Saturday 22 January 2011

Off-road motorcycles – the rallies

Before you could think that off-road bikes may look similar, but they don’t. It’s the same case in types of competition, so I will focus on my favourite type - The extreme enduro and cross-country.

Red Bull Romaniacs
Probably the toughest rally in the World is Red Bull Romaniacs. The Tournament is six days long and it takes place in Sibiu, in the heart of Transylvania (Romania). It starts in the city with the original prologue which includes very interesting obstacles (like tires, trees and jumps) and the spectators love it – especially when someone falls down J Next five days include very hard terrain which is almost impassable (only few competitors can do it) , so finish line is very good achievement. The best drivers from around the world take part in this rally and if they can they always come back next year, which proves that it’s very addictive.








http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PurCZCxbR8w

Erzbergrodeo
Very popular rally (1500 riders can take part in it, but 5 hours after opening the list it was full), maybea little bit less extreme than Romaniacs. It starts in Eisenerz (Austria). The main event is called Hare Scramble. It’s simply a massive hill to ride on. One mistake can be fatal and very painful. The master of this competition is the Pole Tadeusz ‘Taddy’ Blazusiak. He managed to win it four times in the row, which for one person is unbelievable and it’s an absolute record.
This clip says it all:








http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OjAR9FH9Ew

Dakar Rally
Originally it started in 1979. The starting point was in Paris and the finish line was in Dakar (Senegal). It is a very long off-road endurance race. Nowadays the route passes through the South America. It’s hard to say if it’s still the same rally like before, but people take part in it and it’s a very big media event. Now it has more varied types of terrain in one stage which can include an open desert, dunes, rocky-mountain roads, mud and so on. It’s quite popular in Poland because a lot of Polish drivers participate in it and we have a strong team sponsored by Orlen. The most popular driver is Krzysztof Holowczyc, who drives BMW X5. The future star, Kuba Przygonski had an accident two weeks before its beginning and he injured his wrist. Because of it he couldn’t take part in 2011 edition of The Dakar.
See the route of this year Dakar:

http://www.dakar.com/2011/DAK/img/parcours.gif
Questions:
Why do people take part in extreme enduro competitions?
Do you find it interesting? Why/why not?

9 comments:

  1. As with most extreme sports people searching for strong emotions are involved. I'm not a big fan of this kind of sport, but I like to watch the Red Bull X-Fighters show every year. It's unbelievable what people do with motorcycles.

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  2. In my opinion people take part in this kind of sport because they like adrenalin. Maybe they also want to win some awards or extra money or just be famous. I also like extreme sports like enduro or any other car racing. It is really cool.
    It is very interesting. You can meet very interesting people who has the same passion as you. You can also compete with them. If you like adrenaline this sport is for you.

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  3. I'm also very into motor sports. Maybe not exactly motorbikes, but I know the adrenaline rush that decent horse power gives you. I think people love it for this little thrill, it's something that is achievable only this one way. People also want to reach their limits, check if they are able to endure tough event, take some kind of adventure.

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  4. I love fast driving on a bicycle. Yes this is little another sport but I think there are similar feelings. But sport is as all hobby - I do it because I love it and feel it. In my opinion this is reason why they take part in extreme competitions.

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  5. Everyone has their own reasons for doing things, there is no pattern to explain people's preferences. If I have to think of some general reasons, in my opinion people take part in such competitions because they want to do something which differs from their everyday life, they want some extreme emotions which make them feel they live. Such activities make you tired in a nice way, they help you enjoy life and cope with routine. I am personally not interested in motorcycle rallies, I prefer other extreme activities such as attending free parties which I described in my presentation some time ago :)

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  6. In my view, people take part in extreme races because it gives them the adrenaline and the desire to compete. I was at the Red Bull X-Fighters in Poland, it was a great spectacle. Not interested in this sport but I think this is an interesting sport that gives a lot of emotion.

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  7. I think that people love competition and adrenaline and those are a reasons of doing extreme sports. I don't like motorcycles at all and that is the reason I'm not interested in such sport.

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  8. In my opinion people like this kind od sports for an adventure feeling.
    I can't imagine myself on a machine like that but I'd love to see one of those competitions someday.

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  9. I believe that this type of competition gives people a lot of adrenaline. obstacles facing them during the race are unpredictable and different for everyone. Only thanks to the skill you can win the race-ability to cope with adversity is a great gift.

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