Yamaha Pulls Out of DAKAR and FIM Rally Series

Related:
Andrew Short
Dakar
TeamGreen
Profile picture for user TeamGreen
Posts
31900
Joined
11/25/2008
Location
Thru-out, CA US
TeamGreen 2/21/2022 8:12am
2/21/2022 8:12am
Where Andrews is "at" in life, he'd be the PERFECT fit for a Dakar Team's Testing/Back-up Rider/Water Carrier (It's a thing..."Water Carrier". Heck, even Johnny Campbell has done it AND Won a Stage while doing it...I think...?). Andrew is still blindingly FAST. And he's damn smart, too.

Also, as many already know...Andrew is an EXCELLENT test rider. He's done it at Honda -already- for the MX/SX team, not that long ago, if we all recall? In-fact, he left that gig to go race Rally for Rockstar Husqvarna. He had a hard time leaving Honda...he really loved the people he worked with.

In my mind, he BELONGS over at the Honda Rally Team in an official capacity.
1
dcg141
Profile picture for user dcg141
Posts
2196
Joined
11/30/2009
Location
MS US
dcg141 2/21/2022 8:42am
2/21/2022 8:42am
My understanding is that the reason to compete in Dakar and MotoGP are eastern markets. Those events are huge there and followed closely. Those are the worlds largest motorcycle markets also. But writing a check to unseat Honda and the KTM Group is a big one. Given Yamaha's success in MotoGP it does not really come as a surprise.

The Shop

See All »
mpy
Profile picture for user mpy
Posts
632
Joined
8/15/2006
Location
Here or there... FR
mpy 2/21/2022 8:49am
2/21/2022 8:49am
philG wrote:
This pretty much confirms what i said.. they arent selling what they race , so its a pointless exercise.
But why does it work for KTM (or does it)? For all manufacturers it's the same, they are all promoting their Adventure models by racing in the Dakar rally with a 450. They are selling Yamaha Tenere 700s, KTM Adventure 790/890/1290's or Honda Africa Twins. None of them do it to promote a rally equipped 450 (yes KTM sells something like that but the numbers are completely insignificant compared to the bigger bikes - only for hard core Dakar enthusiasts).

The current big adventure bikes are more like SUV's, and people love SUVs and also big adventure bikes like the BMW GS, KTM Adventure etc...

And is Formula 1, Nascar, MotoGP completely pointless too as they don't sell those vehicles either?

It's all just branding...
4
Shenzi
Profile picture for user Shenzi
Posts
2597
Joined
8/15/2006
Location
SWFL, FL US
Fantasy
617th
Shenzi 2/21/2022 8:53am
2/21/2022 8:53am
I wish Honda or Yamaha would release a production Dakar-like 450 or 500, something more off-road and much lighter than the Tenere 700 (or the fat Africa Twin) but still street-legal. The Honda 300 Rally is cool but shitty suspension and lame engine.
2
TeamGreen
Profile picture for user TeamGreen
Posts
31900
Joined
11/25/2008
Location
Thru-out, CA US
TeamGreen 2/21/2022 8:56am
2/21/2022 8:56am
Shenzi wrote:
I wish Honda or Yamaha would release a production Dakar-like 450 or 500, something more off-road and much lighter than the Tenere 700 (or the fat...
I wish Honda or Yamaha would release a production Dakar-like 450 or 500, something more off-road and much lighter than the Tenere 700 (or the fat Africa Twin) but still street-legal. The Honda 300 Rally is cool but shitty suspension and lame engine.
Yes!

CRF450 Rally!

It could be based on the L ...SO EASILY....
2
Shenzi
Profile picture for user Shenzi
Posts
2597
Joined
8/15/2006
Location
SWFL, FL US
Fantasy
617th
Shenzi 2/21/2022 8:58am
2/21/2022 8:58am
Shenzi wrote:
I wish Honda or Yamaha would release a production Dakar-like 450 or 500, something more off-road and much lighter than the Tenere 700 (or the fat...
I wish Honda or Yamaha would release a production Dakar-like 450 or 500, something more off-road and much lighter than the Tenere 700 (or the fat Africa Twin) but still street-legal. The Honda 300 Rally is cool but shitty suspension and lame engine.
TeamGreen wrote:
Yes!

CRF450 Rally!

It could be based on the L ...SO EASILY....
Exactly.
stantdm
Profile picture for user stantdm
Posts
442
Joined
7/17/2011
Location
Belle Fourche, SD US
stantdm 2/21/2022 12:42pm
2/21/2022 12:42pm
Regarding the comments on Short and where he is going to land. Andrew may have retired right after this last Dakar.
A reliable source says he is probably done. He said that right after the Dakar. No announcement has been made that I have seen but he has been at this and SX MX for a long time.
1
1
philG
Profile picture for user philG
Posts
10127
Joined
5/12/2012
Location
GB
philG 2/21/2022 1:33pm
2/21/2022 1:33pm
philG wrote:
This pretty much confirms what i said.. they arent selling what they race , so its a pointless exercise.
mpy wrote:
But why does it work for KTM (or does it)? For all manufacturers it's the same, they are all promoting their Adventure models by racing in...
But why does it work for KTM (or does it)? For all manufacturers it's the same, they are all promoting their Adventure models by racing in the Dakar rally with a 450. They are selling Yamaha Tenere 700s, KTM Adventure 790/890/1290's or Honda Africa Twins. None of them do it to promote a rally equipped 450 (yes KTM sells something like that but the numbers are completely insignificant compared to the bigger bikes - only for hard core Dakar enthusiasts).

The current big adventure bikes are more like SUV's, and people love SUVs and also big adventure bikes like the BMW GS, KTM Adventure etc...

And is Formula 1, Nascar, MotoGP completely pointless too as they don't sell those vehicles either?

It's all just branding...
Because KTM build and sell the Rallye bike, which privateers, in huge numbers, buy to do all sorts of events all over the world.. i think they are £25k to buy, at least.

And they are always sold out,

You cant buy the Yamaha, or the Honda , to race, so there is no payback on the R&D costs that they are incurring.

Yamaha made big efforts with the Tenere back in the day, and it paid off with sales, and KTM came in with their bikes and did the same,

Meanwhile Yamaha are having it away in the SXS market, cos old guys with $$ can justify one over a bike all day long.

It makes no sense to carry on when the branding win from MotoGP is worth a lot more than anything you can spend in the desert.
LungButter
Profile picture for user LungButter
Posts
7301
Joined
1/9/2016
Location
Yellow Pine, ID US
LungButter 2/21/2022 1:47pm
2/21/2022 1:47pm
philG wrote:
Because KTM build and sell the Rallye bike, which privateers, in huge numbers, buy to do all sorts of events all over the world.. i think...
Because KTM build and sell the Rallye bike, which privateers, in huge numbers, buy to do all sorts of events all over the world.. i think they are £25k to buy, at least.

And they are always sold out,

You cant buy the Yamaha, or the Honda , to race, so there is no payback on the R&D costs that they are incurring.

Yamaha made big efforts with the Tenere back in the day, and it paid off with sales, and KTM came in with their bikes and did the same,

Meanwhile Yamaha are having it away in the SXS market, cos old guys with $$ can justify one over a bike all day long.

It makes no sense to carry on when the branding win from MotoGP is worth a lot more than anything you can spend in the desert.
KTM only made 80 Rally Replicas to be sold this year, I wouldn't exactly call that "huge numbers".

Dakar is about branding, it's one of the most watched motorsports events in the world. None of the manufacturers are doing it to turn a profit selling a "rally bike". Hell, 99% of people who are into dirtbikes have no use for one.

I do think they should consider adding another bike class for Privateers/Amateurs where they can ride a bigger bore bike. This would give a good/reliable bike option for racers and give manufacturers a reason to put more budget into going to Dakar.

It'd be a shame if Honda pulled out as well, that's always kinda a rumor kicking around... not good for it to be just the KTM show....but let's not forget that Hero and Sherco are getting closer and closer to running up front. Ross Branch just signed with Hero and he's for sure go the speed to win stages and with a little luck could win/podium the event.

3
philG
Profile picture for user philG
Posts
10127
Joined
5/12/2012
Location
GB
philG 2/21/2022 2:40pm
2/21/2022 2:40pm
LungButter wrote:
KTM only made 80 Rally Replicas to be sold this year, I wouldn't exactly call that "huge numbers". Dakar is about branding, it's one of the...
KTM only made 80 Rally Replicas to be sold this year, I wouldn't exactly call that "huge numbers".

Dakar is about branding, it's one of the most watched motorsports events in the world. None of the manufacturers are doing it to turn a profit selling a "rally bike". Hell, 99% of people who are into dirtbikes have no use for one.

I do think they should consider adding another bike class for Privateers/Amateurs where they can ride a bigger bore bike. This would give a good/reliable bike option for racers and give manufacturers a reason to put more budget into going to Dakar.

It'd be a shame if Honda pulled out as well, that's always kinda a rumor kicking around... not good for it to be just the KTM show....but let's not forget that Hero and Sherco are getting closer and closer to running up front. Ross Branch just signed with Hero and he's for sure go the speed to win stages and with a little luck could win/podium the event.

They are £32,500 each, which is approximately, $45k... so that is $3.6m just for the bikes... then they will sell service packages and all sorts on top of that on rallies. plus spares etc etc , that is a lot of money,

And i bet its hardly any different from last year or the year before ..

So thats close to $10m over 3 years . plus all the other stuff.

Its a world of difference between ' doing something for a profit' and doing it with no notable return.


We used to get budget to run the Mitsubishi WRC program, off the sales of the Lancer Evo's , the Dakar bunch used to get money off the Shogun sales (although not as much) and it was worth doing.

You are dead on about classes, but i dont think that will happen, there are other rallies that run classes for the bigger bikes, but they dont get the kudos of the Dakar.

The fact is , Yamaha dont need it, cos if they did, they would still be doing it.

Dakar is a huge program, and the SXS money spend makes more sense.

1
dcg141
Profile picture for user dcg141
Posts
2196
Joined
11/30/2009
Location
MS US
dcg141 2/22/2022 11:18am
2/22/2022 11:18am
LungButter wrote:
KTM only made 80 Rally Replicas to be sold this year, I wouldn't exactly call that "huge numbers". Dakar is about branding, it's one of the...
KTM only made 80 Rally Replicas to be sold this year, I wouldn't exactly call that "huge numbers".

Dakar is about branding, it's one of the most watched motorsports events in the world. None of the manufacturers are doing it to turn a profit selling a "rally bike". Hell, 99% of people who are into dirtbikes have no use for one.

I do think they should consider adding another bike class for Privateers/Amateurs where they can ride a bigger bore bike. This would give a good/reliable bike option for racers and give manufacturers a reason to put more budget into going to Dakar.

It'd be a shame if Honda pulled out as well, that's always kinda a rumor kicking around... not good for it to be just the KTM show....but let's not forget that Hero and Sherco are getting closer and closer to running up front. Ross Branch just signed with Hero and he's for sure go the speed to win stages and with a little luck could win/podium the event.

Honda is way to invested in Dakar to pull out I would believe. Had they not won possibly but having won a couple I think they stay.
1
Mr. Robinson 2/22/2022 2:24pm
2/22/2022 2:24pm
What'd I tell ya?

"Finally, today we have new models that are selling to tens of thousands of copies and carrying the values of adventure and rally raid in their genes: the Tennere Rally and World raid editions, such as the YXZ1000R e t the future SSV T3/T4 we've been developing since 18 months. Thus, I have decided to suspend our official motorcycle commitment on the Dakar (which will not prevent Yamaha from being present with ambition in quad, SSV and T3 light Prototypes) categories and to allocate our budgets in favor of new programs more that will allow us to better connect our clients Tenerére and SSV to our programs."

Pit Row

See All »

Post a reply to: Yamaha Pulls Out of DAKAR and FIM Rally Series