Enduro motorcycle

Simone Albergoni at the 2010 World Enduro Championship

An Enduro motorcycle is a motorcycle especially made for enduros, which were originally long-distance cross-country time trial competitions. Today, enduro motorcycles vary considerably according to the rules of many different competitions and challenges.

Types and features of Enduro motorcycles

Today's enduro motorcycles closely resemble Motocross (MX) and dual-sport motorcycles, but may feature enduro-specific features such as oversized gas tanks and special engines. Enduro bikes require a great deal of maintenance to maintain peak operating capability. Their maintenance can be compared to that of motocross bikes, except that enduro bikes tend to require more collision prevention/repair maintenance, longer service-life engines, and more durable (and heavier) components.

Enduro bikes combine the long-travel suspension of an off-road motocross bike with engines that are reliable and durable over long distances, and may be fitted with oversize gas tanks for adequate range. Some enduro bikes have street-legal features such as headlights and quiet mufflers to enable them to use public roadways. The engine of an enduro bike is usually a single cylinder 2-stroke between 125cc and 360cc, or 4-stroke between 250 and 650cc.

There can be an advantage to having an engine size smaller than 650cc in some Enduro events as it is nearly always lighter, which means it has easier handling for getting around trees, obstacles, etc. However, in some Enduro events, the larger bike sizes allow them to get up hills without going down a gear or even two.

There may exist several design differences between enduro motorcycles and moto/supercross bikes, according to the rules of the particular competition. For an enduro event such as endurocross (Enduro-X), these may include:

• A headlight for on-road and after-dark use
• a brake light/tail light for on-road use
• protective hardware such as brake and clutch handguards for protection against branches and leaves i.e. "bark busters"
• An exhaust system that is street legal and meets regulations for noise and spark arresting
• A wide-ratio gear box
• A narrower handlebars so that the bike can fit between branches and trees easily
• A roll chart holder/Enduro computer.
• A heavy flywheel

Manufacturers

1979 Suzuki PE175N street-legal enduro bike

Past and present enduro manufacturers include BMW, Bultaco, Gas Gas, Hodaka, Honda, Husaberg, Husqvarna, Indian, Kawasaki, KTM, Maico, Montesa, Ossa, Suzuki, and Yamaha.

Enduro bikes start at 90cc, such as Suzuki TC (dual range transmission) and TS models.

History

Motorcycles specifically intended for enduro competition first appeared at the International Six Day Trial (ISDT) now called the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE).. The ISDE was first held in 1913 at Carlisle, England. The ISDE requires an enduro motorcycle to withstand over six days and upwards of 1250km (777 miles) of competition; repairs are limited to those performed by the rider with limited parts. The ISDE has occurred annually, apart from interruptions due to World War I and World War II, at various locations throughout the world. The early events were a test of rider skill and motorcycle reliability. The earliest ISDE courses used the dirt roads common in that era. Today, most of the routes are off-road. In 1980, the ISDT was renamed the International Six Day Enduro (ISDE).

Until 1973, the ISDE was always held in Europe. In 1973 it was held in the United States, and since then it has been held outside Europe more frequently: twice in Australia (1992 and 1998), again in the USA (1994), Brazil (2003), New Zealand (2006) and Chile (2007). The ISDE has attracted national teams from as many as 32 different countries in recent years.

In the U.S., enduro motorcycles appeared in light and heavyweight classes during the Greenhorn Enduro hosted by the Pasadena Motorcycle Club (PMC). The Greenhorn Enduro was a nationally-recognized 500-mile, two-day desert off-road competition that pounded both rider and machine. Veterans of the early Greenhorn Enduro included Bud Elkins and Steve McQueen.

Many current enduro motorcycles are built along the basic lines of a World Championship (WEC) machine, as used in the World Enduro Championship. The WEC is a time-card enduro, whereby a number of stages are raced in a time trial against the clock over a course of at least 200 km (124 miles) consisting of both paved and unpaved trails and roads (up to 30% of the course may be on public or private asphalted roads). Another popular type of enduro competition that has spurred enduro motorcycle development is endurocross (Enduro-X), a hybrid event combining enduro, supercross, and trials racing over a short track course.

Recent developments

Since 2000, more and more MX racing bikes have been used as platforms for building enduro bikes. This was partially driven by the conversion of MX from 2-stroke to 4-stroke engine designs to comply with regulatory trends, as well as the development of hybrid competition races such as Enduro-X. Enduro bikes, trail bikes and dual-sport bikes traditionally had a much higher proportion of 4-stroke models. Though powerful, MX-based off-road motorcycles sometimes have problems running longer enduro courses, where an over-emphasis on light weight and power caused engine reliability problems when racing over long distances.

Motor Vehicle Registration Requirements

Another common issue with Enduro bikes is the need to register them with local government motor vehicle agencies. In the United States, for example, vehicle registration is a common requirement of regional Enduro sanctioning bodies. Since many of today's Enduro bikes are directly derived from their MX counterparts, they don't come with a "street-legal" title. That means that their title explicitly states that they are for non-highway use only. Many states will not permit the registration of vehicles with such titles for on-highway use. Some states have off-road only registrations, but these are not valid for participating in Enduros where the sanctioning body requires a registration, because the purpose of requiring the registration is to validate the use of public lands that are used in the event, as well as to validate the use of public roads that are "liaisons" between different off-road sections of the course. Purpose-built Enduro bikes, such as the Husqvarna TE250, some Husabergs, and a select few others come with standard street-bike titles. The bikes that don't come with street-legal titles come instead with an "MSO," a Manufacturer's Statement of Origin, which is nothing more than a document that proves legal title to the bike, but that usually cannot be used for motor vehicle agency registration, depending on the state. Some more liberal states include Pennsylvania and Vermont, whereas New York and New Jersey apply much more scrutiny. California has some unique regulations that require certain California-only emissions modifications. The quest to register Enduro bikes has become a cat-and-mouse game between Enduro riders and their state motor vehicle agencies, and manufacturers that offer competitive bikes that come with street-legal titles are at a huge marketing advantage.