Tired of all the boring mainstream content on Amazon Prime? Here’s something tailor made for adventurers. Produced by Yamaha Motor Europe and nominated for an award at the prestigious International Motor Film Awards, the upcoming “Great Adventure” documentary offers a front-row seat of the heart-pounding world of rally racing, following Yamaha’s Ténéré World Raid Team as they overcome limits and defy expectations in the 2022 Africa Eco Race (AER). But what makes this particular endeavor truly remarkable is that for the first time in history, the race is conquered on twin-cylinder production adventure bikes.

The protagonists of this upcoming documentary are seasoned Dakar Rally Veteran Alessandro Botturi and hard enduro sensation Pol Tarres. With Pol being a relative newcomer to rally racing, the film offers a backstage pass to witness the steep learning curve that rally competition demands. Moreover, the adventure unfolds against the backdrop of Yamaha’s decision to return the Tenere model line to its origins in Africa. The riders trace the legendary tracks of the original Paris Dakar Rally, evoking the spirit of adventure that captivated the world decades ago, and still does today. 

For 47-year-old Italian Botturi, a multiple Dakar Rally finisher, the AER holds a very special place in his heart. Winner of the previous two editions of the race, he has spent most of his life navigating the deserts of North Africa and came into the event on the back of winning the team’s maiden rally raid, the Tunisia Desert Challenge (TDC), earlier in the year.

As a counterpoint to his experience, for the 29-year-old Andorran former hard enduro and trials rider Tarrés, it was only his second rally. However, on his debut in Tunisia, he had already given notice of his skill and pace on the Ténéré and had been working hard between races to improve.

Starting in Monaco, the route of the 2022 AER covered almost 6000 km across 12 stages through Morocco, Mauritania, and Senegal, before finishing at the legendary Lac Rose in Dakar. Tackling some of the most demanding terrain on the planet whilst having to endure extreme heat and humidity, the AER also saw Tarrés and Botturi take on Mauritania’s infamous and relentless dunes, the ultimate test of man and machine.

The rally proved to be a true rollercoaster of emotions for the entire team and saw incredible ups and downs for both riders. Botturi stormed to an inaugural victory on Stage 2. Then, in complete contrast, after some bad luck on Stage 8, he found himself stuck in the searing heat of the dunes for more than 24 hours, awaiting rescue.

Tired, dehydrated, and forced to miss a stage, lesser characters would have thrown in the towel, but the experienced Botturi showed incredible fortitude and determination to get back on his machine and mount a fightback during the final stages.

For Tarrés, it was the race where he announced himself as a serious new talent in the world of rally raid. Consistently quick, he recorded his career first podium after finishing Stage 9 in third place before becoming the first person in history to complete every kilometer of the AER on a twin-cylinder adventure bike. Incredibly, Tarrés took the class victory in only his second rally and finished fifth overall, while Botturi completed a remarkable comeback by crossing the finish line alongside Lac Rose with his teammate to make it a 1-2 in class for Yamaha.

Never before-seen footage highlights the deep-seated spirit of adventure required to take on such an arduous event and showcases the incredible camaraderie between the duo that helped them deal with every obstacle and setback encountered.

Invoking memories of Cyril Neveu’s victory for Yamaha in the maiden Paris-Dakar rally in 1979, The Great Adventure will allow viewers to experience all the emotions alongside Botturi and Tarrés as they battle adversity to complete their goal of reaching the finish line, bringing the Ténéré back to its spiritual African home.

The documentary will also take viewers behind the scenes with the team to see exactly what it takes to compete in such a grueling event. Plus, giving an exclusive insight into the development of the GYTR-kitted Ténéré 700 World Raid by engineers at Yamaha Motor R&D Europe, showing just what it takes to transform a road-going adventure bike into a desert-conquering machine.

The release date on Amazon Prime hasn’t been announced yet. The Great Adventure has already been nominated in the Best Documentary Feature category alongside some illustrious competition at the 10th anniversary of the International Motor Film Awards, which take place on the 21st of September at Alexandra Palace in London, England.