Trials

T&E News V. 50 Issue 7 July 2015 P 51still managed sixth overall with and minimize the mistakes, and first lap with 13 points. Putt,104 points. I was able to do that on the sec- who was having a much bet- ond two laps. Overall, I was pret- ter first lap today, was sitting in Despite his big win, Smage’s ty happy with how I rode, and I second at 16 points, followed bythoughts after the event were feel I’ve improved over last year. Roper with 27.on eliminating his mistakes. These conditions are where I usually struggle the most and I Smage edged Putt by three “I started off a bit rough” said feel I’ve improved a bit.” points again on the secondSmage. “In section two I had a loop, 17 to 20, while Roper bet-strange crash where my helmet Day two was more of the tered his first lap by six points toactually came off, which was same. And while the rain held post a 21-point lap.a bit different, but I was able off, the damage had alreadyto turn it around from there. been done, as the riders were Heading into the final lap,After that, I had good rides greeted with another day of Smage held a six-point leadup until section 12, and I had muddy sections. Webb was not over Putt. And with the sectionsanother freak thing happen. I among the starters on Sunday, rapidly deteriorating, anythingwas on a good ride and then all but went to the doctor instead could happen. However, Smageof a sudden my front end just after waking up in the morning knuckled down and pulledtucked and I landed in a jumble with food poisoning. off an amazing 11-point lapof rocks. I’m still not really sure and waited in the pits for Puttwhat happened, but from there Once again, Smage jumped to turn in his card. When PuttI just tried to clean up the fives out to a narrow lead after the finally came in, his third lap card

T&E News P 52 Al Golike spashes through one of totaled 26, giving Smage the the creek sections. clear win. Putt finished second with 56 points, 15 behind Smage’s 41, while Roper rounded out the podium with a total for the day of 75. Smage’s win gave the Wiscon- sin rider an insurmountable lead in the series standings, which wrapped up the Sherco rider’s eighth national championship with two rounds remaining in Wyoming remaining on the schedule. “It’s pretty amazing,” said Smage. “To have one title is pretty amazing, but I never dreamed I’d reach eight. It feels really good, and with Cody Webb coming back to ride this year, I really wasn’t expecting to do this well. Putt and Roper are riding really well, too, and I didn’t know if they would over- take me this year or not, so it’s kind of a surprise to wrap up the title early.” The Expert class saw Scorpa mounted Quinn Wentzel take the win on both days, solidify- ing the Ohio rider’s first-place status in the series standings. Meanwhile, Beta USA’s Andreas Neiderer was a solid second on both days, finishing just two points behind Wentzel on Saturday. Pennsylvania’s Dave Diehl topped the All Support Line on Saturday, topping Juan Canellas of Michigan and Ben Winterer of Minnesota on Saturday. Mean- while, Canellas turned the tables on Sunday, beating out Joseph

T&E News V. 50 Issue 7 July 2015 P 53

T&E News P 54 Terry Anselmo Alex Niederer

T&E News V. 50 Issue 7 July 2015 P 55 Cody WebbJustick and Diehl for the win. Cody Webb Elliot Keys of Illinois beat ScottJordan and Matt Walker on bothdays to win the All ClubmanLine, while Gary Bourque tradedwins with Brad Villand in the AllExpert-Sportsman Line.ResultsSaturday1. Pat Smage (Shr) 242. Cody Webb (Mon) 453. Andrew Putt (Shr) 644. Bryan Roper (Shr) 685. Logan Bolopue (Shr) 866. Alex Niederer (GG) 104Sunday1. Pat Smage (Shr) 412. Andrew Putt (Shr) 563. Bryan Roper (Shr) 754. Alex Niederer (GG) 1035. Logan Bolopue (Shr) 1086. Cody Webb (Mon) DNF

T&E News P 56What They Said: ing this crazy wet. There was no traction anywhere. YouPat Smage couldn’t rely on grip no matter where you were, even right out of the creek it was muddy everywhere. Some of the toughest conditions but good sections. They did a good job laying them out and every- thing was ridable. It was just challenging. On winning his eighth MotoTrials title... On Saturday’s Trial... It’s pretty amazing. It’s a pretty high number that I never Saturday started off actuallythought I would reach. To have one was an awesome feeling a little bit rough. Section twoand this is a whole other level. I haven’t been really thinking I had a strange crash that myabout it but that’s a big number and it feels really good to get it helmet actually came flyingdone. I’m really happy with the way the season’s gone. Definite- off and I’ve never had thatly wasn’t quite expecting to do this well with Cody (Webb) com- happen. So that was differ-ing back and Andrew Putt and Brian Roper riding really well ent but I was able to turn itand getting closer and closer. I wasn’t sure if they were going to around from there and haveovertake me this year or not but it’s a great way to end the year some good rides all the wayearly. Definitely really happy. up until number 12. Another On the conditions... kind of freak thing. I just went This is probably the muddiest conditions I’ve ever competed over a rock and my front endin. Maybe my first national ever was similar but since then noth- just tucked and went over the bars and landed in a jumble of rocks. I wasn’t really sure what happened there. I didn’t quite see what my front end tucked on or why it happened. But from there I just tried to mini- mize those errors and clean up the fives and was able to do that the second two loops besides the third loop I fived. Overall I’m pretty happy with the way I rode. Definitely feel improved over the last year as far as the conditions went. This is usually where I struggle the most and I feel like I’ve improved a bit.

T&E News V. 50 Issue 7 July 2015 P 57 especially with how well the kids are riding. They’re just go- ing to get better and it’s going to be harder and harder for me to continue to get better. I’ll do what I can and I’ll try my best but if this is the last one it feels great and I’m happy with what I’ve accomplished. I look forward to the success of oth- ers in the future. On Sunday’s Trial... was the worst of conditions About his upcoming trip Sunday seemed tougher to when there’s absolutely no trac- to Iceland...me. The sections were a little tion. Just tried to spend a goodmore technical. Almost worse amount of time in that and I do Two winters ago I startedconditions as far as traction think it helped me because that riding bicycles in the snow,and the mud. We had rain has been my biggest weakness. fat tire bikes. Been having aovernight but without any Obviously last year in Tennes- blast with that. Actually begin-during the day the rocks just see was a big struggle and Cody ning of January I picked upgot really, really nasty and the rides that really well so I knew an ambassador program withmud just started to kind of dry if there was a mud event he the company Fat Back andup but not really. It just made would be really good. I know I’ve been working with them.it really, really soft. It was hard Andrew is also strong in the It’s really good training forto get drive anywhere. Each mud. So I knew I had to up that me I think. I do a lot of bicycleloop got tougher and tougher. game a little bit and be ready riding in the winter on them. I About the off-season... for it. I feel like I was definitely think it helped overall bal- During the off-season, I just better off. Still plenty to learn ance and technique and thattried to ride in the worst con- but an improvement over the transferred over. They’ve beenditions possible. When there past years for sure. giving me some great oppor-was still snow and also when tunities. I’m actually headingthe snow was melting and On matching Geoff Aaron’s out to Iceland on Wednesdaythings were thawing out. That 10 titles... for a weekend to ride bicycles and shoot videos and photos That’s still a pretty far reach so it’s kind of like a dream trip for sure. Usually I’m doing that sort of thing myself on a motorcycle but this time I’m getting invited out there to do it on a bicycle. Really looking forward to new experiences. See where life takes me from here. n

T&E News P 58 Andreas NiedererAndrew Oldar

T&E News V. 50 Issue 7 July 2015 P 59 Michael Leonard Bryan Roper

T&E News P 60Around the PitsThe sights and scenes around the pits at the Ohio MotoTrials Logan Bolopue must be up to some- thing sneaky! Aaron Thistle (above) gives his best Matthew McConaugheypose for the camera. (Above) Ty Cullins sports the new Beta shawl around his shoulders. (Left) Check out Alex Nieder- er’s two front teeth. The Gas Gas USA rider chipped them in a crash in Ohio. Ouch!

T&E News V. 50 Issue 7 July 2015 P 61 “The Smage”Need we say more? Andrew Putt in line for techni- cal inspection. Sherco brought in this real pizza guyB-Rope!with a real pizza oven to feed the crowd!

T&E News P 62Bou TriumphsPhotos Courtesy FIM/G2F Media FIM World Trials C’Ship Toni Bou Round 3 May 30-31, 2015 Bora, Sweden Toni Bou continues to stamp his authority on the FIM Trial World Championship and claimed his third double victory of the season in Bora, Sweden, as the Repsol Honda Team rider remains unbeaten so far in 2015 at the highest level of competi- tion. A triumph on Saturday and an- other on Sunday saw Bou take another firm step in the direc- tion of a ninth world outdoor title, as the Spaniard widened his advantage in the series standings to 28 points over his nearest rival. Saturday Rain showers throughout most of the morning meant condi- tions out on the twelve mainly natural sections, scattered in and around the forest that surrounded the paddock area, became incredible slippery with the soil between the rocky outcrops already damp due to heavy rain in recent weeks. The added severity became appar-

T&E News V. 50 Issue 7 July 2015 P 63s In SwedenAntoneMeoAdam Ragaent as early as the fourth hazard, laps. Bou once more delivered a killerwhich had already been eased In a repeat of what had occurred performance during his secondalong with sections three and in last week’s Czech Republic GP, lap to move into a winning posi-eight due to the wet conditions, several mistakes on the first lap tion. Bou dropped just 10 marksstill stopped all the World Pro saw Bou momentarily drop- and completed the lap withoutriders. In was the same story ping the race leadership, before a single five on his second go-in section eight on the first lap making amends and retaking round. It was this display thatalthough Bou came very close top-spot on the second lap. was to ultimately seal him vic-to conquering the rock infested Finding himself four marks tory after a nervous start by hishillside. As a result, these two back after the opening lap from own high standards.impossible hazards were further Beta’s Jeroni Fajardo, who ended Once more the Repsol Hondamodified for the remaining two the day as worthy runner up, Team rider used the twelve-haz-

T&E News P 64 James Dabill ard third lap to keep adversaries in check and secure the top- step of the podium. Bou’s Honda sidekick Takahisa Fujinami, likewise, had a good day in the office. Bou’s Japanese teammate at Repsol Honda Team rode an intelligent, techni- cal race that saw him on course for a podium finish throughout. The rider scored a great final lap, improving considerably on the previous two, but fell two points shy of equally his Japa- nese GP result and was forced to accept third place on the roster. On a day when Fajardo and Fujinami fought hard for the remaining rostrum positions, it proved to be a tough ordeal for both Adam Raga (GG) and Albert Cabestany (Shr) who placed fifth and sixth respec- tively. Both Spanish riders had to overcome home hero Eddie Karlsson (Mon), who was fourth at the end of lap one, to eventu- ally demote the young Scandi- navian protagonist to a career best sixth spot. James Dabill, on the new Vertigo, Alexandre Ferrer (Shr), Jamie Busto (Hon) and Franz Kadlec (Bet) rounded out today’s top ten in that order, as all four of them missed their opportunities to feature higher up the final results. Bou was quick to thank his minder after the win. “I didn’t start off badly, but I did pick up an early fault in the fifth section, which it was hard to come back from and I finished the first lap collecting another

T&E News V. 50 Issue 7 July 2015 P 65fault at the eleventh,” said Bou. Alexandre Ferrer“On the second lap, which wasanother good one, I improvedand pulled back and on thethird lap I was able to assertmyself in spite of another faultin one of the sections. Despitethis, I’m really happy with theresult and for the fifth consecu-tive win. I want to thank myminder Didac Cercós, who isback in the world champion-ship and I want to send bestwishes to Joan Cordón for aquick recovery.”SundayIt was a tough day out in aslippery, mud-filled trial wherestaying vertical was a feat initself and where it was hardwork to recuperate from anymistakes.Despite taking a sixth win, thestory was not straightforwardfor Bou, who was pushed everyinch of the way by Raga withthe eventual runner-up finish-ing just three marks shy of whatwould have been a famousvictory.This leading duo, who lockedhorns for the full duration ofthe Trial, ended the day wellclear of the final podium fin-isher Cabestany, with this beingonly his second top three resultso far this season.Only minor tweaks were madeto the sections overnight withday two again beginning withintermittent rain before giv-ing way to brighter skies laterin the afternoon. A poor fiveat the seventh hazard on the

T&E News P 66 Albert Cabestanyopening lap had the effect of Bou for a share of the lead as Out front Bou and Raga weredoubling Bou’s intermediate the familiar rivals went into the still trading blows right untiltotal, but despite this error he closing twelve hazards both on the death. Section seven thatstill took the early lead. It was twenty marks apiece. Alongside had been Toni’s downfall onFujinami who was to slot into the headline story, Cabestany lap one cruelly became Adam’ssecond place at the end of was making quiet progress up victory wrecking moment as helap one, two marks behind his the leader board and was to ride failed where he had only lostteammate and one in front of himself into a hard earned third one mark previously. Both ridersRaga. A terrible second lap was come the end of play thanks to produced some amazing ridingto cost the Japanese rider dearly an excellent closing lap. Con- during the last lap despite themtough and demoted him to fifth sistency was the name of the being under pressure, much toposition come the finish. game for Jeroni Fajardo (Beta), the delight of a sizeable Swed-Raga produced the best sec- his three very similar lap scores ish crowd. Bou’s three mark winond lap tally, his seven mark netting him fourth spot by a puts him thirty eight pointsloss seeing him draw level with single mark over Fujinami. ahead of Raga in the general

T&E News V. 50 Issue 7 July 2015 P 67 Jeroni Fajardostandings after what has been ship is really important because second lap, where once againan unblemished start to the sea- it’s not possible to win all the he struck the little toe of his leftson for the reigning champion. races, but as my rivals have foot against a rock. The Japa-“It ain’t been a bad start to the changed around I’ve got an nese ace continued but strug-season, but today we had to 18-point advantage. I will keep gled to ride, dropping marksfight really hard to win the race battling on because anything and finishing just one point offbecause Adam had got himself can happen in the two-day fourth place. Fujinami, doesahead and we were neck and races and there’s still a lot of however, hold on to fifth placeneck on the second lap,” said championship to run.” in the general standings.Bou. “The last lap was a tough Fujinami, after yesterday’s thirdone but I was able to take the place, went in search of a repeti-victory, which I’m very satisfied tion and finishing the first lapwith because we worked very tucked in behind teammate Bouhard. in second spot. Fujigas pickedThe difference in the champion- up a five-point penalty on the

T&E News P 68Great Britain Makes Eight For Bou Toni Bou

T&E News V. 50 Issue 7 July 2015 P 69 FIM World Trials C’Ship Adam Raga Round 4 June 6-7, 2015 Penrith, Great Britian Photos By FIM/G2F Media It was a mixed bag for series points leader Toni Bou at the GP of Great Britain. While Bou had to fight hard for Saturday’s win, on Sunday it was a very different story as the reigning champion and Repsol Honda rider romped to an easy and emphatic victory at the British GP to extend his unbeaten run to eight Trials in a row. Saturday As has been the case in recent weeks, while Bou remains undefeated in the series to date, he again had to fight hard to achieve his latest success with, this time, Raga pushing him to the finish on his Gas Gas. Weather hampered proceed- ings with intermittent rain making the sections slippery and treacherous, and inviting potential errors on Saturday. But while the rain poured, Bou shone over the competition on a first lap completed with an extraordinary final tally of just five marks. The nearest second-place adversary handed in a scorecard with more than double that amount. It was a different affair on the second lap, in which the cham- pion, on the Montesa Cota 4RT, chalked up three consecutive

T&E News P 70 Takahisa Fujinami five-pointers early on before making amends with a string of cleans that left him with a final total of twenty-one. The Repsol Honda Team star kept the competition in check on the last lap, where in spite of a fault in the final section, was able to collect the seventh champion- ship win on the trot, widening the gap over second-place Raga to thirty-one points in the standings. Sherco’s Albert Cabestany pro- duced his best finish of the year with a third-place on Saturday. Meanwhile, Beta’s Jeroni Fajardo remains third in the title race as he took fourth position and was the last of the riders in the World Pro category to complete the Trial with a double-digit score. Rookie Jaime Busto – Repsol Honda completed the top five as he came off best in a tight three-way tussle where only two marks separated three riders. Home protagonist James Dabill (Vertigo) had held fourth spot going into the final lap, but had to eventually settle for sixth as he lost one more mark than Busto. Meanwhile, Takahisa Fujinami (Hon) was to fair the worst in this tight fight and was demoted to seventh spot come the final count. Alexandre Fer- rer (Shr), Eddie Karlsson (Mon) and Franz Kadlec (Bet) occu- pied eighth to tenth positions respectively. Despite the predicted early morning rain, Saturday’s Trial got underway with some sunny intervals and in dry conditions

T&E News V. 50 Issue 7 July 2015 P 71 Alexandre Ferrerwith the quarry based hazards going into the last lap with the the final lap things went bettershowing signs of dust in places. rain having now stopped. The and I was able to control theHowever, when the rain did Repsol rider produced the equal race, although I picked up fivefinally arrive just as the World best lap of the Trial to conclude marks in the final section. I’mPro riders started their sec- Saturday’s competition and to very happy with the win andond lap, things changed very stretch his winning run to seven also because Adam did veryquickly. Following an opening on the bounce. well today. To be leading thelap loss of five marks, Bou then “I’m very pleased with the way championship by 31 points afterfailed the first three sections on that it went,” said Bou. “Above winning the first seven races ishis second visit to allow Raga all the first lap, where I really incredible. I’m experiencing ato close in on him. However, set myself apart. In the second, really sweet moment and I hopeToni steadied the ship and still I started really badly and they that this level of riding lasts forheld an eight-mark advantage gave me a fault for stopping. On as long as possible.”

T&E News P 72 Jeroni Fajardo Sunday On the second day, Bou sealed his latest success by the mas- sive margin of thirty marks. Although Raga had been able to keep close to Bou 24 hours earlier, on Sunday he simply had no answer to Bou’s supremacy, but was still more than worthy of his clear runner-up placing. Fajardo returned to the podium to complete an all-Spanish top three, but way behind the pace of the Bou and Raga. Rain marked the start to Sunday’s Trial, with revisions being made to four of the sections to allow for the ever-changing weather conditions. The hazards were at their most slippery on the opening lap and this reflected in the scores of all except Bou who finished his first tour for the loss of a mere ten marks. Raga was next best at this point some 14 marks back. Already the writing was on the wall and Toni’s vic- tory was never in doubt going forward, the only question was, what would be the size of his victory come the finish? Over the following two laps Raga fought a lonely battle to at least keep the gap between himself and Bou respectable while never being under pressure for his eventual runner’s up placing. It was Cabestany who was in third spot after the initial twelve sections, but he was to fade as the Trial wore on allowing Fajardo to claim the last rostrum place on day two, with Cabes- tany settling for fourth. Busto never really found his

T&E News V. 50 Issue 7 July 2015 P 73James Dabillrecent form on the sometimes the change in weather as they extended his lead in the seriesgreasy sections and again had both recorded much lower standings to thirty-four pointsto be content with rounding out laps totals on their second and over Raga. Fajardo, Cabestanythe top five for the second day third tours to finish the day and Fujinami currently sit third,running. With the rain having sixth and seventh respectively. fourth and fifth respectively instopped after lap one, the rocky France’s Ferrer, who will now the general standings.quarry based hazards began to look forward to his home GPdry which saw the riders reduce next, took eighth position whiletheir scores over the closing Eddie Karlsson and Franz Kadlectwo laps. Takahisa Fujinami closed out the top 10.and Dabill were just two rid- Bou remains unbeaten at theers who greatly benefited from Nord Vue venue and has now





T&E News P 76 DESIGNED FOR YOUR JOURNEY EQ U ILIB RIU M | Designed to merge the best features of a Trials and Enduro Tire, the new Equilibrium adds side bite and stopping power to an ultra-sticky trials-influenced tread pattern. From hard-pack to slick rock and everything technical in between, you’ve found your new go-to tire. Available in 4.50-18 and 110/90-19.STEWARD BAYLORCHECKERSROUND 1, KENDA AMA NATIONAL ENDURO CHAMPIONSHIPKendaTire.comPhoto: Shan Moore

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T&E News P 78AALuItEoNpsy A motohead’s guide to the most exoctic bikes on the planetGrant Baylor’s N-Fab AmPro Yamaha bLU cRU YZ450F

T&E News V. 50 Issue 7 July 2015 P 79 the mount to make it a little bit stouter. For sand races it really doesn’t make a big difference but when it comes to rock races like Snowshoe, you definitely need something like that. These bikes are mainly designed for motocross so they don’t beef them up like they need to.” A unique item that Baylor runs is Ankle Saver footpegs made by Fastway. “I really had my doubts when he first told me he wanted to run them, but then I tried them and I can see how they could help out in certain situa- tions,” says MacDonald. While at the recent ISDE Train- which are matched to a KYB rear The Goods:ing Camp, we had a chance to shock. • Cycra bark busterscheck out the bike that Grant • G2 hand guard moundsBaylor will ride on this year’s US Baylor weighs around 220 • G2 throttle tubes and camJunior Trophy Team at the ISDE pounds so he had to go to a • Pro Taper handlebarin Slovakia this coming Septem- much heavier spring rate. He ..(Windham SX)ber. also went a bit slower on the • DP Brakes w/ DP front rotor valving at both ends. ......and GYTR rear rotor For 2015, Baylor signed with • ZipTy shark finRandy Hawkins’ Am Pro Yamaha Baylor says the suspension is • Works Connection leveroff-road team and is riding a the smoothest he’s ever ridden. • Cycra skid plateYZ450F in the enduro series and The triple clamps are Ride Engi- • Unabiker radiator guardsat Six Days. neering, and Baylor prefers the • CV4 hoses standard offset. • GYTR sprockets Grant is running a new CycraPlastic kit that slims the bike up Other than a Vortex ignitionby a few millimeters and helps and a Rekluse manual clutch,improve the airflow to the air the engine is basically stockbox. Baylor’s mechanic, Corey with an FMF full system 4.1 RCTMacDonald, also shaves 8 mil- bolted to it.limeters off the frame where thestuds come out for the radiators, One thing that MacDonaldwhich narrows the bike a total does on all the Yamaha’s heof 16 millimeters. works on is beef up the swing arm where the chain guide The suspension is done by mounts.Factory Connection and at thefront are a set of KYB forks, “We run TM Designworks chain blocks and sliders,” says MacDonald. “So we weld up

T&E News P 80Win NumberTwo!Kailub Russell Comes Up Big In WyomingKenda AMA National Enduro Series: Round 6Kailub Russell came away with hissecond win in a row in Wyoming.

T&E News V. 50 Issue 7 July 2015 P 81Kenda AMA National Enduro What They Said:SeriesRound 6 Kailub RussellUpton, WyomingJune 14, 2015 It’s good to get anotherPhotos By Shan Moore win, especially after three straight second’s. I’m on the Obviously becoming more new bike (KTM 250 SX-Faccustomed to the national Factory Edition) and I reallyenduro format and tight, single- like riding it. I just try to keeptrack racing, Kailub Russell came building on that because Iaway with his second straight know the ones coming upwin in the Kenda AMA National I’ve heard can be pretty tightEnduro Series with am impres- and that’s kind of my weaksive performance at round six of point.the series in Upton, Wyoming, I just got off to a good start in the first test and those guysat the Inyan Kara National were having trouble following the trail. It was kind of open soEnduro. you could get off the main line and try to weave in and out of the trees and stuff and it was way worse to try to do that. The FMF/KTM rider used It wasn’t faster at all. There’s a couple times at the beginningspeed and consistency to get of the test where I tried that and I realized it wasn’t working.the win this time, taking the vic- I just followed the trail the rest of the time and it was reallytory by two-minutes-and-nine- slick. I can’t stress enough how slick that first test was. It wasteen seconds over runner-up way worse than I was expecting. I was like, if all of them areRussell Bobbitt, despite winning like this it’s going to be a tough day. But it ended up this dirtonly two of the six tests. In the dried out really well and from there on out it was really good.other three tests (one test was The second section was really good too. I think I got sec-taken out of the event due to ond in that one. I think Bobbitt smoked everybody in there.the wet and muddy conditions) He rode really well. But the second one dried out a little bitRussell finished second. better, a little bit more. I felt like it went good but Russ really killed it in that section and the third one I had a lot of fun and Meanwhile, Bobbitt also the fourth one as well. The last test I started out really wellclaimed the fastest time in two and about halfway though I had a pretty good crash. I cametests, but finished the day with into the weekend, I banged my shoulder up a little bit thea third and two fourths in the week prior. I crashed and I kind of re-injured that shoulder aother tests. little bit worse than what it was. I need to go get it checked out because it doesn’t feel good. I also crashed and landed After starting the series with on a rock with my palm and that’s all swollen and sore rightthree straight runner up fin- now. But the main thing is we got the win.ishes, Russell’s two-straight winsextended his lead in the cham-pionship series to 28 pointsover Bobbitt. “Two in a row feels prettygood after three straightrunner-up finishes,” said Russell.“I just need to keep building

T&E News P 82 Russell Bobbitt had one of his best finishes of the year in second.on this momentum because I rado’s Ian Blythe (KTM). podium, finishing 22 secondsknow the rounds coming up are Bobbitt picked up the pace behind Bobbitt, after finishingpretty tight, and that’s kind of with the second-fastest time inmy weakness.” in test two, edging Russell by tests one and three. 27 seconds. However, Russell Heavy rains the week before came back with a strong ride in Beta USA’s Cory Buttrickthe race left the Wyoming the third test, posting another claimed his best finish of thecourse wet, muddy and difficult, win. Bobbitt won the final test, year riding the new 430 RS,as 430 riders took to the course despite a crash that popped his beating Grant Baylor by just fiveto start the event. shoulder out of socket. Luck- seconds after holding off a late ily, the Georgia rider was able charge by the Am Pro Yamaha Russell kicked things off with to pop it back in and finish the rider.a win in test one, posting a time race.that was one-minute-and-forty- Defending series champ An-nine seconds faster than Colo- Blythe rounded out the drew DeLong, who was riding

T&E News V. 50 Issue 7 July 2015 P 83Colorado’s Ian Blythe finished a solid third behind Bobbitt.with an injured wrist, did what Long’s younger brother and Resultshe could to salvage points, and a rookie Pro rider, finished a 1. Kailub Russell (KTM)finished the day in sixth after steady ninth, while Am Pro 2. Russell Bobbitt (KTM)turning in a cautious but steady Yamaha’s Brad Bakken rounded 3. Ian Blythe (KTM)ride in the mud on his Rockstar out the top 10 on his Moto- 4. Cory Buttrick (Bet)Energy Husqvarna Factory Rac- sport.com/Am Pro Yamaha. 5. Grant Baylor (Yam)ing FC 350. 6. Andrew DeLong (Hus) Finishing 11th overall, and 7. Steward Baylor (KTM) Meanwhile, 2012 series first in the Rekluse AA-Expert 8. Jesse Groemm (Bet)champ Steward Baylor recov- division was Drew Higgins, who 9. Craig DeLong (Hus)ered from a disastrous opening won the class over fellow KTM 10. Brad Bakken (Yam)test to finish seventh ahead of riders Evan Smith and Kyle Mc-Beta USA’s Jesse Groemm. Donal in a very hottly contested battle. Craig DeLong, Andrew De-

T&E News P 84 Beta USA’s Cory Buttrick posted his best finish of the year with a fourth on the new Beta 430 RR Race Edition.

T&E News V. 50 Issue 7 July 2015 P 85 Am Pro Yamaha’s Grant Baylor drops into a ravine in the final test.

T&E News P 86 Kailub Russell (21A) prepares for the start of the race. Russell Bobbitt gets ready to start.

T&E News V. 50 Issue 7 July 2015 P 87

T&E News P 88Around the PitsThe sights and scenes around the pits at the Inyan Kara Enduro ZacksterThe club held a Corn Hole Bean Bag throwing contest on Satur-day to raise money for the Caselli Foundation. (Above) Jesse Groemm phone home. (Left) One of these days... One of these days... POW! Right in the kisser! Hamina-hamina-hamina- hamina.

T&E News V. 50 Issue 7 July 2015 P 89 Russell Bobbitt’s mechanic Charles Marchant changes a tire on Saturday.Mike Pillar of the 200A class won the Yamaha pressure washer Map Quest for Enduro ridersfor having earned the most points in any class at the half waymark of the series. The Beta pits at full steam Alan Randt busy in theahead. Skunkworks

T&E News P 90Selecting A Two-Stroke Oil By Don Williams after feeding their bikes straight about the slippery stuff that With the four-stroke revolu- gas for quite a while, it’s a good keeps two-strokes from meltingtion commencing with the 1998 time to re-examine the source down.Yamaha YZ400F, many enduro of two-stroke lubrication—spe-riders swore off two-strokes at cialized two-stroke oil that’s If you have a bottle or two ofsome point during the interven- mixed with gas. old two-stroke oil sitting on aing 18 years. In contrast, the shelf, there will certainly be amajority of trials riders stuck For most riders, trials and temptation to pour it in a can ofwith two-strokes during this enduro bikes have different race gas—waste not, want not,period, with Montesa, Beta, demands. Enduro bikes run after all. While fuel has a fairlyand Scorpa being the primary longer hours at higher rpm than short shelf life, you might besources of thumper trials bikes trials bikes, and various brands surprised to find out that this isover the last decade. For those recommend different oils for not the case for oil, particularlyreturning to the two-stroke fold the two disciplines. We talked pure synthetic two-stroke oil. to representatives from Bel-Ray, Maxima, Motorex, and Red Line “Shelf life is dependent on storage conditions,” according

T&E News V. 50 Issue 7 July 2015 P 91to Danny Massie, President is five years for synthetics, with for an opened bottle.”of Maxima Racing Oils. “The 10 years being a more com- “Unopened—minimum of 5biggest threat to storing oils is mon actual ‘good by’ date. Anmoisture contamination. This opened bottle, I would drop years shelf life, usually longer,”generally happens via conden- that to five years ‘good by’, but according to Tim Schulz, Prod-sation inside the bottle due to it really depends on the con- uct and Marketing Specialist athot-cold swings in temperature. ditions it is in—temperature, Motorex USA. According to aGeneral guidance is three years moisture, cleanliness, etc. For Red Line spokesman, as relayedfor unopened containers and semi-synthetics, it is a three- to us by the company’s PR firm,less for opened bottles.” year minimum, with 5-to-7 Kahn Media, “With synthet- years being more realistic, and a ics, there is no shelf life per se. Andrew Hodges, Bel-Ray’s three years for opened bottles. Regardless of brand, it is smartProduct Line Manager for the For mineral oil it is a three-year to shake up an older productPowersports Division, says that minimum for unopened, with before pouring.”there’s a bit more time two- five years being the top of thestroke oil can safely sit. “For an range, and about 2- to 3-years Both Red Line and Motorexunopened bottle, the minimum recommend the same oil for both trials and enduro competi- tion. “We have seven different types of two stroke oils for dif- ferent applications, but for trials and enduro applications, we would use the same oil, which is our Two-Stroke Racing Oil,” according to Red Line. “Its high- temp stability prevents depos- its on combustion chambers, exhaust ports, upper ring, and piston crown, so under constant throttle, it’s designed to protect not only seals, but has a high film strength to protect hot metals. One reason it’s great for trials is, since you spend most of your time at low-rpm and not on the pipe, the risk of fouling spark plugs is much higher. Our oil is designed to have low-car- bon residue, so it protects from plug fouling much better than a conventional two-stroke oil.” “We recommend Motorex Cross Power 2T for all of these applications,” says Schulz. “This is our Fully Synthetic Ester- Based Off-Road 2T Oil. It is of race quality, burns extremely

T&E News P 92clean, and provides the best in choice for the situation. MC-1 its ability to perform well in highperformance and protection in a Racing Full Synthetic 2T Engine rpm operation.two-stroke off-road application.” Oil is typically more suitable forMotorex has the distinction of the very lean mixtures of 75:1 “Castor 927 is the world’soffering a version of the Cross to 100:1 used in typical trials most heralded 2-stroke enginePower 2T oil that is cross-brand- riding.” Both MC-1 and H1-R are oil,” Massie declares. “927 hased with KTM, which not surpris- premix only oils. found a cult following in manyingly recommends this oil. racing circles and is the choice Maxima has three possibilities of oil for Mitch Payton and Pro Both the Red Line Two-Stroke for enduro riders, in many ways Circuit. 927 is a unique blend ofRacing Oil and Motorex Cross depended upon your commit- pure grade castor oil and esterPower 2T can be used for both ment, according to Massie at synthetics. A lot of attention haspremix and oil injection, so they Maxima. “Formula K2 is an ester- been given to the 927 formulaare compatible with the new based, fully synthetic engine oil. to ensure its stability in highBeta X-Trainer. Very clean burning esters pro- heat, high stress environments. vide exceptional lubrication and Active detergents keep critical Bel-Ray’s Hodges suggests ring seal. Clean burn technology engine parts clean and carbondifferent oils for enduro and prevent deposits on pistons, free. 927 will hold the same peaktrials. For enduro riding, he power valves and exhaust ports, horsepower as K2, however itrecommends Bel-Ray H1-R and K2 is stable in a high heat will maintain peak horsepowerRacing 100% Synthetic Ester 2T environment. Final develop- for an additional 300-500 rpm.Engine Oil, “because it is a high ment was in conjunction with Maxima maintains a lot ofperformance full synthetic oil. It Roger DeCoster and Ricky Car- strength in the 2-stroke marketburns clean and lubricates well michael (at Factory Suzuki.) K2 with Castor 927 being the mostunder hard riding conditions. has a unique ability to ‘puff up’ popular 2-stroke engine oil inH1-R could also be used in trials, when it’s shock loaded, aiding in the industry.”but I think the MC-1 is the better

T&E News V. 50 Issue 7 July 2015 P 93 “Super M is an ester-based, work extremely well with the only oils, though Maxima doessemi-synthetic engine oil,” Massi on/off throttle positioning of offer a Super M Injector oil mar-says. “It is an ultra-clean burning many enduro courses, whereas keted to the personal watercraftoil with race-inspired backbone K2 will improve horsepower and market.for smooth, trouble-free perfor- throttle response due to its abil-mance. Super M is a race-grade ity to free up the engine. I would While the days of two-strokeoil, but has a lower burn rate gravitate more towards Super M oil-related failures and 20:1 mix-making it easier to tune and the or K2, depending on the rider’s ing ratios are in our past, thereright choice for 80% of the rid- ability.” are still advantages to selectingers out there.” the right oil for your bike and For trials riders, Massie says, style of riding. n According to Massie, “One of “Formula K2 is the recommend-the biggest differences be- ed choice for trials. Maxima tween these oils is the tem- has successfully campaignedperature range of the engine with RYP for the past 10-plusduring operation. All three are years. National champs usehigh performance oils. Super M and love Formula K2. K2 shinesturns to a soft carbon at a lower here because it is very cleantemperature than K2 or 927, and very strong. It can be ranmaking it easier to tune and at low oil ratios and still makemore forgiving. 927 is on the great power—all the while theopposite end of the spectrum, riders comment on how crispwhere it’s more critical to have the throttle response is underproper jetting. With proper demand.”tuning, 927 is very clean and anexcellent lubricant. Super M will Maxima Castor 927, Formula K2, and Super M are all premix-



T&E News V. 50 Issue 7 July 2015 P 95

T&E News P 96SantolinoTops E1 In ItalyMAXXIS FIM ENDURO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Maxxis FIM Enduro C’ship Round 5 June 20-21, 2015 Rovetta, Italy Photos courtesy Sherco, Husqvarna and KTM/Future- 7Media Round five of the Maxxis FIM Enduro World Championship in Rovetta, Italy, saw Sherco factory rider Lorenzo Santolino grab his first E1 victory, beating out the likes of Eero Remes and Christophe Nambotin in the process. Meanwhile, Pela Renet and Antoine Meo traded wins in the E2 class, while Aussie Mat- thew Phillips topped both days in E3.Sherco’s Lorenzo Santolino took Enduro 1 his first E1 victory in Italy. Sherco’s Santolino came back from a fourth place finish on Saturday behind Eero Remes (TM), Christophe Nambotin (KTM) and Daniel McCanney, to take his first E1 win on Sunday. On Sunday, Santolino won the first special on his Sherco and then led the race from start to finish and pulled off the win. This was the first victory in his career in E1 World competition.

T&E News V. 50 Issue 7 July 2015 P 97 Enduro 2 Antone Meo Continuing his run of good form in this year’s EWC series, Christophe Nambotin Bel-Ray Husqvarna Factory Rac- ing’s Pela Renet enjoyed a win in the Enduro 2 class. Determined to build on his double victory last time out at the GP of Greece, Renet arrived highly motivated to what would be a highly challenging race in Rovetta. Favoring the technical special tests, on day one the Husqvarna rider powered to a hard fought win over close rival Antoine Meo. But despite giving day two his best, Renet wasn’t able to make it four race wins in a row. With Meo improving on day two, Renet claimed the runner-up result behind Meo. “It’s been a good weekend for me but for in terms of the championship I wasn’t able to gain many points on Antoine,” said Renet. “But I’ve no regrets to lose on Sunday, Antoine was just that little bit stronger all day. Not much, but enough to make the difference. I was really happy to come away with the win on Saturday. It was a tough round of the championship – one of the toughest – the tests were good and it was a real enduro GP. Now we head to Bel- gium for the penultimate round of the series in two weeks time. Like everyone I’m not sure what to expect there but I’ll fight and give it my best shot to take the top step of the podium.” Enduro 3 Entering the GP of Italy having

T&E News P 98 Matt Phillipsaggravated an old wrist injury, small crash on a slippery uphill many points as possible. WithEnduro 3 championship leader in the enduro test saw him lose two second-place results I man-Mathias Bellino was on a dam- over 20 seconds. Riding well aged to do just that and protectage limitation exercise in Italy. to recover, Bellino salvaged my lead in the championship.With a comfortable champion- another runner-up result and On Sunday I felt much bettership lead the Frenchman knew enters the penultimate round and was motivated for the race.that he didn’t have to fight for of the championship in Belgium I won the first two tests but invictory on day one to protect his with a 16-point advantage. the enduro test I crashed onposition in the championship a slippery uphill and neededstandings and rode a calculated “I’m happy with how this to tackle the hill twice. It wasrace for second behind Austra- weekend has gone. I hurt my unfortunate to lose the leadlian Matt Phillips (KTM). Feeling wrist at last weekend’s French there but I was pleased that Imuch more comfortable, he championship and wasn’t able felt good and strong for the restbegan Sunday motivated for to race quite how I wanted to,” of the day. It’s given me goodthe win and took the lead after said Bellino. “But I knew that confidence heading to Belgiumthe first two special tests. But a even if I couldn’t fight for the in two weeks time.” win then I needed to score as

T&E News V. 50 Issue 7 July 2015 P 99 Matthias BellinoRESULTS – FIM ENDURO 9. Thomas Oldrati (Husqvarna) Championship StandingsWORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, 1:09:55.14 (After Round Five)ROUND 5 DAY 2 Enduro 1DAY 1 Enduro 1 1. Eero Remes (TM) 181pts; 2.Enduro 1 1. Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco) Christophe Nambotin (KTM)1. Eero Remes (TM) 1:07:21.53; 1:08:04.53; 2. Eero Remes (TM) 180pts; 3. Daniel McCanney2. Christophe Nambotin (KTM) 1:08:12.04; 3. Christophe Nam- (Husqvarna) 129pts… 15. Chris-1:07:29.11; 3. Daniel McCanney botin (KTM) 1:08:42.00… 5. tophe Robert (Husqvarna) 11pts(Husqvarna) 1:07:39.02… 13. Daniel McCanney (Husqvarna) Enduro 2Christophe Robert (Husqvarna) 1:09:27.60 1. Antoine Meo (KTM) 188pts; 2.1:15:28.88 Enduro 2 Pela Renet (Husqvarna) 175pts;Enduro 2 1. Antoine Meo (KTM) 3. Alex Salvini (Honda) 157pts;1. Pela Renet (Husqvarna) 1:05:47.64; 2. Pela Renet 4. Jaume Betriu (Husqvarna)1:05:24.62; 2. Antoine Meo (Husqvarna) 1:06:11.23; 3. Alex 111pts(KTM) 1:05:31.98; 3. Alex Salvini Salvini (Honda) 1:07:25.78; Enduro 3(Honda) 1:06:35.85; 4. Jaume 4. Jaume Betriu (Husqvarna) 1. Mathias Bellino (Husqvarna)Betriu (Husqvarna) 1:08:09.09 1:09:20.53 177pts; 2. Matthew PhillipsEnduro 3 Enduro 3 (KTM) 161pts; 3. Matti Seistola1. Matthew Phillips (KTM) 1. Matthew Phillips (KTM) (Sherco) 132pts… 7. Thomas1:06:37.71; 2. Matthias Bel- 1:07:34.24; 2. Matthias Bellino Oldrati (Husqvarna) 91pts nlino (Husqvarna) 1:07:21.10; 3. (Husqvarna) 1:08:09.14; 2. An-Aigar Leok (TM) 1:08:02.93… toine Basset (KTM) 1:08:34.29

T&E News P100 ‘Ringer A bi-monthly column by AirGroup Racing’s Nick Fahringer Hello readers, I am covering for Cody Webb whom is pre- sumably riding his bike some- where awesomely far from a computer. Fortunately, since last month I have started riding and life has begun to be excit- ing again following a grueling 2 months of gym sessions to rebuild after knee reconstruc- tion. Feeling about ready to tackle some serious riding, I met up with the guys in Colorado for Cole Kirkpatricks bachelor party. Unlike a typical event of this nature, we were all on mountain bikes, above 8,000’ elevation with miles of single track and a bike park. The hard riding really took it out of us as we all were sneaking off to bed between 9 and 10 pm. But riding with good friends up in the mountains was great. I could feel how much of an anchor being off the bike so long can be as I huffed the thin air. I will call it a worthy training mission. To top off every days ride, we would drive up to the raging snow melt stream and jump in one-by-one for no rea- son other than it so harmlessly