On the Pegs Magazine - 10 October 2018

TENTH TITLE

DARE TO LEAD

In a sport of unrelenting challenges, reveal your courage to lead the way aboard a confidenceinspiring Husqvarna motorcycle. From now until December 31st, 2018, seize the opportunity to finance select 2017 or 2018 off-road motorcycles for 1.99%* APR for up to 36 months. See micro-site for additional details.

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Photo: Darren Chapman

The Big Picture

AND GAM

CENTER STAGE

Toni Bou takes center stage at the first-ever night qualifying for TrialGP at the Italian round of the 2018 TrialGP Series. Bou qualified in the top position on Saturday and then won the event on Sunday.

PHOTO COURTESY TRIALGP/PEP SEGALES

The Big Picture

AND GAM GO TO THE LIGHT

Daniel Blanc-Gonnet trips the light fantastic during the second exhibition section during the Donner National in northern California. The Gas Gas North America rider finished second in the NATC/AMA National MotoTrials standings.

PHOTO

BY

SHAN MOORE

The Big Picture

AND GAM FLASH!

Kirkpatrick streaks through test four at the

in

Michigan. It was good to see the former national winner back in the saddle at a national competition.

PHOTO BY SHAN MOORE

Cole

Loose Moose National Enduro

Marquette,

The Big Picture

AND GAM BALANCING ACT

Sherco USA’s Sam Fastle fights for balance in one of the exhibition sections at the recent Donner National Trials near Donner Pass in northern Califonia.

PHOTO BY SHAN MOORE

The Big Picture

AND GAM BUSTIN’ OUT

BY DARRIN CHAPMAN

Steward Baylor leaps out of the woods during the Big Buck Full Gas Sprint Enduro in South Carolina, where he just missed the podium with a fourth place finish.

PHOTO

The Big Picture

AND GAM

ENCHANTED POND

Josh Toth drops into a rocky gully after skirting the enchanted “pond” in test six at the Loose Moose National Enduro in the Upper Peninsula near Marquette, Michigan. Toth finished third.

PHOTO BY SHAN MOORE

The Big Picture

AND GAM FAIRY FOREST

Ben Kelley seems to be swallowed up by the beautiful foliage of the Upper Peninsula near Marquette, Michigan. The Trail Jesters Racing KTM rider finished fourth overall at the Loose Moose Enduro.

PHOTO BY DARRIN CHAPMAN

SILENCETHE COMPETITION

ENGINEERED TO DELIVER SUPERIOR 2-STROKE POWER WITH A SMOOTH POWER CURVE THROUGHOUT THE RPM RANGE, THE FMF POWERCORE 2.1 SILENCER WILL QUIET YOUR 4-STROKE RIVALS AS YOU BLAST PAST ON YOUR WAY TO VICTORY.

EXCLUSIVE OFFERING AVAILABLE ONLY AT AN AUTHORIZED KTM DEALER CLOSED COURSE / COMPETITION USE ONLY!

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The Beta Evo 200 2-Stroke has no competition, the only 200cc trials bike on the market offering the perfect power delivery for beginners as well as experts.

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THE LOOP

News and Culture From The World Of Trials, Offroad and Extreme Racing

HAAKER TOPS CALI EX

Colto Haaker back on top in EnduroCross Series

Rockstar Husqvarna’s Colton Haaker took a dominating win at round two of the 2018 AMA EnduroCross championship at the Orange County Fairgrounds. For the second race in a row, the seats were packed and the crowd was treated to an exciting night of racing. Trystan Hart rode his SRT-Husqvarna to a second-place finish after passing defending champion Cody Webb on the final lap.

FMF KTM’s Webb got the day started by narrowly beating SRT-Husqvarna’s Kyle Redmond for the fastest hot-lap time.

Webb kept the momentum going by winning the first of the two pro class heat races. South American, Benjamin Herrera, finished second on a Beta. Hart, Noah Kepple, Abbott and Dustin McCarthy took the remaining direct transfers to the

main. In the second heat race, Haaker quickly moved to the front, despite his second row starting position, and easily held on for the win. Tremaine, Redmond, Geoff Aaron, Ryan Wells and Wally Palmer took the other main event qualifying spots. Webb and Haaker each earned a bonus championship point for their heat race wins.

The top four from each of the above heat races faced off in head-to-head bracket races. Haaker and Webb worked through the brackets to face off for the bracket win. Haaker won a close race to take the additional bonus point and first gate pick for the main.

Tremaine rocketed to the holeshot on the Alta to take the lead in the main and held that to the end of the first lap. Webb then took over the point position while Haaker, his main rival, found himself in eleventh position after a first lap crash. Haaker quickly sliced through the field and made his way to second by the fifth lap and then closed in on Webb over the next five laps. Haaker made a pass on Webb for the lead at the start of lap eleven of what ended up being a 21-lap main. Haaker looked set to pull away but then fell in a rock corner a few laps later, allowing Webb to close to his rear wheel. But Haaker was on a mission and pulled away again for the remainder of the race to take his first win of the season.

Webb looked set for a second-place finish, but Hart snuck up on him and the two battled wheel to wheel through the rock pile on the last lap with Webb crashing and Hart continuing on to take second. Webb recovered for the final podium spot.

Tremaine continued his strong night with a fourth-place finish, the best ever for an electric powered motorcycle.

“I crashed on the first lap in the main, but I was still calm and worked my way to the front. It was just one of those nights where I knew I could be patient because I had good speed,” said Haaker.

RESULTS

1. Colton Haaker (Hsq)

2. Trystan Hart (Hsq)

3. Cody Webb (KTM)

4. Ty Tremaine (Alta)

5. Cristobal Guerrero (Yam)

6. Benjamin Herrera (Bet)

7. Geoff Aaron (GG)

8. Kyle Redmond (Hsq)

9. Cooper Abbott (KTM)

10. Ty Cullins (Bet)

11. Noah Kepple (GG)

BLANC-GONNET WINS

UTE CUP BY FOUR MONTHS!

Colorado’s Ute Cup two-day trial is one of the premiere trial events in the country. Held on the Rainbow Trail near Salida, this year’s Ute Cup featured a 20 mile loop along picturesque alpine vistas.

GasGas North America’s Daniel BlancGonnet topped this year’s event after winning a tie breaker with Pennsylvania’s Logan Bolopue. Both BlancGonnet and Bolopue cleaned each day of this year’s event. The tie breaker was age, with the win going to the oldest rider. Blanc-Gonnet won the event by four months over Bolopue.

“Going into it, I knew that the best way to win the Ute Cup was just to clean the whole thing,” said Blanc-Gonnet. “That’s usually how it goes. This year it was pretty dry up there. It was almost fire dangered out. So I didn’t really have to worry about it being slick, but definitely the loose soil and the rollies and the high altitude definitely played a part into it. So when we got there, obviously Logan and a couple other pretty decent guys and a lot of people that actually won the Ute Cup before were there. I knew that I’m one of the younger ones, so I got to clean it. Going into it, it was going to be a big mind game. I rode with Logan. Pretty much watched him the whole time. We just went back and forth, switched

off sections. By the time we cleaned the first loop, we were not sure if the tie break was going to be age or if it was going to be time, just because we didn’t really look up the rules. So we started racing each other. We weren’t even walking sections at that point. We were just riding them. We’d just not even take our backpacks off. We’d just look through the section and then just go for it. So it was getting kind of sketchy there for a while. I was holding on for dear life. There was a couple times where I was pretty close to dabbing, but I was not going to give it up. But in the end it came down to both me and Logan tied both days, both clean. I won on the age tie break, but I’m only four months older. I was hoping it wouldn’t come down to that, but it ended up coming down to that.”

2018 UTE CUP RESULTS

1. DANIEL BLANC-GONNET (0)

2. LOGAN BOLOPUE (0)

3. MICAH HERTRICH (4)

4. NIGEL PARKER (4)

5. MARK MANNIKO (6)

6. JEREMY FARBER (20)

7. LOUIS BOLOPUE (26)

8. JAMES ZUROSKE (42)

9. HAYDEN FRANKLIN (45)

10. JUSTIN JOHNSON (46)

JONNY WALKER INJURY UPDATE

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jonny Walker underwent surgery on September 9, in Belchatow Hospital, Poland, following a high-speed crash at Red Bull 111 Megawatt.

Leading the race at the time of his crash, Jonny had completed two-and-a-half laps of the three-lap race and was approaching the Hard Enduro section of the course.

Remaining fully conscious and not suffering any concussion as a result of his get-off, Jonny fractured both bones in his lower left arm, close to his wrist, and fractured his fourth finger on his right hand. He also dislocated his left shoulder. Taken to Belchatow Hospital from the track by medical staff, Jonny underwent surgery on Sunday night. A plate and an external stabilizer were fitted to his left arm with a plate also fitted to his right fourth finger.

Jonny also has extensive bruising all over his upper body, but despite feeling somewhat beaten up, and disappointed at having lost his lead in the World Enduro Super Series championship standings, he remains in good spirits and is optimistic of a full and speedy recovery. n

Photo Courtesy Red Bull Content Pool/Markus Berger

Rekluse Announces 2019 Rider Support Now Open

Rekluse is now accepting rider support applications for 2019. As a company rooted in racing, Rekluse is proud to support riders of all levels, from AMA Champions to weekend warriors. They are recruiting racers in all disciplines, with many different support levels available.

Rekluse Race Program Manager, Austin Paden, said “Rekluse shares a passion for racing with our riders. We are motivated to support them in achieving their racing goals at all levels, and welcome all riders to apply. We can’t wait to see what 2019 has in store.”

Mike Campbell, Rekluse Rider Support Manager, said “We’re excited to get into the 2019 rider support season after having such a great 2018. We look forward to seeing your race results, and sharing your stories with Rekluse enthusiasts worldwide.”

The

STEW BAYLOR CONSIDERS 450 FOR 2019 ENDURO SERIES

Steward Baylor rode the 2019 KTM 450 SX at the recent Big Buck Full Gas Sprint Enduro he and told On The Pegs that he was considering riding the big bike in next year’s National Enduro Series. The Tely Energy KTM rider currently rides a 350 SX in the Kenda AMA National Enduro Series.

“I like the way the bike feels and for a rider may size and with my style I think the 450 is the way to go for the Enduros, Grant really makes it work well in the woods,” said Steward. “I tried to ride a 450 in the Enduro series a few years ago but my riding was just too immature. I think with the style I’ve developed, the 450 will be the way to go in the future.”

Commenting on the 2019, Steward also said that the power delivery was smooth.

“Getting on the power, it’s a lot smoother than the 2018 bike,” said Baylor. “That makes it a lot easier to ride in the woods. The frame is supposed to be a bit more rigid, but I couldn’t really tell a difference. The main difference was the power delivery and that’s what makes me think it will be my best choice for the National Enduro series next year.” n

Photos By Darrin Chapman

BETA SIGNS CODY BARNES FOR NE PRO2

NEPG ANNOUNCES BETA CUP 125RR CUP

CLASS

good results in these last 4 rounds of the GNCC series this year with how I am feeling on and off the bike. I expect myself to be on the podium in XC3 at every round and hopefully on the center of the podium. I feel awesome on the bike and think that is not only helping me with my riding but also my confidence level.”

Beta Motorcycles has teamed up with the NEPG to introduce the Beta Cup  within the 2019 Kenda AMA National Enduro Series. Beta Motorcycles is going to have a contest for anyone that rides a 2018 or 2019 Beta 125RR in the 2019 season for the Grand Prize of a Brand New 2019 Beta 250RR.

The rules for the Beta 125RR Cup Class are simple. Ride an 18’ or 19’ Beta 125RR in any class that you qualify for on a 125cc motorcycle, and you will be automatically entered into the Beta Cup Class. When entering your events you will simply sign up for an existing class in the National Enduro Series. The rider that earns the most points in his or her NEPG class will win the Beta Cup along with a 2019 Beta 250RR.  This will give any rider a chance, whether they are an A, B, C, or Womens Rider.

Team manager Rodney Smith is looking forward to seeing Cody perform in the Kenda AMA National Enduro series in addition to the Grand National Cross Country series.

“I’m very excited to sign Cody to our Factory team,” said Smith. “He has been riding and developing our new 125 RR most of this year and now for the 2nd half of the season he feels he is ready to race the 125 RR! Barnes will finish out the rest of this year on the Factory Team in the remaining GNCC events. I’m Looking forward to seeing his full potential!!” n

*NE PRO1, NE PRO2, Beta Factory Support Riders, Beta USA Employees, dealers, and family members are ineligible.

“I am very excited to have this opportunity with Beta USA! I am looking forward to the rest of this year and next years race seasons. I believe that I will be able to put in very

TY TREMAINE: ELECTRIFIED

Off-road ace Ty Tremaine made history when he put the Alta Motors Redshift EX electric motorcycle on the podium at the recent Reno round of the AMA EnduroCross series. Tremaine started out the series with a seventh at the opening round and then finished fourth at round two of the series in Costa Mesa, California. Improving with each round, Tremaine came into the Reno round with a goal of making the podium. After a hard-fought race, Tremaine and Alta made history with a third place finish. We spoke to Ty after the Costa Mesa round to get his impressive of riding the Redshift EX in competition.

How was Costa Mesa?

The Costa Mesa EnduroCross went a lot better than the first race. We made a lot of changes to the bike after round one. Our bike setup was way more where it should be. I got really good starts and put myself in good positions. I felt like I did a good job and had a good race. We got fourth which was one step off the podium. So going seventh at the first round, and fourth in the second round, we’re making steps in the right direction. As long as I’m right there fighting for podiums on the Alta, I’m happy.

Did it surprise you getting the holeshot?

I don’t know if it surprised me as much as it surprised everybody else. I’d been getting good starts all night. Everything seemed to be feeling good. The start was really hard-packed, and with the Alta I was able to use the power to my advantage and not get as much wheel spin I think as everybody else was. So, with a hard-pack start like that I was really able to find traction where a lot of people weren’t. I ripped a pretty good start in that main event. I think I would have had the holeshot too in the heat race, but I pushed a little too far wide and Haaker snuck underneath me. But we were getting good jumps all night.

So on the start, it’s not like you’re feathering the clutch or dumping the clutch.

Yeah. It’s a very hard combination of trying to make it work. In the bracket racing with Cody Webb, I really, really messed it up and I almost got stuck in the gate. It’s pretty tough to try to master it. I actually hold my front brake in and I give a little bit of power but not enough to where the wheel will start to spin. So, being on the starting line with a bunch of gas bikes, I can’t hear anything. So finding that balance is extremely difficult.

Do you feel like you get better traction with the electric bike than you would with a gas bike?

Yeah, when you do everything right there’s not much that can beat it.

Are

there places

on the track

where you feel you have and advantage over a gas-powered bike?

For sure. In the rock garden, I can’t stall the bike. So if those guys stall the bike, that virtually cannot happen to the Alta. When it’s on, it’s on. So I would say that’s probably my biggest advantage compared to the gas bike on the track.

Photos Courtesy Tanner Yeager and Mark Kariya

Are there places where you feel like you’re at a disadvantage to a gas bike?

Not really. I’ve kind of had to learn to adapt to the bike and figure out kind of how to do it. But once you figure out how to do it, it’s pretty good. It’s just like riding a gas bike. Once you master it and learn it and figure it out, there’s not many things that you can’t do.

You’ve been riding the Alta since January, was there a big adjustment period?

Yeah. It’s easy to hop on that bike, just for anybody to go ride it on any condition, but to master it on an endurocross track is another thing. So we’re still learning and we’re still adapting. We’re doing things to the bike that are making it a lot better. We’re trying a bunch of different things. The bike I rode at round two was 50% different than the bike I rode at round one. So like I said, we made huge changes to the bike. It was either going to be very positive or it was not going to work, and it worked well. So doing things like that, trying new things, adapting to the bike, learning the bike. It’s different every weekend.

How do you have to ride it differently from from a clutch/transmission, gas type bike?

The fact that I don’t have a clutch, I have to regulate all of the power in the

throttle. There’s no way of regulating power other than just in the throttle. So I have to be aware of a lot more things. When I don’t have to use a clutch and I don’t have to shift, that takes those away, but then I have to be aware in my throttle hand as to when I’m giving too much or not too much. So, it’s kind of a give and take thing. It’s nothing detrimental, and once you learn it and figure it out I would say they’re all very positive, positive things.

The way that the motor is situated and the battery, is there any different feel as far as weight bias or anything?

Yeah, the Alta motor is 10% heavier in the front of the bike compared to traditional gas bikes that are pretty balanced. So, that’s a little bit different but it stays super planted. It corners very well. It’s very easy to make the compromise. I ran my forks a little bit stiffer. It’s easy to find the right balance for it. The bike is so centered feeling. The weight of the bike feels so centered because there’s very few moving parts. So when you’re cornering and jumping and doing everything else, there’s no funky feelings about it. It’s pretty much a very, very predictable and easy to ride motorcycle.

you are. It’s getting really good starts. It’s a great bike, for sure. It’s fast. The funny thing is, I’ve tested so many different settings and we’ve gone back and forth and drawn different maps on the computer and done a bunch of different stuff. I race my bike in the stock map three. When I show up every weekend and I’m racing the bike, I race in map three, and that’s the same map that you could go buy from a showroom floor. It works very well. We’ve tested many different things and that’s just what works.

You rode the bike at Erzberg this year, how did it go?

and hopefully go back next year with a little more knowledge. It’s kind of the growing pains of anything, just learning and trial and error. We tried and we just fell a little bit short. Learning from it. I know the bike is very good and capable of doing the race, it’s just logistically figuring that whole thing out. It was also my first time, so it was kind of one of those deals where it was like, all right, let’s give it a go. Let’s try it. We made it on the front row, which was a huge success for us right off the bat. Then after that it was kind of just, let’s see if we can do it. We just feel a little short. n

What are some other positives? I would say because you can’t stall it. You’re always in the right gear, really

It went well. We got there. I walked the track. It was pretty crazy in person. It’s insane how big that mountain is. There’s 2500 entries and they take the top 50 into the front row and the top 500 bikes go to the main race on Sunday. After two days of qualifying I was 46th, so I made it on the front row, which was a huge progress and breaking grounds for Alta Motors. Then the Sunday race we had an agreed-upon location to change the battery. We kind of underestimated the mountain and the whole first half of the race is going uphill, climbing around the backside. You get to the top and then you work your way back to the bottom. So unfortunately the bike died very close to where we were going to do our battery swap. We are just going to learn from it

X-GAMES STAR JARRYD MCNEIL RACES ENDUROCROSS

EnduroCross combines a lot of disciplines into one packed arena – extreme enduro, trials, and elbow to elbow racing; it draws riders from various off-road series, sometimes motocrossers, but rarely does a freestyle specialist line up on the gate. But that’s just what happened at round 2 in Costa Mesa, CA, when 11-time X Game medalist Jarryd McNeil, as they say in his native Australian tongue, ‘gave it a go.’

McNeil has competed once before, in 2011 on a 450, so knew what he was getting himself into. He chose to bring his Yamaha YZ250F this time, a ‘step down’ in displacement, he said, was the right call for EX. His plan was simple – he enrolled in the Destry Abbott EnduroCross clinic the Friday before the event and told himself that if he could make it around the track he’d race the next day. Adding more stress to the program, Jarryd is dating Destry’s daughter, so you never know

what your girlfriend’s dad’s motives are when he advises you over dangerous obstacles.

Jared survived the class and came away realistic about his expectations for the race when signed up for the expert class. There were 11 riders in the heat, so all were granted a spot in the night show main event. Jarryd was there to have fun and showed just that by doing heel clickers and other tricks for the crowd; fortunately for him it was a jumpy track at round two. Jarryd admitted before the race he hadn’t been training at all for it and was expecting little more than five laps out of himself in the main. Jarryd rode great for a nonspecialist, but pulled off near the end of the expert final to avoid getting in the way of the leaders; the top two positions transfer into the SuperEnduro main. He would up placing tenth in both the heat and the expert main event.

Jared raced pro in Australia for several years and earned Australian motocross championship titles. Doing freestyle demos started earning him more money than racing, so he committed to a Freestyle career. But don’t lump him into the ‘bad attitude guy’ category, Jarryd one of the people who always seems to be smiling when he’s out with his dirt bike. Hopefully more athletes will give EnduroCross a try, because the crossover exposure is good for the sport of off-road racing. As 6-time X Games gold medalist Jared McNeil will tell anyone who asks – EnduroCross is not easy, but it’s a lot of fun. n

Photos Courtesy Tanner Yeager

2019 BETA EVO evolution in action

2019 Beta Evo SS 250

Beta’s engineers have completed an intense development and technical refinement program to give the new Evo an even higher performance and reliability while increasing the fun factor and providing “rideability”.

The new Trial range incorporates all the race know-how built up by the Beta Factory Team (which, this year, has two top riders, Albert Cabestany and James Dabill), ensuring all riders, non-professional and professional alike, can count on the best available technology.

There are four 2-stroke engines: 125, 250, 300 and 300 SS where “SS” stands for Super Smooth, a Trial bike with a decidedly softer, more fun-oriented character than its more aggressive counterparts.

The world renowned 4-stroke version, is available in a 300 cc displacement and offers a sound alternative to the 2-stroke versions thanks to user-friendly engine power delivery which is welcomed by clubman riders and experts alike.

The Evo SPORT models return for 2019 as well. These popular low speed trailfun bikes are based off the standard Evo models but have included features such as the long-range seat/fuel tank, hand guards, knobby tires, and taller final gearing. This model has been designed for those looking for a nice fun bike for trails that offer un-intimidating power and a low seat height.

2019 BETA EVO 2-STROKE Engine Updates: Evo 2 Stroke

All the 2-stroke versions - including the 300 SS - have the following new features, designed to give the bikes a more technically polished feel.

Engines (except the 125 cc) feature a cylinder with a new exhaust port geometry and new timing curves. Both of these developments improve low-rev engine control and stabilize the power delivery, providing exceptional, stock-setting performance.

Moreover, a new gear selector cam has been designed which was used in the earlier Factory models, and provides more positive shifting.

Another Factory model feature is the new CDI control unit, now with even better performance and optimized mapping for the new cylinder.

Evo 4 Stroke

The 300 4T (4-stroke) engine has also been upgraded. One of the most important new features is a new throttle with a redesigned internal ramp that gives better low-rev power control. Like the 2-strokes, the 4-stroke inherits the new CDI control unit with new, dedicated mapping.

Chassis Updates:

Much of the attention was directed at the chassis set-up, with a series of new features on both the 2-stroke and 4-stroke models:

• New shock absorber port geometry: now higher and more progressive;

• New shock absorber piston: increased suspension sensitivity and progression. Together with the modified plug geometry, the new piston generates decidedly more grip, making it more forgiving in the event of rider error;

• New pump on mechanical side of fork: ensures more progressive impact absorption;

• New fork oil: improves stability at high temperatures, maximizing smoothness;

• Renewed chain tensioner: adjustment range now wider while making adjustments easier;

• Rear brake caliper with brake pad anti-vibration system: maximizes precision and significantly reducing noise.

• New graphics and colors.

Availability: November

(Super Smooth)

$8399.00 Evo 300 4 Stroke

SMAGE RIDING TECHNIQUE PAT

FOR THE NEXT YEAR, NINE-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 OFF-ROAD 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!

LESSON 9: HOPPING THE REAR TIRE

4-Stroke Extreme Skid Plate

Max Sug. Retail: $109.95

Website: www.enduroeng.com

New bikes are an extreme investment. Protect that extreme investment with Enduro Engineering’s new 4-Stroke Extreme Skid Plate for 2019 KTM/Husqvarna Models. Fits: 2019 KTM 250/350 SXF/XCF, Husqvarna FC250, FC/FX 350.

Max Sug. Retail: $165.95

Website: www.rypusa.com

Cold weather is just around the corner and Ryan Young Products carries this stylish and weatherproof Scorpa-branded parka for your winter rides. For more information, go to www.rypusa.com

SCORPA PARKA

Remote Choke Lever For Beta

Max Sug. Retail: $77.99

Website: www.betausa.com

Beta USA is offering this Evo Remote Choke Lever Kit, 2-T. This remote choke cable allows easy access to the choke lever, and includes remote cable, housing, locking lever, & Keihin adapter. Detailed mounting instructions included with each kit. Fits all ‘09+ Evo 2-strokes with Keihin carburetors Fits all ‘09+ Evo 2-strokes with Keihin carburetors (Part # AB-85725).

2018 NATC/AMA US NATIONAL MOTOTRIALS SERIES ROUNDS 9-10 SEPTEMBER 1-2, 2018 SODA SPRINGS, CA

ALEX NIEDERER WENT

2-3 AT DONNER DESPITE BEING OFF THE BIKE FOR NINE WEEKS BEFORE THE EVENT DUE TO INJURY

Pat Smage completed a sweep of the entire 2018 NATC/AMA US National MotoTrials Series with a pair of victories at the Donner National MotoTrials near Donner Pass in northern California. The Sherco USA rider was technically spectacular as he cleaned all but one of the 72 sections ridden over the course of the two-day event.

On Saturday, the Smage finished with a 10-point margin over runner-up Alex Niederer, while on Sunday he topped Daniel Blanc-Gonnet by 22 points.

Smage’s 10th title put him in a two-way tie for most US National MotoTrials titles with trials great and EnduroCross star Geoff Aaron. Aaron won his first title in 1994 and his last in 2006. Meanwhile, Smage started his run of championship titles in 2007, interrupted only in 2010 when Cody Webb won the title, and in 2016 when Spaniard Marc Freixa came to the US to compete.

As usual, the Donner event featured massive rock walls and thrilling gaps and ledges that the riders had to navigate. The Donner event, organized by Sacramento PITS Inc. was as close to perfect as it could be, with excellent parking, a fun loop, great sections and professional and courteous checkers, and of course, impressive scenery. The event was held just west of Donner Pass at an elevation of about 7000 feet.

Known for his technical skills, Smage was at his best in the challenging terrain and took the win on Saturday with a near-perfect performance, cleaning all 36 of the initial sections, plus both of the more difficult exhibition sections.

On Sunday, Smage took a point early in the first lap and then cleaned the remaining two laps. Amazingly, over the course of the two days, Smage took only one point out of 72 scored rides. What’s even more impressive is that he won all 10 rounds of this year’s series en route to his 10th title, which had only been done one time before, by Scott Head.

ALEX

NIEDERER AND PAT

SMAGE LOOK ON AS SAM FASTLE DROPS INTO THE FIRST EXHIBITION SECTION ON SATURDAY

“It’s definitely unbelievable thinking about winning 10 titles,” said Smage. “When I first started riding, I looked up to Geoff Aaron and I just thought there would be no way I would ever be as good as him. He was an idol to me and even when I won my first title I never really thought I could reach 10. So now getting it done is really unbelievable.”

Smage admitted it’s been an incredible journey getting to 10 titles.

“Ten championships has been on my mind all year, so there was definitely some emotion coming into the weekend,” said Smage. “During the competition I just tried to block that out and concentrate on what was in front of me.

“I felt really good all day on Saturday and I rode well; there was one spot where I almost took a dab but I just held onto the bike and let it do the work and was able to get out with a clean. On Sunday, after the title was wrapped up, I just didn’t feel nearly as good as I did on Saturday and I don’t think my balance was as good. I was riding kind of shaky and I rushed the second section on the first lap and I took a point, but I was able to get it together and clean the rest of the day.”

Trading second and third place finishes over the two days were Gas Gas North America teammates Daniel Blanc-Gonnet and Alex Niederer. Blanc-Gonnet was third on Saturday and on Sunday, which was good enough to give the Oregon native second overall in the 2018 standings.

“I just needed to finish one of the two days to wrap up second in the final standings, but it was more psychological for me. I wanted to prove to myself that I earned that position so I wanted to get second this weekend,” said Blanc-Gonnet. “I was riding really tight on Saturday’s first lap and I made a few mistakes and that put me behind the eight ball, so I ended up third. On Sunday, I loosened up and rode to my potential, but I had one big mistake where I missed my rear

NEW MEXICO’S BOB

ROWLAND PREPARES TO “SKIDPLATE” HIS WAY OVER A LOG IN SECTION ONE

brake and flipped upside down on a big rock. Other than that, I had a pretty good day and I was pleased to get second.”

Niederer, who finished second on Saturday and third on Sunday, turned in loop scores of 3-5-2 for the runner-up slot on Saturday. That was impressive since he had been off the bike for nine weeks due to an injury.

On Sunday, Niederer took a five in the second section of the day, which put him in a deep hole. On the final lap, Niederer had to make repairs to the bike on the trail after a crash in a section and finished the day five points behind Blanc-Gonnet.

“I was a little timid when I came in there, just because of all the time I was off the bike,” said Niederer. “On my second loop on Saturday, though, I felt a lot more comfortable on the bike. After the exhibition sections I was able to put the hammer down and finally felt good on the bike.

“On Sunday, I threw it all away when I took a five early on the first lap. Then on the last lap, I had a bolt break off and I had to make a repair. I was still able to finish with a third, which gave me third for the year.”

Sherco USA’s Sam Fastle turned in some impressive rides over the weekend, especially during Saturday’s exhibition, and finished up with fourth place on each day. The New Mexico rider was consistent all weekend, posting loop scores of 11-16-9 on Saturday and 9-12-13 on Sunday.

Beta USA’s Andreas Niederer rounded out the top five on each day. This year was Andreas’ first full year in the Pro class and the Florida rider made great strides over the course of the 2018 season. Andreas will be looking to move up the ranks in 2019.

In the Expert class, Josh Roper wrapped up the Expert class championship with a nail-biting victory on Sunday. The 16-year-old Sherco USA rider beat out title rival Alex Myer for the title after winning Sunday’s round over Micah Hertrich. Scorpa USA’s Myer won Saturday’s event by five points over Roper, setting up

a sudden death head-to-head battle on Sunday, but Roper was able to seal the title with his performance on Sunday.

Colorado’s Chris Hertrich won the All-Support Line on Saturday with a total of just three points, edging out Cole Cullins with six points and Brian Martinson with seven.

On Sunday, Martinson turned in the low score on the All-Support Line with eight points, followed by Trevor Tommessen with 16 and Hertrich with 22.

Arizona’s Mark Franklin dropped just two points on Saturday for the low score in the All-Clubman Line. The Beta rider beat out Matt Webb with four points and Brian Parriott with seven.

Webb was low point rider on Sunday with six points, followed by Franklin and Gilbert Reed with 12 each. Eric Tidmore was best on the All-Expert Sportsman Line on Saturday, turning in a five-point card. Dennis Sweeten and Harry Oswald came next with six and seven points, respectively.

On Sunday, Trevor Clancy had 18 points, topping Oswald’s 22 and Sweeten’s 26.

For complete results click HERE .

RESULTS

SATURDAY

1. Pat Smage (Shr) 0

2. Alex Niederer (GG) 10

3. Daniel Blanc-Gonnet (GG) 18

4. Sam Fastle (Shr) 36

5. Andreas Niederer (Bet) 65

SUNDAY

1. Pat Smage (Shr) 1

2. Daniel Blanc-Gonnet (GG) 23

3. Alex Niederer (GG) 28

4. Sam Fastle (Shr) 34

5. Andreas Niederer (Bet) 56

PAT SMAGE CLEANED 71 OF 72 RIDES OVER THE COURSE OF THE TWO-DAY EVENT IN CALIFORNIA

PAT SMAGE: DEBRIEFED

PAT SMAGE HAS BEEN AT THE TOP OF THE FOOD CHAIN WHEN IT COMES TO US MOTOTRIALS SINCE 2006 WHEN HE WON HIS FIRST TITLE. PAT GAINED ELITE STATUS THIS YEAR WHEN HE CLAIMED HIS 10TH US MOTOTRIALS TITLE, TYING HIM WITH GEOFF AARON. PAT’S MINDER IS NO STRANGER TO WINNING, EITHER. RYAN YOUNG HAS SIX TITLES TO HIS CREDIT, AS WELL, AND WAS A BIG INFLUENCE ON PAT’S CAREER. ON THE PEGS SAT DOWN WITH PAT AND RYAN AT THE DONNER NATIONAL AND THE FOLLOWING IS PART OF THE CONVERSATION.

What are your thoughts on winning 10 titles?

It’s definitely unbelievable. When I started I looked up to Geoff Aaron and when I met him I’m like, ‘There’s no way I’ll ever be anywhere near - he’s an idol’. It just felt so far away to have any chance at being anywhere near him. I really didn’t even think about reaching that number until last year I got nine. I’m like, whoa, that’s almost ten. It really didn’t sink in until then. Now this year getting it done is just unbelievable. Looking back, seeing all the years lined up just puts it in perspective. Now it does feel like it went by really fast. Had some great memories and great times and a lot of stuff to look back on and just take from it. It’s been a great journey.

After you won that first national, what did you think you could accomplish?

I didn’t have that goal at all, of winning 10 titles. I wanted to get as good as I possibly could. I wanted to try world rounds and see where that would take me. I always wanted to be one of those guys, but once I started to go over there I realized it wasn’t for me. So then I focused myself on riding in the States and doing shows as well as nationals. Just wanted to keep going as long as it was fun and enjoyable and there was enough support and reason to keep going, I was going to try to keep it going. So to go this far is definitely awesome, but it’s not over yet. Still signed on for next year. Still having fun. There’s some kids coming, but hopefully that’ll just motivate me to keep pushing myself and hopefully continue to do well. n

AROUND THE PITS

THUMBS UP FROM ALEX KEYS. (BELOW)

DANIEL BLANCGONNET WAS ALL SMILES IN CALIFORNIA

JOSH ROPERS

FAMILY CELEBRATES JOSH’S EXPERT TITLE WITH HIM

GEOFF AARON ON DUTY AS TEAM MANAGER FOR GAS GAS TRIALS TEAM

SAMMY FASTLE HAD SOME BEAUTIFUL RIDES AT DONNER

RYAN YOUNG PAT SMAGE ON

RYAN YOUNG HAS SERVED AS PAT SMAGE’S MINDER THROUGHOUT HIS PRO CAREER, WHICH INCLUDES 10 NATIONAL TITLES. WE ASKED RYAN HIS THOUGHTS ABOUT WORKING WITH PAT.

Your thoughts on working with Pat over the years.

It’s pretty amazing. He’s been with us from day one, since he was twelve years old, I believe. We sponsor a lot of people, so I was working with Cody Webb and Pat here and there. His dad was minding. I think I became full-time minder probably… I don’t think it can be ten years. I can’t believe I was his minder every championship, but maybe I was. So I worked with Pat for ten years. It’s been awesome because of his loyalty. His riding is just incredible. It’s so fun to watch and help him. I was able to help him a lot in the beginning, but now his skills are way, way, way up there. The main thing is just keeping him focused and positive and happy. So working with him has been awesome. Having ten championships and matching Geoff Aaron is pretty incredible. We worked really hard just to get our first championship as a new importer and it took us about eight years. Now all of a sudden we’re becoming one of the most victorious importers in America and a team to be looked at. We’re still not slowing down. We have a lot of good riders up and coming. If we get another Pat Smage, that’d be pretty incredible.

How has Pat changed over the years.

He had a hot head. He’d get upset. He was hard to work with several occasions. Kept working with him and telling him it’s not worth it to be upset and let’s try to be a little bit more positive. You can ride better than you are. I think some things finally clicked, and now he’s really enjoying riding. I don’t know why I’m getting emotional. We have been working so closely. We did have a lot of ups and downs. The last three years have been really good because he turned his attitude around and it’s been fun to work with him the last three years. He practices mud. He practices anger management. It’s been a good three years.

Yeah, also we gave him a couple of different jobs. He’s doing a lot of website stuff for us, and a little bit of computer work for us. We’ve found that he’s really talented with the videos. He’s got a good touch for presenting things. You give him a pair of boots and he can just make a hell of a display out of them and do things the way a normal person doesn’t know how to do it. So he has some artistic ability there with the videos and advertising things. So we put him to work on that. I think that gave him a new outlook on trials as well, not just riding. He can do all this other stuff for trials. Like you said, now he’s a good spokesman. He’s really outgoing. He’s doing a lot better. n

CHAMPS X 26

GeOFF aarOn, ryan yOunG and PaT sMaGe

accOunT FOr 26 us naTiOnal MOTOTrials TiTles

Ryan Young, Geoff Aaron and Pat Smage account for 26 US National MotoTrials titles. All three champs were on hand at the Donner National, so On The Pegs used the opportunity to ask a few questions...

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST NATIONAL WIN?

RYAN YOUNG: I think it was Wyoming 1986.

GEOFF AARON: My first national win was Wyoming 1990.

PAT SMAGE: Rhode Island 2006.

WHO WAS YOUR MAIN RIVAL?

RYAN YOUNG: Scott Head.

GEOFF AARON: Ryan Young.

PAT SMAGE: Cody Webb and Chris Florin.

WAS THERE A RIDER YOU LOOKED UP TO WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP?

RYAN YOUNG: Bernie Schreiber and Curt Comer.

GEOFF AARON: Definitely Bernie Schreiber and Ryan Young.

PAT SMAGE: Geoff Aaron. I watched his Balancing Act vidoes over and over.

WHAT WOULD YOU CONSIDER YOUR SIGNATURE MOVE?

RYAN YOUNG: Not sure about a signature move, but I excelled in the mud.

GEOFF AARON: The floater.

PAT SMAGE: I would have to say the Zap.

WAS THERE ONE PREDOMINATE STRATEGY YOU USED OVER THE YEARS?

RYAN YOUNG: My most often-used strategy was waiting out my competition. Never riding in front of my competition.

GEOFF AARON: I liked to go for the clean line in most situations.

PAT SMAGE: Just never giving up and trying over and over until you figure something out.

IS THERE AN EVENT YOU WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO GO BACK AND TAKE A MULLIGAN ON?

RYAN YOUNG: Colorado, 1994. I basically lost the championship by a dab, but I don’t think there was much I could do different, but there was. I stalled the bike. I wasn’t quite up on the flat surface. I was hanging off the edge. I didn’t know I was under-working the motor. I was just trying to stop to get lined up for the ledge, and it stalled. I lost my point that day and I think that was the championship as well to Geoff Aaron.

GEOFF AARON: I don’t think I really have one that I could think of. I have never thought of that before, since you don’t get a do-over.

PAT SMAGE: Oregon 2016. It was just a mental breakdown. Hopefully get some redemption next year.

IS THERE ONE PERSON WHO HAD A BIG INFLUENCE ON YOUR CAREER?

RYAN YOUNG: My dad. He taught me everything I knew, until I surpassed him.

GEOFF AARON: Definitely the early stages of my career it was my father. He was the one that taught me about trials riding in the first place. Then kind of I would say dangled the carrot in front of me and said, if you try hard and practice then we’ll go to the events. So I always kind of had that feeling if I work at it then there’ll be a light at the end of the tunnel.

PAT SMAGE: Ryan Young for sure. The support they give me has been huge. My dad and Ryan Young are pretty close.

IF YOU COULD GIVE JUST ONE TIP TO ANYONE WANTING TO GET BETTER AT TRIALS, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

RYAN YOUNG: Practice, practice, practice. That’s all you can do to get better in trials is time on the bike, as much as you can and you will get better.

GEOFF AARON: Learn the basics. You can’t do what Geoff Aaron and Pat Smage and those guys do without having a good grounding in the basics. It all builds on that.

PAT SMAGE: Practice all you can.

IF YOU HADN’T DISCOVERED TRIALS, WHAT WOULD BE ANOTHER SPORT YOU WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE COMPETED IN?

RYAN YOUNG: As a kid I wanted to do motocross but my dad wouldn’t buy me a motocross bike. I looked up to Jeremy McGrath and those guys like, “Man, I want to do that.” But we just rode trials.

GEOFF AARON: II think it goes back to hours on the bike and dedication. I know how much time and effort it takes to win ten championships. Basically you need to put in a lot of time. You need to be on the bike a lot and you need to think about what the other riders are doing and think about your own technique and just keep trying. Trials is difficult and sometimes it kind of gives you a bit of a beat down. You just have to keep working at it. I think that really is the key. PAT SMAGE: It probably would have been motocross when I was younger, or mountain biking. One of those. I still love them both. Anything with two wheels, I’d say.

PAT SMAGE: Just practice every minute you get. n

NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP

IOCO, B.C., CANADA

SEPTEMBER 8-9, 2018

Sixty riders from all parts of Canada, the USA and even Germany and Ireland were greeted to excellent weather on Day 1 of the Canadian National Trials Championships, which also counted for rounds 3 and 4 of the New FIM/North America Championship. After months with not a drop of rain at all, a few showers had happened overnight which made some of the conditions a bit slippery. It didn’t take long though for things to dry out and it ended up being quite dry for the entire day with traction not an issue.

In the Pro class which would determine the overall North American champion, newly crowned 10 Time US Trials Champion Pat Smage made short work of the sections and wowed Canadian spectators who were seeing him ride in person for the very first time. The section and course design setup by Christy Williams Richards and her team challenged ALL the Pros really well but under the dry conditions, the large granite rocks of Ioco weren’t much of a problem for Smage. Spectacular rides from Jan Peters, Daniel Blanc Gonnet and Sam Fastle kept Smage honest.

The real battle of the weekend took place in the Championship class which

is the highest class in Canada and would determine the 2018 Canadian Trials Champion. This hotly contested title would end up being a showdown between 16-year-old Josh Roper from Arizona who had just wrapped up the NATC/AMA Expert Championship the weekend before in California, and longtime Canadian Trials hero and legend, Ryon Bell. On Day 1 Bell jump out to an early lead with Josh Roper keeping things close after 2 laps with an incredible clean loop. In the end Bell prevailed with a narrow victory and one step closer to being the Canadian champ for the first time since the early 2000’s.

The Clubman riders had to endure a tougher than usual loop for them, and were introduced to the Ioco trail network by being thrown right into it. It showed in their scores but everyone kept smiling all day.

Steady rain overnight and the forecast of more rain during the day Sunday , completely changed all the terrain and affected all classes. For all of the out of town riders, they got to experience the true experience of what riding the famed Ioco, BC location is all about!

The challenge was real in both the sections and the loop. In the Pro class, finally the terrain was able to challenge the Champ Pat Smage enough to take some real points from him. Although all the Pro and Champ sections had been eased previously with the forecast of rain, it still proved to be worthy of a Championship trial for all classes.

Day two of the Canadian Championship saw the Champ class still up for graps between Josh Roper from Arizona and Ryon Bell from Victoria BC. With Ryon growing up on the super slippery rocks of Vancouver Island, and Josh being from Arizona where he rarely gets a chance to train on terrain such as this, it was going to be a tall order for Josh to take a victory and by a large margin. A credit to Josh only being 16 years old, he rode and fought incredibly all day. Its easy to see he has a bright future in the sport. In the end Ryon Bell showed his incredible mastery of conditions such as this and why he is still the best rider in Canada! At the young age of 40, Ryon also became the oldest Canadian Trials Champion ever. A testament to his skill and dedication for many years. - Steve Fracey

NEW GASSERS

a lOOk aT The 2019 Gas Gas TXT

Despite a short hiccup in production a few years ago, GasGas, now owned by Torrot Electric Europa, remains one of the most popular trials bikes in the world. The 2019 models, which have just been released, look to be as popular as ever.

The GasGas line has most recently been known for its strong tubular frame. GasGas also uses top of the line suspension components, and currently features Ohlins rear shock and Tech forks, which is an industry standard.

Also standard on GasGas are Brake Tech master cylinders for clutch and front brake, as well as the calipers. The bike comes with industry standard Michelin X11 tires. As far as engine characteristics, the GasGas is known to have one of the most powerful engines, especially in the 300 version, but it’s also one of the lightest and smallest engines. It’s very narrow. GasGas was the first to use the diaphragm style clutch that everybody has gone to now. So it’s a really refined motor that’s been around for quite a few years. They just keep making small changes to it to make it smoother and better.

WHAT’S NEW

GasGas did a really nice job on the 2019 TXT 300 Racing. There are quite a few new things. The biggest new item would be the new swing arm, which is about half a kilo lighter. It just looks different. It has a different shape to it, and it has an all new linkage. There are new pieces for the chain tensioner and the cable guide, as well. GasGas did a nice, clean job on it. They also went to a two-piece clutch cover, which is really nice because if you do any kind of clutch maintenance, you don’t have to interfere with the water pump or the kickstart shaft, which is a very nice feature. To service the clutch, or change clutch plates, you only need to remove the outer cover. They also moved the oil fill to a more convenient location just for service.

GasGas also improved the front fork brace. It’s a stronger, sturdier unit. The shape and style of the new front fender is also new. It just looks good. It looks stronger than the older version.

Some of the stuff is just cosmetic. It’s got new graphics. It’s got a red air box. It has black center cases on the engine. They also went to the smaller gearing. They went to a 10/39, which reduces both sprocket sizes and eliminates one link out of the chain. The brake master cylinder in the rear has really good feel to it. With the current style of riding with all the rear wheel type stuff that they’re doing in the world championships and national championships, the rear brake is more important than ever.

Overall, the changes made to the 2019 TXT lineup make an already good motorcycle even better.

THE GOODS

GasGas Racing 125/250/280/300

• New aluminum swingarm and peripheral components (chain slider and tensioner, brake cylinder, disc and sprocket protector, brake hose guide, side stand, etc.)

• New mounting point between swingarm, chassis, and engine, now with double sealed bearings to prevent entry of water and grime

• Improved Braktec front brake assembly

• New front mudguard with integrated fork brace

• Use of Allen bolts, much more robust and durable

• MY2019 Graphic design

• Braktec clutch cylinder with interior improvements

• New Kevlar clutch discs and new clutch spring design, now with variable preload

• Two-piece clutch cover for easy maintenance

• New crankshaft bearings that ensure total hermetic fit and facilitates easy maintenance from the exterior; they can now be serviced without splitting the cases

SPECS

GasGas Racing 125/250/280/300

ENGINE - 2 STROKE, ONE CYLINDER, LIQUID COOLING

CUBIC

GEARBOX - 6 GEARS WITH GG 4/6 TECHNOLOGY

CLUTCH - HYDRAULIC SYSTEM BY DIAPHRAGM GG 1/3

FRAME - TUBULAR FRAME MADE OF CHROME-MOLY

SWING ARM - ALUMINIUM, PROGRESSIVE LINKAGE SYSTEM

FRONT FORK - TECH WITH ALUMINIUM BAR Ø 39, 180 MM (7.1”) TRAVEL

ADJUSTMENT - REBOUND, END STROKE AND SPRING PRELOAD REGULATION

SHOCK ABSORBER - ÖHLINS HYDRAULIC MONO SHOCK ABSORBER

(2 WAYS), 174 MM (6.85”) TRAVEL

ADJUSTMENT - REBOUND AND SPRING PRE-LOAD AJUSTABLE

RIM TYPE - LIGHT ALUMINIUM SPOKE RIM

TIRE FRONT - MICHELIN TRIAL X11 2.75 X 21

TIRE REAR - MICHELIN TRIAL X11 4.00 X 18 TL

FRONT BRAKE - 185 MM DISC NG WAVE FLOATING, MONOBLOCK 4 PISTONS

BRAKTEC CALIPER

REAR BRAKE - 150 MM DISC NG WAVE, AUTOSTAND SYSTEM 2 PISTONS

BRAKTEC CALIPER

FUEL - 2,4 L (0.63 GAL) (2 STROKE - OIL / FUEL MIXED 1:50)

DRY WEIGHT - 125 CC: 67 KG (147.7 LBS) / 250-280-300 CC: 67,5 KG (148.8 LBS)

DIMENSIONS - LENGTH X WITH X HEIGHT: 2.010 X 825 X 1.130 MM (79.1” X

32.5” X 44.5”)

WHEELBASE - 1.320 MM (52”)

SEAT HEIGHT - 630 MM (24.8”)

Adventures in Checking

By Jon Stoodley

I really like checking a section and my all-time favorite event to check is the Ute Cup Trial in the mountains of Colorado each August. The event is organized by RMTA (Rocky Mountain Trials Association- http://rockymountaintrials. org/utecup.htm ) and I think the RMTA is about the oldest Trials club in the U.S., having started in 1969. The Ute Cup began the next year in 1970, making it just about the longest running annual event in U.S. Trials. I first attended the Ute Cup 30+ years ago in the mid-1980’s with my oldest son, Jim, and I will be going back again this year just to check the event both days for my 10th year in a row (except for the year it was not held due to severe fire danger).

If you really want to consider yourself a Trials rider, this event should be on your bucket list. The RMTA is a great club and a nicer or more dedicated bunch of Trials enthusiasts you will never find.

The Ute Cup is an endurance Trial to a degree, with loops sometimes up to 25 miles but the loop is beautiful and not like the Scott Trial in the U.K. where the loop is sometimes a lot more difficult than the sections. It’s a wonderful ride in the mountains in some of the most beautiful scenery in the U.S. (the altitude can range from a little over 8000 ft. to about 13,000 ft. ) and the sections are generally set for a NEOTT SeniorAmateur/Intermediate level and I’ve never seen any I wouldn’t at least try my hand at. There are no splits in the

sections; all riders ride the same lines. Riders ride two loops each day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon and the sections are usually different from Saturday to Sunday. The event is held in different parts of the state each year and this year it will be on The Rainbow Trial near Salida.

As it’s sometimes a long and arduous event you will want your bike to be in top shape, properly jetted for the altitude and the cooling system serviced as cooling systems are not as efficient at altitude. You will need a spark arrestor and a Colorado Off-Road permit (usually obtainable on site) and all-weather riding gear. First time riders don’t realize it can get really cold in the mornings at that altitude. I remember rolling out of bed one morning at La Garita to put on my gear and it was 28 degrees outside. Most riders carry a backpack with them on the loop with extra tools, parts and gas just in case. I’ve had a lot of adventures checking the event. One year I was the last one down the mountain from my section at the Rainbow Trail and it had started to really rain. At one point, the single track trail had been washed out on the side of the steep mountain side (straight up one side of the trail and straight down the other side) so I had to gun it and loop up the side of the muddy wall so I would slide down to catch the trail on the other side but I made it! Happy to have survived, I pinned it down the trail

towards a bush and tight blind turn and upon making the turn ran straight into a HUGE horse’s face, causing me to run up the side of the wall, burning my leg on the exhaust pipe in the process. I had run into the first of a four horse pack train. The horse rider behind the lead pack horse profusely apologized, saying that he believed that all the riders were off the mountain. I was more careful of what I might possibly meet on the rest of the way to camp.

Then there was the time I had a beautiful running creek section next to a great meadow at La Garita and in between loops, here comes a herd of wandering cattle that thought they would try my section out and ended up totally trashing it. After they all wandered off, I had to re-string all the tape and re-set the signs before the next wave of riders appeared. I gave all of the cows a “5”……….Oh, and then there was the invasion of the Marauding Black Bears at another Ute Cup that was a lot more comical than dangerous.

Pretty consistently, around 3 in the afternoon it is normal for a thunderstorm to show up, throw a bunch of lightening, thunder, rain and/or pea-sized hail around for a short time and then disappear. One time I had a first-time young helper with me and explained all the nuances of checking to him along with the forecast of a coming short storm that will be there at 3pm (which he

thought was silly as it was clear and sunny). Sure enough, in the afternoon, a storm dropped rain and small hail all over our section and then evaporated and I told him to check his watch.

“Its 3:10!” he exclaimed. After that, he thought I was a magician for sure.

The time I get to spend up in the mountains between loops is some of the most peaceful and regenerating I have ever experienced. The wind through the pines and the scenery are spectacular. I love meeting old friends from all over the U.S. that come to the Cup as well as some friends from other parts of the world that occasionally ride the event. If you can make Colorado the third weekend in August, you will have lifetime memories, trust me, I know…… n

SILSDEN,

SEPTEMBER

Toni Bou sealed the 2018 TrialGP World Championship title with the season not yet over. The Repsol Honda Team ace, who won the trial in Great Britain, takes the tally of consecutive championship wins to twelve in TrialGP, added to the twelve in X-Trial (indoor). The twenty-four back-to-back titles mark the greatest achievement in motorcycling history. Bou didn’t technically need the win in Silsden to be proclaimed champion, Spaniard nevertheless went all out to take the new world title in style. The list now totalling twelve titles in a row in the outdoor season stand alongside the other twelve in the indoor season.

With the sections laid out on the imposing boulders and towering rock faces that make the venue so iconic, Bou was forced to wait until the very last section of the Trial to make sure of the win and the title with one round still to go. On the day, Bou took control of the terrain and finished off the competition over the final sections of the course to mathematically seal top championship honors.

Teammate Takahisa Fujinami came close, once again to a podium spot. At the end of the first lap the Japanese rider held second. Looking very at ease throughout the day, the rider made a costly mistake in a section, which other rivals had zeroed, meaning the veteran narrowly missed out on a place on the rostrum.

Toni’s title was a cause for celebration, not only for Repsol Honda Team

GILABERT MIQUEL

today. The team also scooped the manufacturers’ title with Montesa. This is the twentieth world trial title for the Spanish constructor. It was Spain’s Miquel GelabertSherco who took a shock early lead, completing the opening lap for a loss of just three marks compared to Bou’s total of eight and Adam RagaTRRS who was on nine.

The twenty-year-old was then put under incredible pressure on lap two as Bou and Raga turned up the heat. With the sun-baked rocks offering almost limitless grip the scores were low and Gelabert held his nerve until the final four sections when - with his total for the Trial just five - he finally cracked. Adding an additional ten marks to his score including a maximum on section fourteen, he was pushed back to third as Bou and Raga both posted second-lap totals of three.

With Bou incurring two time penalties and Raga adding an extra three after both took too long on the opening lap, the win - his sixth of the season and fifth in a row - went to Bou by two marks from Raga who took second on a most-cleans tie-break with Gelabert.

Veteran Japanese rider Takahisa Fujinami - Repsol Honda was six marks further back in fourth ahead of the Spanish trio of Albert CabestanyBeta and Gas Gas team-mates Jeroni Fajardo and Jaime Busto with Britain’s James Dabill - Beta eighth.

The result means Bou now leads

MADDIE HOOVER

MATTEO GRATTAROLLA

Fajardo by thirty-three points and cannot be caught with just TrialGP Italy to go on 15/16 September. The battle for second will, however, be intense with Busto only four points behind Fajardo and just one ahead of Raga.

“Today was a very special day,” said Bou. “We knew that this race would not be easy and that no mistakes could be made. They marked me a very strict five in section seven that forced me to fight hard for the rest of the trial. The end was very tight because with five points more I would have ended up in sixth or seventh place, but I stayed out of trouble and was able to win. There was a lot of nerves and a lot of pressure, but there is nothing better than winning the world championship with a victory. We are very happy because it has been a very difficult year due to injuries. Now it’s time to enjoy it with the team.”

In the Trial2 Women class American Maddie Hoover had an off day, finishing sixth, her worst finish of the season, but it was enough to give the GasGas North America rider second overall in the class standings.

Meanwhile, Alex Brancati (Beta) from Italy recovered from a poor opening lap to take victory and with it the Trial2 Women title.

The seventeen-year-old - who recorded an unbeaten season - was fifth at the halfway stage, but fought back with her second lap total of just six putting her on twenty-three and

giving her the win on a three-way most-cleans tie-break from German pairing Rosita Leotta - Beta and Sophia Ter Jung - TRRS.

“I was nervous and my first lap was very bad, but on the second lap I was riding very good,” says Brancati. “I am so happy. I want to ride TrialGP Women next year. It is very exciting.”

RESULTS

1. Toni Bou (Hon) 13

2. Adam Raga (TRS) 15

3. Gelabert Miquel (Shr) 15

4. Takahisa Fujinami (Hon) 21

5. Albert Cabestany (Bet) 23

6. Jeroni Fajardo (GG) 24

7. Jaime Busto (GG) 28

8. James Dabill )Bet) 28

9. Jack Price (GG) 35

10. Jorge Casales (Ver) 42

TAKAHISA FUJINAMI

MADDIE HOOVER: DEBRIEFED

US WOMEN’S PRO CHAMPION MADELEINE HOOVER HAS SPENT THE BIGGEST PART OF THE YEAR COMPETING AND TRAINING IN EUROPE WHERE SHE WAS REWARDED WITH SECOND OVERALL IN THE FINAL TRIAL2 WOMEN’S STANDINGS. ON THE PEGS SPOKE WITH THE NORTH CAROLINA RIDER TO GET HER PERSPECTIVE ON HER AMAZING YEAR.

How do you feel about finishing second in TrialGP?

Pretty excited. Of course I was aiming for first, but I am very proud to show that I am competitive on the world scene. At this level everybody is good and getting better and Alex was great competition in Trial2. I am hoping I can really bring it next year after lots of training in the off season.

Are you surprised at how well you finished?

A little surprised but more fired up. After Japan I had two podiums, so it was great representing America and GasGas and doing well. The rest of the season I just tried to keep the good finishes coming and make a good season.

Tell us about the girls you travel with?

I have been staying in Norway again some this summer, continue there most the fall, and then Spain again in the winter. I planned most my trips with Hanne Haga and Erika Melchior (two of Norway’s best riders) to keep costs down and have a support system at the events. My minders this year were also Norwegian top riders who helped with their previous experience in European and World events. We’ve all become so close living, training, and traveling together, Its such a good feeling to have a “home away from home” and people to always count on when I’m so far from my family.

What have you learned from riding with the European riders?

I have learned a lot, not even sure where to start. The Europeans are all in for trials! I can watch so many great riders and I have great coaches, so I try to adapt what I see and what I’m told to help my game.

How do the TrialGP sections compare with US Nationals?

I think the US has bigger obstacles but the Trial2 sections are mentally more difficult than the US sections with the no-stop and not a lot of room for error. The TrialGP class has more obstacles and room for mistakes since the sections are set at a higher level.

Do you have plans for next year?

Next year I plan to compete again in the whole series of the World Championship, the US National Championship, and most of the European Championship if I can. I will be doing a lot of training in Europe leading up to next season so hopefully I can improve and do well! n

ALIEN AUTOPSY

TY CULLINS’ BETA EVO 300

TY CULLINS SPLIT HIS TIME IN 2018 BETWEEN US MOTOTRIALS AND THE AMA ENDUROCROSS SERIES. AT THE RECENT DONNER NATIONAL MOTOTRIALS, TY RODE THE EXPERT CLASS ON HIS 300 EVO.

THE BETA USA RIDERS MAKE USE OF A LOT OF COOL AFTERMARKET ITEMS SO WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUN TO FEATURE TY’S BIKE IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUE. HERE IS TY’S FATHER, CHIRS, TALKING ABOUT THE BIKE:

A LOOK INSIDE THE FACTORY PADDOCKS

Ty hasn’t had much time to practice trials at all this year, because he’s been so involved with EnduroCross. He just came here and rode the bike and had a good time with it. Fortunately, he’s comfortable on the new bike so he felt good right away.

Ty is riding a 300 Factory Edition in the MotoTrials series. It has an Arrow header pipe, which was given to him after he won the 125 expert championship. Beta gave that to him as kind of an end of the year prize.

The Arrow pipe kind of makes the bike more aggressive off the bottom end to midrange, although it doesn’t hurt the top end. He gets the snappier feel off the bottom and it doesn’t hurt it when he needs to rev it out.

Ty runs Raptor titanium pegs. These pegs have been on four different bikes now. He just keeps swapping them bike to bike and they’ve lasted really well.

As far as the engine goes, we’re running Boyesen carbon tech reeds. They just make the bike run a little cleaner with a little snappier response.

Ty runs the Renthal bars. He likes the bend and the feel of those, along with the Renthal grips.

The tires are Michelins, which is what comes on the bike.

The Clutch is all stock.

The Twin air filters are stock on the bike and they work really good.

He runs a custon fuel filler cap that is made by Ray Peters. They fit in there a lot nicer.

Ty is pickyest about his lever placement. It has to be the exact spot, especially if the clutch is in or out. He likes it further out toward the end of the bar.

He’s also concerned that the bike runs clean. As far as the suspension he’s not too picky about. Just do a few clickers here and there to go with it. n

2018 Schedule

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The 2019 Mecatecno DragonFly will be available for sale starting in October. More information can be found on www.mecatecno.biz

• 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

Dirt Riders West - Mike Carlton, 800.467.0604, Scottsdale, AZ

Lewisport USA - Adrian & Mandy Lewis, 209.785.6878, Copperopolis, CA

Balance Trials Supply - Bill Haskell - 720.207.7715 - Erie, CO

Trial Store USA - Alex Niederer - 941.404.0757 - Bradenton, FL

Aloha Trials - Clayton Oshita, 808.822.2706, Kapaa, HI

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

MotoMex - Danny Aguirre, 214.912.9005, Dallas, TX

Skagit Powersports - Gary Lawver, 360.757.7999, Burlington, WA

TTC - Charlie Roberts, 423.942.8688, Sequatchie, TN

BAYLOR BOYS HAVE THEIR WAY IN MICHIGAN

KENDA AMA NATIONAL ENDURO SERIES ROUND 8

MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN

SEPTEMBER 9, 2018

PHOTOS BY DARRIN CHAPMAN AND SHAN MOORE

STEWARD BAYLOR STOLE THE WIN FROM HIS BROTHER, GRANT, IN THE FINAL TEST OF THE DAY IN MICHIGAN

JOSH TOTH GRABS A HANDFUL DURING TEST FOUR. THE FMF/KTM RIDER ROUNDED OUT THE PODIUM IN

MICHIGAN

Steward Baylor used a strong push in the final test (and took advantage of a couple of mishaps by his brother Grant in the same test) to claim the overall win at the Loose Moose National Enduro, round eight of the Kenda AMA National Enduro Series in Marquette, Michigan.

The Loose Moose Enduro is one reason the National Enduro Series is so great. Held in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan near Marquette, the race utilizes terrain that is quite diverse and a bit different from a lot of the other rounds, ranging from sandy single track, to giant moss-covered rocks, to deep mud holes. The race is as varied as the series, and it takes an all-around rider to win in the “U.P.”.

To say the Baylor brothers dominated the Loose Moose Enduro would be an understatement. Combined, the Tely Energy KTMbacked siblings accounted for all six test wins. Steward won tests 1, 5 and 6, while Grant won 2,3 and 4.

Grant took the lead from Steward after the third test and the South Carolina rider held an 18-second lead going into the final test. But after having to dig his way out of a couple of mud holes, Grant lost ground to Steward and handed back the lead for good.

In the end, Steward took advantage of a rare first-test win to claim the overall victory by 27 seconds ahead of Grant. Meanwhile, the brothers finished over a minute-and-a-half clear of third place.

“I bet in all my years of racing the National Enduro series I think this is just the sixth time I have won the first test of a race,” said Steward. “Grant got out to a lead over me, but it started to get pretty rocky in the last few tests and that’s when things started going my way.

Those last two tests seemed to fall in my lap.”

Grant was not happy about losing the race in the final test, but glad that the race was won by his brother.

“The day was pretty good, I got third in the first test and then went on to win the next three tests,” said Grant. “I had a good lead over Steward but then I lost a little time when I got stuck on a rock in the fifth test. Then in the last test, I was just trying to get through it, but there were some random sinkholes and I ended up burying it up to my seat three times and I had to get off the bike and pull it out. At least I had a big enough lead to hang on to second.”

Third went to Josh Toth. The FMF/KTM Factory rider was admittedly off the pace, espe -

cially in the second test where he posted the seventh-fastest time.

“It wasn’t my day, I just had nothing for Steward today,” said Toth. “I got a bad start in the first test, and then I thought I rode well in the second test but my times didn’t show it. I was off the pace so I had to try to turn it around. I was going good in the fifth test but I hit a limb with my arm and it went dead on me, but it seems to be okay now.”

Trail Jesters Racing KTM’s Ben Kelley finished 38 seconds behind Toth for fourth.

“I felt like I rode pretty well today,” said Kelley. “I had a few mistakes, and in that last test, which was pretty gnarly, I think I had two crashes and got stuck in the mud twice. It was a cool test and I felt like I was going good, but it was tricky.”

SRT Racing’s Evan Smith continues to hover around the top five and finished a solid fifth in Michigan after turning in a relatively clean ride with just a couple of small mistakes. Meanwhile, KR4 Husqvarna’s Cory Buttrick was just behind in sixth.

“I just felt kind of rusty in the sand,” said Buttrick. “I gave up a little bit of time in those first few tests just trying to get my feet back up under me, but the rest of the day I felt pretty good.”

Seventh went to Solid Performance KTM ace Ryder Lafferty, who also won the NE Pro2 class with his finish.

“It was a really good day,” said Lafferty. “I like coming up here and riding in the sand and it’s a lot like home, so I just had fun riding my bike today and it paid off in a win.”

Gnarly Routes KTM rider Russell Bobbitt had a fairly uneventful day en route to eighth, while Nathan Federer brought his KTM home for ninth and second in the NE Pro 2 class.

Nick Fahringer rounded out the top 10 in his Sherco, with Gas Gas North America’s Andrew

DeLong finishing in 11th overall. AirGroup/Enduro Engineering Husqvarna’s Logan Lowrey rounded out the NE Pro2 podium with third in the class and 12th overall. Thad DuVall had a disappointing day. The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna rider knocked a hole in his side case when he struck a rock and was forced to drop out near the start of the sixth test.

Trail Jesters KTM Racing’s Mackenzie Tricker was victorious in the Women’s Elite class, beating out KR4 Husqvarna’s Tayla Jones by 35 seconds. Tricker won three of the five tests en route to the win.

“It was close all day between me and Tayla,” said Tricker. “Of the tests I lost to her, I think I lost one by just a second and another one by two seconds. I made pretty good time all day and I felt like I rode pretty good.”

Jesse Ansley (KTM) took the win in the AA class over Ben Parsons (Hsq) by two-and-ahalf minutes.

“I like the sand so I did well in the first two tests,” said Ansley. “After that, when it got rocky, I started having a rougher time. I struggled a bit in the later tests but I just tried to stay smooth and it paid off.”

JD Friebel was third in the AA class on a Husqvarna.

0VERALL RESULTS

1. Steward Baylor (KTM)

2. Grant Baylor (KTM)

3. Josh Toth (KTM)

4. Ben Kelley (KTM)

5. Evan Smith (Hsq)

6. Cory Buttrick (Hsq)

7. Ryder Lafferty (Hsq)

8. Russell Bobbitt (KTM)

9. Nathan Ferderer (KTM)

10. Nick Fahringer (Shr)

HAD A COUPLE OF CRASHES IN THE FINAL TEST, BUT STILL MANAGED TO FINISH FOURTH.

BEN KELLEY

TEST SIX WAS CRUCIAL FOR GRANT BAYLOR. THE TELY ENERGY KTM RIDER LED THE EVENT GOING INTO THE FINAL TEST BUT GOT STUCK IN A SINKHOLE, WHICH DROPPED HIM TO SECOND IN THE FINAL STANDINGS.

JOSH TOTH

On The Pegs spoke with Josh Toth about his practice routine and about what a typical week would be like.

We own 16 acres, but also we have a lot of neighbors around that let us ride on their land. It’s all tied together. Nobody else really uses the property besides us, so it works out really well. We have 12 miles of trail just behind my house. It’s really rocky and gnarly. It’s good practice for extreme stuff. If I do motos, I try to do them on a motocross track or something more fast-paced. I’ll try to do motos during the week at a motocross tack and then at the end of the day Thursday or Friday, the last day I ride, I’ll do sprints at the end of the day. I do that last, so when I get back on the bike that’s the first thing I remember.

As far as conditioning, I try to stay on the mountain bike and just cycling in general; either road bike or mountain bike. I enjoy the mountain bike a lot more, so I do that.

Leading up to this year I rode a lot of tighter stuff to practice for the Enduro rounds. I’m getting more comfortable in it. I don’t really specifically ride that beforehand. I just try to keep my intensity up and I know how to ride in the woods.

As far as pacing for GNCC races, if I get a good start I can kind of get out there and cruise and get in the flow. If I get a bad start I got to kind of push in the beginning and then catch up and get my groove. It’s usually 80% effort and then the last two laps you got to drop the hammer and give it everything. The last hour is really the toughest part, for sure.

ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING’S THAT DUVAL HAD A GREAT START TO HIS DAY, FINISHING THE FIRST TEST IN SECOND PLACE ON HIS FX350. FOR THE MAINDER OF THE DAY, HE WOULD BATTLE WITHIN THE TOP FIVE. IN THE FINAL TEST, HOWEVER, DUVALL HIT A ROCK AND KNOCKED A HOLE IN HIS SIDE CASE, FORCING HIM TO DROP OUT OF THE RACE.

“I HAD HIGH EXPECTATIONS GOING INTO THIS ROUND,” SAID DUVALL. “IT WAS A NEW PLACE FOR ME, BUT MY MISTAKE IN THE FINAL TEST COST ME THE DAY. I WILL MOVE FORWARD AND LOOK TO THE NEXT ROUND.”

5 TAKEAWAYS FROM THE LOOSE MOOSE NATIONAL ENDURO

1) Right now, the Baylor brothers seem to be a notch above the competition. Steward and Grant have similar styles and ride similar lines. In fact, Steward says he can look at several lines in a turn and pick out which one belongs to Grant. Is this a product of the brothers practicing with each other over the years, or is it something hereditary?

2) Of the top riders, Thad DuVall, Josh Toth and Ben Kelley are all secure in their deals for 2019. Meanwhile, Steward and Grant Baylor were still negotiating deals for next year. There are rumors that Kawasaki is talking to a few riders about 2019, however the Baylors are expected to be back with Tely Racing next year.

3) Evan Smith is our pick as the top “non-factory” rider in the Pro division (We are considering the Baylor brothers “factory” since much of thier support comes from KTM). Evan has consistently finished in or around the top five in the Kenda AMA National Enduro Series and right now, there are few other top prospects for the factories to sign. We would be supprised if Evan remains a “satelite” rider in 2019.

4) The top three or four NE Pro2 riders are making an impact in the overall results, pushing the Pro riders for top 10 places. Look for a couple of the Pro2 guys to move up in 2019 and make an immediate impact.

5) Steward Baylor is talking about riding the 2019 KTM 450 SX in the National Enduro series next year. Grant has been riding a 450 with good results. Charlie Mullins rode a big bike to a title, so maybe 2019 will usher in the next big bike era.

MINI MOOSE FAMILY ENDURO

The UP Sandstormers held the Mini Moose Family Enduro the day before the Loose Moose National Enduro. Here are a few images from the event thanks to photographer Darrin Chapman.

THE SECRET IS OUT! STEWARD KTM OFF-ROAD TEAM MAN-

PICTORIAL: RED BULL 111 MEGAWATT

AFTER FINISHING FOURTH AT THE TENNESSEE KNOCKOUT, WADE YOUNG WINS RED BULL 111 MEGAWATT IN POLAND

PHOTOS COURTESY RED BULL CONETENT POOL

Sherco Factory Racing’s Wade Young has claimed victory at Red Bull 111 Megawatt in Poland, round five of the World Enduro Super Series.

Securing his second consecutive WESS race win, Young claimed a memorable victory over Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Taddy Blazusiak (POL) and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Billy Bolt (GB) in third.

In what was a dramatic turn of events, series leader Jonny Walker (KTM - GB) crashed out of the race on lap two of three, while Germany’s Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) overcame a slow start to place fourth and with it take control of the championship standings with three rounds remaining.

After a busy day of qualification on Saturday, the 500 fastest riders in this year’s Red Bull 111 Megawatt took to the start line in Europe’s largest coal mine for Sunday’s feature race. Faced with a demanding and physical 30-kilometre course that weaved its way around the quarry, the addition of hot weather and dusty tracks ensured a gruelling three-lap race for the world’s best Enduro riders.

As pole sitter, Nathan Watson (KTM - GB) was quick to claim the holeshot when competitors blasted off the line at precisely 1.11pm. Leading through the Motocross and Endurocross sections, Watson slipped back one position when Walker found a way past his teammate as they entered the quarry. Spending the opening lap sizing each other and the terrain out, Walker controlled the race lead as Young, Blazusiak, and Bolt all shadowed him.

However, drama quickly struck as they headed into the mine section for lap two when Walker crashed in the dust. Young duly inherited the lead and it was a position he would hold until the chequered flag at the end of lap three, building a winning margin of over two minutes.

Behind him the fight for the remainder of the podium places proved close between Blazusiak, Bolt, Watson and Lettenbichler — who overcame a slow start. Fending off a late attack by Bolt, Blazusiak claimed the runner-up result in his home race. Crossing the finish line just seven seconds behind, Bolt took third, while Lettenbichler ended his race in fourth. After setting the early pace, Watson completed the top five.

Riding steadily throughout, Spain’s Josep Garcia (KTM) was sixth, finishing oneminute clear of South Africa’s Blake Gutzeit (Yamaha) in seventh. Round two winner, Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna - GB) — despite not favouring the sandy terrain — faired well to claim a top 10 result with eighth, with his teammate Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna - ESP) ninth. Paul Bolton (KTM - GB) rounded out the top 10.

In total 178 competitors finished this year’s Red Bull 111 Megawatt. The World Enduro Super Series continues with round six at Great Britain’s Hawkstone Park Cross-Country on September 22/23.

WADE YOUNG - 1ST

“It was so important to manage this race well. I felt good, and to win here after winning at Red Bull Romaniacs is awesome. I’m so happy right now. I got myself close to the front and then ahead of Jonny when he crashed. I think we would have had a great battle – it’s not nice to see a rider crash out. I feel like I almost had a perfect race. At the start I saw the flag drop but I was a little behind, so I kept it flat out around the outside. A few riders fell, which put me about fourth. I had a few little crashes myself but I managed to settle things down and use my speed to good effect. I put it together and felt strong.”

Photo By Future7Media

TADDY BLAZUSIAK - 2ND

“I’m super happy to be on the podium, especially carrying an injury. I broke a finger at Red Bull Romaniacs, and I have more or less no strength or movement in it. It’s been a tough season for me, so I know I just have to tough it out and, well, things worked out great here. I had to take things carefully on the Motocross section because I was struggling to keep my hands on the handlebars where it was so rough. I was second during lap one and the guys ahead of me were really charging. I got arm pump but once that eased I started to push hard again. I had a bit of a mishap coming into the pits on lap two, but the rest of the race went well. I feel like I’m starting to turn things around and to be able to get second here in Poland is awesome.”

Photo By Red Bull Content Pool/Sandra Biegun

“I’m really pleased with finishing on the podium. This was the race that I was least pleased with my performance in during 2017, so to turn things around and finish third is great. I had a poor first lap – I crashed three times on the Motocross section. It seemed to me like that section of the track was different to what we rode on during the qualification. I felt good going into the last lap. I knew Nathan Watson and Manuel Lettenbichler were ahead of me but that if I could stay close to Watson coming into the extreme stuff it would be close. I managed to get ahead of both of them and just didn’t look back. We’ve got three tough races left, but this has definitely been good for me as far as the championship is concerned. I’ll keep working hard.”

Photo Courtesy Red Bull Content Pool/ Tomek Gola

BILLY BOLT - 3RD

Red Bull 111 Megawatt Final Results

WESS Round 5

1. Wade Young (Sherco - RSA) 3 laps, 2:10:52.04

2. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM - POL) 2:13:01.82

3. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna - GB) 2:13:08.63

4. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM - GER) 2:14:15.07

5. Nathan Watson (KTM - GB) 2:15:34.21

6. Josep Garcia (KTM - ESP) 2:17:54.59

7. Blake Gutzeit (Yamaha - RSA) 2:19:07.06

8. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna - GB) 2:19.37.07

9. Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna - ESP) 2:20:45.11

10. Paul Bolton (KTM - GB) 2:22:24.86

SIPES BAGS BIG BUCK

KENDA FULL GAS SPRINT ENDURO SERIES ROUND 7

UNION, SOUTH CAROLINA

SEPTEMBER 2-3, 2018

PHOTOS BY DARRIN CHAPMAN

After missing the previous round to be introduced as a member of Puerto Rico’s Motocross of Nations team during last month’s Unadilla National Motocross, Ryan Sipes returned to action in the Kenda Full Gas Sprint Enduro Series with an overall win over Labor Day weekend at the Big Buck Sprint Enduro in Union, South Carolina.

The Rockstar Energy/Leatt/Maxxis Husqvarna-backed Sipes won seven tests en route to his fifth overall victory of the season.

In addition to winning all six of the Cross tests, Sipes won the first Enduro test of the weekend, which is a rare feat for the Kentucky rider, who is more at home on the faster tests.

“The track was dusty at the start of the day on Saturday so I knew if I won the first Cross test it would make me the first rider out on the course for that first Enduro test, which gave me a big edge,” admitted Sipes.

After the fourth test a hard rainstorm moved in over the area, leaving the course wet and slippery for the remainder of the day.

Sipes went on to win Sunday’s event by 14 seconds over Tely Energy Racing’s Grant Baylor, with Coastal Racing Husqvarna’s Layne Michael, Tely Energy Racing’s Steward Baylor and Rockstar Energy

Husqvarna’s Josh Strang rounding out the top five in a close formation.

On Monday, Steward Baylor would get the win, followed by Michael, Grant Baylor, Sipes and SRT Racing Husqvarna’s Evan Smith, however the times were so close that Sipes still managed to take the overall win ahead of Grant.

“Overall, it was a good weekend,” said Sipes. “I was able to get in some time in the woods this week and I felt really good in the Enduro tests this weekend. Even in the Enduro tests I didn’t win, I was pretty close to the leader and I felt like I was riding better than I have in the past for the woods.”

Grant Baylor edged Layne Michael by two seconds to claim the overall runner-up position. Grant won one of the Enduro tests on Sunday, but it was his consistency that landed him in the second position on the podium. Grant finished in the top three in eight of the 12 tests.

“It was a good weekend and I felt like I was riding pretty good,” said Grant. “Everybody was so close all weekend so it just came down to who made mistakes in the mud.”

Layne Michael has upped his game in 2018, and the Big Buck marked the Husqvarna rider’s second overall podium in a row. The North Carolina rider finished third in Sunday’s results

and second in Monday’s results and managed to edge Steward Baylor for third overall by two seconds. Steward Baylor rode a 2019 KTM 450 SX for the first time at the Big Buck and managed to take four test wins, including all three Enduro tests on Sunday. The South Carolina rider threw on his 2018 suspension and said it took the first day of racing to get used to the setup.

“I threw on this year’s suspension and I didn’t have time to really set it up to the bike,” said Steward. “I was just too slow on Sunday. On Monday, I rode well, but I was just unprepared considering I was on the new bike and didn’t have any time on it.”

Steward re-took the points lead from Strang with his fourth overall finish.

“Overall, I’m happy with the weekend and I liked the way the 2019 feels, but I needed more time on the bike,” said Steward.

Evan Smith rounded out the top five on his SRT Racing Husqvarna. Smith was a minute off of Baylor’s total time and 30 seconds ahead of Beta USA’s Jordan Ashburn, who finished sixth.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Josh Strang had an off weekend

in seventh, while KR4 Husqvarna’s Liam Draper won the Pro2 class with an eight overall finish.

Craig DeLong brought his Coastal Racing Husqvarna home for ninth, while Braxton McGee finished second in the Pro2 class with a 10th overall.

AirGroup/Enduro Engineering Husqvarna’s Logan Lowrey was 11th overall and third in the Pr02 class.

KR4/Husqvarna’s Tayla Jones won the Women’s Pro division by nearly two minutes over Bonanza Plumbing/Trail Jesters KTM rider Mackenzie Tricker. Jones won every test except for one, and Tricker won that one.

Brooke Cosner finished third after recently switching to KTM. South Carolina’s Kendall LaFollette finished fourth.

Henry Symanski won the Lites A division over Zachary Davidson and Devin Byer. Meanwhile, Larry Silvia topped the 40A class ahead of Kenny Hawkins and Mark Loyd.

RESULTS

1. Ryan Sipes (Hsq)

2. Grant Baylor (KTM)

3. Layne Michael (Hsq)

4. Steward Baylor (KTM)

5. Evan Smith (Hsq)

6. Jordan Ashburn (Bet)

7. Josh Strang (Hsq)

8. Liam Draper (Hsq)

9. Craig DeLong (Hsq)

10. Braxton McGee (Hsq)

ALIEN AUTOPSY

LOGAN LOWREY’S HUSQVARNA TX300

LOGAN LOWREY AND JAKE FROMAN HAVE COMBINED TO MAKE A PRETTY POWERFUL 1-2 PUNCH FOR THE AIRGROUP/ENDURO ENGINEERING

HUSQVARNA TEAM IN 2018. THE HUSQVARNA TX300 THAT LOGAN AND JAKE RIDE ARE PRETTY POWERFUL, TOO, AND THEY UTILIZE A LOT OF THE COOL AFTERMARKET GOODIES OFFERED BY THEIR SPONSOR, ENDURO ENGINEERING. TEAM MECHANIC, MIKE ‘NAPPER’ NAPERALSKI, GAVE US A RUNDOWN OF LOGANS’ BIKE.

A

LOOK INSIDE THE FACTORY PADDOCKS

Logan likes the gripper seat. It’s something new that Enduro Engineering is coming out with. He’s actually been helping us out with where he likes the ribs. Of course we’re using Enduro Engineering hand guards, our staple product at Enduro Engineering.

We also switched the standard TX silencer to the TE silencer. The TE is a little bit longer. It takes a little bit of that bark out of the bike and makes it more trackable in the corners.

One of our sponsors is XC Gear, and they make handle bar mounts with a little bit lower cone. Logan runs them because he likes his bars a little bit lower. These actually give the bike an added suspension effect. If you hit that tree it takes that abrupt bang out of your bars.

He’s also running the EE brake pedal tip. It’s got two mounting positions. He and Jake are both different. Logan likes his back a little bit, where Jake likes his more forward.

FMF is another great sponsor, and we run the Gnarly pipe. Both riders like the gnarly pipe because it helps with the low end torque.

Another thing we use is the Enduro Engineering radiator braces and guards, which help in case you fall. The guards will help deflect a stick and keep it from going through the radiator.

Looking at the brakes, we use Braking solid rear rotors. We also make a little backing plate that fits next to the pads to help deflect the heat. So with the braking pads, the solid rear rotor and our heat plate, that really helps with the cooling of the brakes, so we don’t hear that squawking you hear with some of the other guys.

We also run Enduro Engineering rear brake hoses.

The clutch is a manual Rekluse. Of course their cover is a little bit sturdier for when they do tip over. Another key feature when we’re talking about the engine, we use the Boyesen rad valve. It really helps the lower end of the bike, the power out of the corners.

Another key item is the EE clutch cylinder guard.

Another thing that we do to protect the engine and the frame, we run the Enduro Engineering skid plate, and then of course we have our linkage guard that helps protect your linkage and it actually acts as a slide over those logs and that.

2018 US MOTOTRIALS

April 21-22 Roswell, New Mexico

April 28-29 Salida, Colorado

June 9-10 Sequatchie, Tennessee

June 16-17 Uniontown, Arkansas

Sept 1-2 Donner, California

2018 FIM TRIAL GP

May 19-20 Caprodon, Spain

June 1-3 Motegi, Japan

June 16-17 Sant Julia, Andorra

June 23-24 Gouveia, Portugal

July 14-15 Auron, France

July 21-22 Comblain-au-Pont, Belgium

Sept 1-2 Silsden, Great Britan

Sept 15-16 Arco di Trento, Italy

2018 TRIAL DES NATIONS

Sept 22-23 Sokolov, Czech Republic

2018 AMA NATIONAL ENDURO SERIES

Feb 4 Sumter, South Carolina

March 4 Forest Hill, Louisiana

April 15 Lynnville, Indiana

May 6 Arrington, Virginia

June 3 Greensboro, Georgia

July 22 Cross Fork, Pennsylvania

Aug 26 Chandlersville, Ohio

Sept 9 Marquette, Michigan

Sept 23 Matthews, Indiana

Nov 4 Stanton, Alabama

2018 WORLD SUPER ENDURO

Jan 6 Riesa, Germany

Feb 17 Malaga, Spain

March 3 Bilbao, Spain

March 31 Lidkowpin, Sweden

2018 FIM WORLD ENDURO CHAMPIONSHIP

March 17-18

Helsinki, Finland

April 29-30 Santiago, Spain

May 5-6 Castelo Bronco, Portugal

June 3-4 Tallin, Estonia

June 30 Arco di Trento, Italy

July TBA TBA, France

Sept 2-3 Edolo, Italy

Sept 23-24 ` Hawkstone Park, England

Oct 14-15 Woltersdorf, Germany

2018 FIM WORLD ENDURO SUPER SERIES

May 11-13

Portugal - Extreme XL Lagares

May 31 – June 3 Austria - Erzberg

June 8-10 France - Trefle Lozerien AMV

July 24-28 Romania - Red Bull Romaniacs

Sept (TBA) Poland - Red Bull 111 Megawatt

October 26-27 Sweden - Gotland Grand National

November 10 The Netherlands - Red Bull Knock Out

2018 INTERNATIONAL SIX DAYS ENDURO

November 12-17 Vina-del-Mar, Chile

2018 WORCS

Feb 2-4 Las Vegas, Nevada

Feb 22-25 Peoria, Arizona

March 23-25 Lake Havasu, Arizona

April 20-22 Hurricane, Utah

May 25-27 Cedar City, Utah

Sept 14-15 Devore, California

Oct 19-21 Adelanto, California

Nov 9-11 Primm, Nevada

2018 TRIALS INC.

April 7-8 Tippecanoe, Ohio

April 28-29 Garrettsville, Ohio

May 19-20 Sidell, Illinois

July 21-22 North Benton, Ohio

Aug 18-19 Toronto, Ohio

Sept 1-2 Newark, Ohio

Sept 15-16 Bloomington, Indiana

Sept 29-30 Bedford, Kentucky

Oct 13-14 Little Hocking, Ohio

Oct 27-28 S. Bloomingville, Ohio

Nov 10-11 Dayton, Ohio (Banquet)

2018 STRA TRIALS

Oct 13-14 Cornelia, Georgia

Oct 27-28 Sequatchie, Tennessee (58K)

Nov 10-11 Ringgold, Georgia

2018 RMTA

TRIALS

Sept 16 Valcano gultch

Sept 30 Pilot Peak South

Oct 14 Tucker’s Ranch

FLORIDA TRIALS ASSOCIATION

Oct 21 Croom, Brooksville, FL

Nov 18 Croom, Brooksville, FL

Dec 8 Promise Ranch, Webster, FL

Dec 30 Lazy Springs, Fort Myers, FL

Jan 13 Hardrock, Ocala, FL

Feb 10 Hardrock, Ocala, FL

Mar 9-10 Hardrock, Ocala, FL

Apr 6 Promise Ranch, Webster, FL