24-01-2023

Yamaha and MDC provide another first

In 2022, our Tunisia Desert Challenge received some extra attention: the Yamaha World Raid motorcycle was officially presented to the public. Factory riders Alessandro Botturi and Pol Tarres were allowed to show in the Tunisian dunes what this rally-raid oriented version of the Yamaha Ténéré 700 is capable of. And with success: Alessandro Botturi immediately secured the victory.

Yamaha now continues with a new project under the name "Yamaha Ténére Spirit Experience”, in which they aim to make rally-raid accessible to a wider audience. The brand said goodbye to the Dakar after 25 years, but not the rally-raid discipline. Yamaha wants this to give T7 owners a chance to really get a taste of rally-raid in an unforgettable way, accessible and with a high adventure factor. And we at the Morocco Desert Challenge are going to help them do just that.

Special course for Yamaha

In the next MDC we will therefore, together with and at the request of Yamaha Europe, provide a first. For the first time in the history of the MDC we will open the "Raid category" to motorcycles. (Until now, this category was only open to cars.) Sporting Director Jean-Claude Kaket is making them a customized course. In this way, we want riders to get a taste of the rally-raid experience without immediately feeling the pressure of competition.

20 riders fully supported by Yamaha

Andréa Peterhansel, wife of Mr. Dakar Stephane Peterhansel, will be the face of the Yamaha Ténére Spirit Experience, and together with Marc Bourgeois, the former manager of the Monster Energy Yamaha Rally team, will lead the team during the Morocco Desert Challenge. Drivers Alessandro Botturi and Pol Tarres also have only 1 goal this time: to win again. Besides them, no less than 20 riders with a Yamaha Ténéré can experience the rally. They themselves will ride their own (or rented) T7 motorcycles in the raid category and will have the full support of mechanics from the factory team. The big blue village inside the bivouac will certainly stand out.

Yamaha is offering a total package with this Experience that covers every aspect of rally participation, from preparation to motorcycle transport and on-site technical support. Participating can be done with a standard T7 but technicians from MBSM provide each motorcycle with special wheels and tires and the necessary navigation equipment before departure. If necessary, they also fit an additional fuel tank.

Interested? More info HERE.

Don't limit your challenges. Challenge your limits.