TRAKKA*DAKAR. A heavy metal star built for dirty deeds...

Transcription

1 TRAKKA*DAKAR A heavy metal star built for dirty deeds...

2 It takes a special sort of man and machine to compete in the annual Dakar Rally. Billed as the world s ultimate off-road race, The Dakar is a torturous, high-speed event with classes for motorcycles, cars and trucks that pits entrants from around the world against the environment, each other and the clock. From humble beginnings in 1979, when the inaugural event ran from the French Capital of Paris to Dakar in Senegal, the race has grown in stature and reputation, but the route switched to South America in 2009 following terrorist threats in Mauritania.

3 Far from being the death knell many predicted, the Dakar s move to South America has re-energised the race. The next event starts in Lima, Peru, on 5 January 2013, crosses though Argentina and finishes in Santiago, Chile, on 20 January. Lining up for that race on his special KTM 450 Rally Replica motorcycle (one of only 50 made annually) will be Australian businessman and adventurer Mark Davidson. Supporting him will be his wife Jennifer and mechanic Max Sullivan plus a very special Trakka Jabiru 4x4 Remote.

4 The Trakka Connection Mark met Trakka s Dave Berry back in the mid 1980s when competing in the anything-goes Australian Safaris. Dave was fielding an early Toyota 4WD camper and the two struck up a friendship that has endured. When Mark needed a highly customised, tough 4WD motorhome for the toughest off-road race of all, he knew just the man and company to turn to. When approached, Dave listened intently to Mark s plans and requirements before turning the nuts-and-bolts planning over to Chris Fox, Trakka s RV Research and Development guru. After our initial discussions we did several concepts for

5 Mark and talked him though those to decide which was best, Chris said. Once he was happy with the concept it then took me about three weeks of fulltime 3D modelling to make up a working prototype on the computer. Following that it took just over four weeks to turn that prototype into reality. One key design criteria was for the Jabiru to be shipped with the bike inside, as a complete unit, and arranged

6 so that nothing could or would come loose or fall. Another was for the van to be 4X4, so we knew the Mercedes Benz Sprinter would work because we ve proven it in service with other Jabiru models. A real design challenge was the size of the motorbike. Ideally we wanted it to go in forwards because that s easier, but in reality the only way we could fit it in was to put in backwards, with the Jabiru s bed above the seat area. You ve also got to bear in mind this vehicle has a bathroom, plus a full kitchen and lounge/dinette, so there were some real design challenges! Chris explained. All motorhome designs are a compromise and in this particular design the bed area is where compromise is most evident. Designed to accommodate one person, it Not a square centimetre of this vehicle has been wasted, while much thought went into access and storage requirements.

7 runs the width of the Jabiru, making it 1.9 metres long by just 1 metre wide. Fortunately there s a high ceiling and big roof hatch above it, avoiding claustrophobia, although it s a fair way off the floor and getting in should prove interesting. This Jabiru has most of the features of our Remote Package, with diesel-fired hot water, heating and cooktop, plus the optional 170-litre long-range fuel tank. However, it doesn t have the 160-watt solar panel set-up that is usually a part of the Remote Package, as Mark didn t require them, Chris finished.

8 But wait, there s more... If designing a machine to take two people and a racing motorcycle across some of the most inhospitable terrain on Earth doesn t sound daunting enough, there was another major design criteria: The Jabiru must be capable of being converted to a normal motorhome when not in racing mode. Requiring about a day s work so it s no Oh let s go away for the night, Honey quick-fix, the Trakka Dakar is able to be transformed into a moreor-less standard Jabiru 4x4 Remote. This requires the removal of the rear bulkhead and sundry fixtures and the installation of a north/south bed. For those not contemplating a high-speed dash across arid and inhospitable foreign lands, Trakka s Jabiru 4x4 Remote is still a specialised off-the-beaten-track machine that s highly self-contained and capable, even in standard form. Built on a Mercedes Benz Sprinter and powered by a 140 kw / 400 Nm 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel driving a 5-speed auto-transmission, with selectable low range, it s a refined and formidable package imotorhome is looking forward to putting through its paces closer to home. In the mean time, to find out more visit or call 1800 TRAKKA.

9 M ark Davidson is a successful fifty-something entrepreneur and selfstyled adventurer in the great traditions of the British Boys Own magazines that enthralled generations from the late 19th century until the late 1960s. Mark has already competed in the 2010 and 2011 Dakar rallies, although he failed to finish, and rates them about the toughest thing a man can do. In 2010 he rode as a member of the GHR Honda team Too impersonal, Mark quipped and in 2011 he teamed up with an American friend who used an F450 as the support vehicle. Last year I met a wealthy German adventurer heir to a huge electrical company who has raced the Dakar, climbed Everest and trekked the Poles. He told me that if you can finish the Dakar on a motorcycle you can climb Mt Everest. I know, he said. I ve done both. Apparently, in the history of the race about 80 Australians have competed on motorcycles. Only 10 have finished. The race is run mid-summer because of the altitudes you encounter crossing the Andes. The course traverses mountain passes some 5000 meters high and in a single day you can experience temperatures from -5 to +50 degrees Celsius. On those days the challenge is to know what to wear. Also, the effects of altitude sickness are very real and take their toll. I ve experienced them first hand.

10 I realised that to give myself the best chance of success I need a campervantype support vehicle that can double as a mobile mechanical workshop and that s what I now have! Mark enthused. The plan is that Jennifer and Max will follow the rally during the day, providing support as required and (presumably) taking turns to sleep in the single bunk at the back, above the motorcycle storage/ workshop area. At night Max will use the Jabiru as a field service facility, working on the machine to prepare it while Mark sleeps (we re not sure what Jennifer s planning to do!). The Jabiru will be shipped to Peru on a RO-RO (Roll-On Roll-Off) cargo ship and from there the adventure begins. When asked about the likely budget for such an adventure Mark shrugged and said it didn t really bear thinking about. I guess the van is about $200,000 and the bike alone is $60,000, so there s an easy $300,000 involved in my next attempt. To give you an idea, the entry fee is 20,000 Euro (about $24,000): That s 4000 for the vehicle and 8000 each for Jenny and Max. The only good thing is I m not racing a car. They cost four times as much! Mark laughed. Mark wouldn t be drawn on the question of another attempt if 2013 is unsuccessful, but you get the feeling that s really a no-brainer. Why undertake a Boys Own adventure? Because it s there. Copyright 2012 imotorhome.com.au All rights reserved.