Faggotter and Diener to lead Yamaha Aus Safari squad

With up to 700 kilometres covered each day of the eight day event, and both riders spending an average of eight hours in the saddle per day, the right balance of durability, comfort and pace made the bulletproof WR450F a natural choice.

Recent Australasian Safaris have been disappointing for Yamaha, with the blue machines last seeing the podium when Faggotter finished second in 2008 - his first Safari ride. Last year, Faggotter was pushing for the lead when he made a mistake on day five and broke his wrist. As such, Faggotter is treating this year's Safari as "unfinished business" and fully expects to return to the podium, bouyed by success at the prestigious Condobolin 750. With a motocross racing background and a history of gutsy performances, the Centretune Motorcycle dealer has all the attributes to succeed this year.

South Australian Shane Diener comes to Yamaha with a gear bag full of experience at all aspects of dirt bike racing. Like Faggotter, his younger days were spent as a motocross racer, giving him speed and skill. He moved into off road and then endurance events and is a past winner of the SA 24 hour event. After an injury earlier this year, Diener is back to full strength and not to be taken lightly.

For the Safari, the Yamaha WR450F both riders are using will be close to factory spec, with 28lt "Safari Tanks" (front and rear), "Shock Treatment" suspension, and a "Barrett" exhaust system being amongst the few deviations from standard. As proof of the WR's reliability, Faggotter said he barely laid a spanner on the bike he rode during the 2010 event.
"It's nice to know that the bike is designed and built to handle everything I can throw at it during the Australian Safari," said Faggotter, who is using the Safari as part-preparation for an attempt at the 2012 Dakar Rally.
"I have enough things going through my mind in the race and the last thing I need to worry about is the performance of my bike. Thankfully Yamaha has done that for me and it's my job to ride it as fast and as safely as I can for eight days."

The 2011 Australian Safari blasts off from Perth on September 22. To follow Rod and Shane during the event, stay tuned to the Yamaha website/facebook pages; www.yamaha-motor.com.au