Mo's Dakar

“Going to Dakar was a true challenge. I’ve had some pretty grand ideas, but doing that race might be. The. Dumbest. You question everything. You question your existence. You question, ‘This is what I do for fun? This is what I choose to do with my money?”—Mo Hart ‘Why should you watch the Dakar Rally? Why should you be interested? Because it's brilliant, that's why….Specifically, the Malle Moto class. That is the hard, hardcore. That’s real bike shit right there”.—Liza Miller, Owner of Re-Cycle Garage and the Host of Motorcycles and Misfits Podcast This is the story of one man's attempt to be one of the first U.S. citizens to finish in the hardest division of the world’s most difficult off-road motorcycle rally. Since 1978, racers in off-road motorcycle rallies have dreamed of racing in The Dakar, formerly known as the Paris to Dakar Rally. Now held in Saudi Arabia, the race features competitors in several categories and vehicles, competing in a grueling two-week event. In the most difficult category, the Original by Motul, a select number of motorcyclists compete unsupported by mechanics, sleeping on the ground in tents, and repairing their bikes after racing across the desert for ten hours or more. Before the 2023 Dakar, no U.S. racer had finished in the Original by Motul class. In 2023, Mo Hart, admittedly not the fastest off-road rider, joined the largest group of American racers to ever compete in the ObM. In an attempt to finish, he experienced exhaustion and extreme weather while riding for up to ten to twelve hours a day, returning to camp to repair and maintain his bike, and getting up at 4:00 a.m. to start it all again. It's the story of a guy from the East Coast, now living in California: a sailor, an IT security consultant, a surfer, a mountain biker, and a motorcycle enthusiast. A guy who battled his inner demons and his exhaustion in his attempt to finish the race. Yes, it's a book about off-road motorcycle racing. It's also a book about perseverance, helping others, accepting help, and overcoming hardship while knowing exactly who you are and what you need to do. His stories and descriptions, told with honesty and self-deprecating humor, focus on his challenges and the people who helped him in the months leading up to the Dakar and during his time in Saudi Arabia.