Tuareg 2013 Tunisia

The good thing about the Tuareg Rally is that it is held in March which means you can spend the cold miserable weekends of January and February in the garage stripping the bike down and putting back together. Today the bike was shipped to Belgium then it will be trucked down to Douz Tunisia for the start on the 8th of March.

With a year between events it also quite easy to forget how fecking hard the event is so again I am quite excited about going, I've almost forgotten about last year when I had to dig my 690 out of three Merzouga dunes in a grand distance of 500m and then retiring for the day as I forgot to collect my time card that morning making the days riding pointless. Yes all I can really remember is the long piste's riding at 85mph for mile after mile, no gates and no one looking disapprovingly. This year then event is held in Tunisia rather than Morocco so more of a level playing field as half the entered riders won't of had opportunity to memorise the roadbook.

I have left the front tanks at home this year and fitted an extra rear tank fingers crossed I will just make it between fuelling points this I hope will make the front lighter in the dunes and stop it digging in.

<a href="http://s1325.beta.photobucket.com/user/serge_uk/media/Tuareg%202013/IMAG0404_zpsd4b89472.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1325.photobucket.com/albums/u623/serge_uk/Tuareg%202013/IMAG0404_zpsd4b89472.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMAG0404_zpsd4b89472.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1325.beta.photobucket.com/user/serge_uk/media/Tuareg%202013/IMAG0402_zpse0004252.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1325.photobucket.com/albums/u623/serge_uk/Tuareg%202013/IMAG0402_zpse0004252.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMAG0402_zpse0004252.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1325.beta.photobucket.com/user/serge_uk/media/Tuareg%202013/IMAG0401_zps84993339.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1325.photobucket.com/albums/u623/serge_uk/Tuareg%202013/IMAG0401_zps84993339.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMAG0401_zps84993339.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1325.beta.photobucket.com/user/serge_uk/media/Tuareg%202013/IMAG0403_zpseaaeee03.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1325.photobucket.com/albums/u623/serge_uk/Tuareg%202013/IMAG0403_zpseaaeee03.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMAG0403_zpseaaeee03.jpg"/></a>

I hope to post some video when I get back but if you want to gloat at each days disaster you are welcome to follow me on facebook search for roger.hawkins.589

more info about the Tuareg is here

http://www.tuareg-rallye.com/track.pdf
http://www.tuareg-rallye.com/
happy holidays

Looks Great

The bike looks fantastic, Cant wait to see some more post about the rally, please post as much as you can as i have planned to do this rally but ill health has scuppered plans, cant wait.

Where's the tank from? I hope it helps.

please post as much as you can as i have planned to do this rally but ill health has scuppered plans, cant wait.

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One of the competitors from the big bike rally site (Ollie) is going to try and write a daily report subject to available Wi Fi, follow this link.

http://rallymoto.co.uk/showthread.php?673-Please-follow-my-Tuareg-Rally


P.S. the floor could do with a wipe Rog.

Cracking stuff! Good luck for the rally.

Nice to see Torque getting some advertising, too - well deserved.

dean0n0 said:

Where's the tank from? I hope it helps.

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http://www.rally-raidproducts.co.uk/ktm-690-enduro-rear-fuel-tank-black?filter_name=fuel

Hope that helps

very best of luck.

Paul G

Here is day 1 & 2 Day 1 is short at 100km which normally means hard!




Day 2

rally

have a great time, just remember to look after your new baby jager.dont get stuck in the sand again. happy days

suffolk said:

have a great time, just remember to look after your new baby jager.dont get stuck in the sand again. happy days

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I've lost Geoff allready are flight LHR to Tunis on Thurs got cancelled Geoff is now flying out Tues with the rest of the Torque racing riders, I fly Thurs LTN to CDG to SFAX havent figured out how I get from Sfax to Douz, thought about asking Geoff to come get me he has a hire car but he said "feck off" Think we are bonding well!

Another rolling report here:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=865985

taureg

its bad news to hear a rider has died in this event, very sad indeed . surge is still going very well and good to see, jager might be out with a hand problem so lets hope they make it to the end upright................

suffolk said:

its bad news to hear a rider has died in this event, very sad indeed . surge is still going very well and good to see, jager might be out with a hand problem so lets hope they make it to the end upright................

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Serge is indeed going well, on day two he was 10th in the moto proffi class and is currently 26th overall, not too shabby for an old duffer on a fairly heavy bike (690).

old duffer

he might even smile if he wins !!!!!! no thats going to far . thats not going to happen ......he is only in his mid 40

tuareg

geoff has fell by the wayside( broken hand) just lay by the pool with a cold beer, serge just battles on to the end. still going well ,we will have to look up to him now. best of luck the end is in sight ....

suffolk said:

geoff has fell by the wayside( broken hand) just lay by the pool with a cold beer, serge just battles on to the end. still going well ,we will have to look up to him now. best of luck the end is in sight ....

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Yes its a shame about Geoff, Rog (Serge) had an off as well, he has rib fractures plus skin damage, he was going to knock it on the head Weds but subsequently decided to carry on, I guess he's on painkillers because he continues to climb up the results, he was in 21st overall this morning.

serge

you missed the broken ribs and a sore arse , what is going on geoff wanted a relaxing holiday..lets hope he makes the finish and a good resault ..

Its finished, Party ended at 4.00am this morning, well that is when they turned the music off. I did not think I would be riding yesterday morning, Thursday I got the bike stuck in dunes perhaps 10 times and fell off it in sand 25 times so I got timed out for the day, the problem being I broke a rib / ribs on the bar end on Tuesday Star wars day but Initially I could ride fast even though they hurt, but lifting the bike seemed to aggravate them.Friday morning I was knackered hurt big time to lift my head off the mattress,and had to walk down the hotel stairs sideways cause my calf and thighs were shot. I saw the rally doctor at breakfast and he gave me 16 pain killers to take 4 at a time, well and hour later I could of rode the dunes all day' luckily the last day was a timed navigation stage 60k, with the pain gone I could bash through the dunes with speed so didn't get stuck and strong legs didn't fall off, only problem I was a bit too spaced out to navigate, so although fast unfortunally mostly in the wrong direction,I also while on meds had the cracking idea to bungee my camel back on to the rear rack rather than over my shoulders, It was on at CP2 but gone at the finish, along with passport drive licence cards ,phone,cash. rerode the route last night couldn't find it, no worries if anyone knows how to get a temp passport in Tunisia on a weekend I'm interested.Just popped the last pain killers need more, must get more , sweating now.

I like the sound of them pain killers... Good luck sorting out the passport