Metzeler Leading FIM Enduro World Championship at Mid-Season
Television can make it seem like motorcycles are good only for the X Games, World Superbike Championship and motocross, but in Europe there are other genres of motorcycle competition that are equally awesome. The FIM World Enduro Championship events, for instance, are banzai caricatures of a typical weekend ride. The two-day events comprise an enduro section held on woodsy trails, a motocross section on a motocross course, and an extreme test where riders tackle terrifying hillclimbs, rock gardens, and mild trials-type obstacles. The Turkish race this past weekend had seven hours of riding over 180km in 13 different timed specials, all in scorching 100+ degree weather.
The three classes are based on engine displacement—E1 is 125cc 2-strokes (250cc 4-stroke), E2 is 250cc 2-stroke (450cc 4-stroke) and E3 is run on up to 500cc 2-strokes or 650cc 4-strokes. The bikes have to be street legal too—check out the action in the videos and keep in mind that all these bikes have lights and plates and could be ridden to the grocery store. These rules motivate the manufacturers to come up with some wild—but legal—dirtbikes. Metzeler is in on the action too, sponsoring riders and developing some terrifically capable yet legal rubber.
The 2011 series is half over, and at the conclusion of the June 10-11 Turkish event the championship performance of Metzeler riders has been outstanding. Finn Mika Ahola leads E3, Spaniard Ivan Cervantes is in second place in E2, and Finn Eero Sare second in the standings in E2 and E1. We’re rooting for you guys—the race footage is great and we’ll continue doing our best to emulate you on our weekend rides.
Day 1
Day 2
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