I think it’s often underrated just how grueling off-road riding of any sort can actually be. For folks on the outside, hitting the trails looks like tons of fun. But those who actually do it—even recreationally, at that—would know just how tiring and exhausting it can be.
Riding beyond the confines of pavement opens you up to all sorts of unknowns: things like the elements, your machine’s reliability, wild animals, and yes, your own mental and physical fortitude. And so my hat goes off to any and all off-road racers, especially those who compete in races like the Dakar Rally and the Africa Eco Race.
While the Dakar Rally has been the subject of headlines quite a bit recently, there’s yet another equally grueling off-road rally that some people actually consider to be the true spiritual successor to the Dakar Rally. I am, of course, talking about the Africa Eco Race (AER). I mean, the AER is an event that’s actually held in Dakar, so I get why folks consider this as the OG Dakar Rally. The rally follows a lot of Dakar founder Thierry Sabine’s original route, too—around 6,000 kilometers across Morocco, Mauritania, and Senegal.
Now, if there’s one name that’s been gaining a lot of traction at the AER, it’s definitely Aprilia. The Italian manufacturer took home the championship in last year’s race, and this year, it’s pretty much done the same thing, bagging multiple wins across multiple categories.
