What happens when KTM India brings in a Dakar champ to train mere mortals like us to go rally raid-ing?

We are an ADV country. Considering our road conditions, this shouldn’t come as a surprise, but if you’ve been living under a rock, you must’ve noticed the rise of adventure motorcycles and SUVs. The daily ride to work doesn’t feel like anything less than the Dakar Rally, considering it could be the most dangerous commute in the world. To survive in this race of life, upping your skills on two wheels is the ultimate solution. And this is exactly where the KTM Adventure Rally Extreme comes into the picture.

KTM had it going already with the Adventure Rally that was held earlier this year, heralded by the amazing Chris Birch, known for winning extreme events like the Red Bull Romaniacs and Roof of Africa. Chris has transitioned into one of the most sought-after adventure and enduro coaches in the world, and the Adventure Rally Extreme is the logical step ahead. Pitched as the proving ground for the alumni from Birch’s school, this event held at 19 Degree North near Lonavala, Pune, was, as the name suggested — Extreme. But KTM India also upped the ante by bringing in a Dakar champion to train the riders to take the game to the next level.

Matthias Walkner needs no introduction. The 2018 Dakar Rally champ has been winning the biggest enduro titles since 2012, when he was crowned the MX3 World Champion, followed by winning the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship in his debut year in 2015 and again in 2021, along with several podiums at Dakar. This also added a lot of pressure, considering we were now going to be watched, embarrassing ourselves in front of our hero. And what followed was a day of exhilarating and interesting challenges, considering it turned out to be one of the wettest days of September.

The agenda of the day was about understanding how a Rally Raid actually pans out, but in a shorter and doable manner for mere mortals like us. The prologue stage was about tackling a specially curated track that was filled with knee-deep slush, jumps, berms, obstacles and everything possible to test your abilities aboard various KTM Adventure and Enduro machines. We were handed the keys to the humble 390 Adventure with the 350cc motor in a bone-stock avatar. The Apollo Tramplrs are considered apt for average off-road conditions, but not for such extreme surfaces. Enter Mr Walkner, who suggested that we drop pressures to sub-15 PSI, and we did exactly that. The KTM anyway has a higher ceiling than my own skills, so the motorcycle was never going to be a problem. Finishing the entire lap with half a fall was my achievement of the day, and that got us placed in the top ten. Next up on the menu was the Nursing Stage, wherein we were asked to ride the motorcycle with a broken toe-shifter, stuck in second gear with just one arm. Sounds complicated? Well, wait till you actually try it out. This drill is essential, considering it teaches you the basics of clutch engagement as well as finding your own limits in a Rally Raid. Participants in Dakar are seen riding for days with a broken collarbone, so riding with one arm seems like an easy ask. Yet, it allows you to gain a basic understanding of how a rally actually works.

Stage 3 was about fixing the broken gear shifter and also removing the air filter and putting it back in place, all against the clock. This was a fun drill that actually gave us an insight into how ridiculously difficult it is to ride at full tilt and then follow it up with repairing your own motorcycle. The more you damage it, the harder you’ll end up working on it in the bivouac. They say, to finish first, you must first finish. They are right, after all.

Stage 4, the final stage, was where all the acquired skills were brought together along with the additional challenge of navigation. A roadbook is a complex navigational tool that is used by participants in a Rally Raid. We were given a simplified tool in the form of a mobile application, which was quite accurate and similar to the workings of an actual roadbook. Every turn, crest, water body and speed zone is to be understood and comprehended by the rider while tackling the rally route. People these days have issues finding a location on Google Maps, so you can imagine the level of difficulty. We were all sent out at intervals of one minute and left on our own on a 3.1km long trail that took us through ponds, rivers, mountains, forests and everything else imaginable. Remember that rallies are all about camaraderie. You may not win any additional points for helping a fellow participant, but you end up going home a better human being. We didn’t manage to win this stage, but we did go home as better human beings that day, if nothing else.

Along with that, there was so much learned in half a day that we had not only skilled up as motorcyclists, but ended up with even more respect for riders who do this for a living. Considering the KTM 390 Adventure and 390 Enduro are both now homologated by the FMSCI, the fact that owners can literally sign up and get themselves enrolled in a national rally is a huge deal. This is exactly what the KTM Adventure Rally Extreme aims to be: the platform for future rally champions, and this is just the beginning. KTM India has already hit it out of the park.

IMAGES BY: SHREYA SOMANI AND KTM INDIA