The Baja rally on a motorcycle, this Dutchman just does it!
The Baja 1000 Rally is one of the toughest rallies there is. Of course, the Dakar is a bit tougher, but it is not a rally that you ‘just’ do for a while.
But what does the fact mean: that did happen and by Wouter-Jan van Dijk. That name sounds very Dutch and that is because Wouter-Jan originally comes from the Netherlands. In fact, he is actually a Dutch person living in Australia and can therefore vote today if he wants to.
Dutchman drives Baja rally
Wouter-Jan is an epic hero. He basically did the minimum. In fact, last month he didn’t even know if he would participate. At least, he only started preparing last month. He bought an old KTM 500 EXC (You can find them on Marktplaats from 5,500 euros) and signed up for the Pro Moto Ironman Class.
He bought the motorcycle in La Paz and then rode the steel horse to the start of the International Baja 1000. When he arrived at the starting point, Wouter-Jan discovered that there was a crack in the frame. The completely worn straps were also replaced.
It could have been an even bigger success
It’s not even like Wouter-Jan finished the race, he did incredibly well! At the first checkpoint (375 km) he was the leader in his class. And 963 km further, WJ was still second. Things went a bit wrong in the last 160 km of the race, as he lost his navigation system. And if that wasn’t enough, he also damaged a wheel, leaving him with a flat tire.
Fortunately, they were able to fix some things during a pit stop, so that the Dutch motor mouse still reached the finish. The final time was 48:27.03, including time penalties. The maximum time it can take you is 50 hours. So with a little bit of luck Wouter-Jan could have finished much higher. And all that with hardly any support, sponsors or a team. What a hero!
Thanks to Iwan for the tip!!
Photo credits: wouterjanvdijk via Instagram.
Through: TheDrive
This article Dutchman completes Baja rally on standard second-hand motorcycle first appeared on Autoblog.nl.
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