5 minutes: Joachim Sauer – KTM Off-Road Product Manager talks 2021 EXCs

On the back of KTM launching the 2021 EXC and XC-W Enduro models, Enduro21 caught up with Off Road Product Manager Joachim Sauer to talk about the new bikes, who wins the two versus four stroke fight club and what future EXCs might look like…

The people behind the bikes coming out of Mattighofen in Austria are a many varied bunch but few can have invested as much time in the orange machines as Joachim Sauer. KTM’s  Product Manager for Off Road Motorcycles may, by his own admission, be getting on a bit in years these days but he has a passion and history racing Enduro most of us would be proud of. He is also mad enough to have once attempted Erzberg on a 500 but more on that later.

Who better then to dig deeper into the newly released 2021 EXC Enduro bikes and to get a bigger picture of the off-road market in this current climate than Jochi? While on the line we also asked burning questions like whether two-strokes are more popular than four strokes and what the future might hold for KTM enduro bikes – electronic suspension anyone? 

 

Hello Jochi, how has Coronavirus affected KTM and did it have any impact on the 2021 EXC models?

Joachim Sauer: Honestly, so far this year we can see sales are more or less the same level as they were at this time last year. We don’t know how that will change as the year progresses, so let’s see, but for now it is ok. 
As far as the new model development is concerned the bikes were changed quite a lot last year so there are no big steps to improve this year. We did some suspension tests and development but, in the end, decided we couldn’t make it work and leave it as it was last year. All-in-all we are at a good level with these bikes already. 

We got positive feedback from all our markets around the world and it also gives us time to develop next generation models. Before we launch a bike we are already working on the next generation.  

Can you just run us through the changes to the MY21 EXC and reasons behind them?

We have an upgrade to the fork preload adjuster on all standard models which honestly was a request of the market, the customers. It is a feature we already have on the SIX DAYS models and we had the request to have it as standard. It has a simple benefit for riders who can make an adjustment on the side of the track or at the start of a special test. 

And the new graphics are a little bit of a departure from normal this year…

Yes, this year we decided to make a more visible change on the bikes to bring new graphics and colours to show more of a change and bigger differences to the previous models – a new feel, colour and appearance to the bikes.

 

Has anything changed with the fuel injection systems and TPI software this year?

No, no changes there. There are always little updates happening but in terms of maps there are no changes since the 2020 model launch. I spoke with the R&D guys only yesterday to check this detail in fact and they assured me there are no changes. 

Last year when the bikes came on the market there were some small software updates that the first bikes needed installing but that was already one year ago now. 

Looking at the 150 EXC TPI, can you explain the concept behind this bike compared to a 125 and also the update for 2021?

The change for 2021 is the cast instead of forged piston which is a reliability thing and nothing to big really. Even though people would estimate the forged piston is stronger, but it is not the case. A cast one is more reliable in this bike. 

The 150 is a model for younger riders and also for the people who do not want to race, they don’t want or need the high-end, super performing race bike. The engine characteristics are not like a high revving 125 carburettor engine, there is more torque and it works well on the hills – say if you stop or stall on a hill it will start up and pull away again. A 125 two-stroke race bike struggles in this situation so it is more friendly and this is the concept.

For those who want small, lighter bikes the 150 has the same engine base, the same light handling character and so on. Plus it has all the ease of use the fuel injected bikes bring so no worrying about jetting or mixing fuel and so on.  

We also can’t make a 125 anymore because of homologation reasons it is as simple as that.

Over the whole world what bikes are popular? Is the 350 4T champion or is it the 300 TPI? What are people buying?

In total with all the models we sell as many four strokes as two-strokes. Within that the 300 is very popular model and that makes up the numbers on the two-stroke side. 

In America we sell a different kind of bike generally. The numbers are pretty equal between the XC (based on the motocross bike) and the XC-W (based on the EXC) if we look at the 300 two-stroke for example. The two-strokes are pretty strong and also the 500, dual-sport model over there is very popular.

What is popular goes in waves but since we introduced the fuel injected bikes the two-stroke is more attractive because life is easy with it in terms of maintenance and running costs. And for many a two-stroke is more comfortable and easier to ride in general.

 

I remember back in 2000 when we launched that generation of four stroke, everybody said it was the future and the two-stroke would die out. I even went to Erzberg on one, I was 40 that year after in 2001 and wanted to race Erzberg one time. I took a 525!

There was a clear wave towards four strokes but then we saw the two-stroke come back especially in model year 2008 when we mounted the electric start on the 300 it proved very popular again and from then on into the TPI era.

One thing to remember is that we who love racing, and the media surrounding the WESS events like Erzberg, are all seeing the 300 two-stroke all the time. Everybody is riding that bike in these events and in the videos and so on. But in reality not everybody is riding like that. We still see a high percentage of KTM Enduro riders don’t even race, they ride for fun. Many of the EXC customers are older riders and they don’t race anymore. They have the bike for riding with friends in the mountains and so on. What we see on social media doesn’t represent the whole market.

Does that represent a problem then? How do you attract younger riders?

The older guy watching Lettenbichler doesn’t want to do those doing stupid things [laughs] with his bike but the young riders are inspired by it and that makes our bikes attractive to the younger riders. The traditional enduro doesn’t attract many young people anymore but for sure WESS riders are impressive to many.

Does it get harder to achieve the big development changes to bikes?

Yeah, really. I don’t see the big development steps coming in the next five or 10 years. I don’t see a supercharger or whatever. If you compare a 2030 bike with 2020 it will be a big step but year-on-year it is a small evolution. Looking back the TPI was a big step but looking forward I don’t see any sensational developments coming. 

If you compare the four stroke produced in 2000 to the one produced today the big change is the fuel injection. Apart from that there is just a steady evolution. There was never any big step especially on the four stroke side. The fuel injection was a bigger step on the two-stroke simply because it was always harder to set the two-stroke carburettor where the four stroke once it was set it was no problem.

Riding a 520 of 2000 compared to a model year 2020 obviously feels completely different in terms of ergonomics and suspension and the type of racing has changed in that time as well of course. Now it is much more about the special tests and not so traditional enduro as it was. 

What I hope and think will change in the future will be more electronics, more connectivity. Currently it is not allowed to use semi-active suspension but in the future for sure we will, I hope, be able to see more electronically controlled suspension. This made a big difference on the Adventure bikes but the FIM doesn’t allow us any solutions like this on off-road bikes. I’m pretty sure once the industry tells the FIM the systems are reliable enough then we can change the rules. 

You launched the Freeride E a while ago now, why hasn’t KTM followed that up with a ‘proper’ electric Enduro bike by now?

Honestly speaking it is still the conflict between the expense and the limited range of the bikes. It is that simple. An off-road bike is not an ideal base bike for electric drive – a scooter for example is a better bike where you have much more space to put a battery and you do not have such a conflict with price and mileage.

Two years ago we increased the battery on the Freeride E by 50% but it is still not enough for off-road. You still need more capacity to run for two or three hours without any change in performance when it comes to an EXC. At the moment the technology is not there for a bike holding a battery for that amount of time riding. If we could, people would not buy because it would be too expensive. Battery capacity is expensive. 

If one manufacturer makes it work then we might see a quicker move from everybody else but at the moment I am not convinced, especially for enduro.  

I hope that the kids sitting on our SX-E bikes today, when they want to sit on a full-size bike in eight or 10 years time, will want to sit on an electric bike. They will be our future customers for sure because they will be used to the cleaner bikes, less noise pollution and so on. Noise is our biggest enemy when it comes to off-road racing. They will grow up with a different attitude and for sure the technology will have changed in 10 years. 

For now I do not see it coming from KTM in the near future. We saw a lot of noise around Alta but the battery capacity was a weak point and also the price – so far no one can make profit on electric motorcycles. We are moving to invest always in the future. There will be products coming in the near future but focused on the young kids.

SX Racing Is Back...Hooray!

Blake Baggett got out front early and he was riding well as he’s a great rider on slick hard pack tracks historically. Cooper Webb, Ken Roczen and Eli Tomac were battling behind Baggett, Brayton and Cianciarulo when Adam had a big crash in the second rhythm section. Eli Tomac almost crashed when he ran over Adam’s bike and Cooper Webb had nowhere to go when he landed in the rhythm section and he ran over Adam Cianciarulo’s back. Adam looked to be in major pain, but he was able to move under his own strength. Then Eli Tomac passed his way up into the lead with 12-minutes left while Blake Baggett was second, Webb third and Roczen fourth. Eli battled hard with Webb and Roczen, but then he seemingly grabbed another gear and pulled away. Eli Tomac went on to win the Main Event with Cooper Webb second. Ken Roczen would finish third after saving what could have been a big crash late in the race.

2020 MXDN ?

BELIEVE IT OR NOT! MXGP’S CRACKPOT 2020
MOTOCROSS DES NATIONS

 

You mean we could have brought Broc, Kent, Hurricane, Marty, Too Tall, Barnett, Wardy, Rocket Rex and Bailey with us? Wouldn’t it get a little crowded.”

The Motocross des Nations is under attack, by the men who are suppose to protect it. There is talk, among the rear guard of Grand Prix executives (which means the Italians), to throw away the 73 years of the tradition of the MXDN being a nation-versus-nation showdown — and open it up to all the GP riders—which would lessen the importance of and demean the stature of the World Team Motocross Championship.

It would become nothing but another GP in a schedule that already has 5 too many Grands Prix to begin with (and you know the 5 GPs without us telling you who they are, where they are and why the promoters want to go to those non-moto countries).

The idea is to turn the Motocross des Nations into a points paying GP, open to every GP rider (please don’t called it the Motocross “of” Nations—that was just a marketing ploy to sell sponsorship packages to corporations that knew nothing and cared nothing about motocross history). By allowing everybody to race at the Motocross des Nations the riders who weren’t named to their nation’s teams will be placed in the mix as “wild card” riders (mucking up the mix is more like it). If In Front Racing, formerly Youthstream, makes this change, the MXDN will lose its reason for being. It will just become another GP.

 

Ricky Carmichael at the 2007 Motocross des Nations.

Why do they want to make this change? Because the way the current MXGP schedule is laid out, the previously last race of the year, the Motocross des Nations, is now in the middle of the MXGP season—with 11 GPs scheduled after the MXDN.  Frontstream is worried that most of the Grand Prix contenders will refuse to race for their national teams with so many GPs left on the schedule (where injury at the mid-season MXDN could harm their chances of being number one).

They have already lost Team USA, at least the upper crust of the potential Team USA, to the late starting AMA National series and now they are worried that the European stars will bow out also to focus on the 11 races left in the World Championship points chance.

And since In Front Racing refuses to budge off  the September 27th date—it seems as through they would rather kill the event’s uniqueness than think about re-arranging the schedule—which starts with getting rid of at least  5 meaningless GPs.

If they dropped all of the To be Announced (TBA) dates and the five races that no one wants to go to, the MXDN could be the last race of the season.

REVISED 2020 FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Mar. 1…Matterley, Great Britain (Held)
Mar. 8…Valkenswaard, Holland (Held)
Aug. 2…Russia, Orlyonok,
Aug. 9…Kegums, Latvia
Aug. 16…Uddevalla, Sweden
Aug. 23…KymiRing, Finland
Sept. 6.…Afyonkarahisar, Turkey
Sept. 13…Shanghai, China
Sept. 13…TBA
Sept. 27…MXDN, Ernee, France
Oct. 4…Trentino, Italy
Oct. 11..Arroyomolinos, Spain
Oct. 18…Agueda, Portgual
Oct. 25…Lommel, Belgium
Nov. 1…Jakarta, Indonesia
Nov. 8…TBA, Indonesia
Nov. 22…Neuquen, Argentina
Nov. 29…TBA
TBA…Loket, Czech Republic
TBA…Teutschenthal, Germany
TBA…Imola, Italy

Let's Go Racing!

There’s finally a locked-in end to the racing lockdown. Monster Energy AMA Supercross announced today that the championship would resume on May 31 and finish on June 21, and conduct the remaining seven rounds in one building: Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah.

In order to fit seven races into a three-week span, racing will take place on Sundays and Wednesdays. Here's the full press release:

Ellenton, Fla., (May 14, 2020) – Feld Entertainment, Inc. announced today that the Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, will resume racing at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah on May 31 and will run through June 21. The final seven, made-for-tv races will be broadcast on NBC networks without fans in attendance. The Utah Sports Commission, a longtime partner of Supercross, has coordinated our return to Utah.

Like all forms of sports, the Monster Energy Supercross Championship was abruptly halted in early March after completing ten rounds of the 17-round Championship. The last race was held on March 7 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. where Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac earned his fifth win of the season over top rival Team Honda HRC’s Ken Roczen, both of whom are competing for their first premiere class title with only three points of separation.

The sports industry in the United States, like virtually all industries, is being severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Monster Energy Supercross fuels an entire industry and is the primary source of income for thousands, including competitors. With no events, the industry is in severe economic peril. It’s important to the economic infrastructure to get back-to-work. Unlike other professional sports with guaranteed contracts, Supercross athletes, team personnel and many others involved in event and television production are independent contractors.

"We're excited to continue our work with Feld Entertainment, Rice-Eccles Stadium at the University of Utah, and the Utah Department of Health Services. Their continued support along with Utah's Governor Gary R. Herbert, have made it possible for Supercross’ return to Utah," said Jeff Robbins, President and CEO, Utah Sports Commission. "We also look forward to showcasing Utah worldwide via Supercross' global footprint." 

The responsible return to racing will provide guidelines and protocols to competitors and essential staff that complies with all federal, state and local health guidance and mandates. Mitigation efforts include mandated prescreening, testing, temperature checks, face masks, increased sanitation efforts and social distancing to limit contact among individuals executing the events. The stadium will assist with the implementation and execution of our plan. Supercross, in partnership with the Alpinestars Medical Unit, has a trained medical team of 7 professionals to assist on site.

The racing format has been adjusted to reduce the number of athletes to stay within the minimum requirements and a standard race format will be used for all seven rounds, except for the finale which will be an Eastern/Western Regional 250SX Class Showdown.

• Supercross Race Format for Final Seven Rounds:
  • 450SX Class – 40 Riders based on current point standings and 2020 top 100 number or combined season qualifying results
  • 250SX Class – 40 Riders based on current point standings and 2020 top 100 number or combined season qualifying results
  • Two qualifying sessions will be held for gate pick
  • 250SX Class – Two Heat Races and a Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ)
  • 450SX Class – Two Heat Races and a Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ)
  • 250SX Class Main Event
  • 450SX Class Main Event

In the final seven races, three champions will be crowned – one in the 450SX Class and two in the 250SX Eastern and Western Regional Classes. It is the hope of the series that the final seven races will start to bring some normalcy to race fans by creating memorable experiences through the live television broadcast that continue to bring people together via a shared experience while also uplifting the human spirit, as all forms of sport do.

Supercross athletes have little to no contact as riders race solo against other competitors and wear several protective elements – full-face helmets that cover the mouth, goggles, gloves, jerseys and pants that leave little to no skin exposed, plus fully secured knee-high boots.

Supercross partners Oakley, Toyota and VP Racing Fuels have been lending their expertise to the medical community and first responders by developing and mass-producing protective shields, eyewear and hand sanitizer. This type of expertise that exists within the industry, coupled with Utah’s leadership and Feld Entertainment’s live event experience will all factor in to helping the industry get back to racing while aiding in the recovery and healing process nationwide.

NBC and NBCSN Television Schedule:

Round 11 (East) – Sunday, May 31                 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm ET on NBCSN then 4:00 – 6:00 ET on NBC

Round 12 (East) – Wednesday, June 3          10:00 pm – 1:00 am ET on NBCSN

Round 13 (East) – Sunday, June 7                  5:00 pm – 8:00 pm ET on NBCSN

Round 14 (West) – Wednesday, June 10      7:00 pm – 10:00 pm ET on NBCSN

Round 15 (West) – Sunday, June 14              7:00 pm – 10:00 pm ET on NBCSN

Round 16 (East) – Wednesday, June 17        7:00 pm – 10:00 pm ET on NBCSN

Round 17 (East/West) – Sunday, June 21      3:00 pm – 4:30 pm ET on NBCSN then 4:30 – 6:00 ET on NBC

*TV schedule subject to change.

NBC Sports will present the final seven, made-for-TV races across NBC, NBCSN & NBCSports.com. Races will also be available to domestic livestream subscribers via the NBC Sports Gold “Supercross Pass” and internationally via the Supercross Video Pass.

For more information on either one of these livestream options please visit NBCSports.com/Gold or SupercrossLIVE.tv .

Racer X had learned of some of the extensive social-distancing guidelines to be in place at these events. Spectators will not be allowed at these raced. Teams will likely have to keep to their own rigs and not come within distance of the staff of other teams. Surely there will be many other rules in place, but sacrifices are needed to get back to racing.

Expect much more info as we ramp up toward the continuation of supercross for 2020. Just 17 days to go!

Memorial Day...Day to Remember Those That Serve

Matrix Concepts Memorial Sale!

Happy Memorial Day! Stay safe!  Go ride! 

Use code: g640c at check out for core products. 

Use code: TT35 for tables and Toolboxes. 

www.matrixracingproducts.com

Sale end June 1, 2020 at midnight. 

THE MATRIX CONCEPTS STORY

THE MATRIX CONCEPT… IT'S WHAT THE FACTORY TEAM USE

It all started in 2009 as a college project for Chadd and Cameron Cole and after several months of product design, development, testing and input from Eddie Cole, some of the top riders and mechanics in the world of motorcycling racing, including MX legend Bob Hannah.

In 2010 Eddie Cole who was the founder and President of Answer Products, Protaper, Manitou, SIXSIXONE, Tag Metals, Sunline and Filtron led the Matrix team of Chadd Cole, Cameron Cole, Brady Sheren, Arnold Taylor and Brad McLean, they introduced and launched the MATRIX CONCEPTS line in the spring of 2010. 

The company had instant success with over 20 professional and amateur teams using and endorsing the product line.

 

The company set up and has offices and warehousing facilities in both Valencia, CA USA and Vancouver, BC Canada.

 

The phase-1 product strategy was focused on motorcycle off road composite stands, loading ramps, tie-downs, utility cans and unique line of motorcycle rubber work mats.

The design team wanted to introduce a new approach to some old school products and developed a five part design criteria;

1. Make the products from high strength material that was lightweight and very strong.

2. Offer new innovative features that improved the product over the competition.

3. Give the rider/team the ability to personalize the products with their name/number giving them the "factory look".

4. Offer a great retail value.

5. Offer a complete line of garage and track necessities.

TODAY

The company has over 1,000 part numbers. Has distribution in 50+ countries. Matrix Concepts now has the top 22 teams worldwide in racing using and endorsing our products.

Will We Have Out Door Nationals?

LUCAS OIL PRO MOTOCROSS DELAYED BEYOND JULY 4

Photo by Brandon Krause

The organizers of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross series continue to be challenged by the changing picture in American sports for 2020. Unlike Monster Energy Supercross, outdoor motocross is driven by attendance at the gate of each event. This week MX Sports Pro Racing announced that the series will not open on July 4 weekend at RedBud. They still hope to begin the series in July. The official competition bulletin appears below.

The Pro Motocross schedule continues to be dynamic.  It is the intent of organizers to conduct the events with fans, which requires elevated social distancing protocols.  The phase-in plans for the resumption of large gatherings continues to evolve from state-to-state, with some states having clear guidelines and others not so much.  Event organizers continue to work with their local and state officials to develop a suitable timetable for their national event, but the situation is changing rapidly.  The current plan is to start the series in July, but to date no exact start date or location has been determined.  What has been determined is that RedBud will not be held on July 4^th, nor will it be the opening round.  The Series will release a month-to-month schedule starting with July in the coming weeks.  This roll-out schedule will allow events to be moved as organizers obtain approval from state to state.  Although this approach may be unorthodox, it is necessary under the circumstances, and event organizers and series managers appreciate the patience of the riders, teams and fans as we maneuver through these challenging times.

Post Virus Racing?

What will Off-Road racing look like after Coronavirus?

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As we come out of Coronavirus hibernation and dare to think about racing again, we face serious changes to our riding lives. But what are those changes likely to be and how will it affect Off-Road riding post Covid-19?

Racing got underway last weekend, in America at least, with the Bulldog GNCC. Running a new code of conduct for riders, teams and with no spectators, GNCC Racing blazed a trail many race and championship organisers will be following in the coming weeks and months around the world. One thing is clear: we are living and riding in a very different landscape than we were just a few months ago.

 

 

Among the startling realities challenging race organisers, riders and teams as we attempt to get back racing are: lengthy processes to get into events, officials seated behind protective barriers and wearing protective clothing, mechanics wearing a face masks as they work closely with riders, no podium ceremonies and certainly no spectators. 

Worse and perhaps the hardest to get your head around is the idea of no physical interaction between people (unless you live together) – not just shooting the breeze in a paddock but imagine having to decide if helping another rider out on a hill, or if they are stuck under their bike, is the right thing to do?

We’ve spoken to major race and event organisers Alan Randt from the AMA National Enduro Series and Steve Ireland from WOR Events who runs successful race series’ and practice days in the UK plus the infamous Tough One Extreme Enduro, to try and get our heads around how this might work. 

NEPG’s Alan Randt explain the realities he faces even before any wheels are turned. “To get back to racing we need to deal with new regulations from the insurance carriers, have electronic release forms and parent release forms for minors, have online transponder sales and keep human contact to a minimum.” NEPG have also put into place actions for their first event back (Cherokee National Enduro, June 7) which include 10ft distancing in paddock, fuelling and camping areas, plus six foot distancing between riders at all times off the track including the start line.

Here are some of the processes followed at the Bulldog GNCC (May 16-17):

• Upon entry, you will be greeted by staff wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), i.e., facemask, face shield, and gloves.
• Each vehicle will be given a separate liability release/waiver for the occupants to sign and return to staff. Only one release sheet will be used per vehicle.
• Please bring your own pen to complete the release and race entry form.
• We accept credit card or exact cash payment. Please come prepared.
• Your ticket will be a wristband. Please secure it to your own wrist and help your kids with theirs.
• Park no less than 10 feet apart from your neighbour on all sides.
• Please remain in your pit area unless going to/from registration, concessions or the racetrack. Don’t roam or visit your neighbours - use your phone for that.
• Help us limit the number of people onsite overnight. If you race Saturday, please return home as soon as possible after your race. 

 

 

WOR Events boss Steve Ireland, says he too has looked at the GNCC Safe-to-Race code of conduct and made a similar plan of attack before getting back on it: “Basically, we run our own show at WOR Events and have the go-ahead in terms of insurance from the IOPD (licensing body). We have everything ready and have a plan of action in place with my staff to get people signed-in as they enter venues, control the parking, the use of toilets and basically have control of every aspect.”

Social element lost?

If any aspect of dirt biking lends itself to getting out on a bike in the meantime then it has to be trail riding and setting out in small groups, which will be largely unaffected. But riding bikes is a largely selfish pursuit and it is true to say when we are inside our helmets, on a bike, we are on our own. 

Everything that comes before, after and many times during a race involves contact with others – travel to a venue, fuel, food and registering at an event. The bigger issue, the thing which will be challenging is that social element which for most of us is a major reason why we do it to be with friends, family and like-minded riders. 

For the foreseeable future this process will need to be different – the usual free-for-all in the parking areas for vans and race trucks cannot happen. We know at the highest level of racing the factory race trucks sit pretty in paddocks but for the rest of us at an average club-level event the ‘norm’ is to be pretty packed in there. 

 

 

Keeping a distance 

Is there a more social aspect to riding off-road than the registration and signing-on process? When we arrive bright and early to sign-on and get bikes through technical checks don’t we all herd together, queue and shoot the breeze? 

Large scale motorcycle events have many hurdles to cross in terms of keeping people separate. At bigger events, where the rider numbers stretch into the many hundreds, it is hard to imagine how they can take place under current conditions – we’re thinking events like Romaniacs or the Weston Beach Race, where the signing on process is spread across days – from a human contact point of view it is a potential disaster area. 

Technical checks

Scrutineering or bike checks also have pitfalls which need to be overcome too. Medical evidence shows Coronavirus remains ‘alive’ on surfaces for many hours, which means the whole process of bike checks is rife with issues. 

Think about it, you queue up for ages in a scrum of bodies and bikes. When you get to the officials, one person takes your helmet (which you’ve just worn and breathed into all the way from your van), another takes your bike and runs the checks touching multiple parts of the bike. 

 

 

Mass gatherings

How many times do we physically get up close and personal at an event? From parc fermes to race starts aren’t we always rubbing elbows? Ok, in a timecard enduro we stand more of a chance of keeping separate but for many off-road events the nature of the event means social contact. Desert races with the start line spread out across a mile could be the safest answer.

Whatever you do, don’t help each other

If we are only supposed to come into close contact with members of our household and those we have self-isolated with, then the idea of helping a fellow rider stuck on a hill, against a log or wherever is a no-no. Imagine an event like Romaniacs without riders helping each other?

 

 

Practice and training rides at first

The need to get back out on our bikes is a desperate one for us all but it will have to be controlled. The immediate future for many getting back riding looks set to be practice, training and open track days. “We didn’t want to get going too early, before it is safe to do so, but have used common sense." Says Ireland. “We’re looking at running from June, maybe mid-June and will take it easy with pay and play days for a start to get people back into riding. We can’t just throw ourselves back into it like nothing has happened.”

Steve also says they have thought of changing the severity of events as well, “we don’t want people to get stuck on a log or in that situation in the first place. We’ll plan out events for a start which do not have those snotty situations because people are not going to be ready for it anyway.”

Slowly does it back to racing, but only at national level

As we write this it is impossible to know when we will be riding international events, but we can’t see it happening any time soon. Over the last weeks and months Enduro21 has spoken to major race and championship organisers and one thing is clear, no-one is quite sure how international travel can possibly work at the moment largely because different countries have different rules – although Italy for example will allow travellers across its border from June 3.

“It is hard to imagine how international events can take place.” Says Steve Ireland. “With international borders having restrictions and different rules applied, it is hard to see how any international events can take place in the near future, this year even.” 

The idea of international competition still looks a long way off because of travel restrictions. European borders, normally crossed in a blink of an eye, will have a whole range of conditions and tests for individuals including periods of quarantine. How can an international enduro (just like MotoGP or F1 racing) take place if individual riders or team members are to spend two weeks in isolation as they cross into each country? 

 

 

Further advice and musings on the processes needed to start riding again:

• Trail riders and small groups on non-organised rides will remain largely unchanged save for social considerations at gas stations and so on. In the near future it will be the easiest way of getting riding for many.
• Go contactless. Race event entries are already online for most and with the whole process becoming contactless, it just needs riders to get organised and stop anybody entering on the day. 
• Where it does baulk is with insurance companies requiring people to sign-in on the day at a venue – that much does not seem negotiable if we are to be accounted for and insured while we ride. This is the part which will take patience and care as we arrive at venues.
• No spectators. The Bulldog GNCC was an example and was not advertised to the public. Plus they had limited attendance for riders, their teams, families and crew. 
• Events need big enough parking/paddock areas to allow distances between people both in the vans and race trucks. Where venues are smaller, entries will likely be restricted. 
• Follow basic hygiene rules from washing hands to touching surfaces, going to lavatory and so on. This part is simple.
• Get there early, give the process more time and let organisers do the right thing. 

 

 

Photo Credit: Enduro21/Andrea Belluschi + Ken Hill + Red Bull Content Pool/Attila Szabo/Predrag Vukovic

 

Roger DeCoster...A Look Back

The Man - 10 Years

Posted on May 18, 2020

There is no doubt in my mind, Roger De Coster has been the most influential man in the sport of motocross. Five 500cc motocross World championships, 36 GP wins, 6 Motocross des Nations victories, four victories in America during the Trans-AMA series, a truck load of AMA supercross and motocross championships as a team manager and 22 MXdN victories as a team manager for Team USA.

He helped introduce motocross around the World, including in my own country Australia back in 1972. It is a story I have told before here on mxlarge, my Dad taking me to a big International motocross event, maybe only my second or even first motocross event. We were speedway and road racing fans, and as my Dad was the leading photographer in motorcycle racing in Australia in the 1960s and 1970s, we got to attend all the major races in our area of Australia. This motocross seemed pretty interesting and all these guys riding around with the big Suzuki S on their jerseys looked pretty cool. De Coster won on that day, and his long blonde hair, his engaging smile and the fact he had beautiful trophy girls on both arms really made me look in awe at this Belgian guy, coming from a country that in 1972 could have been on the moon is seemed so far away. From that day on, motocross was my new favourite sport, and I have to say, what a brilliant lifestyle it has given me. As that 10 year old watching legends like De Coster, Robert, Aberg and many others racing around a dusty old circuit in Australia, I would never imagine I would one day actually be living in Europe, and be a leading media guy for the sport.

That day at Oran Park in the outskirts of Sydney is a story I hold very close to my heart, because now as it reaches 11 years since my father passed away, those memories are more cherished than ever, and we had so many of those memories back when I was a kid, but anyway, back to De Coster.

The Belgian legends on track achievements are legendary, but it is also his off-track exploits that make him so important to the sport. No doubt, his many years helping riders win AMA supercross and motocross championships far out number his own championship tally, but for many of us, it is his devotion to Team USA at the Motocross des Nations that has proven so inspiring.

Within two years of winning the MXoN himself in 1979 with Team Belgium, he had started another legacy as he put together that 1981 American B team at Lommel in Belgium and Bielstien in Germany. Victory against his own countrymen in 1981, and now 22 wins later and 30 years De Coster is still in charge of the American effort and while some less educated American media looked for him to be replaced and put on an old age pension, only one man will make the call on his retirement from Team USA and that is “The Man”.

We were very lucky 20 years ago to be given this amazing walk through his career by De Coster himself. Offered to us by an old friend Lex Valasakos who had done the interview with “The Man”. Well we grabbed it and ran. Truly amazing detail onto one of the golden eras of Grand Prix motocross, when Suzuki arrived on the GP scene and swept championship after championship with De Coster and his fellow Belgian Joel Robert.

Back in 1970 De Coster had finished third in the World 250cc championship to Joel Robert and Sylvain Geboers, an amazing effort for the young rider, but once we hit 1971, it was all De Coster in the 500cc class as he dethroned two time World champion Bengt Aberg from Sweden and went on to win five titles in the big bike class. Here is how the next 10 years went for the most important man the sport has known.

1971 – The first GP of the season was in Italy at Cingoli, and I happened to win that event. It was the first ever win for a Japanese company in the 500 class. Ake Jonnson, Paul Frederichs, and defending world champion Bengt Aberg were my main competitors during that season. There was a little set-back during the middle of the year, I broke a couple of bones in my hand in a local race a few days before the Grand Prix of Finland. I clinched my first world championship at the last round in Holland. It was the greatest feeling in my life at that point. It was everything I had dreamed of for years and years. In the fall of that year I was invited to Japan, and I got to meet Mr. Suzuki. We had a big reception in the Hammamatsu Grand Hotel, which was the largest hotel in Hammamatsu at the time.

1972 – I didn’t have too many low points. Our bike was so awesome. There was no weight limit, and our bikes were very light, with many aluminium and titanium parts. And I was probably in my best condition ever. That was a wonderful year for me. I could let other people come away with good starts, yet I still had the confidence that I could win a race.

1973 – That was the year that Maico went to long-travel suspension. Yamaha also come out with the ‘Mono-shock’. Those of us at Suzuki were a bit behind. There was a rule change right before the start of the season, and our bikes were already prepared for that year. Now we had to add weight to comply with the new rules. We changed many of the aluminium and titanium parts over to metal and steel. This upset the handling and balance of the bike tremendously, along with upsetting the suspension. We had a very tough season that year. Maico was very strong. Willi Bauer was on Maico that year, and he rode very well. I ended up winning the championship again, but it was tight the entire season.

The first long-travel chassis for us at Suzuki was made in mid-season by myself and Sylvain Geboers, who was riding in the 250 class at that time. Sylvain and I started to cut up and modify our frames to make them have long-travel suspension. We changed the frame specifications, we made our own rear shock bodies with Koni internals, we modified swing-arms. Sylvain and I worked together a lot. He might work on the frames, while I worked on the swing-arms. By working together, it made us more time-efficient rather than working independently on the 250 and the 500. The inventor of the ‘Mono-shock’ was Mr. Tilkens, and he was helping us too. He was very good at welding.

By the end of the year I was exhausted physically and mentally. Sometimes, because we were spending so much time modifying the bikes, working on them until the middle of the night, I was not able to train as I normally would, so my conditioning was not the best.

Of course, Suzuki was not pleased with the rule change that required us to add weight to the bikes. When the rule change came about, it seemed to be directed solely at Suzuki. It appeared like the European manufacturers had banded together starting in late 1972 to make this change go forward. And funny enough, Gerrit Wolsink, who at the time was the leading representative of the privateers, had a voice in this change happening, although in 1974 we would become team-mates at Suzuki!

When this rule change came about right before the start of the season, it was too late to modify our bikes, and the people at Suzuki kind of threw their hands up in the air and gave up. We had to add about 25 pounds of weight to our bikes for that season.

1974 – We had a new race manager in Japan. We went from a short stroke engine to a long stroke engine, which was done more to emulate what Maico was doing. Maico seemed to work well and getting more traction as a result. We also went to a frame that had more laid down shocks, and more suspension travel. That bike had potential, but it was the first year for it, and we had so many changes. We had a few problems with things breaking. I actually was still in contention for the championship with Heikki Mikkola coming into the final round of the series in Luxembourg. But in the first moto the bike broke a motor connecting rod while I was leading.

It was the first time finishing in second place for me in the past few years. I felt I had given it my best, but we had some bike problems. Also, my competitor Heikki Mikkola earned it. I had, and still have so much respect for the guy. If anyone deserved it, it was Heikki.

1975 – Maybe we had a renewed determination to reclaim the title we had before. It was basically the same bike as the year before, only we had more time to refine it. The new design of 1974 had now matured. One of the changes we made was going to the upswept exhaust pipe. It was a much better-balanced bike.

At the time the motocross world was centred in Belgium. All the top riders were based there including the Swedes, Finns, British, Belgians, and others. There were many important pre-season international races at that time too. During the pre-season events we had problems with the piston and engine seizures at 15 races in a row that I was leading. The Japanese were just about in tears, as the Grand Prix season was getting closer.

Once the GP season started the bike was working great and handling well. It had a very nice powerband, it was a good bike, and we won the championship again. It was a good feeling, I felt like I was back on top of the world, and it was very much like 1972.

At the end of the season, I came to the USA to compete in the Trans-AMA series in the fall, which I won too. Things were going very well, and I was happy. The new race manager at Suzuki was very much a ‘fighter’. He wanted to make sure we had what it takes to win. He was also a fun person to work with. He was very aggressive, very motivating, and it was a good year.

1976 - That year I had a close battle with my team-mate Gerrit Wolsink. I was leading early on in the season, but later on I had a few bad races, and Gerrit was able to close the gap between us. Coming into the last round at Luxembourg, we still both had a chance at the championship. Although I DNF’ed one of the motos with a flat front tire, I won my fifth 500cc World Championship.

Back in this era, DNF’s were much more common. Today’s bikes are much more reliable … the engines, the suspension components, tires and more. When you see a DNF because of mechanical problems today in motocross, it’s certainly not as common as in years past. Motocross bikes have become very reliable today.

1977 – The previous year, I had come back to the USA and competed and won in the Trans-AMA series. Maybe coming into this year, I was not as prepared as I should have been. At the same time, Yamaha had a new bike that was very good, and Heikki Mikkola was strong. Mikkola and the Yamaha were a good combination, and they ended up winning the championship. Towards the end of the year, I felt like I was starting to get back to my previous form. I came to the USA again for the Trans-AMA Series in the fall and won that for my fourth and final time.

1978 – Coming into the ’78 season, as I was practicing and testing in February, I crashed and ended up losing my spleen. The injury was a bit scary. My spleen actually exploded into five pieces. At the time of the crash I’m thinking ‘What’s happening here? Am I going to make it?’ And I could feel myself going away (as in possibly death). Luckily, I was with Sylvain Geboers, who was practicing with me at this local track, which also holds a big race every year. It’s in the town of Mol, Belgium. Sylvain was good friends with the head surgeon of the local hospital. I told Sylvain ‘I think I’m having a problem internally’. On the outside of my body there was not a scratch. I told him we should go to the hospital because I’m feeling very strange. I felt as though I was going to pass out. I got into the van and crawled on the floor. Sylvain started driving right away …. we left the bikes there at the track. It was around lunch time, and as I said, Sylvain was good friends with the surgeon. So, Sylvain stopped at the guy’s home, because he knew that he would be there eating lunch. Sure enough, the surgeon was home eating his lunch. So, he jumped into the van with us, and started checking me out. He said it’s a good thing we stopped by, or I wouldn’t have made it.

We got to the hospital, and they started to pump blood into me. The hospital staff had a hard time getting blood into me quick enough. I had one blood pouch connected into each arm, and the last thing I remember seeing is one doctor and one nurse squeezing a bag into each arm because I was losing so much blood internally. Apparently, my heart stopped, and they had to give me an adrenalin injection directly into my heart. Of course, I was really happy when I finally woke up.

Surprisingly, two weeks later, I raced and won an international event. It’s the biggest pre-Grand Prix event. It’s called the ‘Easter Trophy’. I won the 250 class, but I felt weird. It felt as though my insides were bouncing around. The rest of my season went just so-so. The spleen acts as a filter for your blood, and it’s also a reserve area for blood. When you lose your spleen, it takes quite some time for your body to adjust fully. I don’t know how much of that I can blame on my results for that season, but I ended up fifth in the 500cc championship.

1979 – This would be my last year with Suzuki as a rider, although I didn’t know that at the time. I still wanted to prove that I could do well. Starting in 1978, and continuing into 1979, I think we got carried away with the suspension. It was way too tall, and the handling issues were not solved. From ’77 – ’79, I believe the Yamaha was the best bike, and I probably was not as good as I was before. I was getting older.

What hurt me most was that some of the people at Suzuki thought that the problem was more the rider than the bike. We had some young riders at the time, and they did not finish in front of me in championship, as I was the top Suzuki rider. The feeling within the team was not as good as it could be because we were not winning. I felt that our bikes were behind, and we needed a little more work on them.

Suzuki had no interest in renewing my contract at the end of 1979. I think the team manager felt that I was past my best, and that I was not going to win anymore. They had a certain budget to work with, and they wanted to take their chances with young riders.

I still wanted to work with the team as a consultant or an advisor or to help with testing. Suzuki had no room for it at that time, or maybe they thought that I couldn’t do a good job at it. At the time, they did very little testing in Europe, most of it was done in Japan, with production bike testing done in the US. Plus, it’s not like today …. there was not as much testing going on back them as compared to today. Back then, you went to Japan for one week and did testing, and that’s basically what you got for the entire year. The bikes did not evolve as much during the year as they started to do later in the 80’s.

I could not believe that the company I had won five world championships with, and four Trans-AMA series with, did not have an offer for me. It was very hard to take for my ego.

On the other hand, I had offers from Yamaha and Honda. They had been talking to me for years. I could never make myself go to them, even though I had great offers. I felt so much like a Suzuki person because I had won all my championships with them. We had so much success together.

I had an ongoing offer from Honda, and they kept calling me. They did not seem to be bothered by the fact that I was over 30 years of age. They started pressing me for an answer, and their offer was tremendous. It was better money that I had from Suzuki at any time. But I still could not make myself do it. I told Honda that when I come to Japan, we will discuss it then.

I took a flight to Japan. I went to Suzuki first. I went to the factory, and the guys there seemed really embarrassed to see me. It seemed like they were trying to hide. They said ‘Sorry, there is not anything we can do for you for next year’. It was very tough, because I wanted to continue working with the team.

It also felt good that I had this big company (Honda) still wanting me. So, I got on the bullet train, and went to Tokyo. I went to meet the guys from Honda. Everything changed. They made me a good deal. At first, it was a three-year deal. The first year I would definitely be a rider, but along with being a Grand Prix rider, I would also be a development rider. They wanted me to do a lot of testing and help them develop the Pro-Link rear suspension. I like testing, so that part of it fit right it. They showed me around the factory. The Honda race manager at that time was very aggressive, very gung-ho. He wanted to dominate. After racing, I had the option of becoming an advisor to the team to help with testing and coaching of the riders.

1980 – My first-year racing with Honda. We did a lot of development, and we had problems at first because we were using many new parts and such. We did get the Pro-Link to work well, and team-mate Andre Malherbe won his first world championship. I had requested Dave Arnold, who I had known racing in the US, to be my mechanic. We got along really great.

I won my last race at the final GP in Luxembourg. It was a nice ending to my racing career to win both heats there. It was a great feeling, but it was also hard to get on the podium and say, ‘This is my last race’.

The following week, I flew to the US to help reorganize the motocross team. Those next four or five years I spent so much time going back and forth between the US and Europe, helping both the GP team and the American team. Almost every other week I was coming or going.

At the end of 1980, when Dave and I came back to the US, together we started reorganizing the US team. I helped to convince the Japanese bosses at Honda that Dave would make a good team manager, and they followed suite. I wanted to have the freedom to be able to go back and forth to Europe and Japan.