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Well put...I love Dakar, but it's pretty stomach-churning to be part of the sportwashing of their regime. Most people don't even know who Jamal Khashoggi is (or the fact that the Saudi security services (under the direction of the crown prince) literally lured him to the embassy, murdered him, and chopped him up in the Saudi embassy in Turkey for having the audacity of criticizing the Saudi government). I don't blame the competitors at all, but it's pretty sad what truckloads of money will gloss over....

Returning to Saudi Arabia in 2028, that's optimistic.

Back on topic, Gatedrop just posted an interesting interview with the boss of ZXmoto. He's nothing if not ambitious... I think ZX, Kove and ?JHL will add some interest to GPs next year - and they'll be noticeably more competitive by seasons end.

I’ve often wondered why ktm doesn’t market this bike more aggressively or do I live under a rock?

I have really liked the quality of KTM’s and have great dealer support from KTM of North Texas. I feel the KTM has a “real dirtbike” feel as compared to some of the bicycle types. As you can see in the pic, I beat every e-bike except the Starks at Biltwell this year. And, I’m 72 years old. 😎

It is unproven, but look at what’s actually bolted to it: fully adjustable KYB suspension front and rear, Bosch dual-injector EFI, hydraulic slipper clutch, and a quickshifter out of the box. This isn’t a cheap backyard clone; it's backed by a team, who has already proven they knows how to engineer performance machines that punch above their weight. Sure, long-term reliability is the big question mark everyone's waiting on, but if the reliability holds up, getting a fresh-out-of-the-crate 40-hp 250F with top-tier suspension for half the price of the big three is worth watching closely instead of dismissing outright. Dismissing...

It would have been really cool to see them do an 85, 112 and full size 125.

They've won a bunch of races in World Super Sport. I know it's not a dirt bike but the owner is a real enthusiast.