“I know I have more to give"
Crew facts
- One of the most talented bikers in rally-raid, Skyler Howes is gearing up for his eighth Dakar and his third as part of the Monster Energy Honda HRC team.
- In 2025, the 33-year-old American continued to recover from a compound ankle fracture sustained at Vegas to Reno in August 2024, finishing seventh in the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC). He also suffered personal tragedy over the summer; his mother passed away after a short battle with cancer.
- Born in California and raised in Utah, Skyler learned to ride on a 1974 Honda XR75 that his father recovered from an auto salvage yard. He turned pro in 2012 and began to impress on the national offroad scene. Encouraged by American stars Chris Blais (a former Dakar podium finisher) and Kurt Caselli, he took up rally-raid in 2018.
- Skyler had a rags-to-riches journey from privateer to professional. He crashed out on Dakar debut in 2019 but roared back to come ninth in 2020 as a privateer for Klymciw Racing. He then went all in at Dakar 2021 to earn a factory contract (selling prized possessions including his bike from 2019) and did just that, coming fifth and penning a deal with Husqvarna Factory Racing.
- Skyler's best Dakar performance (3rd) came with Husqvarna in 2023. After a stellar build-up which included wins at Vegas to Reno, the Rallye du Maroc and the Sonora Rally, the American led the Dakar for six days and finished 5'04" behind Kevin Benavides, who won by just 43 seconds from Toby Price!
- In his hometown of St. George, November 4 is 'Skyler Howes Day' in honour of his achievements.
Ambition
S.H.: "I actually feel really strong. The body is in a better place than in recent years. Last year I had the injury at Vegas to Reno, so this time around things are much better physically. And with the bike, too. I came into Dakar 2025 on a bike with no test time, and it was a bit difficult to catch up during the race. Test time on the bike is very important, especially at this level. Training is obviously key, but I'd say that the settings on the bike and the confidence in the bike is arguably just as important. So we've continued to adapt and improve things with the team. I respect their dedication and I know they deserve more out of me, that I have more to give. I like to consider myself mentally strong, but when your body is not 100%, it's harder to stay on top of your game. I want to claw my way back to where I was a few years ago, to be fighting for the win. I've been there before, and I know I'm capable of it. Once you've had success, that's what you expect out of yourself. Fifth place is not what I'm going there to do. The bike isn't necessarily an escape for me, but when the helmet goes on, I'm focused on the race, not on anything else. It's a big sense of freedom, a way to disconnect from the real world a little bit. All you have is the roadbook and the bike. There's nothing on your mind because you have to be so focused on what's in front of you. That's a crazy thing about this sport, you can have the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. It can be very humbling to see how sensitive life is. With my mum it was really sudden, and a shock when we lost her, and it can be the same on the dirtbike. She's proud of me, I know she's proud of me, and I can just continue to make her proud."
