Deus Swank Rally di Sardegna Classic

May 29, 2019

The Deus Swank Rally project has taken flight and reached heights that we never could have imagined. Now, here we are talking about the mythical Rally of Sardinia. Four days, 700 km for feeding hungry off-road wheels and many people with whom to share the stories of these adventures. From the sea to the mountains and from the mountains to the sea, through rain, fog, dust… and a few rocks. When we launched the project, the feedback was incredibly fast and enthusiastic. Registration was closed one month in advance with people coming from all around the world: Hong Kong to the USA, all ready to play in the gentleman’s way – The Swank Rally way. no rival to overtake, No trophy, no glory at stake, just pure fun fun fun. In the spotlight, the main characters: vintage motorbikes, spit-shined for the occasion. 'Cause yes, we are talking about the Swank Rally of Sardinia Classic. Along the track, surrounded by the Sardinia's country, you could see a parade of Yamaha XT and TT, Honda XL and XR, KTM GS, Aprilia Tuareg and old BMW Parigi Dakar. Then, there she was, the queen of the ride, the Deus Swak Rally 700, built on the base of a Yamaha XSR, customized specifically for this adventure. Old glories that took to the field for the last act of their epic careers. Those are the ladies that bring that ever-present touch of style to every Swank Rally. The helter-skelter of such different landscapes and grounds makes this journey seem one month long, and what a month! Behind every corner stretches of crop fields becoming granite rock formations or century-old dusty dirt roads. Where can you find so many different panoramas within a few kilometers of each other? For many, this was their very first rally, for others their very first navigation experience, for some – crazy ones – one of their first off-road experiences. This gave the general atmosphere a sensation of virginal euphoria, and for us, that excitement in the eyes of the riders has been the most precious prize. The rule is, never back down: all the rides bravely fought until the end, they crossed rivers and climbed over stony grounds, fixing breakdowns and standing up after falls. We even assisted in open-heart surgery - because if you start a rally, you have to finish it. Due to a broken ignition coil, there is one rider who bought a whole bike in Olbia for parts to fix his XT. With the help of the fellow travelers who assisted in performing the open-heart (bike) surgery during the night, the bike made a full recovery. We can’t thank enough our friends at Adventure Riding who made this jump possible, Yamaha, Acerbis, and Metzeler for their essential support, Pakelo, Volkswagen and Leica for believing in the project, and as every good adventure, we are left only with the exciting question “what’s next?” Foto: Filippo Maffei, Marco Renieri ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Il progetto Deus Swank Rally ha spiccato il volo arrivando dove non si sarebbe neppure potuto immaginare, culminando nel Rally di Sardegna e riportandone alla luce il mito. Quattro giorni di Rally, un totale di 700 km da dare in pasto a tasselli e un sacco di persone con cui condividere i racconti di quest’avventura. Dal mare alle montagne e dalle montagne al mare, tra pioggia, nebbia, polvere... e molte pietre. Quando è stato lanciato il progetto, la risposta è stata incredibilmente tanto pronta quanto entusiasta. Sono state chiuse le iscrizioni con un mese di anticipo e persone da tutto il mondo vi hanno preso parte: da Hong Kong agli USA, tutti pronti a giocare alla gentleman way dello Swank Rally: in palio non ci sono trofei, gloria o rivali da sopraffare, solo tanto tanto divertimento nel suo stato più puro. Sotto i riflettori le vere protagoniste: splendide moto vintage tirate a lucido per l’occasione. Perché si, stiamo parlando dello Swank Rally di Sardegna Classic. In mezzo alla campagna sarda lungo il tracciato, hanno sfilato Yamaha XT e TT, Honda XL e XR, KTM GS, Aprilia Tuareg e vecchi BMW Parigi Dakar, e lei, la signora dell’isola, la Yamaha Deus Swank Rally 700, su base XSR, costruita e personalizzata appositamente per questa avventura. Vecchie glorie scese in campo per un ultimo atto nella loro epica carriera. Sono queste protagoniste che danno quel tocco di stile immancabile negli Swank Rally. L’alternarsi di paesaggi totalmente differenti l’uno dall’altro ha fatto sembrare questo viaggio lungo un mese, e che mese! Dietro ogni curva si alternavano distese di campi di grano a perdita d’occhio, granitici monumenti naturali o polverose carrate dalla memoria secolare spesso attraversate e rallentate da immensi gregge di pecore, dove altro si possono trovare tanti scenari a così pochi chilometri? Per molti è stato il primo rally, per alcuni la prima esperienza di navigazione, per altri – folli - addirittura una delle prime esperienze in fuoristrada, più o meno nascosti dietro a grandi campioni che hanno fatto la storia di rally internazionali. Questo ha regalato all’atmosfera generale una speciale sensazione di virginale euforia e per noi l’esaltazione negli occhi dei partecipanti è stato il vero grande regalo di questo Rally ed il premio più prezioso. Crederci sempre non arrendersi mai: tutti piloti coraggiosi e intrepidi che hanno lottato fino alla fine, attraversando guadi e arrampicandosi su pietraie, affrontando guasti meccanici e cadute. Fino ad assistere ad un’operazione a cuore aperto, perché il rally se si inizia, bisogna finirlo. E così per una bobina rotta c’è chi ha comprato una moto intera a Olbia per trapiantare durante la notte e con la solidarietà di tutti i compagni di viaggi, il pezzo guasto sulla sua XT. Non finiremo mai di ringraziare Adventure Riding che ha reso possibile la concretizzazione di questo grande salto, Yamaha, Acerbis e Metzeler per il supporto essenziale, Pakelo, Volkswagen e Leica per aver creduto subito nel progetto e, come ogni avventura che si rispetti, concludiamo con “a quando la prossima?” Foto: Filippo Maffei, Marco Renieri

ENGLISH TEXT BELOW

Setiap tahun, teman-teman kita Tasix Adventure—penyelenggara petualangan ban berlumpur dan adrenalin berbahan bakar terbaik di Bali—mengadakan acara akhir pekan berkemah yang sangat dinanti-nantikan. Mereka menamakannya “ The Wild,” dan jujur saja, tidak ada kata yang lebih pas dari itu.

Ini bukan sekadar acara; ini adalah petualangan wajib bagi siapa saja yang mencintai tanah, tantangan, dan persahabatan yang hanya bisa terjalin saat tertawa melihat teman lain terjatuh.

Hal tentang The Wild adalah misterinya. Kamu tidak tahu ke mana akan pergi, bagaimana sampai di sana, atau apa yang akan kamu temui—seperti hidup, tapi dengan lebih banyak asap knalpot.

Tahun ini, The Wild yang berlangsung pada 7 Desember 2024, mengumpulkan 135 pecinta motor enduro, trail, dan cross di Desa Kopi, Tabanan. Tepat pukul 9 pagi, kami berangkat menuju Desa Gesing, Singaraja. Rute tetap dirahasiakan hingga hari acara, meningkatkan sensasi penasaran dan antusiasme. Dengan dibagi menjadi beberapa kelompok kecil, kami melengkapi diri dengan perlengkapan motocross lengkap untuk menghadapi tantangan musim hujan.

Perjalanan? Murni magis. Jalur berkelok melalui permata tersembunyi Bali, di mana setiap tikungan menawarkan pemandangan yang memukau atau hampir membuat jantung berhenti. Rute tahun ini menghadirkan medan tanah liat merah—dijuluki tanah "keramik" karena teksturnya yang licin dan keras saat basah. Untuk melintasinya, diperlukan teknik khusus yang disebut “paddling the throttle,” sebuah manuver yang mendebarkan dengan motor yang sering bergoyang liar. Dari kejauhan, mungkin terlihat lucu, tetapi saat di atas motor? Ceritanya berbeda.

Setelah menempuh 68 kilometer petualangan liar, kami tiba di perkemahan di puncak bukit yang sudah dipenuhi tenda-tenda peserta lain dan deru knalpot. Destinasi selalu mencuri perhatian, dan yang satu ini tidak terkecuali—tempat tinggi dengan pemandangan 360 derajat yang menakjubkan dari laut, gunung, hingga kota.

Saat hujan turun, tenda-tenda didirikan, dan malam itu diisi dengan berbagi cerita tentang penyelamatan heroik dan kecelakaan yang menggelikan. Dan tentu saja, ada balapan. Bayangkan sekelompok pengendara penuh semangat meluncur di perbukitan dalam kekacauan yang terkontrol. Balapan tahun ini termasuk duel 1 lawan 1 yang seru di sekitar puncak bukit, dengan peserta menyelesaikan dua putaran penuh adrenalin.

Bukan soal menang; ini tentang hadir, tertawa, dan menikmati momen. Para pemenang dan peserta tercepat yang mencapai puncak bukit dirayakan dengan hadiah, tetapi senyuman, persahabatan, dan kebersamaan membuat semua orang merasa seperti juara.

The Wild tahun ini benar-benar sesuai namanya, bahkan lebih. Petualangan, tawa, dan cukup banyak tanah di gigi untuk menyebutnya otentik—kami tidak akan menginginkannya dengan cara lain. Terima kasih yang sebesar-besarnya kepada semua peserta yang menjadikannya pengalaman tak terlupakan. Sampai jumpa di petualangan berikutnya!

Every year, our mates over at Tasix Adventure—Bali’s finest purveyors of muddy tyres and fuel-driven adrenaline—host their much-anticipated camp-out weekend. They’ve named it “Wild,” and honestly, there’s no better word for it.

It’s not just an event; it’s a pilgrimage for anyone who loves dirt, daring, and the kind of camaraderie you can only forge while laughing at someone else’s wipeout.

The thing about Wild is that it’s shrouded in mystery. You don’t know where you’re going, how you’ll get there, or what you’ll find—kind of like life, but with more exhaust fumes.

This year’s Wild, held on Saturday, December 7, 2024, brought together 135 enthusiasts of enduro, trail, and cross motorcycles at Desa Kopi, Tabanan. The route was kept a secret until the event day, heightening the thrill of the unknown. At exactly 9 am, they shared the destination, Desa Gesing, Singaraja, Divided into small groups, we geared up with full motocross kits to tackle the rainy season’s challenges.

The ride? Pure magic. Twisting trails through Bali’s hidden gems, where every turn promised either breathtaking views or breathtaking near-misses. This year’s route featured red clay terrain—nicknamed "ceramic" soil for its slick, hard texture when wet. Navigating it required a special technique called “paddling the throttle,” a nerve-wracking maneuver that had bikes swaying wildly. From a distance, it might have looked hilarious, but on the bike? It was a whole other story.

After 68 kilometres of this wild adventure, we arrived at the hilltop campsite already alive with the buzz of activity and the roar of exhausts. The destination always steals the spotlight, and this one was no exception—a high-altitude perch offering stunning 360-degree views of the sea, mountains, and city.

As the rain came down, tents went up, and the evening was all about swapping stories of heroic saves and laughable crashes. And then there were the races. Picture a pack of overexcited riders tearing up the hillside in what can only be described as controlled chaos. This year’s races included thrilling 1-on-1 duels around the hilltop, with participants pushing through two laps of sheer adrenaline.

It wasn’t just about winning; it was about showing up, laughing, and embracing the moment. The race winners and the fastest hilltop arrivals were celebrated with prizes, but the smiles, the camaraderie, and the shared triumphs made everyone feel like champions.

This year’s Wild lived up to its name and then some. Adventure, laughter, and just enough dirt in your teeth to call it authentic—we wouldn’t have it any other way. A massive thank you to all the participants who made it unforgettable. See you on the next adventure!