THE ULTIMATE ENDURO WEAPON. SERIOUSLY.
SHERCO 250ST Factory LOUISE FORSLEY
• Endurocross Racer
• 2020 Queen of The Motos
• 2020 AMA Extreme Off Road runner up
• X-Games Silver Medalist
• 6 Time US Trials Champion
The best Enduro riders in the world cross train with trial motorcycles.
Trial bikes develop better balance while fine tuning clutch and throttle control giving riders the edge they need to land on the podium. Trials motorcycles sharpen riding skills to a razors edge while being so much fun you won’t even realize you’re training.
Sherco offers 7 trial models with the high performance that you would expect from one of the top brands in trial motorcycles. Choose your weapon.
250 ST FACTORY
Trials Champion Louise Forsley’s Weapon of Choice
The Big Picture
RUBBER ON ROCK
GasGas factory rider Marquel Gelabert looks for every bit of traction he can get while attacking this rock obstacle at the final round of the FIM World TrialGP in Italy.
PHOTO COURTESY PEP SEGALES
The Big Picture
AND GAM LIGHT SHOW
Josh Strang trips the light fantastic at the Silver Hawk Full Gas Sprint Enduro at Randy Hawkins’ Silver Hawk Plantation in Buffalo, South Carolina.
PHOTO BY SHAN MOORE
The Big Picture
AND GAM
LOGISTICS
FMF/KTM’s Ben Kelley came from behind to claim a third-place finish at the Ironman GNCC in Indiana, his fourth podium finish in a row.
PHOTO BY SHAN MOORE
The Big Picture
BACK IN THE SADDLE
Thad DuVall is back in action after missing much of the year with an injury. The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna rider score a solid podium finish at the Muddobbers Enduro in his first race back.
PHOTOS BY SHAN MOORE
WEBB GETS KNARLY
AMA East Extreme Off-Road Champion
Cody Webb
KENDA KNARLY
ENGINEERED IN GREEN, OHIO
SUPERIOR TRACTION FOR EXTREME TERRAIN.
THE NEW TXT RACING 2020 model range accumulates years of evolution and experience with a careful balance of adjustments that have been giving shape and temper to the flagship bike – the TXT RACING 300. Offering a potent combination of linear power and massive torque on demand, the TXT RACING 300 delivers maximum performance as the clear choice of champions who are faced with the most demanding terrain.
Visit your authorized dealer to learn more.
SMAGE RIDING TECHNIQUE PAT
FOR THE NEXT YEAR, 11-TIME US MOTOTRIALS CHAMPION PAT SMAGE WILL BE BRINGING US MONTHLY RIDING TIPS DESIGNED TO MAKE YOU A BETTER RIDER. AND WHO DOESN’T WANT TO BE A BETTER RIDER? WHETHER YOU’RE A TRIALS RIDER OR AN OFFROAD ENTHUSIAST, WE’RE CERTAIN YOU’LL BENEFIT FROM PAT’S TIPS, SO SIT BACK AND TAKE IT ALL IN. BE SAFE AND DON’T FORGET TO PRACTICE WITH A BUDDY!
THE LOOP
News and Culture From The World Of Trials, Offroad and Extreme Racing
KTM ANNOUNCES 2021 KTM 350 XC-F KAILUB RUSSELL REPLICA
KTM North America, Inc. unveiled its latest special edition motorcycle at the recent Iroman GNCC with the first-ever 2021 KTM 350 XC-F KAILUB RUSSELL edition, a tribute to the eight-time GNCC National Champion. To celebrate his accomplishments and commemorate his final professional season in the AMA Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series, Russell was presented with his very own edition of the KTM 350 XC-F KAILUB RUSSELL.
The combination of fast, usable power and 250-esque handling means this machine is a fierce competitor in offroad competition. The KTM 350 XC-F KAILUB RUSSELL is as close as fans can get to the race machine of the FMF KTM Factory Racing Team star. Aside from the tuned engine featuring a Hinson clutch cover, the light, orange chassis and high-quality WP suspension, this special model offers a slew of details and technical highlights. From the FMF slip-on silencer to the larger tank, to the Factory parts such as orange-anodized triple clamps, Factory wheels, Selle Dalla Valle seat, semi-floating front disc and solid rear disc and front brake disc guard, the pure racing DNA is unmistakable in this championship-winning machine.
Delivering equal parts agility and power, the KTM 350 XC-F is the perfect base for the new KTM 350 XC-F KAILUB RUSSELL. Housed in a light Chromoly frame with exclusive orange powder coating, the engine is an engineering marvel. Featuring a compact and lightweight (60 lbs.) construction, this DOHC (double overhead camshaft) design boasts lightweight titanium valves and Diamond-like Coating (DLC) cam followers for lively power across the rev range. Enhanced by an FMF muffler, the KTM 350 XC-F KAILUB RUSSELL pumps out big power but remains as nimble as a smaller machine, making it the perfect middleweight monster. Keeping the engine turning out massive power lap after lap is the large capacity translucent fuel tank offering 2.64 gal. (10 L) of fuel, enough to keep the bike out on the track and ahead of the competition.
Factory triple clamps anodized in orange provide perfect clamping and precisely calculated stiffness and offset (20 or 22 mm of adjustable offset) to match the flex characteristics of the frame and fork, resulting in a front end that works in perfect harmony. The rubber damped handlebar fixation reduces vibration and allows for adjustment between two different mounting positions. An hour meter is fitted as standard on the upper triple clamp, keeping the rider informed of the number of hours spent tearing up the track and when the next service is due. Brembo brake callipers clamp down on a floating front disc and a solid rear disc. When you’re going fast, sometimes you need to slow down fast, and nothing brakes harder or faster than this offroad-specific setup.
The KTM 350 XC-F KAILUB RUSSELL will be available in North American KTM dealerships this fall. For more information and to view a complete list of authorized KTM dealerships, please visit www.ktm.com/us/. n
Email: info@motonation.com
Sidi’s boot for maximum protection and toughness is the redesigned Crossfire 3. The new ankle pivot system has hard stops to prevent ankle hyperextension. The new sole “boat” is more cupped and a thicker design to put your foot lower into the sole system. The burly protection items are replaceable, the buckles close smooth as butter, and from the removable foot arch to the external protection pieces these boots are adjustable and configurable for long wear and to adapt to your foot and leg whether you wear knee braces or pads.
The SR sole model allows you to swap the standard sole (now dovetailed and covering only the arch area of the sole) with the standard replacement or, better, the optional Enduro tread replacement for maximum traction when you need to push off the ground. n
CONGRATULATIONS
zACk HAyES
2020 GNCC XC3 CHAMPION
Sherco Number Plate/Odometer Mount
Company: Enduro Engineering
Price: $64.95
Contact: (517) 393-2421
Website: www.enduroeng.com
The Sherco Number Plate/Odometer Mount allows you to convert your Sherco to accept a Front number plate. Allows you to run the OEM Odometer along with a Front Number Plate. Kit includes, mounting bracket, Number Plate, Brake hose Guide and all hardware.
2021 VERTIGO BUSTO
JAIME BUSTO REPLICA
Vertigo Motors is announcing the new, Limited Edition, 2021 Vertigo-Jaime Busto Replica. Available in 250, 280 and 300cc this completely new Replica model has been created to celebrate the great achievements of the Spanish talent throughout the 2020 season. With a total of four podiums and an impressive third place in the overall standings, this is by far, the best results for Vertigo in the premier class since the green brand entered the World Championship.
JAIME BUSTO REPLICA 2021
In order to compete at the very highest level and achieve great results Jaime is very demanding on the level of performance his bike must give him. Jaime’s bikes are therefore set up and fine tuned to give him an extremely powerful, responsive and precision handling bike in order that he can extract the, maximum out of his machine every time he rides.
Jaime has spent endless hours working very closely together with both his race mechanics and our engineers at the Factory, intensively testing and refining the bike throughout the year. This has enabled us to build the most powerful, responsive and agile Vertigo to date.
This bike is a true race replica in every sense as all of Jaime’s own personal preferences in terms of suspension geometry, power delivery and map settings have been incorporated into this new model. As well as all of these personal settings the bike is loaded with a wealth of high-end racing components. The new black with gold details Tech Factory spec forks in combination with the multi adjustable 3-way Reiger rear shock provide extremely smooth and responsive feedback to the rider whilst also allowing any rider to further fine tune their suspension set up depending on their individual riding style.
The stainless-steel exhaust is engraved with Jaime’s personal logo and the silencer has a striking matt black finish which help set it aside from all other models in the Vertigo range. The airbox is again the new design carried over from the
R2 and 21 Works models which helps to greatly increase engine performance at higher revs. It is also much more rigid and slimmer than previous models giving the bike a leaner and more aggressive look. The two-position mapping switch incorporated into the airbox allows the rider to easily and instantly switch between Jaime’s two most versatile personal maps.
A new high compression cylinder head together with a carbonfiber admission tube, which does not flex and thus helps increase engine performance and which is also unique to this model, along with the Vertigo intercooler, all help to contribute to the extremely high performance of this model.
The Renthal bars, anodized in black on this model, have always been Jaime’s own personal choice of handle bar. These Renthal bars are clamped into the all new billet machined, ultra lightweight triple clamps which themselves are also finished in anodized black and are again unique to this new model.
Vertigo’s signature multi-tubular design frame has a stunning fluo-red finish
which contrasts nicely with the black anodized wheel rims, and matching fluored wheel hubs the bike is fitted with Vertigo’s own design alloy footrests together with 0.5cm lowered footrest supports for increased stability.
The carbon-fiber engine case guards, as well as protecting vulnerable parts of the engine, help to add to the factory look of this bike.
The new textured red, white, black and green graphics give a very youthful and aggressive look to the bike. Which is of course very fitting to Jaime’s personal character. You will also find Jaime’s own signature prominently displayed on the new airbox cover.
And to finish off and leave no one in doubt as to who’s replica bike this is, each Jaime Busto Replica bike will come with its own Limited Edition engraved metal plate and custom Busto work matt.
The Vertigo Factory will produce only 75 exclusive units for World Wide distribution.
Therefore, this model is a true Limited Edition bike, and as close as you can get to a full factory bike, which only a few lucky people World Wide will have the chance of owning.
Jaime Busto Replica - Key features
• Black Factory Tech forks with gold details Reiger 3 way adjustable rear shock
• Black Renthal handlebar
• Black billet alloy footpegs
• Carbon engine case protectors
• Red clutch and brake lever adjusters Intercooler in anodised black
• Black finish of the silencer Exhaust with engraved
• Busto logo New Vertigo racing triple clamps
• Carbonfibre induction tube
• Factory machined rear wheel rim
• Busto fluo-red frame and wheel hubs
• High compression
• Busto spec cylinder head (300cc model)
• Busto personal map settings
• Racing throttle body Busto custom workshop mat
• Limited edition 1/75
• Busto engraved metal plate
• Weight: 68kg
2021 HUSKY TE300i
MASTER THE TOUGHEST TERRAIN
Further expanding the 2021 TE and FE enduro line-up, Husqvarna Motorcycles is pleased to announce the arrival of the very first TE 300i and FE 350 Rockstar Edition models. Built in limited numbers with competition focused upgrades, each machine provides superior performance and reliability together with a true factory look.
Mirroring the motorcycles used by Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing, the TE 300i Rockstar Edition and FE 350 Rockstar Edition feature chromium molybdenum steel frames that are finished with a tough, premium black powder
coating. Further technical upgrades include a black seat cover with additional ribs for increased grip, a front disc protector, a durable rear chain guide and a Supersprox rear sprocket.
Guaranteeing class-leading power as well as ensuring low maintenance costs, the TE 300i Rockstar Edition provides trusted 2-stroke performance with its advanced 300 cc engine. With impressive torque, the electronic fuel injection system removes the need for both jetting changes and pre-mixing of fuel. Fitted with Michelin Enduro tyres the light and agile TE 300i Rockstar Edition is equipped to take on the toughest trails.
The FE 350 Rockstar Edition combines premium WP suspension and innovative electronics as standard. Paired with the compact 350 cc DOHC engine, capable of unleashing 450-rivalling power, the comfortable ergonomics and agile, 250-like handling ensure the perfect balance between weight and power. Giving riders the option of using traction control for improved control on slick terrain, the motorcycle is finished with Michelin’s proven Enduro tyres. Built from the wellproven FE 350, the FE 350 Rockstar Edition delivers true versatility and can master demanding terrain when in the hands of any rider.
Technical highlights TE 300i Rockstar Edition and FE 350 Rockstar Edition:
• Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing graphics
• Black powder coated frame
• Blue CNC machined triple clamps
• Black seat cover with additional ribs
• Front disc protector
• Blue Supersprox rear sprocket
• Blue chain guide
• Grey ODI grips
Providing comfort, protection and style, the Functional Offroad Apparel Collection ensures riders of all abilities are fully prepared for their next ride. A complete range of protective equipment that takes into account the unique challenges of offroad riding, all products deliver durability and present many innovative technical features.
The Husqvarna Motorcycles’ 2021 TE 300i and FE 350 Rockstar Edition models are available in select markets at authorised Husqvarna Motorcycles dealers. Availabilities differ from country to country. For all details on pricing and availability, please refer to your national Husqvarna Motorcycles subsidiary or importer.
2021 BETA RR RACE
PLUS NEW 200cc!
Beta USA is proud to announce their 2021 RR Race Edition models that now include the popular 200 model to the lineup! With a full eight model lineup, (4) two stroke and (4) four stroke models, Beta continues to offer riders more options along with a higher level of service to their customers.
Highlighting the Race Editions for 2021 is the introduction of the 200, while it is also offered as a standard model with oil injection, many emails direct from customers initiated a demand to build the model in a Race Edition as well. For 2021, Race Editions are available in 125, 200, 250, and 300 two-stroke and 350, 390, 430, and 480 four-stroke.
200 RR Race Edition
All Race Editions include the following features:
• Kayaba (KYB) AOS Closed Cartridge front forks with special internal valving developed by the Beta engineers specifically for off road conditions. The KYB fork is the only one of its kind in the USA with this special setting. Internal anodized components insure reduced friction and a confidence-inspired ride.
• Sachs rear shock that has continued development and has become one of the most liked shocks in the business of off road, not to mention the high durability. This shock has been refined for 2021 to match the KYB front fork settings perfectly.
• An all new expansion chamber on the 125 offers increased top-end power
• Machined black anodized triple clamps, similar to the standard models but with a race-inspired coating to make the bike stand out.
• Lighter weight over the standard RR models due to the removal of the oil injection system. The oil injection can be added as an accessory if the rider desires to run straight fuel. (Not available on the 125 RR Race Edition)
300 RR Race Edition
Other features include a front axle pull for quick tire changes, Moto-style handguards, Metzeler Six Days off-road tires, extra wide billet machined footpegs, dualmaterial rear sprocket for added chain life (outer ring is hardened steel), this along with added billet goodies, special race team graphics, and a race seat cover with an added pouch for your timecard.
“Four Stroke models available in 350, 390, 430, and 480 sizes”
AVAILABILITY
Late November/Early December
Log onto www.betausa.com for more information and to locate a dealer near you.
The perfect balance.
DOHC engine
Carbon composite subframe
Switchable engine maps
With its finely balanced mix of power and agility, the 2021 FE 350 opens up boundless off–road possibilities. A unique opportunity to traverse epic natural landscapes, intuitively merging speed, traction and technical abilities into the ultimate synergy of man, machine and terrain.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions in Spain, the 2021 Mecatecno Dragonfly production will be delayed until the first quarter of 2021. 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
“OUT
“OUT OF THE WOODS” KAILUB RUSSELL TALKS RETIREMENT AND HIS FUTURE
Kailub Russell has not spoken openly about future plans since announcing his retirement during the off-season. On The Pegs got a chance to talk to the eight-time GNCC champion at the recent Full Gas Sprint Enduro in South Carolina.
When did you actually make the decision to retire?
Honestly, I can’t really remember. It was a little bit before this time last year. I would say it was in September, October of last year. I had thought about it actually a couple years before back in ’17. I had a little bit of a rough patch there. I was kind of just over it. I know if I would have been doing it then it would have been for the wrong reasons. I rethought it and I went back to the drawing board. I got back into race mode and I got three more years out of it. I kind of had to reset and get back into race mode and just reevaluate everything. But it was still in the back of my head, even in ’17. Honestly, racing is not sustainable. I’m 30 years old. I had a unique opportunity to maybe create my own business and move in a direction still within the sport and help guys out. At the beginning of the year I was back in form and ready to go before all this COVID and everything happened and I was really on point. I was feeling good. I was actually healthy. I had been coming into the previous few years a little bit banged up and beat up. I had a knee surgery in ’15, then I ended up having my shoulder done in ’18. My shoulder was torn. Both of my shoulders have been torn up for several years. So I wasn’t actually ever really healthy. I was getting lucky to make it through these years. Like I said, I was back on form and healthy. If I could win my eighth, which now I did, I just felt it was the right move to do. I’ve got nothing left to prove. The only thing I’m going to gain from here on out if I keep continue winning I feel like is monetary gains, and it’s not sustainable for another five plus years. Really I just wanted to go out on top and say I was the best there was to do it. I didn’t want to race until I lost and then lose the nostalgia, in a way. I wanted to be more along the lines of what RC did. I grew up in that era where he dethroned Jeremy McGrath. Jeremy is a great guy, an awesome competitor and I was a huge fan. I still am, but once RC beat him and he kind of kept hanging around he lost that nostalgia in my mind. RC went out as the best to do it and nobody beat him. So I figured that was my best option. Like I said, I was planning on still staying within the sport. I’ve got my places. I was just in a good spot to do it. I’m content and I’m happy with where I am as a racer. Like I said, I can’t race at this level until I’m 60, 70 years old. I’ve had a really good run. There was nothing more to gain.
Different people race for different reasons. What did you get out of racing? What drove you to race?
It’s ever-evolving. It’s always changing. At first I was a racer because my dad did it and I wanted to be like my dad. I wanted to race a motorcycle. As a kid, you don’t understand about life and making a living and living on your own. You’re
just focused on dreams, in a way. So racing a motorcycle was always what I wanted to do, and that’s all I knew. I got a harsh reality check when I actually started to try make a living at it. Then I turned it around and got a couple XC2 wins. Offroad, it’s hard to make money. I was making pretty good money my second year in XC2 and then I signed my XC1 deal. It was a better salary, but it was going to be a lot harder to earn those bonuses, like a lot harder. So in theory I was going to make less money than I was when I was in XC2. I got third. I started up front my first year in XC2. I had a couple rough races there at the beginning. Then at Big Buck I started up front with Charlie and I battled him for the first hour and a half of the race. I remember he yarded me at the end of it with two and a half laps to go, and then Strang caught me and passed me and I got third. That was a huge turning point for me. I didn’t get beat because I was slower, I just got beat because I wasn’t as fit as those guys. After that point, I sort of made it my mission to never have that same feeling where I couldn’t hold on and battle with those guys. And it’s happened a few times since. There’s been races where I can’t hang on at the end. I knew that’s what separated winners from the rest of the pack. I knew right then and there I needed to make a change and take it a little bit more seriously. Luckily I was still young. That’s what changed it all. It was first getting fit. I knew I had the speed and I could run with those guys. I was just as fast, if not faster at the time, but I wasn’t as fit. Then I got fit and the next year I won a ton of races, almost won a championship. Just everything snowballed in the right direction for me. Definitely once you get a taste of winning and what it’s like, there’s nothing that can replace that feeling. It becomes an addiction, and that’s how I treated it in a way. It’s the racer mentality, at least my mentality, how I look at things. I’ve always figured out or found a way to be able to make it happen, no matter the circumstances or what’s going on around me. I can’t control anybody else. I can only control myself. So I’ve always just taken that into perspective and always made sure I was able to get the job done mentally and physically.
For all these years you’ve had this focus, this intensity. Are you going to be able to relax and just be a regular guy?
I’m still going to race a little bit next year. It’s going to be tough because it’s fresh. It’s going to be a few years before I even want to really ride or go to the race for fun, because for myself I know what I’m capable of and what I’m still going to be capable of and what I was able to do, and I’m not going to be able to do that. So, I’m not going to get the same gratification out of it. So. it’s not going to have the same meaning for me. If I can’t get that same gratification from riding a mo -
torcycle, I’m probably just not going to do it.
How much will you continue to train?
The good thing about what I’ve got going on is, the training part has never bothered me. Nowadays it’s the riding part and the structure of the riding and the intensity you got to ride with to practice and then take it to the races. Like I said, I’ve been a big creator of this progression of the sport of how people practice and get ready for these events. It’s just dangerous. It’s scary. That’s what I’m realizing. When I wake up, don’t get me wrong, I love racing a motorcycle and I love the feeling of winning, but when I get up and go cycling and go to ride, I don’t mind going cycling and going swimming. I can’t run anymore. My knees are jacked, my ankles. But the training part, going to the gym and training is good for me. It’s the riding to be honest with you. It’s knowing that you got to go practice with all intent of going just as fast as you’re going to race. And if you don’t do that, you’re not getting much out of it. I’m not in a place mentally where I want to do that anymore. So getting motivated to actually just do the riding part is where I’m lacking at the moment. At least for off-road I’m still going to race, but that killer instinct is slowly dwindling away and the motivation to hang it out there and stay at the top is what’s the hardest part to do, is the riding part.
Do you have any desire to do other things like Ryan Sipes is doing and ride a lot of different types of events?
No, not really.
Is there anything you have left to prove at Six Days?
Yeah. I would like to have won Six Days. I feel like I threw one away in ’15 when Ryan won and I blew my knee out. It’s a tough event. Those guys are a little bit more on point at certain places and the terrain is so varying. It’s funny. You can almost go anywhere in Europe and it’s going to be like California. It blows my mind. There’s so much desert-type terrain over there. It’s kind of off-the-wall. We went to Portugal and it was a lot like Southern California. It’s just tough for me because I don’t ride in that stuff and it’s hard to get comfortable in those conditions. I enjoy Six Days but it’s a tough event. I would like to win. I got another year to do it. I’m going to race ’21, going to Six Days in Italy. It’s more east coast type terrain. I know those Italian guys, there’s a lot of fast riders and they’re going to be really good too. That race there’s so much that can go wrong and there’s so much time on a bike. It would be a huge feat to do it. I’m not going to put too much stress on
winning it. It’s a team event, and racing is never a team sport in a sense. You got a team that helps you and surrounds you, but there’s no team aspect to it at all. Once you put that helmet on it’s every man for himself. There you got to take it in a little bit different consideration because everybody’s collective results is what matters. You can throw it away for the whole team if you mess up going for the win personally. Don’t get me wrong. I would love to win the race, win the event, but we’ll prepare when ready.
So Krue is racing now. What’s your philosophy? Are you going to be hands-off? How did your dad treat you?
No. He never really pushed me. He just kind of let me do my own thing. Honestly, you always want better for your kids. The most important thing is you always want everything for your kid and see them do well, but you got to let them be themselves. He loves riding and being around the bikes and stuff, but at this moment he’s not super hard core into the racing part of it. He’s having fun. He didn’t race the last race because he didn’t want to. Most parents will do anything for their kids except let them be themselves. I’m just going to let him be himself. If he wants to race, then we’ll do that. If he doesn’t, then oh well. It’s not the end of the world. I feel bad for him in a way because I feel like if he does go this direction that there’s going to be a lot of pressure to follow in my footsteps in some way. That’s not an easy task to take on, especially this day and age with how good everybody is getting, even from a young age. The kids are faster nowadays and the whole sport is progressing quite a lot.
Will you still be under contract with KTM and doing stuff for KTM?
I’m still a full-time racer next year. I’m retiring from GNCC. Then after ’21, I’ll be done with racing full-time as a professional. I’ve got nothing left to prove in GNCC and off-road. I’ve got some bucket list items that I want to do.
Since we are talking about retirement, do you have any thoughts of Ryan Dungey talking about coming back?
I don’t know Ryan super well. The year he retired I was contemplating doing the same thing. I feel like his wasn’t a thought-out decision. Maybe it was a little in the moment and not doing it for the right reasons, maybe. I haven’t talked to him about it. I can only have an opinion. Maybe it holds some truth to it or not. There’s nothing that replaces that feeling of winning and that feeling of competing at the highest level. I think if he wants to come back, I think it’s going to be
really tough obviously. I’m sure if he’s really interested in doing it somebody will give him a good bike and he’ll be on the best equipment and be able to do it and have a legit shot, but you step away for a couple years and those guys step it up each year. Maybe you don’t really realize it just watching, but you know as a rider when you get out there on the track and you start doing laps and you’re like, I know where I once was. You always have that in the back of your head and you’re not there, it doesn’t play in your favor. I know that feeling. He’s more than capable of going out there and winning and being a great competitor. But at the same level, it might be a tough ask. But he’s still definitely capable of winning races and fighting for podiums. But it’s all a mentality.
So he went out at the top of his game like you are. Are you afraid that in a couple of years you’re going to regret this and think, I got to get back in it?
I’m actually more excited about the stress being gone of having to uphold an image that is rather unrealistic. Like I said, I’m content. I’m happy with what I’ve been able to accomplish. There’s nothing left to prove. I can’t say I’m not going to wish I was out there, because at the end of the day I’m still more than capable of being out there and having good results and probably still be the favorite to go into the next season to win the championship, but you can’t look at it like that. I made my decision and I’m pretty set with what I’ve done. Maybe in the next couple years it might be tough, like “I can still do this,” or whatever. You’re going to have those thoughts, but at the end of the day it’s more relaxing to just be hanging out and not have the stress of having to be the guy. I’ve done it for so long. The fear of losing is greater than the joy of winning. That’s why I want to go out on top. There’s nothing left to prove. What’s two more championships? What’s one more championship going to mean? But if I lose, what’s that going to mean?
I know you love golf. Are you able to go and just relax and play it, or does that competitiveness take over there too?
In all honesty, I can’t do a sport without getting pissed off. It doesn’t matter if I’m having the greatest day of my life or having the greatest race of my life. I’m still going to come in and I’m going to bitch about that one thing that I did wrong. It never leaves your body. That’s why I’m probably not going to be able to ride for several years before I can actually get some sort of enjoyment out of it, because I’m always going to bitch about how I could have done this when I was in better shape or riding all the time. I do get enjoyment out of other aspects, but I feel like I’m getting the enjoyment out of it because of the competitiveness in me and not
the actual thing itself that it’s doing for me. I have a good game of golf. It’s okay, but it’s like once in a while I have a shit game and it’s just like having a bad race, in a way. I’m too deep into winning and being successful to relax and have fun at something. So hopefully in a few years I can get rid of this sort of mentality and realize let’s focus on other aspects of life. Winning is not everything anymore.
How have you progressed over the years when it comes to testing and is that something you might want to get into in the future?
Back in the day I wasn’t that good of a tester to tell you if my bike was good or bad. They threw a setting in there and I rode it. Nowadays I’m super finicky. A couple clicks this way or that way, I can tell major differences. Today we messed with my bike, the rebound, the high speed, the low speed on the shock and the forks. We made one-click changes all day for each test and I would come in and I could tell drastic changes just in that one click, nowadays. That’s another thing that it’s a benefit but it also is a curse in a way, for sure. Back in the day I would just go out and just ride the piss out of the thing and be like, whatever. It’s not supposed to do that. I don’t know what it’s supposed to do and not supposed to do. So now you’re hitting bumps and stuff and instead of just attacking the track and trying to go as fast as you can, you hit something and your bike goes up and it messes with you because you’re like, what is my bike doing? It shouldn’t do that. It should feel this way and not that way. So it plays mind games with you. Almost not knowing is a better plan of attack than knowing too much and being too finicky to subtle changes. It’s crazy how that works. Back in the day, you could have taken my forks and throw them as far up in the clamps as they could go and twisted the rebound all the way in and I wouldn’t have noticed a damn thing, but I was riding to the line a couple races ago and I didn’t realize my forks were like a millimeter higher than my practice bike was, and I get to the starting line and I was like, “Man, I think my bars are too far forward.” I couldn’t pinpoint it but I knew something was off. I could just feel it just riding to the starting line. So I got there and I rolled my bars back and it still felt like shit. I rode the whole race and I came back and I seen that instead of on the second line I was on the third line. I was like, no wonder I felt so bad for thirty, forty minutes because I was adjusted to it. It definitely is a curse. So there’s a fine line of being naive and not knowing and a good tester and knowing everything and being able to dictate. Definitely when you get going you can’t make changes in off-road. We don’t reset in thirty minutes. You got to deal with it. Like I said, off-road you got to be mentally tough to deal with your bike even when it’s junk. n
TONI EXPRESS
TONI BOU WRAPS UP WORLD TITLE IN ITALY
TONI BOU
Toni Bou (Repsol Honda) put the 2020 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship premier TrialGP crown beyond reach of his rivals to make it 14 consecutive titles following a dramatic opening day of the Italian TrialGP at Lazzate.
Heading into the boulder-strewn final round of the 2020 championship, defending champion Bou carried a comfortable 10-point lead over his fellow Spaniard Adam Raga (TRRS). If Bou was to record his fifth win of the season, Raga would need to finish fifth or higher to take the title fight into the final day.
The last time Raga finished outside the top-five was in 2012 so the odds were stacked in favor of the championship going down to the wire. However, Raga looked unsettled for most of Day One and eventually came home a distant seventh – his lowest-placed finish since 2003 – so despite winning twice this season it was game over for another year for him.
DAY ONE
Bou was in control from the get-go on a challenging opening lap. Rain last week meant that the ground was initially quite soft and the imposing rocks were made even harder when mud was dragged onto them, meaning grip was hard to find.
Bou’s first-lap total of 21 gave him an early five-mark lead over compatriot Jaime Busto (Vertigo) with Raga third on 28 before, as
JAIME BUSTO
we’ve seen so many times before, the greatest rider in the history of Trial simply moved up a gear. With conditions rapidly drying out, his second-lap total of just seven extended his advantage over Busto to 13 before he signed off with a final-lap score of nine.
“I didn’t expect to win the championship today,” said Bou. “It was a strange day because Adam made many mistakes and after the second lap I saw that it was a good opportunity to take the championship. It’s been a strange year but to win the title again makes it very special for me.”
Bou’s final winning score of 39 was 22 marks clear of Jorge Casales (Gas Gas) who overhauled Busto with a superstrong final lap of just 11. Busto ended the day a further five marks adrift in third with evergreen Japanese contender Takahisa Fujinami (Repsol Honda) matching his best finish of the season with a close-fought fourth from Jeroni Fajardo (Sherco).
The closest battle this year has come in the FIM TrialE Cup where defending champion Albert Cabestany (Gas Gas) started the season as favourite before being beaten into second on both days at the French TrialGP by local hero Gael Chatagno (Electric Motion).
It was too close to call heading into Lazzate – Chatagno’s day-two win in
France was on a tie-break – but the veteran Spaniard, who at 40 is 16 years older than his French rival, used his wealth of experience to run out a clear winner by 18 marks.
“It was a good day for me,” said Cabestany. “I rode quite consistently during the whole day with just a few small mistakes because the conditions were quite slippery on the first lap. I needed the victory today if I wanted to have a chance of winning the championship.”
DAY TWO
In the premier TrialGP class, the now 14time champion Toni Bou (Repsol Honda) signed off on top with a clear-cut win. Fresh from securing a record-breaking 14th consecutive crown on Saturday, Bou clearly meant business from the get-go on Day Two. With conditions treacherous on lap one as mud was dragged onto the imposing rocks, he completed his first circuit for the loss of 11 to open up a nine-mark advantage ahead of Adam Raga (TRRS).
Parting with seven marks on lap two and just two on lap three, Bou’s final score of 20 put him a commanding 35 marks clear of second-placed Jeroni Fajardo (Sherco) with Jorge Casales (Gas Gas) taking third a further six off the pace after coming out on top of a three-way tie-break.
“It’s been a solid weekend and I’ve enjoyed today a lot,” said Bou. “On the second and third laps I rode my best. I’m very happy to
JAMES DABILL
have won both days and the title and I will enjoy this moment.”
In the FIM TrialE Cup division, Cabestany completed a sensational comeback to retain the FIM TrialE Cup on a tie-break on the last day of competition at the Italian TrialGP, the fourth and final round of the 2020 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship, at Lazzate.
Trailing Gael Chatagno (Electric Motion) by six points heading into Italy after twice finishing second behind him at the opening round in France at the start of September, 40-year-old Cabestany backed up his win yesterday with another victory today. The result left the pair tied on 74 points with Cabestany retaining the title by virtue of his better result on the final day of competition.
It was always going to be a two-horse race between Cabestany and Chatagno and the Spaniard took control on an opening lap made difficult by a brief spell of overnight rain that left the sections super-slick.
His total of five marks lost on lap one was half that incurred by the 24-yearold Frenchman and a clean second lap helped him to extend his advantage to 10. Both riders went clean on their third laps but the damage had already been done and the FIM TrialE Cup was heading home with Cabestany.
“It is fantastic,” said Cabestany. “It is an
TAkAHISA FUJINAMI
amazing end to quite a strange season. We didn’t start out the way we wanted to and Gael has been a very, very tough competitor but the team has made improvements to the bike, we’ve practised hard and we are all so, so happy.”
RESULTS
DAY ONE
1. TONI BOU 39
2. JORGE CASALES 61
3. JAIME BUSTO 66
4. TAKAHISA FUJINAMI 70
5. JERONI FAJARDO 73
6. GABRIEL MARCELLI 73
7. ADAM RAGA 75
8. MIQUEL GELABERT 79
9. JAMES DABILL 80
10. DAN PEASE 125
DAY TWO
1. TONI BOU 20
2. JERONI FAJARDO 55
3. JORGE CASALES 61
4. GABRIEL MARCELLI 61
5. MIQUEL GELABERT 61
6. ADAM RAGA 63
7. JAIME BUSTO 63
8. TAKAHISA FUJINAMI 78
9. JAMES DABILL 88
10. DAN PEACE 136
MARQUEL GELABERT
TRIAL 2 RIDER SONDRE HAGA
TRIAL 2 RIDER
JAMBRINA SUAREz
PHOTOS By PEP SEGALES
TONI BOU
The most successful rider in the history of off-road motorcycle sport, sublime Spaniard Toni Bou (Repsol Honda) has a habit of breaking records – starting in 2014 when he took his eighth FIM TrialGP title to eclipse the total of seven apiece shared by Trial legends Jordi Tarres and Dougie Lampkin.
He’s since bumped that total up to a fabulous 13 consecutive crowns and these, combined with his 14 FIM X-Trial titles, make him a 27-time World Champion with an incredible 116 TrialGP wins to his name.
On the eve of this coming weekend’s Italian TrialGP where – with a 10-point lead in the championship table – he starts favourite to win an unparalleled 14th TrialGP title, we caught up with the 33-year-old titan of Trial…
TrialGP: Toni, how has COVID-19 affected your preparation for the 2020 TrialGP championship?
Toni Bou: “It has affected me as it has everyone else. Being unable to train for three months, for an athlete, is not good at all. Even so, we’ve tried to keep in shape so that we’re ready for the return.”
TrialGP: You started off with a clear win on day one in France but struggled with
an arm injury on day two. What happened, when did it happen and how is it now?
Toni Bou: “The first day my arm started to hurt and on Sunday it got worse. I suffered a lot but I still managed to finish on the podium. According to the specialist, it comes from an old injury from 2016 when I injured my shoulder. I trust that the rest [after Andorra] went well and that I can perform almost 100 per cent in Italy.”
TrialGP: Until day two in France you had not been beaten since June 2018. How disappointing was it to finish third? We know all great champions hate to lose…
Toni Bou: “It is true that I do not like to lose but I would say that disappointing is not the exact word, especially because of the condition that I was in. I was worried because I was physically unable to ride as I wanted to. I had no strength in my arms, I couldn’t control the bike. Finishing on the podium was already a feat.”
TrialGP: You lead Adam by 10 points heading into the Italian TrialGP – will you still ride to win or are you tempted to play it safe and think of the championship?
Toni Bou: “Whenever I ride, I do it to win. As we all do. I don’t think that any driver, with a chance of winning, doesn’t do it. In some cases playing it safe is not always the best option.”
TrialGP: You are very active on social media and on your videos always look to be having great fun – is enjoying Trial the main reason for your incredible run of titles?
Toni Bou: “You could say that. I like to have fun and enjoy myself with the bike, with friends.” n
MIDWEST MASSACRE
BAyLOR BOyS DOMINATE MUDDOBBERS
SHERCO’S GRANT BAyLOR
MASSACRE
MUDDOBBERS NATIONAL ENDURO
MUDDOBBERS ENDURO
2020 kENDA AMA NATIONAL ENDURO SERIES ROUND 7 MATTHEWS, INDIANA OCTOBER 4, 2020
The Baylor brothers, Grant and Steward, dominated this weekend’s Muddobbers National Enduro in Matthews, Indiana, accounting for all six test wins, with FactoryONE Sherco’s Grant Baylor winning the first four tests, while Steward topped the final two tests on his Am Pro Yamaha.
After six tests and over 60 miles of racing, Grant took the overall win by 41.834 seconds ahead of Steward, as the brothers landed on the podium together for the third time in 2020.
Grant came into the race tied with FMF/ KTM’s Josh Toth in the series standings, however, with the win, the South Carolina rider moved into sole possession of first place in the standings with just two rounds remaining.
“I had a good bit of confidence coming into this race just because in the past I’ve always done really well here, so I think that helped out,” said Grant. “I kind of built a gap in the first test, twenty-something seconds; and after that I kind of just tried to manage the race and put in good tests. Steward was right there nipping on my heels all day and I think we were within the same second in a couple tests, just super close, but it was that first couple tests that made the difference early on.”
Steward, a four-time National Enduro Champion, came on strong at the finish but it was just too late to catch little brother.
“Grant has always been strong here,” said Steward. “I think I’ve only won this race one time in ten years. It’s one of my favorite tracks but I just can’t seem to put it together. But hats off to him. He rode flawless all day. It was everything I had in that last test. I was like, I definitely crushed him, but then we came in like two tenths apart. I got the edge on him in the last two, but it was absolutely everything I could. It was a good day for points. It’s putting me back closer to where I want to be.”
Thad DuVall made his return to racing after sitting out the past seven months due to injury, and the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna rider surprised himself and others with a solid third-place finish.
“I was still pretty timid with my knee and still don’t have a lot of time on the bike,” said DuVall. “I just started out the day with a fourth in the first test and just kind of got better as the day went on. I Just got more comfortable on the bike as the day progressed. I’m super excited to be back. I don’t think I’ve been that nervous for a race in a couple years. I felt like I was going to puke before I even started. So, to have that jitters again, it’s fun. I really enjoy it.”
After winning the previous round in Missouri, XC Gear/ Enduro Engineering/ Husqvarna’s Ryder Lafferty followed up with a fourth in Indiana.
“I just I couldn’t stay off the ground,” said Lafferty. “I had a couple mistakes that
kind of got in my way and I feel like I kind of let third place get away, and that kind of hurt me for the overall result. All in all, it was solid. All those guys in front of me are experienced and solid so I’m happy with it. Not over the moon, but I’ll take it and move onto the next one.”
Ben Kelley had a solid ride going, but crashes in tests five and six kept him out of the top four.
“I felt good in the fourth test, but then the fifth and sixth I had a few problems just trying to get the flow and then I had three crashes between those two tests,” said Kelley. “Overall, I felt like I rode pretty good and ended up fifth for the day.”
FMF/KTM teammate Josh Toth came into the race a bit banged up after he broke his ring finger in a nasty crash at the previous round in Missouri. Toth had surgery on the finger just 12 days before the Indiana race, and, naturally, was not in top form for the race. A few big get-offs in the first, second, and third tests, complicated matters, however, Toth managed to fight his way to P6.
“I got a plate put in my finger and I think seven or eight screws to hold it all together after the Missouri race,” said Toth. “The swelling just went down the last couple days and fortunately I was able to make a homemade splint to hold it together and it really helped out today. But as expected, it was sore going into the race. It just really limited me and I was kind of uncomfortable on the bike at first, but hon-
CRAIG DELONG
THORN DEVLIN
estly halfway through the tests I started feeling a little bit better. The adrenaline starts going and I didn’t feel it too bad. But the moment that I went through that finish check, the transfer, I could have cried, just the bumps riding back. I just kind of salvaged what I could and rode and did the best I can and adapted to hanging on.”
Always spectacular, Beta USA’s Thorn Devlin finished just 10 seconds behind Toth for seventh, after grabbing a solid fourth in the final test of the day.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Craig DeLong was eighth overall and first in the NE Pro 2 class, finishing over a minute ahead of NE Pro2 runner-up Cody Barnes, who was ninth overall on a Beta sponsored by Beta USA.
“Not too many mistakes,” said DeLong. “I just tried to keep it on two wheels. It was super slick in the morning with the rain and everything and that made things hectic. It seemed like I caught five or six riders at a time, so it was tough to get around them and try to make sure I wasn’t losing time to Cody. No mistakes, no crashes. I just kept it on two wheels and happy to get another win.”
KTM-mounted Mike McGinnis claimed his second podium of the season with third in the NE Pro2 class and 10th overall.
Enduro Engineering/ Mepmx/Fly/Grizzly Peak/Traveler’s Rest Speedway/KTM’s Mackenzie Tricker wrapped up the Women’s Elite title with a win in the class.
Tricker won four of the six tests and finished three minutes ahead of FactoryONE Sherco’s Brooke Cosner.
“This year has kind of evolved around my knee,” said Tricker. “It’s been messing up and hindering me a little bit, so this weekend I was a little nervous. I knew it was not going to be too hard, but I have my surgery booked in two weeks and if I didn’t wrap up the title today it would have put my surgery off another month. So, it’s great to get it done again. Obviously the second time is always harder. I’ve been trying my hardest at every race. A lot of things sometimes at some of the races didn’t always go my way, but I’m glad to get it done again.”
Cosner was extremely pleased with second.
“I was dreading the beginning of the race with the rain and the cold - I was literally hating life,” said Cosner. “But I managed to get a win in test three and the last test and second for the day, so not too bad.”
Tayler Bonecutter turned in a stellar performance for third.
Tanner Whipple took the AA win ahead of fellow KTM riders Will Sievenpiper and Sam Forrester. This has been an extremely competitive division. Meanwhile, Eric Douglass (KTM) took another win in the Open A class, beating Bradyn Mohr (KTM) and Jhadyn Walker (Yam).
OVERALL RESULTS
1. Grant Baylor (Shr)
2. Steward Baylor (Yam)
3. Thad DuVall (Hsq)
4. Ryder Lafferty (Hsq)
5. Ben Kelley (KTM)
6. Josh Toth (KTM)
7. Thorn Devlin (Bet)
8. Craig DeLong (Hsq)
9. Cody Barnes (Bet)
10. Mike McGinnis (KTM)
BEN kELLEy
AROUND THE PITS MUDDOBERS ENDURO
CRAIG DELONG’S ROCkSTAR ENERGy HUSQVARNA FACTORy MECHANIC ANDREW BAUER MAkES FINAL PREPARATIONS ON CRAIG’S BIkE BEFORE THE RACE.
VETERAN MECHANIC CHARLES MARCHANT PREPS JOSH TOTHS’ FMF/kTM FACTORy BIkE ON SATURDAy BEFORE THE MUDDOBER’S RACE.
ERIC SIRATIN FLASHES A BIG SMILE AS HE PREPS GRANT BAyLOR’S SHERCO FOR SUNDAy’S RACE.
GRANT BAyLOR IS ALWAyS SMILING AND ALWAyS HAS TIME TO TALk TO HIS FANS..
MUDDOBBERS ENDURO GALLERy
IF yOU FIND yOUR PHOTO DOWNLOAD IT AND USE IT
ELECTRIC MOTION REVIEW FROM THE
HERE’S a bit of a teaser question for you: What has almost three times the torque of the Triumph Rocket 3 and weighs about the same as both of the Triumph’s wheels combined?
Welcome to the world of the Electric Motion (or EM for short) EPure range of trials bikes, and the 600Nm or 442lb-ft of torque they can produce.
An intro to the Electric Motion EPure
Before heading out into the wilds of the stunning, and thankfully sunny, Lancashire countryside, we’re sent to the lower part of the valley for a bit of trials riding CBT. A few markers are set out and figure of eights are ridden – just to make sure I’m not as shit as I look. First impressions of the bike are that it’s actually all very similar to a conventional petrol-powered trials bike. The EPure Sport and Race models come equipped with a proper hydraulic clutch. It’s there to make some of the more advanced riding maneuvers a little easier to tackle.
TRIALS
With my low level of trials riding ability, I didn’t really touch the thing, although the psychological placebo of having it their pandered to the fossil fuel-loving part of my brain. As with any electric bike, the torque and power delivery from the motor is perfectly linear and almost fools you into thinking you’re better than you are.
But that monstrous torque figure is never far away, and while for the most part, the bike is only as quick as you ask it to be, an unwitting moment of over-exuberance did see me whisky-throttling my way into the scenery. Lesson learned – don’t mess around with electricity kids.
After writing some lines on my mental blackboard, we were moving away from the CBT part of the day, heading for some climbs and ditch crossings that felt much more like a proper trials ride.
One of the biggest benefits of having all that torque behind you is that the EPure doesn’t bog down, hit flat spots or stall if a climb is too steep. It just digs in and drives forwards, regardless of what is in front of it. Another benefit – and there are many for us to get through – is that for a relative novice on the scene, I’m not worried about being in the correct gear. With a single-speed transmission, the EM is always in the right gear. It also never stalls. Oh, and best of all, you don’t spend all day kicking the thing over to get it going after you’ve dropped it, which is great for me. I fall off a lot.
Joking aside, there is one proper scientific reason that makes electric bikes in slippery mud a better option than petrol. An electric motor doesn’t produce its power in perceivable pulses like a two or four-stroke engine does. Each pulse of power from a petrol engine is an opportunity for the tyre to lose traction. Once lost, that traction is hard to grab hold of again, and whichever way you fix it, anything done is killing your momentum. The smooth delivery of an electric bike allows the rear tyre to dig in and hold onto the traction. While I’m not saying that the EM can make climbs a petrol-powered bike could not, in my inexperienced hands, climbs were more controllable and I felt much more confident.
With the morning’s riding being mostly about feeling out the bike and learning how it rides,, the afternoon was firmly about putting my new-found ‘knowledge’ into practice. We leave the Lancashire lowlands and head to the top of the beautiful Ribble Valley. Sadly, there’s no time to take in the views as we are thrown into the toughest challenge of the day so far.
Stream riding is part and parcel of any trial competition. And we weren’t escaping it as we were pointed up a steep, fully flowing, rock and moss filled stream. We’d already completed on stream climb just after lunch, but this one looked more authentically natural. And my ribs were scared.
After watching our instructor heading from top to bottom with all the balletic accuracy of a muddy missile, it dawns on me just how steep it is. At about 35 metres long and rising around 7 metres, Google tells me it’s around a 3% gradient. I’ve struggled to walk up lesser inclines.
My first crack sees me getting 10 metres in. I come to a stop after making the fatal error of looking down from the top of the stream to a large rock on the lefthand side of it. Despite the rock being away from the line I was riding, like a drunk homing pigeon flying into a shop window, I looked at it, therefore I crashed into it. Ribs intact, I line back up for another go, determined to get to the top.
Given that the last run was curtailed due to not looking at the goal, I decided the only thing to do is gun it and stare at the exit point of the stream like it just pinched my wife’s bum. And it worked. Well, almost. I make it about two feet from the exit of the stream, before coming to a stop after getting the front and rear wheels stuck in different ruts. I’m calling that a win.
After a day on the Electric Motion EPure Sport, I’m completely sold on the idea of electric power in this setting. The benefits of electric power in this setting makes so much more sense than anywhere else.
I’ve toyed with buying a trial bike before, although had only looked at £1,000 shitters that will probably cost another grand to get running right. If I were serious about this type of riding, owned some land myself, or had the cash to drop on a new bike, I would definitely consider buying one. Electric bikes and the great outdoors make so much sense.
Why the Electric Motion EPure might be the most practical choice of all the impractical motorcycles
By nature of their design, a trials bike is about as impractical as it comes. Even a MotoGP machine has more range and weather protection! But the thing is, trials bikes don’t need any such luxuries. They need the bare minimum required by law to make them legal on the road. They also don’t really need to go very far, as ten miles on some challenging terrain on a trials bike will feel like 50 miles on a road bike. They also don’t need to be fast, a top speed of 50mph is more than adequate.
So, in this world of short journeys, at low-speed and over challenging terrain, the little Electric Motion has given petrol power a seriously bloody nose. And we’ve not even got going yet.
The EPure range of electric trials bikes are about as basic to service as a high-end mountain bike. Give it a jet-wash, lube the chain, bleed the brakes and away you go. No engine rebuilds. No oil changes. No plug changes. No air filter changes. No
fuel. Nothing. Think about owning a two-stroke Beta for three years. Now think about all the consumables you’ll need along the way to keep the thing running in top condition. Getting expensive, isn’t it? On the flip side, the EM has a range of around 50km, costs less than a quid to recharge, and can be refilled with electrons in just over three hours.
The Electric Motion EPure is soon available in the USA. First container is on the water now, while the 2nd container is in production now! n
USA DEALERS
Dirt Riders
West Mike Carlton
Lewisport USA Adrian & Mandy Lewis
Balance Trials Supply Bill Haskell
Trial Store USA
Aloha Trials
Hawaii Rides
Jack’s Cycles
Mossy Rock Trials
602.370.7546 AZ, Phoenix
209.785.6878 CA, Copperopolis
720.207.7715 CO, Arvada
Alex Niederer 941.404.0757 FL, Bradenton
Clayton Oshita 808.822.2706 HI, Kapaa
Sam Bird 808.621.6686 HI, Wahiawa
Stuart Preston 207.337.1274 ME, South Berwick
Dan Larson 406.930.0227 MT, Big Timber
Competition Wheels James McKenzie 704.906.3238 NC, Concord
HVC cycle
Moto Works USA
Moto Works USA
Brad Obidowski
NE, Lincoln
Carl Madsen 505.210.4248 NM, Albuquerque
Peter McCurdy 602.446.8070 NM, Santa Fe
Miller Ranch Trials Aaron & Andy Miller
Adroit Engineering Jon Rentschler
Gran Prix Cycle
Gary & Robyn Byers
NY, Corning
OH, Chardon
OR, Albany
RUSSELL WINS SILVER HAW
2020 kENDA FULL GAS SPRINT ENDURO SERIES
BUFFALO, SOUTH CAROLINA
OCTOBER 17-18, 2020
ROUNDS 6
HAWk GNCC
LAyNE MICHAEL
FMF/KTM’s Kailub Russell claimed the 2020 Kenda Full Gas Sprint Enduro title with a close victory at this weekend’s Silver Hawk Plantation Sprint Enduro, the series finale, held at the Silver Hawk Plantation in Buffalo, South Carolina. The title was Russell’s third such championship and second in a row.
Am Pro Yamaha’s Layne Michael gave Russell a good battle, and in fact, led the race by two seconds with two tests remaining. However, as he often does, Russell dug deep and made up the distance to take the overall win.
“It was good to get the overall win, but it was kind of strange how it worked out,” said Russell. “I won one test on Saturday and I won the day, and then I won all but one today and almost lost. It was a tough weekend. I was a little unsure how Saturday was going to go because I was a little bit off and you don’t have to be off by much to be pretty slow here. But I rode better on Sunday, and that was enough.”
In all, Russell won six tests, one on Saturday and five on Sunday. However, two crashes in test four on Sunday cost him dearly as the North Carolina rider finished the test 12 seconds behind Michael, moving Michael rider into the lead.
Trailing Michael with two tests remaining, Russell made up 1.2 seconds in the Cross test and enter the final test just .8 second behind. The final test would be the decider
JOSH STRANG
and Russell finished strong, winning the final test by 3.3 seconds and taking the overall victory by 2.4 seconds.
“I came out swinging today and rode good,” said Russell. “I had awesome times the first three tests and then test four I kind of threw it away and had a couple falls. My front brake lever fell down and I couldn’t get it back up. It was so far down I was having a hard time getting to it, so my timing was a little bit off. But I was able to pull it together and win the last couple tests. So five out of six on the day.”
Although Michael won five tests over the weekend, the race marked the second round in a row where he was in position to take the overall win, only to lose out in the final test.
“It’s frustrating because he got me at the last one in the last test and got me on this one in the last test,” said Michael. “But it was a good weekend, nonetheless. I fought hard. I was there all weekend and pretty consistent. One little mistake kind of cost me, but like I said, he had a big one that kind of put me back in it. All in all, a good weekend. Any time you’re batting with Kailub it’s good.”
Team Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/ Kawasaki Team Green’s Josh Strang won a Cross test and was rewarded with third overall. The Aussie off-roader only returned to racing the week before after missing several weeks due to a shoulder injury.
“I was a little off the pace,” said Strang. “I
almost didn’t come this weekend just because of my shoulder. I still have a little bit of pain. To do these things, you have to go at 100% to be competitive, and I just wasn’t comfortable going as hard as I would have liked. There were some sections where I noticed I was just kind of riding around instead of attacking the track. But overall, it was a good day.”
Strang’s Team Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green teammate Lyndon Snodgrass has improved with each race and finished an impressive fourth overall, which was also good enough for first in the Pro 2 division.
“I haven’t done a Full Gas in a while so it was good to get back to one,” said Snodgrass. “I had a good run. I think I won every test but the first one on Saturday in my class. So it was a good run for me. I was mixing it up with the pro guys a little bit in some of the tests, so that was cool. I think they did a good job this weekend and I was happy to be here.”
Tely Energy Racing KTM’s Liam Draper was fourth in the Pro class and fifth overall.
“On Saturday I started off kind of slow, but I figured out the Cross test a lot better this weekend than I have in previous rounds,” said Draper. “It was close racing all weekend with me, Jordan Ashburn and Josh. Then Jordan had some problems. So, it was good. It was a good year. I had fun racing these.”
BEN NELkO
LIAM DRAPER
Trail Jesters Racing KTM’s Jesse Ansley turned in his best finish of the year with a sixth overall and second in the Pro 2 class. The Florida rider has made big strides this year and his finish at the series finale was a good way to cap off the season.
“I feel like I was really tight on Day One,” said Ansley. “I wasn’t on the bike all week and I think it showed on Saturday. I felt like I really shined in the woods test and I was sitting fifth overall going into the last Enduro test and then I just made a dumb mistake, which dropped me back to seventh overall for the day. I don’t know what I was thinking, I just went for a line that wasn’t there and ended up getting stuck between two trees and it must have cost me about 10 seconds.
I gave up a little time on Saturday in the Cross test, so on Sunday, I just concentrated on that test and was able to pick up some time, which put me up into sixth overall and second in the Pro 2 class.”
Pennsylvanian Ben Nelko has been solid all year and finished seventh overall and third in the Pro 2 class this weekend. Nelko is backed by 760 Husqvarna.
Cole Mattison was the top-finishing Pro Am rider in eighth overall on a Husqvarna, while Ohio’s JoJo Cunningham topped the Lites A division with a solid ninth overall finish.
Dalton Seals was 10th overall on a Yamaha and second Pro Am rider.
JESSE ANSLEy
Trail Jesters Racing KTM’s Johnny Girroir, who wrapped up the Pro 2 championship at the round before, skipped the race due to a sore knee. Meanwhile, Team Babbitt’s Online/Monster Energy/Kawasaki Team Green Jordan Ashburn was turning in some solid rides in the Pro class, but suffered an unfortunate DNF on Sunday.
Am Pro Yamaha’s Rachel Archer won every test in the Women’s Pro class to take the overall win ahead of Samantha Fisher and Alli Phillips.
“Tayla (Jones) and Kenzie (Tricker) were out with knee injuries, so I didn’t have those two to contend with,” said Archer. “All in all, it was a good weekend and I managed to win every test. I made a couple of silly mistakes today, just my suspension was a bit soft. In the last test I wadded my shoulder pretty good, so that’s a bit sore. But other than that, it was a fun track, good day.”
OVERALL RESULTS
1. Kailub Russell (KTM)
2. Layne Michael (Yam)
3. Josh Strang (Kaw)
4. Lyndon Snodgrass (Kaw)
5. Liam Draper (KTM)
6. Jesse Ansley (KTM)
7. Ben Nelko (Hsq)
8. Cole Mattison (Hsq)
9. JoJo Cunningham (Kaw)
10. Dalton Seals (Yam)
GOOD OLD TIMES BLOG ON ANY SUNDAY SOUL
BY KENNETH OLAUSSON PHOTOS: HUSqvARNA
The movie “On Any Sunday” is carefree. It is a motorcycle documentary, but mostly contains dramatic scenes. Shadows of the Devil make appearances when actors do wheelies as easy as any of us eat breakfast. Divine Husqvarna ambassadors like Steve McQueen and Malcolm Smith show ambition that go along with a free spirit. The 17th Century Husqvarna ancestors would rise from their graves if they’d seen these extraordinary blood-pumping stunts. It was the beginning of a brand with its own soul, taking success to new heights in this spectacular game. “On Any Sunday” by Bruce Brown was a superhit both among professionals, motorcyclists and wannabes. Bruce was credited for getting a lot of attention from common bike riding to motorcycle track and desert racing. A lot of fresh enthusiasm came into motorcycles and this wonderful movie helped seduce new two-wheel fans. When this movie was produced, the film makers not only wanted to show the sunny side of
motorcycling, but also had the ambition to include the free spirit that accompanies riding. Besides fame, some of the scenes show riders without helmets and without any protection gear - almost impossible to screen nowadays with safety hanging around every corner. The hippies in the movie all have it in common that they like motorcycles. They show the audience that riding is fun and doesn’t have to be dangerous if you go at your own pace. Then, of course, there are monumental scenes when you wonder if this performance is possible on a bike.
RRRRRRrrrrrr … toiling the two-stroke sound, distinctive as a birdsong. This extraordinary blast of a roaring engines vibrates through the desert air as McQueen and gang set off and disappear into the horizon. The famous movie actor Steve with his steel-blue eyes is one of the major stars in the film “On Any Sunday” and he plays an adrenalin-flowing role in this film. McQueen is showing off on his Husqvarna. The film actor proved to be one hell of a racer, sky-dancing in the air on his favourite machine. American Malcolm Smith - a true Husqvarna-mounted master of his unique kind – is another star. The spontaneous Malcolm isn’t only a nice guy,
but also devoted his life to riding - a hobby that turned out to be a profession. Being also a businessman, he made himself a career that became lucrative not only to the watching public, but also to himself and family. Malcolm was a successful Husqvarna agent and sold tons of goods after his film performance.
It is a movie with soul. When you follow the performers around vast deserts and narrow tracks, they’re sure to take your breath away - not once, not twice, but all the time during the 96-minute footage. The original version was released in the summer of 1971. Scenes shot from a helicopter were unheard of in those days, but Bruce Brown did not spare any effort to go all-out in his solid ambitions. However, the movie isn’t only about stars, motocross, offroad riding and Six Days events. It covers most aspects of bike riding; from the Salt Flats of Bonneville to Flat Track racing around narrow circuits.
For the Husqvarna brand, “On Any Sunday” became established to a wide audience who learnt how to spell and pronounce the Swedish name. Unlike in the 1930s, when English-speaking race fans thought the name being “Husky-Banana”, the
Americans now learned their lesson. Many viewers became curious and went to their nearest dealer for more information about these Viking products from a faraway land. Sales had a boost and the brand image became cemented among the Americans.
Bruce Brown was born in San Francisco on December 1, 1937 and grew up in Southern California, attending school in Long Beach before moving to Dana Point. Even though Brown already had a successful movie to his credit, he found that financing a film on motorcycling wasn’t going to be easy.
“I talked to a few folks and knew that Steve McQueen was a keen rider,” Brown said. “Even though I’d never met him, I set up a meeting to talk about doing “On Any Sunday”. We spoke about the film concept, which he liked. Then Steve asked what I wanted him to do in the film. I replied by wanting him to finance it. He laughed and told me he acted in films; he didn’t finance them. I then jokingly told him, ‘Alright, then, you can’t be in the movie.’ The next day after the meeting, I got a call and it was McQueen. He told me to go ahead and get the ball rolling with the movie - he’d back it. His financial contribution was set at 313,000 US dollars.”
Filming the movie often proved to be a challenging experience for Brown. Some of the most dramatic shots of the movie were the extreme closeup slow-motion segments of the Grand National races. From his surfing movie days, Brown was used to working with super telephoto lenses. The budget didn’t allow the expense of highspeed cameras, so Brown improvised by using 24-volt batteries in the 12-volt film cameras. Brown tried to show the unique talents needed for the different forms of racing. For instance, the motocross riders were free-spirited, while desert racers were often loners. In Grand National racing, Brown showed the differing personalities, such as the business-like approach displayed by Mert Lawwill versus the carefree style that wild rookie David Aldana became known for.
“On Any Sunday” is generally acknowledged as the best movie ever made about motorcycles and bike racing. It helped spur the explosive growth during the 1970s and Brown’s film conveyed the fun and enjoyment that motorcycling added to people’s lives. It also documented the 1970 season of AMA Grand National racing by following defending champion Mert Lawwill. Many people from all walks of life took up motorcycling after seeing the movie, which became a great success, also being nominated for an Academy Award.
“On Any Sunday” became a cultural movie that will tease bike folks in eternity –looking around their next corner for the rest of the life! n
TRIALS TRAINING CENTER TRIALS TRAINING CENTER
2020 Schedule
February 23: CTC Fun Trial
(Following STRA Banquet on February 22)
March 28-29: Bicycle Event
April 4-5: Trials Training Days
April 18-19: Spring Splash Trial (STRA)
May 30-32: Southern 4WD Meet and Greet
June 29-July 1: Family Camp
July 2-4: East Coast Youth Nationals & Women’s Open
July 3: TDN Fundraiser Gate Trial
July 5-9: Invitational Teen Camp
August 14-16: 10th Annual Kenda TKO
September TBA: ITSA Vintage Trial National
October 17-18: 28th Annual 58K Fall Trial (STRA)
November 8: Bicycle Event
December 6: Toy Trial - CTC Winter Series Round 1
