Meet The LMTG 450 Rally: A Motocross Bike Turned Into A Dakar Conqueror

The Yamaha WR450F is an unassuming motorcycle built for the sole purpose of taming the terrain and winning competitions. France-based custom house, Le Motographe, has transformed this motorcycle into a formidable ADV that not only looks uber cool but is also equipped well enough to take on something as extreme as long-distance rallies. Meet the LMTG 450 Rally.

The stock Yamaha WR450’s sombre-looking body panels have been stripped off in favour of sleek aluminium ones with multiple creases. The halogen headlamp setup has been replaced by Dakar-style twin-stacked LED headlights with an aluminium cowl and bracing. The barebones stock instrument cluster has given way to a proper rally-style navigation tower, complete with GPS mounts and a scrolling-type motorcycle rally roadbook.

It also gets separate controls for the individual headlamp units and easy-to-use rally-style switchgear on the handlebars. Even the stock 8.13-litre fuel tank has been beefed up to hold a tad more fuel while the footpegs have been replaced by custom units made out of 7075 aluminium, which is known for its high strength and resistance to fatigue. After all, riders will spend most of their time on the footpegs.

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Coming to the more crucial part -- the engine. Its internals remain untouched but the motor has been remapped with a GET Rally ECU. The bike also gets a traction control system and a ten-level power modulation switch so you can traverse harsh terrains effortlessly. The package is rounded off by a larger radiator and a full-titanium exhaust system from Devil.

The tweaked engine is matched by beefed-out underpinnings, in the form of a custom long-travel Ohlins front fork and Ohlins monoshock -- both fully adjustable. The stock 21-inch front and 18-inch spoke wheels have given way to aftermarket ones by Excel, wrapped with capable Michelin Desert Race knobbies.

While all this sounds cool on paper, the biggest testimonial of the bike’s real capabilities comes from the positive response of Michaël Metge, a Dakar Rally rider himself, competing as part of our own TVS Sherco rally team. Can’t top that now, can you?