In seven editions of the Dinaric Rally, not a single rally replica has won the overall classification. That is a central finding of an analysis the organiser published on its website on 3 November 2026. The analysis covers the official classifications for 2020 to 2026 and the participants’ entry forms. According to the organiser, the front is held by light 450 and 500 cc enduros and, most recently, two large adventure enduros.
The analysis needs some context first: according to the organiser, the statistics were calculated by an AI. It says the AI matched results and entries and worked out the key figures, after which the organisers checked the results. There has been no independent verification of the raw data and calculations. The text also ends with a note about the early-bird price for the 2027 edition, which is due to take place in Knin from 21 to 27 August 2027.
Overall winners 2020 to 2026
The Dinaric Rally has run through Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2020, with navigation by roadbook, a route book with distances and directional symbols. Motorbikes, quads and SSVs compete on the same stages; the overall classification of the Rally category includes all three groups. According to the organiser, the field grew from 50 riders in 2020 to 148 starters in 2026. Participants in the “DARE!” category, which is run without a classification, are not included.
The overall winners named by the organiser:
- 2026: Maxi Schek (Germany), BMW R 12 G/S, class M6
- 2025: Mike Wiedemann (Germany), Yamaha Ténéré 700, class M6
- 2024: Thomas Zoldos (France), Beta 430 RR, class M3
- 2023: Tobias Ebster (Austria), KTM 450 EXC-F, class M3
- 2022: Toni Mulec (Slovenia), Husqvarna FE 450, class M3
- 2021: Albert Martín (Spain), Husqvarna FE 450, class M3
- 2020: Tihomir Kotarski (Croatia), Yamaha WR 450F, class “Bike 550”
From 2021 to 2024, the winner was therefore always a production enduro of around 450 cubic centimetres. The classes are divided by engine capacity: M3 covers 400 to 475 cc, M4 480 to 600 cc (single-cylinder), and M6 larger machines and twins.
Twins at the front
The organiser regards the wins by Wiedemann and Schek on machines weighing around 200 kilograms as the most surprising result, particularly on rocky, technical stages where lighter 450s would be expected to do better. The organisers themselves stress that the wins are mainly down to the riders. As a group, twins end up towards the back of the field according to the analysis, at roughly 60 to 65 per cent of the classified field. In return, they retired less often in 2026: according to the organiser, 5 per cent of the twins dropped out, compared with 15 per cent of the 450 enduros.
Another figure shows how strong the quads are: a Polaris Scrambler 1000 finished second overall in both 2025 and 2026. According to the analysis, three quads were among the top six in 2026.
Rally replicas: best result sixth place
Rally replicas are competition machines built for long, fast desert stages, with large tanks and a navigation tower, such as the KTM 450 Rally Replica, Husqvarna FR 450 Rally, KOVE 450 Rally or Fantic XEF 450 Rally. According to the analysis, they did not make it to the front on the Dinaric Rally’s tight, steep stages with a lot of low-speed navigation. For the years from 2023, for which complete overall times are available, the organiser names the following as the best replica results:
- 2024: 6th place (KTM 450 Factory Rally)
- 2025: 7th place (KTM Factory Rally Replica)
- 2026: 8th and 10th place (Husqvarna and KTM Rallye Replica)
For 2020 to 2022, the analysis gives no best replica placings, only the absence of a replica win. The organiser’s conclusion that a lighter enduro is the smarter choice on this terrain is the sender’s own assessment and applies explicitly to the Dinaric Rally, not to desert rallies.
Husqvarna FE 501 with the most class wins
The most successful single model, according to the analysis, is the Husqvarna FE 501. It won class M4 in five of the six editions since 2021, namely 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025 and 2026. According to the organiser, three of these wins were by Christian Pastori, who also finished second and third in the overall classification. In 2024, a KTM 500 EXC won the class. Behind them come the Polaris Scrambler 1000 and the KTM 690 with four class wins each, and the KTM 450 EXC-F with three.
KOVE grows, KTM dominates the field
According to the organiser, nobody started on a KOVE until 2023. In 2024 there were three riders, in 2025 seven, and in 2026 twelve KOVE 450 Rally machines were classified, plus the twin-cylinder KOVE 800X Rally. The best KOVE result was 23rd place overall in 2026. The organiser names the low price compared with European replicas as the obvious reason for the growth, but this is not substantiated.
According to the analysis, KTM makes up around 40 per cent of the field every year, Husqvarna 20 to 25 per cent. Beta is small in numbers but won the overall classification in 2024 and the M2 class (300 to 390 cc) several times with the 390 RR. In 2020 the field was characterised by large single-cylinder bikes, twins and many quads; it is now dominated by 450 and 500 enduros and replicas.
Sources and image credits
- Dinaric Rally: “Which Bike Wins a Rally Raid? 7 Years of Dinaric Rally Results”, published on 3 November 2026, dinaricrally.com/which-bike-wins-rally-raid/ (organiser’s analysis, stated to have been calculated with AI support and checked by the organisers)
- Dinaric Rally: homepage with date and venue for 2027, dinaricrally.com
- Photo 1: rider on a large adventure enduro on rocky terrain at the Dinaric Rally; rights holder Dinaric Rally, photographer not named (file name refers to Actiongraphers); original source: dinaricrally.com; published there on 3 November 2026, date taken not stated
- Photo 2: motorbike rider on a forest track at the Dinaric Rally; rights holder Dinaric Rally, photographer not named (file name refers to Actiongraphers); original source: dinaricrally.com; published there on 3 November 2026, date taken not stated