The Big Picture
AND GAM SPLISH SPLASH
Ben Kelley splashes through a creek crossing during Day 3 of the competition at this year’s ISDE in Vina del Mar, Chile. Ben and his US Junior Trophy Team teammates finished second in the Junior Team division.
SHAN MOORE
The Big Picture
AND GAM COURSE CORRECTION
Ryan SIpes makes a mid-course correction during the opening test on Day 4 t the International Six Days Enduro in Vian del Mar, Chile. Sipes ran near the top until a day-2 crash slowed him.
PHOTO BY SHAN MOORE
The Big Picture
AND GAM MUDSVILLE
Graham Jarvis makes his way through the muck at the Gotland Grand National in Sweden, round seven of the WESS series, en route to 27th overall.
PHOTO COURTESY REDBULLCONTENTPOOL
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!
Photo:
M. Chytka
200cc 2-Stroke
S&T Cycles
• North Clanton, AL • 205-755-1001
Al’s Cycle Center • North Little Rock, AR • 501-758-4800
Dirt Riders West • Scottsdale, AZ • 800-467-0604
Manic Moto • Queen Creek, AZ • 480-783-3243
On Any Moto • Tucson, AZ • 520-269-6606
Auburn Extreme Powersports • Auburn, CA • 530-885-7105
Browns Cycles • Paso Robles, CA • 805-238-1240
C&D Cycle Center • San Diego, CA • 858-277-3298
Capitol Yamaha • Sacramento, CA • 916-485-9200
Douglas Motorcycles • San Bernardino • CA • 909-884-4776
Honda Kawasaki Beta of Modesto • Modesto, CA • 209-529-5424
Jetworld Powersports • Castaic, CA • 661-294-0072
KC Powersports LLC • San Juan Capistrano, CA • 949-942-9854
Moore & Sons • Santa Cruz, CA • 831-475-3619
MotoXotica • Vacaville, CA • 707-446-4282
Mountain Motorsports • Ontario, CA • 909-988-8988
Extreme Power Sports • Steamboat, CO • 970-879-9175
Grand Mesa Motorsports • Delta, CO • 970-874-8621
MotoAdventure • Loveland, CO • 970-669-5377
Spirit Lake Motorsports • Grand Lake CO • 970-627-9288
Level 10 Performance Motorsports • Ormond Beach, FL • 386-944-9160
Trial Store USA • Bradenton, FL • 941-404-0757
Hicklin PowerSports • Grimes, IA • 515-986-4880
Action Cycles N Sleds • Twin Falls, ID • 208-736-8118
Dennis Dillon RV & Marine • Boise, ID • 208-343-2830
Kolby Offroad • Idaho Falls, ID • 208-881-9646
Revolution Motorsports • Moscow, ID • 208-883-7800
Sandpoint Marine & Motorsports • Ponderay, ID • 208-263-1535
Braaap Shop • Mendota, IL • 815-538-6686
Integ Motorsports • East Peoria, IL • 309-699-3929
Fatty’s Cycle• Fortville, IN • 317-485-6200
The Cycle Shed • Vernon, IN • 812-346-8620
Simi Valley Cycles • Simi Valley, CA • 805-522-3434
Uptite Husky • Santa Ana, CA • 714-540-2920
Apex Sports • Colorado Springs, CO • 719-475-2437
Bucher Sales • Rock, KS • 620-986-5666
Miller Cycle Shop • Inman, KS • 620-712-1165
Morgan’s Suspension Service • Louisville, KY • 502-239-1870
Balance Trials Supply • Arvada, CO • 720-07-7715
Knight Cycles • Southbridge, MA • 508-764-4356
Xtreme Powersports • Jack’s Cycles • South Berwick, Bennett Powersports • MX Parts Now • Watervliet, Plus One Performance Bonecutter Body Shop Donnell’s Motorcycles Motorcycles and More
QC Moto • Springfield, Fastoys • Kalispell, MT Hanson’s Motorsports
Kurt’s Polaris • Missoula, Poet Motorcycles • Helena, Brewer Cycles
• Henderson, Johnny’s Cycle • Nebraska Naults Powersports
Trapani Race Setups • Champion Motorsports Find your
• Manchester, Town & Country Cycle Center
Accident, MD • 301-387-2095
Berwick, ME • 207-337-1274
Marlette, MI • 989-635-5500
Watervliet, MI • 269-201-7064
• Dearborn, MI • 313-918-8944
• California, MO • 573-796-8685
• Independence, MO • 816-478-9393
• Marthasville, MO • 636-433-2384
MO • 417-862-4343
• 406-257-8697
• Billings, MT • 406-545-7338
Missoula, MT • 406-541-3651
Helena, MT • 406-457-8230
Henderson, NC • 252-492-8553
Nebraska City, NE • 402-873-6913
DT Motorsports
• Alamogordo, NM • 575-434-0454
Sierra BMW Motorcycle • Sparks, NV • 775-355-0655
Sportsman Cycle • Las Vegas, NV • 702-641-6401
Powerline Cycles • Mahopac, NY • 845-528-3401
Steve’s Custom Cycle • Lockport, NY • 716-625-4372
Beaver Creek Cycle • Lisbon, OH • 330-386-7353
Championship Powersports • Wauseon, OH • 419-335-8600
Pony Powersports • Westerville, OH • 614-212-7888
Airhead Sales & Service • Klamath Falls, OR • 541-882-3572
Beaverton Motorcycles • Tigard, OR • 503-718-6670
Dan’s Motorsports Outlet • Salem, OR • 503-385-8108
Bromley Motorcycle • Trevose, PA • 215-357-1534
Bromley Motorsports • Stevensville, PA • 215-450-5487
Kissell Motorsports • State College, PA • 814-861-7890
RyanCo Cycle Works • Bloomsburg, PA • 570-437-4034
Evo 200 Features
-The lightweight and maneuverability of an Evo 125cc with added torque.
-Beautiful hydro-formed frame with internal fuel cell.
-Tubeless rear tire allowing riders to run extremely low pressure.
-The most dependable Trials bike on the market.
-Italian craftsmanship, the attention is in the detail.
Garry Griffith Cycle • Chattanooga, TN • 423-867-0423
Knox Enduro • Knoxville, TN • 865-308-0330
Rising Sun Cycles • Harriman, TN • 865-590-1363
380 Motorsports • Decatur, TX • 817-752-8456
Big Country Motorsports • Magnolia, TX • 281-356-2506
Mototirialsport • Midlothian, TX • 972-754-9686
Moto El Paso • El Paso, TX • 915-566-6666
Cutler’s Inc. • Orem, UT • 801-224-5005
Ridgeline Motorsports • Vernal, UT • 435-789-7433
Steadmans Recreation • Tooele, UT • 435-882-3344
Sunny Offroad • George, UT • 435-632-8481
Sunny Offroad • Perry, UT • 801-430-1101
Allsport Cycles • Roanoke, VA • 540-772-2500
Frank’s Motor Bikes/Bellevue, WA • 425-603-9000
Smitty’s Outdoor Power & Cycle • Yakima, WA • 509-453-9966
Manchester, NH • 603-669-7220
Center • Hamburg, NJ • 973-875-2111
Waretown, NJ • 609-693-3773
Motorsports • Roswell, NM • 575-624-0151
South Mtn Cycle Shop • Dillsburg, PA • 717-432-4997
Upstate Cycle • Greenville SC • 864-232-7223
Rosco’s Motorcycle & ATV • Rapid City, SD • 605-348-3946
Adventure Offroad • Leoma, TN • 931-852-5445
Sprocket Sport Sales • Spokane, WA • 509-489-7331
Metro Motorcycle • Neenah, WI • 920-722-0700
Appalachian Offroad • Lanes, WV • 304-932-0437
Alpine Motorsports • Casper, WY • 307-234-4944
THE LOOP
News and Culture From The World Of Trials, Offroad and Extreme Racing
NATC MEETING NOTES
2019 MotoTrials News and Schedule
The North American Trials Council held its annual meeting this past October in Phoenix, Arizona, where rules and a schedule for the 2019 season were set.
The 2019 series dates and locations for each round of the series based on previous committed dates were placed on the 2019 map and calendar along with the current FIM World Round dates. Discussion for 2019 based on land-use availability, fire danger, school season, and conflicting international dates (Scottish Six Days, FIM Women’s GP). Discussion for 2020 schedule (provisional).
Here’s a look at the new schedules and a few of the rules that were discussed:
2019 NATC-AMA National Series Schedule
May 24-25 - Lincoln, NE (East)
June 1-2 - Gilbert, NM (East)
June 15-16 - Howard, CO (West)
June 22-23 - Tillamook, OR (West)
Additional 2019 Events
April 13-14 49th El Trial de Espana, Cahuilla, CA
May 17-18 - Texas Pro-Am Luckenbach, TX
May 27 - Youth Festival, Lincoln, NE
June 27, 28, 29 East Youth Nationals & Women’s Open, TTC, Sequatchie, TN
July 19, 20, 21 West Youth Nationals & Women’s Open, Sipapu, NM
August 17-18 - UTE Cup Colorado
October 18-19 Texas Pro-Am Luckenbach, TX
2020 – “Provisional” NATC-AMA National Series Schedule
April 18-19, 2020 Cahuilla CA West Rds 1 & 2
April 25-26, 2020 Kingman AZ West Rds 3 & 4
June 20-21, 2020 Austintown OH East Rds 1 & 2
June 27-28, 2020 Huntsville AL East Rds 3 & 4
2020 Additional Events
April TBA, 2020 Cahuilla, CA 50th El Trial
May 15-16, 2020 Luckenback, TX Pro and Youth Invitational
July 2, 3, 4, 2020 TTC, Sequatchie, TN Youth East National
TBA California Youth West National
August 15-16, 2020 Colorado UTE Cup
October 16-17, 2020 Luckenbach, TX Pro and Youth Invitational
• Adam Blumhorst introduced “Next Gen Trials”, a Facebook page and movement to support youth in trials.
• Special Presentation – Mr. Bill
Short break for a very touching visit from Mr. Bill, who helped pioneer the Youth Trials program in America. Mr. Bill has advanced Lyme disease and wanted to thank everyone for their support and friendship over the years.
• The FIM has made chest/back protectors mandatory for all riders in the GP and TdN for 2019. (The TdN committee needs to make note of that).
There is no longer an engine restriction size for riders at the TdN. (Also a note for the TdN committee).
FIM has instituted a new rule concerning shift levers… they must be solid (not hollow tips.
2019 JUNIOR TRIALS PROGRAM
The North American Trials Council (NATC) in conjunction with the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) is pleased to announce enhanced “Junior” Trials options for 2019. “We believe the new class structure will better serve the families in development of upcoming riders and grow the sport of MotoTrials.” NATC CEO, Brad Baumert stated.
1) Again for 2019, there will be separate “Kid Trials” at each of the NATC/AMA MotoTrials National Championship events. These non-championship Kid Trials typically run on Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings and are geared toward introducing young local riders, at any age, to trials as well as offering an opportunity for youth in the trials community to compete and advance their skills to hopefully one day compete in the Junior class at a MotoTrials National.
2) As in recent years, there will be both 3-day Eastern Youth MotoTrials Nationals and 3-day Western Youth MotoTrials Nationals for 2019. The Eastern Youth MotoTrials Nationals will again be held at the Trials Training Center (TTC) in Tennessee June 27-29, 2019 with the Western Youth MotoTrials Nationals being held in New Mexico July 19-21, 2019. The class structure remains unchanged for 2019 and these events will crown East and West MotoTrials Championships in five age divisions (15 and under, 13 and under, 11 and under, 9 and under, 7 and under), with further divisions into Novice, Advanced and Championship skill classes.
3) The NATC/AMA MotoTrials series fine-tuned the Junior Program to provide a progressive feeder system for young riders making their way up through the ranks in national trials.
2019 KENDA AMA NATIONAL ENDURO SCHEDULE
The National Enduro Promotions Group released its schedule for the 2019 season. The 10-round series kicks off in Wedgefield, South Carolina on February 3rd, and concludes 10 months later in Oklahoma. Can anyone beat the Baylor brothers? www.nationalenduro.com
FEBRUARY 3 - WEDGEFIELD, SOUTH CAROLINA
MARCH 24 - DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA
APRIL 28 - FIREST HILL, LOUISIANA
MAY 12 - ARRINGTON, VIRGINIA
JUNE 9 - GREENSBORO, GEORGIA
JULY 28 - CROSS FORK, PENNSYLVANIA
AUGUST 25 - WELLSTON, OHIO
SEPTEMBER 15 - PARK HILLS, MISSOURI
OCTOBER 6 - MATTHEWS, INDIANA
NOVEMBER 10 - SAND SPRINGS, OKLAHOMA
ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING
2019 OFF-ROAD TEAM ANNOUNCED
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing announcde their 2019 off-road team featuring Colton Haaker, Andrew Short, Thad Duvall, and Trevor Bollinger.
Short, who currently also races for the global team, is expanding his efforts into the United States to race aboard the FX 450 in the WORCS series. He will be a great asset to the team, bringing with him, multiple wins in Motocross, Supercross, and most recently a third-place finish at the 2018 Desafio Inca Rally.
Thad Duvall makes his return to the team after a strongsecond place finish at the 2018GNCC Racing series. His drive for success will make him a force to beat on his FX 350, racing both the GNCC Racing series and WORCS. Joining Duvall at the GNCC Racing series is another new face, Trevor Bollinger. As recently announced, Bollinger will be racing the FX 450 and is the youngest member ofthe Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team.
“I’m really excited to join the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team and to race the WORCS series,” said Short. “I think it’s something that has become a big passion of mine. The off-road communityis unique and how they approach racing is really cool. With my motocross background and continuing to race rally, I feel like off-road is a great combination of the two and I am hoping to find a lot of success doing it!”
“I’m super pumped to get the 2019 season started and am looking forward to another awesome ride on my FX 350,” Said DuVall. “I have had a great two years running up front, but it is time for a championship!”
KTM REVEALS NEWLY-DEVELOPED KTM SX-E 5 ELECTRIC-MINIBIKE AT EICMA
The newly developed KTM SX-E 5 is the next step in KTM’s innovative lineup. Combining class-leading knowledge in youth motorcycling with years of development work in the e-sector, the KTM SX-E 5 is based on the incredibly popular 2-stroke KTM 50 SX with a high-end chassis powered by an electric motor. The mission was clear: to create an ultra-competitive machine that is also easy to ride, even for pure beginners.
The KTM SX-E 5 enjoys the advantage of zero emissions, low noise and minimal maintenance, which makes it ideal for youngsters looking to make the first step into the world of motorcycling and thanks to its dynamic design, it is ideal for the growing rider with its adjustable seat height.
The KTM PowerPack can provide more than two hours of riding for a beginner – or 25 minutes for the faster junior racers – and with its external worldwide charger, full power is restored in approximately one hour. Coming from the READY TO RACE company, the KTM SX-E 5 will set a new benchmark within the electricminicycle market in terms of performance, rideability, safety and serial standard and will be available in North American dealerships in fall 2019.
TENNESSEE KNOCKOUT ANNOUNCED
www.tennesseeknockoutenduro.com
The Kenda Tennessee Knockout has become one of the premier off-road motorcycle races in the United States and many top international riders have competed in recent years. The ninth annual TKO will take place at the Trials Training Center in Sequatchie, Tennessee on August 16-18, 2019.
FMF KTM’s Cody Webb has won the TKO for six straight years despite serious challenges from the top US and International riders. Germany’s Manuel Lettenbichler, South Africa’s Wade Young, the UK’s Graham Jarvis and Spain’s Mario Roman have all joined Webb on the podium in recent years but have not been able to knock Webb off the top step. Top North American riders including Kyle Redmond, Taylor Robert, Max Gerston, Jordan Ashburn and Cory Graffunder have also tried to unseat Webb and many of these riders will be back again in 2019.
The TKO will feature both Saturday (Amateur) and Sunday (Expert) racing. The Sunday format will again feature a multi-round Knockout format that is challenging for the riders and very spectator friendly. The expert riders will be competing for a $10,000 purse.
The Saturday program will include two rounds of racing and will serve as the Extreme Enduro AMA Grand Championship for Amateur riders. Amateur riders can earn spots directly into round two via several AMA regional championship events. Riders that do not qualify via one of the AMA regional events can sign up for one of 350 open spots that will compete in a morning qualifying race that can earn a spot in the championship final on Saturday. The top 30 finishers from Saturday will earn a spot in Sunday’s expert program.
New for 2019, the Amateur riders will be given the opportunity to compete in a Friday afternoon “hot-lap” qualifying session to earn their starting positions. The qualifying session will be for both the pre-qualified riders (to set their starting position for race two) and those that enter the TKO amateur class to determine their starting positions for Saturday race one.
Amateur registration opens at 6:00 pm CST on Thursday, December 6, 2018. There are just 350 spots available and entries sold out in just a couple of hours in the past so please plan to get your entry in as soon as it opens. The registration link will be available here on the TKO website.
IBEX
DOUBLE YOUR ADVANTAGE
IBEX TREAD NOW AVAILABLE IN MATCHING FRONT + REAR
Photo: Darren Chapman
RACHEL’S REALITY
A tri-monthly
column by EnduroCross racer Rachel Gutish
Winter is coming....and for once in my life, I’m not dreading it. Usually for those of us in the northern parts of the country, winter is a word that can be defined as the depressing time of the year when we don’t get to ride our motorcycles. Unlike the rest of the suckers back home though, now that I’m no longer in school, I can go live in the southern US for a couple months like all the other pro riders who were cooler than me always got to do. I’m pretty pumped for this, not only because sunshine and dirt bikes sounds a lot better than cold weather and shoveling snow, but also because for once in my life, I’ll be able to go into the season with two months of riding under my belt. The past few years, it always felt like I was competing at a disadvantage. I knew most of my competition was riding or training somewhere; meanwhile, I was holed up in the library with my textbooks, shaking my head as I looked out on the gently drifting snow.
(Reality check: given that I live in Indiana, it was more like shaking my head at the 33-degree-freezing-rain, which is actually worse than snow, if such a thing is possible). However, most riders aren’t going to be as lucky as I am. So, in the spirit of Christmas giving and so that all my years of winter suffering are not wasted, I’m going to share with you my best winter survival tips to get you through until spring:
1) Grab some buddies and drive south for a weekend. New Year’s is a great time for this, and a few degrees of longitude can meet the difference between 3ft of snow and no snow, or frozen ground versus not frozen ground.
2) If you can’t go south, put studs and elephant ears on your bike, suck it up, and ride. Fingers and toes aren’t that important anyway.
3) Spend time with the family you have neglected the other 9 months out of the year.
4) Reading magazines about motorcycles is the next best thing to actually riding them. Might I suggest On The Pegs? I hear it’s pretty good.
5) Hit the gym. Your future dirt bike-riding self will thank you at the first race.
6) Work lots of overtime. Again, future dirt bike self will thank you when you can afford to trick out your bike in the spring.
7) Find a Christmas tree display and arrow a sick single-track section through the fake pines. It’s mischievously fun, usually security won’t bother to kick you out (unless you actually start riding your new section in the middle of Macy’s), and as a nice bonus, you’re basically leaving a secret message for your fellow sad and frustrated local riders.
8) Go do something in the garage. Surely there’s some chore you’ve been putting off you can get done, and the garage has this special ability to suck the all the free time out of your life like nothing else. You walk out in mid-December planning to sort out your spare parts bin, and the next thing you know it’s July.
9) Most of all, be grateful that even though you can’t ride right now, someone introduced you to dirt bikes, and made your life so much better because of it! n
PYRENEES
GasGas’ new eBike
eBikes Range
The off-road manufacturer presents its first ever mountain bike: the GasGas Pyrenees. A new versatile, sporty ebike, made of lightweight aluminium and with high quality components, made to make the most of both trips to the countryside and our daily commute too.
Aluminium frame and rugged components
The new GasGas Pyrenees’ frame is made of aluminium, with an attractive, modern design and a geometry set up to make the most of its performance both going uphill, thanks to the help of its 250W Bafang engine and powerful 13Ah battery, as well as downhill, thanks to the work of its SR Suntour XCR 29 front
fork - with 100mm of travel - and the Kenda Slantsixpro tyres -mounted on 29-inch aluminium alloy wheels - which ensure great adaptability and stability on any type of terrain.
Its 9 speed Shimano Alivio gears is a guarantee of reliability and smoothness in all kinds of circumstances. And safety is assured with the highly effective Shimano MT200 disc brakes.
Efficient
Its intuitive LCD display, located on the centre of the handlebars, allows the rider to quickly select the degree of pedal assist desired. With normal use, the range of the electric motor on the new Pyrenees will far exceed 50 kilometres, with an average pedal assist of 2, with a maximum of 5.
The new GasGas ebike can make 1500m of uphill riding with average pedal assist. Recharging your 36V Samsung battery can be done easily from any domestic socket, with the battery either removed or not, with a simple charger, in less than 6 hours (100%).
2019 VERTIGO
VERTIGO COMBAT TITANIUM RR
One of the most exclusive motorcycle trials bike on the market arrives in 2019 in a limited edition of only 40 units. The Combat Titanium comes again with its unique titanium frame, the lightest and most manageable one ever built, complemented with a group of premium components meaning this is the most advanced model ever created in terms of technology and innovation. Its unique plaque with the number of the series brings even more singularity to each model, providing the final users a motorcycle that nobody else owns worldwide. For more information on the 2019 Vertigo Combat Titanium RR check out www.vertigomotorsusa.com.
2019 BETA EVO 80
STARTING THE NEXT GENERATION OUT RIGHT
The very popular Beta Evo 80 trials models have returned for 2019 with updated graphics. These models offer youth riders between the ages of 9 -15 a great way to learn the sport of off road motorcycling.
Based on the same engine and frame platform, the two models will provide years of low-cost off road and trials riding. Features such as an 80cc liquid cooled engine, six speed transmission, easy-pull hydraulic clutch, and a weight of less than 150 lbs, these models will teach the youngster in your family the proper way of riding.
Differences between the two models are wheel sizes, suspension, brakes, and swing arm.
Log onto www.betausa.com for complete specifications and to locate a Beta dealer near you.
Prices are MSRP and do not include destination charges, sales tax, license, or dealer preparation fees.
2019 Beta Evo 80 Junior (ages 9-12)
2019 Beta Evo 80 Senior (ages 11-15)
Prices:
Evo 80 Jr:
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!
BACK WHEEL HOPS
ENDURO ENGINEERING CHAINSAW MOUNT
Max Sug. Retail: $149.95
Website: www.enduroeng.com
At Enduro Engineering we appreciate all of those who do Trail maintenance on public trail systems and those who lay out race courses. Without you we do not the great riding available to us that we currently do. We are hoping to make that job a bit easier by offering you the New Enduro Engineering Chainsaw Mount. This mount can be mounted an most manufactures of dirt bikes and in most sizes as well. You can mount this Chainsaw Mount on as little as a Honda XR100 up to any full size dirt bike.
The EE Chainsaw Mount is manufactured in a way to be able to accept most chainsaw brands that have up to a 16” bar. Once the chainsaw is mounted into the chainsaw mount there is very little movement in the chainsaw. This makes it so when you are riding down the trail you almost do not even realize the chainsaw is there. With no restriction on the bike while riding with the chainsaw makes it so you can carry it with you whenever you will be doing trail maintenance.
The EE Chainsaw Mount has some features that puts it above any other chainsaw mounts on the market. The EE Chainsaw Mount has non marring fork leg blocks that are adjustable up and down, as well as wide to side. The fork leg blocks will not mark up your fork legs. The adjustability will allow it to work with different size bikes or fit around things such as a light switches, odometers, etc. It comes with a brake line guide as well. The brake line guide can be run on the
outside if the bike has a long brake line, or ran on the inside if the bike has a shorter brake line. This will help from catching your brake line on anything while riding down the trail.
The EE Chainsaw Mount has fully adjustable rubber mounting straps. These straps make it easy to install and will fit on just about any size fork legs.
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
Max Sug. Retail: See Website
Website: www.lewisportusa.com
LewisportUSA just announced the addition to their line up of trials bikes parts and accessories the awesome FANTIC “E” bike range of MTBs
With Decades of experience in the off-road / trials moto engineering industry, FANTIC are back with a premium line up of aggressive, high performance mountain bikes.
All the power you will ever need, combined with its sleek integral chassis, enables you to tackle any uphill or obstacle like a pro.
Explore FANTIC MTB line and select the correct model for your requirements. No matter the setup you will experience the adrenaline and e=motors that each Fantic MTB has to offer.
Design & Innovation Award 2018 for MTB . CLICK HERE FOR FULL CATALOUGE OF BIKES AVAILIBLE
2019 TRIALS
SAM FASTLE TAKES A LOOK AT NEXT
NEXT YEAR’S NATC SCHEDULE TRIALS VENUES
The NATC recently released its 2019 US National MotoTrials schedule, and who better to give us a rundown on the venues than one of the top riders in the country: Sam Fastle. Here’s Sammy’s take on the 2019 series:
The yearly NATC meeting has taken place and the most anticipated news of that meeting was released shortly after it closed. The 2019 national event schedule. The 2019 series looks like one that will be packed with action as all eight rounds will take place in less than 30 days. The NATC announced that there will be four venues next year each hosting a 2-round weekend. Nebraska will host the opening rounds, then everyone will head north to Minnesota, then over to the Rocky Mountains and Colorado, and the final two rounds will take place on the west coast in bright sunny (at least for one day of the year) Oregon. I hope to give everyone my opinion on these venues and what to look forward to about this upcoming season.
Nebraska, May 25th-26th
The last time I rode in Nebraska was the national back in 2009. I rode the Highschool class, which rode the expert-sportsman line or half of the expert sections and half of the support sections and I finished fourth out of four. I had 101 points with only 3 cleans. This makes me very excited to return to Nebraska in 2019 now that I have had sometime to develop my trials abilities a little bit more. I now have another opportunity to prove test my skills against the terrain of Nebraska! The one section that stands out the most in my memory is the mud bog section. It was one section that forced everyone to go through unnecessarily deep mud. I hated it. Other than that, I remember the terrain being awesome for trials with plenty of decent sized rocks to ride on which is what I care about the most. There’s also sure to be plenty of logs, creeks, and hills as we start the national in this wooded area of the United States.
Minnesota, June 1st-2nd
Minnesota is one of my favorite places to ride. The nationals that have been held in Duluth have been some of the greatest. However, this year we will not be returning to Spirit Mountain in Duluth but will be riding at a new location in Gilbert, Minnesota. Having the chance to visit a new riding area is always exciting and is one of my favorite aspects of trials. The vast array of different obstacles and terrain that we navigate allows one to see some of the most beautiful places in the
world. Gilbert looks as though it won’t disappoint and given the past nationals put on by the UMTA, it will be one for the spectators to see. There are plenty of big rocks that will be perfect to give exciting competition and a spectacular show. Check out their website for more details: www.umta.org/national
Colorado, June 15th-16th
If you are looking for an event with a pucker factor, then you will have to mark your calendars for rounds 5 and 6 to be held in Colorado. The granite boulders and high elevation of the Rocky Mountains are a perfect combination for some death-defying action. The first national I ever rode was in Colorado and I still remember to this day the fear I felt before I rode the biggest rock of my life and the overwhelming adrenaline and excitement as I soared to the top. The nationals in Colorado have helped me become addicted to trials and have always pushed me out of my comfort zone. I look forward to another national there and can’t wait to see what gnarly sections they have in store for us.
Oregon, June 22nd-23rd
Oregon is one of my favorite places to have a national. Tillamook National Forrest is beautiful, and it is packed with some of the most extreme terrain in North America. From slippery creeks with giant boulders, to hills so steep you can’t even walk up them, Oregon has it all. The national hosted there in 2016 was one of the hardest events I have ridden in my life and I can’t wait to go back. To be honest I never wanted to see that place again after I finished on Sunday two years ago. But trials is an addiction and after you wash the mud out of your belly button and shake the leaves out of your boots (skinny chicken leg reference) all you want is more. I am ready to fling some mud and get down and dirty in Oregon during the 2019 season. Plus, I can’t wait to eat at La Provence Boulangerie & Patisserie again. If you do anything other than watch the final rounds of the series in Oregon, you must eat at this restaurant and bakery.
There’s my perspective on the upcoming 2019 NATC/AMA Trial Store USA championship series. Hope to see you out there! n
ENDING 2018 ON A SUNNY
By Stephanie Vetterly
by Stephanie Vetterly and Kim Conley
Trials Incorporated – November 10/11, 2018
Photos
SUNNY NOTE
November 10th. Late enough in the year to be cold, but early enough that snow is not guaranteed. The morning opened on the Dayton Motorcycle Club, overcast, destined to reach a high temperature of no more than 33°F. On the agenda was Trials Inc’s year-end club meeting. Members drove from hundreds of miles away, from Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky, to participate in discussions on 2018 series overview/recap, class restructuring and other proposals, vote on officer positions, and set the 2019 series schedule.
At the end of every riding season, Trials Inc awards its “Trials Incorporated Season Championship Award,” a traveling plaque to the winner of the Champ class. The winner is awarded a name plate that is placed on the giant plaque documenting the year and winner’s name. It was determined that in the past several years, the difficulty of the Champ class had been set for the skill-level of current Pro-level riders. Unfortunately, this meant that the skill level required to move up to this class was too great for any Expert-level rider to advance. This also meant that only the Pros would get a chance to have their name emblazoned on the traveling trophy. It was determined at the club meeting that the difficulties of the upper-level classes needed to be restructured to allow not only a more seamless transition between classes, but also the possibility of having a current Expert-level rider graduate to Champ class and be awarded the title of Series Champion.
The election of the 2019 officers was conducted and concluded with no changes from the 2018 season. Adam Blumhorst remains President; Travis Daniels stays on as both Vice President and Competition Secretary. Brad Baumert remains Treasurer. Becky Pfeufer was elected back to the role of Reporting Secretary and gained a new title as Videographer for her work in capturing video of riders at many events of the 2018 season. Kim Conley stays on as Photographer, and I was elected back to the positions of both Photographer and Publicity Secretary. The only rule change that occurred, although not entirely a rule change, was a change to the definition of Trials Inc’s Open class designation. Initially intended for either the new rider who needed to find what class his skills fell best, or the weekend hobbyist who just wanted to have fun and not compete for championship points, the intention of the Open class was for a rider to choose a difficulty/ class before entering a section and remain in that class until the end of that section. In other words, if a rider approaches Section #2 and decides that the obstacles for the Advanced class are too great, they can declare to the checker that
they are going to ride the Sportsman class for that section, then decide they wish to try the Novice line for Section #3. On the next loop, if the rider decides that Sportsman class was too easy for Section #2, they can choose to try their hand at the Advanced line. Numerous times, in 2018, it was noted that riders misunderstood the requirements of the class and were entering a section riding through gates of several different classes (example: starting through a Novice gate, changing to an Advanced gate, then ending on an Intermediate gate). Although Open class riders receive neither series points nor an event trophy, changing classes mid-section proves extremely difficult for the checker to score appropriately. The recommendation was made to change the wording of the definition of this class to more accurately explain the class requirements.
The next item discussed was the idea of changing the gate fees; it was determined that to maintain consistency across all events, the standard TI cost for gate entry would be $10/person, with those 11 and under receiving free entry. Cost of land usage varies per venue as it is determined by the land owner, but all costs will be posted both on www.trialsinc.org and the Trials Inc Facebook page. The
final discussion point for the meeting was to determine the 2019 season. Barring any unforeseen changes, the 2019 season consists of 17 rounds spanning 9 weekends and includes events in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky.
That night, it was time to celebrate the closing of the 2018 season with food, friends, and plenty of awards. Celebrations Banquet Center II, in Dayton, OH, played host to approximately 140 Trials Incorporated members, family, and friends. Those in attendance could also show support of the club by purchasing TI-branded t-shirts and hoodies, as well as a 68-page magazine entitled “Trials Inc Year in Review” showcasing articles of each event in the 2018 season and photos of countless event participants. These items are currently still for sale through Trials Inc’s Facebook page and will soon be available for purchase through Trials Inc’s main website www.trialsinc.org. Proceeds from the sale of these items are set to go towards helping grow the youth program, a program working to help promote trials in younger riders and support interested riders in attending National events.
Each rider who rode 9 events and worked 2 events for the season was awarded a season championship position, complete with a plaque of their standing and a photograph of themselves riding. This has long been a valued tradition in the Trials Inc club. Along with these awards, several special awards were handed out for those individuals who stood out from the crowd.
Titanium Tough Award was created to recognize the efforts of teamwork amongst parents and young adults; the award is not about winning, but about finishing what you start. This year, the award was not given to a young adult, but instead to a young woman, Terra Hiple, who won several first-place trophies during the season and even won the overall at the Toronto, OH event, a great feat for anyone who’s ridden and survived that terrain.
The Mr. Clean award is a highly coveted award that is given to the rider with the greatest number of clean rides for the season. The rider is given a personalized Mr. Clean doll as the trophy for this accomplishment. This year, Mark “Lightning” Weppler earned this award for riding an amazing 312 sections with a clean ride! I
was awarded the Bill Spring Memorial Sportsman of the Year award for my work in helping to grow Trials Inc’s social media presence. Jim Watson was presented with an award by Brad Baumert, CEO of the North American Trials Council, for being inducted into the NATC Hall of Fame. Paul Barrows presented Toni Roach with a special award; at Newark, Toni had taken a turn off the marked loop, and in order to get her back on track, the Trials Masters had placed a special loop arrow with her name on it to get her back on the loop. Paul had this arrow framed and presented to Toni.
Dennis Ziolkowski was awarded the honor of being inducted into the Trials Inc Hall of Fame for not only his many years of work and support for Trials Inc, but of the motorcycle industry as a whole. Dennis started riding in 1964, formed Overland Trail Riders M/C in 1970, was one of the founding members of the American Motorcycle Association’s District 5, serving the western half of Pennsylvania and all of West Virginia. He has had a great involvement in the North American Trials Council (NATC), helping to not only set the loops and sections, but helping
as Checker, Tech Inspection, Pit Management, and assistant Trials Master, among many others. His full accomplishments can be found at www.trialsinc.org under the Hall of Fame features. Trials Inc sends its thanks and appreciation to Dennis for all his years of support.
Sunday opened with bright sunshine, temperatures still chilly but warmer than Saturday, reaching highs of 43°F. 74 riders bundled up in their warmest gear and started their bikes for the day’s competition. Hosted at Dayton Dirt Riders, Trials Master Steve Berry made sure to include a variety of terrain and obstacles to challenge the riders in the first round of the 2019 season. Eight sections were created around hills and off-cambers, creek bottoms and culverts. Providing such a diverse set of sections allowed riders with strengths in one area to have to work on their weaker skills in other areas. This diversity was even seen in a single section; Section #5 was the largest of all sections set for the day, and included down-hills, rocky terrain, creek beds, off-camber turns, and up-hills all in one area. Other sections, like Section #6 and #7 were smaller, more straight-forward sections with flat, but rocky terrains.
Every class from Novice up through Expert had a full roster of riders, allowing for a friendly competition among Trials Inc’s best riders. There were also some new names atop the leader board; Josh Bennett took first place in the Novice class with 20 clean rides and only 10 points for the dayJohn White came in second place with 21 points, and Hugh Lake took third with 25 points. The Intermediate class had a very close podium; Kurt Keltner won the Intermediate class with 21 cleans and a total of only 20 points. Bill Clark came in a close second with 21 points, and Ernie Knepp came in third with only 22 points. Seth Vorseth won the Sportsman class with 17 clean rides and a total of only 26 points, 16 of those clean rides were won in Sections #1, 2, 6, and 7 of every loop. Jason Knepp took second with 28 points, and Adam Mathews finished third with 36 points. The highlypopular Sportsman-Advanced class had eight riders; Bill Super took top podium with 22 cleans and only 16 points. Second place was won by Pal Barrows with 23 points, and Gary Roach took third place with 27 points.
Advanced class was the home of the father-son battles. Fathers held fast to their skills, and proved that they still have the upper hand, at least for the moment. Brian Herrel took first place with 19 cleans and 20 points, while his son, Jared, ended in seventh place with 47 points. Mike Cross took second place with 34 points and 18 cleans. Tied with Mike for points, but losing out on the number of clean rides, Mark Spring Sr took third with 34 points, but 15 cleans, while Mark’s son, Mark Spring Jr aka “Markie” ended in sixth place with 41 points. Finally, the Expert class saw Travis Daniels finish in first place with 18 cleans and 34 points, Chuck Taylor stepping up his game to finish second with 54 points, and Fred Ellis rounding out the podium with 58 points.
Dayton Dirt Riders proved to be a great event to end the 2018 year and begin the 2019 season. The next event for the series will be held at Lightning Raceway in Tippecanoe, OH, in early April. The full schedule can be seen at www.trialsinc. org. See you on the loop! n
TRIALS TRAINING CENTER TRIALS TRAINING CENTER
For
2018 Schedule
• March 17 - Down & Dirty Fat Tire Festival - Bicycle HardXC
• March 18 - Down & Dirty Fat Tire Festival - Bicycle Bone Breaker
• March 24-25 - Trials Training Days (All ages)
• March 31 - Downhill Southeast Bicycle Race - TTC Gravity Park
• May 26-28 - Dual Sport Adventure Ride
• June 9-10 - NATC East Coast Nationals Rounds 1 & 2
• June 24-27 - Family Camp (all ages)
• June 28-30 - East Coast Youth Nationals & Woman’s Open
• June 29 - TDN Fundraiser Gate Trial
• June 30 - Bicycle Trials Regional
• July 1-5 - Great American Teen Camp
• August 18-19 - 8th Annual KendaTennessee Knock Out Extreme Enduro
• September 8-9 - ITSA Vintage Trial National
• Sept/Oct TBA - 26th Annual 58K Fall Trial (STRA)
• October TBA - Downhill SE Bicycle Race - TTC Gravity Park
• December 2 - Toy Trial - CTC Winter Series Round 1 Trial
• 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
TRS Motorcycles
TRS ONE RR
ADAM RAGA RACING
USA DEALERS
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
93rd International Six Days AUSSIE RULES
US TEAM CAPTAIN TAYLOR ROBERT FINISHED FIRST IN THE E2 CLASS
Days Enduro RULES
Vina del Mar, Chile
November 12-18, 2018
DANIEL MILNER
To be able to come over here to Chile and be so consistent through the week and end up on top, it’s my dream. I’m absolutely stoked to be able to do that. It’s a lot like Australia over here, dry and we ride between the gum trees, which I was a little bit shocked to come over here and see gum trees. That’s one of the Australian plants. To be out in-between that, it kind of made me feel like I was at home. So, absolutely stoked to be able to bring it home, and also the team. The team rode so well all week. So we’re stoked to be on the top step. This year has been a good year for me back home in Australia, and I carried that confidence, I guess you’d say, over to here. When we were walking the tests, we all spoke and said this is as close as we can get to Australia. All us guys are pretty pumped. I think that motivation rubbed off on everyone and we all rode as good as we could. Josh (Strang) hasn’t been back in Australia for a long time now, so for him to ride as well as he did over here, I think that’s a pretty big thing. It’s a lot different to the woods back at Josh’s home, which is in America there. It’s a lot different to what he would have been used to, and same with the American riders. All in all, it’s been an awesome week and we’re stoked.
STEWARD BAYLOR WAS A LAST-MINUTE REPLACEMENT FOR KAILUB RUSSELL AND FINISHED THE EVENT SECOND IN THE E2 DIVISION.
After six long and physically demanding days of Worldclass Enduro racing, Australia won the FIM World Trophy team category ahead of the United States and Italy.
Day six saw the ninety-third edition of the FIM ISDE brought to a spectacular close with the traditional Motocross race. Staying close to the host city of Viña del Mar, all professional and amateur riders went head-to-head for the final day of racing on the sandy motocross track.
With a comfortable lead in the classification, Australia entered day six with a
virtual grasp on the FIM World Trophy. Putting in a calm, cool and safe ride, they knew winning the Motocross race was not necessary to secure the overall podium. With Italy and the United States fastest, Australia crossed the finish line third overall to claim the coveted prize of FIM World Trophy champions, backing up their earlier victory from Slovakia in 2015.
Although knowing that beating Australia would be a tall ask, the United States still put in a determined performance in the hope their rivals would fall at the final hurdle. However, their dream of a second FIM ISDE victory was
not to be and they would have to be content with the runner-up result for 2018.
In addition to finishing second in the World Trophy division, Team USA’s Taylor Robert won the prestigious E2 class. The factory KTM rider’s result took him to the overall runner-up spot in what was a supremely successful event for KTM, with teammate Steward Baylor Jr. finishing runner-up in the class.
E2 class and overall leader after the first day’s racing, Taylor Robert got his 2018 ISDE off to the perfect start. As the event progressed, the American continued to dominate E2 on his KTM, finish-
ing fastest in class on every single full day of racing. Opting for a safe finish on Saturday’s final motocross test, Taylor took the class win by over five minutes from teammate Steward Baylor.
“It’s been an amazing week,” said Robert. “I’m a little disappointed not to take the overall win but all-in-all I am happy with my riding. Days three and four were tough and I struggled a little there but I think everyone did. The tests were so technical, the dust was still a problem and the heat made everything a little worse. Day five went well, but I couldn’t catch Milner – hats off to him, he’s been riding really well
out here in Chile. I’m really happy to take the win in my class and second for Team USA in the World Trophy competition is great too.”
Claiming the final day victory in Chile, Italy complete this year’s FIM World Trophy podium in third, while out-going champions France finish fourth, with Spain fifth. Portugal, the Czech Republic and Sweden were sixth, seventh and eighth respectively, while host nation Chile and Germany complete the top ten.
Ending a ten-year winless streak, Italy raced into the FIM record books as the 2018 FIM Junior World Trophy champions. Previously winning the category in Greece in 2008, Italy were overjoyed to return to the top step of the podium once more. In what’s been an outstanding week of racing for the Italian trio of Andrea Verona (TM), Matteo Cavallo (Beta) and Davide Soreca (TM) they also secured their fifth day win in this year’s race.
Finishing just under four minutes behind, the United States team consisting of Grant Baylor, Ben Kelley and Josh Toth, capped off a memorable week in Chile to take the runner-up result. In the battle for third, France fended off the challenge from host nation Chile to take third. Despite ending their week fourth, Chile proved that they are becoming an Enduro nation to be reckoned with and will no doubt push to secure a debut FIM ISDE podium in the years to come. Australia and Sweden were fifth and sixth respectively.
Remaining the dominant force in women’s Enduro, Australia firmly stamped their authority on this year’s FIM Women’s World Trophy class. Securing their sixth consecutive day win, they rode into the record books as six-time champions, now unbeaten since Italy in 2013.
“It’s incredible to think that this is our sixth FIM Women’s Trophy win,” told an ecstatic Tayla Jones (Husqvarna). “It’s so difficult to win it once, let alone six times. I can’t thank all the team enough for their efforts in helping us achieve this result.
Behind them, the United States claimed the runner-up result, becoming the only nation to secure a podium result in all three categories in the 2018 FIM ISDE. Spain joined Australia and the United States on the podium for third. France and Sweden round out the top five.”
Overall, it was a good event for the Americans. KTM’s Brandy Richards finished as runner-up in the EW class, just less than three minutes from the win after six long and extremely tough days in the South American heat.
In the race for the Junior World Trophy prize, America’s Josh Toth took fifth place in the E1 class to assist Team USA in finishing as runner-up in the category along with KTM riders Ben Kelley and Grant Baylor.
“It’s disappointing (not to have won), for sure, when we’re aiming for wins but
at the end of the day you have to find always positive out of the situation and be happy with what you achieve,” said U.S. Trophy Team Manager, Antti Kallonen. “Our guys and gals gave it their all for six days and we’re proud of their efforts and how they represented the U.S. on the podium for all three World Trophy categories. I must give hats off to the riders, they’ve battled through some tough days – we’ve had some crashes and some misfortunes but this is the cards that were dealt to us and we have to deal with it. It’s racing and we have to learn from it and be that much better next time to avoid these kinds of situations.”
Adding to Australia’s success at the ninety-third edition of the FIM ISDE, Daniel Milner (KTM) secured victory in the overall individual category. Placing a safe eighth on day six, Milner did more than enough to seal the deal. The battle for second and third was a tight affair with Taylor Robert (USAKTM) edging out Daniel Sanders (AUS - Husqvarna) by just eight seconds for the runner-up result following over four hours and thirty-one minutes of timed racing. The day six Motocross win went to Zachary Bell (USAHusqvarna).
In the Enduro 1 category, top Junior rider Verona cemented an incredible week for himself in Chile by securing the overall win. Davide Guarneri (ITA - Honda) came home second, with
Spain’s Victor Guerrero (Yamaha) in third.
Despite playing second fiddle to Milner in the overall standings, Robert did claim a commanding win in the Enduro 2 class. Fellow countryman and teammate Steward Baylor followed Robert home for the runner-up result while Italy’s Thomas Oldrati (Honda) completed the top three.
As FIM World Trophy champion and the overall winner, Milner also enjoyed the additional bonus of wrapping up the Enduro 3 class title to cap off a standout week for the Australian in Chile. Sanders finished just over two minutes behind for second, while Giacomo Redondi (ITA - Honda) was third. Tayla Jones (AUS - Husqvarna) took top honours in the Women’s category from Brandy Richard (USA - KTM), with Livia Lancelot (FRA - Honda) third.
With the 2018 FIM ISDE now complete, competitors can now begin to look forward to the ninety-fourth edition of the race in Portugal in 2019.
Results – FIM International Six Days
Enduro 2018
Enduro 1
1. Andrea Verona (ITA), TM, 4:37:32.45
2. Davide Guarneri (ITA), Honda, 4:38:07.91
3. Victor Guerrero (ESP), Yamaha, 4:39:04.06
4. Ryan Sipes (USA), Husqvarna, 4:40:00.41
5. Josh Toth (USA), KTM, 4:40:38.11 Other KTM
7. Thomas Dubost (FRA), KTM, 4:43:50.54
8. Patrik Markvart (CZE), KTM, 4:47:49.34
Enduro 2
1. Taylor Robert (USA), KTM, 4:31:47.96
2. Steward Baylor (USA), KTM, 4:37:01.50
3. Thomas Oldrati (ITA), Honda, 4:37:58:.89
4. Josh Strang (AUS), Husqvarna, 4:38:17.86
5. Loic Larrieu (FRA), Yamaha, 438:47.97
8. Grant Baylor (USA), KTM, 4:39:20.39
Enduro 3
1. Daniel Milner (AUS), KTM, 4:29:53.48
2. Daniel Sanders (AUS), Husqvarna, 4:31:56.22
3. Giacomo Redondi (ITA), Honda, 4:37:17.18
4. Matteo Cavallo (ITA), Beta, 4:37:55.66
5. Ruy Barbosa (CHI), Husqvarna, 4:38:41.92
8. Enric Francisco (ESP), KTM, 4:43:31.19
Enduro Women
1. Tayla Jones (AUS), Husqvarna, 5:08:48.18
2. Brandy Richards (USA), KTM, 5:11:43.87
3. Livia Lancelot (FRA), Honda, 5:13:24.78
4. Jessica Gardiner (AUS), Yamaha, 5:19:57.28
5. Mireia Badia (ESP), Husqvarna, 5:21:58.56
7. Sandra Gomez (ESP), KTM, 5:27:20.02
8. Rebecca Sheets (USA), KTM, 5:32:48.77
9. Mackenzie Tricker (AUS), KTM, 5:33:09.80
World Trophy Team
1. Australia
Daniel Milner, Daniel Sanders, Lyndon Snodgrass, Josh Strang
2. USA
Ryan Sipes, Taylor Robert, Steward Baylor, Zachary Bell
3. Italy
Davide Guarneri, Alex Salvini, Thomas Oldrati, Giacomo Redondi
Junior World Trophy
1. Italy
Andrea Verona, Matteo Cavallo, Davide Soreca
2. USA
Josh Toth, Ben Kelley, Grant Baylor
3. France
David Abgrall, Hugo Blanjoue, Theo Espinasse
Women’s World Trophy
1. Australia
Tayla Jones, Jessica Gardiner, Mackenzie Tricker
2. USA
Rebecca Sheets, Tarah Gieger, Brandy Richards
3. Spain
Sandra Gomez, Mireia Badia, Gabriela Seisdedos
TAYLOR ROBERT
We started out really strong this year. I knew we were going to have a strong team coming in, but it’s Six Days and just so much can go on. All the guys rode their hearts out, though, even with the issues and big crashes and really technical special tests. Everybody tried their hardest and that’s all I can really ask for. Unfortunately, we just had too many issues to compete for the team win. Me individually, I actually feel like I rode really well all week. I just didn’t have a whole lot for Milner on a few days and he got me. But I still felt like I was riding really well, second in the world. Top three in the world three years in a row isn’t so bad, I guess. I think I still got Sanders on that last test. I had a big crash. I think I broke a couple ribs. So I can’t take very deep breaths right now.
I guess the toughest thing is is just all day on the bike every day. You have five days of basically eight hours on the bike. And you might not be racing the whole eight hours, but you’re out there and you’re in the elements and getting beat down. Then as soon as we get done riding, we go out and walk the special test for the next day. I GPS’d everything and I did 74 miles of walking last week, just to walk all the special tests. Then this week I don’t know what our total mileage is, but it’s close to 1,000 miles on a dirt bike. It’s been a pretty long couple weeks.
ANTTI KALLONEN
Our goal was to win in every category, so falling a little short, finishing second in every category obviously is disappointing for the team and riders, but at the end when it’s all said and done, you know you gave your best and you got to be happy. It just wasn’t enough this year, but we definitely are strong riders and we’re never going to settle for second anymore. We need to do our homework and get better. I was surprised how well Australia did on the trophy category. I was hoping that we would be closer. To tell the truth, I was surprised a little bit. But it’s racing. We did our best we were able to do. Hats off to Australia and Italy winning the trophies. I think our team is now even more hungry because they know that we don’t settle until we win again. On the way back, the riders started to talk like, “We got to do this, we got to do that.” They’re going to be more on it all year long, not just gearing towards Six Days on the latter part of the year. So, we recognized our weaknesses.
STEWARD BAYLOR
The conditions were terrible. It was probably the worst race conditions I’ve ever ridden in. It was just extremely dry and the dust lingered. It was very tough to see. I had a couple sections, or a section every day that I struggled in. So I never had I guess a really good, all-day ride. Which means, in certain tests I would catch the guys in my better tests, but then my worse tests would knock me back. So I was staying around fifth, sixth place overall. The certain tests, the really rough tests, the gnarly tests, I would catch the guy ahead of me. But then the other tests, he would gap me back out and that would even us out for the next day, but I still wasn’t starting where I wanted to be until the last day. The last day we had a really good day. I think I beat fifth overall by over a minute going into the final moto. But as far as dry, sketchy, it was some of the scariest stuff I’ve ever raced on. It was just really easy to make a mistake, and a big mistake at that. That’s what I was thinking about. I had some of the biggest crashes this week than I’ve ever had in my entire life. After the first one on day one, I’m lucky to be walking.
STEWARD BAYLOR WINS THE NATIONAL ENDURO TITLE FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW
GRANT BAYLOR GRABS HIS FOURTH NATIONAL ENDURO WIN OF THE SEASON IN ALABAMA
THIRD PLACE WAS GOOD ENOUGH FOR STEWARD BAYLOR TO CLINCH THE2018 NATIONAL ENDURO TITLE
Steward and Grant Baylor once again demonstrated their National Enduro prowess by carving up the final round of the Kenda AMA National Enduro Series in Stanton, Alabama.
Grant claimed his second win of the season – and second in a row – while older brother Steward clinched the 2018 national title with a third place finish. Steward’s title marked his second in a row and the third of his career.
In all, the Tely Energy Racing-backed brothers combined to win seven of the nine rounds held during the 2018 season, while FMF KTM’s Josh Toth and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Thad DuVall won the remaining two.
Grant got off to a fast start at the Gobbler Getter, winning the opening test by 14 seconds over Steward, while Toth was not far behind in third. From there, Grant went on to claim two more test wins, extending his lead to 29 seconds at the finish.
“Today was awesome,” said Grant. “The track was a bit slippery and it was hard to get stopped in places. I fell over in a few turns, but after I won that first test I just tried to be smooth and not lose the advantage.”
With Grant the clear leader after the first test, a battle ensued over second place between Toth, Steward Baylor and SRT Husqvarna’s Evan Smith.
Smith won test two and took the lead in the battle over the runner-up slot. However, Steward won test five and closed to within five seconds. Neither could hold off Toth in the sixth and final test, however, as the Connecticut rider won the test by 19 seconds over Steward and 25 seconds over Smith to cement second overall for the day.
“Steward and I were literally tied for like three tests in a row, so it was close racing all day,” said Toth. “I was fourth going into the final test behind Grant,
A SECOND PLACE FINISH SOLIDIFIED JOSH TOTH’S RUNNER-UP STATUS IN THE SERIES STANDINGS.
Steward and Evan, but I just ripped it and was able to make up enough ground to move into second.”
Steward edged out Smith for third by just two seconds.
Obviously you would like to win the race with you wrap up a title, but I knew going into the final test that I just needed to ride smooth and not make any mistakes and the title was mine,” said Baylor. “I didn’t try to hang it out there and risk a crash, I just did what I needed to do.
“I’m really happy with the season. This made my ninth podium in nine rounds, so it’s been a consistent season. It just feels good to add another championship.”
For Smith, the race was bittersweet, having missed the podium by such a small margin. However, his test win was more than enough reward for a hardfought season.
“I won a grass track test last year in Tulsa, but this is my first “real” enduro test win, so I’m pretty excited,” said Smith. “I ran second from the second test to the fifth test and I really thought I could finish second overall but Stew and Josh were riding well. I’m still happy with the day.”
Trail Jesters Racing KTM’s Ben Kelley rounded out the top five; while Solid Performance KTM’s Ryder Lafferty topped the NE Pro2 division with a sixth overall finish.
“I started off pretty rough; I had two crashes in the first test and I was really struggling,” said Lafferty. “After that, we changed a few things with the bike and just tried to regroup and I was able to come back.”
Andrew DeLong, the 2014 National Enduro Champion, put his FAR Racing GasGas North America XC300 into seventh place, finishing just five seconds behind Lafferty. Meanwhile KR4 Husqvarna’s Liam
EVAN SMITH DRAGS A TOE EN ROUTE TO FOURTH OVERALL IN ALABAMA
Draper was eight overall and second in the NE Pro2 class.
Central Florida Powersports KTM’s Jesse Ansley turned some heads with a ninth overall finish and first in the AA class, while Pennsylvania’s Thorn Devlin rounded out the top 10 on a GasGas.
Beta USA’s Mike Witkowski finished 11th overall, edging out KTM-mounted Nathan Ferderer. Ferderer’s 12th overall was good enough for third in the NE Pro2 class.
KR4 Husqvarna’s Tayla Jones swept all five tests to win the Women’s Elite class by 21 seconds ahead of Trail Jesters KTM Racing’s Mackenzie Tricker. Jones won seven rounds in 2018 to claim this year’s title.
“The dirt was perfect with all the rain we had leading up to the race and I had a good day,” said Jones. “I like the Enduro series, and I think I adapted to the format pretty well over the course of the season.”
Viator Performance Racing’s Jessica Delee was third in the Women’s Elite on a KTM.
Martin Howell won the A 30+ class, beating out fellow KTM riders Bryan Henson and Mitchell McRee. Meanwhile, Trale Henderson won the 200A class on a Yamaha, with KTM riders Chris Cornell and David McCool finishing second and third.
RESULTS
1. Grant Baylor (KTM)
2. Josh Toth (KTM)
3. Steward Baylor (KTM)
4. Evan Smith (Hsq)
5. Ben Kelley (KTM)
6. Ryder Lafferty (KTM)
7. Andrew DeLong (GG)
8. Liam Draper (KTM)
9. Jesse Ansley (KTM)
10. Thorn Devlin (GG)
ZACH HAYES WAS FOURTH IN THE NE PRO 2 CLASS AND 14TH OVERALL
Gotland Grand National
GOTLAND, SWEDEN
WESS ROUND 7
COURTESY REDBULLCONTENTPOOL
A treble of home riders stood on the podium of the Gotland Grand National in Sweden as round seven of the World Enduro Super Series turned into a giant mud bath.
Albin Elowson (Husqvarna) claimed victory for the first time at the race in front of compatriots Robert Kvarnstrom (Yamaha) and Ken Bengston (Husqvarna).
This was the 35th edition of the iconic event, renowned as the world’s largest Enduro race with over 3000 riders competing this year. Riders take on a 22km circuit through Scandinavian forest on the island of Gotland. Nearly 600 hobby riders enjoyed perfect conditions on Friday but the weather turned overnight ensuring the main race will be remembered as one of the wettest in history.
After the start of the main race, thousands of riders jostled for position in the mud. Elowson moved into the race lead on lap one followed by Kvarnstrom. The duo then went head-to-head before Elowson pulled clear to claim a convincing win at the end of the sixth and final lap. Bengtson rounded out the podium in third.
For the WESS title contenders, Spain’s Josep Garcia crossed the finish line in 12th to slightly close the gap to series leader Billy Bolt, who finished 13th.
With this 13th place finish, Bolt extended his advantage over Manuel Lettenbichler to 275 points with just one round of the Championships remaining.
The World Enduro Super Series concludes with the eighth and final round ,Red Bull Knockout on November 10.
“I’m so happy to take the win here in Gotland,” Elowson said. “I knew I had the speed before the race, but you never know what can happen around here, especially in these conditions. I got a decent start and tried to make some passes in the early chaos. I went through a lot of goggles – that’s one of the main things at this race, you have to keep your eyes clear in order to ride properly. I know I have the speed, I just have to build my confidence a little and hopefully I can get some more good results in the future.”
“I had a tough first lap,” said Bolt. “ Another rider crashed in front of me and I managed to stop, but then someone else crashed into me from behind and we were all stuck in a mud puddle. I got going again but got mixed up in another crash and went down again – that’s when I broke the throttle tube. I made the mistake of stopping to try and fix it and lost so many places as a result. I’m a little bit disappointed not to have finished higher - I think without the problems I could have - but importantly I have stretched my lead at the top of the standings as we now look towards the final round in Holland.”
Results - World Enduro Super Series, Round 7
1. Albin Elowson (Husqvarna - SWE) 6 laps,
2. Robert Kvarnstrom (Yamaha - SWE) 3:01:52
3. Ken Bengston (Husqvarna - SWE) 3:03:38
4. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM - POL) 3:06:59
5. Sebastian Martensson (Husqvarna - SWE)
WORLD ENDURO SUpER SERiES STANDiNgS (AFTER ROUND 7)
1. BiLLY BOLT (HUSqvARNA - gB) 4420
2. MANUEL LETTENBiCHLER (KTM - gER) 4145
3. JOSEp gARCiA (KTM - ESp) 3700
4. TADDY BLAzUSiAK (KTM - pOL) 3675
5. WADE YOUNg 3220
TADDY BLAZUSIAK WAS BEST OF THE WESS REGULARS IN FOURTH.
BILLY BOLT SITS SECURELY IN THE WESS POINT LEAD AFTER FINISHING 13TH IN SWEDEN.
On The Pegs with
T’was The nighT before ChrisTmas when all Thro’ The hills, noT a person was riding, none seeking for Thrills… The Children were nesTled all snug in Their beds, while visions of superCross danCed in Their heads… when ouT on The lawn There arose suCh a ClaTTer, i jumped from my bed To see whaT’s The maTTer, when, whaT To my wondering eyes should appear, buT an Xr650, paCked wiTh all kinds of gear, wiTh a big Chubby rider, so lively and quiCk, i knew in a momenT iT musT be sT. niCk. more rapid Than eagles he roosTed my lawn, and whisTled and shouTed, deliver by dawn…
St. Nick
By Bob Theobald
I woke up and wondered if I had been dreaming. I decided to gear up and go for a ride. It was a brisk early December morning and I had the trails to myself. As I rode deep into the desert, I saw another rider coming in my direction. Wearing red gear and riding a red bike, I could spot him from a distance.
And he could ride, as he was carrying a crazy fast pace as he approached me. Then to my surprise, he stopped to chat. I quickly realized who it was. It was Nick, St. Nick, the fastest person on Earth. I was intrigued, so I asked Nick a few questions:
What brings you out to the AZ in November, on a motorcycle?
Like a lot of snow birds, I can’t ride in the winter up North. I am training for my big night. I have a lot of ground to cover. Some areas I need to visit, the sleigh doesn’t fly in too well, so I like to take my Big Red Sled.
What Bike are you riding?
Well I worked with Honda many years ago to build a bike that would be reliable and have the ability to cover long stretches of rough terrain at a fast pace in order to deliver presents to those remote areas where my sleigh has trouble reaching. After we built it, I said they could use the design and that is how we have the XR650R.
What stuff is on the bike to help you deliver presents?
To protect the presents and keep them looking good, I use the waterproof and dustproof GIVI Gravel T side bags and duffel. I use a Trail Tech Voyager Pro so my head elf and co-driver can use the buddy functions to track me when I am on the bike. Or course NORAD and I have a special tracking device for my sleigh, but they can’t track my bike. My wrists are getting old so the Fasst Company Flex bars help with the fatigue. The Seat Concepts saddle keeps my rear happy on the long night of traveling and the MotoZ Tractionator rear tire hooks up well and lasts for the night.
How do you carry the bike on your sleigh?
Moto Tote trailer hitch rack.
As we finished talking he said, “By the way, you have been really good this year, and I have something for you.” He reached into his GIVI Dry duffle bag and pulled out a Big Agnes Summit sleeping bag and pad. “Have fun on your adventure rides” he said, then roosted off into the distance.
Check out these companies for great Christmas gifts that are Santa approved:
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HTTp://WWW.MOTOTOTE.