lot of fog on the top of one of the mountains and that made riding and navigation tough. The only thing you could do was ease down on your pace a little and take a lot of care. At one point visibility was down to just a few metres. The road book had a lot of long notes that weren’t as clear as they could have been and I think a few people struggled with that. As the day went on the riders grouped up and that is always a bit unpredictable because you don’t know what the other guys are going to do. This is the Dakar though, we know it’s difficult and we know we’ll have stages like this. It’s still early days so we’ll see what tomorrow brings.”
Sam Sunderland
Again opting to prioritise bringing his KTM 450 Rally home safely, rather than pushing and risking a mistake, Toby Price placed ninth at the end of the stage. Continuing to ride at a good and consistent pace, the Australian now sits fifth overall in the provisional overall standings, just three minutes down on Sunderland.
Toby Price – Stage P9 – Overall P5
“I think it was more about survival than racing today. It was a really tough stage but I got through it and I’m feeling good and that’s what matters. I got lost early on and that cost me some time to the front runners. Then at about the 130-kilometre mark there was a lot of fog in the mountains. The road book didn’t have too many details and there were a few cliffs you could have dropped off. Luckily, I missed them. I’m still trying to hang on and get to the end of each stage but overall things are good.”
Toby Price
It proved to be a tough physical test for Paulo Gonçalves who held a swift pace to place a fine sixth on the day.
Paulo Goncalves – Stage P6 – Overall P9
“Today was quite long stage, quite similar to yesterday’s with lots of sand and many dunes. I have felt very comfortable and with a lot more confidence. I was able to push with a good pace, but it was a pity about an error just before the refueling that made me lose more than 10 minutes, but the important thing is that I was able to finish. I have good feelings, tomorrow the marathon starts and I want to do well.”
Paulo Goncalves
Ricky Brabec suffered the setback of being forced to open the track which led to a twelfth place finish.
Ricky Brabec – Stage P13 – Overall P7
“The stage was tough. There was a lot of sand dunes and a lot of navigation. I ended up opening a lot of the stage. There was a lot of fog there. Joan went down a ravine or the wrong side of the mountain or something. I really had to go slow there. At kilometre 178 there was a really difficult waypoint which was not where it was shown in the roadbook. I spent fifteen minutes looking around for the way point and rode around for 30 kilometres. It was a bad day. We’ll have to make it up. But for me, in my mind, it’s going to be tough.”
Ricky Brabec
Opening a stage is always tricky and Stage Two winner Matthias Walkner had that honour on stage three, entering the timed special at just after 6am on Wednesday morning. Riding well for the first part of the route, a crash ended up costing the Austrian some time. Despite navigation proving to be the toughest yet in this year’s event, Walkner regained his composure to place 15th on the day and now lies eighth overall.
Matthias Walkner – Stage P15 – Overall P8
“Things were pretty hard for me today. I opened the stage but only for the first 60 kilometres or so because I had a crash going over one of the drops. After that I couldn’t find my rhythm so well again. It was really foggy and normally you would have to stop in those conditions. All you could do is drop your speed and take things really carefully. I picked up the pace later on in the stage but lost some time on the leaders. It’s only day three though and we have many kilometres left to race.”
Matthias Walkner
Rodney Faggotter suffered a technical issue after the last waypoint and the experienced Aussie could not finish the stage.
Stage four of the 2019 Dakar Rally marks the first half of the marathon stage. Riders will leave Arequipa and head for the temporary bivouac in Moquegua where they will receive no outside assistance from their teams. The 511-kilometre stage includes a gruelling 405-kilometre timed special – the longest of the rally.
2019 Dakar Rally Provisional Results Stage Three
DE SOULTRAIT Xavier 18 FRA Yamaha 04:07’42
QUINTANILLA Pablo 6 CHI Husqvarna +00’15
BENAVIDES Kevin 47 ARG Honda +02’37
VAN BEVEREN Adrien 4 FRA Yamaha +06’42
SUNDERLAND Sam 14 GBR KTM +08’26
GONCALVES Paulo 2 POR Honda +09’31
SVITKO Stefan 11 SLO KTM +10’50
MENA Oriol 7 SPA Hero +11’15
PRICE Toby 3 AUS KTM +14’16
METGE Michael 16 FRA Sherco +14’45
SANTOLINO Lorenzo SPA Sherco+14’59
SHORT Andrew 29 USA Husqvarna +15’10
BRABEC Ricky 15 USA Honda +20’01
2019 Dakar Rally Outright Standings after Stage Three
QUINTANILLA Pablo CHI Rockstar Factory Husqvarna 08:34’28
BENAVIDES Kevin ARG Monster Energy Honda +11’23
SUNDERLAND Sam GBR Red Bull KTM Factory +12’12
VAN BEVEREN Adrien FRA Yamaha Official Rally +13’29
PRICE Toby AUS Red Bull KTM Factory +15’17
DE SOULTRAIT Xavier FRA Yamaha Official Rally +16’52
BRABEC Ricky USA Monster Energy Honda +18’02
WALKNER Matthias AUT Red Bull KTM Factory +21’14
GONCALVES Paulo POR Monster Energy Honda +25’11
SHORT Andrew USA Rockstar Husqvarna Factory +29’15
There are no details further available from Indian Motorcycle, so we can only speculate about the new models.
Renegade name
A Renegade is “a person who deserts and betrays an organisation, country, or set of principles”, so it could be a whole new model.
Jeep has a Renegade model, so maybe the Indian Renegade will have similar all-road capabilities like a trendy scrambler.
Or perhaps it’s a smaller capacity bike for young rebels.
That would fit into our Learner-Approved Motorcycle Scheme (LAMS) and be a huge leg up for Indian Motorcycle Australia as the learner sector continues to thrive in a slow market.
However, they already have the base model, S and S Race-Replica.
This week Indian Motorcycle announced a $1000 increase in price on the S race replica which now includes the titanium Akrapovic exhaust as standard.
FTR 1200 S Race Replica with Akrapovic exhaust and the former standard pipe
Ride away prices for the FTR 1200 are now:
FTR 1200 (Thunder Black) from $19,995;
FTR 1200 S (Indian Motorcycle Red over Steel Gray, Titanium Metallic over Thunder Black Pearl) from $22,995;
FTR 1200 S Race-Replica from $24,995.
Raven name
Meanwhile, we believe the Raven could be a blacked version of the FTR 1200.
Indian already uses “Dark Horse” for blacked-out versions of their Chief, Springfield and Roadmaster models.
2018 Indian Springfield Dark Horse
However, Raven could be a useful name to differentiate blacked-out versions of their FTR 1200 street tracker and Scout models from their cruisers/tourers.
Either way, it looks like being another big year for Indian Motorcycle which last year recorded 8.7% sales growth.
This was the highest growth rate of any motorcycle companies in Australia and one of only three to record any growth.
Australian Yamalube Yamaha Rally pilot forced to accept DNF in 2019 edition.
Image: Supplied.
A technical issue on just the third stage of the 2019 Dakar Rally has resulted in a premature end to Rodney Faggotter’s campaign, forcing him to withdraw from the remainder of the event.
It’s understood the Australian suffered a problem in the dying stages of day after the last waypoint, leaving the experienced Yamalube Yamaha Rally rider with no chance of finishing the stage.
Ranked 16th in the 2018 edition, Faggotter was sitting a comfortable 28th in the overall classification at the conclusion of day two, with his assault all going to plan at that stage of the prestigious off-road race.
Fellow Australian and former Dakar victor Toby Price (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) sits fifth in the standings, as compatriots Ben Young (KTM) and James Ferguson (KTM) sit 84th and 107th – to duo both challenging the Dakar Rally for the very first time.
Price retains top five overall placing with ninth on third day.
Image: Supplied.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Pablo Quintanilla has promoted himself to P1 in the overall classification of the 2019 Dakar Rally, while Yamalube Yamaha Rally’s Xavier de Soultrait earned top honours on day three of the event.
De Soultrait navigated his way through the difficult 331-kilometre timed special with a time of 4h7m42s, narrowly edging out newly-appointed leader Quintanilla by a slender 15 seconds.
Kevin Benavides (Monster Energy Honda Team) was third in the stage, followed by Adrien van Beveren (Yamalube Yamaha Rally) and Sam Sunderland (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), as Australian Toby Price (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) wound up in ninth.
The running order now sees Quintanilla lead with an 11m23s advantage ahead of Benavides, Sunderland, van Beveren and Price, with reigning champion Matthias Walkner (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) demoted to eighth after a challenging outing.
Monster Energy Honda Team rider Joan Barreda was forced out for the second year in a row, leading into stage three but exiting altogether following a crash at the 143-kilometre mark. He was eventually evacuated by helicopter to safety.
Aussie contender Rodney Faggotter (Yamalube Yamaha Racing) was also forced to exit the rally when he ran into technical issues during the stage, while compatriot Ben Young (KTM) made significant gains, finishing 59th on the day, bumping him to 84th in the classification. Fellow Australian James Ferguson (KTM) was 106th fastest, placing him 107th overall.
Stage four of the 2019 Dakar Rally marks the first half of the marathon stage. Riders will leave Arequipa and head for the temporary bivouac in Moquegua where they will receive no outside assistance from their teams. The 511-kilometre stage includes a gruelling 405-kilometre timed special – the longest of the rally.
There’s never been a better time to get your hands on Yamaha’s highly popular YZF-R3, or R3 as it’s more commonly known, with a $750 saving off the RRP price available in dealers until March 29, 2019, or while stock lasts.
Yamaha’s 2018 YZF-R3 and YZF-R3 SP are currently available with a saving of $750!
This deal is available on all colours and variants of 2018 and earlier model YZF-R3s, and you can register your interest on the Yamaha Motor Australia (YMA) website here (link). Otherwise head to your local Yamaha dealer!
2018 Yamaha YZF-R3
Powered by a 321cc parellel twin and boasting 42hp the Yamaha YZF-R3 offers a high performance, sportsbike inspired LAMS option, which is at home on the track as it is out commuting.
2018 Yamaha YZF-R3
Having claimed the top three positions in the Australian Supersport 300 championship last year, the YZF-R3 boasts the real race pedigree of Yamaha’s larger YZF models and is liquid-cooled, fuel injected and puts power down through a six-speed transmission
2018 Yamaha YZF-R3
The YZF-R3 promises a sporty ride while the long stroke nature of the engine provides reasonable torque down low, with Yamaha claiming a peak of 29Nm at 9000rpm, alongside 41mm KYB forks and a monoshock rear system, while tyres are 140/70 and 110/70-17.
The deal is valid while stocks last and until March 29, 2019, so don’t hang around if you’re interested!
2019 will see the introduction of the updated Yamaha YZF-R3, so don’t miss your chance to grab a run-out deal on the outgoing models. You can check out more info on the new model here: 2019 Yamaha YZF-R3 Updated | Style & Chassis
In 1967, a plumber doing renovations of an apartment building outside Chicago tore down a brick wall and found what would prove to be a baffling mystery to vintage motorcycle enthusiasts.
It was a one-of-a-kind motorcycle bearing 1917 plates and the name “Traub”.
The building’s elderly owner admitted that his son had stolen the bike before going off to WWI, never to return.
But where the bike came from and who made it remains unknown to this day.
Currently residing in the Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley, North Carolina, the Traub is considered by many to not only be the rarest motorcycle in their collection, but in the world.
Ekins was on set of the 1980 movie, The Blues Brothers, at the time.
The Traub was later sold to collector and restorer, Richard Morris, who then sold it to Wheels Through Time Museum curator, Dale Walksler, in 1990.
It has been on permanent display in the museum collection ever since.
Traub a regular rider
Dale on the Traub
Don’t think this unique motorcycle is merely a museum piece though. Dale rides the Traub fairly regularly.
When asked about the engine components, he enthusiastically replied: “Everything inside the engine is just magnificent. The pistons are handmade, and have gap-less cast iron rings, the engineering and machining being simply years ahead of their time.”
When comparing other top motorcycle makes and models of the era, the Traub has no equal.
“Comprised of a sand-cast, hand-built, 80 cubic-inch ‘side-valve’ engine, the machine has the ability to reach speeds in excess of 85mph (136km/h) with ease,” Dale says.
Aside from its few off-the-shelf components, the Traub has many unique handmade features. The three-speed transmission is thought to be one of the first of its kind and the rear brake, a dual-acting system that employs a single cam that is responsible for pushing an internal set of shoes, while pulling an external set, has never been seen on any other American motorcycle.
“For a machine to have such advanced features, unparalleled by other motorcycles of the same era, is truly outstanding,” Dale says.
“It’s my opinion that The Traub was an attempt at a new breed of motorcycle. But how on earth could a machine have been produced in such great form, with capabilities that far exceed that of any comparable machine, without the knowledge of the rest of the motorcycle industry during that time?”
Traub hunt
The hunt for the Traub’s elusive origin hasn’t stopped.
“While we may never know why the machine was placed behind that wall, we do hope to one day find out more about its history and the genius that created it,” Dale says.
Ducati finished 2018 with the highest number of safety recalls and starts 2019 with recalls for the Monster 821 (above), Monster 1200 and SuperSport.
We announced that these two Ducati recalls were coming last year. However, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has only now posted the official notice.
Their notice says there is “a potential problem with the gear shift lever due to an error in the manufacturing process”.
“The interference fit between the lever tip pin and the gear shift lever may not perform, in rare cases, may cause the pin to come out, increasing the risk of a crash,” the notice says.
“This may cause serious injury to riders and other road users.”
2019 Ducati SuperSport in Titanium Grey
Ducati recalls
Ducati Australia will contact owners to notify them of the recall and request them to contact their nearest authorised Ducati dealer to arrange an appointment.
We publish these notices in case owners have sold the bike privately and Ducati Australia is unaware of the current owners.
Authorised Ducati dealers will inspect the gear shift lever and if necessary, the component will be replaced free of charge.
To check if your bike is affected, click on the model below and check your Vehicle Identification Number:
Ducati had the most recalls of any manufacturer in 2018 with six, four of which were for the Panigale V4 in its first year of production.
Even though manufacturers and importers contact owners when a recall is issued, the bike may have been sold privately to a rider unknown to the company.
Therefore, Motorbike Writer publishes all motorcycle recalls as a service to all riders.
If you believe there is an endemic problem with your bike that should be recalled, contact the ACCC on 1300 302 502.
To check whether your motorcycle has been recalled, click on these sites:
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