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Published in: News Thanks for checking out ADVMoto's stage by stage quick summaries of the 2026 Dakar Bikes categories! We want this to be a handy place to check results and watch recap videos. All videos are sourced from Honda Racing HRC YouTube channel. (@HondaRacingHRC). If you have any information to add or see errors, please let us know! • Dakar 2026 – Stage 2 Motorcycles Report > All Riders Summary – Stage 2 On the road from Yanbu to AlUla, Stage 2 reshaped the front of the bike race as Daniel “Chucky” Sanders powered to the special‑stage win and took over the overall lead for Red Bull KTM. Edgar Canet limited the damage with second on the day despite road‑opening duties, while Ricky Brabec, Skyler Howes and Tosha Schareina delivered a wall of red for Honda just behind, confirming that the factory fight is firmly between KTM, Honda and Hero. Further down the top ten, Ross Branch rebounded from his Stage 1 penalty with a fast and tidy ride that moved him back toward overall contention, and Rally2 contender Michael Docherty again inserted himself among the factory bikes with another top‑ten stage. Riders like Luciano Benavides, Adrien Van Beveren and a tightly packed second wave of Rally2 and privateer entries used Stage 2 to consolidate rather than gamble, knowing that the rockier AlUla terrain can end a rally in one mistake and that the real selection will come as the kilometres and fatigue stack up over the coming days. > USA Riders Summary – Stage 2 Stage 2 from Yanbu to AlUla reinforced the strength of the U.S. attack at the front, as Ricky Brabec finished third on the special and tightened his grip on a front‑running overall position. Skyler Howes backed that up with fourth on the day, keeping both factory Hondas well inside the top ten on combined time as the rally moved inland. Behind them, Nathan Rafferty continued to chip away at the desert on his BAS World KTM, logging another solid finish in the mid‑to‑rear pack while adapting to the rockier AlUla terrain and the mental grind of long liaisons. His approach remains classic privateer Dakar: ride within his limits, manage the bike, and let consistency and reliability carry him up the order as other riders falter later in the rally. Daniel “Chucky” Sanders struck back on the run from Yanbu to AlUla, winning Stage 2 for Red Bull KTM and seizing the overall lead as Edgar Canet, Ricky Brabec and Honda’s pack kept the gaps within a few minutes. The results confirmed that the early days of Dakar 2026 would be a three‑way fight between KTM, Honda and Hero rather than a runaway for any one factory. > Dakar 2026 Stage 2 Bike Results – Yanbu > AlUla (January 4, 2026) Stage 2 pushed the bikes inland from the Red Sea coast into rockier, more technical terrain around AlUla, blending stone fields, camel tracks and small dune belts. With Canet opening the road after his Stage 1 win, navigation, starting position and bonus time became as crucial as outright speed, and any mistake risked both time losses and early damage to the bike. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhg9EOV8Jr4 > Overall Top 10 Bikes – Stage 2 PosRiderNationTeam/BikeTimeGapInstagram 1 Daniel Sanders AUS Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (KTM) 4h13m37s — Instagram 2 Edgar Canet ESP Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (KTM) 4h15m12s +1m35s Instagram 3 Ricky Brabec USA Monster Energy Honda HRC (Honda) 4h15m23s +1m46s Instagram 4 Skyler Howes USA Monster Energy Honda HRC (Honda) 4h16m52s +3m15s Instagram 5 Tosha Schareina ESP Monster Energy Honda HRC (Honda) 4h17m11s +3m34s n/a 6 Mario Ventura POR Honda CRF 450 4h17m30s +3m53s n/a 7 Ross Branch BWA Hero MotoSports Team Rally (Hero) 4h17m33s +3m56s Instagram 8 Michael Docherty RSA KTM Rally Replica (Rally2) 4h19m25s +5m48s Instagram 9 Luciano Benavides ARG Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (KTM) 4h20m48s +7m11s Instagram 10 Adrien Van Beveren FRA Monster Energy Honda HRC (Honda) 4h22m35s +8m58s Instagram > Overall Motorcycle Standings After Stage 2 (Top 10) Sanders’ Stage 2 win moved him into the overall lead, with Canet, Brabec and Schareina all within just a handful of minutes and Ross Branch recovering from his opening‑day penalty to climb back toward contention. The gaps remain tight enough that one mistake on the way into and around AlUla could still reshuffle the entire top ten, especially as navigation and fatigue start to bite. PosRiderNationTeam/BikeGap to Leader (approx.)Instagram 1 Daniel Sanders AUS Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (KTM) — Instagram 2 Edgar Canet ESP Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (KTM) ~+1–2m Instagram 3 Ricky Brabec USA Monster Energy Honda HRC (Honda) +2m18s Instagram 4 Tosha Schareina ESP Monster Energy Honda HRC (Honda) +4m41s n/a 5 Ross Branch BWA Hero MotoSports Team Rally (Hero) +7m46s Instagram 6 Skyler Howes USA Monster Energy Honda HRC (Honda) ~+11–13m Instagram 7 Luciano Benavides ARG Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (KTM) ~+13–15m Instagram 8 Adrien Van Beveren FRA Monster Energy Honda HRC (Honda) +14m09s Instagram 9 Nacho Cornejo CHI Hero MotoSports Team Rally (Hero) ~+18–20m Instagram 10 Michael Docherty RSA KTM Rally Replica (Rally2) inside top‑15 (Rally2 leader window) Instagram By the end of Stage 2, Sanders had turned early pressure into control, but the time gaps behind him were still small enough that any crash, penalty or big navigation error on the next AlUla loop could rewrite the story at the front. • Dakar 2026 – Stage 1 Motorcycles Report > All Riders Summary – Stage 1 Stage 1 around Yanbu set the tone for Dakar 2026 with a blend of speed and precision, as Edgar Canet stunned the established order by converting his prologue form into a full special-stage win for Red Bull KTM. Daniel Sanders shadowed his young teammate to lock out a KTM one‑two, while Honda and Hero quickly responded with Ricky Brabec, Tosha Schareina, Nacho Cornejo and Ross Branch all planting their factory colors near the front. The opening day also underlined just how deep the field is this year, with Rally2 standout Michael Docherty sneaking into the top ten outright and riders such as Luciano Benavides, Adrien Van Beveren and other satellite entries hovering close enough to pounce on any early mistakes. Penalties and small errors – most notably Branch’s speeding infraction – reminded everyone that discipline matters as much as raw pace, but with the entire top ten still covered by only a few minutes, Stage 1 felt more like a high‑speed prologue to a long and increasingly technical Saudi campaign. > USA Riders Summary – Stage 1 American riders opened Dakar 2026 strongly on Stage 1, with Ricky Brabec leading the charge in third on the day and settling into an excellent early overall position. Skyler Howes also cracked the top ten, giving the United States two factory Hondas inside the sharp end of the classification from the very first full stage. Further back, Utah-based privateer Nathan Rafferty began his second Dakar with a steady, survival‑focused ride on his BAS World KTM, coming home well down the order on corrected time but keeping his bike and body in one piece on a fast, rocky opener. Together with other U.S. privateers, Rafferty’s goal on day one was more about avoiding big mistakes than chasing stage times, leaving the American camp with both front‑running factory hopes and a solid privateer presence as the rally heads inland. Edgar Canet backed up his prologue win with a commanding Stage 1 victory around Yanbu, leading a Red Bull KTM one‑two ahead of Daniel Sanders while Honda and Hero filled out a tightly packed top ten that sets up a fierce bikes race for Dakar 2026. The young Spaniard’s pace and composure immediately marked him as more than just a prologue specialist in his first full Dakar campaign. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYq129G0kh4 > Dakar 2026 Stage 1 Bike Results – Yanbu Loop (January 3, 2026) Stage 1’s loop out of Yanbu mixed jagged rock gardens, narrow passes and faster sandy sections near the finish, forcing riders to balance aggression with respect for the terrain on the very first full day. With bonuses not yet decisive, raw pace and avoiding mistakes defined the order more than big navigation gambles. Overall Stage Top 10 Bikes – Stage 1 PosRiderNationTeam/BikeTimeGapInstagram 1 Edgar Canet ESP Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (KTM) 3h16m11s — Instagram 2 Daniel Sanders AUS Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (KTM) 3h17m13s +1m02s Instagram 3 Ricky Brabec USA Monster Energy Honda HRC (Honda) 3h17m43s +1m32s Instagram 4 Tosha Schareina ESP Monster Energy Honda HRC (Honda) 3h18m00s +1m49s n/a 5 Luciano Benavides ARG Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (KTM) 3h19m58s +3m47s Instagram 6 Nacho Cornejo CHI Hero MotoSports Team Rally (Hero) 3h19m59s +3m48s Instagram 7 Ross Branch BWA Hero MotoSports Team Rally (Hero) 3h20m50s* +4m39s Instagram 8 Adrien Van Beveren FRA Monster Energy Honda HRC (Honda) 3h22m03s +5m52s Instagram 9 Michael Docherty RSA KTM Rally Replica (Rally2) 3h25m09s +8m58s Instagram 10 Skyler Howes USA Monster Energy Honda HRC (Honda) 3h26m06s +9m55s Instagram *Branch was on pace for the win before a six‑minute speeding penalty dropped him to seventh on corrected time. > Overall Motorcycle Standings After Stage 1 (Top 10) The early general classification mirrors the Stage 1 special, with Canet leading Sanders and Brabec while small gaps across the top ten suggest a tightly contested first week ahead. PosRiderNationTeam/BikeGap to LeaderInstagram 1 Edgar Canet ESP Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (KTM) — Instagram 2 Daniel Sanders AUS Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (KTM) +1m02s Instagram 3 Ricky Brabec USA Monster Energy Honda HRC (Honda) +1m32s Instagram 4 Tosha Schareina ESP Monster Energy Honda HRC (Honda) +1m49s n/a 5 Luciano Benavides ARG Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (KTM) +3m47s Instagram 6 Nacho Cornejo CHI Hero MotoSports Team Rally (Hero) +3m48s Instagram 7 Ross Branch BWA Hero MotoSports Team Rally (Hero) +10m39s* Instagram 8 Adrien Van Beveren FRA Monster Energy Honda HRC (Honda) +5m52s Instagram 9 Michael Docherty RSA KTM Rally Replica (Rally2) +8m58s Instagram 10 Skyler Howes USA Monster Energy Honda HRC (Honda) +9m55s Instagram The early general classification confirms that all of the expected factory contenders are already in the fight, with penalties and small mistakes more decisive than outright speed on day one. • 2026 Dakar Route Map Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy_ggP7iI3E Source

I will explore the red diesel option. I will be careful of the exhaust exit as well. Thanks for the heads up. I have the 15 litres of diesel I put in my CBF back along. Could use that I suppose.

Mine was supposed to be 5kw but I think that is optimistic. It would heat up a 10x10 shed pretty quickly, esp if it’s insulated. You might need to be careful where the exhaust goes out, it gets pretty hot. If you have somewhere locally that sells red diesel it would be even cheaper to run.

-7 around us for most of the day

I was watching Craig from The Dog House on Youtube and I was quite impressed. I am surprised how cheap they are now around £60 or so. That's bloody cheaper than a big gas cylinder. I have the insulation to use on my shed so I am going to refurb it as soon as the weather gets less Baltic. It's a 10' x 10' shed so I am thinking a 5kw heater would be the right size for it. There are lots of jobs I haven't got near because of the temperature recently.

I bloody love my diesel heater, one of the best things I have bought for the garage. I put it on a half hr before I need to go out there, it’s a big and mostly uninsulated double garage and it takes the edge off the cold pretty fast. I did open it up and changed the fuel lines after a year or so as the ones on it were shit. It runs most of the day on 1-2 litres of diesel. I have noticed that the exhaust gas is very hot so I was half heartedly looking for one of those tall radiators on marketplace, and was going to run the exhaust through that to recover a bit more of the heat. Not done it yet tho.

You mean the aprilia? Nope I havent touched it since

Got over the grumps and been out and got the Kwacker Death Trap rideable again. Freed off the throttle as it had just been pushed down the bar and jammed against the Bar End. Took the front brake lever off Shadows bike and used that to get him mobile again. He works she doesn't, at the moment. She's not to bothered given the weather. The front master cylinder is serviceable although has noticeable road rash and could do with being replaced. The front brake switch is broken but cheap to replace. The bar is bent but it's really not much maybe a degree or two so that can wait. I think he will need new fork seals come next MoT so I will sort the bars, both sides. out when it is stripped to do the seals. I still have his original serviceable front right indicator in the shed so that can go back on once I have patched the fairing panel. It's going to be an ugly repair though but as I said to him I can get it serviceable for nothing and he can get a new panel if and when he wants to. Personally I don't think the bike is worth it as it is a shed cosmetically but that is up to How High.

Glad everyone ok , would simply terrifie me seing the temp dip below 0 c , wouldn't catch on a bike ...

Nah he is fine and he hasn't smashed up his helmet so hopefully only pride and ear bending to deal with.

I assume his age allowed him to bounce and not break.

whole bloody party

I have a repair manual I pulled from somewhere, it's got some good info should you need it.

FFS How High has been down again on ice. It was recovered last night. Had a look this morning, new indicator fucked and the fairing panel it sits in holed. Front master cylinder fucked brake lever fucked. Handle bar bent and throttle Jammed, although if I can straighten it I think the throttle problem will go away. Too cold out there today to play bikes. Think a diesel heater for my shed is on the cards when finances allow.

Have you repaired it since the crash?

Yeah i have already posted a vew videos of the busa at the pod... nice try chump

Here it is.

Yes, a 1983/4 RS Hall effect sensors were OK and got it running today after a soaking in petrol after a connection to the fuel rail leaked. Fortunately the exhaust stubs weren't hot enough to set it all alight Runs a bit rich but I've not had it up to temp yet, ran out of time. If anything I expected it to be lean due to the difficulties in getting the induction post air flow sensor all airtight. Id love to get rid of that thing. I now have to decide if Im going to keep the original loom or bit the bullet and rewire it with motogadget. Also need to deal with the front end - decided to keep the original forks and brakes and rebuild it all, and change all the lights.

Well here it is ....my prediction for 2026. Ice age Alien contact Some kind of revolution in the UK And we might see and actual video from Busa....

I swear I've seen a video of the crash...

They've been predicting the end of world for 20 years, the ozone , rising sea level , we were suppose to run out of oil in the 70 , you were probably to young to remember or you floating around in your dad's nut sack ...lol ...the end was just and increase in taxes with every end of the world scenario...

Just him chasing moose.

And anyway you wont see many streakers this weather