The London to Dakar enduro rally will be open to motorcycles for the first time this year, and you can sign up now.
The 2022 Dakar Enduro Rally, organised by Bespoke Rallies, will take place this year from 9-28 November, and for the first time motorcycles will be eligible to compete.
In total, there will be three motorcycle classes: Up to 600cc, Over 600cc, and Pioneer. The first two are obviously quite self-explanatory, while Pioneer is exclusively for ex-Dakar bikes that raced in-or-before 1999.
Although it is described as “London to Dakar”, the 2022 Dakar Enduro Rally will begin in Jerez in Spain, home to the Circuito de Jerez and the MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix.
From there, the rally crosses the relatively small piece of ocean separating southern Spain from northwest Africa and takes participants through Morocco, the Moroccan Sahara, Marrakech (where there will also be a day off), along the North Atlantic, before finally arriving in the Senegalese capital city of Dakar.
There are two types of rallies which Bespoke Rallies organise: Touring, and Competition. The difference is fairly self-explanatory but it is worth pointing out that the Dakar Enduro Rally is a Competition event.
There is no doubt that this is a fantastic opportunity to follow some of the original routes of the famous Dakar rally, especially on a motorcycle, and even more so should you have a pre-1999 Dakar rally bike lying around.
But, to enter, you will also need some money lying around. £6,850 per person, to be precise, and this covers hotels, mechanical back-up, and shipment of your bike back home should you reach the finish in Dakar, the British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF) says.
Entries are currently open, but close on 31 October. Head over to the Bespoke Rallies website to find out more, including more detailed information of the itinerary.
