Adventure news / Dinaric Rally · field testing
Our test lab on two and four wheels.
Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina · Rally raid · Moto + van
Once a year, our gear leaves the catalogue and heads to the Dinaric Rally, a rally raid through Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Vlad has raced it, and Alecu has raced it for the past two years, in 2025 and 2026, both times in class M6 for big bikes. Between the race on two wheels and getting there on four, every piece of kit we make gets a proper test.
The road there is the first special stage
We don’t take the motorway if a dirt road goes the same way. The van is loaded, the bikes wear Heavy Duties racks and crash bars, and every gravel climb, washboard and river crossing on the way is a free test day.
Mounts that rattle loose, latches that open, racks that shift, this is where they show up, not in the showroom.
This time the route went from Luna de Sus across Hungary and Serbia, then into Bosnia and Herzegovina, before crossing into Croatia for the start: about 1,200 km, leaving the asphalt wherever a forest road or a gravel pass went in the right direction. Our 2006 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 903 took the slower lines with the spares, tyres and tools; the bikes took the fun ones.
Not your average off-road ride
If you’ve never ridden the Dinaric Rally, there’s one thing you should know: it’s all about the rocks. And when I say rocks, I mean rocks. Lots of them. Everywhere.
We’re riding through the Dinara mountains in Croatia, and the terrain can be brutal. There are entire sections where the track is basically one endless stretch of stones, loose rocks and sharp edges. Not the kind of terrain where you can just relax, enjoy the scenery and let the bike do its thing.
There’s even a little reminder in the roadbook: CX – Cailloux, French for stones or rocks. Danger is marked separately, with exclamation marks next to a note: !, !! or !!!. The more exclamation marks, the higher the danger level — and when you see them, you know you need to pay extra attention. It’s a pretty good way of understanding what you’re getting yourself into.
Now add temperatures reaching 40 °C, long and demanding stages, high riding speeds and a motorcycle that’s being pushed hard for hours. The bikes get hot. The tyres take a beating. Suspension, wheels, plastics, engine protection and pretty much every component are constantly dealing with impacts, vibrations and stress.
It’s not just the motorcycles
Riders need serious physical and mental endurance. You have to keep your concentration, read the roadbook, follow the navigation, anticipate what’s coming and make decisions while riding at speed over difficult terrain.
Reading a roadbook isn’t something you simply figure out on the starting line. It takes practice. Lots of it. You need to learn to read ahead, understand the symbols, follow distances, recognise landmarks and stay focused even when you’re exhausted.
Then there’s the heat. Hydration becomes a big part of the game: water, electrolytes, proper food and enough energy to keep going throughout the day. You can’t expect your body to perform for hours in those conditions without looking after it.
On the bike: Heavy Duties gear
This is where preparation really matters. A proper rally setup isn’t just about having a powerful motorcycle or a fancy navigation tower. It’s about making sure everything can withstand what the terrain throws at it.
What a proper rally setup needs
- Navigation tower: a solid construction that can handle constant vibrations, impacts and hard landings.
In our shop — Ténéré 700: GPS / tablet / roadbook holder · dashboard relocator · KTM 790/890: GPS bracket - Tablet mounting: secure mounting, proper positioning and a setup that takes heat, direct sunlight and rough terrain into consideration.
- Engine protection: proper protection against rocks and impacts, because the underside of your bike is going to have a hard time.
In our shop — Ténéré 700: Crash Bars Adventure (-2024) · (2025-) · KTM 790/890: crash bars (-2022) · (2023-) · skid plate - Bodywork protection: protecting vulnerable plastics and components from the inevitable encounters with rocks.
In our shop — Ténéré 700: Acerbis handguards & frame protection · KTM 790/890: radiator grille · clutch cover protection - Tyres and mousses: puncture prevention is a serious consideration when you’re riding over sharp stones for hours.
- Fasteners and mounting points: the small details matter. Constant vibration and repeated impacts can turn a loose bolt into a much bigger problem.
At the Dinaric Rally, you really get to see how well a motorcycle has been prepared. And sometimes, more importantly, where the weak points are. For Alecu, the rally is also the proving ground for Heavy Duties, our motorcycle accessories and panniers brand.
2025: Yamaha Ténéré 700
In his first year Alecu raced a Yamaha Ténéré 700, fully equipped with Heavy Duties parts:
- Crash Bars Adventure engine protection;
- the symmetrical pannier racks and top rack;
- the GPS, tablet and roadbook holder;
- the handlebar dashboard relocator.
He finished 8th in class M6, the big-bike class. The engine hit the ground several times during the week without any damage: the crash bars did exactly the job we built them for. A puncture, on the other hand, cost him a full hour, fixed on the spot at 40 °C.
An hour lost to a puncture at 40 °C. The next year he started on mousses.
2026: KTM 790 Adventure
For his second year he switched to a KTM 790 Adventure, with Heavy Duties crash bars and the asymmetrical pannier racks. The puncture lesson was learned: the wheels ran mousses instead of inner tubes. He finished 8th in class M6 again.
What the rally teaches us
Built to take a beating
We don’t just sell a navigation tower or an engine guard. These are parts that have to survive an extreme environment, with constant vibration and repeated impacts.
Navigation is everything
A tablet mount that moves, vibrates or gives way can ruin your navigation. The rider has to focus on the track, not worry about the equipment.
Protection is cheaper than damage
Protecting the engine and exposed components is essential when the terrain is this aggressive.
Preparation goes beyond the bike
Physical preparation, navigation training, food and hydration matter just as much as the equipment.
Seven to ten days without moving: the van
While the bikes race, the van stands still for a week or more. That is the real autonomy test: is there enough power from the batteries and solar, enough water, heat on a cold night and space to live, cook, dry the gear and sleep well before the next stage?
The heating, power and water gear comes from VanSilvania. Outside, the racks carry the Overland Hooligans badge. They didn’t exist in our lineup until the rally trails and rough tracks demanded them. It was a classic case of necessity meeting a clever idea: we needed gear, so we designed and built it ourselves. If something is not good enough, it does not go on the shelf.
Our van: a 2006 Sprinter 903
Old enough to have stories, simple enough to fix anywhere. At the bivouac it stood still for nine days. A 200 Ah LiFePO4 battery and 400 W of solar on the roof kept the 12 V fridge, the lights, the roof fan, the phones and the roadbook tablet charged without starting the engine once.
Water was the tighter resource: 100 litres on board plus two jerry cans, refilled once at the bivouac. The diesel heater did not ran, at the bivouac the problem was heat, not cold, and the roof fan ran almost non-stop.
What surprised us most? The dust. Fine Dinaric dust in every drawer. Next build: better seals.
Two roles, one team
Alecu sees the rally from the saddle; Ramona sees it from behind the scene: event, logistics & people. From those two points of view we learn different things about the same question: what do you really need to be self-sufficient and safe, far from everything?
Why people come back
But here’s the thing: people come back for more. They come for the tracks, the challenge, the adrenaline and that particular feeling of finishing a tough stage. They come because it’s hard, but incredibly fun. And because there’s a fantastic community around it.
Everyone knows it’s demanding. Everyone knows there will be dust, rocks, heat, exhaustion and probably a few things to fix at the end of the day. And somehow, that’s part of the attraction.
A good rally bike isn’t necessarily the prettiest one in the bivouac. It’s the one that’s still ready to go the next morning.
And trust me, at the Dinaric Rally, that’s quite an achievement.
What we bring home
The answers end up in our three projects: in the vans we fit out at VanSilvania, in the Overland Hooligans aluminium parts and in the Heavy Duties motorcycle accessories.
Want the photos from the bivouac and paddock? See the Dinaric Rally 2025 photo story.
Luna de Sus, Cluj
Heavy Duties
Motorcycle panniers, racks, crash bars and center stands — designed and built in Romania.
Overland Hooligans
Roof racks, rear door systems and aluminium interiors for European vans.
VanSilvania
Campervan conversion shop: heating, ventilation, power, water, furniture and racks.
HD Metal Works
Metal fabrication: CAD, 3D scanning, CNC machining, robotic welding and powder coating.
Planning your own expedition?
Panniers, racks and protection made for your exact bike — built in Romania.