Upshift Issue 31 - March 2019

March 2019

Issue 31

Photo: R. Schedl

Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes, always wear protective clothing and observe the applicable provisions of the road traffic regulations!

The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected details from the production models and some illustrations feature optional equipment available at additional cost.

www.kiska.com

www.husqvarna-motorcycles.com

EXPLORE THE TRAIL BEYOND Realize your true riding potential with the 2019 dual-sport range from Husqvarna Motorcycles. Go as far as you dare thanks to premium quality components, exceptional light weight, intelligent power and innovative technology. For a more intuitive riding experience, the FE models deliver top-level performance with unprecedented ease of use across all terrains.

Issue 31 March 2019

rietary information: These drawings contain information rietary to Upshift. Any reproduction, or transmittal of this mation without expressed written consent is prohibited by Any use partial or complete of the sord marks is prohibited punishable to the full extent of the law.

March 2019

Issue 31

LOGO SHEET

THE INSIDER

FULL GAS! - ANDREW SHORT

Cover Simon Cudby Design Chris Glaspell Photography Editor Simon Cudby

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Contributing Writers Simon Cudby Chad de Alva Jesse Felker Seiji Ishii Kyra Sacdalan

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Contributing Photographers Tim Burke Justin W. Coffey Chad de Alva Olivier de Vaulx Jesse Felker Michnus Olivier

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SNOW BIKE CAMPING deep IN IDAHO

Story Editor Stefanie Glaspell Business Development Brandon Glanville

CHASING TRAILS

ARIZONA WINTER

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PROJECT BIKE

HUSQVARNA 701 ENDURO

FULL GAS! INSIDER: ANDREW SHORT

Andrew “Shorty” Short’s year began with a 5th place finish at the 2019 Dakar, then a scant 36 hours later, on January 18th, he threw a leg over his Husqvarna in Primm, NV for his debut in off-road racing for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team.

Since exiting professional supercross and motocross two years ago, Shorty’s “retirement” has been full gas. We caught up with the likable Texan to catch up.

After Dakar, I participated in the extravagant closing and awards ceremonies. Then it was fifteen hours of travel, which included customs hassles. I landed in Las Vegas, and I pinned it to Primm. I missed the first practice, but I was racing again, 36 hours after crossing the finish line at Dakar. Unreal. I was on auto-pilot. I did sleep on the planes, but I didn’t have the juice to race “actively.” I was there, but I wasn’t if you know what I mean.

Since the New Year, I’ve raced over 3217 miles, and I’m heading out this weekend to Lake Havasu City, AZ for the third round of the WORCS series to add to that total.

I slept an average of 4 ½ hours each night during Dakar. One of the biggest fears is making mistakes due to mental fatigue.

I decided to race off-road because it sounded like fun. The off-road racing does help me maintain my intensity between world rally rounds, and the WORCS format seemed like a great mix for me because of my background in motocross and the current desert racing. But mostly, it’s for fun.

I don’t feel like my life is slowing down, but since returning from Dakar, my life feels normal. In rallies like Dakar, you live in a bubble for a while, and that becomes the norm.

It takes a while after returning home to adjust back to “normal.”

I work on bikes so much now! It seems like if I’m not riding, I’m working on bikes. But I didn’t have to start racing again, I chose to do this, so I don’t want to complain. Last weekend I worked on bikes for thirteen hours on both days!

I miss certain parts of supercross and motocross. I miss the people; after seeing them week in and week out, it’s strange not to see them. I miss the feeling of the gate dropping, charging the first turn and the initial two laps. All of it is happening so fast, and everything is a reaction. It’s not the same in rally or off-road. I miss feeling that.

If I do get a break, the first thing I want to do is to eat and sleep normally. I want to eat Mexican food and sleep. When I slept at Dakar, my mind was still active, thinking about what I needed to do the next morning and how I was going to race the next day. It took a few weeks for me to stop after getting home. And now with off-road and me working on bikes, etc. I still have a bit of that. Yeah, I would like to eat a lot of Mexican food, then sleep with an empty mind.

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Upshift - March

1.

Fly Racing Unveils The New Formula Helmet FLY Racing is proud to present the all new Formula helmet, one of the most advanced motocross helmets ever created after years of collaborated research and design with industry leading doctors, scientists, and physicists from around the world.

Most traditional helmets only provide protection from a very narrow range of impact scenarios. FLY Racing’s goal with the Formula was to go beyond this and provide superior head protection from the widest possible range of potential real-world impacts. The result is a technologically advanced helmet engineered with an inside-out philosophy. Utilizing a fine-tuned ecosystem of structural designs and energy mitigating materials, the Formula will redefine helmet performance and safety expectations.

Tested under rigorous scientific standards that replicate real world conditions, the Formula outperformed all helmets tested in both high velocity impact crashes as well as forces created by rotational and low speed impacts. formula.flyracing.com

2. Leatt Velocity Goggles The inventors of the Leatt-Brace® just announced the launch of their brand-new range of goggles. An exciting new addition to Leatt’s growing range of products, the Velocity goggles were developed with WideVision anti-glare, anti-fog tech and 2.7mm military spec lenses. The range consists of three types of goggles, namely the 6.5 Iriz, the 6.5 and the 6.5 Roll-Off goggles. Designed to work in all conditions, to fit well, and the lenses of the goggles are bulletproof tested and certified to: ANSI Z87.1-2015, CE EN 1938 :2010 and Military ballistic standard (MIL-DTL-43511D), making them super durable. They are all equipped with a 170° WideVision Anti-Fog, easy clip-in/out lens and a self-draining frame/lens design. For more information on Leatt Velocity Goggles go to www.leatt.com

Upshift - March

3. Fully Redesigned Klim Dakar Jacket Announced The KLIM Dakar Jacket has been a staple for dual-sport riders, racers and lightweight travelers since its initial release years ago. Now, KLIM has gone back to the drawing board and fully overhauled the jacket for this long-awaited redesign. They wanted more than just improvements over the previous version, the goal was comprehensive versatility with fewer compromises. They wanted a solution for multiple seasons of off-road and dual-sport riding, with protection for riders who want more than a jersey but not full-time GORE-TEX. It started with material selection, and most of the fabrics in this new Dakar Jacket weren’t even available when the first version came out. Karbonite Micromesh stretch woven nylon makes up large parts of the chassis, offering excellent mobility and air permeability. The air permeability of Karbonite Micromesh allows more airflow than solid woven fabrics but less than fully open mesh, making it great for warm weather. Ripstop overlays for durability in key areas still exist, as do the zip-off sleeves and tail pouch storage space for when the temperatures peak.

KLIM engineered the Dakar Jacket with rider focused functionality that inspires confidence at 100 mph through the desert, or crawling up nasty singletrack. It’s ruthlessly rugged and built to dominate any terrain.

Sizes: SM-3X, Colors: Black, Gray, Tan. MSRP $249.99. www.klim.com

504 / 505 Series Tire Made for soft to hard terrains, this combo tire offers exceptional traction, braking, stability, and control.

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Upshift - March

4. AMP 690 Enduro Rally Kit by MST Now you can convert your KTM 690 Enduro into a 690 Rally with the help of this kit from AMP. Kit Includes MST Attachment System: Fairing Bracket/ Tower made from solid steel, Upper and Lower Steering Bearing Brackets are CNC machined steel, Bike specific steering stem, The navigation tower is supplied pre-assembled, Tail Clear Windshield, Side panels in white ABS, Navigation tower (with optional Ram Mount support plate included), 2 LED spotlight type headlights, 1000 lumens each.

MSRP: $2,095.48 www.ktm-parts.com

5. ZULZ Showtime Roller Bag The big brother to Primetime. When you’re heading out for that extended vacation and need just a bit more room for all your clothes, shoes… and then some, look no further than Showtime! Constructed primarily with 600D Oxford Nylon accompanied with YKK #5, #8 & #10 zippers, this airline approved check size traveler offers quality needed for lengthy trips. Looking to have your company or sports team travel with a consistent and professional look? No problem, the front panels were specifically designed to offer plenty of co-branded real estate. Individuals looking for a new traveler with that sleek and simple look that will separate you from the others, this is for you. MSRP: $239.95 zulzbagco.com

6. Motion Pro SlackSetter Pro • Accurately and quickly measures chain slack • Two scales measure both chain slack and chain to swingarm clearance in millimeters • Setting chain slack properly dramatically improves chain life • Light weight compact design fits easily in your tool box or road kit • Works on most street and dirt bike applications up to 75mm chain slack • Made from engineered nylon with aluminum measuring scale • Anodized laser etched precision measuring scale • Refer to your owner’s manual for proper chain slack and procedure • Patented Design. MSRP: $18.50 www.motionpro.com

STAY AUTHENTIC WITH ECSTAR SUZUKI GENUINE OILS Whether you’re on the open road or exploring an unbeaten path, ECSTAR Suzuki Genuine Oil gives your V-Strom the performance it needs so that you can focus on the adventure ahead. Increasing engine performance, throttle response, and fuel efficiency, ECSTAR is the only choice when it comes to high-quality lubricants specially formulated for your Suzuki motorcycle.

Get ECSTAR Suzuki Genuine Oil at your authorized Suzuki dealer, or online at Store.SuzukiCycles.com.

Suzuki, the “S” logo, and Suzuki model and product names are Suzuki Trademarks or ®. © 2019 Suzuki Motor of America, Inc.

Wide Open

Moab, Utah

Photo: Olivier de Vaulx

2019

Wide Open

Lake Turkana, Africa

Photo: Michnus Olivier

2019

Wide Open

Colorado Rockies

Photo: Chad de Alva

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Chivilcoy, Argentina

Photo: Tim Burke

2019

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Primm, Nevada

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Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scene, always wear protective clothing and observe the applicable provisions of the road traffic regulations. European specification model shown.

Photo: F. Lackner

www.kiska.com

Snow Bike Camping

Photos and Words by Jesse Felker

I woke up after a night of below zero temps and wind and saw my breath in the morning light illuminating my tent. My first task was to layer up in the gear that I had slept with to keep it from freezing.

Then came those frozen boots that helped me start my day off with ice cold toes. The VHF radio was a mix of static and that robotic weather frequency voice, informing me of heavy snow and gusts of wind up to 35mph for the day ahead. Poking my head out of the vestibule revealed a large amount of new snow accumulated overnight, I thought to myself, “This is no ordinary moto-camping trip.”

Lukas Eddy arrived the night before. He brought two loaner snowbikes for us to use for winter moto-camping in the Idaho backcountry. As we packed and bounced ideas off of each other, we went through a process of elimination packing only the most essential gear. Figuring out what was most important was easy: bring things to keep us from dying. Avalanche equipment. Camping gear for the extreme conditions we would be in. Food and water that needed to be prevented from freezing. I stuffed many large hand warmers into my duffle, hoping the waterproof properties of the bag would help contain some heat.

Lukas and I had never ridden any type of snow machine, so preparedness would only get us so far. We would need some guidance. We both had plenty of experience riding motorcycles through rough terrain and conditions, so we felt confident going headfirst into this endeavor. However, having a knowledgeable individual of the sport and region would be essential to make sure we weren’t getting in over our heads or into a risky situation. After all, this would be far different from any type of riding we had done.

I tracked down a local in Salmon, ID named Galen Jarvis who was thoroughly excited to take us on this adventure.

We loaded up the three snowbikes onto Galen’s trailer early Saturday morning and headed down the highway. After driving for an hour, we could barely see the mountain peaks of our destination through the snowstorm. We laughed nervously, as we were throwing ourselves right into what could potentially be a miserable mess.

The road leading up to our staging area had drifting snow from the high winds coming through the valley, and the truck struggled a bit to get to where we’d need to park.

We unloaded and geared up quickly. I threw a leg over my machine after letting it warm up and took off on my first ever moment of riding a snowbike. Surprisingly, they handled far differently than a dirt bike. Steering was vastly different and took some adjusting to understand how to go the direction I wanted. After just moments, I was off the side of the road, and my front ski dove deep into the powder and augured the track in deep. Galen eventually found me, helped pull the bike out, and explained that the snow surface crusted from the wind and made it difficult to ride in. Back on track, we headed up the forest service road behind Galen.

We quickly gained elevation and the experience improved by the minute. The powder got deeper and easier to ride, as long as I kept the RPMs in the upper range. I was no longer struggling with the terrain, and adapted to the lean and carve required to send myself in the right direction. I felt like I was riding on a cloud. Within minutes, I thought, “This is way better than dirt biking.” Something I didn’t know was possible.

Surrounded by old homesteads, mining equipment, and tall pines clumped with snow, our bright bikes and riding gear stood out in contrast to the dark green and white.

The bikes thundered loudly up the incline, breaking the silence of the woods. Snow drifted down the steep hillsides so much that it was as if the road hadn’t been carved, and I worried the bike would slide sideways right off of them.

However, with how narrow the machines are, they side hilled easily around those obstacles.

Eventually, we arrived at a huge flat area full of timber and open spaces, with a frozen lake and high cliffs in all directions. We clipped unseen obstacles buried below the surface, dropping the bikes on their sides and fell deep into the powder. It was a struggle getting them back up alone.

Stopping for lunch, we fought thick ice built up on our bags.

Unbuckling and opening the stiff tarp material was tough, which makes you ask yourself if you’ve got everything you need before packing everything up again.

Running out of daylight, Lukas and I followed Galen up a tight ravine, zig-zagging between trees, rocks, and steep hillsides best avoided with the snow conditions. At a stopping point on a ridge, I checked my GPS app and saw we had reached 10,000’/3,000M. The wind was pretty severe, so we all agreed to search for a spot with somewhat of a wind block.

Galen and Lukas pointed their bikes downhill and took off down the ridge. By the time I caught up with them, Lukas was already off of his bike and digging deep into the snow with his avalanche shovel, only his torso was visible.

After a couple of hours, we had our tents set up, and gear unloaded. We piled dry wood up on one side of Lukas’ gigantic snow-pit. It was now 6PM and only 7°F/-13C. With a bit of gasoline and some fire starter brick, a comforting flame was rolling. We boiled water for our dehydrated meals and had congratulatory cheers with slushy beers. We all were struggling with the cold. The relentless wind and snow were blowing through camp. We were all playing a game called “Do I have to take my gloves off for this task, or not?” while doing simple tasks. It didn’t take long for us to turn in to our tents to try and stay warm through the night.

I dreaded gearing down. That also meant climbing into a frozen sleeping bag and waiting for my body temp to warm it up.

I cinched down the hood of the mummy bag as far as it would go, hoping my breath would create a warm air environment.

Throughout the night, the wind would pick up hard, making me shiver until I drifted back to sleep.

Awaking for the final time, I reached for my radio, a morning ritual for myself when camping. I clicked my way through the frequencies. At 162.500 MHz, I picked up the local NOAA station. I geared back up while listening to the forecast, then unzipped my vestibule and dug out the snow piled up in front of it.

Looking at camp, I saw that all traces of our tracks were erased. We must have had about a foot of fresh powder. The surface was perfectly smooth, drifting into tiny cornices. Each bike was blanketed in snow. The last remaining recognizable human-made trace was our snow pit shelter, with an avalanche shovel handle poking out of the snow at the entrance.

Back inside my tent, I made a quick boil-bag breakfast.

The steam filled the tiny shelter, making it pleasantly warm for a few minutes. A sequence of zipper noises was followed by someone saying, “Whoa!! Have you looked outside yet??” I soon saw the goofy grins on the other guys’ faces at the amazement of the weather we were experiencing.

It didn’t take long at all for the weather report on the radio to come true. Heavy snow began, with goose feather flakes falling. The snow depth started rising quickly, already burying my tracks inches deep by the time I circled around my tent digging out the stakes.

With everything else packed first, we stuffed our tents into the remaining dry bag and secured each one in our luggage harnesses. It took some patience, but we finally got all three bikes to wake up and break the silence. A quick radio communication check and we were ready to head out of camp.

Galen was a bit nervous about us making it out of camp and back to the main road, as he hadn’t seen snow this deep in the region in four years. With the track of my bike nearly completely buried, I understood why. After seeing the true snow depth from the pit Lukas had dug, we knew the power-robbing powder and bikes loaded down with gear was going to make it interesting. The only way to make sure the bikes would get moving and stay on top of the snow was to get the RPMs way up, drop the clutch quickly, and hang on.

Within a few minutes, we were back in a large opening. Crossing over a rolling hill, then dropping down the other side, I found the snow coming clear over my handlebars. I was certain the bike was going to submarine itself and completely stop. However, keeping the bike revved out allowed it to keep moving. The snow was pushing my legs back and taking my feet off of the pegs, but amazingly the bike kept powering through. It was like floating through a dense cloud, with no feedback from the ground like you’d have on the dirt. It was a nearly weightless feeling.

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Every spot we returned to looked completely untouched as if we were never there. The big advantage of all the fresh snow was the fact that the ski wasn’t trying to track itself in the trails. It made it possible to easily pick any line or direction, and travel anywhere we wanted to go.

Along the way back to the truck, we stopped to visit more homesteads, each buried in snow and falling apart. It was interesting to think that people used to live in these simple structures in this kind of weather. However, our tents probably weren’t that much better at the end of the day.

Once back at the staging area, we immediately cranked the engines on and turned up the heat. Having some real warmth after a frigid weekend was a major luxury we took for granted beforehand. We loaded up the bikes and struggled a bit to just drive down the road that was drifted in snow.

This trip was unforgettable. We had finally all done some moto-camping in the dead of winter. I can’t speak for the others, but it was also the most fun vehicle I had ever ridden. I can’t wait to do it all again.

#VStromAdventures

Explore the entire family of V-Strom motorcycles at suzukicycles.com Along with concerned conservationists everywhere, Suzuki urges you to Tread Lightly!® on public and private land. Suzuki, the “S” logo, and Suzuki model and product names are Suzuki trademarks or ®. © 2019 Suzuki Motor of America, Inc.

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CHASING TRAILS WORDS AND PHOTOS BY CHAD DE ALVA

In Arizona, there’s this saying that the desert calls you back – and at no time of the year is that call greater than in the winter months.

The deserts in Arizona are amazing places, and winter just so happens to be the best time of year to enjoy them, especially from the footpegs of a dirtbike. Temperatures are absolutely perfect for being outside, and all of the storm systems that are nuking the high country with several feet of snow are dropping much of that same moisture in lower elevations as rain, and that means the desert is lush, green, and staggeringly beautiful. Combine this incredible landscape with hero dirt, and miles upon miles of trails laced through thousands of acres of public land and you’ve got a wintertime riding paradise to satisfy any rider’s appetite. It’s the perfect place to ride at a time of year when many riders are only counting the days until summer while their bikes collect dust in storage. There’s always awesome riding out there – you just have to go find it.

The off-season is a state of mind. There’s no reason you can’t ride your dirt bike all year long, you just have to look beyond your local riding areas. It never ceases to amaze me how many riders will just park their bikes for the winter just because it’s snowing where they live, or their local trails are under seasonal closure. Yet with this mindset, riders who park their bikes all winter long are leaving so many good days of potentially awesome riding on the table. Why would you try and pack all of your riding into eight months of the year if you could ride every month of the year and get to experience some amazing new places while you’re racking up more throttle time?

Stephen and I left Flagstaff early in the morning in the middle of a snowstorm that made us wonder if the sunny and 65-degree forecast that we found for our riding destination was going to be dead wrong. As the crow flies, where we were going was less than 150 miles away – a distance that a storm would have no problem covering. And conveniently, that is precisely what the radar was showing minutes before we started loading up our bikes. Comments were made while we wrestled with a trailer caked with frozen road grime and ice, that the skiing would probably be pretty good today, and that it was going to be a serious bummer if all we were doing was loading up for a drive in a snowstorm. Yet, we were both too excited about the potential for a great ride in the desert, so we knew that dealing with a little snow and ice was a small price to pay for what was most likely going to be awesome riding.

Pulling into the parking lot of a riding area outside of Phoenix, AZ, Stephen and I were quite happy with our current situation.

First, the forecast was accurate, and the weather was looking great for riding. There were a few clouds in the sky, and the sun felt wonderful after a morning spent working with a frozen trailer. Secondly, other riders were hanging out by their trucks in the parking lot, talking in that excited, highly animated way that dirt bikers do when recounting an epic ride – and we knew from the slightly muddy bikes and ear-to-ear grins these guys were sporting that conditions were choice. This was going to be a great day of riding in the desert.

Choice may have been an understatement. Recent rain had turned the desert into a verdant paradise that was growing out of near-perfect hero dirt, and it took all of one corner to figure out that we had traction for days. Stephen and I shot down a section of single track that wove in and out of shallow drainages and along ridge lines with the kind of flow that just makes you so happy to be on your dirt bike. So much so that I may have spent the first hours of the day riding, and not taking any photos, because the riding was just that awesome. And well, sometimes you just need to enjoy the moment.

The desert is home to all kinds of prickly-spiny-pointy-sharp things that you don’t want to hit, and these various forms of cactus love to grow right next to the trails – and that makes cornering interesting. If you’re the type of rider who feels confident brushing up against trees when you’re rallying in the woods, I would advise avoiding contact with the landscape in the desert unless you want to learn firsthand how Cholla cactus work. Yet, riding this close to various forms of cacti will certainly make you think about exactly where your body is in relation to all of these pointy things, and that directly translates to better awareness of how you’re riding. In other words, the game becomes how close can you get without making contact, and you’ll walk away from riding out here with better body positioning and cornering skills.

Speaking of cornering, no desert is complete without its washes, and our riding area was packed with several large washes that coiled up into awesome narrow canyons as they fed a much larger river that was currently swollen with flood waters. In these washes, you’ll find the benefit side by sides have, in that they make perfectly bermed twotrack corners that are an absolute hoot to dive into going faster and faster each time. A word of warning about those side by sides though: make sure you’ve got someone watching the other end of a corner for you. You don’t want some guy who just bought a 200 HP RZR thinking he’s Robby Gordon and bombing into the same corner you’re trying to session. Railing berms are fun – out of control side by sides are not.

Once you’ve had your fill of realizing how much you still have to learn about cornering before you can come anywhere close to your favorite pro, there are about a zillion options for excellent single track to go explore. The wash that ran to the river in our riding area was like an artery that fed countless trails that took off on either side of the wash – and it’s here that we really found the goods. From narrow Utah-Esq slot canyons that aren’t much wider than your bars, to foliage tunnels and challenging climbs up different layers of rock strata, the desert has it all. We found spicy, full commitment descents and plenty of fast, flowy miles of trail that linked ridgelines together where wildflowers grew on either side of the trail. Fun, challenging, and like no other environment in the states – the desert has it all.

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K L I M .C O M

Far too soon, the sun was getting low in the sky, so Stephen and I reluctantly pointed our bikes back toward the truck as the desert started to come alive in the golden hour glow that turns the views up to 11. Cactus spines glow in the golden light, in stark contrast to the deep blue of a sky cleared by a recent storm. We savored each corner and every foot of trail knowing that soon we would be staring at the snow once again. The desert comes alive in the winter, to the point that it could be mistaken for someplace else when the summer’s heat significantly changes the way everything looks and rides in just a few short months. Needless to say, the wildflowers and hero dirt aren’t going to be here like this by the time typical riding season starts, and the snow is melting up high. Now is the time to be in the desert.

There’s no reason that you need to park your dirt bike for months on end while your activities are focused around playing in the snow. There’s so much information out there about places to ride, so fire up the interwebs, and call your riding buddies. Find some areas, and then watch some YouTube about the places you’ve found to really get excited. Think of this as an excuse to get to check out a new part of the country or to spend some time riding with your buddies when you otherwise wouldn’t be riding. Make a plan, and make it happen, whether that means a day trip like Stephen and I did, or a multi-day trip to really get to enjoy and explore an area.

The desert can be so much more than a tumbleweed-strewn wasteland, just like I’m sure other parts of the country are fantastic at this time of year. If you take anything away from this article, I hope it’s that there is always awesome riding to be found – you just have to go looking for it. For my part, I can’t get enough of the desert in the winter. And this winter in particular, with its El Nino levels of moisture has made desert season exceptionally awesome. If you haven’t had the chance to experience riding in the desert, you’ll feel like you’re riding on a new planet – one that’s staggeringly beautiful, has a remarkable variety of terrain, and if you show up just after a storm, all of the hero dirt you can handle. Offseason is just a state of mind, so get out there and ride.

FUELING YOUR PASSION

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TESTED

BY CHAD DE ALVA

MOTOMINDED - MOTO ESSENTIALS KIT & AIR FILTER DISK MotoMinded makes some of the most innovative and functional products for the motorcycle industry, and two of their products that I’ve been using recently are prime examples of outstanding innovation and problem solving. The crew at MotoMinded love to say that they always have motos on their mind, and it shows in all of the products they make – as these products are clearly the result of a deep rooted passion for riding. One of these products deals with storing some often-overlooked spares on your bike, and the other fixes what is arguably a serious threat to KTM owners, who may have an air filter part that wasn’t made very well from the factory.

The first product is the Moto Essentials Kit, or the MEK for short. This little waterproof tube mounts onto the inside of the airbox cover on MY17 and up KTM enduro bikes. It provides a secure place to store things keeping them safe from the elements. What things, you may ask? Well, MotoMinded developed several loadouts for the MEK depending on the bike that it’s being mounted on. The four-stroke model holds a complete master link (including O-rings and lube), starter relay fuses, fuel filters and fuel O-rings, and provides a place to store some cash or a copy of your paperwork. All of this loads onto a skeleton that slides into one end of the MEK and is secured in place with a snap-on lid. There are two different models for two-stroke bikes depending on whether your bike is carbed or fuel injected. The fuel injected model holds fuel filters, fuel O-rings, and a spare plug, while the carbed model trades the fuel filters and O-Rings for extra jets.

Installing the MEK takes literally five minutes, with the biggest time sink being that you need to get your airbox cover clean before you stick the MEK on. MotoMinded makes the process easy by providing an acetone wipe (wear gloves) and a template to position the MEK just so on the inside of your airbox cover for an interference-free fit. Once you have the template installed on a clean airbox cover, simply pop the MEK out of its bracket and stick the bracket on. Install the MEK into the bracket, and take comfort in the fact that you now have some key essentials stashed on your bike.

I’ve been running the MEK on my bikes in both dirtbike and snowbike configurations and I’m happy to report that I haven’t had any issues with the MEK coming loose, coming unstuck from the airbox cover or doing anything other than reliably carrying what I put in there. Near constant exposure to snow on my Timbersled has confirmed that yes, the MEK is fully sealed and I have to say that I really find the extra peace of mind from having redundant spares on my bike comforting when I’m riding a long way away from the truck in a place that I can’t walk out of.

TESTED: MOTOMInDED-MOTO ESSENTIALS KIT & AIR FILTER DISK The MEK is really a no brainer – it adds a negligible amount of weight and turns a bunch of empty space inside your airbox into a functional storage spot that could literally hold the part you need to get back home. In the time I’ve been using the MEK, I haven’t really found anything wrong with the product – it’s that well-made and thought out. My only points of concern are the lids and lid retaining clips in that they could break if someone tries to open them in a hurry or handles them roughly, but I’m really not expecting that to be an issue. My only desire for the MEK is for the FI two stroke model to have a master link setup. On the whole, the MEK is an awesome product and something that should be inside everyone’s airbox.

The other MotoMinded product that I’ve been playing with recently is the Air Filter Disk, or AFD. If you own a current-gen. KTM or Husqvarna, you need to pay attention to this. Have you noticed a little tear in your air filters right where the center boss (that’s the X-shaped protrusion on your air filter cage) contacts the air filter when the filter is installed on the cage? If so, you need to look closer at your air filter cage. It turns out that putting a pressure point on a foam air filter is a bad idea, especially when said pressure point happens to be where the stem from injection-molding the air box cage is cut off during manufacturing. Depending on how sharp that point is, your filter cage could cut right through your air filter, and allow your motor to ingest dirt.

Thankfully, my 500 EXC-F had a perfectly smooth air filter cage, and I never noticed any tearing in my air filters when I cleaned them. Yet I wasn’t so lucky on my 300 XC-W TPI. The first time I cleaned my air-filter was during my initial setup of the bike when it had maybe 10 minutes on the motor. Pulling the air filter off I saw a small knick in the filter, and found a chunk of foam caught on my air filter cage. I’m feeling lucky that I caught this sharp air filter cage when I did, as opposed to finding a hole in my air filter the next time I went to clean it.

TESTED: MotoMinded -MOTO ESSENTIALS KIT & AIR FILTER DISK Thankfully, the MotoMinded AFD can protect your filters and your whole motor from a poorly manufactured air box cage. The AFD is a simple press-on part that relieves the pressure point on your air filter and distributes the load, making it so that even if you don’t have the best technique for taking your air filters on and off your cage, you can still do so confidently knowing that cleaning your filter isn’t going to destroy it, and that riding your bike isn’t going to cause the cage to wear through the filter. For the price, you have no excuse not to install this peace of mind on your bike.

Spend a few minutes around the guys from MotoMinded and you’ll understand how they come up with their products – these guys live to ride. The MEK and the AFD are two products that really make sense. They provide peace of mind with an extra stash of critical spares when something fails in the field, or knowing that your air-filter cage isn’t trying to wear a hole in your filter. There is no downside to the AFD or the MEK, so check them out, as well as the light mount kits we absolutely love at MotoMinded.com

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Words: Kyra Sacdalan

You can’t miss him. In a bar full of Peruvian patrons, Garrett Poucher towers over the crowd, neck tattoos peaking over their heads. In the US, he’s not a giant, and his ink isn’t unorthodox, but in Peru, glowing from a remarkable finish at his first Dakar, 32nd in the General Classification, Garrett stood out.

He’s familiar with this sort of attention. He hit the off-road racing circuit at full tilt just over three years ago. And since, he’s found himself, and his team – cleverly named Garrett Off-Road Racing – on the podium or in the winner’s circle of most events they’ve entered. Some call that lucky. Others call it a gift.

But really, he’s just goal-oriented.

After getting to know Garrett, it’s apparent this successful businessman has applied the same tactics from entrepreneurship to competition using strategy, persistence and a bit of courage to go after his childhood dream of off-road racing.

Starting with amateur motocross events, Poucher was soon invited to race on a sportsman ATV team at the 2015 Score International Baja 500.

And that was it. He crossed the finish line a goner – firmly in the grasp of that same desert addiction which has claimed the lives (or at least wallets and free time) of so many others.

Eyes fixed on the horizon, Enduros took him across varieties of North American

countryside,

collecting

accolades along the way. His passion for long-distance rounds like the Score series inevitably led him to Rally Raid. A contest placing its riders deep into the wild, in locations around the world, and adding navigation to the challenge, using only hieroglyphs on a scroll of paper as guidance. It was the next step. Another level of trials which would shape him for the ultimate battle, the Big Show…

The Dakar Rally.

The race days were extreme. In the morning, pilots would liaison anywhere from 20 to 200 kilometers with an average of 350 kilometers of an individual, split in two or all at once, to attack before another 20 to 460-kilometer trek to the next bivouac. “We were typically on the bike from eight to ten hours a day. Every day felt like we had soloed the Baja 500, but for 10 days!” His nerves were on edge the first day. He, like so many in the lineup, had no idea what to expect.

Resolute, Garrett had decided in this first stage results didn’t matter to him. Riding along the Peruvian Coast, he surveyed his surroundings, realizing to the full extent of his situation: “I was on my motorcycle in a race which I had dreamed of competing in since I was a little kid.

I was on top of the world.” And so he was at ease.

Garrett had wanted to wear a number at Dakar since the 80s.

Watching VHS tapes of the infamous race as a boy, he would fantasize about riding his dirt bike across mountains of sand, fighting past blinding clouds of dirt, trying not to be crushed by race-spec garbage trucks piloted by Russians, Asians and Europeans hell-bent on dominating the dunes. The rally is a symphony of machine-powered melodies harmonizing as engine noises bounce off cliff-sides along an untamed racecourse. It’s enchanting. And to a child who’d been crushing desert and dirt trails since he was in diapers, forget Disneyland, Dakar was a place of magic. “I was the type of kid who would constantly daydream about riding. I would sit in the passenger seat of my dad’s truck and picture myself riding the terrain next to us as we drove down the highway.”

Poucher owes his father for his fixation on the outdoors, the desert and motorcycling. He would painstakingly drag little dirt bikes out for the family’s outings, doing maintenance and prepping five kids for a weekend of riding. Timid on the track at first, Garrett was taught to conquer his fears of tall hills and MX jumps. It took a while, but over time, his courage grew, and he soon found joy in attacking new obstacles and pushing himself out of his comfort zone. This is how he developed skills on and off-bike. But racing was still just an illusion. He didn’t have the connections or contacts in that world, nor did he know where to start, though he persisted nonetheless, until at age 18, when his efforts came to a screeching halt with the birth of his son. From then on, all of his time, funds and focus went to his family – working 60 to 80 hours a week and driving 75k miles a year for a construction job to be like the supportive father who had raised him.

When his parents had split, Garrett went to live with his father at seven years old. He watched his dad struggle through relationships and jobs, succeeding only to fail, then pick up and do it again without skipping a beat. “The one thing he did consistently was he kept pushing forward, never giving up.” Although it was an experience which instilled a powerful driving force in him, that didn’t mean it was easy. Garrett, like his father, kept his head up and persisted with a smile on his face. He switched schools 13 times, making it difficult to keep friends but teaching him how to make new ones. A few months after the arrival of his first child, his grandfather passed away from cancer. Two months later, he lost his brother to a car accident. A young father, with heartache to face, he spun a bit out of control. Enough to become an overweight workaholic divorce’ by 25. It was then he started running. Part fitness, part therapy, he used running to help him focus.

When he noticed his motivation waning, he signed up for a marathon, because again, he’s goal-oriented. Having an objective kept his concentration on training for an achievement instead of indulging his vices. “This was a pivotal moment for me as it finally clicked: If I have something to train for then I have the motivation to be better.”

Flash forward a few years and six (more) kids later, Garrett is married to an equally ambitious doctor and is the owner of his own booming construction company when, again, he gets the itch. He’d never stopped riding, but the prospects of competing were a distant memory. But things had changed since his teens. As the boss, he sat at the top of a pyramid of employees running a now well-oiled machine. Though he likes to have a presence, if not a prominent role in all the projects, he trusts his team enough to take some time away from the job site. And with his offspring ranging from preschool to college age, with their own pursuits to attend to, he can steal some time for himself to chase a little of that glory he’d fallen for all those years ago. So one weekend, spotting a sign posting about a new motocross series called The Ultimate Amateur Series he thought, why not? “I showed up to the first event, my nerves on edge and a little sick to my stomach. But when the gate dropped, my adrenaline started pumping, and I knew I was hooked!”

At this point, the road to Dakar was still light-years away. Or so it seemed. Heat after heat, he’d do better than anyone could have expected – maybe everyone except for Garrett. Someone once called his racing style volatile, because he’d push himself to the breaking point at one stage, crashing and dropping down the ranking, only to push even harder until he reached the top ten. No matter what punches are thrown at him, he takes each one on the chin and doesn’t break his stride, like a freight train obliterating anything in its path. By 2016, he was already the cherry on a podium shaped cupcake, taking first and second place at Score International’s San Felipe 250, Rosarito Challenge and even the Baja 1000. His gift for spotting talent helped keep Garrett Off-Road Racing (GORR) in the top ten in 2017, the same year he ventured into the world of navigation and won the BAJA RALLY. Come 2018, he welcomed sleeper Skyler Howes, another unassuming “nice guy” who’s a monster on two wheels. It was Garrett who encouraged Skyler to try Rally Raid, which inevitably led to Skyler’s two victories at the Sonora and BAJA rallies – the only two he had ever entered. The Sonora win came with free entry to Dakar, making it a priority, as far as Garrett was concerned, to send he and Skyler to Peru after New Year’s, counting it the third Rally Raid notch on Howes’ belt. But first, the two, joined by GORR teammates Michel Valenzuela and Derek Ausserbauer, nabbed 3rd place overall in the 2018 Score four-race series.

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The duo would jump over many hurdles to land in Lima, not really sure it would happen until, at the very last minute, everything fell into place.

“Racing Dakar doesn’t mean you can just sign up, pay a fee and truck your bike and gear down to the start. Racing in the Dakar requires months of planning and preparation. To start, you have to be accepted by the organization even to compete. You have to submit your resume, have the required experience and be able to prove it. They do check!”

They’d spent the better part of a year raising money – creating a GoFundMe page, hosting mini moto events, working odd jobs, soliciting sponsorship, even selling shirts, hats and their personal effects. And

logistics were another unforeseen nightmare, figuring out how the approach. Will they try to transport their own vehicles, race bikes, parts and gear? Or rent services from a professional support team? Feeling extra ambitious? Maybe they could wing it in the Malle Moto class... It was a choice which could affect the whole outcome of the race, and they hadn’t even left US soil.

In early October, the two had secured support, but when it came time to finalize agreements, they learned the company couldn’t fulfill their end of the bargain, so, less than three months away from the start, Garrett and Skyler had to find another option. A quick call to their friends at Rally Pan Am and Konflict connected them with team Klymciw out of the Czech Republic. Purely by chance, a spot had opened up and GORR filled the seat, all in a matter of 48 hours.

It was Day Two when Garrett found himself in a circumstance which, unbeknownst to him, had gone viral. Caught by several cellphone cameras, were video clips of a Dakar competitor casually riding down Peru’s seaside interstate with a bare wheel stripped down to the rim. Hours earlier, only 76 kilometers from the finish, the rear tire insert would burn out, flattening the tire. Garrett tried to limp to the end of the Special stage until, finally, the rubber compressed entirely 30km out. Hodgepodge it together with zip ties and tow ropes but to no avail. Klymciw team rider, Petr Vleck, sacrificed his time towing Garrett’s bike with his matching Husqvarna as far as he could. When the course became impassable for the two, then fellow Americans Cole Potts and Max Eddy Jr. came to the rescue with their Team Speed UTV to pull his bike up to the final waypoint. With a 200km liaison between him and the next bivouac, Garrett glued a grin to his face and urged his bike down the highway, waving gleefully as passersby did a double-take and whipped out their cameras. It would be a late night and an early morning, yet – because this is Dakar – SS2 wouldn’t be the worst of it.

The pinnacle of his pain came just after Rest Day. Fatigue began to set in. Competitors had ended their day off with over a 200-kilometer ride to a gymnasium in Camana, where they would lay their heads on what equates to a yoga mat before finishing the 520km liaison to the start of the special stage at the crack of dawn.

Caught in traffic consisting mostly of semi trucks, an SUV had stopped at the exit of a blind turn, and with nowhere to go (trucks filled the oncoming lane), Garrett could only brake and brace himself. Bruised, but altogether fine, he picked his bike up and moved on to the special. Little did he know, it would be the toughest stage of the rally. The riders took off the line two-by-two heading through some small dunes and a rocky plateau. Spectators and media dotted the sandy peaks as far as the eye could see. It was a dogfight lasting hours until a necessary quick fuel and water stop broke up the madness before the second special. “Everyone who came into the gas pit was exhausted and in awe of how hard the section was.” But as bad as conditions were the first round, they were about to become worse. Revisiting a previous stage, but in reverse, the fesh-fesh (a local term for fine, deep powder-like silt) was churned and pounded so hard it left tracks and holes the size of their motorcycles. Dirt and dust filled the air with such density, visibility was clear as a blindfold. The wind was so strong it turned every jump into a transatlantic voyage on a sailboat, drifting sideways and unsteady before landing back in an ocean of sand void of landmarks.

In the end, not all of team GORR made it to the platform in Lima to hear his name over the loudspeaker in front of a roaring crowd. Enduring an off-bike incident during Stage Three’s second liaison, Skyler’s freshly injured shoulder refused to stay in place as he charged the infamous Special Stage Six. And though he took a DNF that day, anyone who’s seen the promising young rider’s performance throughout the rally knows he’ll be back with a vengeance.

Garrett, however, put all his life lessons to work to accomplish a stunning 32nd place finish, as a privateer no less.

Maybe that someone was right. His riding is volatile. The first day, he climbed from a 71st starting position to finish ten rungs up the ladder. On the second day, he fell all the way down to the 120th seed, only to explode past the group the following special into 28th. This volley back and forth went on through all ten stages, but what never changed, never skipped a beat, was his drive. Because this was where he’d wanted to be from the moment he set his eyes on Dakar. Because he could be sitting on a couch somewhere, too afraid to go for his dreams. And compared to a lifetime of ups and downs, eating earth and shit to fulfill your passion is a cake walk.

Winston Churchill once said, “Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.” If there’s any truth to this, then Garrett Poucher has aced every test he’s taken, the Dakar Rally notwithstanding.

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UPSHIFT - HUSQVARNA 701 ENDURO PROJECT

WORDS AND PHOTOS BY SIMON CUDBY

We’ve always been fans of the Husqvarna 701 Enduro ever since we rode these big bikes on our trips to Iceland.

We got a new 2019 model in our hands recently, and although it’s a great bike right out of the box, we knew we could spice up the machine with some extra bits.

We called up some of our Upshift product partners to help us come up with this project build. From updated Konflict suspension, to some sweet graphics by Upshift’s own design guru Chris Glaspell, we were really pumped

The only thing left was to get motocross legend and Husqvarna ambassador Jeff Emig on-board for a fun day on the trails!

Check out our YouTube video for this build here

Husqvarna 701 Enduro, click here Motorex, click here

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UPSHIFT - HUSQVARNA 701 ENDURO PROJECT

on the finished look of our Motorex themed bike.

UPSHIFT - HUSQVARNA 701 ENDURO PROJECT

Fasst Co, Flexx Bars, click here

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Konflict Motorsports KM2 Re-valve Service, click here

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Dunlop D606F front, click here Dunlop D908RR rear, click here

IMS Product Core Enduro Footpegs, click here

MotoMinded ABS Cable Guide, click here

MotoMinded LED Light Kit, click here

Doubletake Trail Mirror, click here

UPSHIFT - HUSQVARNA 701 ENDURO PROJECT

Seat Concepts Complete Comfort Seat, click here

UPSHIFT - HUSQVARNA 701 ENDURO PROJECT

UPSHIFT - HUSQVARNA 701 ENDURO PROJECT

Cycra ProBend Std. Mount Handguards, click here

Akrapovic Slip-On, click here

Husqvarna Aluminum Skid Plate, click here

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