How to read a Dakar Rally Road Book

Get the inside scoop on all things Dakar Rally on Red Bull TV: redbull.com/dakar
Ever wondered what that big tower on top of a rally bike is for? Join GasGas Factory Racing's Sam Sunderland as he explains what the roadbook is, and how he uses it in races like the Dakar Rally.
#dakarrally #dakar2024
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[@RedBullRally]

Riding flat out AND reading this roadbook at the same time 🤯

[@shannonbaz-casper7745]

SUPER tough. Now try doing it really old school without an auto-advancing rollchart!

[@DeepSouthBuilder]

?? This is a VERY simple navigation system. Especially considering competitors that read a lot of different languages. They’ve taken a huge portion of the judgement calls and interpretations out of the equation from traditional map and compass navigation. It’s Mapquest for off road driving.

[@richardhague3455]

@shannonbaz. They don’t have an auto advancing roll chart the toggle switch on the handlebars moves it forwards and backwards. O and it’s called a road book not a roll chart 😂

[@shannonbaz-casper7745]

​@@richardhague3455 not sure what's so funny about that. Their "road book" in many other types of racing (such as motorcycle enduro/adventure/dual sport ) is called a "roll chart" and it is the exact same thing with a similar format and the same types of information, so we're honestly talking semantics here. I didn't notice the toggle switch, but even an electrified one seems like a huge luxury while the rest of us are over here scrolling our roll charts (or road books/route sheet/whateverTF you want to call them) by hand :-)

[@richardhague3455]

@shannonbaz what’s funny is you thinking that the Dakar rally on a bike is going to be made harder by turning a knob rather than pressing a toggle switch. I don’t know what motorbike enduro,adventure, dual sport racing you ride but maybe you could get Sam Sunderland to give it a try, as a 2 time Dakar winner, he might need more of a challenge racing you😂😂😂😂

[@roitofficial]

"That was just 5km, normally we do 300 - 400" Add the fatigue, elements and 14 days, gives great perspective to how damn tough this stuff is, huge respect!

[@RedBullRally]

Yes, they're true warriors

[@GearHead36]

It's the toughest type of Motorsport there is, after all. You don't just win a cross-country rally, especially Dakar. *You finish it.* Indeed, winning is preferable, but in a race like this? You'd be really freaking lucky to reach the Finish Line in an undamaged vehicle.

[@nikhiltripathi5989]

I love how the guy introduced himself just only as a dakar rider instead of 2 time champion👍✌️🙏

[@hard_satania926]

That's when you know that he's humble enough to not mention any of his achivement

[@seatrader8404]

absolutely agree with you!! he is true champ !!

[@ktwei]

These guys are heroes by being able to read these while speeding across an unknown desert.

[@RedBullRally]

Exactly!

[@durango8882]

I’m like how do you read that standing still? 😄

[@uahoe]

You dont know what heroes means

[@MrNanda38]

It's not that hard.

[@NK-rm7kc]

@@uahoe love your name😂 and yeah, u r right. Nevertheless maybe „mad men from another breed“😉

[@andystreet339]

My dad rode Enduro back in the 70s and 80s and he had a road book and tried to explain to me how he would read it and keep up with everything and it always blew my mind how they can keep up with the road book while trying to navigate the trail

[@RedBullRally]

yea and at the speeds they're sometimes riding too!

[@andystreet339]

@@RedBullRally these guys are insane! Thanks for sharing

[@jazztryppyn8445]

And here I'm not allowed to answer my phone while driving.😁

[@therealxenoz]

@@jazztryppyn8445thats because youre just an average person compared to them

[@jazztryppyn8445]

@@therealxenoz it. was. a. joke. Of course I'm an average person.

[@nelsonvzaks9186]

Reading pace notes at 150km/h on uneven terrain, mad respect for these guy🎉❤

[@EpicSpartan574]

Thanks “A Dakar Rider” for the educational session

[@TheNuclearBolton]

Hamburger

[@eblackshaw]

Love these educational tips. I've been wondering about the road book / riding skill for awhile. As a geography teacher who teaches orienteering on foot, I can only imagine the stress to navigate at this speed ... what a skillset. Thanks for sharing, RedBullRally.

[@RedBullRally]

Absolutely!

[@bluerebel1148]

I played that Dakar Desert Rally game that released last year I think, and it actually does a decent job of teaching you how to use a road book! At first it was frustrating but once you learn what everything means (and you turn off that annoying Co-driver and open up the index and learn the symbols) you start to blaze thru some stages and it so thrilling! The only reason I understood what was going on in the video was because of that game, lol. I bet alot of people were lost during this but I'm sure our rider tried to do his best. He was Riding, navigating, and trying to talk over that loud bike, lol.

[@anotherweirdperson5382]

Yeah I learned how to read the roadbook thanks to the older dakar game (Dakar 18 I think) and I got Dakar Desert Rally on launch lol, the best part is that the game uses the exact same road book of the Dakar 2020, 2021 and 2022, no simplified version for beginners or anything, just the exact same road book :D

[@bluerebel1148]

@anotherweirdperson5382 Yeah, that game is awesome for that, too! Make driving fast a bit more interesting!

[@undercomposition]

Seeing/playing that game is what sparked my interest in Dakar and Rally Raid and now it is my favorite sport.

[@itsmiep4583]

To anyone seeing this comment and is interested in trying the game; its free on Epic Games till 22 february :p

[@hunteraff5872]

I can understand WRC pacenotes and it’s pretty straight forward because you’re following a track. I could not do Dakar😅 middle of nowhere, probably one singular rut showing where to go

[@Toxic88088]

I always thought those road books slightly rolled themselves automatically as you ride. Having to manually roll them is insane.

[@marshallcollins8634]

Did I miss something or did the map self scroll. I don’t think you watched the same video I did

[@vongdong10]

@@marshallcollins8634 I didn't hear him say anything about self scrolling. Just a manual toggle switch.

[@JustHoonIt]

@@marshallcollins8634 Manually with the left thumb toggle

[@rikiz98]

Basically, being that sometimes they get lost or real POI are not as explicit as they are in the roadbook, it being manual lets the rider go up and down the imdications as they wish

[@General-Failure]

Automatic scrolling of the roadbook would require knowing the precise location of the rally vehicle at all times, like a satellite navigation system does, and that information is not made available to the drivers. The Dakar, being an orienteering race, does not permit GPS based navigation, but only uses the technology to register that vehicles reached their mandatory waypoints (Way Point Controlled, WPC).

[@Titanium308]

Thank you for sharing, so awesome to see the high skill set and andurance needed for this race, love Dakar.

[@martinbailly573]

Amazing ! Reading the road book and going fast ! So impressive ! Thank for such an informative video !

[@MrGbustamante]

This is the best video on the subject that I have seen yet, thank you!

[@rido5159]

Thank you for sharing information about Dakar racers how to read navigation on desert tracks. Reading navigation in the Dakar Rally motorbike race turns out to be very different from cars. Extraordinary! ✨

[@zacharybartlett8519]

Wow! This is next level concentration and commitment. Actually pretty stoked to watch this years Dakar. Best of luck to all these guys and gals! 👌

[@willjones7132]

Excellent video, great explanation, I'll have even more respect for what these guys go through when watching the race.

[@haxzie]

Absolutely love the explaination! We need more of these videos. super helpful :)

[@michaelanderson3771]

Great Demo Sam. Super difficult. I used to navigate in a old Datsun 1600 rally car here in Aus in the novice Combine 6 series using mud maps (forestry maps) back in the late 80's early 90's. That was tough but you guys have is so much more difficult. And doing all that yourself on the fly at 160 kph. Huge kudos brother. Sorry to hear your out Day 3 with Mechanical issues. Maybe next year.

[@TurboJoe304]

I’m loving all these detailed videos of how the Dakar works from a riders standpoint

[@McRocket]

Man! I thought it was mega, mega hard before. Now, it seems even more difficult. Wow! Thanks for this, Sam. ✌️

[@belanagy5595]

Oh Man! From my comfortable gamer seat it so easy to watch motorbikes going with high speed so easily in such road conditions - but looking this from rider perspective how difficult it is, following the navigation, in the meantime keeping the speed and momentum to finish the race in the top, also making sure you don't get fall off the bike, rolling the roadbook, checking Compass...OMG such a complex task. Thanks for sharing it with us!

[@kapilchaudharyttto5899]

Amazing skill level for processing this much information riding at this speed in all unknown territory …hats off

[@azcojpg]

Loved the explanation, so much concentration needed for roadblock and obstacles while trying not to crash day after day must be a huge mental toll.

[@roryothen7005]

One of the best roadbook videos I’ve seen

[@earthroamer9907]

Very well explained, really appreciate this type of format. Always wanted to know how your nav worked. Now I know. Thanks!

[@RedBullRally]

Glad it was helpful!

[@thomaswiesenthal3980]

Thx for the ride 🚀 Good luck, Fingers crossed 🤞🏼

[@mastercovenant]

that was a nice explanation, never saw before how they did this!

[@mauriciomessa7575]

Creo que es impresionante la manera en que van haciendo y resolviendo tantas cosas a alta velocidad. Mis respetos !!!

[@ADabtU]

best video I have seen on Dakar Rally

[@jwdegroot1177]

Thank you! This was excellent!

[@wikuscombrinck512]

Awesome video! I always wanted to know more about this!

[@jforden78]

Brilliant video, thank you very much

[@user-lb1eh8hn8s]

It must be extremely difficult trying to navigate through really challenging terrain while maintaining speed. Amazing what these guys can do. I take my hat off to them. Really impressive and inspiring viewing. Thanks for sharing this excellent information.😊

[@stanbrow]

Thank you. Very interesting, always wondered how these worked.

[@scratchydog]

Thats fantastic , what a great tutorial !! Thankyou so much for that , im very impressed by your ability to do so many things at the same time and have a conversation with the locals ( goats) no offence , i cant wait for the start, im a serial dakar addict every year 25+ years Good luck and thankyou again !!

[@RedBullRally]

You're very welcome!

[@benwrightson]

Tough gig lads! Respect 🤟

[@migueltavares4639]

massive respect! good luck to dakar!

[@martinlee9391]

I always wondered how that all worked Even more respect to you guys.

[@Frankestein01nl]

Great explanation, thank you very much!

[@peterplunkett7394]

I always wondered how they used the road book. such an interesting video, thank you Red Bull and to Sam for taking the time to make this tutorial 👌

[@RedBullRally]

Glad it was helpful!

[@sorianoraul]

This video was awesome! Thank u thank u!!!

[@hamiam2243]

Damm thanks for the explanation helped. A lot looks very hard.🤯

[@boguee]

Love seeing him. Go Sam

[@broman113]

........WHEN I was underweight for co-drivrer from rally.... this makes me happy to a good print out

[@thealchemist013]

Props. Great video. Good luck, my friend!

[@hellusw]

thank´s for the insight red bull !

[@gustavoguti27]

That's madness, huge respect for this athletes

[@NicolasSaudemont]

Thanks a lot for those explanations and true-life examples !!! I knew you guys were gods riding in such terrains at those speeds, but I must admit I didn't expect the road-book to imply that level of hieroglyphic de-ciphering on-the-fly for hundreds of km !😀

[@naidusreemaan5045]

Thanks a lot

[@MOHAMEDHASSAN-fk9jv]

Incredible and mind boggling 😮😮😮

[@pedro.kakiko]

I would live to do smth like rhis one day, it seems like a ton of fun, and the spirit and cooperation must be incredible

[@caturlifelive]

First time i saw explanation about it is from Norally Itchyboot. Thanks for teaching us about it RedBull

[@codadeo]

Thats was awesome. I always wonderd how you used that navigation. The amount of concentration and focus is insane, plus the distance you ride everyday. Your a beast. Good luck on the rally.

[@paranormalgambler2814]

Jus got the game dakar 18 and loveing it cant believe i never new about this amazing really tell jus a week or so ago ! Hats off to the men an wemoan that do this..hopefully one day i will get to try out in real life as well!

[@perpedersen6226]

Impressive, just impressive!👍

[@conradsmith6022]

Man that's hard. Well done.

[@chewylandlive]

This is the most interesting thing I have ever seen....ever. I need this on my 310.

[@Roberta_Esposito]

This is just awesome

[@BLOBSCAN]

Thank you!

[@khalilsjan183]

Amazing information about route map ✌️✌️✌️✌️💕💕💕💕

[@JoeBlow-nu8yo]

Thank you for the information 👍

[@RedBullRally]

Our pleasure!

[@alexold8183]

Great explanation, seems like a very cool adventure

[@johnkling3537]

That was awesome 🚀

[@rogerfield4521]

Great info and video, best of luck 👍

[@JAVBigBadVinny]

Awesome insight, just WoW

[@Garry_Conntact]

I can only dreams about that. Good luck!

[@joehart4370]

Amazing stuff you would want 4 eyes these bikers are just amazing..its another world

[@jacobrice1409]

That was awesome!!!

[@ramiroguerrero6331]

It's insane, crazy, a lot of work all by yourself, expertise required, 🥇🍺

[@NishantRajF1]

Legends!!

[@strikerz2668]

That was interesting ❤

[@pauliusvidugiris5152]

Great explanation! Although I wonder what method they use to relocate if they make a mistake and lose the track. It should be tricky without a map.

[@kilcool01]

woow..amazing explanation ...this is what KZbin was meant for:)

[@taneumjct5156]

Jonah Street our local legend and nice guy!!

[@nthatomalope]

Wow!

[@piccalillipit9211]

*I did the PariDakar in 2004* we did not have any of this - we had maps, a compass, and two hand-held super basic Garmin GPS - which is probably why we got lost in the mine field in Westen Sahara

[@srk1200]

Thanks for putting together this video for us lesser mortals. Thats a lot of eye, brain and body co-ordination that too at triple digit speeds on sand and rocks. The Bike & ATV riders are super heroes👍

[@walterhaumaier9137]

It would be hard to navigate through that without keeping your eyes on the directions holy smokes my hats off to these guys

[@banyanyas839]

This definitely 3 am kind of type videos

[@doug_EX]

That was very interesting.

[@nokia.s3350]

Mad respect for those bikers. They really knew how to read those maps in the middle of nowhere. 👍

[@p3ggy80]

Good luck Sam. 3 time winner🤞

[@Dr.NagendraJayaram]

Dakar rally is a really a test of mental and physical endurance. Hats off to the racers

[@kpm3254]

GREAT VIDEO THANKS 😉😊

[@RedBullRally]

Thanks for watching!

[@megabreeeze]

How much ahead of time do you get from receiving the rally road book sheet to look over it ahead of time and to install it and then head out to race, can you open it up all the way and go over it, or they hand you the road book and you put it in and go.

[@CyclingNeko]

on race, are the black buttons will be disabled to lock the odometer? I mean, if you accidentally push the button, your odo meter will be out of synch with the Road book.

[@willskissick4100]

Siiiick

[@brianboys9015]

Very interesting

[@saafrican]

FFFFFFFFF how the heck do you go fast .... stay on course ......not crash and navigate Ive raced the ROOF OF AFRICA and kalahari 1000 in the 80s on a motor cycle . but you guys are are absolutely amazing . thanks for the insight

[@Pintkonan]

thanks for explaining. wohoo ^^

[@RedBullRally]

Happy to help!

[@Vreguleift]

Very cool. I always wanted to see how these worked.

[@RedBullRally]

More to come!

[@jimday666]

This was interesting

[@_zajlock_6635]

Now I can play dakar desert rally on professional mode and not get lost on every corner!

[@royjose8091]

This is awesome. I wonder how these roadmaps are made with so much accuracy. Man made maps or satellites?

[@Laurynas_S]

Moto class is probably the most difficult one in Dakar especially for the guys in Original by Motul class, where they don't have any mechanical support team.

[@matteomay9828]

what these guys do is actually crazy

[@sycdiaries]

WoW ♥😲

[@varunp601]

Super ,

[@Rezar_racing]

When u finish that race send me that book pls i love everithing from red bull🎉 merry xmass🎉🎉🎉