Source: Cycle World
American Flat Track’s newest class is called AdventureTrackers, and is open to large-displacement adventure bikes with engines of 1,000cc or more, like H-D’s Pan America 1250 Special. (Harley-Davidson /)If you already thought MotoAmerica’s King of the Baggers was an oddball series for a racing circuit environment, then get ready for another bee in your bonnet. We’re talking about adventure bike racing—a new AdventureTrackers racing series is coming our way very soon thanks to American Flat Track, an outfit that famously runs its competitions on unpaved dirt ovals. The official rule book and other details about the new series came out last week, telling us that AdventureTrackers will make its splashy debut as a featured attraction of AFT’s inaugural Sturgis TT event in the South Dakota city on August 11. Here’s what else we know.Triumph’s Tiger 1200 should do well in the class, though only the Explorer trim is available in the US for 2024. (Jeff Allen/)It began last December, with a paragraph buried at the bottom of an AMA Pro Racing press release about the inaugural Spirit of Sturgis TT, set to run during the 2024 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The organization explained that, in conjunction with the Spirit of Sturgis TT (now called just the Sturgis TT), there would also be another unique contest; the AFT AdventureTrackers race. We were told that “this new category will introduce the latest production-based adventure bikes… and has sparked considerable interest among manufacturers,” but no other details were forthcoming.With last week’s release, AMA Pro Racing announced the governing rules for the newest addition to the Progressive American Flat Track series. According to the American Flat Track website, the machines entered in AdventureTrackers must have engines over 1,000cc, and be production-based racebikes that remain as close to stock as possible. Unlike the heavily modified King of the Baggers racebikes, these race-prepped adventure machines must keep the stock OEM bodywork, engines, main frames, swingarms, fuel tanks, and more. The rules go on to say, “As adventure bikes are specifically designed to be supremely versatile machines, these rules have been constructed to showcase the inherent capabilities of the bikes when piloted by professional racers, all while minimizing costs.”(The list of items approved for modification is short too, with only things like slip-on mufflers, brake pads, air filters, and clutch assemblies allowed. For details, see the rule book.)KTM has two models that qualify—the 1290 Super Adventure and the 1390 Super Adventure. (Jeff Allen/)To put a finer point on it, AFT AdventureTrackers is a professional racing class for large-displacement adventure bikes with engine configurations of two, three, or four cylinders, over 1,000cc. As it stands, that includes a very impressive list of motorcycles spread out over nine manufacturers, all with somewhat similar power-to-weight ratios (minimum weight is set at 480 pounds):<a href=”https://www.cycleworld.com/story/buyers-guide/2020-bmw-r-1250-gsadventure/”>BMW R 1250 GS</a> and <a href=”https://www.cycleworld.com/motorcycle-news/bmw-r-1300-gs-design-analysis/”>BMW R 1300 GS</a><a href=”https://www.cycleworld.com/motorcycle-reviews/ducati-multistrada-v4-rally-review/”>Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally 1158</a><a href=”https://www.cycleworld.com/story/motorcycle-reviews/2021-harley-davidson-pan-america-1250-special-first-ride-review/”>Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250</a><a href=”https://www.cycleworld.com/story/buyers-guide/2020-honda-crf1100l-africa-twin/”>Honda Africa Twin 1100</a><a href=”https://www.cycleworld.com/story/buyers-guide/2020-kawasaki-versys-1000-se-lt/”>Kawasaki Versys 1000</a><a href=”https://www.cycleworld.com/story/buyers-guide/2021-22-ktm-1290-super-adventure-r/”>KTM 1290 Super Adventure</a> and <a href=”https://www.cycleworld.com/motorcycle-news/semi-automatic-ktm-1390-super-adventure/”>KTM 1390 Super Adventure</a><a href=”https://www.cycleworld.com/story/bikes/suzuki-v-strom-1050de-first-look-2023/”>Suzuki V-Strom 1050</a><a href=”https://www.cycleworld.com/motorcycle-reviews/triumph-tiger-1200-first-ride-review/”>Triumph Tiger 1200</a><a href=”https://www.cycleworld.com/story/buyers-guide/2020-yamaha-super-tenere-es/”>Yamaha Super Ténéré 1200</a>As for format, AMA Pro lists the following for AFT AdventureTrackers events:One practice session of five lapsTwo qualifying sessions of five laps eachTwo heats of 12 riders each, completing six laps per heatTop eight finishers in each heat transfering to the main event, which will consist of 16 riders going from a standing startIt looks like the Sturgis event is the only scheduled race on the calendar so far, but otherwise there’s no word on the type of course, terrain, surface, or its layout. (For example, the Sturgis TT will be run on the streets of downtown Sturgis.)Whether or not AdventureTrackers draws eyeballs remains to be seen, but given the unexpected success of the King of the Baggers series, there’s reason to believe the sight of burly adventure bikes backing into the corners and coming out sliding sideways will endear flat-track fans to the ADV genre, which, we might add, is one of the fastest growing and fiercely competitive segments of the global motorcycle market.For more info, see americanflattrack.com/#news.
Full Text:
American Flat Track’s newest class is called AdventureTrackers, and is open to large-displacement adventure bikes with engines of 1,000cc or more, like H-D’s Pan America 1250 Special. (Harley-Davidson /)
If you already thought MotoAmerica’s King of the Baggers was an oddball series for a racing circuit environment, then get ready for another bee in your bonnet. We’re talking about adventure bike racing—a new AdventureTrackers racing series is coming our way very soon thanks to American Flat Track, an outfit that famously runs its competitions on unpaved dirt ovals. The official rule book and other details about the new series came out last week, telling us that AdventureTrackers will make its splashy debut as a featured attraction of AFT’s inaugural Sturgis TT event in the South Dakota city on August 11. Here’s what else we know.
Triumph’s Tiger 1200 should do well in the class, though only the Explorer trim is available in the US for 2024. (Jeff Allen/)
It began last December, with a paragraph buried at the bottom of an AMA Pro Racing press release about the inaugural Spirit of Sturgis TT, set to run during the 2024 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The organization explained that, in conjunction with the Spirit of Sturgis TT (now called just the Sturgis TT), there would also be another unique contest; the AFT AdventureTrackers race. We were told that “this new category will introduce the latest production-based adventure bikes… and has sparked considerable interest among manufacturers,” but no other details were forthcoming.
With last week’s release, AMA Pro Racing announced the governing rules for the newest addition to the Progressive American Flat Track series. According to the American Flat Track website, the machines entered in AdventureTrackers must have engines over 1,000cc, and be production-based racebikes that remain as close to stock as possible. Unlike the heavily modified King of the Baggers racebikes, these race-prepped adventure machines must keep the stock OEM bodywork, engines, main frames, swingarms, fuel tanks, and more. The rules go on to say, “As adventure bikes are specifically designed to be supremely versatile machines, these rules have been constructed to showcase the inherent capabilities of the bikes when piloted by professional racers, all while minimizing costs.”
(The list of items approved for modification is short too, with only things like slip-on mufflers, brake pads, air filters, and clutch assemblies allowed. For details, see the rule book.)
KTM has two models that qualify—the 1290 Super Adventure and the 1390 Super Adventure. (Jeff Allen/)
To put a finer point on it, AFT AdventureTrackers is a professional racing class for large-displacement adventure bikes with engine configurations of two, three, or four cylinders, over 1,000cc. As it stands, that includes a very impressive list of motorcycles spread out over nine manufacturers, all with somewhat similar power-to-weight ratios (minimum weight is set at 480 pounds):
<a href=”https://www.cycleworld.com/story/buyers-guide/2020-bmw-r-1250-gsadventure/”>BMW R 1250 GS</a> and <a href=”https://www.cycleworld.com/motorcycle-news/bmw-r-1300-gs-design-analysis/”>BMW R 1300 GS</a><a href=”https://www.cycleworld.com/motorcycle-reviews/ducati-multistrada-v4-rally-review/”>Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally 1158</a><a href=”https://www.cycleworld.com/story/motorcycle-reviews/2021-harley-davidson-pan-america-1250-special-first-ride-review/”>Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250</a><a href=”https://www.cycleworld.com/story/buyers-guide/2020-honda-crf1100l-africa-twin/”>Honda Africa Twin 1100</a><a href=”https://www.cycleworld.com/story/buyers-guide/2020-kawasaki-versys-1000-se-lt/”>Kawasaki Versys 1000</a><a href=”https://www.cycleworld.com/story/buyers-guide/2021-22-ktm-1290-super-adventure-r/”>KTM 1290 Super Adventure</a> and <a href=”https://www.cycleworld.com/motorcycle-news/semi-automatic-ktm-1390-super-adventure/”>KTM 1390 Super Adventure</a><a href=”https://www.cycleworld.com/story/bikes/suzuki-v-strom-1050de-first-look-2023/”>Suzuki V-Strom 1050</a><a href=”https://www.cycleworld.com/motorcycle-reviews/triumph-tiger-1200-first-ride-review/”>Triumph Tiger 1200</a><a href=”https://www.cycleworld.com/story/buyers-guide/2020-yamaha-super-tenere-es/”>Yamaha Super Ténéré 1200</a>
As for format, AMA Pro lists the following for AFT AdventureTrackers events:
One practice session of five lapsTwo qualifying sessions of five laps eachTwo heats of 12 riders each, completing six laps per heatTop eight finishers in each heat transfering to the main event, which will consist of 16 riders going from a standing start
It looks like the Sturgis event is the only scheduled race on the calendar so far, but otherwise there’s no word on the type of course, terrain, surface, or its layout. (For example, the Sturgis TT will be run on the streets of downtown Sturgis.)
Whether or not AdventureTrackers draws eyeballs remains to be seen, but given the unexpected success of the King of the Baggers series, there’s reason to believe the sight of burly adventure bikes backing into the corners and coming out sliding sideways will endear flat-track fans to the ADV genre, which, we might add, is one of the fastest growing and fiercely competitive segments of the global motorcycle market.
For more info, see americanflattrack.com/#news.
