Five of the craziest motorcycle races in the world
It's commonly believed that you have to be a little crazy to ride a motorcycle. When riders race against the clock while navigating a variety of terrain, things get even crazier. Here is a list of the top five motorcycle races in the world, not in any particular order.
Mongol Rally
The Mongol Rally is a rally that does not have a fixed route. The participants of the rally are flagged off at the starting point, after which they have to chart their way to the finish line. As there is no support provided to the racers during the race, the competitors have to be on their own for the entire course of the race. The race is completed in the span of one week.
The 16,100km race crosses mountains, deserts, and grasslands, along with some roads, albeit not in great condition. As if it wasn’t challenging enough already, there is a limit to the cubic capacity of the engine you can use in the rally. For cars, anything less than a 1.2-litre engine can be used, and for bikes, anything less than 125cc can be used. The entry fee is ₹80,000 per team, and all the teams should raise ₹51,000 for charity.
The visas and the insurance have to be managed on a personal level. Once the race is completed, the competitors can either scrap the car or take it back home. An additional amount of ₹1,23,000 has to be kept as a security deposit with the organising committee.
More details can be found here.
Dakar Rally
The Dakar Rally needs no introduction to motorsport enthusiasts. The rally is an off-road endurance event. The race spans several stages, and a racer has to complete all the stages daily in record time. The participant whose aggregate time is highest in the category they are competing in wins the title.
Currently held in Saudi Arabia, the rally requires a driver to traverse challenging terrain that consists of dunes, camel grass, and rocks. Off-road rally motorcycles not exceeding 450cc in displacement are generally used to compete in the rally.
The competitors are expected to ride somewhere between 500-900km per day. Five competitive groups in the Dakar Rally are motorcycle, quad, car, ATV, and truck.
The motorcycle class is divided into two groups - Elite (Group 1) and Non-Elite (Group 2). Group 2 is further subdivided into ‘Super Production’ and ‘Marathon’. The participants in the ‘Marathon’ group are not allowed to change key components like the engine, the fork, or the swingarm. The other three categories enjoy the luxury of changing these essential components.
“Original by Motul’ (previously Malle Moto) is another category in the rally. The participants in this category compete without any assistance. The organisation provides the competitors with transportation facilities for their malle between two bivouac sites. As there is no assistance for the competitors, they have to get their bikes serviced on their own. Due to all these challenges, this category is termed the toughest category of the rally and is considered to be the choice of Dakar purists.
More details can be found here.
Isle of Man TT
The Isle of Man is a small country that is located between England, Ireland, and Scotland. Every year during May or June, enthusiasts turn up in huge numbers to witness the magic of the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy race.
This Tourist Trophy is held in a time trial format. It means that the riders have to race against the clock, and the one who posts the best time wins the title. The practice for this race happens for a week, and the race takes place the following week.
In the Isle of Man TT, the motorcyclists zip up a section of the hill with average speeds greater than 200kmph. Mind you, these speeds are undertaken on a road that is meant for public usage; it is not even a proper track. Every one of the 264 corners poses the risk of colliding with a house, stone wall, telephone pole, tree, or other object. It's frightening to imagine the harm and suffering caused by a car collision. This is without a doubt the most hazardous race in the world to compete in on a motorcycle.
The fact that 265 riders have lost their lives while racing on this mountain range since its dawn in 1911 makes it one of the most dangerous races in the world.
More details can be found here.
Red Bull Romaniacs
The Red Bull Romaniacs is an annual enduro-style rally race that happens in Sibiu, Romania. This event is also an integral part of the F.I.M. hard enduro World Championship Series.
The competition, which is spread over five days, witnesses participants from more than 52 countries. The first day is the in-city Prolog after which for four days the competitors have to compete in mountains and forests where their riding skills and endurance are tested.
Due to its challenging terrain and unpredictably bad weather, Red Bull Romaniacs is regarded as one of the most difficult off-road motorcycle races in the world. Riders must make their way through rocky trails, steep inclines, and muddy bogs as they compete in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania. The race is also well-known for its exceptionally harsh weather, which can include everything from sweltering heat to torrential rain and thunderstorms. To overcome the obstacles in the race, riders must have exceptional physical and mental endurance, and even the most seasoned riders may find it difficult to finish.
More details can be found here.
Red Bull Erzbergrodeo
The Erzbergrodeo is an Austrian motorcycle enduro that is a part of the Red Bull Hard Enduro Series. The other races in this series are the Red Bull Romaniacs (as discussed above), the Red Bull Minas Riders, the Red Bull Megawatt, the Red Bull Sea to Sky, and the Roof of Africa. It is now a part of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship.
1800 competitors from all over the world sign up for the competition, which takes place in the Austrian mining town of Eisenerz. Riders blast their way up the Erzberg mine's rough roads for two days to finish among the top 500 qualifiers for the main race on Sunday.
Given its difficult terrain and high degree of difficulty, the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo is one of the world's toughest enduro motorcycle races. The competition is held in the Austrian Alps' iron mines, which are characterised by their rugged terrain, steep inclines, and severe weather. Only a select few competitors can finish the race because the course is made to test riders' technical proficiency and physical stamina. To add to the already intense experience of the race, the prologue event pits riders against one another in a difficult obstacle course.
More details can be found here.
Honourable Mention:
The Siberian Ice Run on Lake Baikal
Every winter, a group of adventure-seeking motorcyclists take a ride on the Baikal Lake on a Ural motorcycle. The distance of 1930km is covered by these adventurists on Baikal Lake in Siberia, which is the deepest lake in the world. The choice of motorcycles makes the race even more thrilling, as the racers use old Ural motorcycles, which had a reputation for being unreliable.
The course passes through frozen lakes at sub-zero temperatures, where there is always a risk of sinking through the ice. The rally sees the competitors falling, sliding, and fighting a battle against nature. The pathway changes from smooth ice paths to ice boulders that have to be navigated around constantly.
The fact that this race is organised in temperatures not exceeding -30C makes it one of the craziest motorcycle races in the world. However, this race is not conducted every year; the last edition of the race was held in 2018.
More details can be found here.
