– events like this don’ t just happen. Someone has to find the land, cut the track, organise the day and give riders a reason to show up. Judging by the numbers, they’ re doing a bloody good job of keeping the sport alive and building it. I was pretty far back in the running order, around minute 36, with three riders leaving per minute. Do the maths and that’ s roughly 100- plus bikes already on the course ahead of me. In one sense that means traffic, dust, exposed roots, cut-up turns and rougher lines. But from a bike test point of view, it was perfect. If you want to know whether a cross-country bike works, don’ t send it down a fresh trail – send it into a course that’ s already had a proper hiding.
LIAISON IMPRESSIONS The first liaison out to the opening test gave me a chance to feel the bike out, and the motor was the first thing that stood out. For a 250 four-stroke, the Triumph’ s engine is really good. It has a broad, linear spread of
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