UPSHIFT 90 - FEBRUARY 2024

The most off road

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50 state street legal Off-road » efi with Twin injectors » Sachs zf forks with tool-less adjustability » Electric Starter » fold down mirrors » Dual Map Switch & traction control Easy Access Air Filter Box »

LOGO SHEET

DO HARD THINGS

SKYLER HOWES

What is the meaning of life anyway?

In my eyes, life is about having some type of responsibility, purpose, or motivation to be better each day and to leave some of that behind for the next person. Most of our fervor and drive comes from adversity, which I believe is the greatest teacher. I had to overcome some serious adversity in my pursuit of my dream to become a factory-sponsored dirt bike racer.

The term “darkest before the dawn” was a tough one for me to grasp because it felt like I was stuck in the dark for a long time. Yet, the sun will always rise. It may not be in the exact way you hoped it would, but it will always rise. When I finally landed a spot on a factory rally team, I didn’t know how to think or feel. It was what I had dreamed of since I was a little kid, yet I kept wondering when the heavens would open, and all the weight would be off of my shoulders.

This is when I learned that no matter the goal, there will always be a new one to replace the accomplished goal. The hard work I was doing before just turned into a different kind of hard work, and the old stress turned into new stress and the cycle continues. Adversity is necessary in life. Without it I don’t think you could have any type of responsibility. Yes, you might have to work harder than the next person, and it might take you 10 years longer to achieve something you dream of, but none of that struggle should stop you from doing the hard things.

The hardest stages of the Dakar are the ones that give me the greatest sense of satisfaction. The tighter the race and higher the level of competition are what make a good result so much sweeter. Think about it this way… if you showed up to a race with four other pros and you won by 20 minutes, that’s an easy win. If you show up to another race with 35 pros and had intense battles and swapped the lead nine times and barely won with seconds to spare, how much more exciting is that? Which race made more of an impact in your life, and is the one you will tell your buddies about? The easy win, or the hard-fought win?

The hard things are what make the end result so much more rewarding. If you end up getting beat, or not finishing, or getting smacked down, that hard thing just taught you an invaluable lesson on what you need to work on to become better. If you can refine your craft to come back and conquer those challenges later, you just gained the biggest lesson in life. Be a better you.

This is your reminder to do hard things.

ADVOCACY

ADVOCACY AWARENESS NATURAL ASSET COMPANIES

Public Land Owners (that means YOU as a US citizen) just dodged a very significant threat to the lands in which we all love to recreate.

Normally, when we talk about land-use or motorcycle advocacy, we’re talking about protecting existing motorcycle riding opportunities or working to develop new ones. Yet this threat was much larger than an attack on our motorized recreation opportunities. This threat had real potential to impact every single user that accessed public lands or National Parks for any purpose. Off-roading, motorcycling, camping, mountain-biking, hiking, hunting and fishing – I’ll say it again. Every Single User would have been impacted had this threat been codified into law.

In September of 2023, the New York Stock Exchange filed a proposed rule with the Securities and Exchange Commission to create something called a Natural Asset Company or NAC. This proposal was found on page 68,811 of the federal register for 2023, so it’s no surprise that so many public land owners had no idea this proposed rule was even introduced. A NAC would essentially function as an “investment vehicle” that would allow the SEC to sell off the rights to ecological areas such as public land and National Parks, where the NAC would get to manage these lands and the rights (mineral, surface, water) to said lands. The NYSE stated that the mission of a NAC is to increase the capture of natural value and improve Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) scores. But the real world impact was essentially that Zion, the Grand Canyon, or your favorite trail system on Forest Service or BLM land was potentially now for sale or subject to privatization.

Thankfully, on January 18th, 2024 the SEC announced that it was withdrawing the proposed rule that would create NACs.

The takeaway here is that threats to our public land can come from anywhere. Defending trails against well capitalized user groups that want to turn the world into wilderness is one thing, but even these well-funded wilderness-wanters don’t even move the needle compared to the potential power of Wall Street. Our best defense is to stay involved and stay vigilant. I’m not saying that you need to read the federal register to keep tabs on what’s being proposed, but there is no excuse not to be a member of an organization like the Blue Ribbon Coalition (BRC) and your state and local advocacy organizations. These organizations are going to be your best source of information for attacks on our recreation opportunities in the future.

Commenting on proposals is the most effective way to defend what you care about, and many organizations like the BRC make submitting effective comments very easy. If you don’t take the time to comment and get involved in the process, you have no right to complain about the outcome – so get involved. Five minutes spent making a comment can make all the difference.

By Chad de Alva

YOSHIMURA INTRODUCES 2024 HONDA TRANSALP FENDER ELIMINATOR KIT

The Honda Transalp is here and it’s set to be a popular adventure bike for Honda. Keep those lines looking correct with our custom designed Fender Eliminator Kit for the Transalp. Often copied – never duplicated, our Fender Eliminator Kit is the perfect addition to cleaning up the lines on Honda’s newest adventure machine.

This new kit incorporates Shrink Solder Connectors, new and improved weather tight light housing, and brighter DOT compliant LED license plate light. Price: $145.00. Available at the UPSHIFT STORE.

•New improved D.O.T. compliant L.E.D. light and housing

•New easy to use Heat Shrink Solder Sleeve Butt Connectors

•Model specific precision laser-cut stainless steel bracket tucks discreetly under the tail section of the motorcycle

•Black anodized aluminum license plate frame with silk screened Yoshimura logo

•Compatible with Yoshimura or aftermarket turn signals when combined with Universal Turn Signal Bracket Kit (sold separately)

•Installation hardware and detailed instructions included

•Proudly designed and made in the USA!

ANTIGRAVITY - MICRO-START XP-1 - GEN 2

The Micro-Start XP-1 has an ALL NEW design! The second generation XP-1 is upgraded with super fast USB-C PD30w charging and other great features. The XP-1 was one of the first mini lithium jump-starters on the market and is considered the industry standard in its class. Price: $149.00. Available at the UPSHIFT STORE.

•Jump-Start cars, trucks, motorcycles, powersports vehicles, more

•Charge Phones, Tablets, Laptops and other USB devices (Apple or Windows)

•Type-C USB IN/OUT and Type A QC USB Out

•Type-C PD 30w Super Fast Charging (2 hr recharge)

•400A starting current / 2000A peak

•12,000 mAh capacity (44.4 Wh)

•LED Flashlight built-in

•Carry Case and Accessories included

Engineered for relentless use and abuse. Cutting edge materials, rider-driven innovation, and tough-as-nails construction carry you further into your adventure –where plans fail, bikes break, the weather turns, and eventually you’ll have to improvise. This is Adventure.

ADVENTURE IMPROVISE.

NEW YOSHIMURA - HONDA TRANSALP RS-12 SLIP-ON

Honda Transalp, the middle weight parallel twin that the adventure segment has been anticipating for a long time is finally here. Boasting Honda’s brand new 755cc unicam engine platform and handling prowess, the Transalp will be a mainstay in the adventure market for years to come.

Adding power and torque just where the new Honda wants it, the RS-12 ADV comes through with flying colors. Adding 2% max HP and 1.1% max torque across the power spectrum. We also decreased the amount of weight from the stock unit by 1.5 Lbs.

Available options for this RS-12 ADV Street Series slip-on are SA-19-K USFS spark arrestor and INS-31-K low volume insert. Price: $589.00. Available at the UPSHIFT STORE.

ACERBIS 20’/23’ HONDA AFRICA TWIN 1100L FUEL TANK

Are you in need of more fuel capacity for your 2020 - 2023 Honda Africa Twin CRF1100? Acerbis offers an option that will increase your volume by up to 1.6 gallons. This is not intended for the Adventure Sports models. Price: $459.00. Available at the UPSHIFT STORE.

•Increased tank 25L / 6.6 Gallons.

•Impact and abrasion-resistant.

•Lighter than the original in steel.

•Ideal for both tourism and competition.

•Designed to maintain a narrow profile to ensure an excellent fit.

•Compatible with tubular engine guards/fairings.

•Perfectly compatible with the original pump and level switch.

•Possibility to assemble Quick Fill cap.

•Included with the tank: Acerbis cap, Vent pipe, Assembly kit

MOTO SHINE MS1

THERE’S A NEW SCENT IN THE AIR

• Perfect, high-gloss shine

• Safe on all surface finishes

• Anti-static, dust repelling sheen

• Easy cleanup, mud releasing, protective film

• Fresh, scented formulation

YOUR FINISH

WIDE OPEN PHOTO: HONDA RACING SAUDI ARABIA

RICKY BRABEC 2024 DAKAR WINNER

ARABIA

PHOTO: HONDA RACING

PHOTO:

PHOTO: HONDA RACING

PHOTO: MARCIN KIN

PHOTO: RALLY ZONE

ARABIA

PHOTO: HONDA RACING

PHOTO: OLIVIER DE VAULX

PHOTO: OLIVIER DE VAULX

PHOTO: TIM BURKE

PHOTO: CHAD DE ALVA

PHOTO: OLIVIER DE VAULX

OPEN PHOTO: OLIVIER DE VAULX UTAH

PHOTO: CHAD DE ALVA

PHOTO: OLIVIER DE VAULX

PHOTO: ALEX PHOTO

PHOTO: OLIVIER DE VAULX

OPEN PHOTO: CHAD DE ALVA UTAH

GP RACING OIL

- GP Racing Spec is Yamalube’s race-inspired synthetic flagship oil for on and off-road high-performance racing applications

- Blended with advanced additives to increase engine power and enhance overall clutch/shifting performance

- High thermal resistance in extreme racing and other severe environments

- Modern balanced formulation designed to maximize the durability of today’s advanced high-performance engine parts

YZ®450F

SCAN ME

2024 DUCATI DesertX Rally

Since winning its first speed record in 1951, Ducati has always been about racing, to the point of dominating the modern MotoGP and relegating the Japanese teams to the rank of mere spectators. Therefore, it’s not a surprise that the Italians felt the need to upgrade the 2022 Desert X adventure motorcycle to a true racing horse. With premium components and a hefty price tag, the Desert X Rally could be branded as the desert’s Ferrari. Our first ride in Morocco confirmed the analogy, the new Desmodromic motorcycle displaying a perfect mix of luxury and performance.

WORDS: Olivier DE VAULX PHOTOS: ALEX PHOTO

2024 DUCATI DesertX Rally

Upon our late arrival in Marrakech, we discover the Ducati Desert X Rally, standing with pride inside the lobby of our hotel. If the engine is still the same, with a 937cc Desmodromic twin-cylinder claiming 110hp at 9,250rpm and 68 lb-ft. of torque at 6,500 rpm, other parts don’t leave any doubt about the aspirations of the new model: Apart from the more aggressive design of the graphic kit, the front suspension with Kashima coating on the outer tube screams racing, as well as the shock remote preload adjuster, the motocross-like front fender, and the Öhlins adjustable steering damper. The attention to detail doesn’t stop here, and the front suspension gets Kashima coating on the outer tube to maximize wear resistance, while the inner tube is DLC coated to reduce friction and corrosion. Looking closer, a lot of niceties flatter the eyes of the prospective rider, starting with the adjustable billet aluminum shifter and rear brake, the latter being able to turn 90 degrees to offer a tool-less height change. While still crouching to play with this smart brake pedal, the eyes will wander over the carbon fiber skid plate, or the tube-type wheels with Takasago Excel rims and carbon steel spokes. These wheels are lighter and stronger than the tubeless rims found on the Desert X and are welcome on this “racing” edition. While sitting on the exclusive rally seat and looking at the cockpit, the adjustable levers and the steering damper appear as the main differences, even though the handlebar is now held by a new clamp smartly designed as an accessory mounting desk. At first glance, this is it for the visible changes, but those who want even more glamour can opt for a long list of options: here come crash bars, street legal or racing Termignoni exhausts, smaller LED blinkers, and quick-release fuel tank cap, but it’s the slick fiberglass additional fuel tank fitted at the rear of the bike that would get our money. Bringing the fuel capacity to 7 gallons from 5 with the normal tank alone, it’s a game changer for those who like to explore off-the-beaten path in remote parts of the world.

2024 DUCATI DesertX Rally

The next morning, a line of brand new Ducati Desert X Rally awaits the group of international journalists invited to this intro. Pushing the red button awakens the Desmodromic engine, which quietly warms up in the brisk morning temperatures. The unique design of this big twin, with the front cylinder still lying horizontally in the chassis, helps get a perfect 50/50 weight distribution and a low center of gravity. Raising the bike from the kickstand is easy despite the 500 pound curb weight, proof that the Rally is not specifically top-heavy. Exiting Marrakech on pavement gives time to appreciate the clear display of the 5” TFT display and to play with the crisp quick-shifter. With pedestrians, mopeds, donkeys, and taxis sharing the road, the traffic is too unpredictable to keep the cruise control engaged, but the different street riding modes are easy enough to switch to. We didn’t have much use for the rain mode, but alternated between touring and sport, noticing much more responsiveness in the latter. The fairing is pretty quiet, with no buffeting to be noticed at moderate speed. At 5,000 rpm in 6th gear, the Rally only reaches 70mph, a relatively short gearing ratio that can be seen as a double-edged sword. On one hand, it costs a bit in terms of gas mileage but on the other, it allows the 937cc twin-cylinder to be responsive at very low rpm. At or above 2k rpm, any twist of the throttle is followed by a smooth acceleration. Once on backcountry roads, it’s tempting to unleash the 110 hp of the Italian engine but the speed limits in Morocco are way too low. However, there are enough switchbacks to test the handling in corners, where the 21” wheel is never pushing and the Rally proves to be neutral, which is crucial for an adventure bike designed to travel long distances.

2024 DUCATI DesertX Rally

2024 DUCATI DesertX Rally

It’s finally time to exit the pavement and seek some dust, following our guide Antoine Meo, Ducati test rider, five time enduro world champion, and factory rider in the Dakar Rally. The first miles on dirt, across small villages where we awake dogs and high-five kids on their way to school, are done with the sun in the face, at a relatively low speed. Bumps and ditches are difficult to see in this hard light, but the suspension absorbs anything in comfort without destabilizing the rider. As the trails change direction, we can finally see more of the double tracks in front of us. On a slippery terrain, where the hard-packed dirt is covered by gravel and rolling rocks, we could expect some loss of traction, but it never happened. Instead, it was easy to raise the pace, thanks to a perfectly natural standing position, with the tank easy to pinch between the knees, and the shoulders settling naturally above the handlebar. The selected Rally mode offers the opportunity to fine-tune the bike according to a rider’s style allowing ABS, Dynamic Throttle Control, Traction Control, Wheelie Control, and Engine Brake Control be adjusted separately. The Rally mode stays activated when shutting off the bike, which means that a long day on dirt will not require any manipulation of the dash. By default, this mode is tuned in the factory to accommodate the traction of the Pirelli Scorpion Rally with Traction Control in level 2. As a result, it is possible to use this powerful engine without much risk of unwillingly breaking the traction of the rear wheel, while allowing drifts under full throttle. With so much power available on demand, it’s important to have confidence-inspiring brakes. The Brembo front calipers are not brutal but do a good job of slowing down the bike, while the rear brake is on the soft side of things; at least there’s less risk of inadvertently locking the rear wheel. In the Enduro or Rally modes, the front ABS is also less prone to activate than on pavement, and we just forgot about it for the duration of the ride, which is the best compliment.

2024 DUCATI DesertX Rally

2024 DUCATI DesertX Rally

2024 DUCATI DesertX Rally

Unlike most adventure bikes that bottom out on big compressions, hitting obstacles with the Ducati Desert X Rally brings a smile to the rider’s face. Indeed, the Kayaba fork is so good that you never feel as much as you expected, which in turn pushes the rider to look for more technical sections. This extraordinary comfort doesn’t come as a surprise though: this is the first time that KYB is offering a closed-cartridge setup for a street bike, and we’re glad they did. Capable of preventing cavitation by pressuring the oil, the cartridge keeps the hydraulic characteristics constant during heavy abuse, like on the factory suspensions used by professional racers in motocross. The diameter of the fork, going up 2mm to reach 48mm, brings more volume and rigidity to absorb serious impacts. With a different offset on the new billet aluminum triple clamps and the bottom of the fork’s leg, the bike is longer by 17 mm compared to the normal Desert X. This adds stability, and riding off-camber in the rolling hills of the moon-like landscape of the Morocco desert, we found the front end to stay glued to the ground. Not even once did we lose the traction, despite the slippery nature of the terrain. That’s utterly impressive, and the new geometry is the key here. Antoine Meo confirms that the development team - which includes engineers from Ferrari Formula 1 - spent a lot of time tuning the chassis to offer the best compromise in terms of off-road capabilities without sacrificing the handling on the street. The performances of the front suspension are top-notch with the standard settings, but the most picky riders can rely on a set of traditional knobs, compression on top, and rebound on the bottom. On the second day, on rougher trails, some bigger holes taken at higher speeds put the chassis to the test. With its 0.75-inch travel increase and the augmented diameter of the piston, 6 mm bigger than the previous model and now set at a respectable 46mm, the rear shock keeps the bike composed. On some rare occurrences, it will still sit and bottom out where the fork just didn’t seem to break a sweat. It’s more a testament to the quality of the front suspension than an issue with the shock. Besides, we didn’t take the time to play with the different adjustments available, high and low-speed compression as well as preload via the remote adjuster, which could have diminished this rare tendency.

As the sun sets and we reach the camp for the night, the riders are covered in dust but don’t feel any fatigue. The Ducati Desert X Rally is an easy bike to ride, comfortable and predictable in every situation. Even though sitting around a bonfire and sharing delicious couscous under the starry night is always fun, everybody is mostly looking forward to riding more! The second day of riding is set in an open desert, with large tracks going up and down a vast plateau with camels in the distance. Rested after the quiet night in the desert, we keep the game up and ride at a faster pace around 65mph, trying to keep out of the dust of the other riders. The bike is stable in the rocks but still able to change lines on a dime, and most head-shakes are virtually eliminated by the 18-position Ohlins steering damper. At these speeds, it’s easy to hit an invisible bump and get off the ground. The bike loves to jump, with a perfect balance in the air and can handle some hard flat landings. Jumping from the top of a steep downhill, and despite the 280mm ground clearance, the skid plate still manages to hit the ground pretty hard. Upon inspection, there are no worrisome marks, proof that this carbon fiber protection belongs on this big bike. Our test ride didn’t include any dune riding, but we ventured on a sand-wash inside a small canyon. On this twisty track, it’s hard to take speed and float above the sand, but the perfect weight distribution and the great ergonomics make it easy to lean back and lift the front upon acceleration. Despite its weight, the Desert X rally seems to enjoy the sand… it’s best to keep a cool head though. With 500+ pounds wet, the bike’s momentum can come back and bite you in emergencies. A feeling confirmed by Antoine Meo: “I will race with this bike in 2024, but not in the open desert. This motorcycle is super fun and safe, but if you go wide open in the desert it’s easy to go too fast and ride over your head. I will race it in more technical events, where the suspension will make the difference, without having to take too many risks at high speed.”

2024 DUCATI DesertX Rally

2024 DUCATI DesertX Rally

With the Ducati Desert X Rally, the Italians went full-on into uncharted territory and put their reputation on the line. Claudio Domenicali, the CEO of Ducati, can rest and smile now, as his new bike is sitting at the very top of the charts in terms of all-terrain capabilities and overall performance. Competing directly with the KTM engineers, who after 19 Dakar rally victories are probably the most experienced off-road designers in the world, the Ducati boys took the fight without sparing any expenses and with a strategy of their own. Expensive, but not much more than the KTM 890 Adventure R Rally, the 2024 Desert X Rally is not an exclusive limited edition but a bike that you can order all year long. With a more conventional design than the KTM and a level of technology that is comparable, the two bikes are now alone in a world of their own, a virtual racing universe that didn’t exist before them and that redefines the concept of adventure bikes. Those who want to ride remote regions conventionally, mixing pavement and dirt with sightseeing, don’t need these top-of-the-line bikes. Why spend an extra 6k for a Rally version, going into a more expensive maintenance program for racing suspensions, if you’re traveling with panniers and camping gear? On the other hand, if traveling is not your thing but you like the idea of playing around with a powerful yet comfortable and stable bike, or if you see yourself competing in enduro events like Meo, who won the prologue of the Erzberg Rodeo with a stock Desert X Rally, this new Ducati should be on your shopping list. But will you be able to keep up with this level of performance? Go to www.ducati.com for more information.

2024 DUCATI DesertX Rally

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine

Ducati Testastretta 11°, L-Twin cylinders, Desmodromic valve-train, 4 valves per cylinder, liquid cooled

Displacement 937 cc (57.2 cu in)

Bore X Stroke 94 x 67.5 mm

Compression ratio 13.3:1

Power

110 hp (81 kW) @ 9,250 rpm

Torque 92 Nm (68 lb-ft, 9.4 kgm) @ 6,500 rpm

Fuel injection Bosch electronic fuel injection system, 53 mm throttle bodies with ride-by-wire system

Exhaust

Stainless steel muffler, catalytic converter and 2 lambda probes

Gearbox 6 speed with Ducati Quick Shift up/down

Primary drive Straight cut gears, ratio 1.85 : 1

Final drive Chain, front sprocket Z15, rear sprocket Z49

Clutch Slipper and self-servo wet multiplate clutch with hydraulic control

Frame

Tubular steel trellis frame

Front suspension KYB 48 mm upside-down fork, closed cartridge, compression and rebound adjustable, Kashima Coating on the outer tubes, DLC treatment on the inner tubes

Front wheel Spoked, 2.15’’x21’’

Front tire

Rear Suspension

Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR 90/90- 21 M

KYB monoshock, 46 mm piston, fully adjustable (high and low speed compression, rebound), remote preload adjustment, aluminum double-sided swingarm

Rear wheel Spoked, 4’’x18’’

Rear tire

Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR 150/70 R18

Wheel travel Front: 250 mm (9.8 in), Rear: 240 mm (9.4 in)

Front brake

2 x 320 mm aluminum flange semi-floating discs, Radial mount Brembo monobloc 4-pistons calipers, Bosch Cornering ABS

Rear brake 265 mm disc, Brembo floating 2 pistons caliper, Bosch Cornering ABS

Seat height 910 mm (35.8 in)

Ground clearance 280 mm (11 in)

Wheelbase 1,625 mm (64 in)

Fuel tank capacity 21 liters (5.54 US gal)

2024

DUCATI DesertX Rally

via the Adventure Country Track

Chantil and I were climbing through the thickness of an evergreen forest, with the satisfying sounds of the tractor-like single-cylinder Rotax engine pulling our BMW G650GS mules up the steep rocky path. The contrasts between the vibrant greens and yellows of the grassy landscape and the grey pebbled trail made finding our path easy as we continued our climb. Suddenly the landscape unfolded before our eyes as we crested through the forests – the countryside opened up to a panorama of lush fields, dotted with tiny trees, and the distant views of Lake Vidra in the background. This was off-road motorcycle heaven – a moment where one realizes that this is the reason for riding dual-sport or adventure motorcycles! We stopped to capture the moment, however, my Canon camera could never capture the feelings. Those will be cherished inside our memories for a lifetime.

We were nearing the end of an exciting and fulfilling 70-mile day of off-roading and we were searching for a place to make camp. As we rounded the rocky knoll, the spectacular scenery continued, but the road disappeared into the lush grass landscape of the surrounding saddle that sat between two rocky peaks. This would be a perfect place to set up camp for the night. As we kicked our side-stands down, we noticed a large flock of sheep that seemed to be heading our way. “I wonder if they will be coming towards us?” I asked Chantil.

“I certainly hope so. Wouldn’t that be cool?” she replied in her typical upbeat fashion. I was actually thinking the opposite – I certainly didn’t want a herd of sheep and sheep dogs parading through our little piece of paradise.

We unloaded the Ortlieb tail bag from my mule and went through the nightly task of removing our MotoTent, unfurling it, and setting it up. Once it was all staked down, we checked on the flock of sheep – sure enough they were heading this way. Instead of being annoyed, I picked up my camera and started capturing the experience. Chantil was right – it was actually really cool. The sheep continued through our campsite, ignoring us as they happily munched on the abundance of fresh grass. The handful of sheep dogs, in various breeds and colors, seemed curious but maintained a cautious distance from us and the tent. We exchanged a smile and a wave to the sheep herder who seemed to approve of us camping here for the night, as he continued pushing his flock up the hillside. As we sat down in our folding chairs, we took a moment to relish in the experience. This is exactly why we ride the backcountry roads of the Adventure Country Tracks!

Adventure Country Tracks Romania

The Adventure Country Tracks (ACT) are to Europe what the Backcountry Discovery Routes are to the United States. The ACT mission is to provide a network of off-road routes and tracks that are designed for larger adventure bikes all throughout Europe. Additionally, they ensure responsible riding practices so that offroad tracks will continue to be accessible to all for future generations. Currently there are seven ACTs that include Portugal, Romania, Italy, Greece, the United Kingdom, the Pyrenees Mountains, and Croatia. We had previously ridden the Portugal (UPSHIFT Issue 80), and Greece (UPSHIFT Issue 86) ACTs so the process of registering onto their website at www.adventurecountrytracks.com and downloading the Romania tracks into our Garmin GPS was pretty straightforward.

What to Expect

The Romania ACT is a 1,370 km (850 mile) track that consists of 45 percent off-road and is designed for any dual-sport or adventure-oriented motorcycle. The design team specifically created the ACT for the larger adventure motorcycle segment, so an experienced rider on a BMW R1300GS, with proper tires, should be able to ride all of it. For those looking to challenge themselves even more, there is a 22.5 km (14 mile) section of the Strategica which is rated as “expert”.

The ACT length is designed for five long days of hard riding with the longest day being 300 km (185 miles). We took 12 days due to our relaxed travel pace, two days to wait out a rainstorm, and one full day to explore the lovely town of Sighișoara. Accommodations are plentiful along the route as long as you plan on reaching a town before nightfall each evening. Don’t expect hotel like accommodations though – most were quaint and clean B&B style places within mountain villages. Expect to pay 115 to 160 Romanian Leu (25-35 USD) per night with breakfast sometimes being included. Romania is definitely a great place to ride if you’re on a budget. Wild camping options are also plentiful along the ACT, however it’s best to be bear conscious. Romania is one of the last countries in Europe that still has a large brown bear population and over 30 bear attacks per year. Keeping your food away from your campsite is the best practice – at least 80 meters (250 feet) is recommended. During our ACT experience we only saw bears along the popular Transalpina Road where tourists continue to foolishly feed them at rest stops and along the roadside.

While riding in Romania, expect the locals to speak Romanian, although many younger folks also speak English. In the larger cities, we had no problem getting by using English. In the smaller villages we used Google Translate and downloaded Romanian ahead of time – this made ordering food or finding grocery items much easier. Speaking of food, there are many great little family-style restaurants and bakeries along the ACT. We typically spent less than 65 Romanian Leu (14 USD) for two people with soft drinks, and always left satisfied with meals lovingly prepared from food sourced from the local community.

Of course, you’re going to have to fuel up during the trip and there are many gasoline stations conveniently marked as waypoints on the ACT GPS file. The price of gasoline is always fluctuating but expect it to be less than most of Europe. Currently it’s about 6.7 Romanian Leu per liter (5.60 USD/gallon).

That about covers it! Really all you need to enjoy ACT Romania is a motorcycle with at least 50/50 rated tires, your luggage with rain-gear and a change of clothes, some money for fuel, food, and accommodations, and the ACT route loaded into your smartphone or GPS. The rest will sort itself out.

Our Experience on the ACT

Although the ACT route is described as starting from the north in Bârsana Monastery and ending at the Transfăgărășan Road, it can be ridden from either direction. Just make sure you’re not following the GPS route so closely that you go the wrong way on a one-way street or the wrong direction around the numerous roundabouts – in Romania, as in most of Europe, you ride counter-clockwise.

Our perfect start to ACT Romania, began with a spirited ride along the famous Transfăgărășan Road. This road grew in fame when it was featured in an episode of Top Gear where Jeremy Clarkson exclaimed, “This is better than the Stelvio, this is the best road in the world!” It certainly was spectacular and was an excellent way to rub the sleepiness out of our morning eyes – no coffee required!

As enjoyable as the 90 kilometer (56 miles) stretch of the Transfăgărășan was, it didn’t compare to the next section of ACT – riding along the Strada Strategica. If you opt to ride the “expert” portion of the trail, you’ll enjoy a stretch of 45 kilometers (28 miles) of unpaved gravel and rocky trails that run through some of the most memorable scenery of the entire trip. It was a nice blend of riding through evergreen forests, past remote farms, and occasional wide-open fields where the stupendous views stretch in every direction. Strategica is stunning!

After the Strategica, you transition back to pavement mode where you’ll be carving around numerous curves and serpentine corners of the Transalpina Highway. This Latin named roadway means “the country beyond the mountains” and it cuts right through the Carpathian Mountains where it reaches its highest point at Urdele Pass at 2,145 meters (7,036 feet). The origins of the Transalpina started as a mountain path used by shepherds and it’s still common to find the roadway blocked by large flocks of sheep that cross this road daily. Take care when rolling on the throttle around blind corners.

As we continued north, we ran into some medium rain that lasted for two long days. We’re both equipped to ride through rain comfortably for a few hours, but that doesn’t mean we like it! Cold rain, especially, saps at our will to continue riding. By the early afternoon I was ready to book a B&B in the small town of Bucium where we waited for the rain to subside over the next two days.

With a new day promising sun and blue skies, our spirits were high once again – time to move onto some of the most beautiful and balanced section of on and off-road riding of the ACT. The highlands of Mărișel region included little villages, a river crossing, riding among free-roaming horses, and sharing our lunch with a couple of stray dogs. Before long we had reached the mystic region of Transylvania and the town of Sighisoara.

If you have the time, spending a full day in Sighosoara is definitely worth it. This UNESCO World Heritage Site was founded by German craftsman and merchants known as the Saxons of Transylvania. Walking among the cobblestoned streets, brightly colored medieval-era homes, and fortified towers was a highlight of the ACT. One can also visit the birthplace of Vlad Draculea, the ruler of the province of Walachia from 1456 to 1462, and the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Count Dracula.

The next couple of days were highlighted by riding a combination of well-maintained gravel roads and narrow twolane country roads. We would often come across locals that would return our enthusiastic smile and wave, but it was rare to come across other motorcycle travelers. When you fill your social media full of motorcycle travel related content, it’s easy to lose sight that not everyone in the world is riding an adventure motorcycle through the Romanian countryside! Throughout our 12 days on the ACT, we only came across a pair of German riders on their BMW R1200GSs. It was raining pretty hard when we passed them on the trail, which hampered any notion of stopping to chat. We waved each other by, like passing ships, content to continue onward in the drizzling rain.

On our final day of the ACT, we spent the early morning riding a fantastic section of tarmac that winds through the forests of the Maramureș Mountains, before reaching the “official beginning” of the route at Bârsana Monastery. As we swung down the side stands on our motorcycles and removed our helmets, we were struck by the beauty of the architecture and grounds of this historical site. This nunnery was re-established in 1993 with new buildings all made using the style and wooden construction of the original 18th century buildings. Walking among the well manicured grounds and summer flowers made us grateful for being able to witness such a fascinating place – the hushed reverence, wooden architecture, and summer sun all made for a stupendous ending to our travels on the ACT Romania.

Riding the entire length of the Adventure Country Track was a great start to our travels in this eastern European country, but we still hadn’t seen any vampires or werewolves! We entered the next waypoint into our GPS, plotted a route through a quiet country backroad, and motored away with the hopes of more of Romania to come. More adventure awaits…

About viajarMOTO

Travis and Chantil Gill started full-time motorcycle overlanding in early 2020 with the hopes of seeing and experiencing as many different countries and cultures as possible. You can follow them on social media and on their website at www.viajarMOTO.com.

BY CHAD DE ALVA

MOSKO MOTO MULE ADVENTURE ROLLER BAG

Adventure riding, dual sport riding, moto-trips where you’re going someplace to ride for a while, and fly-and-ride trips all have different gear requirements. Yet most moto gear haulers or gear bags are made for carrying what you need for an afternoon at the local track, so they’re not exactly the best tool for carrying the gear you need for other types of riding. The limitations of a moto gear bag have become very obvious to Pete Day, who has spent years of his life riding all over the world. Pete also happens to be the co-founder of Mosko Moto – a company that makes outstanding riding apparel and luggage systems. Like any other person with an insatiable desire to ride the world and a crack moto gear company at his disposal, Pete and the team at Mosko Moto set out to build the ultimate moto gear hauler that could be configured for hauling everything needed for an epic month-long moto safari, or pared down to carry everything you need for a rip in the backyard single track. What they came up with is called the Mule.

The Mule Gear Hauler is like any other Mosko Moto product in that a TON of thought and real-world testing went into its development. Pete’s goal was to create one gear bag to rule them all and do it all, and the Mule delivers. Other moto gear bags on the market are made for carrying what I’ll call standard moto kit: boots, some armor, riding apparel like pants, jersey, and gloves, a helmet, and if you’re lucky there are a few pockets for storing and organizing smaller pieces of kit. Yet as anyone who has ever used a regular moto gear bag knows, there is always an element of making things work.

Some pockets just don’t hold what you want them to, and/or other compartments don’t accommodate what you were hoping they would and so you have to compromise. Whenever you need to pack more gear than a regular moto bag can carry, you’re stuck dealing with multiple bags which can be a pain if airports or multimodal travel is involved. The Mule on the other hand, is far and above the most flexible, dynamic, and versatile gear bag I’ve ever used in that it can accommodate everything I need for an afternoon riding my local trails, to everything I would need to fly and ride anywhere on earth all in one gear hauler system.

The key to this versatility is that the Mule has two main portions that together create up to 200 liters of storage volume. The bottom portion has 110L of storage and the trolley chassis. The top portion attaches to the bottom portion when needed, and with its expansion zipper opened, provides an additional 90L of storage for a system total of 200L. On their own, each portion abides by the airlines’ 62 linear inches requirement and not having a second trolley chassis in the top portion saves seven pounds of weight, making respecting the 50 pound airline weight limit that much easier. Each portion can be divided into 1/3 and 2/3 volume, or left as a single cavernous storage compartment to better accommodate the gear you need to carry.

200 Liters of total storage is more than enough volume to lose small items, but Mosko’s well thought out organization provisions help prevent gear from getting lost in the Mule. A single pocket on the outside of the top portion is clutch place to quickly store small things, like those little, last second almost-forgot-it items. Inside the bottom portion, you’ll find mesh pockets on the inside of the lids of the 1/3 and 2/3 compartments, and I really appreciate these pockets as you can see what’s in them.

Further gear organization is handled by the optional internal organizer bags, which is a must have to get the most out of the Mule. This gets you five more bags perfectly sized to work with the Mule: a boot bag, a helmet bag, a large packing cube, and two small packing cubes. Each of these bags features mesh paneling so you can see what’s inside, and gear can dry out after a hard ride. The helmet bag is padded and holds moto and ADV style helmets without issue. The boot bag swallows up proper moto boots with ease and can pull double duty as a changing mat if needed. Both the large and small packing cubes can be expanded if needed to help you better dial in your kit. One final quality of life call out here is that the interior spaces of the Mule and the organizer bags (except the boot bag) are blue, which makes the inside of the bag much brighter than a bag with a black interior.

My approach to using the Mule is to use the bottom portion as my daily driver and the top portion to carry extra gear as needed when I’m kitting up for bigger trips. With the divider in place in the bottom portion, I use the smaller 1/3 compartment for storing the items I don’t need for every ride, but that I want to always have in my gear bag just in case. I use one of the small packing cubes to hold all of my gloves (warm and waterproof options), and the second small packing cube holds all the stuff that never quite fit right in the pockets of other gear bags; things like a bolt kit, a spare set of ear pro, a code reader and wake-up dongle, and some other odds and ends. In the 2/3 compartment, I keep the riding gear I need for the day. I’ve got a complete rain layer (Rak Jacket and pants) in the large packing cube, and I just toss in the other gear as needed. I’m generally a boots out of the bag kind of guy, but having the boot bag is nice for when everything has to get packed into one bag to prevent a gear explosion.

When I need to pack more gear, I’ll bust out the top portion of the Mule and fill it with the other kit I need to bring with me. With the volume expanded, the top portion can hold a fully kitted R40 and Wildcat pack, or an R80, or pretty much anything else I can think of – 90 liters is quite a bit of space. The top portion also has a 1/3 and 2/3 divider for both volumes, so the bag can be configured to carry and organize all sorts of gear. In the 47L configuration, the top portion of the Mule works great as your general use gear bag where you can stash all of your street clothes and other items you may need. The Mule Gear Hauler is very versatile – so make sure to spend some time getting to know how the Mule works in order to figure out how to most effectively employ it.

Using the bottom portion of the Mule as my daily driver gear bag is where I identified a potential opportunity for improvement. It would be awesome if there was a place to stow the straps on the bottom portion when they’re not in use. The bottom portion has a great system for protecting the buckles from damage when the straps are in use, but when you’re using the Mule for local rides, the straps are superfluous, and they’ll just flap about the place if you don’t buckle them.

Mosko Moto’s Mule Gear Hauler is truly the one gear hauler to rule them all. It is incredibly versatile, working equally well as a daily driver for local single track rips, or completely packed full with all of the kit you need to travel anywhere for any sort of ride. The optional gear organizer bags are a great add on as they’re a superior system to a bunch of random pockets for organization. Even with the optional organizers, the Mule costs less than two large trolley bags from other brands, and having one trolley bag is always easier to deal with than two when it comes to getting around the crowded and busy parts of the world. If you need THE gear hauler for any sort of riding, you need to check out the Mosko Moto Mule. For more information, visit Moskomoto.com

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MASON KLEIN

TALKING DAKAR 2024

Mason Klein is a rider on a quest. At only 22 years old, he’s experienced more in his short professional rally career than many nearly twice his age. His impressive rally-raid skills trajectory has been a steep upward trend, and his growth as a rider is eye-opening. After acquiring last-minute support from Chinese manufacturer Kove Moto, Klein headed to Saudi Arabia with his own Klein Off-Road Racing (KORR) Team. With minimal time on the new bike, he started strong with a third-place finish in stage one, only to withdraw due to mechanical issues. After returning from Saudi Arabia, we caught up with the native of Agua Dulce, California to ask about his Dakar experience and find out what’s next for one of rally raid racing’s future American stars.

WORDS: DALE SPANGLER | PHOTOS: ACTIONGRAPHERS

Upshift: You almost didn’t make it to Dakar in 2024. Thankfully, the Kove team and others stepped up to support your effort. How did it happen? And how did you bring it all together?

Mason Klein (MK): Well, I can tell you the part where I almost didn’t make it, first, that’s pretty important. Normally, when you do the Dakar, you should know at the beginning of the year that you’re going to race because it should take all year to prep and do it the right way. From the beginning to the middle of the year, I was ready, but in a way that didn’t involve paying again. I had a contract with KTM that basically would cover all the expenses of racing the Dakar, so I was ready to go. I was excited not to beg for money again, and everything looked good.

Then, in the middle of the year, I get a call, and I’m told they’re doing some budget cuts, and it’s nothing personal because I don’t even know the guys in Austria—the head guys. But anyway, they decided that Skyler and I were off the team.

So, yeah, I didn’t have a choice, but I’m pretty happy with the situation now, not being with them. I like the rally team, but now there’s more freedom. There’s not so much financial freedom, but anyway, so mid-season, I was looking for a ride. All the teams were full, there were no spots to join a factory team, and budgets were already used up.

So, I started looking for sponsors like crazy. I found a way to go, but it didn’t work out because of the natural disaster in Libya, and the company had this crazy thing happen. There was a big problem with all these units they made. They lost a lot of money. They got fined, like, millions of dollars. And that was also my budget for racing Dakar. It wasn’t a million-dollar budget, but whatever budget was set aside to help me race was now gone.

So now we’re two months from Dakar, and I have no money raised. It was pretty wild. I had pretty much given up, but my mom told me, ‘You’re not allowed to give up.’ I was so done. I was like, ‘It’s a bad idea. I’ve got to try to find a hundred thousand dollars.’ I was pretty sick of begging for money, and to beg is crazy because I can’t offer what I’d normally be able to offer someone who gives you money—like free stuff. But a really big group of people from all over the world came together, and we were able to work together, and somehow—through a miracle—we raised the money.

In the middle of this, I started talking to the Kove guys while trying to find money. The original plan was to race Malle Moto on a KTM. Then my mom said, ‘Well, if you want to win Dakar, it costs the same to race Malle Moto as it does to be on a team—minus the ten grand for your dad to show up.’ We decided it was only ten thousand more, so we had to try harder to find more money.

But then I realized if I don’t race Malle Moto, I need a place to sleep. I could sleep in a tent, but we’re trying to win. So, it was not just about a place to sleep—we had a motorhome—but we also needed a way to carry my eleven gear bags to put together the team parts and tools and all this crazy stuff. So now I’m flying to Dubai with eleven gear bags, and there’s a motorhome being prepped for my dad and two other mechanics. I say mechanics, but really, they’re our friends from racing—people we trust. I put together a team of people that I trusted to make sure my bike was 100% every day.

When we started talking to the Kove guys, I’ll be honest—they offered a lot of money. But I told them I wanted to win, so I said no. It was mid-year, and they said, ‘Here’s a bunch of money. All you have to do is show up, ride our bike—and if it breaks— you go home.’ And me—assuming that the Kove bike was going to break—I said no because I wanted to be there to win. I wanted to try to get some results, and if I’m going to do all this, I want to have a chance to do well.

We raised the money to go. We had a vehicle in Saudi Arabia packed with all the pasta you can ever eat (we didn’t finish it) and eleven gear bags packed to the max. Maximum weight, couldn’t load anymore. I think that was like $700. But I got $500 from my friend Nathan Rafferty from Ski Utah the day before. So that was pretty great with all the unexpected costs when everything is so last minute.

Then, I think two weeks before I got to Dubai, somehow, we came to an agreement with Kove where I wouldn’t be paid anything, and they’d bring me a bike, and they’d carry some parts. They didn’t take the parts—we carried them—and had to pay another ten thousand to another team to carry that for us.

So we’re in Dubai. We showed up, and they gave us a used bike. They said, ‘Make it ready for the Dakar.’ It’s pretty roached, but we’ll make it work. We started building the bike, went through every nut and bolt, and drilled all the titanium bolts because, in the rules, you have to safety tie a lot of things, like the brake pins, brake bolts, brake caliper bolts, engine mounts, and all this other stuff.

Then they’re like, ‘surprise! Here’s another motor and a frame.’ Start building a new one because that frame is going to start cracking at this many hours, which means it’s going to start cracking twice as fast with me on it. Turns out I’m riding the bike pretty hard compared to the other guys. The motor was insanely fast. Sixty-something horsepower, 65 or something, insanely fast but wouldn’t last more than 30 hours with their guys on it. I was like, ‘Good thing you found that out!’

Instead, they made a new motor and gave me that. I have a new frame and get to build the whole thing up—spend another week—and I’ve still never gotten to ride this new Kove. I’d only ridden the old version, the one that everybody has in America. We had two at my house from Gary Goodwin, who helped us make all this happen. He’s the Kove importer in the United States. I wanted to do it my way. Bring my mechanics. And he’s like, ‘Alright, we’ll give you the bike. Don’t worry about it. But you’re not going to get paid.’ It’s a pretty insane story, but it’s true. It happened.

So now we’re building this new bike. I got to ride the bike for maybe 30 minutes, including the ride on the highway to the test spot. I had to come back right away because, surprise, we had to load the bike up to go to Saudi because we were already super late. Then, the bike gets stuck at the Saudi border for a week. Some videos had come out, and some people noticed I didn’t even have gloves on. Everybody was like, ‘Oh, you’re faking the video, saying how fast the bike is, look at him, he’s not even wearing gloves—it’s not real!’ The truth is that was the first time I’d ridden the bike, and that was my actual, genuine impression. Like, ‘Oh my gosh, this bike is insane!’

Upshift: It sounds chaotic. How was the transition to the Kove? Did it take you long to adapt?

MK: Adapt, no. It was super easy. I feel comfortable on the Kove. I will say the bike works amazingly. This guy, Brandon Peterson, who works at AHM Factory Services and does suspension, we begged him and Colton Udall to convince him to let me get some suspension for Dakar because I needed to start using Showa. Kove didn’t want me to use WP, which stinks because we’ve used WP our whole lives. I’ve always been on a KTM, so now I just had to restart completely.

So Brandon took the suspension off his Honda 450 and said, ‘Alright, you can borrow this and bring it back. Don’t worry, I’ll get it perfect first try.’ And it was basically perfect on the first try. But the thing about rally compared to Baja, which he usually does suspension for, and other off-road racing, is we don’t have as many big giant whoops. My bike, the rear fuel tank, there’s a lot of gas—like four gallons or more—and sloshes like crazy.

We figured out the bike doesn’t bounce much if we have stiff springs with almost no rebound and stiff valving compression. It’s almost perfect. We had two weeks to test, and in the end, I just took all the rebound out so the bike didn’t bounce. That’s the main moral of the story. The bike would pack over the bumps, but it meant it would stay straight and was pretty perfect. We put a long swing arm on it, put the Showa forks on it—a Honda front end—and got some brake rotors from Technical Touch because everything is different. We had some wheels made by Dubya USA. That was another unexpected expense—like five thousand bucks in wheels—but worth it. It’s important to have proper, safe wheels. So, thanks to Dubya for helping get them to Dubai. They built and sent them to me in a week. It was pretty crazy.

Upshift: It sounds like you got the bike dialed pretty quickly. That said, give us your overall take on your 2024 Dakar experience. Not being able to finish had to be tough, but it seems you were on the right track.

MK: Yeah, it was pretty awesome. One of my big things was I wanted to open stage one. And to do that, you have to go fast in the prologue, something I never do. Usually, my best finish is worse than 20th in a prologue at the Dakar. Somehow, I got 10th place, the last position to be allowed to pick where to go, and I was like, ‘I’m going first.’ No one will put their name in front of me anyway, so it doesn’t matter where I finished in the prologue as long as it was top 10. So I chose to go first and got to open stage one of the 2024 Dakar Rally. That was pretty epic. I only got a little lost, so that was even better. It was a pretty perfect stage one.

I want to say my favorite stage was probably the stage where I went to bed at 1:00 AM. I got to the finish of the Special at 10-something. Then we had to put a new motor in because of things that happened that day. You’re riding in the freezing cold. Then you get to the bivouac. It’s a marathon stage. You get to the bivouac, and your tent is zip-tied closed. You can’t get tools off your bike because your bike is locked up in Parc fermé, and you’re not allowed in there. So now it’s the coldest night of your life, looking for somewhere to sleep. I try to sleep in a truck. But that was freezing. And now it’s 1:00 AM.

I remember thinking, ‘Oh, yeah, I should probably set my alarm.’ Because if you’re late to your start time—I think by like 20 minutes or something—you’re disqualified from the Dakar. And we’d already gone through all this craziness, so I should probably make sure I wake up and not get kicked out for being late to my start time. I found a fire pit with some local guys. They had a plastic chair, and I just sat down in the chair—like almost in the fire—and these guys were talking but weren’t speaking English, so it wasn’t distracting.

A little while later, Štefan Svitko walks by me in all his gear. Usually, that’s not weird because I’m in my gear. So he’s all dressed to go, and I asked him, ‘Hey man, what time is it?’ And he said, ‘It’s like 4:30 AM.’ Well, my alarm should have gone off by now, but I left it in the truck by everybody else’s tents, and it’s just going off. I should have gotten up at 6:00 AM because I came in so late, but the team—my dad and everybody—went to the organization and got me repositioned.

So now I don’t get the benefit of starting late. I start up at the front again. I don’t get any sleep. I get there after thinking earlier, ‘I’ll start last, so I’ll have a good stage tomorrow,’ but nope, I started like 30th or something. Which meant I didn’t get to sleep in. My dad made me some food while they were doing the motor. We had some freeze-dried stuff. Breakfast was hot dogs.

Upshift: Is it typical for riders at the Dakar to be sleep-deprived and hungry all the time?

MK: Yeah, for sure. Especially when you do it the way I was. I wasn’t making it easy on myself by riding a bike that the testing was in Dubai for two weeks. I didn’t get to ride the bike because I was still building it. The only reason the guy who rode the same bike as me blew up was because I took the oil out of his motor on stage two. He let me have it. I didn’t think he would ride it right away and blow it up, but I guess he did.

My bike was leaking oil the whole time, and later in that stage, I found myself asking people for oil. The last fill-up was some twostroke premix oil. A guy and his family were sitting in the dunes, and I asked if they had engine oil, and he was like, ‘No, but I have this, and it’s better than nothing.’ I realized that was an excellent way to look at it, so we poured it in, and the bike blew up two kilometers from the finish and got pushed in by a quad. If I had just gotten to ride the bike before the Dakar, I probably would have already had these problems.

Upshift: You still got to go. You made it happen and stuck with it as long as possible.

MK: Yeah, that’s the main thing. You know what you’re signing up for. You know that you’re going to ride a new bike. I wouldn’t have ridden the Kove if I had to ride the Gen 1. I would have figured something out to ride, but they had this new bike, and I decided to go there and do the craziest thing possible: ride a new bike that no one’s ever ridden. And I’m pretty happy with the decision because I got to ride a lot longer than everybody else in those six stages.

And people go to Dakar for the crazy stories. And now I finally have some really crazy stories. Like, my fuel pump went out, and I had to move the fuel and I was going again in 10 minutes. I got to do a top end in the dunes, check the rings, and make sure they’re not stuck. Make sure I have compression. Go through the entire wiring harness. Break three motors, sleep by a fire at 1:00 AM—all this craziness. I did Dakar right, so there’s no reason to do that again. Eventually, we have to figure out how to be there to win the proper way.

Upshift: It’s your fourth year in the rally discipline since Sonora in 2020. Was that event what sparked your passion for rally racing?

MK: No. I was trying to learn how to do roadbooks three or four years before that. I guess the event that sparked my passion would be the KTM adventure ride in Park City, Utah. I saw a MotoMinded KTM 450 with the roadbook holder on it. And I was like, ‘All right, this is what I’m going to do.’ I told my parents the convincing factor was that we would go a lot slower than racing the Hare & Hounds or District 37 races because I get to read a book. So I started making my own roadbooks, and for my birthday one year, my parents got me a real roadbook holder.

I decided it would be much more fun if I weren’t the only one reading the road books, so I called Skyler [Howes] and said, ‘Hey, can I ride with you guys?’ They said, ‘Yes,’ but you must do this initiation thing, and I failed that. I couldn’t have done any worse. My dad was like, ‘Mason, you’re an idiot. We drove four hours to this spot to ride.’ It was fun, but I thought there was no way I’d get invited again. So the whole time, I was making roadbooks—on my own—and learned somehow.

Then Skyler, Ricky Brabec, and Kendall Norman said, ‘Mason, if you make us 400 kilometers of roadbook, you’re invited. But it has to be good!’ So I made it, sent it to them the next day—which is not normal—and they said, ‘You’re in!’ So I got a second chance, totally killed it, and here we are.

Upshift: What a great backstory. Back to the Sonora Rally: You finished 26th on your first try in 2020, then jumped to 5th the following year. That’s a significant improvement in one year. Is that what led to racing Dakar in 2022?

MK: I did a lot of work. But the work I did wasn’t in the gym or anything. I never felt like I was going faster because I was riding with Skyler and Ricky the whole time, and Andrew Short was there a lot of the time, too. You don’t have a choice. You have to be able to keep up. And I was making most of the training roadbooks, so I was learning to read a roadbook faster than most people.

I’m pretty confident that most people who race Dakar don’t know what the symbols mean. It’s kind of wild because the French guys are the ones who decide what the abbreviations are going to be; it’s all abbreviated French language. It’s something you learn if you go to a Scott Bright school because the first thing he teaches you is that you have to learn French because roadbooks are in French.

Upshift: All that studying has paid off because you have a reputation for being an excellent navigator.

MK: I think it’s pretty clear that if Toby Price came to Fox Raceway for the first time in his life—on his KTM rally bike—and I’m on my KTM 350 motocross bike, he would totally smoke me. I’m not the fastest guy out there, so the only way I can keep up is if I go the right way. I’m not the slowest guy there, but I’m definitely not the fastest. When I started learning to read roadbooks, I went in second or third gear with my dad into the mountains on a trail ride and tried to read the roadbook. That’s pretty much how I train. I don’t train going fast. I never go fast. I practice perfect navigation.

Upshift: What does it feel like to win a multi-stage rally like the Rally dos Sertões in Brazil that you won in 2023? Is that what drives you to continue your journey in rally racing?

MK: There were people there—it wasn’t like the world rallies—it was like 500 million spectators [Joking], everybody wanted a picture. And it was like, ‘Wow, you won!’ Probably the best part is going home with the trophies. Everything had to go right, and everything wasn’t going right. I was getting penalties and getting all stressed out, and to somehow make it happen at the end was crazy.

Upshift: What’s on the docket for the rest of 2024?

MK: I plan to go to Brazil. Ride a Honda. Race the Brazilian Rally Championship Series. Do well. Get some more trophies. Maybe find some sponsors and figure out how to race Dakar again while also getting the training in. Compared to the World Rally races, these Brazilian races have difficult navigation. I feel like the World Rallies I never have a chance because they make the navigation so easy. Well, it’s not so easy—I still get lost—but there’s more speed, and it’s much tougher to win. For me, it’s just tougher to get good results at a World Rally than it is at Dakar or in Brazil because the style of racing is so different. It’s more like the Dakar. It’s more difficult than Dakar, in my opinion, because of navigation. In Brazil, everybody can read a roadbook. Everybody’s good at navigating. If these people were at Dakar, they’d do well. But Dakar costs so much money, so it’s difficult for normal people to make it there. In Brazil, it’s a lot different compared to here. You get to be friends with the other teams, like Honda and Yamaha. All of us were hanging out, and everybody was cool there.

Upshift: How many rounds is the Brazilian series? Will you race the entire series?

MK: Yeah, so the series is like six races, which I thought was only going to be like three. So it will definitely be a lot of work, but we’ll love it.

Upshift: One last question: In your mind, are you on the right path to future success at Dakar?

MK: I’m still paying for Dakar, but it was awesome, and I think it’s worth it, no matter how much it costs. I got to be on TV, open the first stage, ride at night, and do a top end in the dunes on a four-stroke. I did that before on a two-stroke at a Best in The Desert, and everybody said, ‘Oh, I thought it was a four-stroke—that’s not as cool.’ So now I can say I did it on a four-stroke and rode another 200 miles. It was pretty epic. I think it [Brazil] is the right thing to do. I get to keep racing. I can earn some results and improve my navigation skills while probably finding a way to Dakar next year—a more straightforward way. I’ll have more prep. We’re already fundraising with racing in Brazil. It’s part of the plan to help pay for everything if I have to, which I hope I don’t. That’s the goal—to find some support. But I’ll try to have the money no matter what. I’m ready to go. Keep up with Mason Klein on Instagram @mason_klein

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DRIEST NON-POLAR DESERT IN THE ENTIRE WORLD:::

BY MICHNUS OLIVIER | PHOTOS MICHNUS OLIVIER

For the umpteenth time, Elsebie and I kick our side stands out, and as quick as possible run over to our Aussie friends to help them out from under one of their bulldust covered bikes. As the fine dust powder cloud drifts away, we see both husband and wife went down, again. They are completely covered with dust, not trying to clean themselves off anymore. The strain and stress of constantly falling on the treacherous dirt track is getting to them. Numb expressions on their dirty faces. Running over to their BMWs I was thinking to myself, how the hell did we get ourselves into such shit?

We are riding at 4000m (13000ft) altitude, it is cold, and there is a fresh brisk wind blowing over the valley nothingness. Picking up bikes wears you down quite quickly. Do it at altitude and it wears you down on the first attempt. To add spice to this day, there was still 200km to go until what we thought would be a road that would be better than the track we are on. We have just started the day and already they have face-planted a couple of times. And you know as Murphy will have it, most of the time stuff just gets worse. A few times they have been pinned down by the bikes and we had to get the bikes of off them. Overall, as the morning got on, the talking got less, and the ritual continued; pick up the bike, make sure they are okay, ride the bike out of the bad pieces, and let them take it from there. Offering some moral support, we kept telling them to just take it easy and that they do not have to worry we are behind them. Just try not to break the bike or bones, because then we are really fucked!

Just a few days prior a border official from Chile met us in a small village and told us to take extra care as the roads are in very poor condition. When, and that is a very thin ‘when’, the heavens open on the Atacama, the place turns into a mud bath and the roads are destroyed. It takes very little rain to wreck the roads. He mentioned the section we were planning to ride was in bad shape with bulldust covering the tracks and you cannot the see the tracks. He mentioned a few weeks prior, a German on a big rental BMW GS had an accident there and lay next to the road with no shade or protection for 16 hours before SPOT rescue was able to get a team to him.

Well, I know how we got ourselves into this level of shit. Again, like always, it is a teachable moment and something that turns these odysseys into such unforgettable memories. More about that later.

We entered Chile from Peru. We turned left from the coast and rode 172km (106mi) straight up to 4000m (13000ft) altitude into the corner Chile and Bolivia. The plan for the Atacama was to ride as much offroad and dirt tracks as possible, but also see some of the sights. Importantly, we wanted to meet up with friends in the middle of the desert for some star gazing. Our route idea was to hug the Chile/Bolivia border and visit a 17km (10mi) long salt lake, the only reference of which we could find is Monumento Natural Salar de Surire. The Atacama Desert is part of the Altiplano in Bolivia and Argentina, not just in Chile. Stretching over a 1600km (995mi) strip of land west of the Andes Mountains, the Atacama covers an area of 105,000km² (41,000mi²), which increases to 128,000km² (49,000mi²) if the massively sized lower slopes of the Andes are included.

Turning off from the main road between Chile and Bolivia, we overnighted in a small village to stock up on fuel. We had to carry additional fuel for this route. We found in most small places you stand queued to get fuel from drums. These are the routes we spend considerable time to research, and they are mostly the significantly lesser trotted routes. It is all offroad and being self-sustainable is a must. Stocked with food and fuel, the next day we set out to the camp site at the salt lake.

One loyalty card features of our luxury stay at the salt flat was having underfloor heating. Right next to the lake is a hot water spring with scorching hot water. We pitched our tents behind a small salt block wall for protection against the wind. Due to the ground heat, our tents and sleeping mats were toasty inside. The hot spring streams onto the salt lake and is home to plenty of flamingos and vicunas. Close to our tent a few flamboyances of flamingos waded through the muddy waters of the spring. The Atacama Desert has three species of flamingo (James, Chilean and Andean) and they are resilient creatures that have adapted to some of the harshest conditions, and able to tolerate boiling spring water. They even have special glands behind their eyes, allowing them to drink and process salt water, and their tough skins prevent them from turning into a flamingo camp casserole.

The nights got bloody cold and late afternoons the wind would blow the snot sideways out our noses. The term ‘cold desert’ seems oxymoronic, thinking of desert being cold is not what comes to mind.

Apart from being the driest non-polar desert on the planet, the Atacama is also the world’s largest fog desert, as weird as that might be. This is when fog drip supplies the majority of moisture to animals and plants living in a desert.

We set out from the salt lake early in the morning, and this is where the dirt road handed our dear friends their own asses. The entire route that day was probably the worst washboard, bike-breaker tracks we have ever ridden. Keeping a constant speed we try to allow the bike to float over the washboard but not too fast to get out of shape. It was slow going and we had to stop often to let the shocks cool down and wait for the feeling in our numb tingling hands to return. Eventually late in the evening we rode into a one-horse town with a bare back basic hotel.

Over the course of a few days, we rode incredible tracks with mind-bending beautiful landscapes. It is no wonder NASA tested life-detecting tech in the Atacama Desert to determine if it would work on Mars. It is a weirdly beautiful place, with the Andes Mountains and the Chilean Coastal Range on its sides. The terrain creates a blockage of moisture, making the Atacama Desert a kind of death zone for vegetation, depriving the land of water and nutrients. This is the closest you can get to feeling like a space adventurer without begging SpaceX for a Mars trip, to visit the Atacama. The rich, orange sand, pinkish hues before sunsets and seemingly endless mountain range gives an otherworldly experience that probably cannot be found anywhere else on our planet.

We rendezvous with a couple of American riders at a stargazing farm. There are a few camp sites scattered around the place. The area is apparently a certified dark zone, meaning there is little to no light pollution. Where we camped at the salt lake and other places were just as dark for sure, so this farm is just closer for normal tourists to reach.

Some nights it was just too bloody cold to get out of the tent to shoot Milky Way photos. Nevertheless, imagine the clearest, most unpolluted night skies, with zero clouds in the sky. Meteor showers and the Milky Way dazzling so brightly that it will overcome spiritual hippies and move them into a new way of life. I am no expert on this, but I was told that the Atacama desert clearly shows the southern hemisphere’s most renowned constellations, like the Tarantula Nebula, the Southern Cross and the Large Magellanic Cloud.

During the afternoon, copious amounts of beer and moonshine (Peruvian Piscos) made the rounds between us six intrepid overlanders. The Australian couple was able to relax and laugh about their ordeal and took the banter in good spirit. It is incredible how like-minded people can click and become friends in the space of hours. Mesmerizing stories were shared, the good, the bad and the ugly, living like nomads on motorcycles for months and years on end. We stayed up til 4am the next morning, laying in a massive, round, dug out pit in the ground where it was easy to gaze up into the heavens, with a small fire in the middle to keep everyone warm.

Going back to our teachable moments: In foreign countries on extended trips, meeting overlanders to travel some parts of a route together is always a very nice support, especially for some companionship.

Nevertheless, companionship comes with some responsibilities. It is a one for all and all for one type of scenario. If and when stuff goes wrong, everyone is in it to help get the group out again. From previous experiences we are weary to travel with overlanders whose bikes or cars are in a near-death condition. That shit box will become someone else’s problem to fix and retrieve, and obviously no one can be that heartless to leave a fellow traveler stranded.

The other aspect is skill levels. Also with previous experiences we have learned many riders overestimate their abilities and skills. It is important to be honest about riding skills. Sure, riding skills can be very subjective, but there is a way to let other riders know how comfortable one is on offroad tracks. Add to that the deception of social media with folks on Dakar replicas, or an overloaded quarter-ton behemoth to tour on based on the advise from people that have never left their own county.

Eventually that evening sitting around the camp fire sharing a bottle of moonshine, everyone was happily teasing and chatting away on why our Aussie friends struggled so much. The couple had little dirt road skills, and they were told by forum and social media experts to use motorcycles too big for them, as well as what and how to pack. With their limited skills they underestimated the terrain and roads. It left them fighting overweight bikes on roads way above their abilities. They avoided many cool places to ride due to the weight and terrain difficulty. With better skill levels they would have probably been in a better situation handling big overweight bikes and limited many of their injuries.

An overweight big bike is no one’s friend to start with, especially offroad, no matter the skill level. When riding in your own backyard, no problem, you can just summon a buddy to come fetch you. When you’re riding in another country however, in places where there’s very little going on, traversing roads where distances are measured in hours instead of miles, skills and knowledge are the things keeping you alive.

I am not at all sharing this to be preachy or better knowing, let me make that clear. With social media and that influencer pressure, it is easy to get sucked into not thinking clearly or knowing what might ruin the trip of a lifetime.

Through all this, with an open mind, and a healthy dose of adventure sense and spirit, these challenging moments that our friends endured are what form unforgettable memories to treasure for life. Besides, along the way, through difficulty, you also make friends for life. None of us could’ve dreamed to experience the Atacama desert in such a way. We decided to spend a few days on the Atacama coast before we all head off in our own different directions.

About: Michnus, GenX’er born and bred South African product. Known on PikiPikioverland as the tyre fixer. Not known to follow or believe his own advice however he loves to share stories and inspiration with others. Michnus and his better half, Elsebie, left South Africa 13 years ago on an initial 6 month planned motorcycle trip up to Europe through Africa. Sold mom and the family pets, hit the road exploring on a semi-permanent basis to this day.