I’ve not long returned from my recent adventure to Morocco and Spain, which was amazing to say the least. In Morocco I joined the Tuareg Rally (www.tuareg-rallye.com) thanks to the invitation from Holland Rally support team Memo Tours (www.memotours.nl). In Spain I rode with Redtread Tours (http://www.redtread.com), but more about this later.
It was back in January while standing on a hill next to the Dakar course in Portugal – to capture a good angle of the coming riders – where I met Bennie, the owner of Memo Tours, and in-between shots we got to know each well enough to talk further about me joining him and 40 or so other Dutch crew on the Tuareg Rally.
Two months later Bennie picked me up in his 4WD Ute from Paris towing one of the biggest trailers I’ve ever seen. 16 bikes in total it held, and with another two in the back of the Ute we motored south for 30 hours to the port of Almeria in Southern Spain, and yes, I was very happy to peal my butt off the seat on arrival and unload the bikes in preparation for my first off-road ride in Europe, and my first since leaving Australia in Nov 2006.

Props: Thanks to Mick and Ben from E-MotionDesign for getting my website back on track, great job fella’s, much appreciated!!

My Moroccan mate I met in the middle of somewhere on the trails, and he was on a bloody pushbike!

On my recent trip to Dakar I meet the guys promoting the Leatt Brace – helmet for your neck device, and at the time I was impressed with the design and feel of the lightweight unit. I noticed a few of the Dakar competitors trying them out and after talking to a few riders the general feeling was they thought it would definitely offer them good neck protection, especially when riding at speeds through the dunes where most crashes see the riders flung over the bars head first spearing towards the ground.

Since returning from Dakar I’ve noticed reviews by Racer X on the brace www.racerxcanada.com/news/3084/racer-x-canada-tested-leatt-brace

And also Transworld Motocross… www.transworldmotocross.com/mx/features/article/0,13190,1568085,00.html

But by far the most moving thing I’ve seen relating to the neck brace and the call for greater protection awareness is from David Bailey, one of the biggest legends of our sport. He talks for roughly 13 minutes on film and doesn’t hold back on making the call for the big guns of motocross/supercross to make a stand and support the need to spread awareness to the dirt biking community. It’s a must watch, check it out here …

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2540171359427789623

Take the time to check the links out and see for yourself the advantages of wearing such a device, whether you’re racing, trail or adventure riding, or even just play riding. It could save any one of us from serious injury…

The Leatt Brace

2006 Dakar moto winner Marc Coma blasts out of a cold river crossing during the first stage.

It started as a gathering of old mates while I was recently in Sydney saying my good-byes before heading OS. It ended up being a full-blown mini race in the back of Wonka’s yard. Big boys riding little toys. More laughs, cheers, abuse, fun and take-outs than thought possible in one day. There was myself, Goba, Bushwacker – who got the ball rolling, Wonka – who supplied his backyard, Goodtimes – who like always brought his big smile and an esky full of beers, D-Train – who turned up with his race-face on, a little twisted but there all the same, the Jones bro’s Bud & Ed – never one’s to miss out on any action, also sporting an esky full of cold beer, Shagga – the youngest of the crew with his mini and a kicker to make things a little crazier, Brownie – an all-round top bloke and one of the fastest mini riders in Oz, well a lot faster than most of us, and last but not least Pig and Goat – Bushwhackers’ dog and Wonka’s Goat, who fell in love at first site, but that’s another story. Read on for a rundown with pics on how the day unfolded…

Capt: Wonka and Brownie gettin into it while the track was fresh and beggin to be riden.