We had the opportunity for a quick catch with Rallye Raid World Champion Ross Branch at Hero Motorcycles Headquarters in Johannesburg, just before he climbed on a plane heading for Dakar 2025. We also got a little bit more insight into what it takes to participate in an endurance race like the Dakar. So, if you think you’ve got what it takes to compete in the Dakar read this….
Mornings starts early, really, really early with the first riders heading out at around 02H30 in the a.m. The first 20 bikes leave at 3 minute intervals, bringing riders to 03H30. tThe next 20 bikes leave at 2 minute intervals, with the last one heading out at around 04H20. The rest leave at 1 minute intervals. Chuck in over 650 riders and drivers over 8 classes and some of the last trucks are only out of the starting gate at 12H30, some 10 hours later. Forget being a competitor, imagine being on the starting marshal team….
And think about the support crew, mechanics, drivers, medical, catering, recovery crews. Some of these folk only get back into the bivouac just in time to prep their competitors bikes and vehicles in time to make the next days start. Sleep is a privilege most forgo, grabbing forty winks under a truck somewhere whenever they can.
Eating?
Everything is flavoured with Hydraulic fluid, brake fluid, 5w40 or deepheat as they cram bites of sustenance while swinging spanners or massaging a rider or driver. Two of our regular test riders, James Lottering and Mike Wessels wrenched for one of the biggest teams at the 2024 Dakar, and they can confirm that it definitely is not for the faint hearted.
Spare a thought for the Moto Malle/Original by Motul riders, they’ve gotta be at the start line ready and rarin’ to go at 02H30, slog it out for the whole day then wrench on their bikes themselves when they clear each stage, try grab some chow and still squeeze in a power nap before the next days start….
F#kkit Fanie, these Okes are moerova tuff!!! Especially our ZA lad, Charan Moore, (yep, the same oke that used to organise and run the ROA a few short years ago), who won Original by Motul in 2023.
We asked Ross about his preparations, training, diet, etc.
“Jaa, you have to be fit physically but more so mentally, so I spend a lot of time riding very long distances on my bicycle just to train my mental stamina and focus. You can have your body as fit as you like, but if your mental state of mind can lose a race for you very quickly, you’ve got 11,000 km to win the race, but only need 1 km or less to chuck it all away.”
What about weight and diet?
“This is my 7th or so Dakar. When I first started out I was all about being a lean and mean racing machine, but by the end of the race, my body was burning energy rather than fat and that really took a lot out of me. It took me weeks to recover properly. Nowadays I make sure that I pack on an extra 10kg or so of body fat so my body burns the fat rather, which also helps me keep my mental focus better right to the end of the race and helps me deal with situations better.
By the end of the Dakar it is all gone, I feel a lot better than I did at the beginning of it and have a quicker recovery time.”
Do you have an all new bike for 2025?
Ross gives us a cheeky little grin, “Well, yeah, we kinda had to with all the new rules, especially with the new 160 kph speed limit. We had excellent top speed, I regularly saw 195 kph on my speedo, the problem with that was, and one of the reasons some people were crashing and getting hurt, was that you had to focus sooo far ahead into the desert haze and dust, upwards of 100 to 200 m’s ahead in places. Not ideal when racing through sand dunes, so I do agree with the 160 kph speed limit, (cars have been limited 170 kph and trucks to 135 kph). The challenge is that the Honda’s are really excellent when it comes to torque, so we needed to shed some weight and work a lot on getting up to speed faster.
Other than that, the rest of the bike hasn’t changed too much. Hero has really put together a great machine and I am really very grateful to be riding for them.”
For those of you that don’t know, most of the other manufacturers at the Dakar Rally take one of their dirt bikes and convert/modify it for rally racing, whereas Hero Motorcycles ans KTM have built a bespoke Rally Machines. Everything from the geometry and weight distribution and balance of the chassis, engine, fuel tanks and rider position right on down to the suspension are designed and fabricated to the rigours of rally racing. Hero didn’t have an existing platform to convert, and they have assembled some of the best designers, engineers, mechanics and riders at their facility in Germany where all the Hero 450 Rally bikes are built.
Ross Branch is an all round Nice Guy
We had a great chat with Ross at Hero Motorcycles SA Head Office in Joburg and can tell you this, his happy persona is not just a marketing strategy. He genuinely is one of the nicest, most positive and most accommodating of people you will meet. A bunch of guys were there who had taken a fleet of Hero 200 X-Pulses to the Roof Of Africa 2024 who really wanted to meet Ross, get a few T-shirts and caps signed and get a pic or two with The Champ and he was only too happy to oblige. Our German Bomber, Peter Schlüter of Hard Enduro World, also had a chat and shared a joke or two with Ross which had him guffawing from the bottom of his stomach.
Watch the race footage, and generally when you see Ross he has always got a grin on his face, no matter the hour, no matter the challenge facing him he always just seems to be so happy – we asked him about that:
“How can I not be happy? I am living the dream, touring the world, racing motorbikes for and with one of the best best teams in the world in some of the most beautiful places in the world. I am so privileged and blessed to be doing what I love with the support of all the people I love most in the world. Hopefully I can pay them all back with a Dakar win very soon.”
How can you not like this guy?
And even better, we will all be able to go watch him race in 2025 and show the world how much support he has down on the bottom tip of Africa. The World Rally Championship is coming to South Africa! Finally a home race for The Champ.
“Yeah, I’m very excited! At last a race I don’t have to fly to, or spend weeks in transit. I’ve ridden most of the routes for most of my life and am excited to show the world how beautiful our countries are and bring more tourists and riders here.”
The South African Safari Rally will take place from 18–24 May, 2025 in and around the North West and Limpopo Provinces, (and with a loop into Botswana we hope), with the main bivouac in Sun City. Don’t know about you, but we are definitely not going to miss this one for anything. Keep an eye on our website and social medias, we will keep you updated as we go along.
For now….. It is Dakar Time!! Lets all get behind Ross and the rest of the Southern African contingent competing in the DAKAR 2025.
