Friday December 4, 2009 – I had the privilege of attending the Dakar send-off party for Team Pan-Am and Rally Management Services (RMS) in San Francisco, at the invite of co-owner Evan Leong. RMS promotes cross-country and rally racing in the US, Canada and Mexico by providing Rally training, products, support and bike building services to rally competitors. Additionally, RMS also runs their own Dakar effort with Team Pan-Am and Jonah Street, who this year will be piloting a new 2010 KTM 690.

The send off took place at the Historic San Francisco Motorcycle Club (2194 Folsom St. in San Francisco), “Where the Motorcyclist is always welcome.”

The Club, established in 1903, is a motorcycling landmark, being the 2nd oldest Motorcycle Club in North America. Truly, for one coming from the relatively new motorcycle scene of Vancouver, it’s awe inspiring to walk into the Folsom Street Clubhouse. The walls are covered with well over 100 years of motorcycle history; filled with photos, banners and trophies spanning the clubs history. More than a hang out, the Clubhouse is a museum dedicated to the life and times of the San Francisco motorcycle culture.

Doors open, the event is one of welcoming faces, comfortable surroundings, a very casual atmosphere and easy access to the team and its bikes. Team Rally Pan-Am and Jonah Street roll in with their 2009 and (new) 2010 KTM 690 Rally Bikes, as well as a fully (RMS) prepared Honda CRF 450X destined for Dakar to be piloted by Octavio Valle from Mexico. The bikes are the focus and people swarm around them wanting to touch and feel. For most of us mere mortals this is the closest we will come to the romantic notion of actually riding one of these things across the sand dunes and mountainous terrain of the Dakar; the longest and most grueling endurance motor race on the planet. Most in the room would jump at the chance to attend, proving we’re all a bit nuts!

I meet the team headed up by Charlie Rauso who introduces me around the team. Charlie manages all aspects of (RMS) and is somewhat of a Rally guru himself having competed in the Dakar Rally three times. In the past 5 years he has been heavily involved with training independent Dakar hopefuls, including the USA’s best chance Jonah Street, and running team Pan-Am. Then there’s Robb McElroy, who has been involved with Rally Racing for years. Robb is Crew Chief and Driver of the Support Truck. Rob also manages Rally Pan-Am’s Fan support Club, known as the Riff Raff. Niles Follin is the mechanical genius, who’s happy to chat about the bike and his lack of sleep in preparation for and during the race. Niles claim is that despite having been to last years Dakar in Argentina and Chile, the event was so filled with sleepless nights working on the bike and coffee (his favorite fuel), that he never say either country. The Dakar it seems is as grueling for the support team and the racers, and at the start of every stage as Jonah Street heads out onto the stage, Niles was sleeping his way to the day’s bivouac in the support truck preparing for that nights mechanical efforts.

On had is the team’s Dakar hopeful, Jonah Street, a very quiet man of 37 with years of racing with many rally wins under his belt. Jonah’s efforts in the Score and Best in desert series are fabulous, and he’s had numerous wins and showings in the Baja 500 and 1000 races. Last year, Jonah’s best Dakar finish was a 1st place in Stage 5 last year, unfortunately a previous wrist injury forced him to retire in stage 8. Hopefully, the injury won’t re-inflame and prove an issue in Jonah’s 2010 Dakar assault.

The send off is casual affair with the Clubhouse filled by around 100 supporters. Amongst the crowd is Dirk Kessler, a privateer that will try his luck at finishing the 2010 Dakar. Dirk will be on a KTM and has been helped by RMS in his preparation efforts. The difference is that Dirk is flying solo and will have only his efforts to try and finish the race, where as Jonah will have the support of the Rally Pan-Am team. This is where he and Jonah differ. Dirk is realistic, while Jonah has a legitimate chance at a win, Dirk wants to finish, which in itself is an amazing accomplishment. The nature of the Dakar is that the majority of entrants start the race come nowhere near the finish.

Amongst the crowd are the other team members, the one’s not riding, the “Riff Raff”, who support the team through donations. In exchange they receive a perk, Klim Team Jackets with Team’s and Major sponsor’s logos, the proposition of being a supporter proves to tempting. Dakar is in the air, the bikes are here fueling the dream, the people are buzzing about the race, the Team is hyped, I talk to Robb and $150 dollars later I have donated to the team and become one of the Riff Raff attired in my new logo emblazoned Klim Inferno shirt – I have my piece of the Dakar.

The night ends with the highlight, a Question and Answer session with Jonah and the team covering their quest for a 2010 Dakar win. The consensus is that the bike is ready to race, stronger than last years and that the team feels prepared for the rally and are very optimistic about the outcome of the race, which starts Jan 1st 2010.

The next day Evan takes me to the team shop where I meet with Niles and Charlie as they make the final preparations for the bike before it and all additional gear is crated up and shipped to South America on December 7th (the team will follow after Christmas). Niles is busy putting in a new motor, and Charlie busy removing spare parts for reuse from the 2009 bike. Evidence of just how much of a grass routes effort Team Rally Pan-America really is.

A few final errands need running and Evan and I are handed a short list comprised of a few last minute items and the mandatory thermos of coffee to carry Niles into the late hours of night. The starting gun hasn’t fired, but the race has already begun. I leave with handshakes and well wishes on this fantastic effort for the entire team. Secretly I wish I could be on that plane headed for South America with the team, on the flight home I dream of bikes floating across deserts and mountains in far away lands. For now though, I’ll have to make do with my Klim Inferno jacket.

For those who want to support Team Rally Pan-Am’s efforts, you can join the Riff Raff at: http://www.rallypanam.com/riffraff.html
You can also follow the team via Facebook and Twitter