#Enduro

KTM has updated its enduro range for 2024, including both two-stroke and four-stroke models and the U.S. street legal 350 EXC-F and 500 EXC-F. The entire lineup has been revamped, with KTM claiming 95% of the components are new, including the frame, suspension, and bodywork.

GasGas is preparing to introduce a new __________ for 2024, which we expect to be very similar to the KTM __________ and the Husqvarna __________. Oops, I forgot to fill in the blanks there, but I think you get the gist. It's no secret that GasGas, following its acquisition by Pierer Mobility, has been introducing motorcycles that are essentially reskinned versions of KTM models. The same goes for Husqvarna too, which gets a similar treatment, only with their frames powder-coated blue instead of KTM orange and GasGas red.

When BMW created the first GS in 1980, reactions were mixed. Back then, the motorcycle industry did not have the fragmented family tree of specialized segments that it has today, with sport bikes, sport touring, touring, off-road, enduro, retro sport, standard, and all manner of cruisers. However, by mixing on-road, off-road, and touring characteristics into a single bike, BMW must have known they were on to something, because they soldiered on with the model, and not only has the GS survived, but it has thrived. Today, adventure riding, the segment that the BMW GS created, is one of the fastest growing in motorcycling, with every major manufacturer having some variation of the GS formula in their current lineup.

The increase in the number of adventure riders on roads and trails, some of them new to motorcycling altogether, others experienced in other types of riding but new to the adventure riding experience, brings the need for a different type of rider training. Specialized rider training programs are not a new phenomenon, but their popularity has been steadily increasing. Enduro Park Canada is one such facility that caters to the adventure riding enthusiast, giving participants an experience unlike any other at their permanent facility in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

Heading into EICMA, we were expecting Bimota to announce a new motorcycle based off an existing Kawasaki model. After all, that has been the pattern since Kawasaki acquired a stake in the Italian brand in 2019. Last year, we saw the debut of the Ninja 1000SX-based Bimota KB4 and KB4RC in Milan, and so this year, we expected another new mode.

What we didn’t expect was for the new model to be an enduro competition bike based on Kawasaki’s KX450 models, or more specifically, the KX450X, with its 18-inch rear wheel. Yes, Bimota debuted its first ever dirt bike at EICMA, called the BX450. The two bikes are very similar, with the same engine and frame. The engine casings, in fact, still say Kawasaki, so there’s no mistaking the BX450’s lineage. Even the bodywork is similar, with Kawasaki green swapped with Bimota graphics and the Italian Tricolore.

GasGas is preparing to launch a new model called the RX 450F Replica that we believe will be based on the machine Sam Sunderland rode to victory in the 2022 Dakar Rally.

The RX 450F Replica model name appears on a recently updated list of vehicles approved by the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt, Germany’s federal motor transport authority. The name is similar, though not a perfect match, for the RC 450F ridden by Sunderland and his teammate Daniel Sanders (who was no slouch himself in winning three stages) in the Dakar Rally.

GasGas is preparing to reveal its first street-legal models tomorrow, but photos of one of the models have already leaked online.

As we were first to confirm back in February, GasGas will be adding two street legal models to its lineup, the SM 700 supermoto and the ES 700 dual-sport. Over the last week, GasGas has been teasing an announcement on social media, hinting at two new models. Most notably, the teaser shows one bike equipped with mirrors, which suggests a street legal model, a first for the Spanish brand.

Triumph is going off-road racing, confirming development of a line of competition motocross and enduro models. The British brand says it will start a factory race program, committing to top-tier racing in both disciplines.

To that end, Triumph has enlisted the help of two of the best to ever compete: Motocross legend Ricky Carmichael (a.k.a. “The G.O.A.T”), and five-time Enduro World Champion Iván Cervantes. Carmichael and Cervantes will be active partners with Triumph, assisting in both testing and preparing for competition.

“This is an incredible opportunity for me to join this historic brand, and I am honored and humbled to be a part of the development and release of their off-road motorcycles,” says Carmichael. “Building something from the ground up is something that really is intriguing to me at this stage of my career.”

Full details about its motocross and enduro models will be announced in the next few months, but Triumph says we can expect a “comprehensive range” of motorcycles. At the very least, this should mean four-strokes in the 450cc and 250cc classes, but we can’t completely rule out other displacements or two-stroke models.

“Like me, everyone I am working with at Triumph is focused to make the bikes the best they can be,” says Cervantes. “I cannot wait to see the bikes competing at a world level, but I also look forward to when I can stand in a Triumph dealer and know I was part of this very special project.”

Triumph faces a big challenge entering the off-road realm. Producing a whole new motorcycle is a difficult task, let alone a range of models, especially in a whole new segment the company has no prior history in. Nevertheless, Nick Bloor, Triumph chief executive officer, says the company is fully committed to the task.

“Today’s announcement marks the beginning of a new chapter for the Triumph brand, which everyone at Triumph is incredibly excited to be part of. We are 100% committed to making a long-lasting impact in this highly competitive and demanding world, with a single-minded ambition to deliver a winning motorcycle line-up for a whole new generation of Triumph riders.”

Begin Press Release:

In recent years, motorcycles like the 2021 Kawasaki KLX300 have become increasingly more popular, not only due to its small displacement, but also because it gives riders the versatility of having a mount that’s street legal while being able to handle duties in the dirt without being too intimidating. The KLX update couldn’t come at a better time for folks interested in dual-sport motorcycles. In a world ravaged by COVID-induced change, motorcycling – particularly the off-road segment – has enjoyed a welcome surge of interest for those looking for a new way to fill their time while still maintaining a safe distance from their fellow humans. 

When the email came through about a dual-sport trip to Nevada not long after getting home from Colorado, I casually dismissed the invitation. I had heaps of work on my plate and an ongoing home renovation project – both of which were already requiring more attention than I had to give. Once things started to slow down and I had completed some of the looming projects, it didn’t take long for my relentless wanderlust to creep back in. I went back into my inbox to give the Nevada email another look. The itinerary spanned 850 miles of riding over six days with a travel day on either end.

Of course, I knew the trip would be spectacular. The person putting it together has loads of experience in the area and a lifetime of GPS track logs built by putting in the time and miles exploring. Could I get away for another week with everything going on at work and home? Did I want to? If so, I’d have to convince my boss and then get approval from Evans, too. Just as I began to really consider the possibility, I remembered the stories I had heard from the last couple of attempts at this itinerary. Two years ago, the ride had ended prematurely with a blown bike, and last year, the trip was cut short due to a broken collarbone. “Hmm, maybe I don’t want to do this,” I thought. People always say bad things happen in threes and I didn’t want to be the third to have a bad break, mechanical or otherwise. 

With all things considered, I decided to go for it because, well, I’m young and foolish. I’m the type that never says, no. I’ll always take on assignments, projects, etc. Maybe it’s the FOMO, or just that I truly enjoy new experiences, whatever they may be. I brought the idea up to Evans, and we discussed whether or not I should take vacation or bring back a story or two and call it work. 

Always hungry for more content on the site, he suggested I talk to Honda about using its CRF450L for the trip. Why not? After all, Brent and I’s comparison test a while back saw the Honda faring pretty well against the time-tested KTM 500 EXC-F. I’d have a chance to put the Honda to the test in a way we rarely get to these days. With only about five percent of the itinerary’s mileage consisting of pavement, it would be a fantastic way to test the real dual-sport capability of the Honda CRF450L. 

GasGas announced its 2021 model lineup, its first fully under the auspices of Pierer Mobility, with a range of 18 models for the North American market.

That, of course, means a range of enduro, cross-country, motocross, and mini motocross bikes that will share much in common with its corporate cousins from KTM and Husqvarna. So, expect similar engines, frames and WP suspension through out the lineup. GasGas also announced it will compete in the 2021 AMA Motocross and Supercross championships, partnering with Troy Lee Designs in the 250 and 450 divisions.

GasGas is best known for its trial bikes, and the Spanish brand will continue offer its trial lineup in three displacements.

The non-trial models will be fairly similar, with red powder-coated chromium molydenum steel frames and aluminum subframes. Most models will be equipped with WP Xplor inverted forks and rear shocks with linkage, just tuned for their specific applications.

I must preface this review with the disclaimer that this is the first Beta I’ve ever ridden. I’ve had the opportunity to spend time on various other two strokes in this genre, but the 2021 Beta 300 RR is the first from the Italian brand that I’ve had a chance to get out and ride. So don’t expect a thorough year-to-year comparison. I just can’t do it, captain!  

Tractoring up the single-track ascent, switchback after switchback with relative ease, a few thoughts ran through my head. One, this thing’s street-legal. Two, it’s kicking ass on this trail. Three, two-strokes aren’t the only machines that can be comfortable doing technical trail work. Admittedly, I’ve become somewhat smitten with my own two-stroke dirtbike, so much so that I had forgotten just how well a four-stroke can handle similar terrain, despite having begun my off-road riding career on a four-stroke 250. 

Remember back in the good ol’ days of 2019 when we were gathering en masse, kissin’ hands and shakin’ babies? I do. Well, way back in September of last year MO had the opportunity to test three new Kawasaki motorcycles: the street-legal KLX230, and the off-road only KLX230R and KLX300R. Shortly after, as is usually the case, my reviews went live on Motorcycle.com to tell you all about the KLX230 and KLX230R. Why wasn’t the KLX300R included? Because I was only able to spend a third of one day riding it and honestly, I believed it deserved a more thorough test because it really is a compelling motorcycle for what I think could be a large audience, and at the low price of $5,499, it becomes even moreso.

North of Payson, Arizona and just a few miles past the town of Pine, there’s a steep grade that climbs into the mountain range below the city of Flagstaff. Ahead, an older Chevy truck moves slowly through the trees. The Chevy is one of those faded metallic burgundy ones, the ones where General Motors’ ablative-burgundy topcoat survives only in the shady areas. Lower fenders and door sills, any body shape that falls downward and inward towards the centerline still had a glossy wine red finish. Whatever topside paintwork survived the sunlight consisted of chalky peeled silver. The hood and roof were littered with rust and the cargo bed rode at a 20-degree angle to the rest of the vehicle. Taken in its entirety, the auto-scene reminded me of prehistoric valley rubble deposited by a receding glacier.

The Chevy was struggling mightily on the grade. It sounded like the throttle body fuel-injectors had dropped their tips into the plenum, and raw fuel was pouring into the intake manifold. Rich black smoke flowed out of the Chevy’s tail pipe. From 150 feet back, I could hear the engine stuttering. It was like following an AMF-era Harley Davidson.

Brumby, my 2.5 liter, 4-cylinder Jeep smelled blood. This was my first and best opportunity to pass a car on the entire 500-mile trip to Endurofest. A series of tight corners opened into a short straight. I dropped Brumby into 3rd gear and gunned the 2.5 neatly slotting Brumby alongside the old Chevy. I could see the driver of the Chevy now. He was long-haired and thin. He wore no shirt. He resembled a back-woods reality TV star, and when Brumby’s hood hove into his sightline, his facial expression changed from complacent anger to hate.

Deliverance Man gunned his Chevy and noxious clouds of almost pure dinosaur squeezings engulfed the road behind us. Damn it! That Chevy was picking up speed! I slipped Brumby into second gear and mashed the throttle to the floor. The Chevy dropped a car length back. I needed more. I needed to clear the motorcycle trailer hitched to the rear of Brumby. The two trucks dueling at 15 miles per hour made for a syrupy, slow motion road rage.

The 2019 KTM 690 Enduro R fills a niche within a niche. Ask riders of different disciplines where the 690 Enduro R falls among motorcycle segments and you’re likely to get two different answers. To off-road riders, the 690 is an adventure bike. Its big Single is smoothed out by dual counterbalancers, and a nice electronics package sets it apart from the 350 or 500 EXCs and two strokes available in KTM’s enduro/dual-sport range. Ask the same question to a street rider and you get, “It’s a dirtbike”. Dirtbike ergos, dirtbike looks, a big ol’ 693 cc Thumper, and its relatively small size – compared to 1290s – place the Enduro R in off-road territory for asphalt-locked motorcyclists.