david knight on a gaser
 

think they need to shift lot's of bikes to pay for all these top riders

Surely he'll break enough to make a sizeable dent?

[Pause for the company accountant]. . . -Hey! We're paying for those!@?!!

That?s pretty funny! :D If he can?t break one then no one can!👍🏻

Ghost

Knight just placed 2nd at the RevLimiter Extreme Enduro.
Pretty impressive times too!

Interesting that he was not sporting any redbull colours! I thought that once you were a redbull athlete it was pretty much for life (unless you join a factory team that is sponsored by monster)

He placed 4th overall for the entire weekend. Two 4th's and a 2nd place in the third race. Not bad for his first big outing but he said he lost his clutch in both of the first two races. Hmm. Wonder what that was?

Something about an aftermarket perch that he "preferred" but somehow failed him during the race. Not really sure what that means.

Ya sorry I should have been clearer. He placed 2nd only in the last race. But it was a much tougher race than the first two.

I think the style of scoring is a little weird for the event but thats just my opinion.

Well, I wish he would be more clear on that as some will just use it to say that GG sucks even though it might be something out of GG's control.

https://thumpertalk.com/applications...8c2c6ea32c56dd

Here is part of a statement from GGmoto's NA

"The only things changed were a stiffer set of suspension and the switch to a different clutch master cylinder for a personal preference in feel, which created some issues in the first 2 events! Mr Knight was a crowd favorite and enjoyed the entire weekend!"

Thank you! I hope that info gets out there.

I raced this event and ran into David at breakfast Sunday before the race and he came across as just a regular guy who loves racing despite the fact that he is a legend.

He and the GGNA guys conversed with our group for about an hour or so and it was just a group of guys bench racing over coffee (tea for David). I couldn't believe how humble and approachable the guys were. Truly a highlight to an epic weekend.

As to the clutch, I was in all the races other than the final and during one of Sunday races (can't remember which) it looked like the bike took a nasty drop on the left side as the plastics were damaged and the airbox cover was missing.

I knew he was having troubles with the clutch but wasn't sure if it was the controls or the clutch itself but if it was the controls they certainly hit the dirt hard on that side.

Cool!! I can't say I've ever met him. My only opinion of him is that he races hard and is known for crashing hard. I'm excited to see him racing for GG. Hope to rub bars with him up here in Canada at the Corduroy Enduro in September. Should be easy for him that one. The last time a big name showed up was Chris Birch but it's been a few years.

SFiegen here, just wanted to answer a few of the questions raised. I conducted the Demo tour for Gas Gas last year and I had the privilege to help David Knight at the rev limiter last weekend. We were at the I-Hop the morning of the race and met some of the racers competing that day. VXZEROKNOTS you are correct, he is the most laid back, cool racer you would want to meet. No attitude, No BS he is genuinely a nice guy, just another racing buddy to hang out with. The steakhouse was cool but a story for another time. As far as the clutch situation, that was an issue of using a different clutch master cylinder that David was more familiar with. We set it up and guess what, it didn't work like he wanted it too and he lost the clutch part way through the race and that was why he dropped off the pace. A mechanic issue yes not a Gas Gas issue. After race one we went back to the stock Magura set up and clutch problems gone. During the first lap he smacked a hole in the clutch cover on a nasty section of rocks. David came in to replace the clutch after half a lap of abuse. He lost most of the oil in the transmission but true to Gas Gas durability it just kept going. The clutch cover issue pulled him out of the race for over 10 minutes but he still took fourth right behind Ashburn and Graffunder. Race 3 he was ripping it up taking 2nd behind Webb. To answer some of the other comments, yeah he is a beast when he races, and brutal on the equipment. David will be doing select races in the States and Canada this year and if I receive info of his arrival I will post it here to let you know. I wanted to give a special thanks to Jim Haugen for all the hard work changing out the damaged parts and also a special shout out to David "K" for all the help and the push when I was installing my third tire and mousse combo. David I'm sure I speak for all the race fans that you took the time to speak with and take photos with even though you were busy WE ALL APPRECIATED IT.

and nice to see him being positive about a loss, normally he comes across as being a whiney b!tch when he looses ... after the above comments i will be easier on his past and conceded that he may have had just cause to whine

I thought the way you did, but after meeting him my opinion changed. IHOP on the other hand, still sucks. :D

My whole group was laughing out asses off about his comments, "it's a simple race isnt it? Just up and down, up and down." Not for us mortals haha!

Thanks for the info and insight!

I personally think he has been the best signing for Team GG. He's a big name who helps draw attention and who also gets results and that's what GG needs right now trying to rebuild the brand. I believe he starts to podium from here on out and hopefully a top step along the way.

Banging Up the Clutch Cover
 

Thanks for posting! Banging a hole in the clutch cover would do it as far as slowing you down. Cyclenews mentioned the same issue,

http://www.cyclenews.com/2018/01/art...-extreme-race/

Just my 2 cents...that new gasser has leaped to the top of the pile, its the bike to have now.

I can't agree more. Lets just hope the rest of the buying public stops drinking the orange kool-aid and starts seeing red!!

Interesting that Mitch Carvolth is 5th at this race and he was about an hour and a half behind the winners on the last day of the roof of africa (he siezed his bike on the second day, but rode the last day finishing 38th for the day).

is it a smaller field in the US?

Yeah, hard enduro is just getting started in the US, this event is only in it's second year. Also it's a sprint race, closer to what they have in Europe than the endurance races like The Roof etc...

Also I know that Health Insurance for European riders in the US can be a problem. So there don’t seem to be as many Europeans racing here.

Much smaller field. A good friend of mine finished 35th overall and he wouldn't even place in an event like Roof of Africa.

Or at least less talented field.

The only guys I'd consider "big names" at this race were Webb and Knight. And arguably Graffunder and Ashburn, although they are only really known in the US.

Whereas a race like Roof of Africa attracts all the big names.

Just my opinion.

I think they will see a lot of red. :D

Yes, and this event was even missing several bigger name americans that are pretty capable in hard enduro including Max Gerston, Kyle Redmond, Taylor Robert, Colton Haaker, Ben Kelley & Noah Kepple.

For most Americans, to keep factory level support, they have to favor chasing championships like endurocross, hare scrambles, WORCS, H&H, GNCC etc. So when there are scheduling conflicts (or money/time is tight) guys generally pass on the hard enduros unfortunately. Hopefully as these events get bigger and get more press there will be greater incentive for these guys, and maybe some more Europeans, to show up and battle it out.

And with all due respect to Mitch, he is a phenomenal rider (he's a regular fixture at many local AZ off road races), but he's a notch behind the bigger names in US hard enduro (all of which are a few notches behind Cody Webb and the elite Europeans). The roof was his first ride on the sherco and he had some issues. He also did Erzburg this year and was only about 2 minutes from completing the course in the allotted 4 hours. I think that left him 26th overall if that gives an idea where he stacks up with the worlds best riders.

Are you talking about Max? If not, who's Mitch? Who's riding a Sherco?

No, not Max Gertson. Mitch Carvolth, he's riding a sherco this year. Check out the AMRA results, he won the championship a couple years ago and nowadays he still shows up and wins a lot of races but his main focus is Hard Enduro. He was top ten at last year's TKO and podium at the 2017 Rev-Limiter, fifth this year. I think he might have a KOM podium in the past too. He's gone overseas and done Erzburg, Sea to Sky, Megawatt, and Roof of Africa. I have no idea where he gets the funding to do all this, as he's doesn't seem to have major support, but I just listened to an interview with him on American Hard Enduro (facebook) and he said he's planning to do as many international hard enduros as possible in 2018, plus the usual ones stateside. He'll be at KOM this weekend, and he might do quite well, being that the final is 150 miles for the pros this year, and his endurance is really good.

Ah, ok. I don't know why my brain drew such a blank on Mitch. I must be getting old. :D

Just noticed Knight took 2nd at the Bassalla Enduro last week.
Great to see more podiums.

Also took 3rd at the "Tough One".

I thought he was 6th in Enduro class. Sure that is what I read on enduro21.com

2nd in Race 1.
6th in Race 2.

They are treated as two different races.

http://www.bassella.com/gestor/uploa...ral_enduro.pdf

He's now took Danny Mccanney's place for 2018, also racing the Super Enduro at Malaga this weekend

http://enduronews.com/archive/3166.htm

Now and Lars Enockl is in the club .

I see his Instagram. Wow. Very cool!

Just saw that too, VERY surprising, and COOL!

Rumour has it that David Knight will now be racing a factory backed Beta.... both in the UK and Canada... :( And I was all excited to watch him win Canada's Toughest Enduro on a Gasser.....

He was on a Suzuki a few weeks ago.

Seen a post on FB he is entered in UK Hard enduro on a Beta this weekend.