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For most people, Friday morning is synonymous with a well earned lie in, perhaps a lazy breakfast and an amble through the Gulf News. For the energetic there might be another futile attempt to emulate Tiger Woods; for the really energetic there may be jog or a trip to the gym. And then there is Andy Pearcy. Another sleepless Thursday night, fuelled by anticipation, followed by an un-miss-able 4 am alarm call before he is out of bed and on the road. It's still dark as he joins up with his comrades on the Babelshams road, sleepy courtesy grunts and slugs of caffeine, as they head out into the no man's land between Dubai and Hatta, equipment in tow.
"I first started riding in the UK when I was about 14-mainly track based stuff but we would also do some trail riding; but once I started working full time it just became impossible to fit it in. He's been in Dubai just over a year now and settled on the Palm instantly-" I love it here, away from the city; beach on your door step; friendly bars, what more could you want?"
It also allowed him to get back involved with motocross. "... the terrain here is ideal, The Desert is very unpredictable and the terrain constantly changing with the varying weather conditions so concentration is a must once you're out there, After a while you learn to read the dunes as each one is different; the sand has different consistency in places all mixed in with some steep climbs and sharp drops, believe it or not there is always a surprising amount of life out there. You'll see camel trains and Bedouins in the middle of nowhere snaking across the dessert; small deer and various different types of lizards.
These are not the sort of bikes that you have to dodge on Sheik Zayed Road; these are the specialist endurance variety. The most noticeable thing about riding one of these dirt bikes is the rawness of the machine, they have so much torque and power; they usually cost up to 30,000Dhs; but weigh a mere 250lbs;It has to be one of the most physically demanding sports I have ever done-as if the 4am start wasn't enough-you'll be standing astride the bike for 2-3 hours, shifting your weight to guide yourself through the terrain and to predict the vagaries of the dessert. Safety is a must as in any motor sport so we wear full body armor to protect against the inevitable spills. "Yes, I crash most weeks!" laughs Andy " it's all part and parcel of it - that's the benefit of the dessert-soft landings - you just dust yourself off and jump back on. Because of the Terrain and safety the bikes require a lot of upkeep, basic servicing at every 10-15 hours of riding, Full clean and checks after every ride. There are a few places that will take care of all these requirements for you and prep your bike each and every week, for me its part of the enjoyment as well as an additional learning curve.
"Most of the time we ride for fun but there is of course a competitive element-it wouldn't be motor sport otherwise-the UAE racing season runs through the cooler months- September to April-and most of the organized races are arranged by Dubai Motocross Club (DMX)-they started here about 20 yrs ago and have the tracks up near Jebel Ali-next to the hotel."
The Baja Championship series consists of a string of dessert races, around a demarcated track of 20-25klms which may need to be navigated 5-6 times, so a total distance of around 150klms or so. To make it more tricky, and prevent the chance of someone putting in too much practice the satellite coordinates for the race are communicated only hours before hand to the riders. For safety there will be manned checkpoints along the way, and a recovery sweep team to come to the aid of downed riders.
"Of course like anyone to do your hobby or passion professionally as a job would be fantastic but I'm not good enough to do that! This really is just for fun and it gets me away from my day job." Andy runs one of Dubai's leading car hire companies in what has become an increasingly competitive industry. "yes it's a bit cut throat, and all of the ‘big boys' are keen to dominate the market but we do pretty well as most people are keen to directly compare prices."
"With motocross or dessert riding you don't really need to be an expert to get involved, if you have a basic knowledge of bikes-how to change gears, use a clutch and the like-then your almost there. The guys involved in this are pretty accommodating and you can always get some advice-you can hire everything that you need, to see if it's going to be for you. The facilities up at the Jebel Ali track are getting better all of the time and you can have proper lessons up there if you're a bit nervous.
For The dessert riding again, everyone is very accommodating and friendly so you can arrange for a one on one ride or tag along as part of a group.
By 10am he's back on the Palm; the Gulf News is still being scanned and breakfast muffins are still being munched as he finds a spot on the beach to crash out; recover and get ready for next week. Surely you'd expect him to get a bit of practice in during the week weaving amongst the cars on Dubai's race-track-roads " Are you mad? I would never take a bike on the road-that's far too dangerous!"
If you're interested in getting involved in the local Dessert riding scene then give Andy Pearcy a call on 050 240 2513
