January 2024 On the Pegs Magazine

ON THE PEGS // PAGE 2

VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 3

S AVE $2 , 0 0 0 O N R E M A IN ING D E A L E R S

KYB Suspension | Full Akrapovic Exhaust 4t | AXP Skid Plate | Excel Rims | Galfer Rotors and Pad

TIME TO SAVE IS RUNNING OUT! Contact your nearest Sherco Dealer for more information.

While supplies last.

STO C K OF 2 0 23 EN D U R O M O D E L S

BEFORE THEY’RE GONE

ds | Brembo Hydraulics | Selle Seat | Coolant Expansion Tank | Radiator Fan Kit | and much more!

@ SH E R C OUS A _ OF F IC IA L

@S H E R C OUS A

S HERC OUS A .C OM

CONTENTS FEATURED ARTICLES

PG 34 - 10X12 - JOURNEY OF CONSISTENCY

PG 46 - DAKAR IN THE DUST

PG 66 - SUPERENDURO POLAND

PG 90 - USHE FALL RD 5 - BUFFALO EXTREME HARD ENDURO

PG 102 - MILLERS NEVER QUIT

PG 112 - AHRMA WHITE ROSE

ON THE COVER -

Rieju USA's Quinn Wentzel takes the win at the Buffalo Extreme Hard Enduro and the overall for the 2023 US Hard Enduro Fall Series. photo by Steph Vetterly

DEPARTMENTS World News 10 Local News 20 Seat Time 56 Fujinami on 2023 58 SuperEnduro Germany 76

Observing the Trials and Enduro community with a single-track mind.

PUBLISHER/EDITOR Steph Vetterly

ADVERTISING

Steph Vetterly stephanie@onthepegsmagazine.com

CONTRIBUTORS Abigail Buzzelli

Marcelo Maragni

Tommy Justice

Flavien Duhamel

Tom Trantow

Brian Pierce

Tyler Bankston

Seat Time

Mike Mazak

Future7Media

Cheyenne Hawkins

Jessica Wyatt

Brad Evans

Tobin Miller

Rob Fox

Matt Adams

Mike Cramsey

Josh Schucker

Toni Roach

Lorena Walker

Terry Ottinger

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE! IT’S FREE

WORLD NEWS

WALKNER SIDELINED FOR DAKAR '24 courtesy of KTM

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Matthias Walkner is recovering well following surgery to repair an injury to his left leg, which he sustained while training in the United States.

However, the damage is such that the Austrian will be unable to compete in the Dakar Rally in January. Teammate Kevin Benavides also injured his left leg while training recently, but the Argentinian is expected to be back riding in time for Dakar.

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While training with the team on December 5, Matthias Walkner unfortunately fell from his KTM 450 RALLY, which resulted in him breaking his tibia, fibula, and ankle joint. Flown to the hospital in Palm Springs, Walkner underwent a successful surgery to repair the damage. The 2018 Dakar Rally Champion will require a further surgery in due course, which he hopes to have carried out at home in Austria.

In what was a tough few days for the Red Bull KTM team, Kevin Benavides also injured his left leg while testing on Sunday, December 3. Thankfully, Kevin’s injury was not deemed too serious, but the reigning Dakar Champion had to cut short his training schedule. With just under one month to go before the Dakar start, Benavides is expected to make a positive recovery and will take part in the rally.

All at Red Bull KTM Factory Racing wish both riders all the best for a speedy recovery.

Andreas Hölzl – Rally Team Manager: “It’s been a very difficult few days for the team here in the United States. Training for the Dakar had been going extremely well, with

all riders working very hard. Kevin damaged his leg last Sunday, but thankfully, it wasn’t too bad. We hope he will be back to near full fitness

by Dakar. On Monday, Matthias had a nasty crash while training, which ended up in him having several fractures. The surgery went really well, and they have attached a fixator to his left leg to help the recovery. But he will require more surgery, once the swelling starts to go down. Obviously, these two incidents have been a massive blow to the team, but we will continue to look ahead and do all we can to be as strong as possible for Dakar. The whole team wishes both Matthias and Kevin a quick and full recovery.” *Benavides is currently sitting in third place as of this publication

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WORLD NEWS

KABAKCHIEV & RAGA TO SHERCO

Curvalle and Kabakchiev (L-R)

courtesy of SHERCO

The Bulgarian rider Teodor Kabakchiev joins the Sherco Factory Racing Team. He will compete alongside Mario Roman in the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship and international Hard Enduro races.

in the world of Hard Enduro. He has competed against the best competitors in the world over the last two seasons. We will endeavor to guide him, support him and help him continue on his path to victory."

Kabakchiev who is 25 years old made his name in SuperEnduro by winning the Junior world champion title in 2020. He then moved into Hard Enduro and reached the podiums of the Romaniacs and the 2020 'XRoss World Cup for two consecutive years.

Teodor Kabakchiev: "I'm very happy.

I believe this is the next step in my progression as a rider. The Sherco Factory Racing team is full of motorcycle enthusiasts. We have a lot in common. I love it! Our goal is to raise the Sherco blue colors to the top of the sport."

Jordan Curvalle, Sherco Factory Racing team manager: "I am very happy to welcome Teo to the team; he is a promising young talent

Teodor will make his competitive debut at AlesTrem in France on January 27-28.

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The Trials team welcomes multiple world champion Adam Raga to its ranks.

Adam has won 6 world championship titles, 2 outdoor, 4 indoor, and 8 Spanish championship titles. His favorite number in competition is number 68, in reference to his titles. He was also 18 times world champion at the Trial des Nations and 14 times outdoor world vice-champion.

Adam Raga and Marc Teissier explain the genesis of this collaboration to us and present their objectives: ADAM RAGA ADAM, YOUR ARRIVAL AT SHERCO IS A SURPRISE FOR SOME, A

LOGICAL PROGRESSION FOR OTHERS. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE BEHIND THE SCENES OF THIS PROJECT? I have known Marc Teissier for a long time. Sherco is an important player in the trials and sector enduro, and I wanted to work with the brand. For me it is a very interesting project to find areas of development to improve and develop motorcycles.

WHAT WERE YOUR MOTIVATIONS FOR JOINING SHERCO? I saw that Marc placed a lot of trust in me and that he recognized my skills, that is important for me. He knows I can do a good job on the bike and have good results. Sherco is a company where you feel the passion and motivation, motivation

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to develop efficient motorcycles. But they also want to win against much larger companies and I like that. They do things with the heart, with a lot of motivation, it corresponds to what I believe and feel. The bike is brand new, it’s the one that was launched last year, and we will continue to improve it. The goal is to make the best trials bike in the world.

WHAT IS YOUR PROGRAM, WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS? I started riding the bike and I have very good feelings about it. The base is very well designed.

I am going to participate in the world indoor trials championship, the Xtrial and the world championship of TrialGP. I will also continue to train and get used to the bike to be at the top and obtain the best possible results.

He told me he still wanted to ride, and he liked the bike.

He saw the parts up close, the engine for example which is 1.7kg lighter than the lightest one that existed before our introduction. I told him that we still had work to fine-tune the bike for the GP trials category.

For the rest, the bike has proven itself by winning several championships: • • • • • • • • • •

Trial 2 World Champion Women’s world champion Women’s world vice-champion USA Champion Champion of France Champion of England European and English women’s champion British Champion 125 cc Junior Spanish Champion Spanish Champion TR5

MARC TEISSIER

It’s an exceptional year in terms of results.

MARC, ARE YOU HAPPY TO WELCOME ADAM RAGA TO THE BLUE BRAND?

WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS? WHAT ARE YOUR SHARED AMBITIONS FOR SHERCO?

Yes, having a trials legend join us is wonderful!

Our agreement is that Adam will develop the bike for the world championship.

WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH ADAM? It was Adam who contacted me saying that he was stopping his collaboration with TRRS, we have known each other for a very long time. I asked him to come see me, to visit SHERCO and that we would talk.

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I have great confidence in Adam to do the job, he is passionate, and very hardworking, he has a very extensive experience in development, and subsequently he will take care of trials at Sherco as a rider, coach and manager.

Adam Raga will take part in his first official competition on Saturday January 14 at the DL12 Indoor Trial in Great Britain.

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WORLD NEWS

WATSON JOINS BETA FACTORY ENDURO TEAM courtesy of BETA For the new 2024 season, Betamotor signs a contract with Nathan Watson, who will join the already confirmed Brad Freeman, completing the Factory Enduro Team for the EnduroGP World Championship.

Born in 1994, the British rider initially specialized in Motocross, before moving to the Enduro specialty in 2016 where he currently competes in the Enduro E2 Category and in the Overall EnduroGP. In the recently concluded Championship,

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Watson achieved sixth position in the EnduroGP Overall and fourth position in the E2 Category. In the 2022 racing season he achieved a fourth place in the EnduroGP Overall Ranking and a third place in the E2 Category, also winning the Six Days with the English team.

Beta and the Factory Enduro Team are ready for an exciting new season; good luck to Nathan and Brad from all the staff!

X-TRIAL 2024 courtesy of X-TRIAL The 2024 X-Trial season will open as soon as February. As a result of disruption caused by the global Covid-19 pandemic, the structure of the calendar was modified from the previous winter schedule to an annual January to December model with a sizeable summer break. This new format will be maintained for the coming season, with a majority of Rounds taking place at the start of the year, then three events in October and November, including the returning X-Trial of Nations. The intention is that the 2025 calendar will then return to a traditional composition, starting in December 2024.

The opening Rounds take us back to three cities that appeared on the 2023 calendar. X-Trial Barcelona maintains its traditional February date and will be the season’s curtain-raiser, before the series heads to France for X-Trial Chalonsur-Saône and X-Trial Nice. To complete the spring schedule, the series then heads to the home of the FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) for the fourth staging of X-Trial Geneva and the first since 2012.

The Championship then returns from hibernation with a visit to Andorra la Vella. The first X-Trial of Nations since 2019 will be hosted in SaintDenis, where X-Trial La Réunion was held in 2020.

2024 SCHEDULE Round 1 - Feb 4

Barcelona

Round 2 - Mar 15

Chalon-sur-Saône

Round 3 - Mar 22

Nice

Round 4 - May 4

Geneva

Round 5 - Oct 5

Andorra la Vella

Round 6 - Nov 8

Saint-Denis - XTDN

Round 7 - Nov 16

TBA (Spain)

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WORLD NEWS

LETTENBICHLER'S PERFECT SEASON courtesy of KTM Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler delivered the impossible in 2023, claiming six wins from six races to complete the perfect season and secure the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship crown.

From pre-season training on his all-new KTM 300 EXC, through the six grueling rounds, including such iconic events as Red Bull Erzbergrodeo and Red Bull Romaniacs, Mani’s focus never wavered.

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The young German demonstrated massive determination and true grit to clinch the title with one round to spare, before going on to complete his clean sweep with victory at home in Germany at GetzenRodeo.

We caught up with Mani at the Lettenbichler farm to talk through his year and find out just what it takes to dominate one of the toughest disciplines in motorsport.

BOU RENEWS UNTIL 2027 courtesy of REPSOL HONDA The 34-time World Champion extends his relationship with the team for another four years, bringing them to a total of 21 years together.

The relationship between Toni Bou and Honda began in 2007, and in the seventeen years since there have been many successes for both the Japanese manufacturer and the rider, who has become the most decorated competitor in the history of Trial. The extension of the contract runs until 2027, which will

mark two decades of an alliance that has entered the history books of the competition.

Bou has achieved an impressive record of 17 titles in the indoor discipline and 17 outdoors. With a total of 221 victories and 291 podiums, he and the Repsol Honda Team are motivated to continue increasing these incredible figures in the coming seasons.

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LOCAL NEWS

GNCC & KENDA CONTINUE PARTNERSHIP courtesy of GNCC

The Progressive Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series presented by Specialized, an AMA National Championship, is excited to announce a continued multi-year partnership with Kenda Tires.

Kenda continues to supply tires, tubes, wheels and/or rubber products throughout these many years, while also remaining committed in providing the highest quality and innovative products to their customers as well as showing their dedication through customer service to everyone.

Kenda Tires will once again be onsite at every round with ATV ON THE PEGS // PAGE 20

and eMTB tires, while also adding motorcycle, trailer and auto tires into their available lineup. Kenda will have a handful of different tires available at each round. They will have specific sport and utility tires for ATVs and tube or tubeless for eMTB, as well as bringing off-road motorcycle tires for whatever the terrain and conditions might call for.

Kenda will also look to have your needs covered for trailer and/or auto tires while at the event, just swing by their setup and check them out during the 2024 GNCC season.

“It is an honor for Kenda to be able to build on our relationship with

GNCC and to be able to partner up in all three racing categories,” said Chad Ellis, Brand Development Manager for Kenda Tire USA. “We will be teaming up with Osburn Offroad as our tire vendor in 2024.

They will be selling our offroad, ATV, and eMTB lineup at the track.”

Also be sure to check out Kenda’s all new contingency program offering $1,024,440 for the 2024 season throughout ATV, Motorcycle and eMTB classes. Click HERE to check out more on the contingency program. The Kenda Kash Awards Program is designed to reward racers who achieve racing success while using Kenda tires. Kenda Kash is offered to top finishers in all classes listed at the link above who

use Kenda tires and display Kenda Decals. Kenda Kash is redeemable towards the purchase of tires through Kenda Tire.

“Last year was our first year with GNCC and our Kenda Kash program and we saw great success,” said Chad Ellis, Brand Development Manager at Kenda Tire USA. “We wanted to continue that success in 2024, so we added to the payouts, and we will be paying out through 5th place.”

The 2024 Progressive Grand National Cross Country Series presented by Specialized will kick off on February 17-18, 2024, with the Big Buck GNCC in Union, South Carolina.

2024 SCHEDULE Round 1 -

Feb 17-18

Big Buck - Union, SC

Round 2 -

Mar 2-3

Wild Boar - Palatka, FL

Round 3 -

Mar 9-10

The General - Washington, GA

Round 4 -

Mar 23-24

Camp Coker Bullet - Society Hill, SC

Round 5 -

Apr 13-14

The Old Gray - Monterey, TN

Round 6 -

Apr 27-28

Hoosier - Crafordsville, IN

Round 7 -

May 11-12

Powerline Park - St. Clairsville, OH

Round 8 -

Jun 1-2

Mason-Dixon - Mt. Morris, PA

Round 9 -

Jun 22-23

Snowshoe - Showshoe, WV

Round 10 -

Aug 31-Sept 1

Buckwheat 100 - Newburg, WV

Round 11 -

Sept 14-15

The Mountaineer - Beckley, WV

Round 12 -

Sept 28-29

The John Penton - Millfield, OH

Round 13 -

Oct 26-27

Ironman - Crawfordsville, IN VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 21

LOCAL NEWS

USSE 2024 SCHEDULE courtesy of NATIONAL ENDURO US Sprint Enduro has announced their tenative 2024 schedule, with many familiar locations coming back for more.

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SDR WINTER RACING CANCELLED FOR 2024 Each winter, Square Deal Riders hosts a winter harescramble series on their property in Port Crane, NY. With the facility hosting numerous enduro, and harescrambles in, the property is long overdue for some attention.

For those who, like us, enjoy some wintertime racing fun, don't worry - the SDR Winter Harescramble Series will return next winter, with a renewed property full of new possibilities.

Work has already been ongoing to cut back the treeline to provide more parking area, taking care of some unhealthy trees in the process. The land will be graded to help improve drainage and help cover the exposed root balls of many of the property's trees.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT

Joseph Potter (176) photo by Steph Vetterly

WWW.SQUAREDEALRIDERS.COM

VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 23

LOCAL NEWS

2024 BRITISH AMERICAN CUP courtesy of LEWISPORT USA The British American Cup has returned for another year!

LewisportUSA is returning to host the third edition of the BAC. On February 17-19 at the gorgeous 4,500 acre Lombardi Ranch in California, riders will be treated to three days of trials riding, with 15 sections per loop and a 20-mile loop. Sections will be kept on the easy side with three lines, but riders should be prepared for a loop ride in some quite rugged terrain.

Entries will be capped at approximately 75. Sign-up is

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available on the LewisportUSA website.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

BETA CUP CONTINUES IN 2024 courtesy of NATIONAL ENDURO The Beta Cup is back in 2024 for the 6th year in a row at the AMA National Enduro Series! Rules for the Beta Cup are simple. Ride any Beta Motorcycle in any class that you qualify for. The rider that earns the most points in his or her NEPG class will win the Beta Cup along with a brand new Beta RR Motorcycle. This will give any rider a chance, whether they are an A, B, C, Schoolboy, or Women’s Rider.

Standard 2-Stroke RR model 125cc - 300cc!

Beta has given away 5 motorcycles over the past 5 seasons. The previous winners are 2019 Alexis Phillips, 2020 Kylie Harris, 2021 Jhak Walker, 2022 Scott Boyer, & 2023 winner Emma Hasbell. The 2024 winner could be you!

Entry submissions must be received by the NEPG before any points will be added in the Beta Cup Race.

The overall Beta Cup Winner will have their choice of any 2024 Beta

HOW TO ENTER: Register for the 2024 Beta Cup by sending an email to NEPG to be entered in the Beta Cup. Email your Name, Class, Address, Phone Number, a photo of you, and what Beta Motorcycle you will be riding.

After sending your registration email, simply sign up for your normal class in the National Enduro Series by registering for each event like normal on Live Laps.

LOCAL NEWS

2024 LIQUI MOLY BETA OFF-ROAD RACING courtesy of BETA USA The Liqui Moly Beta Off-Road Racing team is ready to start its 2024 campaign. The team returns six riders from the 2023 team and welcomes one newcomer.

The West Coast team returns all three riders to the team. Joe Wasson, who was injured towards the end of the season, returns to the team aboard a Factory 480 RR. Even with his shortened season, Wasson still claimed four podium finishes.

His teammate Zane Roberts returns as well. Roberts stepped onto the

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podium eight times in 2023. Both riders will compete in the National Hare and Hound Series as well as the West Hare Scrambles. Rounding out the team is Dare DeMartile, who returns for his fourth year with the team. DeMartile competes in the WORCS & NGPC series. His season last year was also condensed due to injury. But out of the races he competed, DeMartile finished on the podium in over half.

Competing in the US Hard Enduro Series and Enduro X for Beta

Motorcycles is Danny Lewis. This will be his second year on the team and the experience he gained riding a Factory 300 RR last year should provide a boost going into the Hard Enduro series this season. Lewis consistently earned Top Ten finishes last year on some of the hardest terrain and most grueling races.

Last year on the East Coast team, Jonathan Johnson provided Beta Motorcycles with its first XC2 GNCC win. Johnson returns to the team and will again compete in the XC2 class in the GNCC series, and also race in NE Pro2 class at the National Enduros. Joining Johnson in the XC2 class is Jason Lipscomb. Last year Lipscomb raced in XC3 for Beta where he won a race and had three

other podiums before injury at the end of the season. Lipscomb will also compete at the National Enduro in the NE Pro2 class. Newcomer Jhak Walker joins the East Coast team. Walker will race the GNCC XC3 class where he had success last year. He finished the XC3 series in 2nd place in the points race for 2023.

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west team

zane roberts joe wasson

"Having the same three racers as last year has given us a chance to really get our bike setups dialed in, and I think the whole team is more confident than ever before. We had a tough last year, with a couple of

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our racers battling injuries. Starting the year everyone is healed up and eager to get back to racing in 2024. I think that this is going to be a great year for Beta USA." said Brian Marok, West Coast Race Team Manager.

FACTORY 480 RR NHHA AND WHS

FACTORY 480 RR WORCS AND NGPC

dar demartile danny lewis

FACTORY 480 RR WORCS AND NGPC

FACTORY 300 RR USHE AND ENDUROCROSS VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 29

east team

jonathan johnson

"On the East Team, Jon Johnson is returning and looking to continue his march toward a championship.

With a win last year in XC2 under his belt, he is looking forward to the upcoming season. Jason Lipscomb is moving up to XC2 from the XC3 class and also is looking

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for a consistent season to come.

He will also be competing in PRO 2 NEPG. Our newest addition is Jhak Walker. He will be riding XC 3 GNCC. In all, we are looking forward to 2024, where we will be fighting for championships!" said Andy Brannon, East Coast Team Manager

FACTORY 250 RR GNCC AND NEPG

jason lipscomb

jhak walker

FACTORY 250 RR GNCC AND NEPG

FACTORY 125 RR GNCC VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 31

2O24

4-Stroke - 350 | 390 | 430 | 480

Stunning Looks Elite Performance

F e a t u r e s

» Electric Start » Easy Front Axle Pull » Dual Material Sprocket

» On Demand traction Control » Billet Aluminum Footpegs » Racing Graphics & Seat Cover » KYB Front & Rear Suspension » Smooth four stroke Power Delivery » NEW Frame which has improved turning Stability and reduced flex under load » New Updated Nissin rear Brake cylinder

Race Bike LEARN MORE AT

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JOURNEY OF CONSISTENCY HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 10X12 CHALLENGE

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words ABIGAIL BUZZELLI As we wrap up an eventful year, it's time to celebrate the incredible accomplishments and dedication shown by the riders who took on the 10X12 Challenge in 2023. This journey was filled with personal milestones, shared experiences, and a true sense of community among riders.

PARTICPANT STORIES Toni Proffer Roach's journey stands out as a testament to the Challenge's impact. Overcoming the usual barriers like work and life, Toni found the Challenge instrumental in riding consistently through January, breaking the usual seasonal hiatus.

Similarly, Mike Mazak's reflection—"I am 134 days more experienced than I was at this time last year"—reflects ON THE PEGS // PAGE 36

Tommy Justice the progress and growth made by our committed participants.

Each participant could message eye to claim their stickers, OR they could go onto 10X12Challenge. com and fill out a form that would also prompt them to answer a few reflective questions about their riding experiences.

Here are some of my favorite responses for the question “What did you like most about this month’s challenge?”

“Every time I got to put a red x on my calendar. There is something very fulfilling about seeing consistency.

I also ended up doing multiple days in a row which felt like a streak that I didn't want to let go of.” - Tom Trantow

THE RIDER STORY FROM TYLER BANKSTON, @Enduro.HQ, who had accumulated 249 days by the end of the year: "In 2023, my father and I embraced the 10X12 Challenge, a challenge to push the boundaries of our trials bike skills. What started as a simple commitment to train and ride became a transformative experience that reshaped my daily routine and profoundly influenced my riding adventure.

Tom Trantow “I won my first competition this month, and I am making good progress on obstacles I could not clean.” - Ash Harrison

The unwavering dedication required by the 10X12 Challenge instilled discipline in my training approach.

Regardless of weather, mood, or

“I felt consistent in getting in time on the bikes, even if a bunch of it was just static in the garage.” - Adam Partin, @Ducaru on Instagram “New breakthrough in balance and did my first controlled slow wheelie!!!!!” - Zackary Guelde I asked what the most challenging part of that month’s practice was too, and poor weather or distractions seemed to be a theme, but occasionally I’d read “Nothing all fun stuff.” - Mike Cramsey Riders report to have been working on hops, camber turns, timing with double steps, clutch turns, static balance, ride ups, zaps, logs, and “less rain.”

Tyler Bankston and his father, Chris VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 37

external pressures, I consistently devoted time to my trials bike.

This routine not only enhanced my physical endurance but also fortified my mental resilience, emphasizing the profound impact of small, consistent efforts.

Among the most gratifying aspects of the challenge was witnessing tangible growth in my riding skills.

Daily commitment allowed me to explore new techniques, refine my balance, and conquer onceimpassable obstacles.

Beyond the physical benefits, the 10X12 Challenge injected a refreshing perspective into my passion for riding. It transformed each session into a mindful experience and provided an objective measure for improvement.

The challenge evolved from a hobby into a lifestyle and a true passion for riding.

Moreover, the supportive community that emerged around the 10X12 Challenge added a social dimension to my riding journey. Sharing experiences, tips, and triumphs with fellow enthusiasts not only fueled my motivation but also fostered a camaraderie that made the challenge even more enjoyable.

In conclusion, the 10X12 Challenge was not merely a test of physical endurance; it was a journey of selfdiscovery and growth. It illuminated the power of consistency, the ON THE PEGS // PAGE 38

joy of incremental progress, and the transformative impact of a dedicated passion. As I reflect on the year, I am grateful for the invaluable lessons learned, the skills acquired, and the cherished memories created. The 10X12 Challenge has left a significant mark on my riding journey, and I eagerly anticipate embracing new challenges in the years ahead.

A heartfelt shoutout to the Buzzelli family for their incredible support, not only throughout my personal journey but for extending their reach into the entire trials community!"

RIDER STORY FROM MIKE MAZAK: "When I learned about the 10x12 Challenge, I immediately thought it was a great idea. A simple goal with simple rules. Just ride 10 days a month. Even had provisions for days I could not get out to actually ride. Although as anyone who has practiced static balance or deadengine hopping in the garage for 15 minutes can attest, energy and fun level vary by rider.

The first month's 10 days seemed to come easy. I rode a couple of club event, a couple times with friends, and several days by myself at home.

I had accomplished the first month’s quota and perhaps a couple more days. The second month was polar opposite. Work became very busy and required more time. Family

Mike Mazak duties also seemed to take priority and February being a short month was a real challenge to log 10 days.

By the end of the third month, I started to notice better balance on the bike. And over the following months I would notice small improvements here and there. My core skills were improving but most of all I was gaining confidence and better control of the bike.

At the end of 2023, I completed my 10x12 Challenge with 10 or more days each month. I can honestly say I am frequently surprised with my progression. Obstacles or

sections that I would have punched a 5 somehow started to become rideable. Perhaps not a clean, but not a paddle-3 either.

I will be participating in the 10x12 Challenge for 2024. This year I will attempt to be a bit more disciplined during my practice days. And ride for a minimum of 60 minutes 10 or more times a month."

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT The Challenge quickly gained momentum, attracting over 50 participants across the US, Canada, and even Georgia (the country, not just the state!). The camaraderie was palpable, with riders supporting VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 39

each other through social media posts, offering motivation during tougher moments, and celebrating triumphs together.

Challenge was a pivotal part of my riding development, guiding me through obstacles and propelling my progress beyond expectations.

Additionally, this challenge connected me with incredible individuals such as Cheyenne Hawkins pictured here along with one of her calendars, Tom Trantow, who runs Trials Progression on YouTube, and Mike Cramsey, who runs NatStats (a tool I highly recommend checking out if you ride the NATC series, I’ve been using that to track my progress and you can too!). Cheyenne won her Novice class Championship in Trials Inc (TI) for 2023.

This year I exceeded my goal, and I did complete the challenge of riding 10 days each month. By the end of the year, I had accumulated 153 days.

MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE This year has been a whirlwind of trials-themed experiences, filled with challenges and remarkable achievements that have significantly shaped my journey. The 10X12

No matter what was going on in my life, the consistent participation in the Challenge became my anchor.

Mastering the skill of unweighting the bike proved to be a persistent challenge. Thanks to the unwavering support and guidance from my husband, Chris, and our friend Ray Peters, I made significant strides in this area, though there's always room for improvement.

One of the key elements I focused on throughout the year was the technique of unweighting the bike. The Challenge provided the perfect platform to diligently

Cheyenne Hawkins and her December calendar ON THE PEGS // PAGE 40

Expanding my involvement in the Southeastern Trials Riders Association (STRA) was motivated by the invaluable skills gained through the Challenge. While winning in the Advanced Sportsman class was rewarding, these skills have proven beneficial across all series, enhancing my overall riding experience.

Abigail's calendar work on this skill, resulting in notable advancements as the year progressed.

Attending all four NATC weekends was an exhilarating experience that truly tested my adaptability.

The consistent practice from the Challenge fortified my confidence, allowing me to swiftly adapt to varying terrains across Florida, Colorado, Oregon, and Rhode Island.

This allowed me to concentrate solely on adapting to conditions during competitions, resulting in memorable performances.

Achieving a second-place overall on the Clubman line was a proud moment in my journey, proving that consistent practice indeed pays off.

Engaging with the trials community during Trials Training Days, Beta’s Try Trials events, and hosting a Women’s Clinic alongside Ray Peters fueled my passion for the sport.

The connections made and the enthusiasm of fellow riders inspired me to pour even more into the sport.

Chris and I also initiated Team STRA, a club-level trials team that made a remarkable impact by participating in nationals and securing numerous awards—a deeply fulfilling endeavor.

Witnessing the joy and passion of others in the trials community only amplified my dedication. The more I witnessed others reveling in this sport, the more impassioned I became, fostering an unending momentum in my journey.

IMPACT & GROWTH Beyond personal achievements, the Challenge sparked a positive influence within the riding community. It was inspiring to witness riders celebrating milestones and supporting each VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 41

other's progress, fostering a sense of unity and encouragement.

Despite facing occasional setbacks like weather, the unwavering dedication of participants prevailed, showcasing resilience and determination throughout the year.

FUTURE PLANS As we look ahead, the essence of the 10x12 Challenge will remain unchanged in 2024. While logistical constraints may halt sticker distributions, the core spirit of consistent riding and personal growth will continue to be the focus.

Remember, sharing on social media remains optional. What ON THE PEGS // PAGE 42

Some of Team STRA's podium finishers at the Oregon national truly matters is the joy of riding and the commitment to personal improvement.

In conclusion, my heartfelt gratitude goes out to every rider who joined the 10x12 Challenge. Your dedication and passion for riding have made this journey immensely fulfilling. Let's carry forward this spirit of adventure into the upcoming year!

Keep riding, exploring, and enjoying every moment on two wheels. Here's to many more thrilling adventures in the year ahead!

Mike Cramsey Terry Ottinger

Toni Roach's calendar

Brad Evans, credit Rob Fox

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Requirements to Participate in the 10x12 Challenge:

VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 43

De d

cem

ber 20

23

#10X12Challenge

Earlier this year, we introduced a new initiative from Abigail Buzzelli called the 10x12 Challenge, designed to get more people on the pegs, riding motorcycles. We're back to celebrate everyone who completed their second month's challenge - riding at least 10 days in the month of December

Congratulations to the following riders: Beth Ali Chris Bankston Tyler Bankston Keith Bell Kevin Bobal Heidi Brenner Nick Bryant Lara Burnett Abigail Buzzelli Chris Buzzelli Michael Chrisman Mike Cramsey Beckett Dandignac Emmy Dandignac Kyler Dandignac Ellis Daw Max Dracha Brad Evans

Karl Faruzel Norman Foley Rob Fox Bradd Fox John French Zackary Guelde Kenny Gwyn Ash Harrison Cheyenne Hawkins Brittney Hoy Tommy Justice Caroline Kent Roman Lomaya Kayla Lovejoy Mike Mazak Don Mealor John Montoya Terry Ottinger

Annsley Owens Will Owens Wyatt Owens Becky Owens Josh Owens Al Paradis JR Hank Paradis Stevie Paradis Adam Partin Toni Profer Roach Jason Robb Nicole Robinson Michelle Robinson Jimmy Sharpe Martin Sturla Tom Trantow Seth Vorseth Andrew Whitney

If you don't see your name on the list, visit www.10x12challenge.com to see the challenge rules and get your swag.

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CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 45

EPISODE 1 Experiencing the Dakar Thrill with Toby Price and Sam Sunderland

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TOBY PRICE

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words RED BULL photos RED BULL CONTENT POOL, MARCELO MARAGNI, FLAVIEN DUHAMEL As the inaugural guests on 'In The Dust,' Dakar champions Toby Price and Sam Sunderland transport us into the heart of the Dakar Rally, attempting to convey an experience that’s hard to put into words.

"It’s an adventure. It's hard to explain to people what you see in the races out here and when you're on the route. But some of the landscapes you get to see are unbelievable, it’s crazy. We’re pretty lucky and it's pretty special to have that. At the same time, you're pretty on edge, running at your limit, and stressing about the day just to make sure you get a good stage.”

Toby and Sam, who have known each other for about 10 years, share the same camper throughout the event. Their unique bond adds a layer of camaraderie to the Dakar experience, where riders and drivers showcase a blend of competitive spirit and mutual respect. "We don't actually race on a track, doing lap after lap, like sending it down the inside of each other or block passing each other like MotoGP," Sam explains.

Toby chimes in: "It's not so cutthroat in the desert. You've got plenty of room to play and get around, and sometimes you do find a guy that ON THE PEGS // PAGE 48

SAM SUNDERLAND

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comes a little too close, and you have a bit of a clash together. But it's not like a motocross track. We're not trying to kill each other and go for gold. It's a long race, we're going to pace ourselves out a little bit."

The dynamics differ significantly from other races, as in the Dakar, the challenge lies not against fellow riders but against the relentless forces of nature. As Sam puts it: “It’s your best time against the desert and his best time against the desert.”

Toby adds: "For sure, at the end of the day, we both want to win - and if

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we can get the chance to do it, we're going to take it as best we can. But when we get into the camper things are different. A perfect example, it was 2019 when I had my broken wrist after four days. I wanted to go home, and he [Sam] was the one that was forcing me to go out the door and keep going, saying, ‘You got it, keep moving.’ And vice versa.

We always try to back off each other a little bit, we ride for two different brands, but we're both Red Bull, and we fight to get to the finish."

Reflecting on how the rally unfolds, Toby succinctly captures the

TOBY PRICE

essence: "Chaos and carnage." Sam expands on that, recounting days filled with dodging animals, facing scary moments, getting lost, and experiencing crashes. "There's no chance anybody, no matter how well you prepare, can race for like 9,000 kilometres without having a drama,” Sam emphasises.

Despite the numerous hurdles, there are days when competitors ride for hours without seeing another soul.

"Those days are quite boring, that’s mentally challenging. That's the hardest part of the whole race," Toby admits, giving us a glimpse into the

solitude that amplifies the mental fortitude required.

Yet, this solitude may also present a safety concern. "You go to a Formula One track or a supercross, motocross track, anything like that.

There’re people at your side within 10-15 seconds," Toby points out the contrast with more controlled environments. "Whereas if we have something go wrong, it's going to be 15-20 minutes at least before help or anyone arrives to get to you.

So, you run on the edge and you're gambling the whole time."

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As the rally stars delve into the motivations that bring them back to the desert year after year, Toby says with profound simplicity: "It's just the adventure of it. We run a high risk of things going wrong. But I just like to come out, hang out with this bloke [Sam], stir him up, and get to ride a motorcycle. That's my job.

And it's pretty much a dream come true.”

Sam contemplates their shared journey: "It's like asking a marathon runner if they are having a good time at kilometre 41, and they're suffering, they’re covered in sweat and their legs hurt. They're having a horrible time at that moment - as we will for the next two weeks. But you add so much value to the result by going through all that suffering. So when you achieve the result that you want, whether it's a win or finishing, it means that much more to you.”

In this first episode of 'In The Dust,' Toby Price and Sam Sunderland lay bare the soul of the Dakar Rally - a thrilling adventure beyond the races, a camaraderie thriving amidst chaos, and a passionate pursuit of triumph against the expansive canvas of the Saudi desert.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE SHOW

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SAM SUNDERLAND

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KISKA.COM Photo: R. Schedl

SINGLE-TRACK 2024 KTM 300 XC Maximum power at the least possible weight, amplified by an all-new closed cartridge spring fork and cross-country specific suspension settings, the 2024 KTM 300 XC is a power-packed frieght train equipped to dominate on race weekend.

SEE MORE AT KTM.COM Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes, always wear protective clothing and observe the applicable provisions of the road traffic regulations!

ON THE PEGSvehicles // may PAGE 54 details from the production models and some illustrations feature optional equipment available at additional cost.

The illustrated vary in selected

VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 55

Most Expensive Doesn't Equal the Best Moto Goggle words BRIAN PIERCE // SEAT TIME We’re led to believe that the most expensive dirt bike goggle is the best goggle. After much bro-science led research, and an interview with Charles Castloo, I’m here to tell you goggle fitment isn’t as simple as buying the most expensive moto goggle.

We’re all unique snowflakes, with distinctive head shapes and goofy looking faces. That means that when we put a motorcycle helmet on, the way goggles fit to our face in that helmet is individual to each rider. Goggle manufactures know this, and try to find ways to problem solve for so many variables, but the truth is that each rider has to find the right goggle for their setup.

The way that dirt bike goggles have evolved over the past couple years has also added complexity to this equation. Goggles aren’t made of simple plastic that conform to any face they’re placed on. Outriggers were leveraged to try and help the ON THE PEGS // PAGE 56

goggle sit further into the helmet, creating a tighter fit on a rider’s face.

Along with outriggers though came quick release latches, pre-formed lens, magnets, and other form functions that have created stiffer goggles. More isn’t always better.

If you want to have a ride free of helmet adjustments and goggle pushing, you’ll need to spend some time testing different goggles. You may even be surprised to find out you don’t need to spend $120 on a pair of googles. If you’ve found a goggle/helmet combo that works for you, please share it below. Your bro-science research may be just what another rider needs to find the perfect goggle fitment.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT WWW.SEATTIME.CO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 57

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FUJINAMI ON 2023

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words and photos REPSOL HONDA The Team Manager of the Repsol Honda Trial Team takes stock of the 2023 season, in which the team achieved two world titles and two third places overall.

TONI BOU ALWAYS DEFINES REPSOL HONDA AS “HIS FAMILY” AND NOW HE HAS RENEWED FOR FOUR MORE YEARS. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE TEAM? “In 17 years with Toni on the team we have won 34 titles -two for each year together, and that deserves full admiration and respect. He had a contract until 2024, but we have extended it until 2027. This extension of the agreement is due to the fact ON THE PEGS // PAGE 60

that the objective, both for Toni and Honda, is to reach 40 years old with 40 titles. It is an ambitious goal, but no one expected everything that has been achieved so far, so it is not impossible.”

TONI HAS WON TWO MORE TITLES, MAKING IT A TOTAL OF 34. WHAT HAVE YOU NOTICED DIFFERENT ABOUT HIM COMPARED TO OTHER SEASONS? “Nowadays all the riders have a lot of talent. This year we have seen that Jaime has changed a lot in his way of managing races, so he has been a strong rival for us. In TrialGP, Toni and Jaime took turns taking first and second place overall during the first half of the season, something that

was difficult to deal with. The change came from Japan, a turning point for Toni who focused on winning again, and from that moment on everything started to go better.”

as the rest of the competitors, but experience plays in his favour.”

WHAT DOES TONI HAVE LEFT TO DO AFTER 17 YEARS OF WINNING EVERYTHING?

“At the beginning of the indoor season he already showed that he had raised his game. The results began to improve from the beginning: In his first race he was already second. The bad thing is that the leg injury slowed him down a bit for a month, but in terms of confidence and technique, the improvement is clear.

That break hurt him a little when it came to getting back on the pace, just when he started the Outdoor series, but he had a good base and from there everything got better.”

“He isn’t missing anything… he remains motivated, eager and improving technical aspects.

Comparing him to Gabri and other young riders, it is obvious that Toni is not raising his level as fast as the rest, but it is not dropping either, which is what he counts. The only thing that must be more difficult for him is the recovery after each race, because his age is not the same

HOW WAS GABRI’S DEVELOPMENT IN 2023?

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DO YOU THINK HE SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT FOR THE FIGHT FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP INDOORS, OR IS TONI STILL VERY STRONG?

gets his first win, everything will click.

He goes step-by-step. He never backs down, but he also doesn’t want to raise expectations too much. That’s his way.”

“I think Gabri has to think about the title. When compared to Toni, he needs to go racing with the mentality that he is going to win every race, it would give him extra confidence because he has the talent to be fighting for the victory. He has been third overall, but lacked a victory.

His first objective has to be to win a race. This year he came very close on two occasions, but he has to finish it off. Gabri has to trust himself and convince himself that he can win and can fight for the title. I think when he

WHAT DO YOU ASK OF GABRI IN TERMS OF IMPROVEMENTS FOR NEXT YEAR?

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“Technically, there are still some details missing. I think he is at a very good level both indoors and outdoors, but his rhythm needs to be fine-tuned -especially in TrialGP. He is very cautious and he needs to be more dynamic and faster. He wants to have everything under control and that’s ok, because it’s his style, but you have to try to change things a little.”

WHAT ASSESSMENT DO YOU MAKE OF YOUR SECOND YEAR AS TEAM MANAGER? “Very happy. Last year everything was new for me and it was a little more difficult. I had to adapt and the processes were slower, but this year has been different and I have been able to enjoy my time with both Toni and Gabri more. I felt better, of course, and I have been able to be there for them much more.

Furthermore, the results have been very good on both sides, so there is little I can add. I’m very proud of 2023, without a doubt.”

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM THE TEAM FOR 2024?

“I feel very happy to work with a team where we are all going in the same direction and we are a like a family.

To try to achieve at least the same as this year. I am satisfied with the work from all the team members, so I can only ask them to continue along the same path and to continue believing in the project as they have done up to now.”

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6

7

5 3 2

4

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2024 03/02-03 03/23-24 04/27-28 05/18-19 06/22-23 09/07-08 09/28-29 10/12-13

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polish gr prix

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rand x

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words SUPERENDURO photos FUTURE7MEDIA Once again, the Polish Grand Prix didn’t disappoint with a pack arena crazy for the stars and some madness on the track in each category!

WILL HOARE WANTS TO KEEP PUSHING! There are three Britons to dominate the debates at the start of the season. Will HOARE (GBRBeta) has just scored his first two world podiums in two meetings.

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MANUEL LETTENBICHLER (304)

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season. Being able to rely only on himself and his mechanic, HOARE finances his season race by race: “I do not have the means to register on the grading list, so I have to pass the qualifications in Open to race because It costs me less to participate in GPs. It’s certain that for me to be just behind riders like Billy (BOLT) and Jonny (WALKER) is really important. I hope to keep this pace for the upcoming races.”

BILLY BOLT DROPS A FINAL The evening of the three-time SuperEnduro world champion was not the easiest in the Tauron Arena in Krakow. Billy BOLT (GBRHusqvarna) certainly won the Polish Grand Prix, second round of the MotoZ FIM SuperEnduro world championship, but he had to draw on his reserves to contain Jonny WALKER (GBR-Beta) who was always more threatening race after race . During the second moto, he even lost to his compatriot.

The last time Billy BOLT was beaten in a final was in Budapest last season. Taddy BLAZUSIAK (POL) then managed to force the Husqvarna official to give up. The Briton was even relieved that WALKER won the round: “I'm relieved that Jonny won this round, I'll be able to have a peaceful Christmas without stressing about the idea of remaining undefeated all season. It’s good that I have competition, it gives me even more ON THE PEGS // PAGE 70

BILLY BOLT (57), ALFREDO GOMEZ (89)

motivation to fight in the race.” His opponents are warned even if he is a good player, Billy BOLT does not like to lose, we will see in January what he has in store for the other competitors.

AGUS PASCAL FIRST PARTICIPATION IN JUNIOR Riding for Mario ROMAN's team, Sorry Bro, the young Mexican made his debut in the world championship in the Junior category. Far from being a beginner, PASCAL will continue his commitment for the rest of the 2024 SuperEnduro season. His goal is also to participate in the HardEnduro world championship.

Riding his Sherco, the Mexican finished his first GP in 10th place overall. He ranks 9th, 12th and 11th in the three Polish heats.

His objective is to perfect his experience in the discipline, trying to get as close as possible to a place on the podium.

RAN SHAMAY: A 2ND ISRAELI IN JUNIOR Suff SELLA (ISR-KTM) was no longer the only Israeli representative in the Junior category. His compatriot Ran SHAMAY (KTM) made his debut in Poland. Accustomed to his national hard enduro championship, the young man made an interesting debut in the world championship. A little VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 71

surprised at the start of the evening by the level of the Junior category, physically marked by the intensity of the moments spent on the track, the young rider from the Middle East slowly gained strength. He made three good finals, successively ranking 11th, 7th and 7th. He finished his first GP in 8th place overall.

EUROPEAN CUP: POLAND VS SPAIN It was a great evening in the European Cup with two great finals which were closely contested despite the difficulty of the very technical and very demanding Polish track for riders less ON THE PEGS // PAGE 72

experienced than the big names in the Prestige category. In the first round and supported by a fervent Polish audience, the Polish Maciej WIECKOWSKI (GASGAS) is ahead of the Italian Alessandro AZZALINI (ITA-GASGAS) and the solid Xavier LEON SOLE (ESP-GASGAS). The second final is very tense to know the winner of this first round of the season. Another Pole stands out: Hubert ZBIKOWSKI (KTM). Long in the lead during this final round, the Pole only gave up the leadership position to LEON SOLE in the final moments of the race. With this victory, the Iberian racer is ahead of ZBIKOWSKI and WIECKOWSKI. He did not break under the pressure

of the Polish fans and the return of ZBIKOWSKI. This is a great victory for LEON SOLE ahead of WIECKOWSKI and the unfortunate ZBIKOWSKI. The next time these boys will be on track will be at the first race of 2024 in Riesa for the German GP on January 6.

RAVEN COMPETITION WAS CRAZY

EVENT RESULTS

CLICK HERE TO VISIT WWW.SUPERENDURO.COM

1. Billy Bolt (HUS) 2. Jonny Walker (BET) 3. Will Hoare (BET) 4. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 5. Dominik Olszowy (RIE)

The evening was fun and entertaining for the fan race organized by Raven. Eight courageous competitors tackled the obstacles of the Tauron Arena track.

This is a polish fan who won with style under the encouragement of his compatriots.

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Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes, always wear protective clothing and observe the applicable provisions of the road traffic regulations!

The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected details from the production models and some illustrations feature optional equipment available at additional cost.

Photos: R. Schedl

Open up new possibilities.

a new era of enduro has begun. featuring revolutionary new fuel injection technology, the 2024 te 300 is primed to take you places you have never gone before.

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2024 SCHEDULE March 1-3: Downhill Southeast Mountain Bike Race March 16-17: Trials Training Days June 22-23: NATC Mototrials National Rd 3 & 4 June 24-27: Family Camp June 28-30: AMA/NextGen Mototrials Youth & Women's Regional Championship August 2-25: TKO: 14th Annual Red Bull Kenda Tennessee Knock Out Extreme Enduro October 12-13: 32nd Annual 58K Fall Trial (STRA) December 7: Toy Trial * All dates are subject to change VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 75

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SUPERENDURO TAKES ON GERMANY VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 77

words by SUPERENDURO photos by FUTURE7MEDIA After Poland, the MotoZ FIM SuperEnduro World Championship visits another essential destination: Germany. The WT Energiesystem Arena is once again the venue for the German round and 3rd Grand Prix of the season. World championship leader Billy BOLT must be wary of his compatriot Jonny WALKER who has been in great form since the start of the season.

Jonny WALKER (GBR-Beta) was very convincing during the second round of the season held in Krakow.

Winner of the second moto, WALKER managed to keep BOLT at a reasonable distance. This was BOLT’s first round defeat in over a year. More powerful when setting off, WALKER knows that he must still strengthen himself to be able to contain the fiery Husqvarna rider.

Jonny has worked considerably on his riding over the past two seasons, managing to “Boltize” his technique over various obstacles. In pure speed he is almost the equal of his friend Billy the Dog. He must now use his enormous progress by winning a new GP. Success, after which he has been chasing for a few seasons now. Riesa is well known as Krakow for offering technical and demanding tracks. WALKER could take advantage of this opportunity to return to Grand-Prix victory.

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MANUEL LETTENBICHLER (KTM)

To achieve this, he will have to dominate Billy BOLT, more motivated than ever to mark 2024 with his domination. Winner of the first two rounds, the British rider is once again at the top of his game.

Formidable from the superpole to the last moto of each GP, BOLT does not display the slightest weakness.

Don't think that he is a soulless winning machine. Far from this image, the englishman can also experience moments of weakness.

It's up to his opponents to seize the opportunity when they present themselves. Big favorite for this 2024 Germanic round, BOLT will have to remain on guard as he is now accustomed to doing.

Manuel LETTENBICHLER (GERKTM) wants to shine for his home race. The official KTM rider is back in 2024. The German finished 6th in France and 4th in Poland, he shows a good progression faithful to the plan that the double HardEnduro world champion has set for himself.

In Riesa and thanks to the support of the crowd, Mani will want to be ambitious and aim for a spot on the podium. He will find on his way a certain Will HOARE (GBR-Beta), 3rd in the general classification after having signed 2 good third places in France and Poland. Aware of his potential, the 2019 Junior World Champion wants to maintain this pace and continue his effort to be the best of the others behind the two mountains BOLT and WALKER. VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 79

The German race should offer various moment. Multiple outsiders will have a role to play in the 3rd round of the season. Dominik OLSZOWY (POL- Rieju) is still on the hunt to score his first Prestige podium. He will have a hard time facing opponents like the Swede Eddie KARLSSON on his Husqvarna.

Fast in qualifying but who still has to confirm during the heats. We will also follow the progress of 2023 Junior world champion Mitch BRIGHTMORE (GBR-GASGAS) who continues to gain strength.

The evening could in any case be very spectacular and offer a lot of pleasure and excitement to the spectators at the WT Energiesystem Arena which will be sold out for the occasion.

PROMISING FIGHT IN JUNIOR After two contested Grand Prix and two different winners, the Junior category promises to be very open once again. Suff SELLA (ISR- KTM) was the first winner of the season after largely dominating the French Grand Prix. This first round was particularly delicate for Ashton BRIGHTMORE (GBR-GASGAS) the 2023 vice world champion. The young Briton reacted in the best possible way by winning the Polish Grand Prix. Before the German round, the Englishman and the Israeli are only separated by 3 small units to the advantage of the British.

Roland LISZKA (HUN-KTM) is 3rd ON THE PEGS // PAGE 80

in the provisional ranking. All these boys will have to take into account the return of Milan SCHMUESER (GER-Sherco) absent due to injury during the Polish round. Invigorated and motivated as ever, the German will try to get back into the race for the Junior World Championship.

The German Grand Prix, 3rd round of the MotoZ FIM SuperEnduro world championship, can be followed live and in full on: www.superenduro.tv Saturday January 6 from 6 p.m. CET. EUROPEAN CUP: AN ALREADY DECISIVE ROUND. The European Cup is back for the second time this season. This event already marks the halfway point of the category. The points will therefore be of capital importance to win the continental crown! Xavi LEON SOLE (ESP-GASGAS) will try to maintain the good form shown in Poland. He will have to be wary of the two Poles Maciej WIECKOWSKI (GASGAS) and Hubert ZBIKOWSKI (KTM). We will also have to watch the Italian Alessandro AZZALINI (GASGAS) who showed great things in Krakow.

BOLT: DOWN BUT NOT OUT Part way through the qualifying practice session in the WT Energiesystem Arena in Riesa, Billy BOLT (GBR-Husqvarna) took a bad landing after the finish line VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 81

jump. The Englishman remained on the ground for several seconds complaining of pain throughout his left leg. After being checked by the medical personnel, he made the brave decision to suffer through the round and try to score points, with the aim of maintaining his standings lead.

In the first race of the night, Jonny WALKER (GBR-Beta) needed to be opportunistic and build on the strong form he’s had all season. He flew to the Airoh Holeshot but was overtaken by Billy BOLT in the matrix after the tricky bridge section, proof that the Husqvarna rider had lost none of his attacking spirit. However, aware of his good chance at taking a race win, WALKER quickly regained the advantage. Behind the lead pair, an ever-improving Mitch BRIGHTMORE (GBR-GASGAS) had slotted into third. Home rider Manuel LETTENBICHLER (GER-KTM) occupied a disappointing sixth place for the first part of the race, but the factory KTM made a good comeback to fourth position. Out the front, Jonny WALKER’s huge gap suddenly disappeared when his rear brake lever got stuck under his footpeg after hitting an obstacle. The crowd roared as BOLT lurched into the lead and took the win. WALKER was forced to watch on in second place after what seemed like a ‘nailed on’ victory.

In the second Prestige race of the night, the reverse grid start, WALKER was once again quick to get to the head of the field and looked to be in control.

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in on his compatriot with just a couple of laps to go, even though the Husky rider was clearly feeling the strain. WALKER made a mistake and crashed, losing a few seconds and the race lead in one fell swoop.

BOLT admitted he was ready to take second but couldn’t resist the urge to overtake the unlucky WALKER. LETTENBICHLER completed the Top 3 in Race 2, just ahead of fellow German Tim APOLLE (Beta) who had a very good race. Will HOARE (GBRBeta) settled for 4th place. Billy BOLT only needed a decent finish in the last race of the evening to win a GP that he wondered if he’d even compete in.

Frustrated by mistakes and misfortune, Jonny WALKER totally dominated the final race of the night. BOLT appeared to want to take it easy, but he remained at the forefront regardless. In fact, if he hadn’t made a couple of mistakes shortly before the chequered flag he may well have made a pass on WALKER. Exhausted after his efforts through the pain, the Englishman collapsed after the finish line and took a few moments to take stock of the new feat he had just accomplished - another overall win despite everything. BOLT will head for more medical examinations next week to determine the extent of his leg injury. Despite his impressive speed throughout the event, including taking the Akrapovic Superpole and the Airoh Holeshot DOMINIK OLSZOWY (501)

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Award, WALKER once again had to take second overall. Even though he kept his usual relaxed and smiling demeanour, the Beta rider was naturally disappointed to miss the opportunity to close in on his main rival. Manuel LETTENBICHLER recovered from a slightly lackluster start to the German GP to take his first podium of the year with third overall. In the Championship Standings BOLT leads WALKER by 16 points as we approach the season’s mid-point, Will HOARE is still bronze medalist for the moment, 49 points behind WALKER. Israel’s Suff SELLA (KTM) felt confident and quick on the technical track in Riesa, and the KTM rider managed to win in the second and third races of the evening with relative ease. Calm and determined, SELLA never seemed flustered, even when having to pass slower riders. After his success at the French GP, and a difficult GP in Poland, he returned to the top step tonight in Germany. The youngster sent a clear message to his closest rival, Ashton BRIGHTMORE (GBRGASGAS), that he is capable of winning on various track layouts.

However, the Brit didn’t have a bad night either, winning the first race with an impressive margin and placing third and second in the following races. The 17-year-old GasGas rider continues to amaze all observers with his superb riding skills despite his relative lack of VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 85

experience. Behind the fight between SELLA and BRIGHTMORE, German hero Milan SCHMUESER (Sherco) took a popular third spot overall at home, even though he has not fully recovered from the injuries which kept him out of the Polish GP. The Sherco rider held off Roland LISZKA (HUN-KTM) on the night, although the Hungarian remains third in the Junior ranking. At the head of the standings, SELLA took back control from BRIGHTMORE by just 2 points!

Experienced Spanish rider Xavi LEON SOLE (GasGas) won his second Grand Prix of the season in the SuperEnduro European Cup. The GasGas rider had to fight hard to achieve this latest ‘top step’ though, winning the first race by holding off home rider Henry STRAUSS (GER-KTM) and Italy’s Alessandro AZZALINI (GasGas) who gave him a run for his money. It was a different story in the second race when LEON SOLE had to settle for second behind Germany’s Max FAUDE (KTM) while Poland’s Damian BRONIEWSKI (Husqvarna) was third. Although the two Germans, FAUDE and STRAUSS, were desperate to win at home, they had to take second and third on the final overall podium. In the standings LEON SOLE is 14 points ahead of AZZALINI and 17 over the Maciej WIECKOWSKI. The German GP had plenty of drama and some superb racing.

The fourth round of the MotoZ FIM MITCH BRIGHTMORE (12)

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SuperEnduro World Championship will visit Cluj in Romania for the first time on January 20th.

Billy Bolt: “After my crash in practice I was just trying to get through tonight to be honest, and I need to thank the team for standing by me in my decision to ride. It’s all a bit of a blur with all the pain, and I really didn’t know if I could actually win on one leg. I got close to Jonny in the final race, but I made some silly mistakes that meant no hattrick.

Jonny rode well tonight and it certainly wasn’t easy to get this overall win. For me there was no option other than to race. Let’s get some medical checks and hopefully be back in Romania.”

Jonny Walker: “I had a couple of unlucky second places tonight, I made a lot of mistakes, and had a problem with my brake lever too. Just didn’t feel good, despite having good pace in practice and Superpole. I really wanted to turn things around for the final race of the night, and I was able to do it. I’m really tired, but so pleased to have a race win. Billy was an absolute machine tonight, fair play to him.”

Manuel Lettenbichler: “I’m making progress but whenever you crash at the start of a race it’s gonna suck, it’s also frustrating because I felt I could have done more tonight.

Overall, I’m pretty stoked to get on the podium, and I’ll try to step it up in the races for Romania. I’m getting VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 87

back into the SuperEnduro vibe and aggressivity.”

Suff Sella: “I managed to get second in the first race, and I wasn’t very happy with that but I rode well so it wasn’t too bad. I felt really happy to get the last two wins of the night

EVENT RESULTS 1. Billy Bolt (HUS) 2. Jonny Walker (BET) 3. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 4. Mitch Brightmore (GG) 5. Will Hoare (BET) ON THE PEGS // PAGE 88

and take the championship lead.

Last time out in Poland I felt nervous and I had a few bike issues, but I was relaxed today and that makes the difference. There are four rounds left, so let’s see what happens…”

CLICK HERE TO VISIT WWW.SUPERENDURO.COM

LOCAL NEWS

•

The T-18 Dragonfly is directdrive from the motor to the rear wheel

•

An easy-pull diaphragm clutch for maximum control and traction

•

New M4 39mm Aluminum AIR FORKS are the lightest on the market

•

Linkless Ohlins shock direct to the swing arm

•

5 hour+ quick change and fast charge battery

•

new 6.5-hour interchangeable battery also available

•

Weight 132 pounds • Seat can be added for trail riding comfort

The second shipment of Mecatecno Dragonflies has recently arrived with two very helpful features added to the bike’s controller to assist in the performance of the rider: An “Anti-Roll back” feature, which prevents the back wheel from rolling backwards as soon as backward movement is detected by the controller

and an “Inertia” feature, which is similar to the flywheel action on a gas powered trials bike.

These new features can also be downloaded by the factory to all previous customer’s bikes to bring them up to date with the present models. This is a tremendous advantage of this controller in that any new changes or upgrades can easily be done with a connection to the factory electronics team. Now your Dragonfly will always be as up to date with the newest revisions as you desire. There will be more exciting additions to come in the new year, such as an extended range battery with a 6.5 hour running time, interchangeable with the present 5 hour battery.

Retail price $11,299.00, not including shipping cost to your destination.

ON THE PEGS // PAGE 1

VOL. 98 ISSUE 110- -JANUARY OCTOBER2024 2023////PAGE PAGE89 1

ON THE PEGS // PAGE 90

WENTZEL

WINS BUFFALO

HARD ENDURO

VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 91

words by STEPH VETTERLY photos by JESSICA WYATT & STEPH VETTERLY ROUND 5 KINGSTON, AR The final round of the 2023 US Hard Enduro Fall Series saw Rieju USA's Quinn Wentzel not only take the checkers, but the overall series win.

Hosted at the Wilderness Rider Buffalo Ranch in Kingston, Arkansas, promoter JoJo Toole doubled-down on his experience putting these types of races together, arguably making one of the hardest tracks in the fall series.

Riders were treated to seven miles of rocks and hills on this beautiful 3,500-acre moto-adventure park.

Off the start line, a nice windy single-track through the woods warmed riders up for what lay ahead. Making a stop at Panther Falls, followed by back-to-back hill climbs, there would be little in the way of an "easy" trail for the rest of the course. With sections called "Uphill Swamp 2.0," "Clutch Buster Creek," and "The Arena," JoJo definitely made sure to give the more than 80 riders their money's worth.

Right out of the gate, it was Hayden Mosa to the first checkpoint, with Wentzel tight on his heels. Wentzel would soon take the lead, and would put almost 25 minutes between himself and Mosa, who kept second.

ON THE PEGS // PAGE 92

MASON GEORGE (53)

VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 93

Mason George would keep a solid hold on third place, with Josh Staley behind in fourth.

"Today was good," said Wentzel. "I got off to an okay start, probably about fourth [place] or so. Today was a “go slow to go fast,” “slow and steady wins the race” type of day out there. I went slow and steady and picked my way to first [place] pretty quick. I was just trying to stay calm out there and not push too hard. It was really tough - tons of slick rocks - and if you’re pushing too hard, mistakes will jump up at you pretty quick. I kept the mistakes to a minimum and put in a solid four hours. I came home with a pretty solid win, so I was stoked on that. I ended up getting the championship, too, so that was good.

Last year’s race was a very similar track; we rode a lot of the same stuff, so anyone who was here last year had an advantage with line choice. I was really remembering where I went last year, and that came in handy. They added two or three new spots, and they were gnarly; a couple really slick, uphill, rocky creek, and just boulder sections. It was sweet. I was stoked with the additions. I like the races nice and tough, so to be able to come back here and have it be even tougher than last year, with some better weather I will say; last year was really cold and rainy, this year was a lot better."

ON THE PEGS // PAGE 94

HAYDEN MOSA (11)

This win was especially important for Quinn, as he held the lead for the series overall by only a single point over Hayden (85 pts to Mosa's 84).

Despite going 1-2-1 in the series, the setback in points from hosting the first round of the series was a big hurdle to overcome.

"Obviously, I’m a competitor first," explained Quinn. "I was able to help out this year with the Fall Series promoting a round and it kind of turned into this US Hard Enduro Fall Series thing. I was committed to it already, so I hosted round one.

It went really well and I was really happy to do that, but I was also kind of bummed that I was starting off with zero points in the five-race series, so I was like “well, I’ll just put my head down and go out and try to win all the other races.” I got three wins and one second out of the last four races, and that was enough to snag the championship by a couple points."

Wentzel would finish the series with 115 points, with Mosa in second with 109 points, and Mason George in third with 84 points, making yet another Rieju 1-2-3 podium.

"Overall, it was a good day," said Hayden. "I had some clutch problems on lap two; the clutch kept completely going out, then it would just come back. So that had me pretty frustrated. I just want to say sorry to anyone that I may or may not have agitated when I VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 95

Bart Chylinski (614A) had an unfortunate run-in with a rock... check the back tire.

ON THE PEGS // PAGE 96

was up here in the pits causing a scene. Other than that, it was a good day. The track was awesome.

JoJo [Toole] did a really really good job. It was relentless hard stuff, one section after another, no breaks, just how I like it. I’m really happy. I’m a bit under the weather still; I ended up getting a cold/flu last week, but thankfully, it didn’t seem to bother me too much today.

I think [the Fall Series] was a good series. A couple of the races could take JoJo’s as an example - they need to make them more like this race. Ohio was good, Quinn’s was pretty good with what he had to work with. A few of the races should’ve been a lot harder than they were.

I’m really happy getting P2 behind my boy, Quinn [Wentzel]. He’s been my mentor and my trainer, and the guy who has basically taught me how to ride a dirt bike. You’re always going to want more as a rider, but I couldn’t be more happy with getting P2 behind Quinn."

"Today went decent," said Mason.

"I didn’t have the best luck today. I was kinda on the struggle bus today, didn’t get much sleep yesterday. I felt like I rode decent. The course was really good. I think it was an actual hard enduro this time; it was pretty tough. Lots of rocks. There was a pretty hard section towards the end of the race after checkpoint three that was pretty challenging.

VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 97

The lappers weren’t too bad this race because there were so many different lines [to choose from]. I feel like I did good [in the overall Fall Series]. I’m hoping next year I can be a lot better than this year, and do more training."

In the Youth Lites 12-15 class, Davin Shike took the lead and ran away with it, making two checkpoints and keeping the lead the whole day.

Chase Delong and Gage Hill were able to make solid finishes, coming in second and third, respectively.

In the series overall, it was a tight battle, with only two points separating first and second. In the end, it was Graham Kobak taking the plate with 112 points, Chase Delong in second with 110, and Gage Hill in third with 92 points.

In the B class, it was Roberto Isales taking the overall win by 44 points over Armando Berreondo.

Berreondo, despite not competing in the final round, had enough points from his 3-3-2-1 finishes earlier in the season to secure second place by 66 points over Wyatt Holdgrafer (75 points).

Despite having some cold weather, it was a vast improvement over the weather from the 2022 event.

Talking with JoJo Toole, it was evident that he takes a lot of pride in his work and cares deeply about providing a safe and fun experience for every event he puts together.

ON THE PEGS // PAGE 98

"Today was really good," said Toole.

"It was a bit stressful organizing all the volunteers and people around, and the larger rider count this year, so just a bit of learning and growing pains running a hard enduro as compared to some of the other races. It’s a bit tougher getting racers off the course as compared to a regular hare scramble. Overall, it was great. Everyone was super pumped on the course. Everybody had a great time, even the people who didn’t even make it to checkpoint one. It makes my heart really happy knowing that everyone had a great time on the course. I pay a lot of attention to how the course is made to make sure everyone has a ton of fun, and that everything is very doable, but it’s going to challenge you and make you really think about how you’re riding your bike."

After having attended every round in this inaugural Fall Series, it was clear that riders thoroughly enjoyed having events to attend after many series had finished for the year.

This series also gave new venues an opportunity to try their hand at hard enduro, benefiting from being under the US Hard Enduro brand.

Hopefully the Fall Series will return in the future, but nothing has been announced as of this writing.

VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 99

EVENT RESULTS (PRO) 1. Quinn Wentzel (RJU) 2. Hayden Mosa (RJU) 3. Mason George (RJU) 4. Josh Staley (GG) 5. Jeremie Lanthier (HSQ) 6. Gauge Key (GG) 7. Jason Kueber (KTM) 8. Diesel Driskell (BET) 9. Jared Jasicki (KTM) 10. Wyatt Marshall (HSQ)

CLICK HERE TO VISIT

WWW.USHARDENDURO.COM ON THE PEGS // PAGE 100

SERIES RESULTS (PRO) 1. Quinn Wentzel (RJU) 2. Hayden Mosa (RJU) 3. Mason George (RJU) 4. Mark Fortner (BET) 5. Jeremie Lanthier (HSQ) 6. Quinn Dickey (KTM) 7. Tobin Miller (KTM) 8. Jared Jasicki (KTM) 9. Brandon Blakely (HSQ) 10. Jared Fortner (BET)

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VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 101

MILLERS

NEVER

QUIT

INTERVIEW WITH TOBIN MILLER

ON THE PEGS // PAGE 102

VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 103

words and photos by STEPH VETTERLY Tobin Miller, a 21 year-old ski resort chairlift mechanic out of Wisconsin, grew up riding dirt bikes, found a passion for hard enduro, and now has big goals for himself within the next few years.

We met up with him at round 4 of the 2023 US Hard Enduro Fall Series, the River Monster Hard Enduro, where Tobin had swapped rides from his 2001 Honda CR250 to a 2020 KTM 300XC, sponsored by Champion Brick.

TELL ME ABOUT HOW YOU GOT STARTED. I started [riding] when I was 3 years old on a PW50. I started riding harescrambles and motocross at 4 [years old]. I’ve been doing it a long time; I have a lot of experience. I’ve ridden a lot of bikes. This Champion Brick bike is the first 300cc that I’ve ever ridden, but I’ve ridden a couple 250’s, a bunch of 125’s, and all the mini bikes - had a lot of fun on them.

WHEN DID YOU SWITCH TO RIDING HARD ENDURO? My junior year of high school. I had done a couple [hard enduros] before that - I’d done the Revlimiter and I did a [Graham] Jarvis training class, and that’s when I really got hooked. I was like “this is super cool!” I was kind of getting bored with harescrambles. I was enjoying going fast, but there’s not as much of a challenge with a ON THE PEGS // PAGE 104

harescramble, and it’s really fun to just challenge yourself for five hours straight. Sometimes you hate it, but it goes pretty good, usually.

Senior year of high school, I did the A class in the US Hard Enduro East Coast Series. I think that was the first year that they did it. I ended up getting third place that year. That went well. I moved up to Pro class after that; that didn’t go so well - I was like top 25.

WALK ME THROUGH YOUR CR. It’s a 2001 Honda CR 250. I bought it because I have no money [laughs].

It’s a cheap bike, and I know it has a total cult following, so I figured it’s got to be a good bike; it’s such a soughtafter bike. I did the research, and ‘01 was the year to get if you were going to get one. I bought it early spring and went and did a hard scramble in Iowa with no hand guards, no protection, nothing, and broke my clutch lever off pretty early on and didn’t finish. I also put a hole in my case. [Laughs]. That was rough.

Since then, I’ve put a lot of work into it and added a lot of protection parts - hand guards, flywheel weights, carburetors, wheels, rims, all sorts of stuff, reeds, new top end and everything. I actually really like it. It’s a really good bike. It’s kind of snappy, so you spin out a lot, but it does great on the hill climbs - it handles amazing, it does great with the single track. It’s just the slick stuff that it VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 105

struggles in. And, it has kick start!

No electric start. But it’s ok - I get pretty good starts on the kick start, so I’m happy with it. It’s fun to ride; it sounds really cool. People cheer really loud when I go by - I like that.

that I struggle with, too. Early on in the race, I think I can win it; I’ll go for the big lines right away, and that kind of bites me in the butt [laughs].

I’m working on it; I’m getting better, smarter.

I always like to say it’s the rider, not the bike. You can definitely make a difference by getting the best suspension and the best everything, and it makes it easier. But when it comes down to it, it’s you controlling the bike, the bike’s not controlling you.

You just need to ride differently and adjust your riding style to whatever you’re riding.

YOU’VE BEEN UP PRETTY HIGH IN THE STANDINGS THE LAST COUPLE RACES. WHAT HAVE YOU PICKED UP FROM BEING BEHIND RIDERS LIKE QUINN [WENTZEL] OR HAYDEN [MOSA]? WHAT LITTLE TIPS OR TRICKS HAVE YOU PICKED UP ON THAT YOU MAY HAVE WORKED ON APPLYING TO YOUR OWN RIDING?

IS THERE ANYTHING, SPECIFICALLY, THAT YOU LEARNED WHEN YOU SWITCHED FROM HARESCRAMBLES TO HARD ENDUROS? ANY SPECIAL TWEAKS OR CHANGES THAT BETTER SUITED YOUR RIDING STYLE FOR THIS TYPE OF RIDING? A lot more protection - disc guards are a huge thing. I’d say gearing-wise, you’ve gotta gear down, because it’s going to be a lot of really tricky, slick situations; you don’t want to spin, but you also want to be able to lug the bike at a really low rpm and get up stuff that way. More than bike-wise, I’d say it’s a riding-style adjustment - you want to just be very careful about where you’re placing stuff so you CAN finish the five-hour race, because that’s part of the battle.

You want to be very careful about your line selection and the choices that you make. That’s something ON THE PEGS // PAGE 106

Just riding smooth and carrying momentum through everything.

I really struggle with carrying momentum through the rock ravines, especially the slick ones where it’s like four or five consecutive ledges or large obstacles; I can do one at a time, stop and reset, but those guys are just so good at keeping feet on the pegsand keep moving the whole time. That’s something I’ve been working on.

HOW DO YOU FEEL PLACING SO WELL NEXT TO THE GUYS WHO HAVE MORE EXPERIENCE OR WHO ARE FACTORY RIDERS? Not great; I think I can do a lot better. If I do truly want to do this, I would have to be top-10 in a year or two. Quinn is a top-10 rider pretty consistently, and I’ve really only hung with him at one race, and it was a bit of an easier single-track race with

VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 107

a lot of hills and not as many rocks, which is where I DO lose time in. I’ve got to keep working way harder than what I’m working now, I guess, and just keep improving. I can’t hang with him right now, and I’ve got to do something to hang with him. I think I’m on the right track and I’m getting there. I don’t know. We’ll find out next spring how it goes.

WALK ME THROUGH THE RELATIONSHIP WITH MATT ADAMS (CHAMPION BRICK) AND THE BIKE HE’S HOOKED YOU UP WITH. That’s awesome! It’s been super super great to ride the 300; huge improvement over the CR. Matt’s whole thing is that he just wants to help grow the sport of hard enduro, and he wants to help young guys do stuff. He’s handing out tires, he’s giving guys (good) gas; he’s helped me, he’s helped Gauge [Key], and a bunch of other guys on Champion Brick bikes. It’s really cool. It’s really helpful to get a foot in the door with a high-level bike and sort of feel like a factory rider, or feel like a sponsored rider, and get a taste of that and get the most from the opportunity.

When I got on the bike, I changed the gearing, and I put stock handlebars on that were just a little bit wider; I like to roll them back quite a bit.

We’ve adjusted little things like the placement of the shift lever and the levers on the bar. I think it’s pretty close to a stock 2020 KTM 300XC. ON THE PEGS // PAGE 108

I’m sure the top-level guys can tell the difference with just little bits of engine porting or engine modification, but I’m just happy to be on a new bike that feels smooth and feels good. The electric start is huge [laughs]! And the bottom end on it is crazy! You can just point it at rocks and go straight at them and just lug over them; it’s amazing how big the difference is.

I'd like to say thanks to Matt for giving me this opportunity. I’d also like to say thanks to Jamison Stachel, my boss at work; he’s a super cool dude.

He lets me keep my motorcycle at work, and work on it at work. There’s an EnduroCross track behind the ski hill, so we get to ride every day on that stuff, and it’s super gnarly. He’s very understanding about me wanting to do this; he’ll give me a little leeway getting to races and taking some extra days off. That’s super awesome of him. He also lets me build some epic stuff with the skiddy.

We also met with Matt Adams to learn more about why he decided to give Tobin an opportunity on one of his bikes.

WHY TOBIN? I’ve known the Miller family in a roundabout way through dirt biking for like six or seven years. If I’m going to talk about Tobin, I’m going to have to talk about the Millers because VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 109

you don’t get just one of them, it’s a family. The most memorable Miller story I have is his younger brother was on a little bike, a YZ85, at Revlimiter at the new place, and we were in the big boulder section.

He passed me, looped his bike out, gets pointed backwards… the Millers are tough, they’re also very hard on equipment. I’ve gotten to know his dad well, I’ve gotten to know his sister well… they’ve been around forever. Being familiar and seeing the potential, and they’re just really good people.

Tobin is respectful, he thinks very maturely for his age, and I’m even more intrigued now than I was a week ago because he’s followed through and helped.

Tobin’s a good rider, he’s humble, he’s responsible, he’s fun to be around, he has a good perspective on life. I like how he thinks about things. He’s 21 years old, and he brought up things on the car ride down here that are really good, interesting things to think about, to the point where I think there are things I can learn from him. I like his way of looking at the world.

-Tobin finished seventh in the USHE Fall Series Pro class, missing out on the last round of the series. With a best finish of fifth place, we're excited to see what 2024 brings for this determined racer.

ON THE PEGS // PAGE 110

VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 111

White Rose

SCOTT TREASTER (722), BLADE SCHMIDT (589)

ON THE PEGS // PAGE 112

words by JOSH SHUCKER photos LORENA WALKER For several years now, the spacious and accommodating grounds of the White Rose Motorcycle Club (WRMC) near Spring Grove, Pennsylvania has been providing an exquisite season-ending experience for the participants of AHRMA’s MidAtlantic (MA) regional series. The small group of WRMC volunteers, which happen to also be regulars on the MA scene, take great pride in their efforts toward creating a fitting grand finale to an already great year of racing and fun. 2023 would continue their tradition of knocking it out of the park as the facility’s GP style grass track and twisting cross country loop were tweaked and prepped to perfection.

WRMC is blessed with a bountiful and relatively flat pit area where the variety of bike-toting rigs can comfortably claim a plot of land to call home for a few days.

Friday afternoon, in the shadow of the club’s signature imposing hill climb, the pits begin to fill for the weekend’s action. Most of the regular “MA family” is present, and quite a few new faces are scattered throughout the growing crowd, surely a good sign of the event’s, and series’, ever-increasing popularity. After an especially wet season of events in the MA region, it seems odd to see that the race VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 113

surface appears dry, perhaps even dusty! The slight chance of rain that has been forecast for Friday evening would most likely be a welcome course preparation event. Turns out, the rain was pretty much nonexistent, there was dust, but the weather was generally awesome for late October and supported a festive atmosphere throughout the weekend, and a thankful reprieve from the season’s earlier struggles with foul weather.

The MA’s motocross series was the first to take the stage with a Saturday reservation on the grass track up the hill from the pits. Over a dozen races in each moto took the rubber band start and set out on the course that essentially mirrored the revamped circuit from the prior year with a few improvements.

The sweeping lefthand turn on the front stretch from ’22 was squared off a bit with a more defined entry turn and a straighter shot past the starting line and into turn one.

Still a wicked fast affair, be sure to stand up over the dip in the last 50 yards of the straight, especially on a vintage era bike, as you may get a spine rattling jolt through the seat on the g-out at these speeds!

Trail boss Brett Reichart burned some diesel in the front-end loader prior to the event as he sculpted some banking and berms into a few of the early corners as well as profiling the handful of drop-off jumps that pepper the course. A lot CRAIG SHENIGO (945)

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VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 115

ON THE PEGS // PAGE 116

RAY DONET JR (77H), CRAIG SHENIGO (945)

of the ground used is cut through a field in typical grass track fashion and is hard packed and off camber in some spots. Where not manmade, berms were slow to form, so cornering skills were the key fast lap times. Unlike berms, braking and acceleration bumps were quick to form in the main groove rewarding those able to find a smoother line.

Following the day’s racing, the crowd begins to gather for an awards ceremony to celebrate the racer’s successes for the day. This also kicks off some of the other activities that make the WRMC event a special weekend. As has become tradition, a Halloween costume contest is encouraged, and Saturday brings a few early participants into focus. The most hard-core costumers will ride Sunday’s crosscountry event in character. Following the awards, the Mid-Atlantic’s leadership provided a spread of food for all to enjoy in salute to another successful and rewarding year of competition and fellowship. Prior to the dinner, a plethora of emotions swept the crowd as some time was set aside to bid farewell to a longtime member of the Mid-Atlantic family. As we had sadly learned a few rounds earlier, our friend and fellow competitor, Larry Warner had lost his valiant, but all-tooshort, battle with cancer. Larry’s wife Anna, son Glen, brother and racer Kyle, and sister-in-law Joelle, were on hand to celebrate Larry’s VOL. 9 ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2024 // PAGE 117

life with his brotherhood of racers.

The family brought some of Larry’s bikes, memorabilia, and a slide show of memories along to share and several MA brethren spoke to their relationship with him. A brilliant fabricator, collector, racer, and funny, gentle, caring man, Larry will be missed greatly. Godspeed, friend.

As Sunday’s cross-country racers queued themselves into the starting area without Larry’s 17B Yamaha in the 50+ Expert row, it is a good reminder to us all that life is short and unpredictable, race (or whatever else you enjoy) when you can and while you can. And, if you can race at a place as awesome as WRMC, even better. While the property is expansive, the existing trail network essentially covers the entire available area, so the chance that a trail will be reused from year-to-year is high. But those trails are excellent and are plentiful enough that each year’s event is a unique experience.

You recognize the different available trails from year’s past, but the manner in which they are connected, direction run, and approach taken to the property in general make all the difference in the course’s feel.

You know that at some point you will cross the hill climb’s breakers, you know that a rip through the motocross section on top of that hill will draw plenty of spectators, and you know that there will be bunches of flowy single track following the variety of elevation that the property MIKE CRAMER (306), JOHN BURNETT (330)

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LARRY WARNER, AND HIS HALLOWEEN ‘COSTUME’ DURING A FITTINGLY RAIN DRENCHED PREVIOUS WHITE ROSE EVENT – HE WOULD GO ON TO TAKE THE GREEN FLAG IN COSTUME.

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provides. Always a great time, and this iteration was no exception. My feeling after the checkered flag falls at WRMC is, “when can we do it again?!”.

And with that, the checkered flag falls on another awesome season of racing old bikes with great people at cool places, to which I also say, ”when can we do it all again?!”. In case you want to know the answer to that question, be sure to check out https://www.ahrma.org/ ahrma-mid-atlantic-region where the 2024 schedule is posted with some cool additions. You can also find the full results of the WRMC round at the link above. Many thanks to the WRMC volunteers for the hours spent crafting the fine courses for the weekend. Thank you, Brett, Emily, Grant, Jessi Reichart and Geoff and Dewey Kemp and any others involved in the club’s promotion of AHRMA racing. As always, much appreciation toward the Mid-Atlantic region’s committed volunteers for the efforts each race weekend and throughout the season and offseason to give everyone the opportunity to experience this great series. Please complement and patronize the fine sponsors that make these events a reality; Potomac Vintage Riders, Preston Petty Products, Stainless Cycle, Grove Printing, KMI Printing, Horizon Homes, M3 One, and Works Enduro Riders. See you in 2024!

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