BIKE (UK)

Turn of events

Not content with their Moto2 shenanigan­s Triumph have announced they’re entering the motocross and enduro world champs…

- Triumph: repeating history?

Triumph’s announceme­nt that they will launch factory motocross and enduro teams riding new Triumph race bikes has sent the off-road world into shock. There were no rumours or Youtube teaser videos before the statement, which was made all the more dramatic by the revelation that two off-road gods are involved in the project: Ricky Carmichael (seven times AMA motocross champion, five times AMA supercross champion) and Ivan Cervantes (five times world enduro champion).

We asked Anthony Sutton, the editor of Britain’s leading off-road publicatio­n, Trials and Motocross

News, for his take on events…

How surprised were you?

It was a massive shock. When the press release came in it was one of those check-the-calendarth­at-it’s-not-april-1 moments. It’s been a few days now and I’m still struggling to get my head round it.

How big a task is taking on the motocross and enduro world championsh­ip?

In theory, they could have a capable bike very quickly if they do their homework and don’t try and reinvent the wheel which is where Aprilia got it oh-so-wrong [when they entered with the SVX V-twin]. Unlike Motogp, you can’t hide new technology behind a fairing, so in terms of bike design, it shouldn’t be too hard to see what works and then replicate it. Quality brake and suspension units are available off the shelf so it’s all about chassis design and how good a motor they can make. A single-cylinder motocross or enduro engine has to be way simpler than the Moto2 engines they’ve been building.

So could Triumph hit the ground running?

A lot depends on who they get to ride. In motocross, it’s easier for a good rider to ride around flaws than it is in Motogp. It’s well known that the Japanese engineers hate motocross because unlike road racing it’s impossible to hit the same spot in the same corner at the same rpm lap after lap because of the ever-changing track surface. That said, motocross riders can be annoyingly inconsiste­nt, with riders going from being world-beaters one year to top-10 runners the next. It’s not going to be easy.

How important are Carmichael and Cervantes? Or is that a PR stunt?

I’d pretty much dismissed this project until I read that Carmichael and Cervantes were involved. They bring a huge amount of credibilit­y and it shows Triumph mean business. Getting Carmichael is immense. For him to put his reputation on the line like this, I have to believe what he said in the announceme­nt that he’s impressed with Triumph’s will to win.

Which motocross riders will they be looking at?

I can’t see Gajser being separated from Honda [the Slovenian won the world championsh­ips for them in 2019 and 2020]. If they were to do what Indian did in American flat-track [where they poached three of the world’s best riders, including the reigning champion, from Harley], and hired KTM’S riders – Cairoli, Herlings and Prado – you’d have to assume they’d stand a chance. They’d have all bases covered – the reckless one (Herlings), the wise old one (Cairoli) and the young buck (Prado).

Your overall verdict? I don’t really understand why they’re doing it, but I’m very excited to see them try. I can’t wait.

‘I don’t know why they’re doing it, but I’m very excited’

 ??  ?? Purple reign: Triumph seeking to become off-road disrupters
Purple reign: Triumph seeking to become off-road disrupters
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