- Hero MotoSports Team Rally
- Hero MotoSports
- Hero MotoCorp
- Rallye Du Maroc 2024
- FIM World Rally-Raid Championship 2024
- Rally GP Class
Hero MotoSports Leads Rallye Du Maroc 2024 With Stage 1 Win For Ross Branch
- by MT Bureau
- October 08, 2024
Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsport team of the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, Hero MotoCorp, has taken the lead position at the ongoing Rallye du Maroc 2024 with an impressive performance in Stage 1. Hero team pilot Ross Branch emerged as the fastest rider of the stage.
Riders Ross Branch, Sebastian Buhler and Nacho Cornejo, who were competing in the premier Rally GP Class, finished the first stage in 1st, 6th and 8th place, respectively. In the overall Rally GP Class standings, they are currently ranked 1st, 6th and 9th. Branch had the advantage of starting 11th for Stage 1 after placing second in the Prologue, which he capitalised by finishing first by a 48-second cushion over his closest rival. Cornejo started the stage today and made a determined effort to go cautiously across the incredibly challenging terrain, reaching the finish line without suffering any significant errors.
The first complete Stage of the 2024 edition included 180 km of timed sections and an additional 200 km of liaisons. The event organisers had to make last-minute changes to the race strategy yesterday when floods caused delays in the cars' arrival at the bivouac in Zagora. Participants in Stage 1 were dispatched on the Stage 2 course, although with a shorter mileage and later start times. However, this circuit around Zagora turned out to be one of the most difficult stages that Maroc has experienced recently. On rocky, uneven paths badly harmed by the rains, the day began with dangerous pathways that lay ahead, with much of the original routes swept away. In the last stretch, where visible, rolling trails guided the way to the finish line, the riders finally found some solace after risking their journey across narrow dunes.
In Stage 2, the participants will return to the original course planned for Stage 1. This second loop around Zagora will be one of the longest specialities in this year, spanning 314 km in the Sahara and an additional 158 kilometres in road sections.
Rallye du Maroc is the fifth and final round of the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) 2024. Since the second race of this season, Branch has held the top place in the standings chart, and this impressive perfoemance in the Maroc Rally has increased his chances of winning the World Championship title.
Branch said, "I’m happy to have finished Stage 1 with a good result. It was a really tough one – definitely one of the most challenging stages I’ve ever ridden at Rallye Du Maroc! The tracks were really beaten up and washed away from yesterday’s rains, but I managed to pull through. Nacho did an amazing job opening the track; I can only imagine how much more difficult it would have been for him. Opening the Stage tomorrow will be a mammoth task, but we’re pushing forward with confidence."
Buhler said, "It was a very difficult Stage – perhaps one of the hardest I’ve ever ridden here at Maroc. The terrain was full of rocks and rivers, making it challenging to manoeuvre. I tried to maintain a good pace, but it wasn’t easy – every time I went full on the gas, I seemed to be hitting something. I’m glad to have finished well, and I hope tomorrow will be a bit smoother."
Cornejo said, "Stage 1 is complete, and it was very rough, thanks to the rains from yesterday. I did my best opening the Stage, and lost a few minutes here and there. But overall, I’m happy with my focus and navigation. Tomorrow is a new day, so we’ll keep pushing and doing our best – one day at a time."
- 2024 FIM Bajas World Cup
- TVS
- TVS Racing
- Motorsport
- Dubai International Baja
Aishwarya Pissay Wins Third Bajas World Cup Medal
- by MT Bureau
- December 05, 2024
Aishwarya Pissay has added one more World Championship medal to her kitty by securing third place in the 2024 FIM Bajas World Cup. With this victory, she has become the first and only Indian to win three World Championship medals in Motorsport.
The championship's eighth and final event, the challenging Dubai International Baja, took place on Sunday, marking the end of the season. The Bengaluru rider, who competed in the 450 cc and Ladies' classes, encountered technical difficulties, including problems with her navigation system in the last round, which prevented her from making it to the final classification. Notwithstanding these disappointments, she was able to solidify her position as a trailblazer in Indian motorsport by earning enough points from previous events to clinch the second runner-up spot on the Bajas World Cup standings.
With her victory in the 2019 Bajas World Cup, Pissay became the first Indian to win a World Championship in motorsport. She currently possesses three World Cup medals, which is a record in 2W motorsport. Together with co-sponsors IIFL, Micro Labs and Surana College, TVS Racing has helped to support her outstanding achievements.
Pissay said, “This rally was a true test of resilience. Unfortunately, technical issues with the navigation system on both days kept me out of the general classification, but every challenge brings a valuable lesson. Rally life often throws the unexpected at you, and this experience has only fuelled my determination to come back stronger. Despite the setbacks, I’m immensely proud to have secured 3rd place in the World Championship for India. This marks my third World Championship podium in the history of the sport, and I’m deeply grateful for the unwavering support of my team, fans, and everyone who continues to believe in me.”
- Royal Enfield
- new
- plant
- Thailand
- CKD
- assembly
- sixth plant
- globally
- nepal
- Argentina
- Colombia
- Brazil
- Bangladesh
Royal Enfield Commissions New Plant In Thailand
- by MT Bureau
- December 05, 2024
Royal Enfield commissioned a new plant in Thailand to assemble its motorcycles out of CKD kits supplied from India. The facility marks the two-wheeler maker’s first such in Thailand and sixth globally.
Located at Samut Prakan near Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand, the facility – fully owned and operated by Royal Enfield – will help the two-wheeler major to cater to the home market of Thailand as well as the surrounding markets.
Adding to the number of such facilities Royal Enfield has in Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, Bangladesh and Nepal, the Thai facility is spread over an area of 57000 sq. ft and can do 30,000 units per year.
Modern, efficient and flexible, the facility will initially cater to the home market of Thailand. It will ramp up in a phase wise manner to cater to the other markets in the region over time.
Of the opinion that the reception from the international audience has been great as they look for motorcycles that are accessible and a unique extension of their personality, B Govindarajan, CEO, Royal Enfield, averred, “Royal Enfield has been working extensively to grow the middleweight motorcycling segment globally. We have an evocative range of motorcycles across various platforms catering to our global audiences.”
Emphasising that Royal Enfield is a truly global brand and ranks among the top mid-segment motorcycle brands in markets such as the UK, Korea, Australia-New Zealand among others, he explained, “Our strategic intent is to have an international expansion strategy of investing in markets with huge potential to grow. Thailand assembly plant caters to this vision. We thereby are bringing more and more motorcycle enthusiasts to experience the DNA of Royal Enfield - Pure Motorcycling”.
- India Bike Week
- Pulsar
- Goa
- 2024
- NS400Z
- Daring
- Experience
- Unique
- Bridge
Riding The 100 Ft. Long 'Definitely Daring’ Bridge On A Bajaj Pulsar NS400Z
- by MT Bureau
- December 04, 2024
In the India Bike Week, 2024, that will take place in Goa on 6 and 7 December, will see the Pulsar brand of motorcycles from Bajaj Auto make a ‘Definitely Daring’ debut. This will involve a unique experience of riding on a 100 ft. long bridge on the recently introduced NS400Z that is also 24 ft. high.
Bajaj Auto, in collaboration with Ghost Ryderz (which is claimed to be India’s number one stunt riding team), will provide participants an experience that is unique as well as ‘learning’. For the first time, the two-wheeler major is taking Ghost Ryderz to India Bike Week to provide an opportunity for the participants to stunts such as a ‘wheelie’ or ‘stoppie’ under guidance of experts and in a safe manner.
The participants at the India Bike Week will also witness signature Pulsar Stunt Shows featuring daring performances with never-seen-before stunts. Bajaj Auto has partnered with Tiivra to offer the participants an opportunity to experience the NS400Z and the all-new N125 on a specialised fun track curated to showcase Pulsar's performance and agility.
“Over twenty-four years, we have built a strong following of ‘Pulsar Maniacs’ across India who love the bike for its daring attitude and sporty DNA. We have always found innovative ways to connect and engage with our loyal customers across India. For our debut at IBW we decided to create moments that define Pulsar’s philosophy of being ‘Definitely Daring.’ At IBW, we’re inviting enthusiasts to experience the thrill, the adrenaline, the pure joy of riding a Pulsar,” said Sumeet Narang, President, Marketing, Bajaj Auto Ltd.
- KTM
- KTM 250 DUKE
- 2024 KTM 250 DUKE
- Motorcycles
- 250 cc Motorcycles
- Two-Wheelers
2024 KTM 250 DUKE Now Available For INR 225,000
- by MT Bureau
- December 03, 2024
KTM, the world's largest and India's fastest-growing premium European brand, has announced a price cut of INR 20,000 for its KTM 250 DUKE 250 cc motorcycle in India as part of its year-end celebrations.
Featuring two ride modes, Street and Track, the motorcycle now also boasts new LED headlamp setup with integrated pilot lights and a 5-inch colour TFT display with turn-by-turn navigation and Bluetooth connectivity. Bi-directional Quickshifter now comes as standard on the KTM 250 DUKE 250 cc.
The 2024 KTM 250 DUKE will be available at INR 225,000 (ex-showroom, Delhi) instead of its original price of INR 245,000 till 31 December 2024.
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