We went to Greece to participate in a Yamaha event, the Ténéré Spirit Experience, which consisted of doing one of the largest and most spectacular rallies in Europe, the Hellas Rally Raid, but in a very particular and privileged way.
Yamaha created an event within one of the world’s main rallies and made the experience as memorable and enjoyable as possible. The brand gave customers the opportunity to feel exactly what a professional rider feels. And I assure you, it is an unforgettable experience! I was invited by Yamaha and had exactly the same experience as a customer would. The purpose of this article is to report exactly what happened (as well as what I felt), and how this whole experience works for those who want to be part of it in the future.
TÉNÉRÉ SPIRIT
In this 2023 edition, there were three categories. In the main category, Rally 1, there were 251 motorcycles, including both experienced/professional riders and the majority of amateurs. The Rally 2 category had 34 participants and was distinguished only by having fewer kilometers than the main category. The Raid category was where the Yamaha event was included, with 9 Ténéré World Raid motorcycles. This category has the particularity of having GPS navigation and the route is slightly shorter than in the Rally 2 category, and it is not timed.
The Rally took place between May 20th and 28th and there were 7 stages, with one of them being the prologue. We did between 100 and 200 km per day, with 90% of the route being off-road. The stages always started and ended in the same location, specifically in Karpenisi, making logistics and accommodation easier.
To begin with, it is a Rally Raid, so those who are willing to do it will not just take a simple stroll in the forest. It was days of 6/7/8 hours navigating… But that’s precisely where the challenge lies. Yamaha itself had no idea of the possible demands of the track, especially because the Ténéré bikes are much taller and heavier than the 450 cc, which was the dominant engine size.
THE EXPERIENCE
The sensations start right upon arrival at the Bivouac. Seeing the entire support structure for a rally of these dimensions is exciting in itself. Many brands are present with their trucks and support tents, and the racing atmosphere can be felt everywhere! Above all, everyone breathes the same passion and that is spectacular for those who love motorcycles and off-road events.
Yamaha had one of the largest structures present, with several trucks and support vans, as well as various tents, all very professional and organized just like in the Dakar, for example. In fact, the event organizer, Marc Bourgeois, was precisely the team manager in the last edition of the Dakar and was also our team manager. It gave us great peace of mind to know that we had a support van with all the spare parts and mechanics ready to help us anywhere at any time during the race.
But continuing with the description of the structure: Imagine a long tent with 4 meters wide and 30 meters long and several compartments. That’s it! Right at the beginning is the space for the official riders’ motorcycles, then another space with capacity for up to 12 motorcycles for clients and guests, and on the sides two divisions for meetings and another for catering and clothing. Every detail counts. For example, upon arrival, there was a certain nervousness that led to a quick disarray in this area because we all had a lot of equipment (clothes, protections, etc…) On the first day, the team’s main assistant Chloe Minaux took care of labeling all our equipment with each person’s name, so that there would be no doubts in case of mixing the equipment. In this case, there was a small downpour and the team had to organize everyone’s clothes, and this was a detail (among many others) that immediately dictated the experience and professionalism of this team, since when we arrived, we had all the spare clothes and equipment properly arranged and organized.
On some occasions, we even stopped to take unique photos. After all, our “race” was not against the clock.
Then, they allocated one mechanic for every two riders. But they were not ordinary mechanics. All of them had many years of experience in races and several Dakar! Not only was there a good atmosphere, but they also had small competitions of pride and efficiency in performing any kind of service (including completely disassembling engines). Personally, I only asked on the first day for them to remove the passenger footrests and raise the gear shifter and rear brake, because as I rode with motocross boots, in the factory position they were too low.
THE RALLY
The level of demand was unknown until the first day. The prologue was only 30 kilometers, but Mother Nature gifted us with a lot of rain, which turned the marked and expected dusty areas into very muddy areas with long ruts. Therefore, the first day was a good introduction to the challenge we had ahead and also served to have the first contact with these motorcycles in a new environment.
Great cliffs but above all very varied and winding routes throughout the course.
The Karpenisi area is full of trails and rivers, which made navigation easier compared to navigation in the desert. On the other hand, the challenge was to understand if the curve closed at the end or not and if there were no dangers like fallen trunks or unexpected turtles… Yes, you read it right, this area of Greece is full of land turtles, some of them quite large. And this was one of several surprises we had. Another characteristic that marked me was the variety of terrains we navigated throughout the days, from dense forests to wide trails on top of the mountains. We rarely had places where we rolled fast in 5th gear, the most common was rolling in 2nd and 3rd, which shows the amount of curves we made. Therefore, the averages of 150 km we did per day were made in 6/7 hours of delicious curves.
The atmosphere was always impeccable and supportive among everyone.
This is an experience for those who want, for example, to have a first contact with a rally without the pressure of classification. Of course, those who propose themselves to such a challenge must have some spirit of sacrifice and we arrived at the end of each day quite tired, but with a big smile on our faces. The thing is, those who like races and rallies like to accelerate. But despite this one, in particular, being an event for an intermediate level, one of Yamaha’s biggest concerns is that in the future it will be an event for all levels.
Another highlight was sharing the whole experience with Pol Tarrés, as we spent a week together, laughed together, also suffered a bit together, but above all we rolled for many kilometers and hours and shared driving and rally experiences.
All participants were treated like true riders, and all you had to do was ask for something and it was immediately done on the Ténéré.
In summary, this is an opportunity for those who love riding motorcycles and want a challenge, but without the pressure of the stopwatch. The most enjoyable part is the fact that we have all the privileges that a professional rider has. The most interesting thing about this adventure is feeling exactly what a rider feels and having a complete experience of what a rally of this magnitude and structure is like. I thought that, because the Ténéré World Raid is a larger and heavier bike than a 450cc, I would be more tired at the end, but that didn’t happen. After so many hours on the bike, I learned that when things go well, everything is wonderful (and I dare say it’s more enjoyable than a 450cc), but when corrections are needed, that’s when I would spend more energy. And I conclude with these words: This was an event that I will not forget.
The family photo of this year’s edition.
PARTICIPATION PRICE: €5,100
INCLUDED:
Transportation and logistics during the event
Registration and administrative formalities
Mechanical assistance
Accommodation and catering
Management of the entire race and formalities
NOT INCLUDED:
Motorcycle transportation
Motorcycle rental
Suspension and shock absorber rental
