Jhak swept all six Pro 2 tests that weekend and won one of the sections outright. He also had to deal with some very unfamiliar New England conditions: deep dirt, big embedded rocks, rain, deep ruts, technical hills, creek crossings, and some sections that sounded more like Snowshoe than a typical National Enduro.

We also got into what has changed for him this year as his results have started to come around, what he means when he talks about not overriding the track, how he warms up before the first test, and why he has been sticking with the Beta 250 RR two-stroke.

Watch/Listen to the Episode:

• Watch on Youtube

• Listen on Apple Podcasts

• Listen on Spotify

Books we Discuss:

• The Confident Mind

• Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance

The Little Things Are Adding Up

Jhak had a tough start to the National Enduro season. He was sick at Sumter, missed Oklahoma because of an injury, and then was issued time penalties for cutting the track at Cherokee that put a big dent in his championship hopes. Since then, his season has looked a lot different.

At the Barbed Wire National Enduro, Jhak became the first Pro 2 rider to win a National Enduro overall. He followed that with the Rhode Island Pro 2 win. When I asked what changed, his answer was not that he found some big secret or started riding more than everyone else.

He has been focusing more on the technical side of his riding. Looking ahead, hitting his marks, using his legs more, and not getting on the brakes too late. He talked about how easy it is to override the track when you are just trying to go fast, and how much better he has been riding when he slows things down enough to focus on what he actually needs to work on.

Don’t Override the Track

Jhak had a good explanation for what overriding the track means to him.

For him, it is braking too late and sliding into a corner, hoping there is something there to catch him. It is getting on the throttle too hard and spinning the rear tire. It is not looking far enough ahead, so you are already behind when the next turn, root, rock, or obstacle shows up.

Sometimes he will ride by himself instead of riding with fast guys because it gives him the room to focus on the drill or technique he needs to work on that day. That does not mean he is going slow. It means he is not just trying to go fast. There is a difference.

Starting the First Test Ready

I asked Jhak how he gets himself ready for the first test, because this is something I hear riders ask about all the time.

His routine is simple. He starts with a light run, builds his heart rate, brings it back down, stretches, does some basic bodyweight movements, and rides the bike around before his start time. But the mindset part was interesting too.

Jhak tells himself he is already 20 seconds down going into the first test. He is chasing someone. It helps him attack the test with urgency instead of treating it like a warm-up lap and trying to find speed later in the day.

That has helped him start his days stronger, and it is probably a good reminder that a warm-up should not just be what you do because you know you should. It should prepare you to actually ride at the speed you expect of yourself once that card flips over.

Why the Beta 250 Two-Stroke?

Jhak is racing a Beta 250 RR two-stroke, and he is clearly very comfortable on it.

He likes that it is light and flickable, and that he can move it around underneath him to find different lines in the woods. He said the bike can bounce around more than a heavier four-stroke, but he has learned how to use that to his advantage.

The bike is not some crazy built engine package either. He said it is basically a stock 250 with parts added to make it work for him.

That was cool to hear because it goes back to the same point from the rest of the conversation: understanding what you have, figuring out how it works best, and becoming better at using it.

Jhak is having a strong year, and it has been fun to watch. He is still in Pro 2 next year, he is continuing to race XC2 at GNCC, and there are clearly more good things ahead for him.

Thanks for listening, watching and/or reading! Chapter three of the book I am working on has also be released for feedback. Subscribe to all the Seat Time channels for future good times. Enjoy Getting Seat Time!

Watch/Listen to the Episode:

• Watch on Youtube

• Listen on Apple Podcasts

• Listen on Spotify

Ken Roczen’s Training Reel

A few weeks ago, Ben posted a reaction reel to a training video Ken Roczen had shared. What stood out to Ben was how traditional the strength training was. No BOSU balls, no bike frames welded to springs, none of the sport specific exercises that usually show up on social media. Ben told me a few of his own clients had sent him the reel too, saying it looked like Kenny was doing the same programming they were. For Ben, that mattered because riders at Roczen's level rarely show what their training actually looks like, and what it showed was years of consistent, unglamorous work rather than anything flashy.

The Eight-Week Myth

Ben and I talked through why eight-week and twelve-week training programs fall short for most riders. If you train with a barbell three times a week for twelve weeks, that adds up to 36 sessions. Each session might only include six to ten working sets. That’s not enough repetition to properly learn a squat or a hinge pattern, let alone build the kind of durability Roczen has built over more than a decade of professional racing. Ben’s view is that strength training isn’t something you complete. It’s maintenance you keep up for as long as you want to keep riding. I’ll amend that to say you should keep it up as long as you want to have a long and happy life.

We also compared that to how much time most riders actually spend on a dirt bike. Most of us ride once or twice a week at best. In that same stretch of time, you can get in far more reps with a barbell than laps on a track. If seat time is limited, strength training becomes the next best way to build the capacity to handle the riding you do get.

The Under-Eating Problem

Ben shared a story that mirrored something I went through myself. At 67 kilos and lean, with visible abdominal veins, he had blood work done and was told he was pre-diabetic. A qualified nutritionist recommended a keto diet and told him calories didn’t matter, only nutrient quality. His condition got worse. It turned out he was under-eating relative to how much he was training, and the carbohydrates he had cut were what his body actually needed. I went through a similar process after my psoriatic arthritis diagnosis, following nutrition advice that sounded reasonable but didn’t hold up once I applied it. Even qualified professionals can get this wrong, especially when they’re chasing the latest fad being talked about online. Ben still sees under-eating relative to training load as one of the most common mistakes among new clients.

GNCC vs Australia

Ben and his team traveled to the United States for the first time this year, and the differences in scale were immediate. A single Mid-East GNCC round drew more entries than a full national championship round in Australia. The bigger difference, though, was being allowed to walk out and watch the race from the track. In Australia, insurance requirements have kept spectators behind bunting (banner or ribbon for us Americans) for the past couple of years, meaning riders’ teams often wait 25 to 30 minutes between sightings of their rider. At a GNCC, despite the scale and the more relaxed pit rules, Ben found that spectators still respected the track, and he was able to see his rider three or four times per lap.

We also discussed who the greatest Australian export to American off-road racing has been. Shane Watts was Ben’s childhood idol, known for racing on worn-out equipment and still winning. Ben ultimately gave the edge to Josh Strang, citing his longevity, still competitive near the front of GNCC fields after close to two decades of racing in the United States.

Thank you Ben Greenwood for the Fun Conversation

Strength training works best as ongoing maintenance rather than a short program. Eating enough to match your training and riding load matters more than most people realize. And even though I’ll probably never be allowed at a GNCC again, you should keep showing up and supporting the sport.

The full conversation with Ben Greenwood of Race Ready Offroad Coaching is our for your listening pleasure. You can follow Ben on Instagram at @offroadperformancecoach.

Thanks for listening, watching and/or reading! The summer has been HOT, and I have ridden a small amount unfortunately. I should be picking up a 2027 Fantic XE300 here shortly, so make sure you subscribe to all the Seat Time channels for my first thoughts. Enjoy Getting Seat Time!

I wish I could tell you where we rode, but I have no idea. I was told to meet him at a gas station and then I followed him to where we unloaded. Now that I type that, it’s a good thing I didn’t wind up dead in a ditch somewhere, haha!

As the story goes, Lee has been riding in this area since the 80’s. He said a lot of the trails are the same as when he rode them at a younger age. That’s some pretty cool history for him, as well as his sons that have also ridden there over the years.

We were riding in the late afternoon, and the heat did it’s number on us. We rode for a few hours, and loaded up as the sun was setting. This was an epic dirt bike road trip experience that I wish I could make happen more often.

Watch the Video on YouTube

Alabama Single Track is Technical

For those who don’t know, I grew up racing the SERA Series with my dad Stephen Pierce. I have ridden and raced at a few different Alabama properties from the 80’s and 90’s (until college of course). I always thought Maplesville and Clanton were the harder enduros on the circuit. We were based out of New Orleans, so we had zero elevation or rocks to ride and practice on.

Now that I got a taste of some of the fun trails the Alabama riders get to practice on, I understand why they were, and still are, so good in the tighter, more technical terrain. Now a days in North Texas we have some technical riding, but the elevation and the twisty nature of these trails is something special. Don’t take it for granted y’all!

Ryan Sipes and Cairo, GA

After a few hours of work online I rolled south to Cairo, GA to meet up with Ryan Sipes. We did some riding and we did some training. I’ll have some footage from that out after I get home, some time next week; be on the look out!

Enjoy Getting Seat Time

Don’t take the time we have for granted. Find a riding buddy, get on the bike, and make some memories. I’m very thankful for the time I have been given this week.

Utility Can Caddy

I also wanted to drop a reminder that the Utility Can Caddy is on ebay now for purchase. The Seat Time Shop was shut down late last year due to not selling enough to make it worth it. I still have 200+ UCC’s though, and I would prefer they go to riders and racers who want to get themselves organized.

I’m Writing a Book

Reminder that I am posting chapters from my book on my personal Substack. Feel free to give the Intro and/or Chapter One a gander.

In this latest episode of the Seat Time Podcast, Ricky and Brian discuss how he found his way back to the East Coast to race J Day Off Road GPs, NORCS, AMA West Hare Scrambles and becoming a dad. Even though we had some technical difficulties, it’s still a fun chat!

Watch/Listen to the Episode

• Watch on Youtube

• Listen on Apple Podcasts

• Listen on Spotify

J Day Off Road and a Used Kawasaki

Ricky is living and working full-time back in Washington, so the fact that he’s the current J Day Off Road GP points leader is a bit of a head scratcher. As it turns out, he simply bought a Kawasaki off Nick DeFeo and decided to go racing. Awesome.

The viral drone clip of Ricky at the J Day Off Road opener in Florida is what set off the alarm bells for me. One, isn’t this guy retired? Two, damn he looks good on the bike. Three, that drone pilot isn’t paid enough.

He hasn’t won them all, and his baby is due on the weekend of an upcoming double header, but for now he’s beating Tyler Medaglia by three points. Awesome.

West Hare Scrambles and NORCS

Out West, Ricky has won the last two AMA West Hare Scrambles rounds—Timber Beast in Idaho and The Great Escape in Washington—riding a Lynnwood Motoplex / Team Green Kawasaki, while guys like Mateo Oliveira are still the ones in the title hunt. The Great Escape was another race where the drone pilots somehow thread the singletrack like a rider; Ricky made his way past Oliveira late in the race for the overall win in his home state.

He’s also three‑for‑three at NORCS rounds back in Washington on that Team Green KX450X, lining up close to home and still winning even though he’s supposed to be retired.

GNCC Hydration and Nutrition

Even though there were a few technical issues during the podcast, we did dive into GNCC pit stops, pit bottles, hydration and nutrition. It was a discussion I would have liked to go deeper into with Ricky. For now, we did get insight into timing for our bottles and what he would put in them, including a Coke for the last‑lap charge.

If you want to know more on GNCC or hare scramble nutrition, I have an article on the Seat Time site that dives deeper into that rabbit hole.

Soon to Be Father

Before we dropped off the call, we quickly discussed Ricky becoming a new dad. Being a father for me has been extremely rewarding, while also challenging. The number one advice I have during the very beginning is to be more intentional with your time and the baby than you think you should be. The baby will want/need Momma more, so it’s easy to distract yourself with work and life. This is the time to lean in.

Thanks for listening, watching and/or reading! After missing the Farm14 National Enduro, I ran my first 50+ mile ultra marathon. I’m still rehabbing the back and trying to ride a bit more. Thanks again for your time and enjoy getting seat time!

Latest Fantic/Riding Video

The 2027 Fantic XE300 will have some updates over the 2025, but we won't know the full extent of those until we pick the bike up at CPD in August.

It's been fun as hell to be back on a two stroke. I did have to do some major upgrades, like the Luxon Pro 23mm offset Triple Clamps, but it was well worth it. Next up would be a 52T rear sprocket, but we'll see how timing is going to work out on picking up the 2027 Fantic.

Utility Can Caddy

I also wanted to drop a reminder that the Utility Can Caddy is on ebay now for purchase. The Seat Time Shop was shut down late last year due to not selling enough to make it worth it. I still have 200+ UCC’s though, and I would prefer they go to riders and racers who want to get themselves organized.

Driving to Alabama

My son Liam is getting dropped off at Aviation Challenge this coming week and I’ll be in Alabama working and riding. Be on the lookout for some footage and posts with a few Alabama and Georgia peeps.

Have a very Happy July 4th weekend. Be safe while partying, because as we saw in Howard’s Hole this past weekend, drunk people forget to take accountability for their actions. Rule #1, don’t drink on a race course.

I’m Writing a Book

Reminder that I am posting chapters from my book on my personal Substack. Feel free to give the Intro and/or Chapter One a gander.

Enjoy Getting Seattime! 🤘🏻🤙🏻⚡️

Recently I’ve been feeling a bit stuck. I hurt my back in April and missed the Farm14 Enduro. From there life started to take over with school ending and summer activities starting. In that stuck feeling, I realized I hadn’t ridden the Fantic since March. I took the day off of work and reached out to a buddy who could ride mid‑week. We didn’t beat the heat, but we had a lot of fun getting seat time.

Throttle Therapy Riding Video

When I hurt my back before the Farm14 National Enduro, I had been overtraining. I was preparing for Farm14, but I was also running a lot of miles prepping for my first 52 mile ultra marathon. The compounding nature of riding and running, plus all the hip hinging from riding, created a scenario where my core couldn’t keep up. My body forced me to slow down so I didn’t hurt myself indefinitely; the body is pretty smart.

Even though it sucked to miss the Farm14 National Enduro, the real race for me in 2026 was always the Possum’s Revenge Ultra Marathon. I had a pity party for about 15 minutes after I realized I had to bow out of racing Farm14. Then I called the professionals in my life and started working on my body to figure out what happened and how I could get runnable in four weeks to tackle this ultra.

I was successful. I got my core and back stable, and I completed the 52 mile Possums Revenge course at Possum Kingdom Lake in 15:16:07. It didn’t go to plan, I had to adapt on-course, and I learned a lot. Which is what any race or competition should teach us; We can know a lot, but we can never know everything. Then life took over.

What Happens When You Can’t Ride?

The throttle therapy session I got with Brandon and Josh was what I needed. I had been going too long in the day to day without finding the time for me to disconnect, think, and be around like minded dudes.

But this got me thinking, “What happens when I can’t ride anymore?”

I am currently 46, and I hit 47 later this year. Even though I don’t want to slow down with the way I live my life, at some point life does catch up. As we age, our bodies degrade, that’s just a fact. There are certainly ways we can live to focus on longevity, but that’s for another article.

What happens when we can’t heal from the ailments that plague us, or from aging in general, and we can’t do the thing we love to do to disconnect?

We have to change.

Due to all the messages and comments I got hurting my back before Farm14, I saw a lot of people hanging on to something they didn’t have anymore. There was an anger and resentment in their words that I couldn’t understand.

I understand it a bit more now.

As life throws us a curve ball, we have to adjust. We can’t keep chasing meaning in the ways we did before, because we may not be able to do those things the same anymore.

As dirt bikers, it’s really easy to use race results or speed against riding buddies as a barometer of accomplishment. We pat ourselves on the back with those accomplishments to try to find happiness or some sense of meaning in them.

I think that’s why I received the snarky comments and messages. Those people haven’t adjusted or adapted to what their life has thrown at them.

After this riding session, I began to ask myself in what ways I need to change so I don’t keep needing to break away from life for throttle therapy. What can I begin to shift or adjust in my day to day so I find what matters in a different way than I have in the past.

I don’t have a direct answer to that yet, but that’s because it’s for me to figure out for me. You’ll have to do the same for you if that’s something you’re looking for.

If any part of this resonated with you, and you think you might be looking in the wrong places, here’s a quick thought. Purpose gives us something to strive for. The fulfillment we’re looking for in that purpose needs to be internally motivated, not externally driven. Said simply, we want it for ourselves, not for others to pat us on the back for.

Anywho, my coffee is cold and the day needs to start. Thanks for reading and I hope y’all enjoy getting seat time in the near future. And if you can’t get seat time anymore, or currently, I hope you enjoy the thing that fulfills you and still feels worth doing.

If you enjoyed my ramblings, I have a personal Substack as well. I am currently writing a book and posting chapters there. XOXO

What is race nutrition and hydration?

Race nutrition and hydration is the water, food, and electrolytes you take in leading up to a race weekend, on race morning, during the race, and after the race. How you fuel your body for a race starts days before you gear up and ride to the starting line. If you have a race the following day or weekend, the way you fuel afterward also matters for recovering from what you’ve put your bike, body, and mind through.

What we’re going to discuss in this article are tools, not rules. If you don’t have a process, start by adding a little here and a little there, and then keep what works and drop what doesn’t. If you already have a strategy, don’t wipe the slate clean. Add a little here, adjust some timing there, and keep iterating. The big takeaway is that fueling for a race day or race weekend can be simple, but simple doesn’t mean easy. You’ll have to try, fail, adjust, and repeat to figure out what works for you, your start time, and your race length.

Race Week Preparation and Taper

For this article, I’m assuming weekend warriors don’t get to ride much during the week, but might train off the bike between races. Expert racers and up (Pro and A classes) will probably ride during the week as well as train off the bike. Your total output during the week leading into a race weekend matters. If you’re not used to riding and training mid‑week, you’ll need to build into that level of effort. Your body doesn’t just accept new levels of load because you want it to.

When you’re deep in the trenches of riding and training, you also need time to come up for air. Tapering your load and intensity into a race weekend lets your body recover from training. Think of it as forging and then sharpening a sword. During the training weeks you’re hammering the sword into shape. As you taper into race weekend, you’re fine‑tuning and sharpening the blade into the weapon you want for the battle. You can’t do both at the same time, unless you want a weapon that snaps the first time it hits another blade.

You’ll see some professionals ride right up until a few days before race day. They’ve trained their bodies for that level of workload. If you want that capability, build it in the off‑season, not mid‑season because your ego thinks you should already be able to handle it.

Once you’ve pulled the riding load back and are resting more, you also need to fuel differently. “Carbo‑loading” isn’t reserved for the night before the race. You can add 100–200 calories per day, roughly 20–40 grams of carbs, in the days leading up to the event. The goal is to top off your glycogen stores (stored sugar) in your muscles and liver for race day. If you only rely on a huge plate of pasta the night before, you’re just overeating. A cup of rice, a cup of potatoes, a cup of pasta, or two slices of bread are all simple ways to add extra carbs per day heading into race weekend.

This is also a great time to start eating more fruit and drinking more water. Fruit brings carbs plus electrolytes, making it a perfect ramp‑up snack in the days before a race. You’ll also want to make sure you’re hydrating. Our bodies do store water, but we constantly lose it through sweat and urine, so we need to keep replenishing it throughout the day.

If fruit isn’t your thing, do the hard thing and get over it. If you’re stubborn and still “don’t like fruit,” adding an electrolyte supplement like LMNT to 32 oz of water to sip throughout the day will work.

Race Day Broken Down by Start Times

When you wake up on race morning, start sipping some water. If you’re a coffee or caffeinated‑drink person, cool. Just be aware that caffeinated drinks are a mild diuretic and can make you pee more than normal, so don’t drink so much that your urine is coming out totally clear.

You’re also going to want to take in some electrolytes as your morning starts. I suggest having a lightly mixed electrolyte drink to start the day. If you’re using an LMNT packet, one packet mixed with 32 oz of water to sip on is a solid place to start. If you’d rather stick to mostly water and coffee, find the combo that works for you and your gut.

Since every cross country race series has different start times, or rotating start times, we’ll break these down into mornings and afternoons. However and whatever you eat, solid foods should be finished ~90 minutes before your race starts. That gives those calories time to get into your stomach and for digestion to get moving before you roll to the line.

Eat Simple Carbohydrates on Race Day

We eat simple carbohydrates on race day because as heart rate increases, the digestive system slows down. This is why simple carbohydrates are best to consume within ~90 minutes before a race and during the race itself. Simple carbs are easier for the body to process and more quickly turned into usable energy. As a racer, you want your resources focused on the race, not tied up digesting heavy food that makes it harder to push at 100%.

Morning Start Times

Knowing that we want all solid foods finished chewing ~90 minutes before the race starts, you’ll have to do the math for your specific start time. If we use the GNCC schedule and the morning 2‑hour race starts at 10 a.m., we want our last solid carbohydrates in our mouth by 8:30 a.m. For some riders, that’s already tight, because by 9:00–9:15 a.m. we’re starting to warm up the body.

As we stated above, we want carbohydrates for breakfast, with minimal fiber, fats, and protein. Bagels are a good race‑day breakfast food. You can add some honey, bananas, or other bits for flavor. Stay away from too much nut butter due to the fat content. Oatmeal is another option, but adding nuts or whole grains starts to get high in macronutrients that can keep the body from focusing on energy production.

Considering the time needed for digestion, you want to pay attention to when to start and finish eating; 750-1000 calories is a good range. Pushing breakfast up toward 1250-1500 calories can take longer to digest and may slow you down once the race starts. You will need to test this out and see what works for you.

For a race breakfast example, an average medium plain bagel is about 290 calories and has 56 g of carbs. If we add a Nate’s Honey Mini packet (50 calories, 12 g carbs) and an average‑sized banana (~105 calories, 27 g carbs) to that bagel, we’re at roughly 450 calories and 95 g of carbs. If your stomach isn’t used to that before a race, I wouldn’t try this on a race weekend. This is the perfect combo to practice on non‑race weekends. Yes, training your gut and body is as important as training on the bike.

I personally eat a rice cake with an orange and a banana while I sip on my coffee and water/LMNT. Then I have a cup of rice with some butter and sea salt. I try to finish that cup of rice about 65–75 minutes before my race starts, whether it’s a XC race or an enduro.

The biggest note on the amount of calories you eat, and the timing of that food, is knowing what you need and what you can handle. As you add more calories to a pre‑race breakfast or lunch, you will need to finish that meal earlier to leave time for digestion. That is why I talk about when to finish eating based on the calories we discuss. If it is easier for you to think about when to start eating instead, adjust your start time backward to keep the same digestion window.

Now that we’re 60 minutes out from the start, it’s time to gear up and warm up the body. The goal here is to get a light sweat you can see on your skin. This brings your core temperature up and lets you move through stretches and bodyweight movements to get the muscles firing.

During this time, having a liquid carb drink with electrolytes mixed in is great for slow sipping. I’d start this about 30-45 minutes before the race, so you’re not dumping it right on top of whatever you just ate. We want the real food to have a head start on digestion.

About 15 minutes before the start is a good time to take a pre‑race gel or focus more on liquid carbs. If you like to drink plain water, consider an electrolyte chew or capsule here. That gets carbs and electrolytes into your system without them sloshing around because you waited until two minutes before the start.

Keep your breathing steady, visualize your start, and remember to have fun.

Afternoon Start Times

If you have an afternoon start time, everything we just discussed still applies. We just slide the timing so it lines up with your start. You will have to pay attention to what you are doing while you wait. Running around the track supporting the morning race is fun, but you are burning through the fuel you built up the night before. If it is hot, you are also sweating out the water and electrolytes you will need for your own race.

The breakfast we talked about for a morning race can become more of an early lunch instead. For breakfast, since you have more time to digest, you can go with hash browns or potatoes plus some fruit. If you are a bacon eater, you can have some meat. Just remember that higher protein and fat from meat takes longer to digest. And if you eat bacon and drink coffee, you are probably going to have to poop. Such is life.

Whatever you choose for breakfast, around 750-1000 calories is still a solid target. Keeping carbs higher than protein and fats will serve your afternoon race better. If you are someone who feels that eating more protein in the morning helps you feel “more full” later, go for it, but test that on non‑race weekends, not just because your buddy says it works.

If we use the GNCC afternoon start time of 1 p.m., you will want to finish your whole‑food lunch around 11:30 a.m. That gives you the same ~90 minute digestion window we used in the morning race section. A 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. breakfast that has more complex carbs, such as potatoes instead of a bagel, or is just higher in total calories, should hold you over until your lunch window for a 1 p.m. start.

Keep your breathing steady, visualize your start, and remember to have fun.

How to eat during a XC, Harescramble, or GNCC

As discussed in the Enduro Nutrition Guide, it is easy to consume carbs and electrolytes between test sections. In a cross country race, harescramble, or GNCC, your hands are on the bars the entire race. Depending on the exact length of your race, you will have one or two pit stops for gas. These stops should be used to fuel your body as well as your bike.

Before we talk about what to consume and how, it needs to be clear that you are never going to take in everything you lose. We are not trying to match losses one to one. That is what post race recovery is for. During the race, you are trying to consume what you need to perform at 100 percent for the length of the event, knowing you are burning through the fuel in your body.

Here are average numbers to play with for supplement consumption

Per hour of racing, we are looking to consume:

• Water: 500 to 750 milliliters (16 to 24 oz)

• Carbs: 40 g to 80 g

• Sodium: 300 mg to 600 mg

• Potassium: 40 mg to 100 mg

• Magnesium: 12 mg to 30 mg

These are good averages because sweat rate varies a lot from rider to rider. An average rider may lose 1 to 1.5 liters of sweat per hour. So a two hour race through the woods might mean 2 to 3 liters of sweat loss. This does not account for race day heat, course intensity, or your individual sweat rate.

When it comes to carbohydrates, you will need to find the right amount for you through trial and error. The numbers above are averages based on gut training and energy needs. Just because pro cyclists are taking in 100 grams or more of carbs per hour does not mean you need that much or that your stomach can handle it.

Breaking it all down

The first 30 minutes of any cross country race, you should be set. If you fueled as we discussed leading up to the start of the race, you should be feeling energized and cramp free. As we get to the 30 minute race timer, refueling should be a priority. You are not waiting to refuel when you are thirsty or hungry. You are refueling on a timeline so you never get thirsty or hungry.

Since the bike isn’t typically going to need gas in the tank, stopping for a full pit stop might not make sense. This is where you see the pit bottles being handed out at harescrambles and GNCC’s. This is the fueling to begin to replenish what the stomach can handle for a racer, before their next 30 minute feeding window.

These pit bottles are typically 8 to 16 ounces of water, with a carb and electrolytes supplement mixed in. If we use the numbers above, that is about half the water needed in an hour of racing, while a bottle might have 20 to 40 grams of carbs and a mixed in electrolyte supplement.

To keep a slow consumption of water, carbs, and electrolytes during the race, you should leverage a hip pack or a hydration backpack. The USWE hip packs max out at 1.5 liter bladders, while the backpacks can be up to 3 liters. I would not suggest carrying 3 liters unless you do not have a pit crew. Three liters of water is a lot to carry, and over 2 to 3 hours that weight, though decreasing as you drink, still adds extra load for the rider.

I don’t know why more racers in these situations don’t leverage the hands free USWE kit. I have had some riders tell me they do not like the hose bouncing around in their helmet, or needing to stay in, or close to, their mouth. If not having a hands free hose keeps you from consuming what you need to perform, I would tell you to get over it. Having the ability to keep your hands on the bars while you drink is more important than the slight discomfort of a hands free kit.

Whatever choice you make to carry your hydration and supplements, you need to drink it. This is your slow drip fuel for performance. Without it, you risk dehydration, cramping, or bonking toward the back half of your race. Again, do not wait until those symptoms show up. Drink and eat on your plan to keep them away and to keep energy available.

In these hydration bladders, it is best to keep a carbohydrate and electrolyte supplement mixed in. Some racers may want only water, which is fine. If that is the case, you need to do the math to get your carbs and electrolytes in from your pit bottles and pit stops. One LMNT packet and one scoop of a carb supplement per liter of hydration is a solid place to start.

Cross Country Racing Pit Stops

The pit stops in cross country racing are typically pretty fast. We are not as crazy efficient as Nascar, but teams are getting there. Refueling the bikes and getting new goggles are top priority, but do not forget the body. It is just as important to fuel the body here as it is the bike.

As the goggles come off, lift the helmet, squeeze in a gel, tighten the helmet strap, and then put on the new goggles. If you do not like how hard a gel can be to squeeze in the moment, HydraPak makes a soft flask with a nozzle specifically for rapid delivery. It makes quick squeezes much more efficient than a straight gel pack.

I like this 350 ml soft flask because you can get more water in while mixing a concentrated carb mix that will deliver more carbs and electrolytes than a traditional gel can. As you ride off from the pit stop, take another pit bottle with you. This 8 to 16 ounces of water and supplement mix is key to your hydration for the next 30 minutes.

I personally do not like the pit bottles that racers grab around the course. Even though they are planned by the riders and teams before the race, if you are in the middle of a battle, or you forget it is coming up, they can be easy to miss. Your team can try to find you on a different part of the course for another handoff, but now your timing is off, and the chance of more missed bottles goes up. That edges you closer to not being fueled enough for the end of the race.

I believe being more diligent with your on‑person water and supplements, and with the pit stops for gas in the bike, are the places to never miss fuel for the body. If the bike does not get fuel, the bike does not run. If the body does not get fuel, it starts to break down muscle for energy, which is slow and steals resources from racing forward.

Tips and Tricks

Caffeine, as your body can handle it. I like caffeine gum, but that is harder to use during a XC race. Add a powdered caffeine to your late race bottle, not too much, or use a supplement that already has caffeine in your late race bottles.

Nootropics for mental focus. I really like the Neutonic powders for focus. They can easily mix into any of your bottles or hydration bladders.

Amino acids to help limit muscle breakdown and support recovery. Toward the end of a long race, when your body is on the ragged edge, it may start to break down tissue for energy. Consuming amino acids in your pit bottles may help limit this and will support recovery afterwards.

Liquid pain relief. This is a hot topic, so go slow adding these on hotter days. A liquid gel, like liquid ibuprofen, can be squeezed into a pit bottle or soft flask (it tastes horrible) to help with late race soreness and inflammation.

Turmeric and curcumin. Turmeric, more specifically curcumin, may help with general inflammation and joint soreness, but most benefit comes from consistent daily use, not one race day. If you already take a curcumin supplement and feel like it helps, keep using it with a meal that has some fat or with black pepper to help absorption.

Fine Tuning Your Fueling Strategy

The most important part of any race fueling strategy is trying to never get hungry. There are always going to be times during a long race that cramps can set in from muscle fatigue and you can feel low on energy. It is when you feel hungry that you are close to bonking.

For fine tuning your fueling strategy, think about eating windows as every 30 minutes. If that does not work for you, try windows every 15-20 minutes. If you begin to feel hungry or bonk 45 minutes into your race, look at your pre‑race breakfast and pre‑race supplements. If you begin to feel hungry or bonk after the 1.5 hour mark, look at what you are doing around 45 minutes to one hour into the race. If you are only bonking right at the end, you may just need a little more carbohydrate added to an already decent eating window.

If you are racing your dirt bike at 100 percent for three hours, you should be exhausted when you cross the finish line. A properly executed fueling strategy has you performing at 100 percent for the entire race. It does not make that performance feel easy.

Last Notes: Nutrition & Training

Proper consumption of water, carbs, and electrolytes will not make up for an underprepared athlete. If you are not training properly for the type of racing you are competing in, proper fueling will just make sure you do not completely bonk. Your ability to ride at your 100 percent relies on many factors, and they all culminate in an athlete that is properly prepared.

Quick Links for Electrolytes, Gels, or Carb Supplements

Maltodextrin Based Gels

• SIS Beta Fuel Gel

• Ucan Energy

• GU Roctaine Gel

• Ryno Power Mana Gel

Electrolytes Only

• LMNT

• Ucan Hydrate & Aminos

• BPN Electrolytes

Electrolyte & Carb Mix

• Ryno Power Hydration Fuel

• Scratch Labs Hydration Mix

• Tailwind Endurance Fuel

Wrapping Up Nutrition

None of this should be tested for the first time on race weekend. The chances for gut distress mean you could have simple cramps in your stomach, while the severe end of distress means you could poop yourself. If you try out a new supplement and it brings on a case of diarrhea, you want that to happen on a non‑race weekend.

You should also plan on building up to a well organized race weekend. Practice with different gels at different times during training. Some may have caffeine and some may have electrolytes mixed in. Others may be specific to certain times of a race day, so you wait until that time of day while riding to see how you feel.

Adaptation is part of being a great racer, and knowing how and when to add or remove fueling due to race conditions is part of that adaptation. Do not think you have found the holy grail of supplementation and then stop learning about new research or new products.

Hopefully these thoughts give you the tools to start, or evolve, your nutrition strategy. If you have questions, please ask them. Enjoy getting Seat Time!

Watch/Listen to the Episode

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As well as intimate knowledge of the timekeeping enduro format, four of Lafferty’s enduro titles were on KTM 250 two-strokes and four were on KTM 400 four strokes. He made the switch from two-strokes to four-strokes in the middle of his dominating enduro career, which showcases even more how dominant of a force he was when it came to racing dirt bikes.

Another fun transition that Lafferty was a part of was the evolution of bark busters, or full wrap handguards, into robust open guards, or flags. This topic is certainly niche within the singletrack group of riders and racers, but there are plenty of reasons to still ask the question “should I run full wrap handguards or open guards?”. Hearing him discuss how he would size up a tree and decide he was just going to mow it down was a wicked part of this discussion.

Lastly, Mike Lafferty is now working for Sherco US. Having spent all of his racing career on a KTM, or a KTM owned Husaberg, it’s an interesting evolution for Mike’s motorcycle legacy. If you’ve been following the Seat Time journey for more than a few years, you know I was on a Sherco 300 two-stroke for seven years, and I loved that bike! I’m excited to see where the Sherco brand heads as they’re trying to reestablish themselves, again, in the United States.

All Seat Time Podcast episodes are available in a YouTube Playlist, on Apple Podcasts, or on Spotify.

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Links to Watch/Listen

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A national-worthy weekend, not just another race

When I talked with both Matt Musgrove (USHE) and Steward Baylor Jr (ANEC) about their respective series format changes, the common thread wasn’t “how do we squeeze in more racing,” it was “how do we build a weekend people actually want to be at.” That’s what I saw from afar watching the videos from the Farm14 National Enduro. With classes split across two days and the head-to-head super test brought back, there was room for spectating and hanging out, instead of driving in just in time for the rider’s meeting the day of the race.

The guys on the podcast roundtable backed that up in their own ways, even if they didn’t all stay for the full weekend experience. Ryan Moss and Liam Capodice liked that they could race Saturday, watch some action like the super test or Stu skimming the pond, and still hit the road early enough to be home Sunday. John Yantek talked about grilling with buddies, helping with pits, and getting to spectate pros and fast amateurs in spots you’d normally never see them. The nice part of the two‑day layout was that it gave riders options: you could make it a long, social weekend, or you could treat it as a more flexible in‑and‑out trip and still feel like you got more out of it than a traditional local enduro.

The biggest drawback to the weekend seemed to come from the pits clearing out come Sunday. The goal was to bring the “Pro pits” back to the races, but if the rigs leave Saturday evening, Sunday begins to feel like a ghost town. If the goal is to have a national-worthy weekend that racers can’t get anywhere else, another go at this format would be to bring the big rigs in on Friday, have Amateurs race Saturday, then have B racers and up race Sunday. Yes, you’ll loose some spectators to Sunday, but those that choose to stay can begin to see and feel the growth of what ANEC is trying to build.

Less traffic, more racing

One of the big wins from the weekend was how the two‑day split fixed the passing problem that we’ve all just accepted as part of enduro. Unless you’re winning the entire event, there’s a 90% chance you’re going to get passed by a faster rider. The etiquette is to get out of the way as quick as possible, but some take their time because they’re scared, they’re tired, or they’re ignorant (yeah, I said it). With classes broken up between Saturday and Sunday, Ryan and Liam both talked about how much less traffic they dealt with and how different it felt to race every section, not navigate slower riders you catch from earlier rows.

The other cool part was hearing that Farm14 delivered old‑school, bar‑banging woods and tight trees that rewarded bike handling over raw speed. Tighter, more technical trails keep the speeds down and ask more skill of the racers; this shouldn’t be ignored. If all amateurs were mixed in with the pros in these tighter sections, more shenanigans with passing can occur. Even John, who’s strategic about which row he signs up for to dodge traffic, mentioned how good the conditions were for where he started. If ANEC can keep the entry numbers healthy and the class split smart, the two-day format gives us more of what we show up for: technical singletrack, less guessing about where to pass, and more time looking way past the front of our fender.

Change and growth is hard

The comments on this video, and the interview with Stew last year, weren’t all positive. You can tell many riders and racers don’t want change. They like the status quo of the enduro they know, and if someone tries to change it, they immediately push back. That’s pretty normal human behavior, especially if you’re only chasing comfort. But I don’t ride dirt bikes or race enduros to chase comfort. I ride and race dirt bikes to push myself past what makes me comfortable.

So I challenge all the negative commenters to show up to a National Enduro this year put on by ANEC. I ask you to stop holding this sport, and yourself, back by death‑gripping this idea of a sport you didn’t create. I’ve had to reflect on my thoughts on what an enduro is, and was, after years of riding with my dad and now my son. At its core, an enduro is a day in the woods with your buddies on dirt bikes. A National Enduro is the next step beyond that. I at one point wanted them to be organized trail rides, but they can’t be that at the professional level. If we want to see racers supporting themselves with a salary in a professional sport, we have to give that avenue the ability to grow. We have to see if there is a way for riders to ride and racers to race on the same weekend. That’s what Steward Baylor Jr is trying to do with the American National Enduro Championship: support a community of riders while growing a sport of professionals. Yes, it’s harder than it sounds. Give him your support, not only your opinions.

Support Seat Time

The number one way to support Seat Time is share this article, or a future video, with your riding buddies! After that, the easiest way to support Seat Time is to become a paid subscriber here on Substack for $5/Month. Lastly, use the Amazon Links in articles or Buy Me a Coffee. Enjoy #GettingSeattime & Stay #Stoked! 🤘🏻🤙🏻⚡️

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When I first rode the Fantic I wasn’t up to race pace yet. At Sandwinder, I was still making shock preload adjustments, moving my levers, and rotating the bars around. That’s because my race pace is different from my trail riding pace. As I got up to speed, I felt I needed a different setup, even though the comments on the video weren’t happy with me (haha). Now that I have gotten the Fantic into the tighter trails, and into more technical terrain, I remembered what Braxton talked about in our King of the Motos interview. I felt exactly what we described, and the solution he spoke of then was the same Cody Webb found on his YZ250 at the time: 23mm offset LuxonMX Gen3 Pro Triple Clamps.

Luxon Gen3 Pro Triple Clamps Setup and Impressions

As I started my research, and sent a few emails, I learned there is a Gen3 Standard and a Gen3 Pro version of the LuxonMX Gen3 Triple Clamps. The Gen3 Standard clamp is what the Gen3 Pro offers, with a more affordable price tag due to less adjustability and no titanium bits. Luxon thought it best I go with the Gen3 Pro for the direct 23mm offset due to what Cody Webb and Braxton both found to be the best for the frame and chassis. The fancy titanium parts added into the mix are just extra bling and something I honestly haven’t ever had before. Yes, I said bling.

The Gen3 Pro Triple Clamp kit comes with two steering stems, one has the capability of 22 & 23 millimeter offset, while the other is set up for 21 & 24 millimeter offset; they both include their respective inserts for the top clamps. Luxon does this so riders could change these stems and inserts at the van for quick changes due to conditions or terrain. The steering stems are eccentric, so their mounting center is offset to create the desired triple clamp offset. This sets the stems in the bottom clamp at the desired offset, and then the insert as a matching offset for the top triple clamp. I’ve seen stuff like this before with eccentric bottom brackets on bicycles (singlespeeds normally), but this is my first foray into it on a dirt bike (I think).

The Gen3 Pro kit also comes with titanium bolts, so it’s lighter, and I’m assuming, titanium has a different feel over steel (my baby hands approve). The Pro clamps also do not have any anodizing where the forks fit into the clamps. This creates a tighter tolerance while also allowing for better bite on the fork tubes; this helps with the tubes turning less in a crash (ask me how I know). Another addition to the Pro clamp kit is a set of braces a rider can add to the split clamps. If you’re someone who’s looking to “increase precision at the expense of comfort”, you’ll want to play with adding these braces to the split clamps. Lastly, the Luxon website says this about the Pro clamps “Gen3 Pro version is overall stiffer in torsion, laterally, and vertically, yet still offers the same flex longitudinally (front to back) as our Gen3 Standard clamp for comfort in chop and slap-down landings”.

As far as installing the Luxon Gen3 clamps onto the bike, it was a simple process honestly. You pick your desired offset, tighten the stem nut to 100 Nm with blue loctite (or StuckNutz 😉), and grease the heck out of the bottom bearing. From there you’re installing triple clamps like you would on any other bike. The Fantic has a lot of wires that are behind the front number plate. They seem to want to bunch up and create some extra tension in the steering. If they’re not going to be used in the bikes that are brought to the States, are they necessary?

Luxon Nexus Bar Mounts: Setup and First Impressions

The next part of this was installing the LuxonMX Nexus Bar Mounts. Though Luxon has had some isolation bar mounts previously, the Nexus is their bar mount that is truly trying to compete with the XC Gear MAKO360 and the Urmosi 720 SBC Soft Bar Clamp. The ones I received are made to mount directly to the Gen3 clamps, but they offer the Nexus Bar Mounts for most brands and top triple clamps.

It’s commonplace these days to see reversible bar mounts, so that ability from Luxon makes a lot of sense. The chart they have with the Gen3 clamps shows what your handlebar setup would be at in the stock position, or front/back if available. This allows you to see how you should set up your bar mounts for the first install. I will admit, it took me a few times to figure out what the chart was trying to tell me. What I figured out is that the handlebar on the Fantic was set up 15mm forward of the center of the stem. With the Gen3 Clamps and the Nexus Bar Mounts, the center hole would have me at 19.5mm from center or 12mm from center. Since I don’t mind being a tad more forward, I went with the Nexus in the middle hole (of the three) and in the front position. So far so good.

The Nexus Bar Mounts can be set up so the clamp bolts can be on the inside or the outside. This is good in case you have a steering dampener, narrow bend bars, or just want a certain look. I put the clamp bolts to the inside because that setup just looked cleaner. I have Ti bolts on my bike now, fashion is key.

The bushings included come in soft, medium, and firm, just like any good Saturday night, really. They’re even color coded for the opportunity for your riding buddies to make fun of you for running Green. I started with Yellow, which is the medium bushing. I was running Red polymers in my Mako360 last year, so I believe I’ll get to running Red again with the Nexus, but only time (and my hands) will tell. Though the clamp bolts can be set up inside/outside, the setup for the bushings is directional inside the clamp. The instructions mention the arrow on the bushings and the little dot on the clamp. Pay attention to that setup and don’t force it, because the bushing fits in a certain way and the dot signifies which bolt gets set up and tightened first.

As with any of the isolation bar mounts that I’ve tried, the markings on the bar get covered up when installed. I had to make small marks with a blade to make sure I had the handlebar centered and rotated where I wanted to be. Nothing crazy, but something to remember to plan for before trying to tighten everything down.

Install and First Ride

The first ride with the new clamps and bar mounts was at Barnwell Mountain. Hopefully you know from previous footage I’ve shared that Barnwell Mountain is an OHV park that has a little bit of everything. I really enjoy it for the technical, off-camber trails that shoot you up, down, and over some cool East Texas hills. With Matt Crouch and his buddies showing up to ride as well, I tagged along for some wicked good trails that were in the Enduro I missed at the end of 2025.

I noticed right away that the bike felt more nimble, yet still stable. I could stand up, or sit down, and wiggle through the tighter sections. I could also weave through the flowier trails at a pace that felt a bit more reminiscent of 2025. Though I didn’t need the Pro clamp kit for this, the Standard clamp only comes in a 22mm or a 23.5mm, and I do believe what Braxton and Cody have discussed about the 23mm offset is correct. The wheelbase the 23mm offset creates allows for stability at speed, while also having the ability to feel nimble and agile in the tight singletrack. I do need to get back to Callisburg for the tighter trails to truly feel the bike out with this offset. This weekend at Farm14 National Enduro sounds like they will also have a few tight sections to see how I feel on the bike.

As for the Nexus Bar Mounts, the Medium bushings did their job extremely well. I didn’t feel any bar movement, or rotation, which can happen when using softer bushings or polymers. The 30 miles I did on the day left zero wear on my hands. I know this may seem like nothing to some riders, but I know my hands and how they progress. I leverage what I do for my hands because even after years of riding, they don’t just “toughen up”; these are the hands I have.

The feeling of the benefit of a part, while not being drawn to it, is what you want to feel with any addition to the motorcycle. You also don’t want to feel any negative side effects from other parts of the bike. Because I was able to focus less on maneuvering the bike through the trees, I noticed how good the torque is on the Fantic. I was riding in the wild map, with TC turned up to 6. During the climbs, and tighter sections, I would stay in second gear. It would lug well, and coast smoothly. As I would start to get faster though, I wanted to shift to third. This is why I’m going to eventually try a 52T rear sprocket. I’m hoping second will be my true first for trails, and third will be more lugging and trail speed gear. After that fourth will be for the faster flowy trails and fifth for when I’m trying to scare myself.

If you have questions on things I didn’t cover, please ask. If you have comments or concerns, please share. The Fantic XE300 has been a fun bike so far to learn about, I hope you’re enjoying the journey. If not, I hope you enjoy getting seat time on your own.

Support Seat Time

The number one way to support Seat Time is share this article, or a future video with your riding buddies! After that, the easiest way to support Seat Time is to become a paid subscriber here on Substack for $5/Month. Lastly, use the Amazon Links in articles or Buy Me a Coffee. Enjoy #GettingSeattime & Stay #Stoked! 🤘🏻🤙🏻⚡️

Links to Listen or Watch the April Episode:

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What Throttle Therapy Means in Andrew’s Fun Program

When Andrew talks about throttle therapy, he’s describing why dirt bikes still matter so much to him. He says you can show up to an Enduro worried about life, and by the end of the day you can’t even remember what you were stressed about because everything else has escaped your mind. Whether it’s racing Enduro, riding trails or moto, once he is on the bike and focused on what is in front of him, the rest of life gets left at the truck. That feeling of “everything else just disappears” is what keeps him coming back.

The fun program is how he’s reshaped his life after his professional career. He’s no longer obsessed with the details. These days, his version of a healthy lifestyle is simple: eat well, sleep, move his body, ride when he can, hit the gym a couple times a week, and keep enough fitness to enjoy his dirt bike. He just wants to feel good, ride, be a present dad, and let throttle therapy do its work without turning it into another job.

Growth in Rally Navigating with Seth Quintero

Andrew did not stumble into rally navigating by accident. He was already deep in love with rally on the bike side, even wishing he had started that chapter of his career earlier, because it felt like the ultimate blend of Enduro, moto, and adventure. When some friends first asked if he wanted to go to Baja and then to Morocco to navigate for Molly Taylor, he said yes, and that kicked off his move into rally navigating. From there he built experience in side‑by‑sides, went to Dakar with Molly, linked up with fellow Texan Hunter Miller at Can‑Am, and slowly worked his way into more four‑wheel opportunities until the call came from Toyota.

Coming from rally on a bike gave Short a different lens on co‑driving. If you have never navigated before, trying to figure out headings, waypoints, and roadbook notes in a car that is charging across the desert would be nearly impossible. For him, everything “kind of happens in slow motion,” because he spent years doing the same mental math alone on a bike at speed. The big difference now is that he has to get all of that out of his head and into clear words for someone else, in real time, in a machine that is going “a million miles an hour.” On a bike, you absorb your own mistakes; in a rally car with big budgets and a full team behind you, those mistakes land on a lot more shoulders than just yours.

That is part of why navigating for Seth Quintero has pushed him to grow. Seth is a moto kid at heart, grew up in the desert, understands traction, throttle, and braking, and sometimes still has to tell Andrew, “bro, I’m trying” when the notes are coming fast and the car is right on the limit. They have had to build their own language, their own trust, and their own way of talking through self‑talk and problem solving while chasing waypoints and trying to beat the clock. Andrew describes it as being a bit like a coach in the passenger seat, pulling a mental tear‑off when something goes wrong and immediately focusing on what is ahead. It is still racing, still throttle therapy, just with a five‑point harness, a roll cage, and a young driver depending on every word.

Letting Your Kid Love Riding on Their Own

When Andrew talks about parenting, he is very clear that he does not want any of his son’s motivation to come from him. He is not trying to script Hudson’s riding days or force a program on him. If Hudson asks to ride, Andrew will take him, but he is not out there saying “we’re going to do this, this, and this” or trying to manufacture the grind for him. He wants Hudson to connect the dots himself: if you want to get better, that means choosing to put in work, and that choice needs to start inside the kid, not with a parent’s agenda.

He is also realistic about where most moto journeys end up. In his words, 99 percent of kids are not going to reach a level where they are getting paid to ride, much less where they never have to work again. So his goal is not to raise a mini‑pro chasing a contract; it is to raise a kid who still wants to ride a dirt bike when he is older and looks back on this as a good experience, not something he did “because my dad wanted me to.” That is why he values Hudson’s internal motivation so highly and tries to keep pressure low, even while helping him ride a lot, learn, and get better.

Thanks for your time, Andrew

One thing that resonated with me from Andrew was his focus on “living a healthy lifestyle.” I asked him to explain that a bit more because I believe that phrase gets glossed over. Yes, Andrew Short is an amazing athlete and can, and will, always ride a dirt bike fast. But what he explained a healthy lifestyle looks like to him is not anything crazy, yet it keeps him sharp and capable. That is what we should all strive for in life. We do not need to strive to be like Andrew Short, but we should strive for a version of life that keeps us moving, capable, and away from sickness.

Support Seat Time

The number one way to support Seat Time is share this article, or a future video, with your riding buddies! After that, the easiest way to support Seat Time is to become a paid subscriber here on Substack for $5/Month. Lastly, use the Amazon Links in articles or Buy Me a Coffee. Enjoy #GettingSeattime & Stay #Stoked! 🤘🏻🤙🏻⚡️

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The Cross Timbers Enduro has been a favorite of mine since the first time I went up there in 2008. Normally it’s a BJEC event, and sometimes it co-sanctions with TSCEC. The trails for the enduro are on a public riding area around Lake Stanley Draper. They are just so fun and flowy, and even when it does get wiggly, it’s not too bad for too long. The terrain is worn out, and the trails have been the same for years on end, though! Regardless, it was cool to have a National Enduro 3 hours from my house and I was excited to see my enduro buddies again.

I was racing the Fantic XE300 as expected. The only change so far from the Sandwinder Enduro is I put Dunlop AT-82 tires on with Mr. Wolf Mousse Balls I got from Innteck USA. While riding between races I did find some terrain the Fantic doesn’t excel in, that terrain would be tight woods. The 14/50 gearing with the transmission in the Fantic wants to jump between first and second gear, which means you pass through neutral a lot while trying to wiggle through tight woods. As well, the 25mm offset triple clamps that come on the Fantic don’t set the bike up well for tight single track. I have a 52T rear sprocket on the way, as well as some Luxon Gen3 Pro Triple Clamps, but those parts will be for another article and video. Let’s just say I knew going into Cross Timbers I wasn’t going to excel in the tight, twisty stuff.

Signing up for the 45A class again saw some familiar names in Brock Busenbark, Hans Neff, and Brandon Whitehead. As expected from years past racing these dudes, they were giving it ALL DAY LONG! I was able to stay close to the times of Hans and Brandon, but once Brock got the win in the second test, he went on to win the rest of the test sections. Watching back the footage from the day, I saw many places where I could have been attacking more, braking later, and carrying more speed; all of that data is logged to implement as we get ready for the Farm14 National Enduro. For now, the fourth on the day in 45A class is a stellar placement and I’m excited to still be close to my fast old dude buddies.

The layout of the Cross Timbers National Enduro showcased the evolution Steward Baylor Jr discussed with us on the Seat Time Podcast in late 2025. All six test sections started and ended in camp, or they at least transferred out and back from camp. This allowed a few factory semi’s to have a bold pit presence, as well as it kept the rest periods between test sections organized for all racers. It sounds like some clubs have pushed back against this layout, or just do not have a way to make it possible, but it did make for a well organized day for me as a racer. The Farm14 National Enduro in April is supposed to have the new two-day national enduro format in place. I’ll be there for Saturday racing to see how the format plays out. My biggest question is: does it add to the experience for all who attend? Do Sunday racers spectate on Saturday and vice versa? If so, it could add a lot to the weekend enjoyment of a National Enduro.

Sidebar: I’m thinking about doing a trail run through one of the test sections Sunday morning in Mississippi if anyone wants to join me. Start running around 7:30 a.m. to beat the first rows that start racing at 9:00 a.m.

On a National Enduro media front, it’s cool to see new faces at the races. Liam Draper and Korrie Steede have been killing this year, winning all races in their respective classes so far. Nick Defeo has been progressing steadily in the NE Pro2 class as well, winning both races so far, and finishing a majority of the test sections in the top five overall. I can see the ANEC crew putting in more effort to the media side of the National Enduros, but I don’t know if that has translated to growth in the Series. The registered riders in Oklahoma did seem to be low compared to other events in the Series, but many factors can stack up this year to cause that.

Thank you again to Central Powersports Distribution for the Fantic XE300 to ride and make content with. I’m beyond stoked to keep making new friends at the races, so please keep coming up and saying hi.

Support Seat Time

The number one way to support Seat Time is share this article, or a future video with your riding buddies! After that, the easiest way to support Seat Time is to become a paid subscriber here on Substack for $5/Month. Lastly, use the Amazon Links in articles or Buy Me a Coffee. Enjoy #GettingSeattime & Stay #Stoked! 🤘🏻🤙🏻⚡️

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With help from Jared at 3 Seas, Morgan from Highland Cycles, and Phil from San Marcos Motorcycles, we finally figured out the Beta 200 electrical issues were due to the ECU and rear wiring harness. Everything else I did to verify what was working properly is just icing on the cake, and honestly this used dirt bike probably needed the extra TLC anyway.

I also decided to remove the swingarm and linkage to properly grease all the bearings. Since this Beta has had a few gremlins we didn’t expect, I wanted to ward off future sticking points if I could, even if I did forget to grease the headset bearings this time.

The Seat Time Garage isn’t one for the faint of heart — I’m the “figure it out” mechanic guy until I can’t figure it out, then I freak out and call Morgan at Highland Cycles, haha! Thanks for following along and helping round out my dirt bike mechanic knowledge!

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The last enduro I raced before the 2026 Sandwinder Enduro was the Red River Dirt Riders Enduro, which was the penultimate round of TSCEC in 2025. I wanted to also race Barnwell Mountain Enduro again, BUT I was sick in bed. I have been training, though, just a bit different than I was for the racing I did in 2025. For 2026, I am going to be running more trail events, so my training has been structured more around time on my legs.

Knowing that my bike riding muscles and mind weren’t as primed as they were the year before, I needed to pay attention to everything else that was in my control. Mainly, that meant a good night’s sleep, plus solid hydration and nutrition for race day. By the end of test eight I was definitely mentally faded and physically worked, but not so wrecked that my tongue was in the spokes.

Fantic XE 300 Tweaks

Throughout the race I made small, specific changes to get the Fantic working better: adding half a turn of preload to adjust sag, moving the clutch and brake levers to suit my hands and shoulders, lowering the rear brake pedal, and sticking with the softer green map to keep the power manageable. I break down what each adjustment did in the video, but the takeaway for the majority of those was finding comfort for my body.

The mental side of not fully knowing how the Fantic would respond when it was pushed did create some doubt in me. I kept reminding myself I have very little time on the Fantic and on a two‑stroke, so just feel it out and ramp up as you get more comfortable. That strategy kept me upright, and still pushing at a pretty decent pace on the day.

The number one thing that caught my attention was while I was warming up before test one. Knowing it was more of an open test, I wanted to see how the Blue Map, or the Wild Map, felt. It was constantly lifting the front wheel off the ground as I was coming out of turns in the figure eights I made. Due to that, I decided right away I was going to come back to playing with Traction Control and the Wild Map in the future. FYI, we’re calling the Green Map the Mild Map, so we have Wild and Mild; they’re pretty fitting. Also, I want to try more preload, and Hans Neff recommended raising the forks in the clamps by 3mm.

Enduro Community and Results

It was a fun weekend to be back racing with my TSCEC friends and family. It’s interesting how many enduro attendees don’t realize how far back my time in TSCEC goes. I started racing again in 2007 (TORO and TSCEC), and I was AA in the TSCEC Series in 2010 & 2011 (I think). Though I was never one to compete with Cole Kirkpatrick or Haydn Franklin during their prime, I was there trying (haha).

Ryan Watson did a heck of a great job riding the AA spot on our row. It was really fun trying to get a pull from him. Then as Riley Johnson would catch and drop me, there were a few seconds in there where I felt fast. As is expected with an event called the Sandwinder Enduro, the tests got rough and deep quick. The last 1.5 miles of the second test, which we did three times, was the worst on the day. The third test, which we also did three times, was probably the most fun. It was also the one I took a win in for the 40A class. I’m sure Haydn Franklin took a nap or missed a line, but I’ll take the little moments when they arise! 3rd in the 40A Class, ~5 minutes behind Haydn and one minute behind Nathan Goertz, and 28th Overall on the day.

I’ve been getting more messages about nutrition. Please keep those coming. The reason I put the content out I do is to entertain and educate other riders. I want you to enjoy you’re time on the bike more, so you enjoy the sport more, too.

If you have questions about the XE 300, nutrition/hydration, or enduro race prep, drop them in the comments. If I don’t get to see you on the trail, I’ll see you here on the internet for the next one.

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Listening to him, you hear a rider who spent years measuring himself by outcomes, results, championships, how quickly he could come back from injury, and is now very aware of how limiting that mindset was. Effort over outcome is a phrase that came up more than once, and it’s a useful way to understand his story.

Full Episode Links:

• Watch on YouTube

• Listen on Apple Podcasts

• Listen on Spotify

When everything is outcome

Trey’s career has plenty of obvious “failure isn’t final” moments: big crashes, spinal cord trauma, seasons wiped out, and then an early decision to stop racing at the top level. None of those felt good or meaningful in the moment. They felt like the end of something he had been building since he was five years old.

For a long stretch, injury recovery was just a race to get back to riding. The only acceptable outcome was lining up again. Weekends carried the same weight. If the result sheet didn’t match the work he’d put in, it felt like the work didn’t count.

That’s a pretty normal way to think in motocross. We’re surrounded by language like “you’re only as good as your last race”, and it’s easy to let a bad night, a bad season, or a contract year define you. In that environment, outcome quietly becomes the main measure that matters.

Shifting to effort over outcome

What’s different now is how clearly Trey can see the pattern. Looking back, he notices that the races where he performed best weren’t the ones where he was obsessed with winning. They were the ones where he focused on the quality of his riding and the effort he could actually control.

The bigger injuries forced that shift. When you’re dealing with spinal cord issues or staring down another long rehab, you don’t get to control the timeline in the same way. You can’t white knuckle the bone or nerve to heal faster. What you can do is keep showing up for the things right in front of you: the rehab work, the appointments, the daily choices that give you the best chance to move forward.

Effort over outcome doesn’t mean results don’t matter. It means the metric you live by is the work you put in, not a number on the board that lives outside your control. Over time, that’s what allowed Trey to see that a bad race, a rough season, or even the end of his pro career didn’t have to be a full stop.

Failure isn’t final, especially with support

Trey pushed back on the idea that failure is permanent. He pointed to Hunter Lawrence as one example: heavy shoulder and knee injuries, years where people were quietly wondering if it was going to work out, and now he’s leading the 450 championship. In the middle of those injury years, it would have been easy to say “this is it”. With a few more seasons behind him, the same story reads very differently. The “finished” part turned out to be a chapter, not the whole book.

Support is a big part of that. Trey was honest that you can’t just be “tougher” forever and expect that to fix everything. Having people around you who care about you as a human, family, friends, people on the team, changes how you interpret failure and what you do next with it. Without that, it’s easy for an injury or a bad season to turn into a story about your worth instead of feedback about your situation.

When he talks about the Lawrence family, you can hear how much he values their unit and their willingness to keep learning together. They’re not immune to failure. They just treat it as information, not a label.

Jett’s injury and matching effort in the healing

One moment that stood out in this episode was Trey describing Jett Lawrence’s recent injury and rehab. What impressed him was that Jett treats healing as part of the job and puts as much intention into the process as he normally puts into racing.

For most riders, being hurt feels like a pause. You sit, you wait, you do the basics you’re told to do, and you count down until you can ride again. Trey noticed that Jett treats the healing work as something he’s responsible for, not just something happening to him. The same effort that usually goes into motos and sprints goes into physical therapy, rest, and respecting the plan.

That’s effort over outcome in a very practical sense. You don’t decide exactly how fast your body repairs itself. You do decide whether you will treat the healing work with the same seriousness as your on the bike training.

What this means for the rest of us

Most of us won’t live Trey’s exact story. Our “failures” might look like a rough local series, time off the bike, or goals we keep missing. The pattern he describes still applies.

A few simple takeaways:

• Results are information, not identity.

• Effort, the part you control, is a healthier anchor than outcome.

• Failure, whether it’s a DNF, an injury or a life decision like retirement, doesn’t have to be final if you’re willing to learn from it and you’re not doing it alone.

If you’re in the middle of something that feels heavy, injury, burnout, or just a season that won’t turn around, this conversation with Trey (and the way he talks about riders like Jett and Hunter) is a reminder that your story isn’t finished. The next good chapter usually starts with where you put your effort today, not with what the last result sheet said.

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The number one way to support Seat Time is share this article, or a future video, with your riding buddies! After that, the easiest way to support Seat Time is to become a paid subscriber here on Substack for $5/Month. Lastly, use the Amazon Links in articles or Buy Me a Coffee. Enjoy #GettingSeattime & Stay #Stoked! 🤘🏻🤙🏻⚡️

Who Is Fantic?

If you’re immediately wondering who or what Fantic is, here’s a quick recap. Fantic is an Italian motorcycle brand that’s been around since the late ’60s, with roots in small‑bore enduro, trials, and street machines. In the modern era they’ve leaned hard into off‑road performance, developing their own engines, electronics, and chassis tweaks and proving them in European enduro and rally racing. The bikes they build now, like the XE300, sit firmly in that “purpose‑built off‑road” category rather than being everyday playbikes.

So here I am, being handed a 300cc fuel injected two stroke to ride and make content with. I have no plans to race a full series, but after all the growth I had from racing BJEC in 2024 and ANEC in 2025, it was time to evolve as a rider again. I am going to ride the Fantic bike for fun, but I am also going to race it at a few events. I want to know what it is good at, and what it’s not good at. If it’s great at something, or really bad, we’ll discuss that too. I’m excited to be back on a two stroke again, but more than anything I’m excited to get some seat time. Let’s dig in.

XE300 Setup and First Ride

The Fantic does utilize a well known chassis to house their 300cc Motori Minarelli fuel injected two stroke engine. The aluminium semi-double cradle frame looks familiar, because it is. Fantic Motor has a working deal with Yamaha to utilize pieces and parts of their YZ250 platform. There are many details there that even I am still trying to decipher. Regardless of how and where Yamaha comes into the picture, Fantic has built the bike they want riders to ride. And let me tell you, it’s a bike worth riding.

I didn’t want to adjust too much before my first ride, so I set the sag at roughly 100mm, at the higher end of the 90-100 range noted in the manual. I also moved the levers into a place I thought would be good for my hands. That evolved once I lined up for the Sandwinder Enduro (more on that in the future).

I started at a trail riding pace, noting I hadn’t ridden in three months and that I was on a new bike and a two stroke. Even though I did set the sag, I didn’t adjust the clickers. I wanted to ride the bike into the travel a little bit. Let the oil work its way through everything so it could settle in. What I didn’t expect was a balanced and comfortable feeling from the get go. The GasGas took me 6+ months to get comfortable on, while the XE300 was 5 minutes into the first ride.

The comments on this are funny because everyone wants to say it’s because of the yamaha chassis. You can’t deny that is part of the equation, but the suspension, the motor, and the power delivery are also a huge part of how the bike feels on the trail. As I found my balance points for standing up, I felt myself pushing a little bit harder. As I learned how the suspension would react, I was pushing a little bit harder. As I learned how to feel the power delivery from the engine, I was riding a bit more aggressively. All of a sudden, on the first ride, I was ticking along at a pace I wouldn’t have believed possible, or desired, for a first ride.

As the day wore on, I got more comfortable on the bike. I started pushing it harder, aggressively hammering into turns to see how it would hold up. I was braking harder than needed to see how it handled aggressive braking. I would hammer on the throttle to see if the fuel injection was responsive to a quick and fast throttle. I also added compression to the forks and shock to begin to see how the feel of the bike would hold up as I charged harder. By the time I drove away from that first day of riding the Fantic, I had an ear-to-ear grin that took awhile to wipe off.

One, it felt AMAZING to be back on a two stroke. Two, the Fantic surprised me. I was able to get back up to speed quickly. The balance this bike has wasn’t something I was expecting to feel. The folks at Fantic have created a very fun, and very responsive, fuel injected two stroke that needs nothing to ride fast and ride aggressively. You can certainly ride the XE300 at a leisurely pace if you desire, but this bike wants you to push and wants you to find the edge.

To find out how much low end grunt the Fantic does, or doesn’t have, I want to take it to Barnwell Mountain. The trails there are some of the hillier ones we have here in North Texas. I’ll be able to see how it reacts as I try to torque my way up and out of different creeks and small hillsides. It’ll also allow me to see how much it’ll wiggle in the tight stuff. I think more preload is needed, to bring the sag a tad lower, so I have more weight on the front wheel. There is always the possibility of bringing the forks up in the triple clamps for more tight singletrack wiggle, but we’ll get there when there’s time.

Can You Build This With a YZ250X?

The quick answer is no. I know everyone wants to say you can buy a YZ250X and bolt on aftermarket this, and aftermarket that, and it’ll still be cheaper. I’m here to tell you this isn’t a YZ250X with added accessories. This is a purpose built Italian dirt bike that has been fine tuned for the off-road enthusiast.

It all starts with the 300cc (292.9 cc) Motori Minarelli engine. It is refined to provide Italian two stroke performance leveraging fuel injection by double injectors and an electronically controlled power valve. Fantic has also provided an electric starter and a hydraulic clutch. Something Cody Webb tried to do, finally realizing it wasn’t possible to have both. Fantic is able to because they built their engine, they didn’t “bolt on parts”.

The map switch allows switching between two very distinct maps for controlling the power of the Fantic. Admittedly, I have been riding it in the green map, map two, which is the softer map. The blue map, or map one, is VERY aggressive. I find it lifts the front end in times where I would prefer it not be off the ground. Until I can have more time learning to control the front end with clutch/throttle control, I have been keeping it in map two. The only hindrance here is it not coming on as much as I would like when really pinning it. The front end is on the ground though, so it’s the choice I’m making for now. I’m sure there will be a way to adjust the maps in the ECU eventually, Fantic USA doesn’t have that ability yet.

All of this adds up to a motorcycle that has been intentionally built for off-road performance.

Price, Value and Next Steps

The current powersports market is weird right now; dealer floors are well stocked with leftover bikes across a bunch of brands, and prices are all over the place, which makes the XE300’s $11,599 MSRP look steep at first glance. But that price tag is for a complete, purpose‑built package: a modern fuel‑injected 300 two‑stroke with electric start, hydraulic clutch, mapping, and a balanced chassis that is ready to trail ride or race without another grand in upgrades. After this first ride, and a lot of thinking in the garage (gas fumes included), the Fantic feels less like an aftermarket project and more like a legit long‑term option for off‑road riders and racers.

Since making this video, I have now raced the Fantic at the TSCEC Sandwinder Enduro. I was 28th Overall and 3rd in the 40A class. Subscribe to the Seat Time Youtube channel for that video, and Substack for the article, as we dig in to how the bike, and I, performed.

Support Seat Time

The number one way to support Seat Time is share this article, or a future video, with your riding buddies! After that, the easiest way to support Seat Time is to become a paid subscriber here on Substack for $5/Month. Lastly, use the Amazon Links in articles or Buy Me a Coffee. Enjoy #GettingSeattime & Stay #Stoked! 🤘🏻🤙🏻⚡️

The lifts Alex Martin mentions are:

• Deadlift

• RDL (Romanian Deadlift)

• Front Squat

• Bench Press

• Strict Shoulder Press

Do you agree, disagree, or have others that you feel are more bang for their buck?!

Bike.Body.Mind.

Here at Seat Time, I discuss these topics as a constant improvement framework of Bike.Body.Mind.

You can’t build a great racer without first building a strong foundation. But what foundation do you start with first?

Bike.Body.Mind. is a tool, not a rule.

Full Alex Martin Episode Links

Youtube

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Full Substack Article

Thanks for watching, reading, or listening to Seat Time on any and all channels.

Support Seat Time

The number one way to support Seat Time is share this article, or a future video, with your riding buddies! After that, the easiest way to support Seat Time is to become a paid subscriber here on Substack for $5/Month. Lastly, use the Amazon Links in articles or Buy Me a Coffee. Enjoy #GettingSeattime & Stay #Stoked! 🤘🏻🤙🏻⚡️

For years I believed the same story a lot of you do: if I just rode more, the results would come. It’s baked into dirt bike culture. Bikes are meant to be ridden, so clearly the solution has to be more seat time. The problem is, that thinking kept me from even looking in the mirror to see what was actually holding me back.

My journey to where I am now has been a very interesting one. I am very thankful that Alex Martin took the time to discuss the philosophy he preaches with Troll Training. After retiring from pro racing, he took eight months off the bike, trained for a marathon, and built a massive aerobic base. When he got back on the bike, he was a little rusty on technique, but his overall fitness was on a completely different level. It wasn’t the extra motos that unlocked his performance; it was everything he did away from the bike.

That’s the thread of this whole conversation: riding is important, but if we really want to improve, we have to zoom out and look at Bike, Body, and Mind, not just laps.

🎧 You can listen while you read:

• Watch on Youtube

• Listen on Apple Podcasts

• Listen on Spotify

Bike, Body, Mind: Where We Get Stuck

I think about dirt bike and off‑road performance in three buckets:

• Bike – setup, equipment, line choice.

• Body – strength, aerobic base, mobility, fueling.

• Mind – honesty, confidence, self‑talk, race‑day decisions.

Most of us camp out in the Bike bucket. It’s way easier to chase suspension settings, tires, or a new pipe than to admit, “My sprint speed is bad,” or “I’m nervous to see what my technique actually looks like on video.” Alex sees this every day, from six‑year‑olds to 70‑year‑olds in Troll Training. No two riders have the same life, schedule, or weaknesses, so there is no cookie‑cutter program.

The common denominator isn’t a magical plan; it’s honesty. What are we actually struggling with right now? Starts? One‑lap intensity? Leg strength? Nutrition? Once we can say that out loud, it gets a lot easier to point our effort at the thing that matters instead of just logging random motos.

Body: Five Important Exercises for Riders

A huge theme in this episode is how simple off‑the-bike strength can be if we stop chasing more seat time and focus on movements that build a wider foundation. Alex has boiled his own training down to a few key lifts that keep him durable enough to run serious mileage and still feel good on the bike.

Alex’s Big 5:

• Single‑leg deadlifts (with a dumbbell)

• Regular deadlifts (barbell)

• Front squats or goblet squats

• Single‑arm bench press (dumbbell)

• Single‑arm overhead press (dumbbell)

Alex likes dumbbells and single‑limb work because they force all the stabilizer muscles to show up, expose left/right imbalances, and build strength that transfers to hanging onto a dirt bike. Machines do the stabilizing for you, which is the opposite of what we need when the bike is trying to rip itself out of our grip.

I’ve lived the imbalance thing the hard way, wrecked shoulders meant one side was secretly doing 75% of the work with a barbell. Breaking things down into single‑arm presses and single‑leg work was the only way to work my weak, imbalanced shoulders.

Mind: We Don’t Look Like We Think We Look

I giggled when Alex said this live and every time after listening back to the episode.

A lot of riders think they have good technique, and then I will video them. And it’s like, hey, you don’t look like you think you look.

I laugh at that because I know for certain that was me for the longest time (and if we’re being honest, it’s probably still me). I never considered that my body position, leg grip, or sprint work might be the real limiter. I didn’t even know to look in the mirror and ask, “What if I’m part of the problem here, not just the bike or the track?”

Alex sees this in how riders avoid working on weaknesses. We’ll complain about bad starts but never line up and do 10 focused starts in practice. We’ll say we struggle with sprint speed but won’t do one‑lap sprints where you go out, go all‑in for a lap, stop, and repeat. It’s not that we can’t do it; it’s that those sessions give very direct feedback, and that can be uncomfortable.

A simple “mirror” process to work on awareness:

• Film ourselves – one moto, a handful of corners, or just a batch of starts.

• Watch once as a fan, then again as a coach: if Alex or any honest friend was breaking this down, what would they circle? Knees all over? Locked hips? Hanging off the back of the bike and pulling ourselves forward with our arms?

• Choose one weakness to warm up with every ride for the next month: starts, one‑lap sprints, braking bumps, leg grip, whatever makes our ego squirm the most.

The goal isn’t to fix everything at once. It’s to start seeing reality clearly enough that our practice matches what we actually need.

Fuel: Nutrition for Riders

Alex shares simple practical advice that help when he’s talking to normal humans with jobs, families, and limited time.

A few key points:

• Carbs matter more than most dirt bikers want to admit. Our bodies are motors, and if we expect them to run at race pace with no fuel in the tank, we’re setting ourselves up to bonk.

• We have to train our gut to handle more carbs when it counts.

• Timing matters. A big steak the night before a race isn’t bad, but red meat takes longer to digest. Alex would rather see us push that to earlier in the week and keep pre‑race fuel easier to process so our stomach isn’t fighting us on race morning.

If you want one low‑friction place to start, try this for the next hard ride or race‑sim:

• Eat something with carbs 60–90 minutes before you ride (rice, potatoes, oats, toast, whatever you actually like).

• Use a drink mix or simple carb source during any ride over an hour.

• Be intentional with electrolytes on hot days instead of waiting until you’re cramping.

Let’s Stop Holding Ourselves Back

When you strip this episode down, it isn’t really about marathon training, single‑leg deadlifts, or how many grams of carbs you eat. It’s about the conversations we tend to ignore:

• With our Bike – “Do I actually know this setup, or is it just easier to point at the motorcycle?”

• With our Body – “Am I strong and conditioned enough for how hard I’m trying to ride?”

• With our Mind – “Where am I glossing over my technique, sprint speed, or goals?”

We don’t need to chase a professional program. We don’t need to overhaul our entire lives. But we do need to be honest about what we want from riding and what’s really in the way.

Do this this week:

1. Grab a piece of paper and write three columns: Bike / Body / Mind.

2. Under each, write one weakness you’re curious about improving.

3. Circle the one that feels most important right now, and commit the next month to gently but consistently working on just that.

If you’re stuck or want help building something around your reality, you can reach out to Alex and the crew at Troll Training, or you can hit reply and ask me questions.

What doesn’t change is this: the more honest we get about where we are today, the clearer the path becomes to the rider we’re trying to become.

Support Seat Time

The number one way to support Seat Time is share this article, or a future video, with your riding buddies! After that, the easiest way to support Seat Time is to become a paid subscriber here on Substack for $5/Month. Lastly, use the Amazon Links in articles or Buy Me a Coffee. Enjoy #GettingSeattime & Stay #Stoked! 🤘🏻🤙🏻⚡️

Buying a used dirt bike can be a tough nut to crack sometimes. Not only do local motorcycle dealers have options, but there’s a slew of options on Facebook Marketplace. The shop option is great because you know they’re going to run through the bike, not selling you a lemon, but it’ll also cost more due to the markup they need to make to make the sale worth it. I am also a huge proponent of supporting your local dealers when possible.

Facebook Marketplace is a deep trench of all sorts of buyers and sellers. Knowing I was looking for 150’s and 200’s, my options could be limited. As well, the dirt bike market and ecosystem seems really weird right now. Some are asking crazy prices for used bikes, while others are looking to only get a dollar to open up space in their garage. The messages I have received toward my ‘24 GasGas EX350F have told me most people don’t want to buy dirt bikes right now, or pay a valued price for them. That’s another article entirely.

As the KTM 150’s and Beta 200’s crossed my path, I decided to lean more toward the Beta 200. I wasn’t going to pass up a good deal on a KTM 150, but I was really looking for a used BETA 200. I knew the price we were looking to spend should get us a bike that runs, but that we’ll still need to put some work into it to make it sexy again.

I put feelers out to my Beta riding friends, Bonecutter Offroad, and San Marcos Motorcycles that we were searching for a BETA 200. Phil at San Marcos got back a bit sooner than expected on a 2021 BETA 200 RR that he was selling for $5000. We rounded up the cash after we sold a slew of other bikes and dirt bikes from the garage and drove to San Marcus. After Liam and I both wiped the grins off our faces from riding the 200 around, we knew we were handing over the cash and loading up our first beta motorcycle.

It was while we were driving the 5 hour drive back home that I thought putting together a used dirt bike buyers guide could be a good idea. It would be a way to help others in the same scenario we just went through, and a way for me to learn what others look for in a used dirt bike. This guide certainly isn’t meant to be an exhaustive list, but a place to start as you’re on your used dirt bike buying journey.

Used Dirt Bike Buying Guide: What I Look For

When I’m buying a used dirt bike, the goal is simple: buy a bike we can ride and enjoy, not a project that’s going to sit in the garage half‑torn apart. That mindset drives everything on this list.

1. Make Sure It Actually Runs

The number one rule when you’re looking at a used dirt bike is this: make sure the thing starts, runs, and then ride it around. If it won’t start or you can’t ride it, you’re not buying a dirt bike, you’re buying a project, and that’s a whole different conversation. Fire it up, let it idle, and go for a quick spin so you know it sounds as it should and that there’s nothing loose.

2. Look At How It Breathes In (Airbox & Filter)

Once you know it runs, start thinking about how air moves through the bike. Pull the airbox cover off and remove the air filter. A clean filter is nice, but that alone doesn’t mean they actually took care of the bike. Look down into the airbox and toward the carb or throttle body with a light. If it’s reasonably clean in there, that’s a good sign the owner didn’t spend 80 hours sucking straight dust.​

3. Look At How It Breathes Out (Exhaust & Leaks)

Next, check the exhaust where it meets the cylinder or head and where the pipe or slip‑on joins the rest of the system. On a two‑stroke, a little spooge is normal, but big wet, black messes or obvious leaks at the manifold can point to worn O‑rings or jetting that’s way off. That doesn’t mean you walk away, but it does mean you mentally start a parts list and maybe a little negotiation list too.​ Exhaust and pipe damage let you know how the bike was ridden or treated as well.

4. Don’t Be Fooled By Clean Plastics

Step back and just look at the bike. Is it filthy in all the nooks and crannies, or does it look like it got a pressure‑washer bath right before you showed up? A dirty but honest bike with normal wear on the cases, frame rails, and plastics usually means it’s been ridden like a dirt bike should be. A sparkling clean bike can be fine too, but remember that cleanliness can also be a way to hide leaks, weeping seals, or hastily wiped‑off problems.​

5. Spin And Shake Things (Bearings & Linkage)

Wheel bearings are an easy tell. Grab the wheel at 12 o’clock and try to wiggle it back and forth. If there’s noticeable play, you’re buying wheel bearings soon. That’s not a deal breaker, but it’s a “hey man, I’ve got to put parts into this, let’s shave some money off the price” moment.​

Then get a hand under the rear wheel or have someone lift the back end a bit and feel for play in the linkage and at the top of the shock. Any clunk or movement there means linkage or shock bearings need replacement. Again, not the end of the world, but every little bit of slop you feel now is future time and money you’re committing to the bike.​

6. Chain And Sprockets: Wear You Can See

Look at the chain and both sprockets. A kinked, rusty chain or sprocket teeth that are starting to hook and “shark fin” tell you two things: one, you’ll be doing a chain and sprockets soon, and two, the current owner probably wasn’t on top of basic maintenance. Typically, fronts wear faster than rears, so if the front looks hammered, assume you’re doing the whole set and add that into your mental budget.​​

7. Brakes: Pads, Pistons, And A Reality Check

Check how much pad material is left. If the caliper piston is sticking out a long way, the pads are nearly done. Worn pads are manageable and easy to replace, but when you start stacking pads, possible rotor wear, and a brake bleed onto everything else you’ve found, it helps you decide if the asking price still makes sense.​

8. Add It All Up And Negotiate

As you walk around the bike, you’re basically building a list in your head:

• Wheel bearings or linkage bearings.

• Chain and sprockets.

• Brake pads and a bleed.

• Springs or suspension service if you’re changing the bike for your weight and speed.

• Leaking fork seals - after compressing the forks a few times, look for fresh oil on the fork tubes

• Title/Paperwork - Make sure the VINs match

None of that stuff is sexy, but it all costs money. Knowing what you’re signing up for after you get the bike home is the difference between feeling like you scored a deal and feeling like you got hosed. Use that list to negotiate. If you’re about to spend a few hundred bucks in parts and maybe shop labor, the price should reflect that.

Where We Go From Here

As we work on and ride the Beta, we’ll continue to make content around what we learn. I’m excited to see how Liam evolves as a rider as he gets more time and experience on the 200. As for me, there is no “new to me” bike yet. The GasGas is still for sale, and I’ve lowered the price to $6,000. I can’t go lower than that though because I need the value back from what we’ve spent on it and put into it over time.

What did I miss in the used dirt bike buyers guide? What should we know about Beta’s that we don’t want to learn the hard way? What have you thought about the recent podcast episodes?

Thanks for reading and for riding with us. We’ll see ya for the next one!

All interviews are available on the 2026 KOM Youtube Playlist or the Seat Time Podcast feed (Apple / Spotify).

Reminder that we’ll be broadcasting the event live on the King of the Hammers Youtube channel Jan 24th/25th.

Enjoy #GettingSeattime & Stay #Stoked! 🤘🏻🤙🏻⚡️