Al Balooshi, the Rider who used Tree Branch to Repair his Dakar Bike!

This Dakar season became unforgettable for Mohammed Al Balooshi after he suffered a brutal crash during his race to the finish line. The Emirati racer lost all hopes after his crash and used a tree branch, in the hope to repair his motorcycle.

The rally, which started in Ha’il and covered roughly 4,000 kilometres of dunes across the Empty Quarter before terminating in Jeddah, was held for the third time in Saudi Arabia in January.

Al Balooshi, a veteran of five Dakar Rally races, has revealed the circumstances of how he was catapulted from his bike in a high-speed collision after striking a mud patch.

Despite breaking two ribs and breaking the handlebars of his bike in a hard impact, the Red Bull-sponsored biker was able to continue the race thanks to some mechanical brilliance.

Al Balooshi was one of 149 motocross riders competing in the rally, which also included quad bikes, automobiles, trucks, and other electric vehicles. Only 320 of them made it to the finish line.

His bike hit a spot of muck after taking off from a dune at high speed, flinging the Emirati several metres to the ground. His bike’s steering column and handlebars had been damaged, and he worried that he would be forced to quit from the race.

Thankfully, race marshals put a halt to the action because visibility had worsened to the point where racing was deemed dangerous. After the sandstorm cleared, the 42-year-old had enough time to repair his bike and continue the race.

Balooshi commenting on his crash said, “Thankfully, race marshals put a halt to the action because visibility had worsened to the point where racing was deemed dangerous. After the sandstorm cleared, the 42-year-old had enough time to repair his bike and continue the race. We all regrouped and looked at how I could support the handlebar with tools, tape and zip ties.
“It didn’t work, so I used a tree branch that had broken to the same size of my handlebar.”

The biker was able to ride the last 70 kilometres over desert, sand, and rock thanks to the homemade handlebar.

He was the first Arab motorcyclist to complete the Dakar Desert Rally for the third time. It wasn’t the first time he’d been hurt in the gruelling competition.

He was sent in the incorrect direction on the 10th stage of his maiden Dakar Rally event in 2012 and afterwards fell off his motorcycle, fracturing his hand and shoulder. Despite these major mishaps, Al Balooshi says he always understood he had to keep moving forward.