The Dakar Rally has come to an end for another year and, for Hero at least, there will be mixed feelings. For the second year in a row, the Indian newcomer to the sport recorded stage wins while teammate Franco Cami finished the rally in the top ten, both incredible achievements for a fledgeling team.
Against that will be the disappointment of human error, that saw both Branch and second teammate Stefan Buhler run out of fuel due to a consumption calculation error. This caused a five-hour delay for the pair which put them well out of the running for a podium finish overall but the commitment and potential of the team were emphasised when Branch went on to take two out of three stage wins.
Third teammate Sebastian Rodrigues, unfortunately, crashed on Stage Four and broke a femur, bringing an early end to his Dakar.
Hero has to take heart in that none of their motorcycles suffered any form of mechanical failure, which in itself is an astonishing feat for such an inexperienced team and manufacturer. The Hero 450RR is prepared and run in Germany by Hero Motorsports Team, comprising German and Italian personnel. The 450RR is built entirely by Hero Motocorp and it is certain that lessons learned in the Dakar will be incorporated into Hero’s products such as the XPulse 200, which is already making a big impression in South Africa.
With at least three new models expected in South Africa during 2023, the future for the Hero brand in this country is looking bright. In 2024, Hero South Africa will be sending one lucky XPulse customer and the top-performing Hero dealer to the 2024 edition of the Dakar Rally.
For more information, visit: www.heromotorcycles.co.za
