2021 Dakar Rally Dates, Route And New Rules Announced

The Dakar Rally returns in 2021 and the organisers have now announced the dates, route and the new list of rules for the challenging motorsport event. The Dakar Rally heads back to Saudi Arabia for the second year in a row and will continue to be held within the country, as opposed to plans of expanding it to other Middle Eastern countries including Jordan, Egypt and the UAE. The 43rd edition will be held between January 3 to 15, 2021, and registrations for the Dakar will begin on June 15, 2020. Here's everything that's new for next year's Dakar Rally

Also Read: TVS' Adrien Metge Finishes 12th As Honda's Ricky Brabec Takes Dakar 2020 Title

bhvbriqs

The 2021 Dakar Rally will start and finish in Jeddah crossing through the desert and the Red Sea

Route

The 2021 Dakar Rally will take place in a loop course beginning and ending in Jeddah. Most of the towns and cities from this year will return on the route to host the bivouac. The 12-day rally will venture through the desert and the Red Sea, while the specials will see new routes altogether.

Improved Safety

The 2020 Dakar witnessed the death of two riders - Hero MotoSports' Paulo Goncalves who passed away during Stage 7 this year, while Edwin Straver lost his life after an incident a few days later. Safety has been taken far more seriously for the next season and the organisers have announced several initiatives to ensure participant safety. Taking a leaf from MotoGP, the Dakar Rally will now see airbag vests being made mandatory for all bike and quad riders. Furthermore, the road books will now give competitors aural warnings about 100-200 metres before they approach the Level 2 and 3 difficulty zones. The hazardous sectors have been categorised as 'slow zones' with the speed limit restricted at 90 kmph.

Also Read: Dakar 2020: Hero MotoSports' Rider Paulo Goncalves Dies After Fall In Stage 7

cf157ja4

Hero MotoSports rider Paulo Goncalves passed away during Stage 7 of the 2020 Dakar due to a fall

New Road Book Rules

The roadbook rules will see several changes next year with the big change being that the book will be handed over just 10 minutes before the start of the stage. The idea here is to level the playing field for all competitors, irrespective of their rallying experience. The 2020 Dakar Rally saw the organisers try this out and it is now being made a standard rule from 2021. In addition to this, the roadbook now goes digital in a big change over the current paper one and will not only be easier to read but more reliable as well.

Penalties and Tyre Management

The 2021 Dakar will invite time penalties that will be applied starting from the second piston change even if the engine remains the same. The riders will not be allowed anymore to work on their bikes at refuelling stations. With respect to tyres, competitors will have to be more careful as no tyres changes will be allowed in the car category during the marathon stage. Furthermore, each motorcycle will be granted a total of six rear tyres for the entire duration of the rally.

1tjb8pf4

The 2021 Dakar Rally limits tyres for cars and bikes, while there will be time penalties imposed starting from the second piston change

New Dakar Classic Category

Finally, the 2021 Dakar Rally will see the addition of a new Dakar Classic category. This is a new category developed for vehicles that participated in Dakar and other major rally-raids before 2000. The Dakar Classic will run in parallel to the main rally and aims to pay a tribute to the event's origins. It will certainly be a sight for all the fans to see some of the iconic machines back in action.



from 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