Ride for Life: Yamaha organizes a raid for health associations in North Africa

Yamaha and the international non-profit organization "Riders for Health" will kick off the "Yamaha XT1200Z Super Ténéré First Edition", a raid route that will develop throughout northern Africa with the aim of providing help to all associations that provide aid and relief to the populations of developing countries.

Five examples of the new Super Ténéré that will participate in the raid will be the active subject of the aid: in fact, there is no more suitable and reliable means of reaching the most remote local communities, helping doctors to carry out their precious daily activity. The “Ride for Life” caravan will be made up of illustrious veterans of the famous Paris-Dakar, the press and five very lucky motorcyclists selected from among Yamaha customers. The five “Super Ténéré First Edition” will cover a route that will start from Paris, touch Toulouse, Madrid, Lisbon and reach enchanting Morocco. Once they reach their destination, the five motorbikes will be donated to the “Riders for Health” charity together with a supply of essential spare parts that will ensure a minimum of three years of efficiency in the difficult African environment. In particular, the Super Ténéré will be used by “Riders for Health” in the eastern part of Zambia. The characteristics of the vehicles will be particularly useful for visiting rural centres, carrying out a prevention and treatment operation for diseases such as AIDS, tuberculosis and other pathologies unfortunately present in the region. To date, "Riders for Health" has five couriers for the transport of blood samples on two wheels, and plans to activate another five by 2010. In addition to the motorcyclists, the association will field fifteen health workers assigned to provide first aid care for the population.

“Ride for Life” will start on May 4, 2010 from Paris, where some Yamaha riders who wrote the history of the Paris-Dakar will start the journey, remaining at the wheel of the “Super Ténéré First Edition” up to the capital of Portugal, Lisbon, after passing through Toulouse and Madrid. From Lisbon onwards, up to Morocco, the challenge will pass into the hands of the five lucky Yamaha customers who will be selected. Together with the pilot Helder Rodriguez, fourth place in the 2010 Dakar, they will head from the Portuguese capital towards the coast of North Africa.

The caravan will cross the extraordinary lunar landscape of the Atlas, towards the final destination, the exotic Marrakech. It is here that on May 17, 2010 Yamaha will donate the five "Super Ténéré First Edition" to the humanitarian organization "Riders for Health".