The race is on between Kiwi hard enduro legend Chris Birch and American cross-country ace Kailub Russell – who gets to the top of the Iron Giant first?
Fresh from picking up their new special edition KTM 300 EXC Erzbergrodeo machines, eight-time GNCC champion Russell and renowned adventure rider Birch went head-to-head in Austria to see who could reach the top of the famous Red Bull Erzbergrodeo mountain first.
Will Kailub’s speed or Chris’s technical ability win the day?
Solid preparation for a white-knuckled event like the Erzbergrodeo is often half the battle.
It helps by saving crucial time in the paddock and seconds on the course. A racer like Russell knows all about having the most honed and competitive package to fly through speedy sections and stare at some of the gnarliest obstacles, while Birch demands nothing less than the finest technical set-up and performance to bounce through the trickiest ‘extreme’ zones.
The 2023 KTM 300 EXC Erzbergrodeo has been crafted around the acute attributes of both stars and features race-developed and premium parts.
Performance edge comes through the CNC-machined triple clamps, factory wheels with anodized hubs, a supersprox stealth rear sprocket, a map selector switch and the solid rear brake disc.
Don’t forget the competition-specific Metzler 6 Days Extreme tyres. Going faster or better also means a heightened degree of risk or punishment to the equipment.
This is where the 2023 KTM 300 EXC Erzbergrodeo also raises the bar with a capable hand-guard set, a radiator protector, chain guard bracket and clutch protector, front and rear brake guards and a rear brake safety wire.
Russell and Birch know that distinction and style cannot be underestimated.
The 2023 KTM 300 EXC Erzbergrodeo is graced with a racing orange frame, a factory Selle Della Valle orange seat and lightweight skid plate and the Erzbergrodeo graphics set that subtly mixes grey with the distinctive KTM hue.
The livery also carries some of the markers and checkpoints from the Erzbergrodeo such as the ‘Elevator, ‘Machine’ and ‘Carl’s Diner’.
The 2023 KTM 300 EXC Erzbergrodeo is a fine instrument of enduro excellence. At the Erzbergrodeo – or any race even for that matter – it is primed for qualification, attacking and forging optimum results.
To aspire to be the best and ride with the best, you need the best.
Photo courtesy KTM
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