Alice Springs rider David Walsh leads a trio of Territorians at the top of the Bikes classification after the first leg of the 2017 Tatts Finke Desert Race.
Walsh (#3 KTM EXC500), who also set the pace in the Prologue, was the only rider to make the 226km journey from the Alice to Finke in under two hours.
The man who finished third in the 2016 edition of the Finke set a time of 1:58:04.8s, putting himself in a strong position to become the first Alice Springs rider to win the race since Ryan Branford in 2006.
Daymon Stokie (#4 Yamaha WR500F) took 2:03:49.9s and Luke Hayes (#6 KTM EXC500) 2:08:37.6s to get to Finke, placing them second and third, respectively, at the overnight stop.
A pair of South Australians followed, with Kent Collins (#12 KTM EXC500) fourth-fastest.
Ivan Long (#X99 Husqvarna FE450) managed to finish the day only one position further back, despite suffering a puncture and having to ride on a bare rim for some distance.
Long had been second-fastest in the Prologue.
Jacob Smith (#X95 Honda CRF450R) was fourth in the Prologue but retired with mechanical issues.
The Bikes field will set off for the return leg to Alice Springs tomorrow at 1145 ACST, with first competitors expected in at 1400.
Click here for a report from Day 1 of the Cars competition.
Top 10: Overnight stop at Finke: Bikes, 2017 Tatts Finke Desert Race
| Pos | Class | Bike | Competitor | Town | Bike | Time | Gap To Leader |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | Walsh, David | Alice Springs, NT | KTM EXC500 | 01:58:04.8 | |
| 2 | 2 | 4 | Stokie, Daymon | Araluen, NT | Yamaha WR500F | 02:03:49.9 | +00:05:45.1 |
| 3 | 2 | 6 | Hayes, Luke | Alice Springs, NT | KTM EXC500 | 02:08:37.6 | +00:10:32.8 |
| 4 | 2 | 12 | Collins, Kent | Mount Gambier, SA | KTM EXC | 02:13:02.3 | +00:14:57.5 |
| 5 | 5 | X99 | Long, Ivan | Murray Bridge, SA | Husqvarna FE450 | 02:13:51.4 | +00:15:46.6 |
| 6 | 2 | 298 | Davie, Sam | Echuca, VIC | Husqvarna FE 501 | 02:14:59.3 | +00:16:54.5 |
| 7 | 5 | 7 | Smith, Todd | Condobolin, NSW | Honda CRF450R | 02:15:00.0 | +00:16:55.2 |
| 8 | 1 | 10 | Trigg, Nathan | Ouyen, VIC | KTM 300 EXC | 02:15:53.3 | +00:17:48.5 |
| 9 | 5 | 8 | Cossens, Ryan | Numurkah, VIC | Honda CRF450 | 02:17:42.6 | +00:19:37.8 |
| 10 | 2 | 295 | Summers, Lachlan | Grange, SA | KTM 500 EXC | 02:25:32.4 | +00:27:27.6 |
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