Hero enters Dakar, world's most grueling off-road rally

Hero MotoCorp, the country's largest two wheeler maker, announced its entry into the Dakar rally with two new Speedbrain 450 rally bikes developed especially for the race.

In May 2016, Hero MotoCorp forayed into the world of motorcycle rally racing by entering into a strategic partnership with Speedbrain GmbH, the German off-road racing specialist, to form  Hero MotoCorp Team Rally. In addition to participating in international rallies across the globe, the team will also assist in development and testing of new Hero vehicles concepts, using the data collected from the races.

Speaking on the prospects of motorsports, Markus Braunsperger, CTO, Hero MotoCorp said, "Motorbike rally racing is the toughest form of motorsport in the world. In addition to putting to test the endurance limit of the riders, it is the ultimate platform to evaluate the competency of the machines. We at Hero, are aggressively working towards elevating our product development capabilities to global standards and our presence at the international racing circuit gives us an opportunity to further refine our vehicle concepts."

Its team of riders include CS Santosh, India's most accomplished off-road rider, and Joaquim Rodrigues from Portugal. The Hero MotoSports Team Rally had an impressive run at the Afriquia Merzouga Rally earlier this year, with Rodrigues finishing 9th, while Santosh ended the rally at 16th spot in the overall standings.

The team is headed by Wolfgang Fischer, Managing Director, Speedbrain and is working under the direct supervision of Markus Braunsperger, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Hero MotoCorp.