 KTM 450 Rally (Red Bull team) who won 2015 Dakar Rally | |
| Manufacturer | KTM |
|---|---|
| Production | 2011– |
| Assembly |  Austria |
| Predecessor | KTM 690 Rally |
KTM 450 Rally is a rally raid bike, produced from 2011 with the specific task of winning the Dakar Rally, that has won nine times in eleven participations. [1]
The first generation of the 450 Rally was essentially a 690 Rally with a 450 engine due to a late rule change for the 2011 Dakar Rally.
For model year 2014 the bike was totally redesigned making it lighter, slimmer, and better handling than the previous generation.
2019 bought further changes to overall improve weight distribution including a new swingarm, linkage, and shock absorber with a new airbox, fuel tanks, and seat. There were also changes to the Akrapovic exhaust making it shorter and lower as well as increased power coming from a revised cylinder head, new fuel injection system, and new transmission.
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|---|---|---|
| 9 | 7 | 5 |
The Dakar Rally or simply "The Dakar", formerly known as the "Paris–Dakar Rally", is an annual rally raid organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation. Most events since the inception in 1978 were staged from Paris, France, to Dakar, Senegal. Security threats in Mauritania led to the cancellation of the 2008 rally, and events from 2009 to 2019 were held in South America. Since 2020, the rally has been held in Saudi Arabia. The event is open to amateur and professional entries, professionals typically making up about eighty percent of the participants.
KTM is the abbreviation of the name of Hans Trunkenpolz's auto repair shop in Mattighofen, Austria; Kraftfahrzeug Trunkenpolz Mattighofen. The shop was founded by Mr. Trunkenpolz in the year 1934. It became what is now known as KTM.
The BMW GS series of dual-sport BMW motorcycles have been produced from 1980, when the R80G/S was launched, to the present day. The GS originally stood for Gentleman's Scrambler, but was later renamed to Gelände/Straße. GS motorcycles can be distinguished from other BMW models by their longer travel suspension, an upright riding position, and larger front wheels – typically 19 to 21 inch. In May 2009, the 500,000th GS was produced, an R1200GS model.
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The 2010 Dakar Rally was the 32nd running of the event. It was held in South America for the second successive time, and ran from 1 to 16 January. The Amaury Sport Organisation and the governments of Argentina and Chile agreed to a return to South America for the event in February 2009.
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The KTM 450 EXC is a 4-stroke enduro off-road motorcycle made by KTM. The models are the European road legal 400 EXC and 450 EXC, the US 450 XC and 450 XC-W. The European EXC versions have a small headlight, speedometer, tail-light and somewhat softer linkless (PDS) rear suspension. The US EXC is 50-states street legal.
The 2011 Dakar Rally was the 33rd running of the event. It was held in Argentina and Chile for the third successive time, and ran from 1 to 16 January. The Amaury Sport Organisation and the governments of Argentina and Chile agreed to a return to South America for the event on 23 March 2010.
Cyril Despres is a French rally racer and resident of Andorra. He won the Dakar Rally five times, in 2005, 2007, 2010, 2012 and 2013, riding a KTM motorcycle. He also won the Red Bull Romaniacs, an enduro event, three times, in 2004, 2005 and 2007, and the Erzberg Rodeo in 2002 and 2003. In the 2018 season he is one of the official drivers of the Team Peugeot Total.
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Toby Joseph Price OAM is an Australian off-road and enduro motorcycle racing world champion. He lives in Gold Coast, Queensland, and rode for the KTM Off-Road Racing Team until October 2015. He now represents the Red Bull Factory KTM Rally Team.
Danilo Carlo Petrucci is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer who has competed in the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship with Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York. After losing his KTM ride in MotoGP at the end of the 2021 season, he entered the 2022 Dakar Rally with a Tech3 KTM rally raid 450 cc machine in January 2022.
The 2013 Dakar Rally was the 35th running of the event and the fifth successive year that the event was held in South America. The event started in Lima, Peru on 5 January and finished in Santiago, Chile on 19 January after fourteen stages of competition. 448 vehicles in four classes of competition started the event, which comprised a total distance of over 8,500 kilometres. The motorcycle category was won by French rider Cyril Despres for a fifth time, riding a KTM; Marcos Patronelli took his second win in the quad competition riding a Yamaha; Stéphane Peterhansel captured his eleventh Dakar victory in the car category alongside co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret at the wheel of a Mini; and Eduard Nikolaev's maiden victory re-captured the truck category title for Kamaz.
The 2015 Dakar Rally was the 37th running of the event and the seventh successive year that the event was held in South America. The event started in Buenos Aires, Argentina on January 4, then ran through Argentina, Chile and Bolivia, before returning to Buenos Aires on January 17 after 13 stages of competition, for a total distance of 9,000 km (5,600 mi). For the first time, organizers reserved separate rest days for different categories so that at least two classes raced on each day.
The 2016 Dakar Rally was the 38th edition of the event and the eighth successive year that the event was held in South America. The event started in Buenos Aires, Argentina on January 2, then ran through Argentina and Bolivia.
The KTM 950 Super Enduro R is a dual-sport motorcycle produced from 2006 to 2008. It is equipped with a 98-horsepower, four-stroke, V-twin engine, adjustable heavy-duty offroad suspension, and enduro styling. Due to its light weight and offroad-capable profile, the 950SE was perceived at its launch as a radical departure from any existing dual-sport, enduro, or street bike models, while having characteristics of all three.
KTM LC4 660R is a rally raid bike, produced from 2001 to 2006 with the specific task of winning the Dakar Rally, that has won five times in six participations.
Kevin Max Benavides is an Argentine rally raid motorcyclist who is best known for winning the Dakar Rally twice, in 2021 and 2023, as well as coming second place in 2018. He is a former driver of the Monster Energy Honda Racing. In April 2021, he signed to race for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in both the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship and the Dakar Rally onboard the KTM 450 RALLY.
The 2021 Dakar Rally was a rally raid event held in Saudi Arabia and the 43rd edition of the Dakar Rally. The event was held for 14 days, starting from 3 January and ended 15 January 2021. It was the second time Saudi Arabia had hosted the event, with support from the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation. The race started and ended in Jeddah, allowing the competitors to venture through the desert and alongside the Red Sea. The route consists of one prologue stage and 12 normal stages, with one rest day in Ha'il on 9 January. The rally was originally intended to run through 2–3 additional countries, with Egypt and Jordan being rumoured likely candidates. However, due to travel and border restrictions implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the route stayed entirely within Saudi Arabian territory.