It’s No Joke: H-D’s Pan America Head To Rally Raid

[advrider]

We are living in strange times, an era where even the smallest decision can have massive consequences down the road. An epoch made for observers like filmmaker Adam Curtis, whose works leave us wondering at the meaning of it all at the end, or whether there’s a Solution to the insanity. A time of weak men using the Muscle of the State to their advantage. A time when nothing is at it seems. A time when just about anyone with an adventure bike is entering it into a rally raid or a hard enduro, even if it isn’t suitable …

Ha! Hope you’ll pardon the Raoul Duke-esque literary meanderings, but it’s true—we are indeed in Weird World these days, and for evidence, you need look no further than the world of off-road racing, where we now see a Spanish Harley-Davidson dealership (or is it H-D’s Spanish subsidiary? It isn’t clear) has its Pan America adventure bike signed up to compete in the upcoming Baja Espana Aragon. Never heard of it? Neither had we; apparently it’s a Spanish rally raid-type event involving trucks, cars and motorcycles—more details here.

Apparently, Pedrero has been tied to H-D’s Pan America promotion efforts in Spain for a while now.

The Pan America will be unmodified for the rally raid, and ex-Dakar rider Joan Pedrero is signed up to ride it in the Trail category. The race runs July 22-24; we eagerly await details on Pedrero’s adventure.

Elsewhere in the world of off-road racing, it turns out Pol Tarres didn’t feel the Erzberg Rodeo was enough punishment for his Yamaha T7, and he’s now signed up to contest Red Bull Romaniacs, the legendary stop on the FIM’s Hard Enduro series. Will he bash his bike beyond recognition this time? Well, he managed to get as far as CP17 at the Erzberg Rodeo, and was the only parallel twin bike that made the 500-rider main event (1,500 riders entered). Tarres is no stranger to these events, finishing top-10 in 2019’s Erzberg Rodeo, and also top-10 each day at the 2019 Romaniacs. He has almost other-worldly control of that Yamaha he’s riding, and he’s likely to put an impressive ride down in the Bronze category.

Also enlisted in the Bronze category: Matthias Walkner is signed up to race his KTM 450 Rally. It’s less of a chore than taking the big Yamaha off-road, but Walkner’s bike is still a far cry from the small-cc two-strokes that typically run and win these events. Props to him for showing up on his Dakar bike!

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