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Day 1 Dakar 2014: Barreda Draws First Blood

Team HRC’s Joan Barreda on the Honda CRF450 Rally, got off to a storming start in day one of the 2014 Dakar rally, clocking up the fastest time of all the 175 riders at the first time-check. The former Husqvarna rider who moved to Honda in the middle of the season inaugurated his 2014 Dakar with an acrobatic performance. The motorcycle competition was expected to be wide open, and that is indeed what the classification shows after the opening stage. It was a very early start for the Rally Dakar. The pack of riders headed off at four in the morning on a long 251 miles that took them towards the vibrant city of Rosario for the start of the 112 mile special.

Motorcycle Live and a few of my favourite things for 2013

There is lots of shiny new metal on show at Motorcyclelive this year but for me it’s the new Triumph Daytona 675 that steals the show.  We’ve been starved of brand new models in the Supersports segment for years but for me the latest Trumpet has made the wait worthwhile. And if its performance matches its looks then I reckon the 2013 bike of the year is a foregone conclusion.  The sleek curvy nose contrasts perfectly with the more pointy angular rear end and new side mounted silencer. It is lighter, more powerful and revs harder with much work on on mass centralisation to further improve handling.  Few of us have a whole lot of spare cash these days but £8899 for the standard model seems a fair price for such an awesome bike. That said I’d have to consider selling the granny and granddad to find the extra £1700 for the 675R.  Available early next year, and surely the perfect all round track day tool, this beauty comes with upgraded suspension, brakes, ABS, a quickshifter and some nice carbon detailing. The white 675R on display at the show looked even better in the flesh than previous images I’d seen so be careful or you might find yourself handing over a deposit. With no money left from the Triumph stand you’ll need your six special numbers to come up for my second favourite show item the AGV Pista GP Project 46. Although road legal this extremely light, full carbon helmet is designed especially for racing with a huge field of vision, extensive ventilation and superb ergonomics. It also comes with earplugs which suggests there may be some compromise in the noise department but it is still an incredible piece of engineering. At £799, this special Pista is also an incredible price but there will only be one hundred available and Raceways Yamaha reckon they are going fast.        

King Kenny Roberts at Laguna Seca

Fans of “King” Kenny Roberts will be in for a treat as the three-time World Champion will ride not once, not twice but three times at Laguna Seca during the 2011 U.S. Grand Prix, July 22-24. As previously announced,  Roberts would join Eddie Lawson and about 200 fans in riding parade laps of the Monterrey, Calif., circuit on the Friday, July 22.