Of 65 announced drivers of the category motorcycle, 46 finished the rally. The HU Aprilia reached the 42. place.
For Sandy and Ruedi the Baja Leipzig was a last, larger test before the Dakar. Both gave special attention to the „hardware“. Especially to the tyres, the frame, the engine tuning and the light system, which they could test for the first time under real conditions.
- The performance of the tyres satisfied once again and this setup will be used at the Dakar. A bonmot of Rari, the president of the SSRT, who had the bad luck once driving behind the HU-Sidecar fits: „Ha müesse Stei fresse.“ ((I) had to devour stones).
Twice Sandy and Ruedi got stuck in the sand of the former surface mining area, but each problem they could solve with their own manpower.
- The frame under the SC didn‘t break, as it did at the Tuareg Rally. For the Dakar, it will be once more intensively controlled.
- The tuning of the engine satisfied. However Sandy and Ruedi did not want to drive the machine allways at the limits. They drove an average speed of 60km/h during the two etappes; together a distance of 533 km. At the Dakar, they will go for all.
- The extra Xenon light system proved it‘s worth in the last round of the first etappe. The probability that Xenon headlights will be used for the Dakar-rally, is of course higher for a SC than a solo.
- A lttle defect of the brakes of the rear-wheel and the SC-wheel, teached Sandy and Ruedy, to bring some more little screws with them to the Dakar. The hose of the brake had separated, which led to a failure, but this damage could be repaired in a etappe-stage.
As I asked Ruedi, if they had made new experiences in their driving performance he just told me with a little smile, that they didn‘t have an accident.
