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Sam Sunderland Wins the 2022 Dakar Rally for GasGas (And KTM)

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Sam Sunderland can call himself a two-time Dakar Rally winner after today’s final stage of the iconic race.

The Brit finished third in Friday’s Stage 12 timed section, which was enough to clear him by almost four-minutes from his next competitor, Pablo Quintanilla.

The day marks a bit of history as well, as Sunderland’s result gives GasGas its first Dakar Rally, though the machine is largely a rebadged KTM 450 Rally motorcycle. For those who are unaware, GasGas became part of KTM’s business group in 2019.

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Dirt

Alpinestars Debuts A Standalone Airbag System for Off-Road Use

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Perhaps the best news from Alpinestars at CES is that the Italian brand is going to make its off-road airbag system available to consumers, later this year.

The news comes as part of Alpinestars’ larger airbag product line announcement, but we figured this news was so important, it deserved its own story.

This is because the Tech-Air OFF-ROAD V2 protection jacket is the first commercially available airbag system designed for off-road motorcyclists, and that makes it a game-changer for those who want the best protection in the dirt.

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Bikes

Stark VARG Electric Dirt Bike Debuts with 80hp and 242 lbs

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Stark Future is the newest electric two-wheel maker on the market, debuting their electric dirt bike, the Stark VARG.

Despite being a new outfit, Stark’s electric motocross machine boasts some impressive stats right out of the gate, with a claimed 80hp power figure and a 242 lbs ready-to-ride weight.

Perhaps most importantly, the Stark VARG looks the part of a serious dirt bike – electric or otherwise.

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Bikes

Ducati DesertX Debuts for Your Dual-Sport Desires

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The Italians left the best for last on their six-part motorcycle teaser campaign for the 2022 model year, as today we finally get to see all the details about the Ducati DesertX adventure bike.

In a way, we already knew the important bits about the DesertX, having seen the concept bike at the 2019 EIMCA show.

The idea has involved since that Milan unveiling, however, with the air-cooled motor it showed with in Milan now being replaced by Ducati’s venerable water-cooled 937cc Testastretta 11° engine.

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Bikes

Benelli TRK 800 Adventure Bike Surprises at EICMA

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In my EICMA preview article, for our A&R Pro subscribers, I wrote that the Chinese continue to impress each year with their two-wheel offerings, and that one would do well to watch what Benelli brings to the Italian trade show, as the Chinese-owned brand has a habit of bringing intriguing machines each year. I was not wrong.

There has been no shortage of middleweight adventure bikes debuting at EICMA (and before), but it is the Benelli TRK 800 that caught me the most off-guard.

Riffing on the Benelli TRK 502 that debuted in 2015, the Benelli TRK 800 is a middleweight ADV that features a 19″ front wheel, and plenty of bang for its buck.

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Bikes

2022 Yamaha Ténéré 700 Raid Prototype Teases an Up-Spec Model

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The Yamaha Ténéré 700 has become a popular choice amongst dirt-focused ADV riders, especially those shopping in the middleweight ADV category, but the Tuning Fork brand is surely feeling the pressure as that segment continues to heat-up.

So, it is not surprise then to see Yamaha toying with a more capable, more up-spec, and more expensive variant to the Yamaha Ténéré 700 ADV machine, to help fend off the entries from other brands.

This is where the 2022 Yamaha Ténéré 700 Raid Prototype comes into play, and it just broke cover at the 2021 EICMA show in Milan, Italy.

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Rumors

MV Agusta Confirms Its “Lucky Explorer” ADV Project

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Start the countdown for MV Agusta’s adventure bike reveal, as the Italian brand has signaled that it will it be debuting, not one but two ADV bikes at EICMA this year.

Starting with its “Lucky Explorer Project” name, and imagery from the Dakar Rally, it is clear that MV Agusta is trying to draw a line to the company’s rally-raid history through the Cagiva brand (something another Italian motorcycle brand does as well).

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