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
DESPERADOS
Don’t the sun look angry through the trees
Don’t the trees look like crucified thieves
Don’t you feel like Desperados under the eaves
Heaven help the one who leaves -- WARREN ZEVON
PHOTO BY SHAN MOORE
The Big Picture
AND GAM LIGHT SHOW
You NEVER see Husqvarna’s Evan Smith out of shape or with his feet off the pegs. We caught BOTH in one shot! Sorry Evan, we just wanted to illustrated how rare this situation is.
PHOTO BY SHAN MOORE
The Big Picture
AND
GAM
CODY BARNES A PLAYBOY?
Beta USA’s Cody Barnes poses in front of music great Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys tour bus at the Caprock Canyon National Enduro.
PHOTO BY SHAN MOORE
The Big Picture
FILL’ER UP WITH ETHYL
A throwback to an earlier time. The Caprock Canyon Enduro was held in Turkey, Texas, which was the hometown of Bob Wills of Western Swing music fame. The town has many old monuments to his era, including this original Phillips 66 gas station.
PHOTOS BY SHAN MOORE
Ride confidently into the unknown.
There’s a definite thrill in getting out there, blazing new trails for others to follow. Excited by the prospect of heading into the unknown, you need a machine perfectly primed for the unpredictability of off-road. With easy rideability and superior trail capability, the 2021 TE 300i has the proven credentials to face any challenge with intuitive ease.
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
NATC ANNOUNCES 2021 AMA NATIONAL MOTOTRIALS SCHEDULE
Due to COVID, the 48th NATC meeting was held “virtually” on October 24th were the 2021 schedule was set. Dates were also set for “Non-National” events such as El Trial de Espana, the Ute Cup and the Youth Nationals.
2021 NATC/AMA NATIONAL MOTOTRIAL SERIES
• June 19-20 Farrandsville, PA (Eastern Series Rnd 1 & 2)
• June 26-27 Little Hocking, Ohio (Eastern Series Rnd 3 & 4)
• July 31-Aug 1 Kingman, Arizon (Western Series Rnd 1 & 2)
• October 2-3 Tillamook, Oregon* (Western Series Rnd 3 & 4) *(FIM North America)
MAJOR NON-NATIONAL EVENTS
• April 17-18 Cahuilla, CA EL TRIAL DE ESPAÑA
• July 2-3-4 Eastern Youth Nationals & Women’s Open Sequatchie, TN
• August 6-7-8 Western Youth Nationals & Women’s Open Turkey Rock, CO
• August 21-22 Colorado UTE CUP
www.mototrials.com
BUTTRICK BACK TO BETA
Beta Racing announced in November that Cory Buttrick has signed a contract to race for the Beta Factory Race Team for the 2021 season. He will race the GNCC events in XC1 class. Buttick rides a Factory 430RR. This is the Cory’s second stint with the Beta Factory race team. After some time away from racing Cory is more motivated then ever to reach the top of the podium on a Beta.
“I am very happy to have Cory as a part of our great team. Getting back into the XC1 class with a rider that can put our bikes on the podium is a great addition! We will have a factory rider in each pro class for 2021 and Cory will help our other racers succeed as well,” said Rodney Smith.
“I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity to race and promote Beta USA. I have a new hunger to perform and be upfront, just like the guys at Beta,” Buttrick said. “With such strong team support, along with Rodney’s knowledge, I’m really looking forward to showing our potential!”
STEWARD BAYLOR ON THE RECORD ABOUT
AMPRO YAMAHA
Tell us what led up to the Am Pro Yamaha deal.
Well, It came about and things started moving. It’s tough. As a racer, I kind of build a career based on me and avoiding the factory rides. I made better money doing what I was doing. It was tough to decide whether I wanted to go with a factory team or not. We’re winning. I like winning. I think it took me until now to realize that I need a good team to win with. I feel like when I was with the KTM team, I wasn’t mature enough to win. Then the last four years I think I’ve definitely had what it takes to win. I just haven’t had a team that wanted to win until Yamaha. I think we lucked into that first win. Just the stars lined up. I rode really well. The bike worked, everything meshed for that first win and it made the whole team hungry. So now everybody wants to win. I think it’s going to be a really good fit moving forward.
I think the smartest thing you did all year was buy that Kawasaki and go out and prove to people that you’re fast enough to win on anything and a team is going to have to come after you. You’re not going to go begging to a team.
Yeah. That was the tough part. I had actually turned down some offers. My wife almost wanted to kill me whenever I was turning down offers but I told her, it’s not right. They’re paying a seventh-place rider salary and I’m going to win. I knew when I was in the hospital bed that I was coming to win this year and moving forward I was going to win. I think everybody else had lost faith in me. I’ve been a solid rider. I’ve won a lot of national enduros. I’ve been on the podium at a lot of GNCC’s. But it’s funny. When you get injured, everybody forgets what you were and who you were. So the Kawasaki was a fun move. I really wanted to bounce around from brand to brand, but obviously I meshed well with the Yamaha and just kind of stuck with it. n
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
Guts Extra Tall Seat Foam & Covers From Beta USA
Company: GUTS
Price: $69.90 (Foam), $59.90 (Cover)
PART #: AB-22200-ET (Foam) AB-22204-RET/BET (Covers)
Website: www.betausa.com
Guts Seat Foam, 20% softer than stock for long rides, great for dual sporting. Now available in extra tall height. Guts Tall Seat Cover, red/blue. Made with gripper material and sewn on ribs to help from sliding on your seat. Made in USA. Fits 2020+ RR/RX/RR-S.
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
GRANT BAYLOR
GRANT BAYLOR WINS TEXAS ENDURO,
CAPROCK CANYON ENDURO
2020 KENDA AMA NATIONAL ENDURO SERIES
ROUND 9
TURKEY, TEXAS
NOVEMBER 15, 2020
PHOTOS BY SHAN MOORE
BAYLOR CLINCHES
TAKES NATIONAL ENDURO TITLE
SHERCO’S GRANT BAYLOR
Grant Baylor needed only to finish 11th or better to claim his and Sherco’s first AMA National Enduro Title at this weekend’s Caprock Canyon National Enduro, the series finale in Turkey, TX. However, the FactoryONE Sherco rider finished off the year in style by taking a four-second win over his brother, and newly signed AmPro Yamaha rider, Steward Baylor.
Though he started slow in the fast and sparse West Texas terrain, Grant picked up the pace after the first two tests and finished off the day winning two of the five tests and finishing second in another, behind Steward.
“Obviously I was a little bit nervous, but I knew all I needed to do was just get through the race today and come out of it healthy,” admitted Grant. “As long as I came out healthy and the bike finished, I basically had the championship. So that was my goal. I didn’t doubt the bike. The bike has been solid all year. Other than that, I just had to keep it on two wheels, and I did all day. I just wanted to stay smooth and I ended up getting the win here today.”
Grant wasn’t the only rider who clinched a championship in Texas.
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Craig DeLong came into the event holding a slim, six-point lead over Beta USA’s Cody Barnes in the battle for the NE Pro2 title. Coming into the race, DeLong had amassed four wins to Barnes’ two, but Barnes backed up his wins
CRAIG DELONG
with five runner-up finishes, compared to two for DeLong.
DeLong got off to a strong start, winning the opening two tests. And while Barnes won the final three, he came up 20 seconds short to DeLong in the end, giving the NE Pro 2 class title to DeLong.
“I tried to start off with a good opening test,” said DeLong, who also clinched the Pro2 title in the GNCC series the week before. “It was a long test, so if you could get a decent gap after the first one it would make the day a little bit easier. That’s what I did. I got a good test under me and had a decent gap. I kind of just got my lead early and kind of knew that I just had to make no mistakes. It was a great day. I’m happy to get another championship here. Last weekend was a big weight off my shoulders so coming in today was just going out and getting the job done.”
With Grant needing only to finish 11th to claim the Pro 1 title, the Texas race might have been a bit anticlimactic, but there was still the matter of the round win and Grant’s brother Steward kept the pressure on and was actually leading by about 25 seconds heading into the final test.
“Luckily Steward had some issues with the dust in the last test,” said Grant. “It was just so dusty. There were a couple of AA riders right in front of
BEN KELLEY
Steward, and they were hindering me somewhat too. You got close to those guys and it took almost two miles just to catch them after you caught their dust. You would catch their dust, and then two miles later you would catch them. Luckily Steward had Cole Kirkpatrick out there in front of him the last test and I ended up edging him out by just a few seconds, so it was awesome.”
Steward, who just signed with AmPro Yamaha for 2021, came just a few lappers from taking the win.
“I felt like I was definitely the best rider today,” said Steward. “Starting off at the front of the pack puts you right at the back of the pack of the AA’s. I had to deal with a lot of dust. I think that was the game changer there at the end.”
Switching back to his KTM 450 XC-F for the Texas race, FMF/KTM’s Ben Kelley put in a solid ride to round out the podium, his 3-2-4-3-3 finishes in the five tests were good enough for third overall.
“It was a good day overall,” said Kelley. “I decided to ride the 450 and I think it was a good choice in this terrain, although It was completely foreign to us. But I think that’s what made it fun. I felt surprisingly well. Had a bit of arm pump, but overall I had a smooth day. I stayed off the ground which was nice.’
Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Thad Duvall edged Josh Toth by just 16 seconds to grab fourth ahead of the FMF/ KTM rider.
“I started really strong,” said Duvall. “I’ve been trying to work on my sprint speed just right off the gate, so I felt like I made an improvement there, but I just had a couple bad tests. Just couldn’t stay off the ground and made a lot of mistakes. The last time I was in Texas I almost won it. So, I think I had high expectations to come in to try to win, and just didn’t pan out the way I wanted it to.”
Ryder Lafferty was four seconds off Duvall’s pace in sixth. The XC Gear/EE/ Husqvarna rider had a spectacular ride in test three, finishing second-fastest, but sixth-fastest in the first and last tests dropped him out of the top five.
In just his second race back from injury, Husqvarna-mounted Evan Smith looked good and was the definition of consistency, turning the seventh-fastest time in all five tests for seventh overall.
Craig DeLong claimed eighth overall for his ride that carried him to the NE Pro2 title, while Barnes finished ninth overall and second in class.
Local boy and two-time National Enduro winner Cole Kirkpatrick rounded out the top 10 on a Gnarly Routes KTM and was third in the NE Pro2 division.
THAD DUVALL
JOSH TOTH
Beta USA’s Rachel Gutish continues her string of wins and topped the Women’s Elite division by nearly two minutes ahead of Sherco’s Brooke Cosner.
Cosner won two of the tests, while Gutish won the remaining three.
“It was very interesting not having cell service and not really knowing how I was doing,” said Gutish. “I like to know. I know some people don’t, and some people do. But for me it’s nice to just know if I need to push a little harder, or if I can afford to back off. I liked this event. I wasn’t really expecting to. I’m usually not a fan of dusty and dry, but the course was super sick when I could see I had a good time.”
Texan Allie Spurgeon was third on a Husqvarna.
OVERALL RESULTS
1. Grant Baylor (Shr)
2. Steward Baylor (Yam)
3. Ben Kelley (KTM)
4. Thad Duvall (Hsq)
5. Josh Toth (KTM)
6. Ryder Lafferty (Hsq)
7. Evan Smith (Hsq)
8. Craig DeLong (Hsq)
9. Cody Barnes (Bet)
10. Cole Kirkpatrick (KTM)
BETA USA’S RACHEL GUTISH TAKES FLIGHT EN ROUTE TO THE WIN IN THE WOMEN’S ELITE DIVISION
AROUND THE PITS MUDDOBERS ENDURO
VETERAN MECHANIC CHARLES MARCHANT PREPS JOSH TOTHS’ FMF/KTM FACTORY BIKE ON SATURDAY BEFORE THE RACE.
GRANT BAYLOR POSES WITH HIS MECHANIC ERIC SIRATIN AT THE FINISH OF THE RACE.
ERIC SIRATIN FLASHES A BIG SMILE AS HE PREPS GRANT BAYLOR’S SHERCO FOR SUNDAY’S RACE.
THAD DUVALL’S ROCKSTAR ENERGY HUSQVARNA FACTORY MECHANIC TANNER TREMAINE IS TOTALLY FOCUSED ON THE TASK AT HAND.
CAPROCK CANYON ENDURO GALLERY
IF YOU FIND YOUR PHOTO DOWNLOAD IT AND USE IT
GRANT BAYOR DEBREIFED
This was kind of a different start to the year. You didn’t have much time on the bike at Sumter. Tell me how things have progressed over the year and about that first race.
Coming into Sumter, like you said, it was still early. We didn’t have too much figured out on the bikes. Didn’t have much time on the bikes. First race is always the last weekend of January, so we didn’t have too much time to shake everything down. Showed up to Sumter on basically completely stock bikes. So me and Steward both showed up and put in a second and third place finish there. After that, the next round we had quite a bit more stuff added into the bikes. We got a new Rekluse clutch put into the bike, which made a huge difference. Other than that, it was just mapping and we had to get the mapping stuff sorted out. I struggled with that for a little bit in the beginning of the year but got it sorted out. After that, it kind of just started clicking off. Luckily for me, Josh Toth missed the first round. Then Steward had his surgery halfway through the season. It really opened this shot at the championship for me. I’ve been right here for I’d say four or five years now just second or third overall. Just right there, so close. Now this year we’re right here and got one more day, and make it happen.
The last half of the year you’ve been so consistent, either first or second. Yeah. Earlier in the year, we had everybody here and the points were super tight. Like I said, then Josh was out, and Steward had his surgery and I think he missed two races there. So after that for me, where I stood, I think I had a fifteenpoint lead there at Ohio, and then had that malfunction with the bike where the air boot popped off. That took my fifteen-point lead to a negative five points to second place. That was really frustrating. It kind of made me doubt it, if I was going to be able to pull it off this year for the final few rounds. I knew all I could do is just try my best and try to stay consistent. So, after that I won the next round, got back into the points lead, and then moved onto Missouri. Missouri I had a good run. Ended up second overall, just was a crazy, tight race. Me, Steward, and Ryder all finished there in a second and a half apart. Josh ended up going down that day and hurting his hand. So that opened my points lead back up to fifteen points. I knew I just had to stay consistent these last few rounds. So that was the plan. So far it’s been good. Just got one more day.
In the past, you’ve been the fastest guy, but you’ve had injuries and things like that. This year has been relatively injury-free, hasn’t it?
Yeah. This year I basically haven’t had any injuries. Tweaked my knees a little bit,
but other than that, this year has been great. Like you said, the last few years, 2019 I started with a surgery in the beginning of the year and missed the first round. 2018, I had the surgery soon enough to where I raced the first round. I’m mixing the two up. One of the years I missed the first round, and the other year I made it in just in time and was able to squeak off an eighth place overall or something. The year before that, I was having the original injury that started it all which was my shoulder was popping out. That was what I ended up having to go into surgery for, was dislocating my shoulder. So there was just three or four years there where I felt like it should have been my championship to win, but like you said, it just didn’t work out with injuries or just stuff came up. But this year we put it all together. Me and the Sherco guys here, we put a whole season together and only one little issue there in the middle of the season, and still finished tenth overall at that race, so all in all I can’t complain. It was a pretty great year.
How long did it actually take you to get used to the bike? You jumped on a brand-new, totally different bike. How long did it actually take until you felt comfortable on the bike?
At this level, I’d like to say most of us guys can just jump on anything and learn how to ride it and learn how to be comfortable. But I would say for me, after the first thirty-minute period or that first ride basically, just like putting on a new pair of knee braces. It takes one ride to get used to it, and then the second ride you’re like, this feels pretty good. This feels just like home, kind of. But the first ride you’re like, this feels goofy. So same with the Sherco. The first ride on it, I was like, man, this thing feels kind of goofy. But we had the stop watch on my first lap out on the bike and I was instantly faster on the bike. So it felt goofy, but I was faster. The bikes are great. They handle so well. The power is great on the 450. It’s perfect for enduro, I think. It’s got a good, smooth delivery and a strong power. But it’s not too much. The bikes, you can’t beat the way that they turn. They turn so well and handle so well that I’d say that’s a big key in the enduros.
Do you think that’s the strong point of this bike is how good it turns?
Yeah, I would say that’s probably the strongest point of the bike would be I would say the turning on it and the handling, the tire placement. You can just basically say you want to put your tires right here on this exact inch of trail, with the Sherco you can do that. The tires just stick. They’re just planted. It feels like the bike has got a magnet holding it to the ground, almost. If that makes sense. But I would say that’s definitely the best thing about the Sherco is the way they ride with the handling.
So, you and your brother and Ben Kelley off and on, I think he’s riding a 450 tomorrow, are riding 450s. So how hard is that in really tight stuff?
I’ve ridden the 450 almost all my career in the national enduros. Back when I was on the KTM I tried the 350 a little bit here and there, and just the only difference you can tell from what I could tell at least, is in the super, super tight stuff, where you’re really working to pull the bike back and forth and move it between those really tight trees. That’s the only place you can really tell the difference of that, the weight and the inertia of the engine moving. Because it’s not really that much heavier. It’s only two pounds heavier, but just that inertia of the engine adds a lot more weight and fuel to the bike. But for me, I would never give up the 450. That’s just what I feel most comfortable on. I really like how I can just ride it in the bottom range of power. I ride that bottom range of power in a tall gear and just try to carry the speed, where on the 350 you got to really ride the bike. It’s almost like comparing a two-stroke to a four-stroke. You really got to work on the 350. You can’t just be kind of a lazy, I guess you could say, and rely on the engine, where you can on the 450. You can just keep it in a tall gear and keep your speed up.
I could tell from the start of the year how thin your face was that you’ve been working on diet and endurance and stuff. Tell me about your workout program and stuff.
Yeah. Last year halfway through the year I started working with the same trainer Steward had. He got me on the right track to show me what I needed to do to be better. But things didn’t work out with the trainer, so we split ways. This year I’ve been doing everything on my own. Just been really focused on trying to eat clean. I’m not going all out. I’m not eating cardboard, but I make sure I eat good and I make sure that all I drink is water. I make sure throughout the week I try to really focus on hydration and stuff like that. As for weight loss, I think the biggest factor of that was just spending a lot more time on the bicycle. Just pedaling and working in those zones. Doing a lot of zone workouts on the bicycle.
What are zone workouts?
You do a zone training on your heart. You’ve got five zones in your heart rate. I don’t know if I’m the best to explain, but the first zone is your warmup zone. The second zone is the zone where you build your hear. So the second zone is mostly where we train. Most of us guys that are doing the zone training will train in zone two.
So that’s endurance, right?
Yes. So zone two will build up your heart. Anything above zone two you’re basically breaking down muscles, you’re working it too hard. Which zone two is really easy. People think you get on a bicycle and you go and pedal as hard as you can for an hour and you’re doing great, but really you’re not. You’re really just hurting yourself there. So, really you need to learn your body and learn what your body needs. I think that has been a bigger factor in how I’ve progressed over the last year. So before that I was just pedaling a bike for an hour as hard as I could and I didn’t really know what I was doing. It’s really a science. There’s a lot to it.
Remember when I came to your mom and dad’s house and we did the story on the Baylor boys, you and your brother rode together all the time. Do you guys still ride together or do you practice by yourself?
Most of the time, I’ve been here the last year so I’ve been riding by myself a lot. I bought my own house. I’ve got 50 acres at my house. I’ve been riding there a lot. Then I’m about ten minutes from the Schol’s there, so I go and ride there about once a week. Other than that, I just mostly ride by myself or whoever around, if there’s people who want to ride. I ride with Steward when I can, it’s just you never
know. I don’t keep up with his schedule that much and he doesn’t keep up with my schedule that much to hook up every day and ride like we used to when we were living at my dad’s house together. We definitely still ride together and whatever anytime we can.
Like we said, last year you guys got a late start. This year you’ll have all winter to prepare for GNCC. Kailub is not riding. It’s going to be a wide open series. So what are your thoughts on GNCC and preparing for that series? Kailub is out for GNCC’s as of now for 2021. It’s going to be a crazy year. There’s I would say about eight guys that could potentially win. There’s a lot of fast guys on the line right now in XC1. This year it’s just really going to have to go to work. I think I’m just going to have to work on myself. I’m going to have to be prepared to go out and battle with these guys for three hours. The last couple years I’ve been focusing a lot on the national enduros just because of my injuries and coming in late to the season. I knew I had a better shot at the national enduro, so I haven’t put that much focus into the GNCC the last few years. I think that’s kind of showing a little bit. It’s obviously showing in enduros. I’m doing very well in enduros. I would say it’s also showing in the GNCC’s. I may not be doing as well as people might have expected. From my side, I’ve just really been trying to focus on this championship here. I take what I can at the GNCC’s. I always try to do my best. I think next year is going to be one of those years where I’m coming out and I’m going to be going for both the titles. I want to go for it all, really. Somebody has got to take over that spot. I know I’m capable, so I just have to do it.
So obviously it’s a different type of conditioning and a different type of race strategy between enduro and GNCC.
Yeah, definitely. I would say you can tell a difference just off of what kind of tracks you’re riding during the week. I would say if I rode a lot more on a motocross track and faster trails like that, then I would probably be doing better in the GNCC’s. But like I said, I’ve been focusing on the enduros so I’ve been focusing more on the tight trials. It helps a lot to be dialed on that stuff. I can go into a corner that’s 50 yards long that sweeps around some trees. I can go into that corner fourth gear, half throttle, and never let off all the way around that corner with trees, completely blind because I do that every day. I can react to whatever is coming around that corner and be ready. A big tree coming right at me, I’m ready to swerve and go around it and never miss a beat, really. Definitely you can tell. n
Oregon’s Daniel Blanc-Gonnet has stepped away from his job in Arizona for the time being and has planned to live the “van life” in 2021 (By the way, Daniel has been working for the Roper family business, a very prominent family in US Trials). The GasGas USA rider will be travelling the country, staying with friends, camping and training in every type of challenging terrain he can find.
On The Pegs caught up with Daniel while he was driving from Arizona to Oregon here’s what he told us about his plans.
OTP: We basically didn’t have a season this year, other than the California Invitational Trial, so tell us what you have been doing so far.
DBG: Well, I’ve been living in Arizona, so I’ve been doing a lot of riding with Josh Roper and Nigel Parker. Just really trying to keep up with the momentum, it’s been
a huge shift with GasGas being purchased by KTM and there’s been a lot of changes there, in terms of management and structure. So, just trying to get acclimated to the situation.
OTP: You actually rode the California Pro Invitational with an injured hand. Tell us about that and how it’s doing.
DBG: I actually had broken it the month before. I broke my scaphoid bone (which is situated between the hand and forearm on the thumb side of the wrist), and that is a really slow-healing bone. But I broke it on the distal pole side, which is the best side to break it, because it heals faster. It’s the best place to break the worst bone in your hand (laughs). So, I was off the bike for about 10 weeks and I wasn’t supposed to get doctor’s approval until the week after the Pro Trials, so I was on the bike for like two hours before the event and then I rode it, so the arm-pump was unbeliev-
able. Especially since the sections were more like an indoor event. I mean, it was good to get out there, but it was definitely not my best performance.
OTP: Talk about your plans for next year.
DBG: Well, I quit my job with the Ropers, and I’ll be riding for GasGas again, and just travelling all year and training full time. I want to put in as much work as I can to make 2021 a good season.
OTP: Logistically, how with your version of the “van life” work?
DBG: So as I travel I will stop at cool riding sports around the country and hopefully meet up with some of the club members in different areas. Obviously, over the year’s I have accumulated a good group of friends and acquaintances around the country that I can visit and stay with. I would also like to enjoy camping out in some really beautiful places. The western part of the United States is particularly beautiful this time of year. I’m also planning on spending some time at the Trials Training Center in Tennessee.
The first two national rounds of 2021 at slick, east coast rounds, so getting to train at TTC will be a big help for that. So, after El Trial de Espana, here in Caalifornia, I want to head to TTC to get some slick riding in.
OTP: The final national is scheduled for your home state of Oregon, so you’ve got to be excited about that.
DBG: Yes, that’s going to be fun, but I’m not sure exactly what it’s going to be like because they are holding it in a totally new place. It’s actually on the other side of the mountain from the place they held the last two rounds. It’s still in the Tillamook Forest, but the terrain is a little bit different, actually. There aren’t as many creeks and the rocks have a little bit more grip in them, so there will be bigger obstacles than they had at the last Oregon round.
OTP: It’s scheduled for the first weekend of October, so what is the weather usually like that time of year?
DBG: Well, it’s going to be a crapshoot. It could be nice Fall weather, or it could be pouring rain. But the reason they chose that time of year is because they are
guaranteed that the fire danger won’t be a factor. It was either an October date or a date earlier in the year, but we’re not sure when all of this COVID thing will be over, so they chose late in the year.
OTP: A few years ago we spoke about a cramping problem you were having at the really hot events. How have you progressed with that?
DBG: Well, living in Phoenix the last two years has helped a lot, and I’ve been working with Hammer Nutrition and they’ve been real helpful at getting me the correct dietary information I need to handle the problem. It’s kind of something I am kind of testing out right now and hoping to implement this next year.
OTP: Since KTM bought GasGas, how cool is it to now to be with a brand that is also accociated with Supercross, and in particular, someone like Justin Bracia?
DBG: It’s cool because I think it will bring a lot more attention to the sport, but the Trials team really won’t be any different than it was before. I think the way they are promoting it will make GasGas Trials bikes and Trials in General more visible to the public and it was really cool to see that Barcia was riding a GasGas Trials bike to cross-train on. It’s like Trials has always been the ugly step sister of motorsports and hopefully this will kind of bring it out into the limelight and make it a little more popular. Especially since extreme racing is really taking off.
OTP: So looking at the schedule, plus with El Trial, it looks like we are going to have some rounds that are really grippy and some that will be slippery. Do you prefer one over the other, or do you feel you have become a more well-rounded rider?
DBG: Right now, I think I am more preferential to riding terrain with more grip. I think it’s kind of from living in Phoenix the last two years and riding it more frequently. I definitely miss riding in slick terrain because the consequences are a lot lower. In the really grippy areas, to make something hard it’s generally more dangerous too. But I am looking forward to both. n
TESTING
1-2-3
FMF/KTM Factory riders Josh Toth and Ben Kelley go testing in West Texas in preparation for the Caprock Canyon National Enduro and photographer Mack Faint tagged along and filed this report...
Prior to the last national enduro in Turkey, Texas, I had the opportunity to accompany Factory FMF/KTM’s Ben Kelley and Josh Toth on a day of testing in Post, TX.
Ben and Josh were welcomed by the third place NE2 class finisher, Cole Kirkpatrick, to his family’s ranch in Post. Coming from the East coast both Ben and Josh (Ben from Connecticut and Josh from North Carolina) wanted to try a few different settings out.
The most notable of changes between the two was Ben’s switch from the KTM 350 XC-F to the 450 XC-F. He noted the change was due to the more open terrain in TX compared to normal NEPGs as well as him being more acquainted to the 450 coming from GNCCs. “Less acclimation time needed,” said Kelley.
Another piece of equipment that was being tested was tires. Ben tested the Dunlop MX53 while at the ranch but opted to go with his usual set of the MX 33 in the front and the AT 81 in the rear which he also runs at most GNCCs and NEPGs.
Josh Toth, on the other hand, opted to change nothing on his bike. Coming off a hand injury/surgery sustained at the Missouri NEPG, Josh wanted to keep things as close to normal as possible for him. No swapping of suspension, no remounting wheels with different tires. Josh ended up running his usual KTM 350XC-F with the same tire setup as Ben.
Talking with the guys prior to and after the race the thing they changed the most was not on their bikes, but their riding style and awareness. Back on the East Coast the guys both know how the dirt will react (heavy on the throttle, little worry about breaking traction). In Texas the guys were more steady on the throttle and more conscious about breaking traction.
Ben Kelley had this to say about the difference between soils and riding technique - “Back east i’m not worried about the dirt breaking loose, so i’m heavier on the throttle. Here in TX I had to be more aware of my throttle and clutch control so I wouldn’t spin.” n
PHOTOS BY MACK FAINT
TONI BOU: 28
INTERVIEW WITH TRIALS WORLD CHAMPION
October 27, 2020 by drbyos
Photos Courtesy Repsol Honda/Pep Segales
QUESTIONS
CHAMPION TONI BOU
What toys does the 28 times Trial World Champion have in his garage?
“Obviously my favorite toy is my trial bike, but I also have bikes. Here is only one because we have rollers upstairs to train. Neither can skis or snowboard be missing ”.
What is the first thing you do when you get home from a Grand Prix?
“Like every athlete and pilot, I want to disconnect and I try to go for a ride in the mountains with Esther, tell her how the weekend went, also with the dogs … It is a way to disconnect.”
Do people usually recognize you? Do they stop you on the street?
“The truth is that a little. More and more, with so many titles. But in the end, the trial is a minority sport, they recognize you for what you are doing without being annoying and I think it is the positive part of this sport ”. How many trophies do you think you have?
“The truth is that many. They are many years competing. Here I have some of X-Trial, with the last World Champion gold medal, and the last ones we have achieved in recent years. I have many of them distributed around a museum, also in Honda and at my parents’ house ”.
Do you ever plan to have a museum?
“The truth is that I would like to, but that’s when my sports career is over.”
Your favorite place in the house?
“My favorite place is the living room. It is where I disconnect the most, the place where I spend the most hours. I like being here because when you come home from your trips, it is very appreciated to have a place where you can disconnect and be super quiet ”.
Your favorite movie?
“My favorite movie is ‘300’. It is a film that gives me a lot of energy and that I have seen many times ”.
The last book you’ve read?
“I am not much of books. I did read Rafa Nadal’s biography. I think he is an athlete with whom I share many things; I like to see how he works and the mentality he has”.
What superpower would you like to have?
“After these last years, not injuring myself would be what I would like the most and to be able to try to do anything without breaking.”
Is this the famous terrace that appears in your videos during confinement?
“Yes, the truth is that it is a terrace that we have enjoyed much more than I ever imagined, because in confinement I took advantage of it a lot. I never would have imagined that I could train here. Thanks to the fact that the neighbors didn’t put me in trouble, I was able to enjoy many days on the bike ”.
Which celebrity would you like to invite for coffee here?
“To Will Smith, he is a famous person who seems very nice, very funny and that I would like to meet.”
With which historical figure would you like to spend a day?
“Maybe Neil Armstrong would tell you, to ask him if he really went to the Moon or not.”
A reference athlete for you?
“For me, Leo Messi. He is an incredible athlete, I am a top culé and with the history he is doing, he is an athlete that I love ”.
What material thing other than your motorcycle could you not do without in your life?
“I would tell you the bicycle, it is what I spend more hours with apart from my motorcycle and it is an incredible complement to my training.”
What is your specialty cooking?
“I quite like cooking. I really like making paellas. It has cost me a lot, but I have ended up learning. I really enjoy doing them with Esther, we spend time together and disconnect. Now I’m starting to get a little better and we enjoy it a lot. We also make fideuás and other dishes, but elaborate things cost me a little more ”.
What cannot be missing in your pantry?
“As a good athlete, you cannot lack carbohydrates. I really like pasta, it’s something very fast, it gives you a lot of energy and I eat almost daily ”.
What should you not consume as an elite athlete but you always have in the fridge?
“I have some beers to unwind for a bit after the races. I don’t drink much, but I always have some because it goes very well, really. “
Are you a neat person at home?
“Yes, the truth is that Esther is more so than me, but I try to help as much as I can. Also, I am more about not getting dirty and taking care of things ”.
What subject were you best at school?
“Whoops! School was complicated, and I have my mother and my sister who are teachers. Perhaps Physical Education was the one I was best at ”.
Where do you train and how many hours a day do you spend in the gym?
“With age, more and more time I dedicate to the gym, especially for an injury prevention issue. Over the years I have had to adapt, because at the beginning I spent little time at the gym. I have a fairly simple room at home, with the four things I use the most: I do a lot of stretching, because with so many injuries in recent years, I try to make a post-training recovery that works very well for me. And I also do cardio on the rollers with my bikes. Esther is also a bicycle fan and that
helps me do almost an hour a day on the roller ”.
Are you more of a mountain bike or road bike?
“Clearly mountain, I enjoy it more because there is always the reward that when you get to the top, then you enjoy the descent, which is very technical.”
Music before a competition?
“I really like music, but before the competition I have my rituals and fixations and I don’t listen to music.”
A place where you would get lost?
“I love mountains. Walking, disconnecting … I would never have imagined it but I like to disconnect more and more in the mountains ”.
An obsession?
“My sport, my motorcycle. I am very perfectionist with her, each time a little more. It’s what I think about the most and I spend the most hours of the day ”.
Three adjectives that define you?
“The truth is that I am very calm, although there are people who cannot believe it. A perfectionist with the motorcycle theme, and then I’m a very aggressive rider and I give it my all on the track ”.
How do you see yourself in ten years?
“It is complicated, but surely linked to the world of motorcycles. I love what I do, I really enjoy it and I would love to continue helping young drivers so that they can achieve what I have achieved and enjoyed ”.
Let’s go back ten years. What would you advise the 2010 Toni Bou?
“Enjoy how you have done and watch the injuries, which has been what has hurt me the most, but luckily there have been few things. I have been a very lucky driver and I have won many titles ”.
What would you like to say to your followers already thinking about 2021?
“It has been a very strange year, I have missed them a lot. I would love for 2021 to be a normal year and we’ll see each other at the races, so… see you in 2021! “ n
USA DEALERS
Dirt Riders
West Mike Carlton
602.370.7546 AZ, Phoenix
Lewisport USA Adrian & Mandy Lewis 209.785.6878 CA, Copperopolis
Balance Trials Supply Bill Haskell 720.207.7715 CO, Arvada
Trial Store USA
Aloha Trials
Hawaii Rides
Jack’s Cycles
Mossy Rock Trials
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
Carl Madsen
NE, Lincoln
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
GOOD OLD TIMES BLOG IT’S HAMMER TIME
BY KENNETH OLAUSSON PHOTOS: HUSqvARNA
After the 1960 season things heated up. Rolf Tibblin finished fourth in the 500cc championship and came fifth in the following year. Having trained harder than ever, he had high hopes for 1962. Straddling his Husqvarna, Tibblin’s main opponents came from Sweden, which certainly made the title chase interesting.
Rolf Tibblin won the European championship on his 250cc Husqvarna in 1959. The following year he chose to step up the ladder and go for the big-bore 500cc class. Tibblin already had some experience from Husky’s newcomer as he had done the initial tests when the machine was introduced at the beginning of October, 1958. Now he was to use the machine with number 18-61 printed into the frame. The
Husqvarna power plant had a displacement of 485cc from a bore and stroke of 79 x 99 mm. The compression ratio was measured at 10:1 and it gave a performance of 36 horsepower at 5,800 rpm. The big-bore beast from the factory showed big potential and had already won the 500cc title in 1960 with Bill Nilsson.
Six events out of 10 were counted for the top of the podium. The season opener was held at Sittendorf in Austria, a famous 3-kilometer track that has been used extensively in MX championship races. The circuit was fast and this year it was also very dusty. 40,000 spectators came to watch, and they were in for a total Swedish dominance. Out of six riders, five Swedes were among the six top places! Somebody said it was like a national championship race. In each moto there were 15 laps to conquer. Tibblin took the holeshot in the first leg and won comfortably. In the
second leg, he crossed the finish line behind the winner, but gained overall victory, picking up eight valuable points in the championship.
Six weeks later, the contenders rode in Pèrnes-les-Fontaines in France. It was a repeat of the opener with Tibblin winning and with five Swedes in the six top places. Two weeks later Tibblin came second behind Gunnar “Smiling” Johansson in Bremgarten, Switzerland. And a week later in Imola, Italy, Tibblin was again in front of his antagonist Johansson, picking up yet another eight points. The hardest Grand Prix during the 1962 season was no doubt the Czech GP in Prérov outside Prague, where everybody was exhausted after the two heats. “It just proved that my hard training paid off well,” Tibblin told us. However, he didn’t score since the frame broke when Rolf was leading the field. After half the season he was leading the championship with 30 points.
July 1st and it was time for Hawkstone Park in England. On these classic grounds the sixth round was arranged by the ACU, the British motorcycle union. Rolf Tibblin was back in top shape and outmanoeuvred the entire home elite, winning with a huge margin. Four weeks later - in Lichtenvoorde, Holland - he shared victory with Gunnar Johansson. They had exactly the same time, to the second, and both received seven points each. It hadn’t happened before and it would not happen again! The scores after seven rounds: Tibblin 45 points, Johansson 36.
Race fans that have experienced the Belgian Namur track at the Citadelle know that it is a very special and demanding event. On top of it all, this time it rained heavily, making the track slippery and difficult to master. Despite the weather, 25,000 enthusiasts came to watch Tibblin take two second places in the heats. He had a crash in the second leg and had to regain positions after being last in the field. Coming second under these circumstances was a true achievement, probably the major ride of the entire 1962 season.
“In Ettelbruck I had to sit in the paddock and watch everybody else racing,” Tibblin remembered with a smile on his face. “I had broken down and only needed to see if Johansson won or not. As he didn’t, my first world championship title was in the bag. I could hardly believe it. It was a sensational feeling winning the 500cc circus for the first time. I remember I couldn’t sleep for days. As in 1959 when I became European 250 champion, I walked around the city for hours, just enjoying the feeling. It’s hard to explain, but it was the greatest moment in my life. I was also victorious in the national championship winning four out of five rounds at home. It was truly a fantastic season for me and my Husqvarna.”
Rolf Tibblin won half of the Grand Prix events during 1962. In seven out of 10 races, Tibblin finished in the top two podium positions, which surely was a new record in MX. To make it even better, Rolf participated in the successful team at the Moto Cross des Nations in Wohlen, Switzerland. The Swedes were so dominating that the four of them crossed the finish line together, holding hands. Husqvarna contributed to this enormous success and Rolf would go on to win yet another 500cc world title in the coming season of 1963.
It was “Hammer Time” for Tibblin, and Husqvarna! 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
