Yamaha's Safari program will be spearheaded by Rod Faggotter this week.

Yamaha Motor Australia will enter a two rider team into the 2011 Australian Safari, which kicks off in Western Australia today.

Longreach Yamaha dealer Rod Faggotter and experienced South Australian off road campaigner Shane Diener will lead the Yamaha charge on the fabled WR450F in what is Australia’s toughest and longest off road event.

Faggotter is fast becoming one of Australia’s best off-road/adventure riders. Twice the winner of the prestigious Condobolin 750 event and with a motocross racing background, the Centretune Motorcycle dealer has all the attributes to succeed in adventure racing.

In 2010, Faggotter was running in a podium position and pushing for the lead when he made a mistake on day five and broke his wrist. Ever the warrior, Faggotter tried to push on but was unable to finish the event.

For 2011, he has unfinished business and ever since the wrist injury healed in 2010, he has been preparing for this event.

“It’s nice to know that the bike is designed and built to handle everything I can throw at it during the Australian Safari,” Faggotter said. “I have enough things going through my mind in the race and the last thing I need to worry about is the performance of my bike.

“Thankfully Yamaha as done that for me and it’s my job to ride it as fast and as safely as I can for eight days.”

South Australian Diener comes to Yamaha with a gear bag full of experience at all aspects of dirt bike racing. Like Faggotter, his younger days were spent as a motocross racer, giving him speed and skill.

He moved into off road and then endurance events and is a past winner of the SA 24hour event where competitors race throughout the day and night. Despite coming back from injury in early 2011, Diener is back to full strength and not to be taken lightly.