The category was formerly known as the Malle Moto class, a name derived from the only piece of luggage competitors in the class were originally permitted to carry: a "malle", the French word for a steamer trunk. The rename to Original by Motul came with the title sponsorship of the lubricant brand Motul, which took on naming rights for the class.
The fundamental concept has remained constant throughout the history of the category. While all other motorcycle and quad competitors in the Dakar Rally benefit from team mechanics, spare parts transported by service trucks, and logistical support from manufacturers or private teams, the riders competing in the Original by Motul class must service and repair their own vehicles personally at every point in the event. No outside assistance from any team or third party is permitted.
Despite the no-outside-assistance rule, the Dakar organisation does provide a controlled level of logistical support to Original by Motul competitors. The organisation deploys four dedicated personnel whose sole function is to transport competitors' gear between bivouac sites. Each rider is permitted one trunk, one set of wheels, one sleeping tent, one travel bag, and one set of tyres within this transported allowance. Riders are also granted free use of generators, compressors, and tool-boxes available at the bivouac, and have straightforward access to race information and timing data.
The controlled nature of this support preserves the spirit of the category. Riders receive the same environmental and logistical framework as the rest of the field, including access to refuelling, medical infrastructure, and the route roadbook, but every mechanical intervention on their vehicle must be performed by the rider alone.
Because riders must service their own motorcycles at the end of each stage, often after riding several hundred kilometres through desert terrain, the Original by Motul category demands a combination of riding fitness, mechanical competence, and psychological endurance that distinguishes it from conventional factory-supported competition. A mechanical failure that a supported rider's team could correct overnight might end an Original by Motul rider's rally entirely if the required part or skill is not available to that individual.
Finishing the Dakar Rally under Original by Motul rules is considered a distinct achievement within the motorsport, carrying a different kind of prestige from outright class victory. The category attracts a mixture of experienced Dakar veterans who prefer the adventure-sport character of self-sufficiency and amateur adventurers for whom the challenge itself is the primary goal.
The category is also significant as a preservation of the original spirit in which the Dakar Rally was conceived by founder Thierry Sabine: an adventure event open to ordinary people willing to tackle extraordinary terrain with whatever resources they could personally muster.