Brit-based BMW riders return to Dakar

British-based Nick Plumb and Simon Pavey will compete in the 7700-mile 2004 Telefonica-Dakar Rally, which begins on January 1 in France.

Both riders competed in the 2003 event on BMW F650 GS Dakar bikes, with Plumb the youngest-ever British rider to compete. He went on to finish in a creditable 65th place despite flipping his bike and almost breaking an ankle five days from the end.

The 25-year old said, ” I was really happy with my result last year. I knew it would be physically demanding, but had no idea of how mentally tiring it would be. We would ride for up to 17 hours a day, work on our bikes and be back in the saddle at 5am. ”

BMW Off-Road Skills Chief Instructor Simon Pavey is a Dakar veteran, and despite a forced retirement in the early stages of the 2003 event, he’s confident that new sponsorship and better preparation can lead to better results.

” Nick and I had to do all the work ourselves last year and we really struggled. This year we have a great team with a two-man support crew who will be in a four-wheel drive. ”

Team Dome BMW will again be riding BMW F650GS Dakars, and you can see exactly what goes into making these extreme machines in MCN, Tuesday December 30. The bikes have to be capable of climbing dunes as big as a 12-storey tower block, and coming down safely on the other side. They need to carry 51 litres of fuel in one main fuel tank and three auxiliary tanks, an electronic road book, survival kit, and still reach speeds of 90mph across the sand.

Find out more about the amazing Dakar machines in MCN, out Tuesday December 30. Non-UK residents can take out an E-Subscription to download a full copy of MCN each week by following the link on the right. Discuss this story on the MCN Off-Road message boards by following the appropriate link.