Mason Klein is a free spirit

January 1 ^st 2026 - 16:31 [GMT + 3]

Mason Klein is a rally-raid maverick who relies on vibes and instinct, without a distinct road map. The Californian will be competing for Hoto Factory Racing in his fifth Dakar.

Mason Klein's face lights up whenever he talks about riding a motorbike. He does not seem to understand that some see him as a rising star that waned before its time. The American, then 20, delivered a barnstorming performance in his Dakar debut in 2022. His raw speed put him ninth overall —and top-ranked rookie— at the finish. It was an auspicious start to a season that saw him romp to the W2RC title in the Rally2 class. Klein was hailed as a generational talent and future Dakar winner, but he has failed to live up to that promise. He has since had three DNFs in as many Dakar starts. The Californian, riding for BAS World KTM in 2022 and 2023, was unable to reach a deal with any of the factory teams that could have catapulted him to unprecedented heights. The price of being a loose cannon, some will say… Last year, Mason Klein was racing for the Chinese marque Kove when he crashed out of his fourth Dakar and straight into hospital. It took him months to overcome his knee and arm injuries. "It was a long path to recovery. I struggled with my shape, but I managed to hop back onto the saddle in late summer. My knee's much better now, and my arms are stronger than ever. I've also gained some weight, which will help me stay upright on rocky terrain and get some more traction on my rear tyre. The only place where it pays off to be lightweight are the dunes, but there aren't too many this year. Physically, I'll be firing on all cylinders, but when it comes to the motorbike, you could say I'm taking a leap into the unknown." Nothing new. Another Chinese manufacturer gave him an opportunity for this year. Hoto, which made their debut in the previous Dakar with frames developed in-house and Austrian engines, also want to stand out from the pack. Who better than Mason Klein to handle the new factory Hoto, an Austrian motorbike renamed to "Red Camel" but painted pink because "young people like this colour better"? The rider is not the only one with a quirk. As the Californian himself puts it, "the saddle is covered with a bulletproof material, so it shouldn't tear off if I crash". Classic Mason Klein.