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 OFFROAD MOTORBIKING

DESCRIPTION

Enduro
Enduro is a form of motorcycle sport run on courses that are predominantly off-road. Enduro consists of many different obstacles and challenges. The main type of enduro event, and the format to which the World Enduro Championship is run, is a time-card enduro, whereby a number of stages are raced in a time trial against the clock.

Motocross
Motocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country.

FMX
Freestyle Motocross (also known as FMX) is a variation on the sport of motocross in which motorcycle riders attempt to impress judges with jumps and stunts. The two main types of freestyle events are: Big Air (also known as Best Trick), in which each rider gets two jumps — usually covering more than 60 feet (18 m) — from a dirt-covered ramp. A panel of judges evaluates the style, trick difficulty, and originality and produces a score on a 100-point scale. Each rider's highest single-jump score is compared; top score wins. Freestyle Motocross, the older of the two disciplines. Riders perform two routines, lasting between 90 seconds and 14 minutes, on a course consisting of multiple jumps of varying lengths and angles that generally occupy one to two acres (.4 to .8 hectres). Like Big Air, a panel of judges assigns each contestant a score based on a 100-point scale, looking for difficult tricks and variations over jumps.
Source: Wikipedia
Generation 2013: KTM presents the latest offroad models!
One for all and all for one. KTM shows itself to be prepared in the best possible way for offroad sporting activity. The starting gun has gone off at the production line in Mattighofen for the latest range of high-class Motocross, Enduro and Sport Minicycles.

The Austrian market leader in its most important segment launches the 2013 range of bikes with no less than 26 models. Above all, there is a completely new generation of Motocross bikes that are directly derived in the best possible tradition from the most successful MX teams in the world.

In shorthand: a completely new 450 SX-F with SOHC fuel injection engine, the most powerful MX1 bike that profits from the success of the Ryan Dungey-DeCoster Supercross collaboration.

A completely updated 350 SX-F with refined MX1 win concept. Increased engine performance and chassis refinement make KTM 350 rider and World Champion Toni Cairoli even better. The world class 250 SX-F with new engine to further increase the lead in MX2 - already tested by Roczen, Musquin, Herlings and Co. Three two-stroke models for every rider profile round off the KTM SX family to perfection.

Enduro Models
The KTM Development Center has advanced the range of Enduro bikes without compromise for 2013. All existing models have received intensive and detailed improvements in all of the important areas. The intention: to offer all EXC four- and two-stroke riders a better Enduro combination of riding fun, performance, responsiveness and durability.

Big Minis
KTM wouldnÕt be KTM if the KTM Offroad Team had not included the three Minicycle models with 50, 65 und 85 cc into its development activities. This serious approach is best underscored by the almost completely new 85 SX that presents the up-and-coming junior MX racer with a clear vision of the world of professional competition.

While in Italy for the presentation together with Pit Beirer, KTM's head of Motorsport, Stefan Pierer, CEO KTM Sportmotorcycle AG, underlined the importance of the new Offroad generation. What KTM has accomplished thanks to the tireless efforts of the technicians and the racers is unique. All of the KTM company is based on this strong foundation. To do justice in its role as number one, it has been full throttle in every way for KTM to achieve what it has for this latest model year.

Another tradition continues in the Model Year 2013 in the form of the popular Six Days model. Equipped with the finest extras, such as a completely newly developed WP closed cartridge fork with an innovative 4-chamber damping system, the Six Days models are available in seven different capacities (125 EXC, 250 EXC, 300 EXC, 250 EXC-F, 350 EXC-F, 450 EXC and 500 EXC) and come in the German national colours.
Broadlink KTM Rally team: Curtis and van Niekerk off to Morocco
Darryl and Riaan arrived back home from the LIQUORLAND KEI NATIONAL ENDURO on Sunday and with only enough time to swop kit bags they were both back at the airport and on their way to Morocco. With assistance from BROADLINK, the two South African Champions are going to compete in the MERZOUGA RALLY which takes place around the town of Marrakech in Morocco.

The event takes place over four days and will cover a distance of around 620km. We have come to compete in the RALLY as a training ride says Darryl and I am here to help Riaan with navigational skills as well as assist him in learning how to read the road book, so that we are both prepared when we compete in the 2013 DAKAR RALLY next year.

The MERZOUGA RALLY runs on the basic Rally type format which includes Liason and Prologue stages. The riders will race around the town of Marrakech and return every afternoon to the KENZI FARAH which is located in the heart of Hivernage, 5 minutes from Medina. Darryl and Riaan spent today sorting out the two KTM 450 bikes which they have rented for the event. We spoke to darryl earlier and he said that it was very hot, around 45deg and that ther was no sign of it getting cooler before the sart of the race tomorrow.

The two riders would like to thank the sponsors who have made the BROADLINK KTM RALLY TEAM possible.
Bradley Cox follows in father Alfie's footsteps
Bradley Cox (14), son of the multiple off-road and enduro motorcycle champion and Dakar competitor, Alfie Cox, got a first taste of what it felt like to race in his dad's tracks when he won the Senior 85cc (motorcycle) Class at the recent Junior Roof, the third round of the 2012 SA Junior National Off-road Championship that took place in Lesotho.

Alfie has won the Roof of Africa, the traditional three day event in Lesotho, a total of nine times overall with his first victory at the age of 26 in 1988. It is Bradley's first season in the Junior National Off-road Motorcycle Championship and he is leading the class championship after he scored a hat-trick of victories this season.

It was however a first Lesotho experience for the young Maritzburg College student who also competes in the national and local KwaZulu-Natal regional motocross championships. He has won his first South African national motocross championship title in 2005 (he did so again in 2010) and father and son became the first South African pairing to win national motorsport championships in the same year when Alfie claimed the off-road championship title competing in the production vehicle category in the same year. Cox junior was also awarded his Protea Colours in 2005.

The Junior Roof off-road race for young off-road motorcycle and quad competitors between the ages of seven and 17 might not have been as tough as the real Roof of Africa for adults, but it was not an easy race for the young and upcoming star. Competing with his KTM 85sx, he started the three hour race leading the rest of the pack in the Senior 85cc Class for riders between 13 and 15 years.

According to the starting order, they started the race just behind the bulk of the older riders competing with 125c, 200cc and 250cc motorcycles with thick dust playing a major role as there was almost no breeze. Cox was still leading his class when he finished the first lap after having had a spectacular high speed crash just before entering the pits. He suffered a deep cut in his left hand and a cut above the knee cap while the bolts on his KTM's handlebars broke and the footrest was sheared off.

His service crew (Alfie with the support of other fathers) managed to fix it, but it took the young (and injured) Cox the whole lap to get back into rhythm. He admitted that the words of his experienced father and mentor were never far from his mind: Momentum is your best friend, especially regarding the more technical areas in any race. He still won his class to strengthen his lead in the Senior 85cc Class championship to 13 points with four more races in the 2012 season remaining.

On a question how he feels to compete where his dad won so many times before, he answered: It was pretty cool to follow in dad's trails. I know it is only a portion of the real Roof of Africa, but it feels good to excel where my dad laid his tyre prints. In fact, in the 80's, The Roof always finished in the lowlands of Lesotho where we raced this weekend, he said. Lesotho and its people have always been close to my dad's heart and now that I have competed here, I can understand why, he smiled.

Bradley is currently busy with the final preparation for his first international experience - in July he will compete in two rounds of the ADAC Master Cup MX Championship in Germany while he will travel to Bulgaria in August to compete in the Junior World MX Championship. He will then tackle the fourth round of the SA Junior National Championship, the BELL Junior National, on 14 August in the Hluhluwe area in KZN.

Bradley competes with the support of Red Bull, Comsol, BELL, Alfie Cox Racing, Oakley, Leatt, Gaerne, Thor and Airoh.
Chris Birch wins Liquorland Kei National Enduro for first time

Chris Birch - photo by
Kate North
12 May, East London - The defending national enduro title holder, Chris Birch (Comsol BELL ACR KTM) made a welcome come-back to the 2012 series when he won the Liquorland KEI National Enduro, the third round of the enduro motorcycle championship that took place outside East London in the Eastern Cape. It was his first national victory this season as well as the first time he won this race as it was the only event he could not win during the 2011 season.

The Kiwi who is residing in South Africa for the second year, tackled the race from the back of the field due to him not having any points on the scored board. A crash and injuries prevented him from finishing the first two rounds of the 2012 series. He came back with a vengeance to post the fastest times after the four special timed stages of an event that was described by the riders as a real enduro and was enjoyed by all.

Jade Gutzeit (Proudly Bidvest Yamaha) finished second behind Birch in E1 (Open Class) as well as on the overall podium with Altus de Wet, (Brother Broadlink KTM), who has won the previous event (provisionally), winning E2 (200cc class) for the second consecutive race and rounding off the overall podium.

The scholar, Wade Young (Fever Criterion Yamaha) posted his best result since competing on senior level this season (he won the 2011 Junior National Championship) to finish second in E2 (fourth overall) even though still suffering from an injury while Kenneth Gilbert (Yamaha) was happy with his best result in the enduro series (third in E1 and fifth overall) this year. He moved back to South Africa and has been competing full time locally this year after racing in the USA for the past five years.

Gilbert finished only two points (seconds) ahead of Marc Torlage (Proudly Bidvest Yamaha) who rounded off the E2 podium after a frustrating race where he crashed and admitted to trying too hard resulting in him losing valuable time. He is also still suffering from injuries sustained after crashing at an event three weeks before. The rest of the top ten consisted of Brother Broadlink KTM team-mates, Louwrens Mahoney who was fourth in E1 and seventh overall and Riaan van Niekerk who was fifth in E2 and 10th overall after competing while somewhat unwell. Brian Capper (Red Bull KTM) who was fifth in E1 and eighth on overall.

Scott Bouverie (Comsol BELL ACR KTM) finished fourth in E2 and ninth overall after starting on a wrong section of the race and having to complete it twice without taking a break. He did so, however, in the prescribed amount of time and scored more points after a tough day at the office.

Darryl Curtis (Brother Broadlink KTM), who was also sick during the race, was 11th - both Curtis and Van Niekerk raced with care as they left for Marocco the day after the race to compete in the XRally Marrakech. Bradley van Aswegen lead Team Kargo Racing Yamaha and finished 12th overall - his team-mates Timothy Young, was 15th with Mark Garland finishing 17th overall. James Hodson was the leading Team Liqourland Racing rider and was 13th while JadeÕs younger brother, Blake (Fever Criterion Yamaha), who also competed in the junior series until last year, finished 14th.

Local East London riders, Mark Fox (Wildcoast KTM / UMSO Ribco) and Rory Gower (Designer Gold KTM) were 16th and 18th respectively with Luke Williams (Husaberg - 19th) and Bronson Louw (Rhino Truck Sales KTM) rounding off the top 20.

The battle between the Senior Class winner of the season opener, Jody Engelbrecht (Fever Criterion Yamaha) and the defending champion, William Gillit (Comsol BELL Yamaha), who won the second round, continued with Engelbrecht claiming his second victory this season. Gillit was not too far behind in second place. Competitors in the Senior Class had to complete each of the 8km and 10km timed stages only once and there was no margin for error.

Ryan Struckman (Liquorland Racing Yamaha) rounded off the podium albeit losing time when he flipped his bike. Bruce Gargan (Fever Criterion Yamaha) was fourth and Bruce May (Yamaha) finished fifth in his first season in the national enduro championship. Also in the top ten were regular competitors Mathew Barker (FDBR Racing Yamaha) who was sixth; East London businessman Peter Jung (Wildcoast KTM / UMSO / Ribco) who finished seventh; Wayne Bouchier (KTM) who was eighth and Garth Prost (KTM) who rounded off the top ten. It was not a good event for Gonubie's Steve Landman (Liquorland Racing) who competed for the first time with a Yamaha - he had to settle for ninth place in this competitive class championship.

Marc Torlage's father, Denzil, is still unbeaten in the Master Class and posted his umpteenth victory beating Mark du Plessis (KTM Cape Town) with Graydon Ilderton (Nomadik Tents KTM) rounding off the podium. Carl Rohrbeck (KTM) was fourth and Spot Martin (Liquorland Racing Yamaha) finished fifth.

The Silver Class Challenge received a healthy amount of quality entries with Junior National (Off-road) Championship competitor, Andrew Wren (Xtreme Yamaha Support) winning here for the first time. Local East London rider, Devon Owen (KTM) was second and with Jaco Kruger (KTM) rounding off the podium.

The 2012 Liquorland National Enduro Motorcycle Championship has picked up speed and will continue to do so with only three rounds remaining. The third round of the series, the Offroad Evolution Enduro, will take place at the Wild West track outside Johannesburg on 2 June.
GALLERIES

Offroad 2012

Offroad Jhb-Dullstroom

DIAMOND 400 National
Offroad 2012

MX Nationals 2012

OLDER GALLERIES

Brian Capper Emperors Palace Feb 2012 | Dakar Lima (Peru) Jan 2012 | Roof of Africa 25-26 Nov 2011 | Roof of Africa 23-24 Nov 2011 | Enduro National WFO | ENDURO National WFO | ENDURO Vredefort 400 | XFIGHTERS BIKES | Jungle Rush FMX 2011 | Fever-X Enduro 2011 | Bell 400 2011 | Roof of Africa 2010 | 400 Nationals-Britz
DAKAR RALLY BIKE - DARRYL CURTIS

Dakar Training Darryl Curtis Part 2

Dakar Training Darryl Curtis Part 1

Dakar Rally Bike Part 2

Darryl Curtis - KTM 450
VIDEOS

ARTICLES

> Curtis Aces Dakar
> My First Roof of Africa
> What to Expect at the Dakar Rally
> The Road to Dakar
> Endurocross, the next big thing
> Liquorland Kei National 2011
> Touring Tales Through Botswana and Namibia
> Dakar Supporters Tour 2011
> Extreme Enduro is the Latest
> Darryl Curtis Take on the Dakar Rally
> Stewart Couper on FMX
> The Roof of Africa 2010
> Jade Gutzeit, Enduro Extraordinaire - Part II
> Cape Adventure Bike Challenge 2010
> An Interview with Jade Gutzeit, Enduro Extraordinaire - Part I
> Why we ride. Mad About Motocross
> A Beginner's Take on the Namib Desert Run
> The Long Way to Katse Dam
> Africa Bike Week - A Roaring Success
> A Journey to the 'Gateway to the Universe