Why hasnt a quad ever won the Paris-Dakar?

We werent in a race so that really isnt a relavent reply, we traveled 8 months covering 17 countries.
I agree that a small bike, a 250, would be the best bike to travel Africa but on a small bike the amount of gear you can take for an 8 month trip is very limited. Like I said we carried food and water for a week, this made us very independent and we could go pretty far out into the back country.


As far as paper work Quads are street legal in Europe so no problem their and in Africa we never had a single problem with our paperwork as far as the rest of the world cant say. In the US some states they are not legal but several people have crossed the US on them doing back roads. So where there is a will there is a way.

I refuse to travel by landcruiser or a VW bug, the difference being that you are sitting in something and on a Quad you are riding. A quad still has all the same adventure of a bike if not more because of the places that can be accessed.

I love when people make arguements that they have seen horrible accidents on Quads. Uhhmmm go talk to the local policeman and ask him how many motorcyclists they have scraped off the highway, way more than quads for sure.

Finally
You still wont get past the "4-wheels move the body and 2-wheels move the soul" issue!
I am a die hard motorcyclist, as soon as I got home I couldnt wait to take my BMW out and I am jonesing for a track day on my sport bike. But after 8 months in Africa when you hit the hard the roads trust me moving the body is just as important as moving the soul. Plus Quads arent this boreing souless vehicle they are a blast and do have character of their own.
Like threewheelbonnie said "It is a different vehicle entirely, not a landcruiser, not a bike."

I have limited experiences with quads, but they seem to be a sensible alternative to a motorcycle, if one was to ride strictly, or as much, off road as possible, such as riding across the US on the back country dirt roads/trails/etc. I have to agree with Quadsacrossafrica--who cares if and why a quad has not won the Paris to Dakar? Or the Baja 1000? They can do the route, and for 99.999% of the people, can do the route better than a 2 wheeler as far as when the terrain gets ugly for two wheels. Much can be loaded onto them. The only real downsides I can see (again, considering the intended route) are the thumb throttle, and the appetite for fuel.

Quads are only better in limited circumstances. No one has made the case that quads are recognized/legal in all places where motorcycles can operate.

So there's some people who happened to use them in special situations - as in Africa - where there wasn't a restriction on quads. So they perform better in soft stuff - a reason for the things to exist in the first place. But hit pavement and the motorcycle will be a better vehicle choice. Try negotiating through congested city traffic, and I'm willing to bet the motorcycle will get you through traffic better.

Around the world, motorcycles can go anywhere its legal to operate a motor vehicle, and although there are situations when they may not be the best vehicle, they'll still get you there.

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quastdog
Chiang Mai, Thailand

But is anyone say "thou shalt not use your motorcycle"? "thou shalt not use a car"?

No I think not, all that's being suggested is that in some circumstances they can also be considered as a suitable long distance touring vehicle. I wouldn't dare tell anyone what vehicle to use, all I'd do was suggest alternatives.

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Sorry Alexlebrit - but the thread is titled:

Are Quads better than bikes for traveling???

so, except in limited circumstances, certain situations, NO!

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quastdog
Chiang Mai, Thailand

Indeed, although it then goes on to expound in far greater detail, the specific times when they may be and the specific reasons why that might be so, so I was engaging with the whole thread, not just the title.

To go back to your previous post, it appears that outside some states of the US, some parts of South America, and all of Australia, a quad can be used, legally on the road. From the research I've done so far it appears Africa, India, Europe, and most of Asia are fine with this IF they've been registered for road-use in their country of origin (not certain about Antarctica though). I'd suggest that they're legal for road use in more parts of the world than they're prohibited.

So sure you can't use them everywhere, but you can use them in many places, including some where motorbikes may be either unsuitable or prohibited (increasingly in France for instance motorbikes are prohibited off-road due to over-use by noisy "scrambler" style bikes, but quads, and other motor vehicles are still allowed).

I do appreciate that some bikers appear to loathe the things with a passion, much more than they'd dislike other 4 wheeled vehicles, although I'm not certain why that's so. Is it because quads are seen as "sissy-bikes" and their riders are like those kids still using stabilisers or training wheels on their push-bikes long after the rest of us mastered balancing?

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Wait for Harley to bring one out and see the reaction.....

Andy

That made me chuckle I live in a rural setting, and all the Shepard's around here use quads with their dogs riding on the back The terrain they cross would leave a bike standing (literally), and the carrying capacity is brilliant (especially with the front racks fitted). It's lambing time now, and quads must be a godsend for them, the area that can now be covered (compared to walking) is immense ! They're not to everyone's taste, but they get the job done


Trophymick

Alex like your link. I think ride or drive what you want, whatever floats your boat so to speak. If it gets you out there than who cares about the hows or whys. I like the look of quads and they are great fun in the dunes I cant store one at home as I only have room in the coal shed for 1 bike at a time but those 700 Raptors from Yam look brilliant.

For those of you who think a 'dune buggy' like those they make out of vw beetles by ripping everything out and chucking roll bars on it is a good alternative to bikes in Africa, I dare you to try that! For one its fine on a beach as the sand drops quickly but try driving that in Fesh Fesh and you will have serious health issues with your lungs. The dust in Africa is so light it can hover for hours, also making it a nightmare for anyone who is following you. On a more technical side, the VW engine suffers from overheating in dusty conditions, so loads of new air filters will be needed.

These buggies are great fun for a day out but trust me I have tried it in Africa and its not a practical day-in-day-out mode of travel on that terrain.

PS: For anyone who cares I did most of Southern Africa in a home constructed steel tubed enclosed 'sand master' with a Rover V8 engine rear mounted, built by a family friend. A bit heavy but great fun.

Trav

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Moto Guzzi California 1100i
Honda XR650R 2003

'Nothing is neither right nor wrong, but what thinking makes it so'

'Where is a desert when you need one?'

We did Africa (cairo to Cape Town route) two up with a 100kg of luggage on a R100GS. We were focused on getting there and unlike some other bike travellers we met we were not tempted to go looking for off road for sport. We did take the bike up Mt. Kenya (to nearly 4000 metres) and all around Botswana and Namibia off road and never really felt restricted. It was a bit of a liabilty in deep sand due to weight and road tyres. I've owned an 1150 since and wouldn't even consider it for the same trip. The bike is much too heavy to start with and vastly overated in my opinion.

I've never liked quads even though they are road legal here but you never know, the next trip may be me on the bike and wifey on a quad - she's not safe in control of 2 wheels pedal power or engine.