Craig Bounds to Tackle Dakar with Yamaha WR450F

The British division of Yamaha announced today that the Welsh Dakar rally and extreme enduro competitor, Craig Bounds, will campaign the 2011 Argentina-Chile Dakar rally aboard Yamaha’s WR450F enduro machine. Details on this adventure can be followed at the Craig Bounds Dakar Blog, which can be accessed here.

“After starting his motorcycling career as a schoolboy trials rider, the likable Welshman soon progressed into Hare & Hound events, enduros and eventually settling on the extreme, with events such as the Red Bull Romaniacs and of course the legendary Dakar Rally,” a company statement reads.

Bounds has 8 Silver ISDE medals, Red Bull Romaniacs Expert Prologue Winner 2007/2008, UK Rally Champion 2008/2009 and 1st place in the Trailbike class of the Baja GB in his trophy case.

“I've always been a big fan of the Yamaha brand, ever since owning a Yamaha TY125 as a young pup. The build quality, was and still is, second to none. This year's Dakar promises to be more technical than previous years and I am confident that the Yamaha WR450 is the right bike for the job. Enthusiasts can follow my progress on my blog,” said Craig Bounds.

“We are really pleased that Craig has chosen the Yamaha WR450F on which to compete in the 2011 Dakar and we wish him the best of luck. With Craig's experience of top level extreme enduro events combined with the WR450F's reputation for rugged reliability, durability and power, we're positive that together they can achieve a fantastic result,” stated Karl Radley, Marketing Co-ordinator for Off-Road at Yamaha Motor UK.