Aucklander Callan May continues to impress as he ‘doubles up’ on his bike riding experience.

The 21-year-old electrician from Titirangi is well known within the New Zealand motocross community, but it is on the enduro scene that he is perhaps now making the most impact.

He rides the same Yamaha YZ250F bike in both motorcycling codes and at the fifth round of seven in the Yamaha New Zealand Enduro Championships in the Maramarua Forest, near Te Kauwhata, on Saturday, May finished an impressive fourth overall in the expert grade.

Auckland’s Chris Birch rode a KTM 350XC-F four-stroke bike to win outright on Saturday, but May was the highest-placed rider in the separately-scored under-300cc four-stroke class and this meant he was able to extend his championship lead in his class.

May (Kiwi Rider BikesportNZ.com Yamaha YZ250F) is now an almost unbeatable 30 points over new No.2 man in the class, Northland’s Mitchell Nield (Yamaha YZ250F).

Saturday’s result also meant May consolidated his position at fourth in the championships overall.

Before the start of the day on Saturday, May was 24 points behind the rider ranked third in the championships, Whangamata’s Jason Davis (KTM 250XC).

With Davis sidelined with injury and a no-show on Saturday, and May on the charge to take good advantage, he has moved up to within just six points of catching Davis. May is also now just 10 points behind the rider ranked No.2 in the standings, defending national enduro champion and fellow Yamaha ace Adrian Smith, of Mokau.

“I was riding a bit tight at the start of the day, but, once I loosened up I started to improve,” said May, whose fourth overall was his best result of the season. He managed 7-6-5-6 at the four earlier rounds.

“The bike was great. I chucked on a new set of Golden Tyres this morning and that really helped in the mud. It was a long day … the longest enduro I’ve ever done but I’m feeling pretty good at the moment and I’m very fit.

“Trying to fit in some training when I work fulltime is pretty hard but the effort has been worthwhile. I feel I can achieve a top three overall this season, as well as win my class.”

Riding a Yamaha YZ125, May won the under-200cc two-stroke class last season.

Slipping in under the radar, Yamaha’s Nield also impressed, finishing eighth overall on Saturday and earning himself the runner-up spot in the under-300cc four-stroke division.

Meanwhile, Albany’s Chris Power was left ruing a lost opportunity when he became stuck on a pile of slippery logs near the end of the day. He had taken his Yamaha WR450F to win the day’s first ‘special test’, eclipsing Birch, and was in runner-up spot for most of the rest of the day until he came unstuck and lost nearly a minute.

This dropped him back to third overall on Saturday, behind Birch and fellow Aucklander Freddie Milford-Cottam (KTM 200XC), although Power still finished the day runner-up to Birch in the battle-within-a-battle for over-300cc four-stroke class honours.

Round six of the series is set for Taupo on July 20 with the final round scheduled near Tokoroa on September 21.

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