Rallying is one of the cornerstone disciplines in motorsports that KTM excels. Our motorcycles are designed to be competitive right out of the box, hence our motto– Ready to Race! No other bike exemplifies this than the KTM 450 Rally Replica. Based on the KTM Factory Rally Team bikes, the 450 RR is a bike that a customer can purchase and race.
Kobus Potgieter, one of our beloved customers, continues to prove this point. He’s been rallying his KTM 450 Rally Replica all over the globe and recently came back from the Transanatolia Rally in Turkey.
The 7-day, 2500 km. rally was gruelling and featured extreme terrain. With climbs as steep as 3500 meters, you can imagine how daunting it was for Kobus. Brake fade was an issue with the steep grades.
“The first day in the mountains my rear brake over cooked and I had no brakes coming down the mountain. This also happened on Day 2 and had some very scary moments,” shared Kobus.
By day 4 and 5, the terrain changed to forests and fast hill climbs. This suited Kobus more and he was more at home. So much so, he finished 2nd overall on day 5!
Rallying is not as straight forward as other types of competition. There are so many variables to consider, some of which, cannot be prepared for at all. One such situation happend to Kobus on day 6. With 1km left to the finish, he was stopped by a policeman and told to go the other way. Arguing was out of the question as the Turkish policeman, armed with an AK47, did not speak a word of English. As such, Kobus was forced to take a much longer route (20 kms.) which affected his finishing position that day.
At the end, Kobus finsihed the rally in 13th place overall. Not bad considering that 1) He’s not a professional rider. This is his hobby. And 2) He simply bought the bike and used it. His bike performed as promised and he didn’t have to modify anything.
Congratulations, Kobus! We look forward to seeing you at more rally events in the near future.
KTM-UAE 