Greg Gilson to race Qatar International Baja on 1980 Honda XLS 125

Greg Gilson‘s motorcycle for the Qatar International Baja is older than some of his fellow competitors. While most riders will be racing their usual 450cc bikes, Gilson is entered on a 1980 Honda XLS 125.

He purchased the bike for €300 in 2018, though expenses for parts and maintenance increased the total tenfold. Certain modifications were made from when he bought it such as larger sprockets, though others remain stock.

The XLS line was introduced in 1978 as the successor to the XL that débuted three years prior. The inaugural Paris–Dakar Rally in 1979 saw Grégoire Verhaeghe and Alain Quie race the XLS 125, the smallest bikes in the field; Quie did not finish, while Verhaeghe placed sixty-fifth overall. Gérard Barbezant attempted the 1985 Dakar on one but retired.

Modern off-road bikes are obviously more powerful and durable than Gilson’s, though that has not stopped him from doing anything and everything with it. He ran the 2019 Rallye du Maroc on the Honda, successfully reaching the finish twelfth in the Enduro class despite a broken collarbone. It has also won thrice in Morocco’s cross-country rally championship and even saw action in the FIM Enduro World Championship’s Requista round in 2020, where Gilson placed forty-ninth overall.

Even outside of racing, he likes to take the Honda out for city cruising or long road trips.

“The message is simple, is to do big with small things,” Gilson told Rally Raid Spirit. “Even if we don’t have a lot of power, we will try to finish the race with a bike that is 45 years old with fourteen horsepower. But she’s really used to used to riding in the Sahara in Morocco so I think the dunes will be the same in Qatar, I hope. See you at the finish line.”

Although 450cc is the norm today, it stems more from being the maximum engine displacement allowed by the FIM (outside of the Trail class for 600cc and above). Those hoping to win would obviously prefer the best possible equipment, meaning everyone is on a 450cc bike, though anyone could theoretically enter with smaller bikes if they wish. Sylain Espinasse even completed the 2016 Dakar Rally on a two-stroke Husqvarna 125cc bike.

Sixty-two bikes are entered for the Qatar International Baja, which begins on Thursday. It is the fifth round of the 2024 FIM Bajas World Cup.