Ride the outdoors!
One of the most exciting motorcycle sport in the world, Enduro is a popular form of off-road motorcycling. The riders have to ride their motorcycles on extended cross-country and off-road courses. An Enduro race has many challenges and obstacles for the rider. In its most basic form, an Enduro race has a number of stages in which the motorcycle rider has to race against time. This format is also used in the World Enduro Championship (WEC), which started in 1990 to replace the European Enduro Championship, to become the world championship series for Enduro.
Enduro racing has been around for a long time and they have kept getting more and more popular as time has passed. Let’s take a look at the past, present and the future of this great motorcycle sport.
What is Enduro?
Most of you dirtbike enthusiasts would already know what Enduro is. Those who are not so much into dirt biking, and are new to the world of off-roading, Enduro means a race which is usually long-distance. These races take place on rough terrains and the bikes used are specially designed for them, usually an Enduro motocross bike. As the riders have to race over a longer course, which may even include paved roads, it tests the endurance of the rider as well as the motorcycle. The test of this endurance has given the sport the name of Enduro. A number of special stages are to be crossed within specified amounts of time. The rider, who has the fastest combined time, completing all the stages, becomes the winner.
The Origin and the Golden Age of Enduro
Enduro racing dates back to the 1920s. According to the FIM Calendar, the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) is the oldest off-road motorcycle event. The first of this racing event was held in 1913 at Carlisle, England. We will discuss a bit more about the ISDE later. Then came the European Enduro Championship in 1968, and the Golden Era of Enduro began.
The 1970s and the 1980s saw some great reforms taking place in Enduro. A sport is not exhilarating enough without sport stars. This period also witnessed the rise of some great Enduro riders who took this motorcycle sport to another level. Europeans, RofWitthoft, KvetoslavMasita and Erwin Schmider were heroes for lovers of Enduro racing. They won as many as 29 titles between them in the 1970s and ‘80s, in the European Enduro Championship.
The Golden Age got an extended run after the introduction of World Enduro Championship in 1990. It replaced the European Enduro Championship and took the championship from Europe to the whole world. The off-road motorcycling community across the globe sat up and took notice of this introduction of a world championship series. The popularity of Enduro has only increased since.
Popular Events and Regulatory Bodies
The World Enduro Championship (WEC), the International Six Days Enduro(ISDE) and the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship, along with several national championships are some of the major events in the world of Enduro racing. Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) is the international governing body for Enduro. The American Motorcycle Association regulates Enduro in the United States, while it is governed by the Auto-Cycle Union in the United Kingdom
The World Enduro Championship (WEC) is followed by most Enduro riders and fans all over the world. It was first held in 1990, replacing the European Enduro Championship which had been contested since 1968. It is now called the Enduro World Championship.
The International Six Days Enduro (ISDE), originally known as the International Six Days Trial was first held in 1913, making it the oldest off-road motorcycling event on FIM’s Calender. The best riders in the world represent their national teams in this event. It is also referred to as the ‘Olympics of Motorcycling’ or the ‘World Cup of Enduro’.
The last word in its name was changed from Trial to Enduro in 1981, by the FIM. Especially in the United States, this change implied that the event has become a cross-country motocross race, than a trial.
The FIM SuperEnduro Championship is held from October to March primarily in Europe. This is an Endurocross series which is held in the off-season of Enduro World Championship. The races take place in stadiums or arenas, where the circuits are built. The riders have logs, rocks, huge tires and boulders as hurdles and obstacles.
There are several other Enduro races and events held by smaller governing bodies. These races are mostly at a local and regional level.
The Enduro motorcycle
You cannot race Enduro with any bike! You need a bike which can stand the test of tough terrains. Enduro motorcycles are specially designed for Enduro racing. These bikes first burst on to the international scene at the ISDE, which was then called the ISDT. They are loosely based on Motocross or MX bikes. They might have some added features such as oversized tanks and sump protectors. The engines could also be tuned for longevity and more reliability.
Some Enduro motorcycles can be used on public roads as well. These motorcycles need to have street-legal features such as quite mufflers and headlights. Most Enduro bikes feature a single cylinder 4-stroke engine between 195 cc and 650 cc, or a 2-stroke engine between 125 cc and 360 cc.
Why is Enduro one of the best motorcycle sports?
Enduro is for the spirited motorcycle rider. In the United States, Enduro has taken a different journey. It has moved from rough terrains and roads to the woods. The fact, that there are over 100 Enduro races held every year in the US alone, proves that this motorcycle sport is being loved in the US. New motorcycle riders are joining Enduro every day. MX and motocross riders are also switching to it. Enduro enthusiasts like you and me are growing in great numbers. All of this shows that there is a great and bright future for this wonderful racing sport.
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