Team “BMW Motorrad by speedbrain” returns home from the Oil Lybia Rally Maroc with a lot of valuable information. The team used the race as a test for the Dakar 2011, which starts on 1 January 2011 in Argentina.
Speedbrain will compete in the Dakar for the first time as a privateer team with financial support from BMW Motorrad. BMW-s G 450 X has been specifically modified for the purpose of such a rally event. The result is the BMW G 450 RR, which has been extensively tested past week in Morocco.
Riders Frans Verhoeven (NED), David Frétigné (FRA), Paulo Goncalves and Pedro Bianchi (both POR) tested several components successfully, among them most notably suspension, engine and peripheral parts. The next weeks will now be occupied by final preparations, before sending the bikes and equipment to Argentina in around four weeks.
It can certainly be said that the BMW G 450 RR showed its capabilities in Africa. “The final race result may not reflect the potential of the bike, but we-re capable of finishing top three and fight for stage wins under all conditions,” says team manager Wolfgang Fischer. “The performance of the different 450cc bikes is similar and the competition is really close.”
Unfortunately, there was a downer for the team also. David Frétigné crashed at the second day while trying to pass a slower quad in a dusty section. Frétigné injured a vertebra of his chest in the incident. Fischer adds: “Talking to the doctors, we are optimistic that David will be back in action at the Dakar. We do wish him a good and speedy recovery.”
Rally Oil Libya Maroc (450cc class)
1. Cyril Depres (FRA), KTM
2. Helder Rodgrigues (POR), Yamaha
3. Marc Coma (SPA), KTM
4. Jordi Viladoms (SPA), Yamaha
5. Frans Verhoeven (NED), BMW Motorrad by Speedbrain
6. Olivier Pain (FRA), Yamaha
7. Paulo Goncalves (POR), BMW Motorrad by Speedbrain
8. Marek Dabrowski (POL), KTM
9. Harite Gabari (MOR), Yamaha
10. Bianchi Prata (POR), BMW Motorrad by Speedbrain