In early October, the all-new Honda CRF450 Rally that will be used in the 2013 Dakar Rally got its first shakedown.
This was at the Morocco Rally, and during the event, Helder Rordrigues piloted the bike to two stage wins, though the team had some engine issues during the middle of the rally. The Morocco Rally was the first true test for the CRF450 Rally, which is based on the production CRF450X Enduro.
Joining the Portugal-native Rodrigues on the Honda team for the 2013 Dakar Rally will be 11-time Baja 1000 champion Johnny Campbell (USA), Felipe Zanol (Brazil), Sam Sunderland (United Kingdom) and Javier Pizzolito (Argentina).
During the Dakar, Honda will aim for its first rally victory with a model based on a commercial motorcycle. It’ll also be the first time in 21 years Honda has entered a factory bike in the world’s toughest rally.
In the video attached above, Honda reviews the CRF450 Rally’s performance at Morocco, and discusses the road to Dakar.
