Sherco TVS aim for Top 10 at Dakar

The Sherco TVS Rally Factory's preparations for the 2017 Dakar are now in the final stages. As the bikes get ready to be shipped to South America for the world’s toughest rally-raid event, the Indo-French team is aiming high.  At their third outing the team is looking to clock a stage win and a top 10 finish at the 2017 edition of the Dakar. We spent time with the team at their base in France to get a closer look at the workings of the team and see why Indian automotive enthusiasts should be tuning in to the two-week long spectacle in January.

Right on top of the reasons to follow the Dakar in 2017 is to lend support to Indian rider, Aravind KP. Sherco TVS Racing had announced Aravind as a Dakar rider earlier this year and since then he has been training on the Sherco TVS RTR 450 for the last few months. Aravind KP proved his mettle at the Rally of Morocco in October by finishing 25th overall, quite a feat considering that the world’s top riders use this World Championship round to hone their skills before the Dakar. The Rally of Morocco is also considered one of the toughest rallies in terms of navigation, a crucial skill when participating in a rally-raid as a single mistake can set you back by many hours! Sherco TVS Rally Factory showed that the riders and the machines offered a lot of promise as Joan Pedrero finished 8th overall with Adrien Metge in 11th. In 2016 the Sherco TVS team finished the Dakar in the top 30.

Sherco, although a fairly young company, has been making a mark in the world of off-road motorcycles and their progress at the Dakar is ample proof of that.  Adrien Metge moved to the Sherco TVS team this year after having had raced with the factory Honda team in the 2016 Dakar. The low-end power delivery and the handling characteristics of the Sherco motorcycle are aspects that make it feel quite special especially in tricky conditions. 

Joan Pedrero, a veteran of the Dakar, has been watching Aravind KP’s progress and feels the first-timer has developed rapidly to better tackle the near 10,000km challenge that is coming his way. Aravind KP was also quick to note that his riding style and temperament has changed dramatically and is now more in tune with the requirements of a treacherous ultra-endurance event.  Keeping Aravind’s bike in top shape will be engineers from TVS who are nested with the Sherco team. Prakasam, was a part of the 2016 Dakar with the Sherco TVS team and was responsible for maintaining a motorcycle then too. 

The Sherco TVS Rally factory team isn’t expecting fireworks, but are cautiously optimistic as they get ready to pack the race bikes for their journey to the Dakar. We hope to get a taste of the machines and get some pointers from the pros before we head out from France. We’ll keep you posted here!