Dear Mr. Know-It-All,
I just watched the Red Bull video from Erzberg and was curious as to why there are no four-strokes competing in that race? They are at the front of the Enduro GP world and, of course, all facets of motocross. I would think that since they’re all electric-start and fuel-injected, the four-stroke’s ability to grab traction and not spin would be an advantage.
“Front Curious George”
If you paid close attention to the Erzberg show, you would have seen GasGas Factory Racing’s Enduro GP World champion Andrea Verona winning the prologue on his 350 four-stroke. Andrea Verona is hugely successful winning the FIM E1 Enduro World Championship in 2020, 2021 and 2022, as well as the FIM Enduro GP World Championship in 2022. So, there is no doubting Andrea’s ability, and without enough time to set up a 300 two-stroke, he raced his factory 350, naturally with suspension settings and tire combos that work on Erzberg’s rocky skin.
Over the last decade, the sport of Hard Enduro has morphed from tough and technical to brutal. There have been several catalysts to this evolution—the 300 two-stroke and traction are at the forefront. David Knight, Taddy Blazusiak, Graham Jarvis, Jonny Walker, Alfredo Gomez and Mani Lettenbichler have dominated the mountain on two-stroke machines. Gummy tires and mousse insert technology have given the riders crucial traction on the trials-based obstacles. And, back to the question as to why there are no four-strokes at Erzberg: The reality is that the new 300 two-strokes throttle down far better than a four-stroke, and they do not flame out like four-strokes suffer when short-shifted and attempting to carry a high gear to enhance traction and reduce spin. The bottom line: The 300 two-stroke won’t stall; they make traction, and they’re easier to handle in the Hard Enduro rock-and-roll environment.
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