DOING THE DAKAR
Opportunities to blast around the world famous Dakar don’t come ten a penny, but sex symbol Fagan got that dream ticket and pulled the pin on KTM’s new 1290 Super Adventure R.
KTM 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE R
WORDS: FAGANO IMAGES: SEBAS ROMERO / MARCO CAMPELLI
It’s blisteringly hot. I’m in the middle of a desert. My balls are cooking in their own juices like those boil-in-a-bag potatoes. Every millimetre of my delicate super-white skin is shielded from the Peruvian sun, which shows no sign of relenting. The rugged terrain has acquired another victim, this time a front wheel puncture, so we’re stuck on the side of some gargantuan dunes waiting for the recovery truck. My camel pack is running dangerously low on water and my vision is starting to diminish. It’s like a scene from a movie, where everyone’s looking round for the juiciest flesh to start munching just in case the worst happens. No, I haven’t entered the Dakar rally, or an extreme sandcastle building contest. We’re on a press launch.
Although the Dakar has moved from its spiritual home to South America, the world’s toughest race has lost none of its splendour or appeal. With a supreme 16 year unbeaten run and a new victor in Sam Sunderland, you could say KTM is bossing things when it comes to two-wheeled rallying.