SUMTER ENDURO SURPRISE!
LEARN THE SMAGE STYLE!
THE TOP
KTM 300 XC-W TPI
KTM Factory riders are continually shifting the boundaries of possibility. Their demands have resulted in a new generation of complete high-performance offroad machines that offer outstanding handling and agility, improved ease of use and efficient power delivery across the whole rev range.
The new KTM 300 XC-W TPI is a race-refined machine of the highest caliber, built to conquer every challenge in your journey to the top.
Photo:
The Big Picture AND GAM IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Repsol Honda’s Toni Bou squeezed out a win at the third round of the 2020 FIM X-Trial series in Budapest.
PHOTO COURTESY REPSOL HONDA
The Big Picture
AND GAM
THE FIRST
Californian Ricky Brebec became the first American and first Honda rider in over 30 years to win the Dakar Rally.
PHOTO COURTESY MONSTER ENERGY HONDA
The Big Picture
AND GAM
FREQUENT FLIER
Pat Smage lets fly at the International Indoor Cup in France. The 11-time US MotoTrial Champ competed against the best in the world, including Toni Bou and Adam Raga. Look for the news story and interview inside.
PHOTO BY SERGIO
The Big Picture
AND GAM
Kyle Smith rode the spotlight to third in the Open B class at the Sumter National Enduro in Wedgefield, South Carolina, kicking off the Kenda AMA National Enduro Series.
PHOTO BY SHAN MOORE
SPOT LIGHT
The Big Picture
AND GAM
BOLT OF LIGHTENING
Billy Bolt proved to be unbeatable at the Spanish round of the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship, winning all three main events.
PHOTO COURTESY HUSQVARNA
CHAMPIONS RIDE KENDA.
Kenda welcomes Cody Webb and FactoryONE Sherco to the Kenda team.
Looking forward to an exciting 2020 race season with Webb and the entire the powerhouse FactoryONE Sherco team.
THE LOOP
News and Culture From The World Of Trials, Offroad and Extreme Racing
BRABEC’S HISTORIC DAKAR
Historic victory for Ricky Brabec and Honda at the 2020 Dakar
Over 30 years have passed since Honda last triumphed in the Dakar Rally. In 2020, Monster Energy Honda Team has once again laid claim to the coveted bronze Tuareg prize. Ricky Brabec makes history to become the first ever American to win the world’s toughest and cruellest rally.
After eight years in pursuit of glory, the dream has finally come true. Ricky Brabec rewarded Honda with a much desired victory. Honda had returned to the Dakar in 2013 after a 23-year absence, yet after numerous stage wins and two overall runner-up spots, the principle objective remained elusive. However, on an eighth attempt in the 2020 edition, success finally materialized. The result is the fruit of much long-term work by engineers, mechanics and riders, who have spared no effort to accomplish the mission of outright victory in the Dakar Rally.
Photos
Courtesy Monster Energy Honda
Today, on the final 12th stage, Ricky Brabec made history by becoming the first American to have his name inscribed amongst the winners of the planet’s most gruelling odyssey. Brabec dominated the rally from start to finish, and today, after finishing the final special stage in second place, was able to seal the victory that he sought over the past five campaigns: overall winner of the Dakar Rally 2020. The Monster Energy Honda Team ace snatched the leadership on day three and refused to relinquish the top spot until the race wrapped up, two stage victories and 5000 kilometres later.
“It’s a dream come true,” Said Brabec. “Hopefully we can come back next year and repeat it. I know that it’s not going to be easy as the Husky and KTM boys will be breathing down our necks. I’m really excited to be here for Honda and for America as well. To be the only American to accomplish this goal is amazing. I think it’s really a dream come true. Now we’ve got to set our goals higher and accomplish more. We are going to come back next year and try and repeat this but, as I said, it’s not easy. We are happy. It was a big, tough race. A lot of kilometres. The team worked great together. The riders were good and the whole team worked well together so I’m really happy. The bikes were really good. We are all here. We are all happy and safe. That was the first goal. I can’t thank everyone enough – Honda, Monster and every one of the sponsors behind us. Thank you all so much. It’s the first time in Saudi Arabia. The scenery was insane! I love it. Hopefully I’ll be back next year. I’ve got a five-year contract so I think we’ll be back.” n
SMAGE IMPRESSES IN FRANCE
Competing against the very best in the world, 11-time US MotoTrial Champion Pat Smage did himself and America proud with an impressive performance at the Trial Indoor International Cup, held in Bordeaux and Montpellier, France.
Adam Raga won the first night while Toni Bou won the second night. Meanwhile, Smage was sixth and fifth.
Here’s what the FactoryONE Sherco rider had to say on his Instagram page:
“What a wild weekend riding the @trialindoorinternationalcup in France! I had some good rides and plenty of bad ones, but I learned a lot and did better than expected. To make it through some sections and even get some cleans without any major crashes was a big accomplishment for me. I made some big mistakes and had some problems but it all worked out in the end. More on that later for the #RYPTV video of my trip, it should be an interesting one...
“But it was an honor to compete against the best in the world and to have them treat me so well was something I’ll always remember. Seeing them make sections that I was afraid to ride look so easy was just a further reminder of how far behind we are in the states. Those guys are incredible and at such a higher level, it’s always a treat to see them ride in person.
“Huge thanks to @sherco_racing_factory for helping me so much to make it possible. Thanks to @pm_vaglio for minding for me, merci! I didn’t bring a minder and he volunteered to help last minute. I wouldn’t have wanted to try those crazy sections without him. Also thanks to everyone watching and cheering me on back home. The positive vibes from you guys must have helped since I didn’t have any at the start of either night.”
Well Done, Pat Smage! - OTP
NIGHT ONE
1. Adam Raga (TRS) 3
2. Toni Bou (Hon) 6
3. Benoit Bincaz (Bet) 11
4. Luca Petrella (Bet) 15
5. Toby Martyn (TRS) 25
6. Pat Smage (Shr) 36
NIGHT TWO
1. Toni Bou (Hon) 2
2. Benoit Bincaz (Bet) 2
3. Adam Raga (TRS) 2
4. Toby Martyn (TRS) 14
5. Pat Smage (Shr) 16
6. Luca Petrella (Bet) 19
• Look for the interview with Pat Smage about the International Cup in this issue.
KAILUB RUSSELL’S SWAN SONG
Following a very decorated career in professional offroad racing, FMF KTM Factory Racing Team’s Kailub Russell has announced that 2020 will mark his final XC1 season in the AMA Grand National Cross Country Series as he competes for his eighth-consecutive title in the premier class.
Heading into his 10th season on the front row, Russell has become a dominant force over the last decade as he currently holds the most overall bike wins in GNCC’s history at 60, while also sitting second behind Ed Lojak (nine-time champion) on the series’ all-time championship list with seven consecutive XC1 Pro titles. But his list of accolades doesn’t stop there, as a two-time member of the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) gold medal winning American team, twotime Full Gas Sprint Enduro Pro Champion (2015 and ’19) and 2015 AMA National Enduro Pro Champion, Russell has seen much success at the highest levels of offroad racing and he looks to conclude his professional career on a high note in 2020.
Photos Courtesy KTM USA
“It’s tough to walk away from all I have ever known. Unlike most though, I can say that I have given my absolute best as a racer and not left any stone unturned throughout my GNCC career,” said Russell. “Racing has taken a toll on my mind and body throughout my lifetime but it has opened more doors and opportunities than I could have ever dreamt about. I’m going to continue racing until the end of 2021 at least, but with a limited race schedule as I transition into the next chapter of life. While the 2020 season marks my 10th and final year as an XC1 competitor, I’m just as ambitious and motivated for my last as I was my first.”
“Kailub has had an absolutely stunning career in racing GNCC and he still continues to push forward in his winning ways but everything has its end and the time is coming with Kailub,” said Team Manager Antti Kallonen. “Looking back as he starts his 10th year in the GNCC XC1 class, it is truly remarkable what he has accomplished as a rider but also what he has brought to the team and KTM over all these years and we look forward to his final year for him to produce yet his best performance in his career.”
In addition to competing in the 2020 GNCC Series, Russell will also defend his two-time championship status in the 2020 Full Gas Sprint Enduro Championship.
ALEX NIEDERER TO BETA
Beta USA recently announced the signing of Alex Niederer to the Factory Trials team! Niederer has ridden for Beta in the past and is an extremely talented trials rider who finished in seconnd place last year in the Pro class of the NATC Trials National series.
Niederer is set to compete in the AMA/NATC Trials Nationals, Super Trials Series, as well as select others.
“It will be a pleasure to work with Alex in 2020, he has shown his talent last season and I feel now that he is back on Beta, he will make a run for the top position,” said Trials Team Manager Ray Peters.
“I am excited to be back with Beta for 2020,” said Niederer. “We had some good success together in 2013 & 2014, and I am looking forward to working with the team at Beta USA to achieve the best possible results.” n
Christy Williams-Richards Named Team
Manager for FactoryONE Mototrials
FactoryONE Mototrials has announced Christy Williams-Richards as the Sherco team’s new Team Manager. Christy will be managing the team riders and the dayto-day operations of the team.
Looking forward to managing the FactoryONE rigs and helping organize the riders at the events is only one part of what Christy hopes to bring to the team. “I am excited to work with both established riders on the National scene and especially the up and coming riders. I feel that I will be in a position to help work with the riders on their trials skills, physical training, and overall training schedules to help them achieve their full potential. Trials has always been a bit of a “backyard” sport compared to main-stream sports, and it’s time for trials riders to have the opportunity to bring their A-game and ele-vate trials to the next level.”
Christy will be developing and implementing strategies to continue the growth of the team’s suc-cess, individual riders’ success as well as the growth of the sport of observed trials in the United States. In addition, she will determine and administer team budgets, identify and track key perfor-mance indicators and manage all team communications. n
FactoryONE Sherco Announces
FactoryONE Sherco is proud to announce today their commitment to the future of off-road motorcycle racing by unveiling their youth development program for the 2020 season. The area of focus will be on Extreme Enduro, GNCC and Trials.
“We are committed to continuing the growth of the sport we love so much.” Said Ron Sallman, team owner. “We are focused on trials, extreme enduro and GNCC, as this is the where our factory riders Pat Smage, Cody Webb and Steward and Grant Baylor compete. We want to provide a platform for the next generation to learn and grow from the factory and factory supported team.”
The first such development rider named is Jackson Davis. Jackson will be riding for SLM Racing / Sherco of North Texas. His focus will be on trials and extreme
Youth Development Program
enduro. Even at a tender 16 years old, he has a solid resume.
“I am 16 years old and have been racing Cross Country, Enduro and Hard Enduro since 2015, Said Jackson Davis. I have always been attracted to the harder obstacles and lines in competition. This has inspired me to chase the Hard/ Extreme Enduro races in the USA. I will also continue to hone my skills by continuing to compete in trials events. I am grateful to FactoryONE Sherco and SLM Racing for this opportunity”
Here is a look at some of Jackson’s 2019 accomplishments
• RevLimiter Extreme Enduro - 1st Place AMA Texas State Championship (Open A) Decatur, Texas.
• EnduroFest - 23rd Overall. Sparks, Nevada.
• Last Dog Standing - 19th Overall. Devore, CA. Securing a Qualifying Position into TKO
• Bad Medicine at Fallen Timbers – 12th Overall. Little Hocking, Ohio.
• Battle of the Goats – 25th Place Overall / 4th Place Open A. Taylorsville, North Carolina.
• TKO – Pre-Qualified into round 2, finished 38th, Gold Medal Recipient. Sequatchie, Tennessee.
• SaddleBack Extreme – 18th Overall, 4th Place Open A,
• 2019 American Hard Enduro (AHE) Series 3rd Place Champion.
• 2019 Texas State Trials Series 2nd Place Champion.
• 2019 TSCEC 1st Place Champion Open A
• 2019 TSCEC “Rookie of the Year”
• 2019 Red Bull OverRide 1st Place Champion Open A
“We have identified a few ShercoUSA dealers to kick of this pilot program, Said Sallman. We share best practices, technical insight as well as access to special training events and programs for starters. We have watched Jackson come up through trials and the Texas enduro scene. He is going to compete for championships in the not too distant future.” n
SMAGE RIDING TECHNIQUE PAT
FOR THE NEXT YEAR, 11-TIME US MOTOTRIALS CHAMPION PAT SMAGE WILL BE BRINGING US MONTHLY RIDING TIPS DESIGNED TO MAKE YOU A BETTER RIDER. AND WHO DOESN’T WANT TO BE A BETTER RIDER? WHETHER YOU’RE A TRIALS RIDER OR AN OFFROAD ENTHUSIAST, WE’RE CERTAIN YOU’LL BENEFIT FROM PAT’S TIPS, SO SIT BACK AND TAKE IT ALL IN. BE SAFE AND DON’T FORGET TO PRACTICE WITH A BUDDY!
Slide-N-Guide Kit
Max Sug. Retail: $124.95
Website: www.tmdesignworks.com
Contact: (541) 772-4161
TM Designworks is propelling Yamaha riders to success with their innovative Slide-N-Guide technology. The Factory Edition SX Slide-N-Guide Kit is built for SX and MX riders and provides an affordable upgrade from OEM equipment elevating durability, performance, and appearance all in one package. The compact Chain Guide retains TMD’s patented return memory impact system plastic formula along with a matching front Chain Slider tested and proven in every condition from the deserts of Baja to the stadiums of Supercross. The front slider offers precise guidance and unobstructed flow for minimal drag and wear on the critical chain. The Factory Edition SX kit is available in Black, Blue, and Red for a custom look and the kit retails for $124.95.
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
Funnelweb Pro Line Air Filter from Enduro Engineering
Max Sug. Retail: $119.95, $134.95 (Extreme Plate)
Part number: 18-1016
Fitment: KTM/Husqvarna
Website: www.EnduroEng.com
The ProLine Filter has been developed with extensive testing in the United States, South Africa and Europe. This all-new filter offers the ultimate in peace-of-mind riding in all extreme conditions thanks to its profiled single layer foam constructions, which increases surface area and lengthens change intervals.
Like all FunnelWeb filters, the ProLine filter features profile cut, single layer, single density foam that doubles the external surface area of the filter without increasing the original filter size. The ProLine Filter traps dirt-dust, sand and mud- over a larger area on its outer surface, ensuring optimal air flow is maintained for maximized engine performance and reliability.
The FX and TX cross-country model range offers purpose-built motorcycles with ultra-modern components like electric start to get the rider off the line faster and a Map Select switch to put the power to the ground. Performance-focused innovations were implemented to ensure power accessibility and agility to stay ahead of the competition.
Photo:
2020 BETA EVO FACTORY
The art of perfection
Beta USA is proud to announce the new 2020 EVO Factory models. Based in Florence, Italy since 1905, The Tuscan manufacturer’s extensive experience and know-how have allowed them to develop a bike with an unrivaled chassis and engine, ensuring only the highest levels of performance.
Compared to the standard version - which has already introduced numerous design/ergonomic improvements this year - the Factory version adds a whole series of components that make it battle-ready come competition time.
The 2020 EVO Factory offers four engine options: three 2-stroke versions (125, 250 and 300 cc) and one 4-stroke version (300 cc). This means riders are free to choose the bike that best suits their riding style and so make the most of their individual performance.
2020 EVO FACTORY 2 STROKE
ENGINE
Factory version engines differ from standard version power units as follows:
2-Stroke
• Black magnesium casings: a more appealing look and greater weight savings to help create an even more agile ride.
• Titanium exhaust head pipe: boosts performance and reduces weight.
• Profiled clutch discs: reduces plate flexing for a stronger engagement under all riding conditions.
• Special racing cylinder with optimized porting: brings out the full racing character of the engine without affecting user-friendliness.
• Cylinder head with specially designed volume and squish (300 cc only):for a further performance boost; what’s more, the red paintwork enhances the ‘factory’ character of this bike.
• Special ignition programming: to work in junction with the cylinder and exhaust, ensures excellent low-rev handling without compromising mid-high rev performance.
• Black anodized engine oil plugs.
4-Stroke
The 300 cc 4-stroke engine on the new EVO Factory MY 2020 features a lighter, even higher-performing titanium silencer and a new electronic control unit (ECU). This increases sparking stability (thanks to higher electrical power) and consequently improves combustion throughout the rev range.
CHASSIS
From a design and chassis viewpoint, the new 2020 EVO Factory differs from the standard version as follows:
• Fork with re-calibrated fork hydraulics and compression adjustment: ensures an optimal setting whatever the conditions.
• Gold anodized machined-from-solid triple clamp: besides reducing weight and increasing stiffness, lets the rider shift the handlebar risers forwards or backwards to adjust bike set-up to perfection.
• Rear suspension with longer wheelbase and adjustment of both compression and rebound: more progressive hydraulics allows for a more refined set-up that provides benefits in terms of pre-obstacle compression and push-off.
• Rear suspension with new hydraulic settings: provides much greater lowspeed control which aids balance and stability while riding.
• Rear suspension with new ‘spring guide’ geometry:increases high-impact absorption through greater flexibility of the shock absorber plug, which now features a bigger containment space.
• Linkage progression: even more sensitive and progressive, ensuring better responsiveness and traction.
• Lanyard-type kill switch: ensures even greater riding safety.
• Black anodized bar end plugs: protect the grips and throttle.
• Black anodized chain adjusters: make chain tension adjustments extremely precise.
2020 EVO FACTORY 4 STROKE
• Machined-from-solid foot pegs in non-slip steel: besides clearly improving boot grip, these ensure significant weight reduction.
• Galfer racing brake discs: deliver more powerful braking, weight savings and a ‘racier’ look.
• BrakTec brake and clutch pumps: for improved braking modulation.
• Black anodized brake and clutch pump covers.
• Rear brake caliper with brake pad anti-vibration system.
• New gold Excel rims.
• Michelin X-light tires: maximize grip whatever the riding conditions.
• New look and new decal graphics: the racing spirit of this bike is enhanced by new graphics in the Beta Factory colors of red, white and blue, with gold trims.
AVAILABLILITY Mid-February
Note: Beta EVO Factory editions are a limited production model and will sellout swiftly. Reach out to your Beta dealer to insure delivery.
Prices:
125 $7799.00
250 $8399.00
300 $8599.00
300 4 Stroke $8799.00
IN SumTER SaNd SURPRISE
ROUND 1
FEBRUARY 2, 2020
SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA
BEN KELLEY
The opening round of the 2020 Kenda AMA National Enduro Series was a thriller, with FMF/ KTM Factory Racing’s Ben Kelley squeezing out the victory over FactoryONE Sherco teammates and brothers, Steward and Grant Baylor.
All three came into the event with the odds somewhat against them. Ben Kelley missed the complete series last year when KTM and Husqvarna teams elected to sit out the national enduro series, so it had been over a year since the Connecticut rider had ridden tight enduro trail. Meanwhile, the Baylor brothers switched to Sherco during the off-season and didn’t get their race bikes until two days before the race and only had one day of seat time on the 450 SEF’s before the race. However, the three riders split the six tests among themselves, with Kelley taking three test wins, while Steward won two and Grant won one.
Kelley took the early lead after winning the opening two tests. In test five, however, both Baylors finished ahead of Kelley, leaving Steward leading the race by two seconds over Kelley going into the final test.
Kelley turned in his best test of the day in the 10-mile final test, beating Steward by 11 seconds and taking the overall win by a little over nine seconds, with Grant rounding out the podium in third.
Thad Duvall turned in a steady ride for fourth, while his Rockstar Energy Husqvarna teammate Trevor Bollinger rounded out the top five, despite having very little enduro experience.
THAD DUVALL
Following Thad in fifth was Trevor Bollinger, his Rockstar Energy Husqvarna teammate. Bollinger has very little national enduro experience as was pleased to round out the top five.
Another rider with virtually no enduro experience was Washington’s Ricky Russell, and the Coastal Racing Husqvarna rider finished a solid sixth, ahead of 2014 AMA National Enduro Champion Andrew DeLong, who was riding a Phoenix Racing Honda.
Retired Five-time National Enduro Champion
Russell Bobbitt made a guest appearance on his Gnarly Routes KTM and came away with eighth, with Thorn Devlin following in ninth on a Beta USA 300 two-stroke.
Jonathon Johnson rounded out the top 10 overall, which also gave him the win in the NE Pro2 division.
In the Women’s Elite class, Enduro Engineering/ Mepmx/Fly/Grizzly Peak/Traveler’s Rest Speedway/KTM’s Mackenzie Tricker was tops after winning four of the five tests. n
OVERALL RESULTS
1. Ben Kelley (KTM)
2. Steward Baylor (Shr)
3. Grant Baylor (Shr)
4. Thad Duvall (Hsq)
5. Trevor Bollinger (Hsq)
6. Ricky Russell (Hsq)
7. Andrew DeLong (Hon)
8. Russell Bobbitt (KTM)
9. Thorn Devlin (Bet)
10. Jonathon Johnson (Hon)
Beta USA-backed Thorn Devlin, who saw his 2019 season end prematurely thanks to a shoulder injury, brought his two-stroke home in ninth.
“I was off to a good start, just trying to remember how to duck trees at high speeds and read trails,” said Devlin. “It was a solid start, but I have lot to build on. I need to keep moving forward and we’ll get there.”
Mackenzie Tricker got off to a good start defending her 2019 Women’s Elite Championship with an impressive win at Sumter.
“I was a little rusty to start off and I tightened up in the first test because it was really cold, but pretty I did good,” said Tricker. “It’s just good to get the first race for the year done. I’m happy with obviously coming away with the win today.
“I crashed in the second test in some pine needles, but other than that it was a pretty good day. Just had a lot of problems with lappers today. Sometimes I’ll go to an enduro and I’ll get every time every lapper perfect, and then other days I feel like they really work against me. Today with this being I think six people in every row, the first few tests especially being pretty tight I had a lot of problems with lappers. Other than that, it was a great day. Just on to the next one.”
Demand for a spot in the Sumter the first eight minutes after the waiting list hoping for a no-show Heavy rains during the week leading in perfect shape when the rain moved riders were praising the event.
The Kenda AMA National Enduro rock Canyon National in Turkey, Texas information on the Kenda AMA National alenduro.com. n
RICKY RuSSEll: GOING ENduRO R aCING
GNCC ace Ricky Russell is not known as an enduro rider, but he is going to contest this Racing Husqvarna, which is his new ride for 2020 after spending years riding on Randy In Sumter, Ricky came away with a respectible sixth place finish. Not bad for someone His best test was test four where he posted the fifth-fastest time.
“I’m excited to do them this whole year and chase the series,” said Russell. “It’s something laid back and I enjoy it. It’s tight, definitely tight, and I’ve got to find that happy medium and going just fast enough to be actually hitting your lines and smooth. Smoother is faster.
Sumter race was off the rails as 780 riders signed up in the entries opened, with over 60 riders sitting on a no-show to give them a shot to compete. leading up to the race left the Sumter trail moved out on Saturday morning and most
Enduro Series resumes on March 22 at the CapTexas for round two of its series. For more National Enduro Series go to www.nation-
TOTH’S TOUGH LUCK
FMF KTM Factory Racing Team’s Josh Toth was forced to miss the Sumter Enduro following a leg injury sustained during practice earlier in the week.
Toth broke the news on his Instagram page:
“So gutted to be writing this,” wrote Toth. “Caught my leg between a tree and my bike, re-breaking my leg and bending the rod I had put in. Have a followup appt. to see what the next step is, whether it is going to be replaced or just let the leg heal up.”
this year’s complete schedule on a Coastal Randy Hawkin’s Am Pro Yamaha team. someone who is not used to riding tight trail.
something new and kind of fun. It’s a little more medium between going too fast and over-riding, faster. Really just learning.”
Toth underwent surgery last summer to repair a broken tibia and fibula in his right leg and he re-fractured the right tibia while preparing for the season in South Carolina. Toth will see an orthopedic specialist to reassess his injury and determine further plans. n
SUMTER DEBRIEF:
Ben Kelley talks about his first national enduro
BEN KEllEY
enduro win...
Having not ridden a national enduro in over a year, Ben Kelley surprised a few people by leading most of the Sumter Enduro and then preforming under pressure to pull out the overall victory in the final test. Maybe the only person not surprised was Kelley himself.
“I wouldn’t say it was a surprise, but it was the first race of the year and being that it’s a national enduro and I don’t really ride the tight stuff that often, it was just an unknown,” said Kelley. “But I did good here in 2018. I ended up third. I’ve been working hard this off-season so I just didn’t really think about it much. I just tried to ride the best I could. After winning the first two tests, I was a little surprised, but just because I felt good but I didn’t feel like I was pushing the limit like crazy. I was just being smooth. Just tried to stay like that all day and it worked out.
“I think I was leading all day and then I think both the Baylor’s got me there on the fifth test. I was down two seconds to Stew with one test remaining. It was going to be another long, ten-mile test so I just tried to go out there and ride fast and be smooth and stay off the ground. I was able to do that and hit my marks for the most part. I felt like I flowed good. I came out of the test and wasn’t sure how I did and found out that I won that test, so I won the day. I was stoked. My first-ever national enduro win, after a year of not racing them. I just felt really good. Just stoked to get the win.
“I felt good in test five, those guys just beat me. For the most part, I felt good all day too. I stayed on two wheels. Just stalled the bike a few times and had little mistakes but nothing crazy. For the most part I rode really good.
“I felt really good at the end of last year. I just took some time off for sure, but had some fun mountain biking and staying in shape. So I didn’t really lose my base or anything. I’ve been down at Ranch Russell in Florida for the past four weeks just riding and training hard. I felt like it came back quick. My speed is good. My endurance is good. Overall just feeling good. I feel like I sustained from last season.
“We got a little bit of tight woods down at Kailub’s, so I’ve been familiar with it. I’ve been riding a 450 full-time, but for this race I jumped down to a 350. Just felt a lot more nimble and I could throw it around more. It felt good in the tight stuff.”
SUMTER DEBRIEF:
Steward Baylor talks about the Sumter national...
STE waRd BaYlOR
During the off-season, Steward Baylor and his brother Grant signed with FactoryONE Sherco for the 2020 season, however, Stew and Grant didn’t get thier race bikes until two days before the Sumter race, giving them only one day of seat time before the race.
“Today was up and down,” said Steward. “We only had one day on these bikes. We broke them in yesterday. It was a huge learning curve. I think we were a little bit off. Coming into the first test, right before the race started, I told Grant, ‘We’ve got to be a few seconds up going into test six.’ With that last section being the Aonly section, it’s a little bit tougher. Three or four seconds tougher, usually. Obviously I got smoked by twelve seconds (by Ben Kelley) in that test. I knew it was going to be three or four, so I gave it everything I had all day.
“I had some big crashes. Like I said, we were just a little behind the eight ball. With everything said and done looking at it with a new bike, new team, products that I’ve never run before, I think we’re sitting as good as we could be.
“Obviously, I was on KTM for 22 years, ten of which professionally. It’s tough, but everything was really relatable switching to the Sherco. I felt like I automatically meshed with the bike. From now it’s just fine tuning.
“The biggest thing that I see is organization. This is a whole new team. It’s a big learning curve for not just myself and Grant, but everybody involved. I know that the organization is the thing that we’re lacking right now.
“As the season goes on, I think we can show just how good these bikes are. Obviously a lot of people were wondering what we were going to do. To be competing with Factory KTM all day long and leading and winning - I think we won between Grant and I three out of six tests or something like that. Obviously we can do it.
“I’m just looking forward to the next few rounds and rebound from this one and hopefully come into the next round a little more prepared.” n
SUMTER DEBRIEF:
Thad Duvall talks about returning to the national
THad duVall
national enduro series...
After skipping the Kenda AMA National Enduro Season altogether in 2019, Thad Duvall is committed to riding the entire season in 2020. Despite being away for a while, Thad just missed the podium with a fourth.
“My expectation is always to win, but I haven’t raced in four and a half months so I didn’t know really where I was,” said Duvall. “I’ve been down in Florida for almost three weeks now riding. I felt like I had the speed and stuff. Just didn’t know where I would be at with the knee, but I’m happy with how it goes.
“I guess I was top five (actually fourth), you don’t win the championship in the first race. Kind of a building block for me. I felt like I rode good all day. I was just a little off. I made a lot of mistakes.
“I’m excited to be back racing. I think I had a smile on my face all day. Those guys, the intensity is high. I haven’t been able to ride that intensity for so long. It kind of took me a while to get going. I had some good tests and some really bad tests. I got to keep that intensity high the whole test and learn how to ride these things again. Like I said, I’m just super excited to be back racing and back with the national enduros. I enjoy these things. Kind of out of my element a little bit, but I feel like it makes me a little better rider. Gets that intensity up for GNCC’s. Just a good day for fourth, for sure.” n
alIENAUTOPSY
a mOTORHEad ’S lOOK aT THE TRICKEST BIKES IN OFF-ROad
Ryder Lafferty didn’t make the opening round of the Kenda AMA National Enduro Series due to a broken foot, but his bike did. And when his XC Gear/Enduro Engineering/Husqvarna mechanic Mike “Napper” Naperalski offered to give us a tour of Ryder’s ultra trick bike we jumped at the chance.
Ryder’s bike is loaded with a ton of cool aftermarket goodies and even a couple of prototype items that Ryder was testing (we had to swear not to divulge them, but a few of our sharper-eyed readers might notice one as it is in plain view).
RYDER LAFFERTY’S
XC Gear/EE HUSQVARNA FX
350
Ryder prefers the FX 350 for the Enduro series. Of course he’ll be riding the 250 for the XC2 class in GNCC.
Starting with the suspension, Napper tells us that Enduro Engineering does all the work on the WP cone valve forks and shock.
“Ryder likes a little bit heavier sprung bike, a little bit more freer valving in his bike,” said Napper. “The same for his shock.”
Looking now to the brakes, the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, and like his uncle, Mike Lafferty, Ryder is hard on brakes.
“We run the Braking rear pads,” said Napper. “We use a semi-metallic pad. Then Enduro Engineering makes an insulating shield that goes in-between the pads. With Ryder being such a brake hound, we’re using the SXS Brembo caliper to help dissipate the heat since it’s a little more robust, and of course, we run the EE brake pedal tip.”
The Braking solid rear rotor is paired up with and EE disc guard.
“It’s a standard diameter rotor, it’s not oversized. Just a solid rotor to help dissipate the heat, because Ryder is quite the brake hound,” added Napper.
A new sponsor for the team this year is IMS, so Ryder’s bike has IMS pegs, and then for the GNCC’s they have the IMS over-sized tank.
Moving forward stock radiators have Enduro Engineering radiator braces and guards.
Once again, XC Gear/Enduro Engineering/Husqvarna has partnered with Kenda tires for a fourth season. According to Napper, Noah Clark (the team’s Pro 2 rider) likes to run the Millville rear and the Washougal 2 in the front, but Napper says that Ryder is pretty much a Washougal guy, front and rear.
Another big sponsor is FMF Exhausts.
Like most of the Pros in the National Enduro pits, the team is running the XC Gear Mako 360 bar mount, with its adjustability thanks to the different polymers, Ryder likes a firm and uses the stiffer polymer.
The bars and grips are ODI, and Ryder prefers the Podium series.
“With that cross bar, it’s actually got an adjustment in how much flex you want in your bars,” said Napper. “That’s a really nice feature of the ODI bars.”
A new thing that Enduro Engineering is offering this year, is their grip lever
alIENAUTOPSY
cover, which looks like a rubber sheath that covers the lever for better “traction” on the lever.
“What’s nice about that is that it’s not only a gripper but when it’s cold like this, it kind of insulates that coldness away from the lever,” added Napper.
Looking to the skidplate, the team runs an Enduro Engineering skidplate with linkage guard.
The clutch is the stock Husqvarna unit.
On the sprocket side there is an EE clutch cylinder guard with a knock-down bar.
Napper added that a cool new sponsor for the team this year is Funnelweb filters.
“It’s a very unique filter,” said Napper. “It’s like it’s made out of porcupine filter. It’s got these little points on it and what it’s really doing, it gives you more surface area to help filter out. It’s an awesome filter. Really enjoying having those guys on board.”
Another cool item is the Enduro Engineering ignition wire guard, which loops over the ignition wire so if you got a stray stick or something grabbing it, it won’t pull on that.
RYDER LAFFERTY’S
XC Gear/EE HUSQVARNA FX
Napper runs a fan kit, as well, bolted up to the EE radiator braces.
350
To drive the motorcycle forward the team uses Sunstar chain and sprockets.
“We’re at a 14:50 gearing on his bike and 14:51 is stock,” said Napper. “Another thing, in the hard parts catalogue for Husqvarna, for the fuel pump they offer an aluminum connector. The new ones are plastic. I’ve seen that some of the plastic ones have been breaking, so we don’t have any problems in a fall-over situation or something where that fitting will break, so I’m running an aluminum on that.”
Pro Wheel is a sponsor for the team, as well, so they’re running Pro Wheels.
“The engine basically is pretty darn close to stock,” said Napper. “There’s a little bit done, but nothing major, plus we are running a Wiseco piston and rings in there.”
“To make the bikes look good, Bike Graphics really helps us out with our graphics. They do a superb job. Thankful to have them as a partner with the team,” added Napper. “Also, Ryder likes our Enduro Engineering gripper seat cover too. Depending on the course, he does go between a standard height seat and a tall seat. And he runs a bump in his seat.”
Napper prefers the stock chain guide.
“I use the one off the older EXC, especially for the enduros,” said Napper. “The stock one has aluminum in it, and if that bends it stays bent. I actually run an old EXC one, so if it does get hit it normally comes back. It doesn’t derail the chain that way.” n
BOLT UNBEATABLE
2020 FIM SUPERENDURO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 3
JANUARY 18, 2020
LA CORUNA, SPAIN
BILLY BOLT
Delivering a riding masterclass, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Billy Bolt claimed a hat-trick of victories at round three of the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship in La Coruna, Spain. Also topping the Superpole hot lap, Bolt secured a maximum point haul to return to the top of the championship standings with two rounds remaining.
Meanwhile, delivering his best result of the series to date, Red Bull KTM’s Jonny Walker took another positive forward step in returning to his best having missed the 2019 indoor season due to injury. Putting together a memorable night, the British rider raced to a confidence-boosting runner-up result, placing just 14 points behind Bolt.
Disappointed with his performance last time out in Germany, Bolt arrived in Spain eager to make amends and deliver a redeeming result. On what was an increasingly slippery and technical course, the Brit looked in command all night.
Beginning his night with a blisteringly fast Superpole lap, Billy topped the classification by almost two seconds. Carrying that momentum into the first of the night’s three races, the Brit quickly hit the front of the field on lap two and was never headed. Controlling the race throughout, Bolt claimed the win with a confidence-boosting 11-second margin of victory.
Starting from the back of the grid in the reversed start order race two, Billy again worked his way into the lead on lap two. Despite a couple of mistakes in heavy traffic,
JONNY WALKER
he kept his cool to take the win. With a clean sweep up for grabs, Bolt duly delivered in the third and final race of the night. After an early battle with rival Jonny Walker, Bolt took the lead on lap four. Racing clear and opening up a sizeable 32-second advantage he took the win, comfortably claiming the top step of the podium and with it the championship leader’s red plate.
“I’m made up by just how well tonight has gone,” said Bolt. “It’s the first time I’ve won all three races and taken the Superpole, so all in it’s gone about as perfect as it could have done. After my performance in Germany I wanted to come here and redeem myself. But to be honest, when I walked the course I didn’t expect it to suit me so well. However, as the night progressed, I adapted to the changing terrain and conditions. You needed to muscle the bike around in places, but at the same time be calm and patient. I did my best to avoid mistakes and take the opportunities when they came to me. It worked, especially with race three - that felt perfect. Of course there’s still a long way to go in the championship, we’re far from over, but to take maximum points and get the leader’s red plate back is fantastic.”
After the race, Walker seemed positive about his finish.
“It’s been another good night and I feel like I’m showing that I’m making steps forward with each round,” said Walker. “I’m delighted with second and another visit to the podium. On a tricky course I managed to get good
ALFREDO GOMEZ
starts and that made a big difference. I wasn’t always the fastest on the track, but I was consistently hitting my lines every lap, which was making things count. Looking at my results as a whole, I’ve improved each time. Fourth in Poland, third in Germany and now second tonight, that gives me a lot of confidence heading into the next round.”
Hoping to build on the winning result he earned last time out in Germany, Red Bull KTM’s Taddy Blazusiak didn’t have the night he hoped for in Spain. Never quite getting his best out of the technical course, numerous uncharacteristic mistakes hampered his progress.
After a strong ride to second in the opening race, his momentum unraveled in race two. A poor start forced him off the preferred racing line on numerous occasions as he battled his way forward, resulting in some costly crashes. Placing a close fourth, he recovered in race three for third and with it secured third overall on the night.
“The track was the real decider tonight,” said Blazusiak. “It either worked for you or it tripped you up. Unfortunately, for the majority of the time it got the better of me. I felt like after practice I had it figured out and in race one I managed to get it right. You needed to let it come to you - in a way ride slow to go faster. In race two things sort of came undone and I made too many strange mistakes. It was the same in race three, too. But I’m experienced enough not to dwell on it. There’s a lot of racing left to go in this championship
TADDY BLAZUSIAK
and I’m looking forward to returning to the stadium in Budapest where I know I can show what I’m capable of.”
Looking forward to making a good impression on the leaderboard at his home round, Husqvarna’s Alfredo Gomez didn’t quite have the night he was hoping for in La Coruna. Despite placing third-quickest in the morning’s timed practice, a crash during his Superpole hot lap qualified him in sixth. Faced with a disadvantaged grid position for races one and three, the Husqvarna rider fought to make the best of his situation on his TE 300i. Fourth in race one and fifth in race three, the Spaniard secured his best result of the night when grid positions were reversed for race two. Capitalizing on an outside start, he exited the second corner in fourth position. Finding a strong rhythm, he placed an impressive third to show what could have been if Superpole had gone his way.
RESULTS
SuperEnduro World Championship, Round 3
Prestige Overall Classification
1. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 63 points; 2. Jonny Walker (KTM) 49pts; 3. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) 46pts; 4. Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna) 39pts; 5. Blake Gutzeit (Husqvarna) 29pts…
Prestige Race 1
1. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 10 laps, 7:26.266; 2. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) 7:37:779; 3. Jonny Walker (KTM) 8:01.095; 4. Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna) 9 laps, 7:30.946; 5. Tim Apolle (Sherco) 7:45.406…
Prestige Race 2
1. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 9 laps, 6:52.472; 2. Jonny Walker (KTM) 6:55.838; 3. Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna) 7:28.350; 4. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) 7:29.412; 5. William Hoare (KTM) 7:40.302…
Prestige Race 3
1. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 10 laps, 7:18.487; 2. Jonny Walker (KTM) 7:51.089; 3. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) 7:57.309; 4. Blake Gutzeit (Husqvarna) 9 laps, 7:25.923; 5. Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna) 7:39.290…
Championship Standings (After Round 3 of 5)
1. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 169pts; 2. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) 163pts; 3. Jonny Walker (KTM) 136pts; 4. Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna) 126pts; 5. Blake Gutzeit (Husqvarna) 89pts… n
BILLY BOLT
GOOd Old TImES BlOG WINTER ENDURO TITAN
BY KENNETH OlauSSON
PHOTOS: HuSqVaRNa
Gunnar Kalén’s career of eleven years was cut short when he met his destiny in Germany in 1934, but the successful Swede had won great victories during his time racing, beating many records. His reputation was elevated from the “Novemberkasan” enduro where Gunnar won for five consecutive years from 1926 to 1930. Later, in the snow of 1933, he topped it off with a sixth victory, riding his factory Husqvarna.
Gunnar Kalén was a great gentleman of motorsports. His first employer Axel Löfström had him riding Saroléa from 1927 to 1930 and said, “he was an ideal sportsman and so, he became one of our most popular riders in his time”. People described his behaviour as “modest, calm and safe”. Besides the TT, road racing in our time, the Novemberkasan was a favourite with the master.
In 1927, Gunnar started on home turf in Malmö for the gruelling “reliability race of November”. One of his main competitors, Erik Westerberg, had turned 30 the day before departing, when fellow friends and foe saluted in honour with a loud “ip, ip, hurrah!” accompanied by the noise from screw-drivers, air pumps and other mechanical accessories.
54 competitors turned up at the start and Gunnar Kalén was one of them. Straddling his latest factory Saroléa, prepared by importer Axel Löfström, he had the best material possible for this adventure. Rider Ernst Ewaldsson on Husqvarna obviously had a hunch that his light would fail him. As a backup, he equipped his helmet with an extra source of light for the challenging night stretch. Many other riders had installed “small tables” on their tanks in order to host the inevitable map that would guide them through the stages. Gunnar Kalén was one of the first riders to take off on his single-cylinder Belgian machine. Mind you, Kalén and Westerberg were considered to be favourites by motoring experts. A 9-year old boy had a different opinion on Erik, “I don’t think he’s in shape after having celebrated his 30th birthday yesterday...”
On South Street in Malmö, there were always a lot of people. That first evening of the Novemberkasan, it was especially crowded outside of Husqvarna’s dealer depot. The interest for the exciting event was great and everybody wanted to know how the competitors were progressing.
It’s a late November night in 1927, and spectators gather in Sweden’s southernmost city of Ystad where the riders are expecting to stamp their penalty cards, before heading out to continue riding the exhausting night stage. By now, they have covered around two-thirds of the night stage. And here is the first rider, coming through the snow, signalling and honking to get through the bystanders close to the road.
He is having trouble stopping at the control unit and his machine makes a 360-degree loop before the rider elegantly stops the two-wheeler. People applaud the skill of the snowman. Between the wheel-spokes, there is a thick layer of frozen snow and ice. You would almost think that the man is riding on disc wheels.
“It doesn’t help going too fast under these severe conditions,” says Gunnar Kalén as he enters the Hotel Continental, where the riders have a 45-minute break in order to get some refreshments and food. I have taken note that there are a lot of secret controllers along the course.
The press is informed that there are 19 men out there, looking for speeding riders who get penalties for fast-tracking. The newsmen have vowed not to mention
this fact to the competitors. However, Kalén has an eye for detecting hidden obstacles. So, he prefers to go by the law on the transport stretches, to avoid getting caught.
One of the Novemberkasan men has run out of gas as he approaches Ystad. It takes him a full 45 minutes before he can find a fresh loaded tube, getting penalties for being late. His efforts turn painstaking, when he runs out of gas again, causing him to retire. The stage during darkness covers 372.2 kilometres while the final day stage is 332.6 kilometres long. Tough, when you consider the temperature is well below the freezing point - you get cold! This fact influences the competitors, where most of the riders have to give in for various reasons. Some have punctures while others crash. Twenty men are missing by 10 o’clock on Sunday morning.
At the “Holmeja station” on the very last stage before the finish, the boys are sorted from real men as this is a decisive rider’s test. One of the first to arrive is Kalén who comes in two minutes ahead of the stipulated time into the stationan incredible margin. “Tricky, this last part,” is his comment.
A little later, Erik Westerberg turns up at “Holmeja” being a fantastic five minutes ahead of schedule. How does he do it? On top of everything, he has raced the entire event without consulting a map. “I have it all up here,” he says smiling, pointing at his head.
Sunday afternoon and a crowd estimated at 10,000 spectators has gathered at the finish in Malmö. Three riders have travelled the 700 kilometres without setbacks. Gunnar Kalén is one of them, taking home the overall victory while Westerberg is fourth with one-and-a-half penalty points for missing a detail. 16 solo riders make the finish while five sidecar carriages complete the race.
Kalén won his 5th Novemberkasan in 1930. He was aiming for his second overall Kasa trophy when he entered the Västeras event in 1933 on Husqvarna and it was now that he put himself on the historical enduro map being the only man to fulfil the event on his reliable machine. It had rained more than usual prior to this race and conditions were severe to say the least. Only 13 competitors thought of conquering these difficulties and came to the starting line. Retirements were plentiful during the initial night stage. Eleven riders had to abandon the event for different reasons. And the 12th man Sigurd Werner was not allowed to continue his adventure as he was far too late at the finish after the gruelling night stretch. So, Gunnar Kalén was the only remaining rider and won with 152 penalty points. Consequently, after six overall wins, he now had two “Kasa” trophies, which is a fantastic record. No one in history has won more “Kasa” events. n
• A versatile trials or trail bike (with the addition of a removable seat)
• The T-18 Dragonfly is an adult electric trials bike featuring a real hydraulic clutch
• A 5 speed gearbox provides the best match of engine power to terrain requirements
• M4 39mm Aluminum AIR FORKS
• Special Ohlins shock direct to swing arm (Linkless suspension)
• 3 hr quick change battery
• Weighs in at 132 pounds
TRIALS TRAINING CENTER TRIALS TRAINING CENTER
2020 Schedule
February 23: CTC Fun Trial
(Following STRA Banquet on February 22)
March 28-29: Bicycle Event
April 4-5: Trials Training Days
April 18-19: Spring Splash Trial (STRA)
May 30-32: Southern 4WD Meet and Greet
June 29-July 1: Family Camp
July 2-4: East Coast Youth Nationals & Women’s Open
July 3: TDN Fundraiser Gate Trial
July 5-9: Invitational Teen Camp
August 14-16: 10th Annual Kenda TKO
September TBA: ITSA Vintage Trial National
October 17-18: 28th Annual 58K Fall Trial (STRA)
November 8: Bicycle Event
December 6: Toy Trial - CTC Winter Series Round 1
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Dirt Riders West - Mike Carlton, 800.467.0604, Scottsdale, AZ
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Balance Trials Supply - Bill Haskell - 720.207.7715 - Erie, CO
Trial Store USA - Alex Niederer - 941.404.0757 - Bradenton, FL
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Northwest Cycle - Ron Rivenburgh, 815.344.7780, McHenry, IL
Jack’s Cycles - Stuart Preston, 207.337.1274, South Berwick, ME
Competition Wheels - James McKenzie, 704.906.3238, Concord, NC
HVC Cycle - Brad Obidowski, 402.817.4795, Lincoln, NE
Miller Ranch Trials - Aaron & Andy Miller 607.765.8362 Corning, NY
Torne Mountain Trial - Jon France, 914.490.0637, Hillburn, NY
Adroit Engineering - Jon Rentschler, 440.668.3207, Chardon, OH
Gran Prix Cycle - Gary & Robyn Byers, 541.926.3139, Albany, OR
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“I was scared. I honestly just didn’t feel like I should be there looking at that stuff.”
“You have to hit them at angles and just how precise and skinny and tall everything is.”
Right now, Maddie Hoover is the rider flying the American flag full time in Europe and we’ll have an interview with her as soon as we can catch up with her. But recently, 11-time US MotoTrials champ Pat Smage had the unique opportunity to go to France to compete in the International Indoor Cup against the likes of Toni Bou and Adam Raga, and he’s going to give us the lowdown on that. But first, we want to ask him about winning the 2019 AMA Athlete of the Year Award at the AMA Banquet in Ohio.
Tell us about winning the AMA Athlete of the Year Award for a second time. Was that a big surprise?
Yeah. That was incredible. It really just shows how strong the trials community is to be able to come together and get that many votes, as it is a member vote. I just expected there to be no chance against the likes of the other competitors when you’ve got the ISDE winners in there too. I thought for sure one of those guys would take it. So, to be able to win it out of those guys was a real honor and something that I think is really great for the sport of trials to get that recognition against those disciplines. It’s huge and something I’m really glad to be able to put my name on for a second time, actually. I won that eleven years ago, so to do it again almost doesn’t feel right. But very happy to get another one, since I know I won’t be there in another eleven years. Go to enjoy this one while I got it.
That’s cool. I’m really stoked for you.
That was really surprising when they did call my name. I’m like, “No. Wait.” Brad (Baumert) didn’t even know. He’s in with the AMA so he was like, “Yeah, they didn’t even give me a heads up about anything.” Surprised everybody.
Let’s talk about the International Indoor Cup in France. Did you get invited? Yeah. I got invited pretty late and didn’t have a whole lot of time to put a plan together. Then it took a little while to get confirmation if I could even get a bike. The Sherco team here is not the factory Sherco team. It’s all different people and I just haven’t really had to ask for support for quite a while over there, so I didn’t know what to expect. But they actually went all out and really helped out a lot. They provided a van, two bikes, parts, and everything I needed to travel over there. So, I was really appreciative of that. When they offered that, I couldn’t turn it down, the opportunity to be able to try something like that. Then to ride an indoor even in Europe was something I’ve always wanted to do. It’s kind of on the list of things I wanted to try. I’ve done pretty much almost everything else in
the sport that I want to, and that was one of the final things. So, it was just kind of a bucket list deal almost, even though I didn’t feel like I was ready for it or that I should even be in it with those guys. I just wanted to give it a shot because it would probably be my only chance to do something like that.
I think you underestimate yourself against those guys. I was scared. I honestly just didn’t feel like I should be there looking at the stuff. I just didn’t have confidence in that style of terrain. I always pictured – stuff at my house is kind of stadium style and I have an indoor shed that I ride in. The stuff here is just nothing like that at all. The size of it and the shape of things being so square. You have to hit them at angles and just how precise and skinny and tall everything is, and how perfect you have to be to not crash. When I was looking at the sections first, I’m just seeing all these holes and all these concrete edges and just really nervous to even attempt them. I really felt like I shouldn’t be there looking at the stuff. Not a good start when I didn’t have any confidence to begin with
and then looking at it I was just scared. It went much better than expected after looking. Just kind of been struggling with that and not wanting to get hurt. That’s all that was in my head. A little bit of a rough start, I would say.
There’s no practice on it at all, right?
No. Luckily, they had a few logs and maybe one concrete square chunk and one triangle chunk out in the practice area, just a little warmup zone. It was only a handful of obstacles you could hit. At least one of them was the same as what was out on the floor, so at least I got to ride that and could know that I could get up that part of it. But the rest was kind of a toss-up. Just very different to not see a lot of guys ride. I told the promoter I was very worried about riding the stuff and he actually swapped the order and had Toby Martyn ride first so I could at least see a little bit of something to know how the stuff worked. That did help for the first round, but didn’t help me in the final.
All of them were like, “I watch your videos.” Even Raga’s like, “You have very nice videos.”
Did they have expanded metal on the obstacles so you could get traction? No. That’s the other thing. It was pretty much all painted. Obviously, the logs have good grip. One section had kind of more natural-type rock. It was all still pretty square, but it had grip. The rest were almost all the painted concrete with no texture. So that was pretty hard to judge. The more it gets ridden, the rubber gets onto the paint and it has a little more traction. So, if you’re going last you get the best chance of traction. I was even watching some of the other guys spin in certain areas and I was just really worried about that. Everything’s square so you don’t have a lot of room to slip the clutch. You got to land right in the perfect spot or else you’ll spin and slide the skid plate or spin and go over the bars. Not as much traction. You think indoors is going to have a lot of grip, but it is actually not always as you would expect.
Obviously, you got more comfortable as it went along, right?
Yeah, definitely. Once I was able to make it through some, and then just talking to some of the other riders, they were actually really cool. Even Bou and Raga would come up to me and say, “You’re the level to ride this.” They could see that my fitness wasn’t great, because the first round you have to ride all six sections in six minutes, and halfway through I’m getting arm pump just from all the pressure and the difficulty of the section. You’re riding really tense and holding on really tight and not breathing well. So, I was pumping up really quick. They were like, “I can see you have the level, you just don’t have the fitness.” So that was really cool of them to watch that closely. Really nerve-racking for them to be right there, but at least they were able to give me some inspiration to continue.
Bou is actually a big fan of your videos, right?
Yeah. All of them were like, “I watch the videos.” Even Raga’s like, “You have very nice videos.” I’m like, yeah, but the video you get as many tries as you want, and here you got to do it on the spot. So, it’s a little bit different. But Bou was really cool. I told him I rode in Spain. He’s like, “You should have called me. We would have done a video together.” They were all really nice to me and made me feel a lot more welcome and not like I was just an American outcast, like I used to feel in the past over there.
What was the most amazing thing that you saw?
The second night three riders tied on score. They all had two points at the end, so then they did a timed race and it was really cool to see the difference that
Raga, Benoit Bincaz, and Bou rode the same section forward and backwards and Bou ended up doing a gap that no one else did. I looked at it and went and walked the sections and I just didn’t quite see it being possible for me, and he did it in a race situation and saved a bunch of time and ended up winning the night at the very end, so that was probably the coolest way to end this event, having three riders tied and then the last guy goes and does something that no one else did. That was probably the coolest part of it.
Are they using any techniques that we don’t use over here that maybe you were kind of amazed at?
I think the biggest difference is indoors you get a point for using the skid plate, and that’s something that we just don’t ever practice. So, they have a little bit different way of hitting certain things that I’ve just never really done. The main thing is it’s a big, square chunk but they make it more of a triangle and put it on its edge. To go up and not touch the skid plate you have to use a little different technique that I’ve never really practiced, so I just didn’t even attempt it. I just planned on using the skid plate and taking the point just to be safe. But they had kind of a way of holding the wheelie and then popping off of it and landing on the front tire without going forward too much, because if you go forward, then you’re going to fall off the front of the diamond and go over the bars. So that’s what I was worried about. They just had that figured out from practicing this skid plate point technique.
Were the fans receptive to you?
Yeah. They were really awesome. That was one of the coolest parts was you could really see how much they were watching the actual trials technical part of it. They weren’t just after the big jumps, looking for crashes or big air. They were really into the technical side of it and the balance side of it. There were times that I was struggling just to hold my balance and if I caught myself they would cheer for that because they could see that I was fighting for every inch of balance to stay on the obstacle. When you got back on, they noticed. It was really cool. Definitely the loudest for Benoit who is French. They were always going crazy every time he had a good ride.
They’re obviously very knowledgeable fans. Yeah, definitely. They’re not just, “A motorcycle show, let’s go watch some crashes.” They’re like, “A trials show, let’s go watch the best riders in the world do crazy
stuff.”
Did you have to find a minder?
Luckily, Benoit, his minder offered to step up. I didn’t have one, didn’t bring one. The promoter was kind of somewhat maybe had somebody that could help, but then when I talked to Benoit he was like, “My minder will help.” He was actually very good. He spoke just enough English, but it was mainly the confidence in having somebody there. He would kind of fill the gaps just to make things look a little bit less intimidating, even though he was maybe not going to be able to do anything in that spot. Just to have your arms out, have a person there, you just don’t focus on the big holes as much. So, he was a big help. He did a lot more than I thought, so really big thanks to him for giving me confidence to attempt the stuff. Does this make you excited about the 2020 Super Trials series? Do you
think that’s kind of the future or something that’s going to get big?
I think the Super Trials definitely has the potential to bridge the gap a little bit right now. The MotoTrials nationals that we have are nothing at all like what I just did in Europe, the indoor. It’s just totally, completely different. If a rider wants to be competitive in Europe, that’s a big part of it and a big draw over there. So, I think the closer we can get the Super Trials to being more like that, the better. Having it be easier to watch will definitely help grow here in the States. Now that I’ve seen those obstacles and I know how they’re set up in person, I think I can have a little bit more input hopefully on the Super Trial and kind of lead them in that direction. I think that’s where it should end up going. It obviously creates spectator turnout over there, so hopefully that will help it grow over here. Definitely excited to see where that series goes in the future.
You’ve really been able to do some amazing things and get some amazing awards with Trials. You’ve been an awesome ambassador for the sport. I’m super appreciative of where Trials has taken me. It all goes back to RYP back in 2002 when Brad Baumert saw me and wanted to support me. The support stepped up each year and just provided so many opportunities that I never would have thought possible. By now I sure felt like the cool opportunities would be over, but in the last year I’ve done some of the coolest trips that I’ve had a chance to do. I’m really thankful for that. I never thought riding a motorcycle would take me all over the world, and it continues to do that. I’m very lucky to be in the position I am and really grateful for all the support and opportunities that I’ve had because not a lot of people get to travel and even at times get paid to travel around and ride some of the coolest places and ride some of the coolest and the best riders in the world. Just to have that opportunity is something special and something I’ll always remember. I’m very glad to have had filmed a lot of it and have videos of all of this, because I’ll be able to look back on it in the future and just have that reminder of how awesome my life has been. I hope it continues, but whenever it does slow down or end, I’ll always be thankful for what I’ve done and proud of what I’ve accomplished in the sport, for sure. n
“I’m super appreciative of where Trials has taken me.”
BARELY BOU IN BUDAPEST
FIM X-TRIAL ROUND 3
JANUARY 19, 2019
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
PHOTOS COURTESY REPSOL HONDA, VERTIGO, GASGAS
TONI BOU
BUDAPEST
INDOOR TRIAL
Repsol Honda Team rider Toni Bou won round three of the X-Trial World Championship in the closest possible way, beating TRS factory rider Adam Raga in a thrilling conclusion to a highly-intense affair.
Budapest played host to round three of the FIM X-Trial World Championship where the spectators in the Laszlo Papp Arena were treated to a thrilling display from the best in the world.
Bou cruised through the opening qualifying round to claim a spot in the second knockout phase. The champion scored better than the other seven riders over the five-section preliminary phase.
Subsequently in the knockout phase, Bou again fared better than adversaries Gabriel Marcelli (Mon) and Jaime Busto (Vert), earning himself a place in the Grand Final against Raga.
Bou and Raga, both displaying top-level riding skills, faced off in the final over six sections, only to finish tied on points. The ‘runoff’ section failed to decide the winner, with both riders fiving the section. Eventually the victor was adjudicated to be Bou on merit of a count-back, the reigning champion having scored better in the second round.
The triumph at X-Trial in Budapest marks a 65th career victory for the Repsol Honda Team ace, further consolidating Bou’s grip at the top of the overall rankings. Bou now boasts a 15-point advantage over Raga.
“It was a really, really tough trial,’ said Bou.
“Adam rode really well today. We were able to win the first round and also the second which proved decisive for the final run-off. I gave it everything in the final, but I wasn’t experiencing very good sensations, and I couldn’t find my balance, but I had enough aggression to keep fighting until the end, where I cleaned the two final sections while there was everything still to play for, so it all turned out fine in the end. I want to congratulate Adam because it will be really tough to beat him this year.”
Factory Vertigo riders Jaime Busto and Miquel Gelabert, 3rd and 4th in the Championship standings coming to this event, were expecting to battle again for the podium spots after proving their true potential on the Vertical 2020 in the previous events. The night didn’t go to plan though, with both talents struggling on a very technical and non-grippy sections.
Busto couldn’t match his previous performances, in which he was able to get into the mix for the podium spots. Heat 1 went well for him, 11 marks meant he scored the 3rd lowest punctuation of the first round but when in semifinals, despite he pushed hard and tried to overcome the adversities from a tricky beginning he ended up with 25 marks and with a 6th place finish. This result allows him to keep the third place of the standings though, now leading the fight for the last spot of the top three by only 1 point over Sherco’s Jeroni Fajardo and 2 over teammate Gelabert, who didn’t make it to the semifinals.
GasGas Factory Racing’s Jorge Casales has returned to the 2020 FIM X-Trial World Championship with a fifth-place result.
JORGE CASALES
In the night’s first round Casales was drawn in the first heat against Gelabert and Fajardo. Disadvantaged as the first rider to enter each of the five sections, Jorge dropped just one mark in section one as he made a notably positive start to the event. Although picking up fives in the second and third sections, in dropping only one mark in the fourth and fifth sections, Casales completed the heat on a total of 13 marks, just two behind heat one winner Fajardo. At the end of the first round Jorge was placed sixth, just seven marks behind winner Bou.
In the second round Casales was again in heat one and again the first rider to enter each of the five sections. Frustratingly, scoring fives in each of the five sections he was unable to proceed into the runners-up final and ended his night fifth overall.
The fourth round of the X-Trial World Championship returns on Sunday February 2 in Barcelona’s Palau Sant Jordi.
RESULTS
X-Trial Budapest 2020
1. Toni Bou, Montesa/Spain, (15 – Final)
2. Adam Raga, TRS/Spain, (15 – Final)
3. Gabriel Marcelli, Montesa/Spain (5 – Runners-up Final)
4. Jeroni Fajardo, Sherco/Spain, (5 – Runners-up Final)
5. Jorge Casales, GasGas/Spain, (25 – Round 2)
6. Jaime Busto, Vertigo/Spain, (25 – Round 2)
7. Miquel Gelabert, Vertigo/Spain, (16 – Round 1)
8. Benoit Bincaz, Beta/France, (16 – Round 1)
Championship Standings: X-Trial World Championship 2020
1. Toni Bou, Montesa/Spain, 60 points
2. Adam Raga, TRS/Spain, 45
3. Jaime Busto, Vertigo/Spain, 22
4. Jeroni Fajardo, Sherco/Spain 21
5. Miquel Gelabert, Vertigo/Spain 20
6. Gabriel Marcelli, Montesa/Spain, 18
7. Jorge Casales, GasGas/Spain, 12
2020 US MOTOTRIALS
April 25-26 Donner, CA
June 13-14 LIttle Hocking, OH
Huly 25-26 Kingman, AZ
Oct 3-4 Scottsboro, AL
www.mototrials.com
2020 SUPER TRIAL SERIES
May 15-16 Luckenback, TX
July TBA VMD, OH
Aug TBA Sturgis Rally, SD
Oct 16-17 Luckenback, TX
2020 EL TRIAL DE ESPANA
April 18-19 Cahullia, CA
2020 UTE CUP
Aug 15-16 TBA, CO
2020 EAST YOUTH AND WOMENS OPEN
July 3-4-5 Sequatchie, TN
2020 WEST YOUTH AND WOMENS OPEN
Aug 1-2-3 TBA
2020 FIM TRIAL GP
May 23-24 Czech Republic
June 5-7 Japan
June 20-21 Andorra
July 4-5 Italy
July 10-12 Great Britain
Aug 29-30 France
Sept 5-6 Spain
Sept 12-13 Gouveia
www.trialgp.com
2020 FIM WORLD X-TRIAL
Nov16
Reunion Island, Nov 23 Rennes, France
Jan 19 Budapest,
Feb 2 Barcelona, Feb 15 Bilbao, Spain
March 21 Neustadt,
April 25 Andorra la
2020 KENDA AMA NATIONAL
Feb 2 Sumter, SC
Mar 22 Turkey, TX
April 26 Forest Hill,
June 7 Greensboro,
June 21 Huntersville, July 26 Cross Fork, Aug 23 Chandlersville, Sept 20 Prk Hill, MO
Oct 4 Mathews, Nov 1 Stanton, AL www.nationalenduro.com
2020 KENDA FULL GAS SPRINT
Feb 8-9 Gaston,
Feb 29-March 1 Garfield, March 28-29 Henderson, May 9-10 Union, May 23-24 Glen June 13-14 Bristol, July 18-19 Fairmount Aug 8-9 Young www.sprintenduro.com
2020 FIM WORLD ENDURO
April 17-19 Marco de April 24-26 TBA, Spain
Island, France
France
Budapest, Hungary
Barcelona, Spain
Spain
Austria
la VellA, Andorra
NATIONAL ENDURO
SC
Hill, LA
Greensboro, GA
Huntersville, MN
Fork, PA
Chandlersville, OH MO
SPRINT ENDURO
Gaston, SC
Garfield, GA
Henderson, NC
Union, SC
Glen Daniel, WV
Bristol, VA
Fairmount City, PA
Young Harris, GA
June 5-7
June 12-14
July 17-19
July 24-26
Sept 18-20
Oct 16-18
Spoleto, Italy
Hungaroring, Hungary
Saaremaa, Estonia
Skovde Estonia
Requista, France
Zschopau, Germany
2020 WESS ENDURO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
May 8-10
May 21-23
June 10-14
June TBA
July 21-25
Aug 15-16
Extreme XL Lagares, Portugal
Trefle Lorerien, France
Erzbergrodeo, Austria
Red Bull Megawatt, Poland
Red Bull Romaniacs, Romania
Tennessee Kncokout, Tennessee
Sept TBA Hawkstone Park, UK
Oct TBC Hixpania, Spain
www. iRideWESS.com
2020 FIM
ISDE
TBA
Lombardy, Italy
Cavaneses, Portugal
Spain
Jan 4
Riesa, Germany
Jan 18 La Coruna, Spain
Feb 1
Budapest, Hungary
Mar 14 Lodz, Poland
2020 WORCS
Jan 24-26
Feb 21-23
Mar 20-22
April 17-19
May 1-3
May 39-31
July 17-19
Sept 18-20
Oct 16-18
Primm, NV
Taft, CA
Havasu, AZ
Blythe, CA
Las Vegas, NV
Cahullia, CA
Prineville, OR
Glen Helen, CA
TBD