Marc Coma on a KTM - Now an endangered species?

If there is a tone to KTM’s June 5th press release withdrawing from the 2010 Dakar Rally it is one of a company, betrayed, indignant and angry. On June 4th, 2009 the Amaury Sport Organization, or ASO, the organizers of the “South American Dakar“ announced that going forwards from 2010 motorcycle’s would be permitted a maximum 450cc displacement. The mandate was effective immediately for professional and semi-professional riders entering the 2010 Dakar, invalidating the whole of KTM’s Dakar efforts based around the KTM Factory 690 rally bike in a single stroke.

In reality KTM has no option but to withdraw. The rule change comes approximately six months before the rally, according to KTM “at a time when not only the factory team, but also dozens of private teams are deep in preparations for this extremely complex rally.”

“Every sport regulation needs changes and adjustments to new developments to retain an interest in it, but this also require the appropriate lead times. We have the entire material for the 690 Rally motorcycles for our factory team as well as that for 50 customers’ motorcycles in our storage facility ready to be constructed in June. Riders’ contracts have been finalised and all the team members have been engaged. The financial consequences that results from this decision are enormous. Quite apart from this, we are shocked by the organiser’s lack of loyalty, above all because of the huge efforts we made following the cancellation of the Dakar in 2008 by contributing to the new edition – even during a period of extreme economic crisis,” said KTM Motor Sport Advisor Heinz Kinigadner in the press release.

On temporary reprieve are armature riders also known as privateers, who race without the backing of a factory or team. These riders will be allowed to race bikes over 450cc with a restrictor installed. According to the ASO the restrictor will be an aluminum ring placed between the carburetor and the air filter reducing air-flow and hence performance of the bike to a level equivalent to a bike with a 450cc engine. The ASO is also compensating for the weight difference between larger bikes and the 450cc racers, by allowing the 660cc engine slightly more power.

Regardless of what level of rider you talk to, privateer through to factory like KTM itself there’s unanimous shock at the timeline of the ruling.

Don Hutton, owner of Duncan Motorsports ( http://www.duncanmotorsports.ca/ ) and Dakar racer is thankful, “Procrastination saved my neck, I was going to buy a [KTM] 690 Factory for this years Dakar. Now, I’m glad I waited, it’s a $40,000 bike.” Don goes on to make the point that when many privateers enter the Dakar, their bike represents a multi-year investment rather a one-Dakar consumable.

It’s not just a mater of bikes that are a concern for privateers. There are thousands of dollars in spare parts, engines and frames to be considered, in addition to the core investment of the bike. All this is leaving many riders, looking ahead to 2011 and contemplating the feasibility of the Dakar when they can no longer run restrictor equipped bikes. It all leaves the ASO’s rational of making the Dakar financially by limiting the field to “cheaper” 450cc bikes seem dubious as it penalizes the privateers the ruling was designed to help. Nor has any mention of racers developing bikes based around other displacements such as KTM’s 525 engine been made, further confusing the issue.

If the hit for privateers and small teams is large on a personal level, then the impact for KTM, is massive. According to PR Manager Thomas Kuttruf, “at this moment it is not possible to give figure for the financial impact – but it is a big one. The overall calculation for Rally is really complex and it will take some time to have a detailed picture on this.”

Still there have long been rumblings of the move to a 450cc cap on rally bikes for the Dakar. Charlie Rauseo, of Rally PanAm and Rally Management Services, has had his ear to the ground and positioned his team and company accordingly, “Well, we were expecting this change to 450cc. We didn’t know it was going to be this year, but we knew it would be soon. So, we have several good alternative plans available. We’ve been testing 450s for years and we can certainly build and have a very competitive one ready to go in time.”

Indeed, Rauseo’s Rally Management Services offers a selection of 450cc options for the would-be Rally rider, based around both KTM’s and Honda’s 450s (http://www.rallymanagementservices.com/motoktm.html). So if a small company could predict the move why was KTM caught off guard?

Historically, KTM has had a special relationship with the ASO though, and that’s lead to speculation among Dakar racers. Simon Pavey, who shared the small screen with Charlie Boorman in Race to Dakar, seemed surprised at KTM’s lack of a priory knowledge of the rule change, “About 3 years ago the ASO looked at this change. It’s hard to believe they [KTM] had no idea.” That though is pure speculation, but the Dakar community is small and rumors abound.

Throughout this all the ASO, has failed to return comment via e-mail regarding the rule change and their motivations, but the Organization has a clear mandate to creating intense and interesting rally racing television. Again Rauseo offers his thoughts, “This move was done mostly because of pressure from a few people currently running 450 teams. I know that Henk Hellegers, who runs the Honda Europe team, pushed the ASO very hard to get the 450 rule. I also think that Yamaha France with David Fretigne pushed the ASO for this too. I don’t think we’ll see factory involvement from anyone in the coming years. I do think that certain importers, especially Honda and Yamaha’s various European importers, will become more involved.”

If lobbying occurred, the ASO may have implemented the rule change more rapidly than expected catching KTM off guard.

For viewers of the Dakar, the 450cc ruling offers a break to the KTM stranglehold on the podium, giving a variety of teams, makes and nationalities a chance at winning the Dakar. Normally we have to wait until the race for the Drama of Dakar to unfold, this year however there’s been an early start as the effects of this chance ripple though the rally community.