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.
Time-keeping enduros [ edit ]
A KTM rider at the 2007 Enduro de Dinant.
In a traditional time-keeping enduro, riders leave together in groups or rows, and each row starts at a certain minute. The object of the event is to arrive at pre-defined locations according to a strict schedule. Early or late arrivals result in the riders’ scores being penalized.
Throughout a day there will also be allocated periods for refuelling and servicing the machine. Penalties apply for not meeting defined times or for outside-assistance when not permitted. [ 1 ]
Events [ edit ]
Major events in the enduro calendar include the World Enduro Championship (WEC), the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) and several national championships. The world governing body for enduro is the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). In the United States, the national governing body is the American Motorcycle Association (AMA). In the United Kingdom, the national governing body is the Auto-Cycle Union .
World Enduro Championship [ edit ]
The World Enduro Championship (WEC) was started in 1990, replacing the European Enduro Championship. which had been contested since 1968. The championship is run under the FIM and generally consists of around eight or nine Grands Prix spread around the globe. These events are split into two days (and two different races), from which points towards the world championship are awarded.
Each round includes a motocross test and an extreme test, in addition to the enduro test.
ISDE [ edit ]
The International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) has been held since 1913, and it is the oldest off-road event in the FIM calendar. The event brings together the best riders to represent their national team, and it is often referred to as the World Cup of Enduro or the Olympics of Motorcycling.
AMA national and regional events [ edit ]
The American Motorcycle Association is the primary sanctioning body for motorcycle races of all types in America. AMA series are often analogous to FIM series. The East Coast Enduro Association has multiple classes divided by bike type and rider demographic that allow a qualified rider to choose a class to compete in.
Each Class (A, B, C) is divided into sub-classes depending on machine type. Some examples include C 4-stroke, C-Veteran, B 2-Stroke Light, B 2-Stroke Heavy, etc. Generally speaking, there are rewards at both the event and season level for each sub-class (i.e. I was the B 2-Stroke Light winner at this event. ).
The following is a list of bike classes:
Class AA – The most accomplished level of rider, same as Class A,, but who competes for points as part of the AMA National Enduro Championship. For example, Mike Lafferty. who is the 7 time AMA National Champion, competes in the AA class.
Class A – These are also the fastest riders, but they are not competing for points as part of the National Championship. Their awards are restricted to the AMA Region in which they compete. They are amateur participants, although they possess a skill level comparable to many of the AA riders.
Class B – The is the second level of rider skill (one step up from the entry level C-class). Riders are promoted by the AMA when they have received a certain number of points (promotion points are different from the points that are awarded during a race; points during a race are bad, as the goal is to finish an event with as close to 0 points as possible, whereas title/promotion points are awarded at the end of each event depending on how well each rider performed – the dual use of the nomenclature points can often be confusing to outside observers, because the connotation of having points during an event is negative, whereas the connotation of having points relative to a rider’s standing in a series is generally positive).
Class C – This is the entry level where all new riders begin. All riders start off as C-Class riders and if they continue to participate in and finish events they will likely be promoted to B-class after 2 or 3 seasons. Exceptional riders will make the leap to B-Class after their first season because they will have accumulated the requisite points quickly enough.
Because of the variety of awards that are possible, riders are sometimes accused of sandbagging .
Popularity [ edit ]
Spectators watch a junior class rider in Italy.
The popularity of enduro varies widely by continent, country, region, and even by event type. Some popular events are loosely categorized as enduros even though they fall into a category of off-road racing that is known as rally racing or rally raid .
Variations [ edit ]
In addition to rallying and rally raids. there are other off-road races that are very similar to enduros but that vary in that they are not necessarily timekeeping events and in that they are often sanctioned by other bodies than the primary enduro sanctioning bodies.
One example in the USA is the Grand National Cross Country. which more closely resembles hare scrambles. such as the Austrian Erzberg Rodeo than Enduros, but is on a shorter course of perhaps a few miles/kilometers in length that is repeated for several laps. GNCC is famous for the high level of ATV (four-wheeled off-road vehicles) competition in addition to motorcycle competition.
Endurocross or indoor enduro is a variation of enduro held indoors. Riders must complete as quick as possible a course with obstacles similar to those in enduro.
Notable Enduro riders [ edit ]
- 2005 KTM 450 SMR
- KTM 450 Rally Replica Rules Morocco – Ultimate MotorCycling
- 2008 KTM 450 XC-W (R) motorcycle review @ Top Speed
- REVIEW: 2014 KTM 1290 Super Duke R
- KTM 300 EXC – Motorbikes Reviews, News & Advice – bikepoint.com.au
