There’s more to rally racing than just avoiding cacti, rocks, sand, ruts and a host of other dangers that lurk around every corner and over every hill.

I remember it clearly. I was riding along the two-track road, which comprised a mix of sand, rock and riverbed. I had done it! I was about to finish the first stage of the Baja Rally. I rode well, and I didn’t crash at all. I had gotten lost a few times but found my way through the vast desert to reach the day’s finish. I was thinking about how proud of myself I should be. I was riding really well. Then things went sideways — literally. 

I was just on the bike, and then I was flying, slow motion, thoughts speeding through my mind, my life flashing before me. Every choice I had made on my journey of getting there ran through my head, along with many choice curse words simultaneously.

If I think of the starting point for my desire to rally race, it would’ve been back as a child watching the Dakar Rally for the first time. I even wrote a few speeches about the Dakar in grade school. I know the Dakar is a pipe dream; many ponder how possible it would be, but few ever get there.

Fast riding and long days while racing and navigating on your own tests not only your riding ability but also the ability to problem solve, and the fine line to balance is racing while keeping yourself and your bike in shape for the duration of the race. I wasn’t sure how rally racing could even be possible; the niche type of motorcycle racing isn’t overly publicized, so it can be hard to find a clear path as a new rider in the sport.

SETTING THE HOOK

In 2024, I went up to the Boreal Royale held in Fort McMurray. The Ride North Moto crew holds the annual event and had invited Willem Avenant and Lawrence Hacking (two Dakar Rally alumni) to attend, with Avenant offering an intro to roadbook reading.

I was immediately hooked on the idea of navigation while riding fast, since it offered an added level of challenge while riding. Not to mention the idea that, if you don’t follow the roadbook, you won’t get to your destination. You have no idea where the route leads you, and where you will end up, so the main goal is to not get lost in an unknown place.

During the course, I used one of Avenant’s electronic roadbooks and borrowed a friend’s bike. I found the electronic roadbook to be very intuitive and easy to use. The screen is like a Kindle, so you don’t have the glare while riding in the midday sun. I had gotten my first taste of what a rally would be like, and I was hooked.

I had decided on a whim to enter the Baja Rally, knowing nothing about the sport, but with the thought that I’d shift…