AMA Adventure X Time Trials feature big bikes going fast on tight trails

By James Holter
Photo Credit: AMA

Dozens of adventure motorcyclists converged on the AMA campus in Pickerington, Ohio, on a chilly Nov. 23 for the inaugural AMA Adventure X Time Trials, a new combination of the adventure discipline with the time trial format.

Three classes tackled the muddy single-track trail, short grass track section and pitbike course. There was Lightweight for any single-cylinder motorcycle, Middleweight for multi-cylinder bikes less than 1,000cc and Heavyweight for multi-cylinder bikes 1,000cc and larger. Bikes had to be factory street legal machines.

One of the fastest riders at the event was Corey Parlin from Schoolcraft, Mich., who topped the Middleweight class with a fast time of 3:48.35.

Parlin, who competed on a KTM 890 Adventure R, was expected to do well. While his day job is as a sales rep in the industry, he also is a USMCA-certified instructor and runs dirt bike and adventure training schools under Great Lakes Motorcycle Coach.

“Adventure bike competition is a great idea,” Parlin said. “I’m biased because I come from a dirt and adventure background, and I enjoy riding my adventure bike in single track, but I think there’s a subset within the larger adventure community who wants to challenge themselves. Not everyone wants to take a $20,000 motorcycle off-road, but this will give those who do the opportunity.”

Parlin said that for the amount of land that was available for the event, the course was very well done.

“Overall, the course was just about perfect,” he said. “Sure, for the couple ex-pros who were here, there could have been a harder challenge section, but a course shouldn’t be for the top 10 percent. It should be for the middle 80 percent. With 20 acres, I don’t know how you could have done any better. I was amazed at how much trail we had, and the layout was excellent.”

In addition to Parlin, class winners were Lane Teater from Coshocton, Ohio, in the Lightweight class with a fast time of 3:41.16 and Paul Patterson from Orient, Ohio, in the Heavyweight class with a fast time of 7:35.58. Patterson was the only finisher in the Heavyweight class.

Tom Carson, from Hopedale, Ohio, was second in Lightweight with a 3:43.00, followed by Columbus, Ohio’s John Hall with a 4:17.91.

Second in Middleweight was Ted Atkinson from Canal Winchester, Ohio, with a 4:52.31, and third was Peter Alexeev from Amherst, Ohio, with a 4:56.22.

The AMA partnered with Rob Buydos, long time motocross and AMA Supercross announcer and promoter of the Bagger Racing League, for this event, the proceeds of which financially support the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit. Buydos began developing concepts for adventure bike racing several years ago. More recently, he started working with the AMA to develop an amateur format that would be fun and accessible for a wide range of adventure riders.

“I call the discipline Adventure X, or ‘adventure cross,’ and for the format we decided a time trials program made the most sense. So, this was the inaugural AMA Adventure X Time Trials,” Buydos explained.

Riders were released onto the course one at a time, completing approximately 60 percent of the AMA’s pitbike track before entering the woods section. When that rider cleared the midway point, a spotter radioed the starter who sent a second rider out. Each rider was assigned a timekeeper. Riders logged two separate loops, with the fastest time counting toward final standings.

Riders liked the format, agreeing that having a limited number of two riders on the course at a time, separated by a few minutes, eliminated the unknowns of side-by-side racing.

“It was not a dog-eat-dog motorcycle race,” Parlin said. “I really enjoyed the vibe. It was a race, but it was a cool, laid-back social experience. I enjoyed the riding, but I really enjoyed hanging out and getting to know everybody.”

Jim Blankenbaker from Columbus, Ohio, said he liked how riders’ skill on the bike was the focus rather than jostling for the lead within a larger group.

“We see the time trials format used in Europe, but not so much in the United States,” he said, while watching the middleweight class through the creek crossing. “It takes the aggressiveness of bar-to-bar racing out of it, and it’s just about the rider’s skill with the bike and the terrain.”

Buydos said that while the format was a hit, there was room for improvement.

“We need to add one or two more timekeepers – or, better yet, transponders – and get more bikes out on the course at the same time, and we might tweak the class structure, but for the most part, this works,” he said.

Weather leading up to the late-November event was a challenge, with sub-freezing temperatures, rain and even some snow, but Buydos said there was no real threat of postponing.

“Adventure riders never cancel!” Buydos said at the riders meeting, followed by a round of clapping.

No doubt, a common trait among adventure riders, many who started out on dirt bikes decades earlier, is toughness. An unwritten rule of the adventure community is you don’t complain and smiles are mandatory. Even those who showed up to the Adventure X Time Trials and opted not to ride when they decided the conditions surpassed the functionality of their tires had good things to say. Most, if not all, stayed to watch the full event.

That positive attitude is one reason adventure riding continues to attract more riders. Established manufacturers have released several new models, with some new brands focusing exclusively on the segment.

“I see the smaller-displacement models becoming the most popular,” Buydos said. “The bikes are less expensive and easier to ride, especially for new riders who want to get a taste of competition.”

He also emphasized that Adventure X is exclusively for adventure motorcyclists, to give them a home to compete and socialize at an event designed just for them.

“This is competition for adventure riders,” he said. “That’s why one of our requirements is these bikes have to be street legal from the factory, not converted dirt bikes.”

Dan Cotter, from Utica, Ohio, volunteered to work this event. He agreed Adventure X has a future as a competitive sport.

“We had an amazing time at Adventure X, and events like this have tremendous potential,” Cotter said. “I hope to see more of them in the future. The Ohio adventure community is really thriving and everyone I know is always looking for more events and rides to attend.”

In addition to Cotter, AMA members Amelia Ross, Steve Lycans, Jessica Daniels and Elisa Collins volunteered for the event. They were supported by AMA staff Makenzi Martin, Bob Davis, Michael Galiher, Tina Duong, Joy Burgess and Emily Doane.

For additional photos from the event, please see: https://gallery.americanmotorcyclist.com/AMA-Sanctioned-Events/2024-AMA-Adventure-X-Time-Trial.

James Holter, AMA chief operating officer, worked with Rob Buydos to plan the event, laid out the loop and smashed his finger moving some very large rocks to make the creek section more rideable. He would have finished fourth on a Yamaha TW200 with a fast time of 4:26.46, but he disqualified himself for pre-riding the course.