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Host Taylor Lawson joins co-host Aaron Pufal for rally updates, field notes from a Swedish motorcycle show, and a special interview with Mercedes from Crankshaft Culture on her trip to the Dakar Rally.

🍺 Drinks: Ölön Double IPA & Seattle morning coffee

Topics Covered:

• Motorcycle Mässen Field Notes: Taylor camped in sub-zero temps at the Jönköping motorcycle exhibition (35,000 attendees). He caught up with Robert Bollinger, who shared details on his upcoming Pakistan Himalaya ride on CF Moto 450s and confirmed plans for the 2027 Europe ADV Cannonball. Robert's 2025 Cannonball video has hit 170K+ views and is driving serious interest in the rally.
• Mercedes at Dakar: Crankshaft Culture's Mercedes shares her bucket-list trip covering Defender's maiden voyage in the revamped W2RC stock class. Three Defender D7XR teams competed — a Lithuanian driver took 1st, Americans Sarah Price & Sean Berriman grabbed 2nd, and 14-time champ Stéphane Peterhansel placed 4th. She breaks down the differences between amateur TSD rallying and professional rally raid, the massive Bivouac support operation, and Defender's three-year W2RC commitment with plans to bring race-proven tech back to production vehicles.
• New Rally Classes for 2026/2027: Two classes introduced — Pro Class ("Wing Nuts") for first-to-arrive competitors, and Mile Crusher Class for adventure-focused riders. This expands capacity and streamlines morning starts for larger fields.
• Kove 450 Partnership: Kove is partnering for 2026 Americas.
• 2027 Europe Route Preview: Backbone route published — Tarifa, Spain to Skagen, Denmark. 5,000km base with 1,000+ optional miles via checkpoints. Features beach riding, French farmland stages, and an awards banquet at a Danish hotel and casino. Sign-ups opening imminently.
• Book Update: Chasing Legends on the Podcast Trail headed to the typesetter — expected mid-February.
• Logistics: HaulBikes offering trailer service from the finish line. Discounted Hilton hotel rooms filling fast — book now.
• New Signups (Americas 2026): Drew (Gillette, WY – 1300 GSA), Kurt Frazi (Antonito, CO – 1200 GSA, Team Cincinnati), Hilo Mania (Atlanta, GA – Himalayan 450), Timothy Maynard (

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