Big Bikes Can Fly!

KTM rally racer Marc Coma took to the air after winning his fifth Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. In the deserts of the UAE, Coma tried his hand at launching the 140kg 2011 KTM 450 Rally bike over the sand dunes with help from X-Games gold medal winner Ronnie Renner.

The two riders had some fun swapping between Coma’s rally bike and Renner’s freestyle motocrosser — a weird experience for both, with Coma making a 15 meter long, 6 meter high, jump on the usually terrestrially grounded rally bike. Photos after the jump.

“Normally, for us the important thing is keeping the bike in contact with the ground. The speed is what matters,” said Coma. “That’s why it’s not usual for Rally riders to be jumping these heights and distances. Compared to a Freestyle bike, my bike weighs about a dozen kilos more than this. The tank alone can hold 40 liters.”

“That was really an eye-opener!” exclaimed Renner. “I was able to take a spin on Marc’s bike and I’ve got to admit I must have looked pretty awful. The speed is incredible and the handling compared to a Freestyle bike is extremely hard. Taking this jump on a KTM Rally bike is phenomenal.”

Riding With Ronnie Renner In Turkey

We're not 100% sure what the aim of Ronnie Renner's Network A series 'Upside Down and Inside Out' is - apart from giving the FMX rider a jolly little holiday around the world. Still, we won't complain as Renner gets to do things that we we're unlikely to get the chance to do ourselves and this little rip around Turkey is well worth a watch, if only to soak up some of the natural beauty that Istanbul has to offer. We want to see a few more tricks next time, Ronnie. You may be having a lovely time but you've got an audience to please...

2013 Dakar Rally

We might all be super pumped for the Supercross race at Anaheim, but we're also excited for another event that kicks off in January - the 2013 Dakar Rally.

Once again racing over a punishing, 8000 kilometre off-road route through Peru, Argentina and Chile, competitors on Bikes, Quads, Cars and Trucks will have until the 20th January to traverse the three continents from Lima, capital city of Peru to Santiago, capital of Chile.

Four times winner Cryil Despres will once again be competing on his KTM 450 Rally Bike. If he crosses the line in first again, this will be the 12th consecutive win for a KTM bike. However, Honda will be returning to Dakar after a 23 year break, so it will be interesting to see how well its new bike debuts.

One four wheels, the Dakar Mini Countryman (driven by Stephane Peterhansel and Jean Paul Cottret) dominated the stages but will face new competition from the likes of the RaBe Range Rover Desert Warrior Evoque and rally legend Carlos Sainz competing in a custom made Qatar Red Bull Rally Buggy
The Argentineans and Yamaha completely dominated the Quad class, with Alejandro Patronelli winning almost every stage that brother Marcos didn't win. However, for 2013, only Marcos will be competing in 2013 so expect another whitewash from him this year!

For the Trucks, last year's winner Gerard de Rooy will be competing again in a 900 horespower Iveco Trakker, but will be facing competition from drivers in Renault, Mercedes, MAN, Tatra, MAZ, DAF and more.

We'll keep you posted once we find hear of some results!

MX REVIEW- PIRELLI CONTINUE OFF-ROAD DOMINATION WITH DOUBLE WORLD AND BRITISH TITLES PLUS WESTON BEACH RACE VICTORY

Pirelli took its World MX Championship tally to an incredible 58 titles as it won both MX1 and MX2 titles, whilst repeating the 'double' in the British series.

The dominant Italian marque also recently won the notoriously difficult Weston Beach Race to make 2012 a gold medal winning year.Earlier, KTM factory riders Antonio Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings powered to MX1 and MX2 FIM World MX Championships ahead of schedule at the penultimate round to give Pirelli their 57th and 58th World Titles.In a talent filled British Championship, HM Plant KTM UK pilots Kevin Strijbos and Elliott Banks Browne repeated the feat to make it a KTM-Pirelli double-double. In the Weston Beach Race, Herlings took on the dunes to take victory in front of 65,000 fans who braved the elements in this long standing endurance event. Ken De Dycker made it two Pirelli runners on the podium with a fine third place ‘on the beach’.The legendary Pirelli Scorpion MX tyres again took on and excelled in deep mud, energy sapping sand, loamy dirt and hard pack conditions around the World’s circuits to make this another year to remember for the Italian tyre giant.

Pirelli UK Racing Manager Jason Griffiths commented, “This really has been a fantastic year for Pirelli off-road with the company taking double top in both World and British Championships. Congratulations to Roger Magee and the team for clinching the British Championship double. Jeffrey Herlings first appearance at the Weston Beach Race was really the icing on the cake for Pirelli UK’s motocross schedule, with British fans able to witness his now legendary sand riding technique!”

More information regarding Pirelli’s entire range of off-road and road tyres can be found at Pirelli

What Time Is It ? 9 O'Clock Nac Time

This trick was first done by Travis Prastrana at X Games 2001. The rider lifts body of the seat and then hangs off the bars in the 9 O'Clock position. Riders can then progress this trick further, like chris Birch bellow making it a Crack Nac and for extra radness throw the bike into a massive whip and you ve got a flat liner dialed 

For extra radness throw the bike into a massive whip and you ve got a flat liner dialed