Dear all,

As some of you will be aware I am leading a team of three riders on Domino's delivery bikes in the Budapest to Bamako Rally. We were told that we could enter for free but it transpired that the organisers meant in the 'touring category'. When I tried to argue that we should be in the race category I got a very stern 'no way, not on those bikes, you wouldn't have a chance'.

After some persuasion they have agreed to let us race, but will charge us one race fee (rather than three, which is nice) and the bikes need to be up to the job.

As we are all pizza delivery riders coming up with the race fee will be a bit tricky so we are trying to 'crowd source' the funds, with some success. Would any fellow hubbers be able to chip in 5 pounds to help cover the costs? We need another 980 people to contribute and this will cover all the bike mods, the race fee, the CB radios and the spares for the bikes and the support vehicle (which was an e-bay purchase for 325 quid, so might be worse than the bikes!). In return everyone that helps will get a mention as one of the 'good guys' on our site and we will be posting the ride reports on here as well as carrying th eflag (OK, sticker) for Horizons Unlimited.

If we get the mods right I think we have a good chance of winning!

PM me for payment details.

We are also selling off all of my other bikes:
'89 FZR600, lots of work done already and will look MINT when done
Peugeot Chavfight 120 2-smoke (Speedfight surely, ed.)
Cagiva Elefant 750 with touring set up and new off-road tyres and rear shock
BMW K1100LT (it's not mine but a friend has donated it to the cause)
Some kind of Jap commuter, about 750 (details to follow)

As we get these tidied and MoT'd we will post pics in the 'for sale'

p.s. Bamako or Bust - Home

No-one?

I assume you're entering the 2012 rally??

What charity are you raising funds for? Have you got a plan for fundraising after you've covered all your set up costs.

Would be interested to see more information on the bikes and the preparation.

The whole plan looks to be barking, but the best of luck to you if it's really going to happen.

Yep, we'd be a bit late for the 2011, it ended a few weeks ago.

We are raising money for Practical Action, who specialise in appropriate technology 'challenging poverty through technolgy' - things like small very heat efficient clay ovens to replace open fires and use less wood etc etc. We have a just giving page on our website and are directing people to that.

In terms of fundraising for the trip itself we have done the following:
I have upped my hours to 50-60 a week (27 for the NHS the rest delivering Pizza)
I am selling off my other bikes
We have been offfered the use of a restaurant/bar to hold an evenings fundraiser where we get the door fee - ideas on what we could do to make this appealing would be much appreciated. Maybe an 'Adventure Motorcycling Evening'? It's pretty small so we wouldn't be able to make enough to pay any guest speakers etc which is a bind.

We have been offered a nightclub to put on a fundraising evening where we take the door and they take the bar - again we need to get the acts in...

We are taking some photos of the bikes in their current state today and will put a page on our website with the prep plan

Bamako or Bust - Home

If we can't get the race fee sorted out by June we will have to abandon the idea of being in the actual race category and just enter the touring - where we decide how much off-road mayhem we want. It's a very different challenge and feels like a bit of a cop-out compared to the 'you MUST crush out 350km of dirt and then another 200 of tarmac on time or you don't score points'