What is Enduro?
By TMX Archives on 20th Jun 05
If you want an off-road sport that combines the speed element of motocross, the technical aspect of trials and a real test of endurance for man and machine then enduros could well be your bag.
Enduros are long-distance events set over a If you want an off-road sport that combines the speed element of motocross, the technical aspect of trials and a real test of endurance for man and machine then enduros could well be your bag.
Enduros are long-distance events set over a predetermined course of anything from a loop of a few miles to well over 100 miles. Competitors set off at intervals and battle across a wide variety of terrain - from flat-out forest roads to boulder-strewn river beds and tight trips through the woods - aiming to stick to a strict time schedule. Arrive at the various time checks too early or too late and you'll be penalised. Then there are the special tests - often MX-inspired - along the route that must be completed in the quickest possible time.
The machines used in enduro competition are based on motocross bikes but with a few notable differences. Because of the possibility that the course may spend a short amount of time on the Tarmac, all bikes have to be road legal with the addition of a horn, speedometer, police-pleasing enduro tyres and front and rear lights.
Enduro machines also run softer suspension than motocross bikes to give riders a bit of an easier time over the long periods spent in the saddle and power delivery is also softer for the same reason.
The speed element of enduros and the motocross inspired nature of the machines mean that the safety kit used is very similar if not the same as that used for motocross.
Another endurance-based style of event that is becoming increasingly popular is hare and hounds meetings, also known as cross-country races. Hare and hounds are mass-start endurance events where competitors race against each other and the clock to complete the most laps of a loop of anything from a slightly extended motocross track to a course of up to 10 miles in a set time. The winner of the event is the rider who completes the most laps in the allotted time.
Hare and Hounds events provide a good stepping stone into the more daunting and demanding world of full-on enduros - especially as many hare and hounds organisers put on separate, shorter classes for youth competitors.