Monster Energy Honda Dakar bike stolen
The theft hasn't appeared to deter the team from its Dakar goal
A MONSTER Energy Honda CRF 450 Rally has been stolen from Le Havre ahead of its scheduled shipment to Peru for the 2018 Dakar Rally.
According to Paris-Normandie.fr, the machine was taken on the night of Wednesday 22nd and Thursday 23rd November from Quai Colbert, in the centre of Le Havre’s docks area.
It had been secured in a lorry in a yard where a number of Dakar vehicles were being held. The thieves reportedly forced their way into the vehicle, also taking three helmets belonging to the team.
A police enquiry has been opened, with investigations focusing on recovering the bike, which Paris-Normandie.fr has reported is worth €300,000 (£265,431).
It appears this theft will not distract the Monster Energy Honda team from its Dakar goal. In fact, a post on the team’s site on November 25th, entitled 'All successfully aboard! Destination: Lima, Peru', reported that the team’s equipment had been loaded on to a ship and was due to depart on Monday 27th November, making no mention of the stolen machine.
‘The Dakar Rally draws closer for Monster Energy Honda Team with the loading of the vehicles in the port of Le Havre,’ it states.
‘The ship transporting all the team’s equipment is bound for the port of Lima and is due to arrive in a month’s time.'
With only a month to go until the infamous rally kicks off on January 6, French publication Motojournal.fr claims that last month there were as many as 500 vehicles in Le Havre waiting to be shipped to South America for the 40th edition of the Dakar Rally.
