Hero demonstrates Dakar bike in India

The event, which was held at Hero’s R&D facility near Jaipur, also served as the official launch for Hero’s rally operation.

Speaking at the event, Dr.Markus Braunsperger, CTO, Hero MotoCorp said: “Motorbike rally racing is the toughest form of motorsport in the world.

"In addition to putting to test the endurance limit of the riders, it is the ultimate platform to evaluate the competency of the machines.

"I am extremely excited to welcome the members of the Hero MotoSports Team Rally at Hero CIT," he added.

Hero has embarked upon a long term plan for achieving success in cross-country rallying - and has kept a lid on its expectations for its maiden Dakar outing in January 2017.

The team took part in the Merzouga rally earlier this year, where factory riders Joaquim Rodrigues and CS Santosh finished ninth and 16th respectively.

The Indian manufacturer has tied up with Germany’s Speedbrain, a renowned rally squad that has prior experience in Dakar and other international cross-country rallies.

Hero’s rally squad is headed by Speedbrain founder Wolfgang Fischer, with Braunsperger providing further assistance to the team.

“This year will be a completely different experience for me as I am going to participate as a member of the world-class factory team,’’ Santosh said. “I am hopeful that we will put-up a great show of the Dakar next year.”

Rodrigues commented: "Even though this is a new set-up, I’m confident that the team has a bright future with all the right ingredients to make a successful rally-team."