TVS Racing to compete in 2015 Dakar Rally

TVS Racing, the racing division of TVS Motor Company announced that it will participate in the gruelling 2015 Dakar Rally. The 2015 edition of the Dakar Rally will be held in Argentina, Chile and Bolivia from January 3rd to 17th. 2015. For this purpose, TVS Racing has partnered with French bikemaker Sherco Motorcycles. The team has been christened Sherco TVS Rally Factory team. TVS Racing will thus become the first Indian outfit to participate in Dakar Rally. The rally is considered as among the toughest motorsport events globally owing to the varying terrains and climate conditions, the riders and their motorcycles have to face. The total rally distance is over 9,000km which is almost the equivalent of five MotoGP seasons with respect to distance. 

For the 2014 Dakar Rally, Sherco TVS Rally Factory team will compete on a specially designed endure motorcycle christened RTR 450. The bike will be piloted by experienced French riders Alain Dulcos and Fabien Planet both of whom have previously raced in Dakar. TVS Racing officials said their main priority for the RTR 450 is reliability and for this purpose engineers from TVS have given their inputs to Sherco while testing the motorcycle. 

Speaking about the association, Arvind Pangaonkar, Head of TVS Racing said, “We are building further on the success of TVS Racing. The racing motorcycles, christened RTR 450, will be more competitive, lightweight and equipped with highly reliable 450cc engines developed and manufactured by the team at Sherco Motorcycles along with TVS Racing specifically for the 2015 Dakar Rally. The bikes will have a better overall design with a new fairing and several additional upgrades that enhance the bike’s ride handling. Under this special racing arrangement, engineers from TVS Racing will be working alongside the team from Sherco and its racing affiliates (Mac Racing, Michelin, Selle Dalla Valle, Moto Master, Exact and F2r) at the 2015 Dakar.”