Travelbeat Inside Information The World's Most Unsuitable Motorbike Selected For South American Adventure The Peruvian three-wheeled mototaxi is being recast as an adventuring vehicle for the Mototaxi Junket. The Mototaxi Junket launches from Cuzco, Peru in August this year and finishes in Asuncion, Paraguay about 4,000km of adventure later. Sixty amateur teams from around the world will battle across the Andes mountains, trudge through the Bolivian jungle and traverse the Gran Chaco desert in northern Paraguay all in the humble Mototaxi. The range of weather conditions will match the diversity of the ridiculous terrain, from freezing cold high altitude passes to sweaty rainforests - a stiff test for man and machine. There is no set route and no back up of any kind and each team has to raise at least £1000 for the official charities. Last year the first Junket raised £65,000 for charity. Designed for short trips on flat terrain in urban areas, this 4-stroke of mechanical genius looks like a cross between a moped and a sofa, and handles like the latter. Take their not-so-powerful 125cc motorcyle, chop off the rear end and balance a bench and sun shade atop two wheels. What we now have is a one wheel drive, fantastically underpowered, tricycle-esque beauty know as a 'Mototaxi', It doesn't really do corners or going up hills. Or going in straight lines. Last year, the teams found the mototaxis entertainingly inappropriate, as promised: “it is hilarious, I can only describe it as rally biking on lawn mowers,” wrote one, whilst the scenery smacked everyone’s gob according to another: “We’ve been over countless passes over the last few days each one colder than the last and each one followed by a scorching valley complete with cactus, heat ripples and awesome views.” One team summarised their time on the Junket, commenting: "Nobody said it was going to be easy, nobody said it was going to be so hard." "Met some gold prospectors at the top of a mountain pass" said another team, "and drank whiskey with them at 9am this morning - nice!" The adventure is expected to raise in excess of £60,000 for official charity Operation Smile UK for their projects in Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay. They provide free reconstructive surgery to children suffering from facial deformities such as Clefts. Over 75% of cleft cases in the developing world go untreated, however they can be treated in as little as 45-minutes at a cost of only £150. UK based outfit, The Adventurists already run four other extreme adventures, from the Rickshaw Run across India to the Mongol Derby, the world's longest horse race across Mongolia. The sign up for the Mototaxi Junket will start at 2:00pm GMT on the February 26, 2010, to secure yourself a place, log on to: mototaxijunket.com Fast Facts, stats and things that happened last time ... - A junketeer continued adventuring with a broken collarbone caused by 'smashing into a cliff' and only reported into casualty on his return to Northern Ireland. - One vehicle plumetted off the edge of a cliff and disappeared into a river (the occupants just about stayed on the road) - The founder of the Junket Tom was run over by his team mate - The vehicle supplier cancelled the mototaxi order just before the launch so replacements were rafted in from the jungle along the Amazon and other corners of Peru (several days late) - One team member dressed as a lifesize pink rabbit for every encounter with police or border authorities and didn't end up in jail - A mototaxi was stolen in Cuzco but recovered by the police 24 hours later - One team drove off a cliff and were only saved from rather dangerous freefall by some well placed vegetation and scrub - £65,000 was raised for the official charities - Sixty-two teams left from the start point in Huancayo, in the Peruvian Andes - Eight teams made it to the finish line in Asuncion (The Adventurists) Back to Front Page