When an event is labelled ‘extreme’, it conjures up thoughts of the best and the worst of things.

And when the new KTM Extreme Enduro Series kicked off in the Riverhead Forest, west of Auckland, on Sunday it was exactly that, the country’s best off-road riders battling one another and the country’s most difficult and unforgiving terrain.

New Zealand has a reputation for producing motorcycle hard men and round one of the new series – the Riverhead Rut 100 – looks set to enhance that, with only eight riders able to complete four laps of the 25-kilometre course on Sunday.

The winner was Aucklander Mike Skinner (KTM 250XCF), followed by fellow Aucklanders Mike Davis and Freddie Milford-Cottam, New Plymouth’s Dougy Herbert, Wellington’s Jake Whitaker, Tauranga’s Jim Lowe-Pattie, Northland’s Adrian Broughton and Wellington’s Larry Blair.

All eight of these top finishers were on KTM bikes, making it an incredible KTM clean sweep of the event they also sponsor.

The 25-year-old Skinner said heavy rain overnight on Saturday made it extremely tough on Sunday.

“I chose to install soft mousse tyre inners and made the suspension settings a lot softer too, as well as operating a fan on the engine to keep things cool with all the mud clogging things up. The bike wasn’t getting much chance to breathe.

“I managed to stretch my lead out to about 12 minutes at one stage but I backed off at the end and was pretty happy to win with about a nine-minute margin. I just rode smart and stayed out of trouble.”

KTM enduro team manager Shaun Prescott, of Thames, agreed it was “a very demanding race”.

“Skinner led from start to finish. National moto trials champion Jake Whitaker had been running in second spot for the first half a lap until he made a navigational error.

“It was a pretty good turn-out of riders but a high attrition rate, but that’s what tough enduro events are all about.”

Organised by Tokoroa enduro legend Sean Clarke, the KTM Extreme Enduro Series brings together the four major extreme enduro events on the traditional Kiwi calendar.

While these will remain stand-alone events, Clarke is now able to offer a special prize to the one outright winner in each bike class.

Round two is set for Tokoroa on December 1 and round three is in Te Puke on February 9.

“At the series final, the No Way In Hell extreme enduro at Oparau, in March, the riders with the best tally from any three of the events will take home the trophy and the bragging rights,” said Clarke.

“All the No.1 riders from all the motorcycling codes will likely come together for this. We have seen huge interest from top motocross riders, enduro riders, cross-country experts and even moto trials exponents.”

KTM EXTREME ENDURO SERIES CALENDAR:

Round one: November 18, Riverhead 100, Riverhead Forest, Auckland

Round two: December 1, Tokoroa Endurocross

Round three: February 9, Te Puke Endurocross

Round four: March 30-31, No Way In Hell, Oparau, near Kawhia

© Words and photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com