Australian Test of 2018 KTM EXC-F

Review: 2018 KTM 500 EXC-F

Section: Reviews Post: Alex Gobert

 2018 KTM 500 EXC-F.

Words: Guy Streeter

For 2018 much of the noise from KTM has been around the Austrian brand’s groundbreaking TPI two-stroke models, which is fine, because in 2017 KTM made a fair impact with its entire four-stroke range that made a lasting impression. As the KTM 500 EXC-F had been completely redesigned from the ground up last year, with the mantra behind the new design being ‘lighter, faster, stronger’, it is safe to say that KTM knocked it out of the park at five kilograms lighter, with 63hp and boasting significant race results around the world. This time around, KTM didn’t need to reinvent the wheel, so it was all about refining the 500 EXC-F. What you’ll find here are subtle tweaks that make the 2018 KTM 500 EXC-F that much better.

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

Where we rode:
We loaded up and headed to a private farm on the door step of Belanglo State Forest to meet up with KTM Australia representatives, getting a feel for the 2018 KTM 500 EXC-F and the updates from the 2017 models. An epic grass track with plenty of twists and turns, along with fast, open corners was really fun on the 500, but the tighter corners sure came up quick. With the farm situated almost within the forest, it was only a quick ride to some pretty cool, loamy single-trail within the pines.

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

Tech features:
KTM has improved its cooling system, which routes the coolant from the cyclinder-head through the frame triangle directly to the radiators, also featuring new radiator protectors. The radiator protectors help improve heat dissipation, as well as add protection in the event of a crash. WP has revised the internals of the WP XPlor 48 forks and PDS shock absorber, while the forks also received new outer fork tubes that were carried over from the SX-F models. Combined with the updated factory settings that provide improved sensitivity and damping, a sealed hydro-stop guarantees excellent resistance to pushing through the entire 300mm of travel and bottoming out. A few things that we really appreciate that carry over from the 2017 model are the Brembo brakes and hydraulic clutch. On top of that, the air-box design is user-friendly and it’s easier to access with a multi-directional filter cage that gives a better seal than past variants. The opaque 8.5-litre fuel tank with its integrated fuel pump not only looks trick, but is functional as well. No dirt foot-pegs and gear-shifters are a great touch – a design to prevent problems out on the trail, which is going to benefit your riding experience at some point down the track. The ODI Lock-on grips make things a little easier when replacing and overall they’re just a good finishing touch. One aspect that still looks a little odd to me is the lack of a kick-starter, however with the improvement of technology, they are going to be a thing of the past very soon – it certainly is on the 500 EXC-F.

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

Motor characteristics:
There is something enjoyable about scaring yourself enough, but while still being able to enjoy it, and the KTM 500 EXC-F does that for sure. With 63hp, it doesn’t take much to twist the throttle a little more than your talent can accommodate and you will most definitely understand what you’re working with, but that is the fun bit, right? With so much power for open trails, the corners come up plenty quick, although it is relatively smooth on throttle application so it’s manageable in building up to speed. The 500 EXC-F sports a six-speed transmission with tailor-made ratios, while a clever gear-sensor adjusts the engine’s power curve to the selected gear, as well as the trail surface. KTM has developed a traction control and a mapping switch for the entire off-road range, which can be purchased separately and fitted very easily through the PowerParts catalogue. The 500 EXC-F makes the most out of this function, making the bike more rider-friendly in either tougher and tight or wet and muddy conditions.

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

Chassis feedback:
As mentioned, KTM started from the ground up with a complete redesign in 2017. With that, engineers were able to make the engine more compact, which allowed the Austrians to make the frame and chassis smaller as well, centralising its overall mass. Bringing everything closer to the centre of the bike has improved handling, which really seems to be the trend with all manufacturers at the moment. The improvement on the EXC-F chassis is probably highlighted most of all on the 500, as it is a slightly heavier bike than its siblings at 106.5kg with the larger engine capacity. The Chrome-molybdenum steel central-tube frame itself has been improved for better rider feedback and to help limit fatigue as much as possible by changing the rigidity of the frame, both side-to-side and front-to-back, which provides better absorption and flex. In terms of the suspension, WP has hit the nail somewhat close to the head, because the package works great and with a few minor changes from last year’s model, the 2018 is even better. Improvements made have had a direct impact on the performance and handling of the bike in a positive way, although more seat time would always be a benefit in these instances.

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

Final thoughts:
Overall the 2018 KTM 500 EXC-F is exceptional and there isn’t really anything that comes close in class aside from the similar-make Husqvarna. The finish of the bike itself, its weight, huge power and precise handling are all what you come to expect from the Austrian manufacturer. A bash-plate would probably be one of the first things to add on, plus we didn’t get to ride the 2018 with a traction control switch, however we did on the 2017 model. That was one thing that really made a big difference on the big-bore four-stroke, as the ability to change the characteristics of the motor on the fly was really noticeable and helped tame the power through the tighter trails. Indirectly, it made muscling the bike around that little bit easier, which helped with fatigue and we could hold onto it longer. Suspension-wise, a preload adjuster can also be fitted to allow for simple spring pre-load adjustment without the use of tools.

All in all the 2018 KTM 500 EXC-F is an amazing bike, with more power than you know what to do with. It handles brilliantly at only 106.5kgs (plus fuel), the WP XPlor 48 fork paired with the rear shock works a treat, its overall bodywork, finish and feel of the bike is first-class. It comes in at a recommended retail price of $14,495 plus on-roads – $200 more than last year – and is now available at dealerships across the country.

Section: Reviews Post: Alex Gobert

MotoOnline.com.au tests the 2018 KTM 500 EXC-F.

Words: Guy Streeter

For 2018 much of the noise from KTM has been around the Austrian brand’s groundbreaking TPI two-stroke models, which is fine, because in 2017 KTM made a fair impact with its entire four-stroke range that made a lasting impression. As the KTM 500 EXC-F had been completely redesigned from the ground up last year, with the mantra behind the new design being ‘lighter, faster, stronger’, it is safe to say that KTM knocked it out of the park at five kilograms lighter, with 63hp and boasting significant race results around the world. This time around, KTM didn’t need to reinvent the wheel, so it was all about refining the 500 EXC-F. What you’ll find here are subtle tweaks that make the 2018 KTM 500 EXC-F that much better.

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

Where we rode:
We loaded up and headed to a private farm on the door step of Belanglo State Forest to meet up with KTM Australia representatives, getting a feel for the 2018 KTM 500 EXC-F and the updates from the 2017 models. An epic grass track with plenty of twists and turns, along with fast, open corners was really fun on the 500, but the tighter corners sure came up quick. With the farm situated almost within the forest, it was only a quick ride to some pretty cool, loamy single-trail within the pines.

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

Tech features:
KTM has improved its cooling system, which routes the coolant from the cyclinder-head through the frame triangle directly to the radiators, also featuring new radiator protectors. The radiator protectors help improve heat dissipation, as well as add protection in the event of a crash. WP has revised the internals of the WP XPlor 48 forks and PDS shock absorber, while the forks also received new outer fork tubes that were carried over from the SX-F models. Combined with the updated factory settings that provide improved sensitivity and damping, a sealed hydro-stop guarantees excellent resistance to pushing through the entire 300mm of travel and bottoming out. A few things that we really appreciate that carry over from the 2017 model are the Brembo brakes and hydraulic clutch. On top of that, the air-box design is user-friendly and it’s easier to access with a multi-directional filter cage that gives a better seal than past variants. The opaque 8.5-litre fuel tank with its integrated fuel pump not only looks trick, but is functional as well. No dirt foot-pegs and gear-shifters are a great touch – a design to prevent problems out on the trail, which is going to benefit your riding experience at some point down the track. The ODI Lock-on grips make things a little easier when replacing and overall they’re just a good finishing touch. One aspect that still looks a little odd to me is the lack of a kick-starter, however with the improvement of technology, they are going to be a thing of the past very soon – it certainly is on the 500 EXC-F.

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

Motor characteristics:
There is something enjoyable about scaring yourself enough, but while still being able to enjoy it, and the KTM 500 EXC-F does that for sure. With 63hp, it doesn’t take much to twist the throttle a little more than your talent can accommodate and you will most definitely understand what you’re working with, but that is the fun bit, right? With so much power for open trails, the corners come up plenty quick, although it is relatively smooth on throttle application so it’s manageable in building up to speed. The 500 EXC-F sports a six-speed transmission with tailor-made ratios, while a clever gear-sensor adjusts the engine’s power curve to the selected gear, as well as the trail surface. KTM has developed a traction control and a mapping switch for the entire off-road range, which can be purchased separately and fitted very easily through the PowerParts catalogue. The 500 EXC-F makes the most out of this function, making the bike more rider-friendly in either tougher and tight or wet and muddy conditions.

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

Chassis feedback:
As mentioned, KTM started from the ground up with a complete redesign in 2017. With that, engineers were able to make the engine more compact, which allowed the Austrians to make the frame and chassis smaller as well, centralising its overall mass. Bringing everything closer to the centre of the bike has improved handling, which really seems to be the trend with all manufacturers at the moment. The improvement on the EXC-F chassis is probably highlighted most of all on the 500, as it is a slightly heavier bike than its siblings at 106.5kg with the larger engine capacity. The Chrome-molybdenum steel central-tube frame itself has been improved for better rider feedback and to help limit fatigue as much as possible by changing the rigidity of the frame, both side-to-side and front-to-back, which provides better absorption and flex. In terms of the suspension, WP has hit the nail somewhat close to the head, because the package works great and with a few minor changes from last year’s model, the 2018 is even better. Improvements made have had a direct impact on the performance and handling of the bike in a positive way, although more seat time would always be a benefit in these instances.

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

Final thoughts:
Overall the 2018 KTM 500 EXC-F is exceptional and there isn’t really anything that comes close in class aside from the similar-make Husqvarna. The finish of the bike itself, its weight, huge power and precise handling are all what you come to expect from the Austrian manufacturer. A bash-plate would probably be one of the first things to add on, plus we didn’t get to ride the 2018 with a traction control switch, however we did on the 2017 model. That was one thing that really made a big difference on the big-bore four-stroke, as the ability to change the characteristics of the motor on the fly was really noticeable and helped tame the power through the tighter trails. Indirectly, it made muscling the bike around that little bit easier, which helped with fatigue and we could hold onto it longer. Suspension-wise, a preload adjuster can also be fitted to allow for simple spring pre-load adjustment without the use of tools.

All in all the 2018 KTM 500 EXC-F is an amazing bike, with more power than you know what to do with. It handles brilliantly at only 106.5kgs (plus fuel), the WP XPlor 48 fork paired with the rear shock works a treat, its overall bodywork, finish and feel of the bike is first-class. It comes in at a recommended retail price of $14,495 plus on-roads – $200 more than last year – and is now available at dealerships across the country.

Stage 12 Cancelled

Cancellation of Dakar stage 12 dents Price’s chances

Section: Competition Post: Alex Gobert

One less opportunity for leading Australian to catch Walkner.

Image: Supplied.

Stage 12 of the 2018 Dakar Rally was cancelled overnight due to safety concerns raised by the riders at the end of the previous day, leaving just two days of competitive action remaining for this year.

In a similar situation to the cancelled stage nine, motorcycle riders made their way untimed from Fiambala to San Juan. The stage was scheduled to have the bikes follow the cars and trucks into the timed special. This, combined with the terrain and how it would be affected by the vehicles in front, was deemed too dangerous.

For Australia’s Toby Price (Red Bull KTM) – winner of the 2016 edition – he is currently third following his win on stage 11, but is near 40 minutes in arrears of teammate and current leader Matthias Walkner. Every wheel turned will count toward his chances of victory.

“Yesterday’s stage went really well and it’s nice to get my first win at this year’s event,” Price commented. “It helps a little for the time lost the previous day too. We started off behind some cars and trucks, which adds a little excitement. It was a 280km special and I tried to push for the whole way – it paid off because I was fastest to every waypoint.

“I’m sitting third, which doesn’t sound too bad, but I’m still down quite a lot of time on Matthias. With the cancellation of today’s stage, it means even less of a chance to try and catch up. Tomorrow, stage 13 is the longest of the event though and anything can happen on this rally as we have already seen. All I can do is keep pushing and aim for a good finish on Saturday.”

With one day less to ride, Walkner took a step closer to claiming his first-ever overall Dakar victory. Sitting at the top of the leaderboard, 32-minutes up on his nearest rival Kevin Benavides (Monster Energy Honda), the Austrian still needs to perform well on the remaining two stages to secure a winning result.

Stage 13 of the 2018 Dakar Rally from San Juan to the city of Cordoba is the longest of the event. A 483km liaison combined with a 424km timed special will really test the endurance of the riders. Starting in the sand dunes surrounding San Juan, the route will take competitors through an area of fesh-fesh and conclude on the fast WRC-style tracks on the way into Cordoba.

Dakar...Walkner closes in on win

Walkner closes in on win

Posted on January 18, 2018

After a cancelled stage 12, Matthias Walkner maintains his 2018 Dakar Rally lead with an advantage of more than 30-minutes over his nearest competitor. Team-mates Toby Price and Antoine Meo are hot on his heels in third and fifth respectively. KTM Factory Racing’s Laia Sanz is holding onto a very strong 13th in the provisional rankings.

The 12th stage of the 2018 Dakar Rally was cancelled due to safety concerns raised by the riders at the end of stage 11. In a similar situation to the cancelled stage nine, motorcycle and quad riders made their way untimed from Fiambalá to San Juan. The stage was scheduled to have the bikes follow the cars and trucks into the timed special. This, combined with the terrain and how it would be affected by the vehicles in front, was deemed too dangerous and the organisers heeded to the riders’ wishes and cancelled the stage.

With one day less to ride, Matthias Walkner took a step closer to claiming his first ever overall Dakar victory. The Austrian, fit and ready for the stages ahead is feeling confident with only two more days to go. Sitting at the top of the leader board, 32-minutes up on his nearest rival Kevin Benavides, Walkner still needs to perform well on the remaining two stages to secure a winning result.

Matthias Walkner: “My feeling going into the final couple of stages of the rally is quite good. Tomorrow will be tough and very long, there is a lot of off-piste at the beginning of the stage and then some really fast tracks towards the end. My start position is good so I’m hoping for a solid day tomorrow, I’ll do my best and see where that gets me.

“It was good fun yesterday riding with the cars. I tried to catch Peterhansel as soon as I could and managed to see him at about 70km into the stage. I succeeded to get in front but then he passed me again so we ended up travelling together for most of the stage. It helped me a lot because navigation on the stage was tough and I wanted to really minimise any mistakes so following a car was sensible. It was an honour to ride with ‘Mr Dakar’ himself, too."

Toby Price won the previous day’s stage 11, the opening leg of the second marathon stage. Price put in a dominating performance to take the win by a minute-and-a-half over the runner-up and gain over 10-minutes on his team-mate and standings leader, Walkner.

Toby Price: “Yesterday’s stage went really well, it’s nice to get my first win at this year’s event. It helps a little for the time lost the previous day, too. We started off behind some cars and trucks, which adds a little excitement. It was a 280km special and I tried to push for the whole way – it paid off because I was fastest to every waypoint. I’m sitting third, which doesn’t sound too bad, but I’m still down quite a lot of time on Matthias. With the cancellation of today’s stage, it means even less of a chance to try and catch up. Tomorrow, stage 13 is the longest of the event though and anything can happen on this rally as we have already seen. All I can do is keep pushing and aim for a good finish on Saturday.”

Also enjoying stage 11, right up to a large crash 10km from the finish, Antoine Meo still managed to move further up the overall rankings to fifth. Like Price, Meo is running out of time if he wants to improve that position further, but there are well over 500km of special stages left to race and Meo will be trying to make the most of every one.

Antoine Meo: “Yesterday went really well for me, I pushed hard right from the beginning and was making up good time. Unfortunately, I crashed a little way from the finish. It was quite a big crash but luckily I came out of it in one piece and the bike was not too badly damaged. I am a little disappointed that today’s stage was cancelled, it makes it harder for me to make up time on the guys in front. At the same time, it was looking quite dangerous out there and I think the organisers made the right decision. I’ll go into tomorrow’s stage 13 looking to push as hard as I can and hopefully get another good result.”

Laia Sanz suffered her second big crash of the rally yesterday. Picking herself up, the Spaniard made it to the finish in a commendable 18th place. Her performance moved he further up the standings – the multiple world champion now sits in an excellent 13th overall.

Laia Sanz: “It was a really hard day for me yesterday. I started in the second group behind cars and truck and personally I think it was too dangerous. I was stuck in the dust of a truck in front and it was too difficult to overtake it safely. Towards the end of the stage I was so exhausted and ended up having another crash. Luckily, I wasn’t injured and made it to the bivouac ok, but today I am feeling a little sore. I am glad the stage today was cancelled, it has given me a chance to rest and prepare myself for the last two days.”

Jordi Viladoms – KTM Rally Sport Manager: “The plan today was to initially ride the stage after the cars and trucks, which is a little bit dangerous for the riders. The organisers listened to the concerns raised and made the right decision to cancel the special. The terrain of stage 12 would have proved difficult anyway, but after the larger vehicles had gone through it would have been too treacherous for the bikes. We are glad that rider safety was put above everything else. With two more stages to race, we are very happy with how things are going – obviously Matthias is in a very good position, but both Toby and Antoine can still catch the guys in front of them so we’ll see what happens over the next couple of days.”

Tomorrow’s stage 13 of the 2018 Dakar Rally from San Juan to the city of Córdoba is the longest of the event. A 483km liaison combined with a 424km timed special will really test the endurance of the riders. Starting in the sand dunes surrounding San Juan, the route will take competitors through an area of fesh-fesh and conclude on the fast WRC-style tracks on the way into Córdoba. Navigation will again be important, but overall physical fitness in the Argentinian heat will be key.

Provisional Standings after cancelled Stage 12 – 2018 Dakar Rally

1. Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 36:33:37

2. Kevin Benavides (ARG), Honda, 37:05:37 +32:00

3. Toby Price (AUT), KTM, 37:12:54 +39:17

4. Gerard Farres (ESP), KTM, 37:22:54 +49:17

5. Antoine Meo (FRA), KTM, 37:32:42 +59:05

Dakar...Price Closes

Price closes on Walkner

Posted on January 18, 2018

Toby Price has fought back from yesterday’s disappointing result to dominate stage 11 of the 2018 Dakar Rally. Antoine Meo put in another superb performance to post the third fastest time for the day while Matthias Walkner placed fifth to retain his position at the top of the provisional overall standings.

Today was the first leg of the second marathon stage at this year’s Dakar Rally. The Super Fiambalá as it has come to be known was a 280km special through the Argentinian dunes with scorching temperatures reaching over 40 degrees. Similar to yesterday’s stage, navigation was massively important as was the ability to conserve machinery as no mechanical help could be provided at the bivouac.

Toby Price was one of those riders who lost their way on yesterday’s stage 10. Riding hard to make up time on today’s stage, Price led the special from start to finish. This dominant performance moves the Australian up to third in the provisional standings, albeit close to 40-minutes down on the leader, team-mate Matthias Walkner.

Like Price, Antoine Meo was suffering from a late start position due to his result from stage 10. The Frenchman rode superbly all day battling for the runner-up spot right until the flag. A small mistake cost Meo a few minutes but the former Enduro World Champion was still able to claim third place and also improve his position in the provisional standings to fifth.

Matthias Walkner opened the road for the bikes and with stage 11 being a mixed start, the Austrian had to contend with some of the leading cars on the tracks, too. Riding consistently and again concentrating on his navigation, Walkner rode to a strong fifth place – 11 minutes down on his team-mate and winner of the stage, Toby Price. Despite losing a little time today to his rivals, the former Cross-Country Rallies World Champion still holds a comfortable advantage at the top of the standings, 32-minutes ahead of second-placed Kevin Benavides.

Matthias Walkner: “Things went pretty well for me today. I was a little nervous because I didn’t want to go wrong anywhere and lose all of the time that I gained yesterday. The stage was good, but my pace could have been a little better. I didn’t really want to end up making a mistake by pushing too hard though. I got stuck behind one of the cars later on in the stage and didn’t want to risk overtaking so that cost me a few seconds. Overall, I am feeling really good, my body is getting used to all the strain now. There are just three days to go, so I’ll keep focused and carry on.”

Leading female competitor Laia Sanz had another good day astride her KTM 450 RALLY. The Spaniard, riding sensibly and concentrating on hitting each waypoint, maintained a good pace throughout the timed special to finish in a very solid 18th place.

Stage 12 of the 2018 Dakar Rally, the second leg of the final marathon stage, will again test both rider and machine. Following a night in the bivouac with no team-assistance riders will leave Fiambalá and head for San Juan. Conserving both machine and energy will be extremely important on this 723km stage. A long 375km timed special will require good navigational and supreme physical endurance in the Argentinian heat. Winding its way through the dirt tracks and riverbeds of the San Juan region, the route could bring even more changes to the current running order.

Provisional Results Stage 11 – 2018 Dakar Rally

1. Toby Price (AUT), KTM, 4:01:33

2. Kevin Benavides (ARG), Honda, 4:03:11 +1:38

3. Antoine Meo (FRA), KTM, 4:08:04 +6:31

4. Ricky Brabec (USA), Honda, 4:09:07 +7:34

5. Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 4:12:34 +11:01

Cody Cooper On A Run

Cody Cooper wants to be the man firing the shots

ANDY MCGECHAN/BIKESPORTNZ.COM

Mount Maunganui's Cody Cooper (Honda) is the favourite to again win at the Honda NZ Grand Prix at Woodville this year.

MOTOCROSS: It's tough when you have a big No.1 plastered over the front and sides of your motorcycle – everyone has you in their gun sights, wants to shoot you down and take that title away.

Bay of Plenty's national MX1 motocross champion Cody Cooper can feel the pressure, although it's something he's become accustomed to over the past few years, and he is determined that it will be he who is "firing the bullets" at this year's Honda New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville, coming up on the weekend of January 27-28.

The man from Mount Maunganui has won the main title at the Woodville GP on two occasions in the past, in 2007 and again in 2014, and he has realistic ambitions to make it a third win this season. 

He has also won the premier MX1 class at Woodville on several other occasions, although the past three years have seen Australian visitors win the event's namesake feature trophy – Kirk Gibbs taking it in 2015 and Dean Ferris in 2016 and 2017 – and that's something that Cooper aims to rectify this time around.

For each of the past five years, Cooper has moved on after Woodville to win the national MX1 crown and the 34-year-old has plans again to do that again this year, the four-round 2018 New Zealand Motocross Championships kicking off in Taranaki just a week after Woodville, on February 4.

But first there's the little matter of winning the NZ GP title.

Cooper loves racing at Woodville and his build-up to the event has been going according to plan, with him winning the MX1 class at the Waikato Motocross Championships in November and then the Auckland Motocross Championships a couple of weeks after that, before going on to dominate MX1 at the big annual Honda Summercross in Whakatane just after Christmas.

Cooper has some huge heavy hitters lining up against him at Woodville again this year and they too are expected to be faster and fitter than ever before.

Cooper would like nothing better than to become a rare three-time feature trophy winner at the iconic event.

Only five riders have won at Woodville three times or more in the past – Taranaki brothers Shayne King (an incredible 9-time Woodville winner) and Darryll King (5-time winner), Motueka's Josh Coppins (5-time winner), Tauranga's Peter Ploen (3) and Pahiatua's Ken Cleghorn (3).

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It is interesting to note that, while plenty of international visitors have won the event in the past, Kiwi riders are world class too and it is home-grown New Zealand riders who have dominated over the years.

Queenslander Gibbs won the main trophy at Woodville in 2015 after a massive battle with Cooper and, in winning that feature race, Gibbs became the first non-Kiwi in 25 years to claim the coveted New Zealand GP crown. American Willie Surratt won there in 1989 and that was the previous time that a non-Kiwi had won at Woodville.

KTM rider Gibbs is back again this season, here for Woodville and the national championship series that follows, and he is definitely one rider who will be a thorn in Cooper's side.

Kiwi internationals such as Mangakino's Kayne Lamont, Taupo's Brad Groombridge, Mount Maunganui's Rhys Carter and Takapuna's Hamish Harwood, to name just a few, have good reason to fancy their chances too.

Racing over the two days at Woodville caters for minis, juniors, women and veterans, with two 10-minute vintage motocross bike races an additional feature of Sdaturday's programme this year.

The novelty river race on Sunday is also a major crowd-pleaser.

Revlimiter Extreme Enduro highlights

A look at the carnage that came about during the start of Race 2 from the 2018 Revlimiter Extreme Enduro.

The start of Race 2 funneled the competitors directly up the AOMC BraapCoin Hill. THey had come down this hill earlier, but this time they had to make their way up the rocky uphill.

David Knight was in the lead as the first five racers made the right hand turn toward the hill. Knighter rode his 2018 GasGas XC 300 straight up the hill, with little trouble. Jordan Ashburn and Cory Graffunder went to follow his line up the right side fo the hill, but Ashburn faltered, causing Graffunder to falter as well. Cody Webb jumped the middle rocks to work his way up the left side of the hill. From there, chaos ensued.

This is what Extreme Enduro is all about. You want to be fast enough to be on an early row, so a mishap by a rider doesn't slow you down when you come up behind them.

Cody Webb wound up winning all the Races at the 2018 Revlimiter Extreme Enduro, Cory Graffunder was second and Jordan Ashburn was third. More videos coming, subscribe and turn your alerts on.

Dakar Stage 10

Gerard Farrés makes the most of the great Argentinian trap

• The HIMOINSA Team leader shocks the race after Dakar 2018’s most complex stage, and gets straight into the fight for the podium.

January 16th, 2018

Belén (Argentina). After the transitionary day which took the Dakar caravan from Bolivia to Argentina, the race was resumed with one of the most complex stages in this 40th edition of the toughest motorsports event in the world.

Extreme navigation and some treacherous terrain has caused a true revolution among all the favorites. A scenario in which experience and impeccable technique allowed Gerard Farrés to shine bright and ride an exceptional stage. Despite struggling during the first part of the special to keep up with the very high pace of the official motorcycles, has applied all his knowledge in navigation and as well as the aeronautical techniques he was taught by the team director, Lieutenant Colonel of the Air Force, Miguel Puertas, to finish third on the day and take a giant leap in the general classification climbing up to fourth position.

Like Farrés, the rest of the HIMOINSA Team riders stood out in this very complicated stage, with Dani Oliveras in eighth position, Marc Solà, sixteenth and Iván Cervantes in 24th place. Meanwhile, Rosa Romero continues unstoppable quest towards Córdoba’s finish line and has completed a new stage.

Gerard Farrés (@gerardfarres): “It was a very complicated day and from the beginning I knew that it was going to take a lot of work to keep up with the factory bikes. However, I stayed calm and tried to manage my race, blindly trusting in my navigation and applying everything I have learned with our director, Miguel Puertas, including orientation techniques used by fighter pilots to navigate through clouds. This technique, when it was very difficult to read the terrain, has helped me enormously to reach the finish line without making any mistakes. I am very happy to enter the fight for the podium, but still nothing is decided and there are still very complicated days ahead.”

Classification: Stage 10 (provisional *)

1st M. Walkner (4: 52.26)

2nd P. Quintanilla (+11.35)

3rd Gerard Farrés (+16.21)

8th Dani Oliveras (+25.25)

17th Marc Solà (+41.36)

24th Iván Cervantes (+56.01)

Price Gaining Confidence!

A long way to go in final week of Dakar says Price

Top Australian gaining confidence as rally enters Argentina.

Image: Supplied.

Red Bull KTM’s Toby Price is in a position to strike as the 2018 Dakar Rally enters Argentina, currently fourth overall following the cancellation of stage nine yesterday.

The 2016 winner has been gaining strength through the middle stages of the race and after arriving in Salta, Argentina, Price insists there is still a lot of racing left to run prior to Saturday’s conclusion.

“I’m looking forward to racing in Argentina again,” Price said, currently 7m35s outside of Yamaha’s Adrien Van Beveren. “From what we have had in previous years, I think it’s going to be quite difficult. There’s still a long way to go – a lot of kilometres left to race.

“I am happy with my pace, to be able to get this far so soon after coming back from injury is a real confidence boost. I’ll just keep on doing what I’ve been doing – taking each day as it comes – and hopefully I’ll be somewhere near at the finish.”

Stage 10 set for today is another long one, where a total of 797km will be covered on the bikes – 373km of which are timed special in the dunes and river crossings of the Catamarca Province. Navigation will be especially important, as well as the strength to keep up a good pace in the technical latter half of the stage.

Webb Wins in Texas

Webb rides to victory in RevLimiter Extreme Enduro

 

FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Cody Webb had a great start to the 2018 extreme enduro season as he took a convincing win at the RevLimiter Extreme Enduro in Decatur, Texas. 

Riding the all-new KTM 250 XC-W TPI (fuel injected two-stroke), Webb swept all three motos to earn a perfect score for the day. Webb began his dominance on Saturday, where he topped the timed qualifying sessions to earn pole position for Sunday’s racing. 

The event hosted a three-race format, each consisting of a slightly different challenge for the riders. 

“I was really happy with my riding all weekend,” told Webb. “In the final race, I was able to make it through all the lappers and open up a nice gap on the rest of the field. 

“It was really good to have my fastest lap on the final lap of the race as well. It was my first time on the all-new KTM 250 XC-W TPI and it was a great way to start the extreme enduro season for 2018.”

 

Photo Credit: RevLimiter

Webb's clean sweep

In race one, Webb didn’t get the best start but he battled with the other riders until he was able to make a move into the lead position. From there, Webb opened up a gap on the rest of the field to ultimately take the first win after one and half hours of racing.

The second race of the day was a one-hour competition. Webb once again got off to a slow start but he patiently waited for his opportunity to attack. 

It didn’t take long for Webb to put himself out front and he rode on to ultimately finish more than seven minutes ahead of the competition. The third and final race of the day was perhaps the most challenging of them all, despite being the shortest in time. 

With only 45 minutes of racing, Webb jumped to the front right away and worked hard to create a gap on the rest of the field. 

The third and final loop of the day proved to be much more technical than the previous two, which made for a difficult time to pass lapped traffic late in the race. Despite the obstacles, Webb pushed through to earn his third victory of the day in Texas.

 

Photo Credit: David Knight Racing

David Knight takes fourth

David Knight made the trip to Texas for the RevLimiter finishing fourth overall on his Gas Gas.

“What a fun, tough weekend racing here in Texas at the Rev Limiter,” told Knight on Facebook. “In race 1&2 I was running a good second behind Cody but had an issue so lost my clutch both races and ended fourth. 

“We got it sorted finally for race 3, a shorter track and much more difficult over 45 minutes and ran a close second closing in with a couple of laps left only to lose a few minutes when a rider had a big crash and blocked the track. 

“But well happy with the bike and myself as riding well all day and will be good with a bit of luck. Thanks to everyone for who helped me and gave me loads of support, it really was a pleasure to race in Texas again and I’ll defiantly be back soon.”

The RevLimiter marked the opening round of the new AMA Extreme Enduro Championship for 2018.

Overall Pro Results

1. Cody Webb, 1-1-1 (KTM)

2. Cory Graffunder, 2-3-3 (HQV)

3. Jordan Ashburn, 3-2-4 (BET)

4. David Knight, 4-4-2 (GAS)

5. Mitch Carvolth, 6-5-5 (KTM)

Dakar Stage 9 Cancelled

The organisers of the Dakar have no choice but to cancel stage 9, which was supposed to take place between Tupiza and Salta on Monday, January 15th.

Weather conditions in the area in the last few days are preventing assistance crews from refurbishing race vehicles for tomorrow's stage after the demanding marathon stage. 

The field of the Dakar will therefore head to the Salta bivouac by road. The rally will resume with stage 10 from Salta to Belén.

 

Photo Credit: PhotosDakar.com