Balkan Adventure

Some clothes, our passports, a few gifts and of course some protection gear to ride enduro - that's roughly what our packing list looked like when we flew to Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina over the holidays to ride in the Bosnian mountains with Choka, Andrija, and Marko, as well as spending some relaxing days at the beach in Croatia afterwards. We were driven to the airport, easily passed the check-in and security check and arrived in Zadar after a short and pleasant flight. Upon arrival, we picked up the rental car we had booked before without any problems, which surprisingly turned out to be a brand new car. With our new vehicle we drove to the Apartments Alfirev, in which we had regularly stayed before. On our way there, we informed our landlord about our estimated arrival time and were greeted not only with the keys but also with an invitation to some traditional snacks with wine - bread with homemade bacon, cheese, salami, and strawberries from their garden. We sat there, enjoyed the tasty food and talked about this and that - until it suddenly was 2 o'clock in the morning and we decided to go to bed, as we wanted to head to Bosnia-Herzegovina at 8.

So we did, and after a drive enhanced by impressing landscapes, we met Choka, Andrija, and Marko at around 11 o'clock, with whom we wanted to ride enduro. Together, we drove to the motorcycle rental, as naturally we couldn't bring ours by plane. When we arrived, we were greeted just as warmly as previously in Croatia, and while we were waiting for the boys to change their clothes and the cameras to be mounted onto the helmets, we were offered food and drinks, making us feel very welcome. Our next stop was at an off road rally that we wanted to see, therefore we pathed ways - they boys rode through the mountains while us girls went to the rally by car.

Upon arrival at the rally, a lot was already going on, as the race had already started and the first competitors were already on the track. You can find a video of the rally on our Instagram Account or our Facebook Page. While we were waiting for the boys, who wanted to take the "short way" through the mountains, we were getting comfortable at the race track, enjoyed the sun, the beautiful mountains, and of course the spectacle itself. As the boys, whose "short way" rather turned out to be a "fun way", taking them about an hour more than planned, arrived, we drank a beer together to cool down. Doing so, we quickly began chatting with other visitors and enjoyed the rally together. As we already did a lot until then and the boys were a bit exhausted, we decided to drive to a restaurant nearby. We also split for this way, which was not a probelm as just like for the rally, we found the restaurant instantly.

At the restaurant, we ordered a large, traditional peka with calf meat and potatoes, together with two large salads. The food was increadibly tasty and the innkeeper was visibly happy to have German guests. Excitedly, she told us in fluent German that she likes how sympathetic us Germans are and that she also had plans to go to Hannover in the following week. After the delicious and still very inexpensive lunch (55€ for 6 people incl. drinks), we said goodbye and drove back to the motorbike rental. Here, we were greeted - how else could it be in a hospitable country like Bosnia-Herzegovina - with coffee and cake, and not only one cake but three different cakes, which were all very tasty. We were chatting for a while and at around 9 o'clock in the evening, we drove back to the beautiful city of Vodice in Croatia after a great day in Bosnia-Herzegovina. On our way back, we reflected on the day - Olaf was very impressed by the 2018 KTM 350 EXC-F Six Days enduro that was given to him, the challenging, interesting, and varying trails, the breathtaking views after climbing the hill, and especially the knowledge and talent of our guides that were able to navigate through the mountains without any obvious points of orientation. Sabine and me enjoyed how warm we were welcomed, the tasty food, and the beautiful landscapes, which really astonished me. Of course I knew Bosnia-Herzegovina before, and I also knew what beautiful places there were - however it is always an overwhelming experience to experience it live, as pictures are always only pictures.

When we arrived back in Vodice, we went to bed very tiredly but also very happily, and kept the other days rather relaxing with tasty food, good wine, our go-to beach bar at the Mediterranean Sea, and most importantly good friends that enriched each day. Both countries are always worth a visit, as they have a lot to offer and the inhabitants are always concerned about the tourists well-being - I cannot wait to be there again.

Opening Giveaway - The Winners

As you all know, we held a huge giveaway during the past weeks to celebrate our website launch. Now, it's over and we can happily announce our winners!

The third prize, a 50,00 € O'Neal gift card, goes to Heiko Wulf. Congratulations!

The second prize, a 2-days enduro training in Germany, goes to Christof Hortig. Please contact us in order to figure out on which days you want to go! We are sure that you will like it and be able to further improve your riding skills, congratulations!

And last but not least, the first prize, a 5-days enduro tour in Bosnia-Herzegovina, goes to Pascal Hartwig! Congratulations, we are sure that you will enjoy your trip! Please contact us in order to find the most suitable date for you. 

Besides that, we would like to thank everybody that participated and please remember that everyone else that participated is a winner, as you can still redeem your discount codes on our website until the end of December! We are looking forward to meeting you soon.

Another important note: All winners of prize 1 - 3 need to contact Viaduro within 1 week, otherwise their prizes will go to someone else!

World Enduro Super Series (WESS)

With it’s newly created race series, the World Enduro Super Series (WESS), the WESS Promotion GmbH set it’s goal to bring the different disciplines present in the enduro sport together and provide them with a joint platform. In 8 races, the participants ranging from amateur to expert can fight for the title of the ultimate enduro champion, whose skills need to be manifold due to the variety in disciplines of the championship. These go from hard enduro over classic enduro and cross-country to beach races. The first edition of the WESS takes us on a journey along these stations:

1. Extreme XL Lagares (PT), 11.05.18 – 13.05.18
2. Erzbergrodeo Red Bull Hare Scramble (A), 31.05.18 – 03.06.18
3. Trefle Lozerien AMV (F), 08.06.18 – 10.06.18
4. Red Bull Romaniacs (RO), 24.07.18 – 28.07.18
5. Red Bull 111 Megawatt (PL), September 2018
6. To be announced
7. Gotland Grand National (SE), 26.10.18 – 27.10.18
8. Red Bull Knock Out (NL), 10.11.18

Even though all races named above are part of the WESS, and are therefore subject to an uniform evaluation system, all competitions will retain their unique character and regulations. All further information can be found at iRideWESS.com.

Sources:

http://www.enduro360.com/2017/12/06/featured/world-enduro-super-series-launch/
https://www.tourenfahrer.de/home/news/newsdetails/newsartikel/offroadrennserie-world-enduro-super-series/
iRideWESS.com

Electrically-powered Enduros vs. 2- and 4-stroke powered ones

Enduro riding and sustainability – two words which we will likely hear together more often in the future. Models such as the Freeride E or the Zero FX have been on the market for some time already, however just recently KTM and Alta Motors announced the launch of new models.

In 2018, KTM will launch their new KTM Freeride E-XC. Compared to the prior model, it comes with a stronger engine and a battery that promises up to 50% more power. The peak power lies at 18 KW and it has got a peak torque of 42 NM, which makes this machine comparable to gas-powered 250cc models. The chargers and batteries are supposed to be offered by KTM through a leasing program. It is also possible to exchange the battery of your prior model with the newer version, as it is compatible with both bikes. Another important thing to mention is the fact that the Freeride E-XC will be allowed to be used on German roads, however not on US ones (Source). You can find further details on the motorcycle on KTM’s own web page. This video also lets you get a first impression of the look and feel of this new bike.

Additionally to the Freeride E-XC, KTM is currently working on a smaller machine as well, the E-Mini which is scheduled to launch in 2020. This bike is supposed to be seen as an alternative to other 50cc motorcycles with combustion engines. First tests showed already showed that this is not too far off, as they were already able to get better racing results on the E-Mini compared to the 50 SX (Source). 

However, KTM is not the only company focusing on sustainability. Another interesting launch planned for 2018 comes from Alta Motors and is called the Alta Motors Redshift EX, an adapted version of the Redshift MX. The Redshift EX weighs around 125 kg and has got a more potential engine with around 30 KW, along with a peak torque of 163 NM. The 5.8 kwh strong battery enables you to enjoy 3 hours of riding compared to a charging time of 2.5 hours when connected to a 240 V outlet and 4 hours at a 120 V outlet (Source). You can read a first review here.

Generally, we can assume that more and more companies will announce electrically-powered alternatives in the near future, as topics such as environmental protection and sustainability will increasingly become more important, and some countries are already starting to force such developments by imposing specific laws restricting traditional combustion engines. Additionally, this change might as well bring about improvements regarding the handling of these machines, which can already be seen in the comparison of the E-Mini to the 50 SX.