Is this for me?
Who is it suitable for?
The Paris Dakar Challenge is open to most riders with a full motorcycle licence, a sense of adventure, and the confidence to handle a bike in real-world conditions. You don’t need to be an off-road expert — far from it.
Most of the route is on good tar roads, but you’ll also face trails in remote areas and busy city traffic in North and West Africa. You don’t need to be any kind of expert — just capable, self-reliant, ready for some long days in the saddle and a have a solid foundation of general riding experience.
Core Requirements:
- You must have an unrestricted motorcycle licence held for at least 12 months.
- You must be confidence riding and manoeuvring the type of bike you’ll use on the trip — including in unfamiliar traffic and mixed conditions.
- You must have ridden at least 1,000 miles in the 12 months prior to the start date.
You’ve Got Time – Make It Count
If the trip excites you but your riding’s a bit rusty, don’t worry. Many riders start from that position. With some focused riding in the weeks before departure, you can ensure you have the confidence, control, and mileage you need to take this on — and love it.
Who Else Will Be There?
Your fellow riders will be like you – after an adventure of a lifetime which they will never forget. They may be any age, come from any walk of life and from any country. They may be experienced bikers or relative novices but we can guarantee that there is little chance any of them will have done anything like this before.
Typically most riders come from the U.K. but we also have riders join from the rest of Europe and all over the globe. There really is no typical rider so whatever your level of experience, you will almost certainly find other riders at the same level and be made very welcome indeed.
Off-Road Practice During the Trip
We try and make the trails that we ride progressive in difficulty in order to give less experienced riders time to get used to handling a bike on loose surfaces. A lot is dependent upon the weather however, which can make some trails particularly tough which otherwise may normally have been quite straightforward.
You need to be prepared for some tough days, but the tough days are always the ones you will remember as being the best. When riding off-road, all rides are done as a group and so you will not be left behind to struggle on your own!
Guidance for off-road novices
You don’t need extensive off-road experience to join the Paris Dakar Challenge — it’s designed to be achievable for any determined rider with limited trail-riding experience. In fact, we’ve often found that it’s the off-road novices who get the biggest sense of achievement from the whole experience.
That said, it’s important to be realistic. The off-road sections can be physically demanding and technically challenging — and that’s a big part of what makes them memorable.
If you’ve never ridden off-road before, we strongly recommend booking a beginner’s off-road experience day before the trip. Plenty of UK off-road schools run one-day introductions, and they’re a great way to learn the basics in a low-pressure environment. Having your first-ever off-road experience during the trip itself is not advised — if you don’t take to it, it could mean missing out the trail sections which are central to the challenge.
Off-road sections optional
Tarmac alternatives are almost always available. Opting out is completely fine — nothing is mandatory. While there will still be some short and easy dirt tracks here and there, these are generally manageable even for first-timers.
If you choose to skip the main desert crossing, it may involve leaving the group for a day or two — but we’ll make sure you’re fully prepared with routes and accommodation to rejoin the others as soon as the terrain becomes easier again.
Guidance for intermediates/experts
It is important to recognise that this is in no way an enduro event or Paris Dakar Rally replica race – it is adventure travel, designed to be challenging for riders of mixed abilities and experience. Nevertheless, the remote and stunning landscapes combined with camping in the wilderness and the adventure of exploring the world off the beaten track, mean that you are undoubtedly in for an amazing, unforgettable ride.
We have had experienced motocross and enduro riders join us in the same group as off-road novices, and everyone has gone away having had an unforgettable experience with many new, lifelong friends. For more information on the nature of our Paris Dakar Challenge, and to see if it is right for you, please get in touch.
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QUESTIONS?
Embark on the ride of a lifetime with the Paris Dakar Challenge. Whether you're a seasoned rider or new to off-road biking, don't let doubts hold you back; our team is here to answer all your questions and support you every step of the way. Contact us today to learn more about how you can join this unforgettable adventure.
