Ashish Raorane Becomes First Indian To Complete 2019 FIM Baja World Championship

The FIM Baja World Cup certainly had proud moments for India with privateer Ashish Raorane becoming the first Indian rider to complete the championship. The last and final round of the Baja World Cup took place in Hungary, which saw Ashish finish seventh at the end of the 550 km premier-class rally, while taking 12th place overall. What's even more interesting though is the fact that he missed the top 10 by just one point. That certainly is a big achievement for the privateer who was astride the KTM 450 motorcycle. Apart from Ashish, Bangalore-based rider Aishwarya Pissay also participated in the rally and was crowned the world champion in the women's category. Pissay finished 23rd overall.

Also Read: Aishwarya Pissay Becomes India's First-Ever FIM Bajas World Champion

The Hungarian Baja turned out to be most challenging for riders with bedrock, several triple cautions and high speeds. Ashish managed to secure his best-ever finish across the four rounds here, despite a last-minute schedule and an unfamiliar bike. Unlike the specially-prepped bike that he used for the previous Bajas, Ashish was using a nearly stock KTM 450 that was unfamiliar to the rider. "Despite my reservations, I found the bike to be top-notch, and it worked out well for me," he said.

The privateer completed the rally with a fantastic time even with the limitations, in 7hr 46m and 19s, without any penalties.  In the previous rounds, the marine engineer secured 22nd place in the opening round in Dubai, 8th place in Portugal, and 21st in Spain.

Having successfully completed the the Baja World Cup, the Pune-based rider is now looking forward to the PanAfrica Rally, which is considered as a stepping stone to Dakar. He also plans to participate in Africa Eco rally next year, which runs on the same route the original Dakar Rally did when it was held in the African continent.



from NDTV CarAndBike - Latest News

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Harley-Davidson Streetfighter Spotted In Flesh For The First Time

Image
Harley-Davidson unveiled a range of new motorcycles last year that included an adventure tourer, streetfighter and Custom range. This, along with the LiveWire electric motorcycle defines the new-age 21st century offerings from the manufacturer as it taps into newer markets and caters to an evolving customer base. Now, giving a glimpse of the new models out in the open, the new Harley-Davidson Streetfighter was spotted in the prototype version at what seems to be a trade show in the US, giving a good glimpse at motorcycle looks like in flesh. While board says 'Styling Prototype', the production-spec version of the Streetfighter is likely to stay identical to the model showcased here. In addition to the Streetfighter, the Pan America was also showcased at the same event. The production spec versions of both bikes could be unveiled at EICMA this year. Also Read: Harley-Davidson Livewire To Be Unveiled In India In August The Harley-Davidson Streetfighter is a completely new mot
Read more

Brixton 1200 To Rival Triumph Bonneville T120

Image
A 1200 cc modern classic with similar design lines as Triumph's iconic Bonneville series, has reportedly been cleared for production. The bike was showcased as a concept at last year's EICMA motorcycle show, and from the looks of it, this is a model developed in China with the Triumph Bonneville T120 in its sights. The Brixton brand though is part of Austria's KSR Group, which imports bikes from several Chinese manufacturers, including CF Moto. And while the new Bonneville rival will be manufactured in China, the design and engineering has been created at KSR's design centre in Krups, Austria. Also Read: Triumph Bonnville T120 First Ride Review The Brixton 1200 cc motorcycle has not been named yet, or a launch timeline announced So far, the company has not committed to a launch date yet, but says that it will eventually make it to production. And from the looks of it, that may well be sometime later this year, maybe even at the EICMA 2020 show in Milan, Italy, in
Read more

Zongshen Cyclone RX6 Based On Norton 650 Nearing Completion

Image
While there still doesn't seem to be a buyer for iconic British brand Norton Motorcycles which went into administration in January this year, the firm's 650 cc parallel-twin seems to be finding life in China. While Norton apparently sold off the engine rights of its 961 engine to China's Jinglang just before the brand went into administration, the deal for the 650 cc engine was finalized way back in 2017 with Chinese giant Zongshen. The 650 cc parallel-twin engine was due to be used in Norton's Atlas and Superlight models, but now it looks like that engine platform will make its debut in a Zongshen motorcycle, called the Cyclone R6. Also Read: How Much Is Norton Motorcycles Worth Now? One of the patent designs shows the Cyclone RX6 with full touring accessories and luggage Two prototypes fitted with the 650 cc parallel-twin engine were shown in China late last year, on the Zongshen Cyclone RX6 adventure bike and the RX6 sport tourer. Both bikes used Zongshen-made
Read more