What is Enduro?
Enduro is a relatively new form of motorcycle racing which has been growing steadily since the 1970's.
Before then the nearest type of events to Enduros were the International six days trial (now the internatioal six days enduro) and on a more local level - club trials.
Events:
There are two types of enduros in the uk at the moment;
Time card enduros:
Riders will follow markers set out along a cross country course. At local level this may be between 5 and 10 miles per lap and at national and international level riders are expected to cover distances of upto 30 or 40 miles per lap.
Races typically last about 3 hours at local level and around 6 or 7 hours at national or international level.
A rider will be given a start time and will be allowed an exact amount of time to complete each lap or session.
If a rider arrives late, they get 60 points for each minute they're late.
If a rider arrives early - you guessed it - 60 points for each minute they're early.
The object is to finnish each lap exactly on time and so have 0 points.
As if that's not hard enough, riders will also have to complete a 'special test'
within their alotted time.
These special tests are usually like a mini motocross around a small separate course. riders are timed and the times recorded.
It's not unusual for the special test times to decide the winner of a race! i.e. If several riders are on zero points - the fastest special test time wins.
Hare and Hounds Enduro:
These are much simpler... The races are again held on a pre-marked cross counrty course and again last about 3 hours.
Although that said, there are a growing number of team enduros these days which can be 6 or even 12 hours long.
The object is simple...each rider must do as many laps of the course as possible in the time allowed.
The rider with the most laps wins....easy.
The Bikes:
Purpose built Enduro bikes are more like motocross bikes than the old trials irons of yester-year.
Made from the latest light weight materials with long travel suspension, good brakes and oodles of usable power these bikes can almost climb a mountain on their own. Don't be fooled by the lights, these are full-on race bikes!
The only reason they have lights is because the nature of cross counrty events is that at some point you may have to cross or use a section of the public highways.