In the Heart of the Kiamichis: The Clayton Lake Dual-Sport Ride

Tennessee is home to several well-known motorcycle locations and events. Challenging, technical roads such as the Cherohala Skyway and the Tail of the Dragon are nestled within these mountains, as well as Loretta Lynn’s Ranch, a place utterly steeped in motorsports history. The Tennessee Knockout Hard Enduro race, or TKO, is another one of those events. Some of the most highly skilled and respected riders in off-road racing show up from all over the world in order to give this brutal race a go.

At the Trials Training Center in Sequatchi Tennessee, competitors are challenged with boulder gardens, steep hill climbs and gigantic logs. However, the course is not the only thing that’s brutal. The competitors race in three consecutive rounds and a final. During each round riders are knocked out, narrowing the starting grid of fifty-five down to just fifteen. The remaining competitors compete in a half-hour sprint over some of the roughest terrain in Tennessee.

Though it’s possibly less famous than the roads and races, Tennessee is known by locals for its sporadic mountain weather in certain regions which leads to common sayings like, “Don’t like the weather? Hang on little bit and it’ll change.” The weather reinforced this adage on Sunday with a strong summer shower during the second knockout round. It watered the boulder gardens and turned the loose dirt hill climbs into sloppy muddy ascends. The shower didn’t last a half an hour, but it completely transformed the course. Correct lines through the brutal terrain were suddenly morphed into cascading mudslides that were impassable to anyone except the front runners, a few of whom, danced through as though it had never rained. It was fascinating to see how the course changed throughout the day as riders chose different lines during the race. The Tennessee Knock Out definitely earns its classification as an Extreme Enduro. Some of the competitors were so tired it looked as if they could barely hang on to the handlebars as they navigated the brutal terrain.

Cody Webb, who recently took second place at the legendary 2016 Erzberg Rodeo, had a great day and took first place for his fourth consecutive TKO win, after lapping the entire group during the final. Wade Young of South Africa, a trials champ but a relative newcomer to Hard Enduro, took an amazing second. Young broke a clutch perch in a fall during the second lap and was forced to return to the pit area for repairs on his factory Sherco, subsequently falling to the back of the pack. Kyle Redmond took third on his Beta. Redmond was running in second for a short time but could not hold off Young’s relentless charge back to the front. Even without the breakage however, Young would not have caught Cody Webb, who had managed to build up a significant lead on his FMF KTM even before Young crashed.

The TKO’s course is planned so that spectators can quickly walk to technical sections to watch the race. Spectators have been watching Cody Webb dominate the TKO for the last four years. So when rumors surfaced that Hard Enduro and trials riding world champion Graham Jarvis was going to be in attendance, we figured we were in for a real treat by getting to see which of the two trials stars could tackle the Knock Out fastest. However, the TKO was not on his original schedule and he was not able to work out the details with his team in time to race this year. We will have to wait and see if Jarvis competes in the 2017 TKO where Webb will no doubt be gunning for his fifth Knock Out win in a row. TenneseeKnockOutEnduro.com

Want to learn more about the Trials Training Center? Check them out at TrialsTrainingCenter.com.

Its not often that you find a rider capable enough to race Pikes Peak who is also willing to put in the miles to physically get there. Its arguably less common to find a motorcycle equipped to handle the technicality of one of the most difficult ascents in the US while still maintaining touring and off-road capabilities. To be the man that sets forth on this type of adventure with one motorcycle is a bold statement about both man and bike.

Jamie Robinson’s adventure began in his driveway in Los Angeles, California. His plan was to ride the 2015 Ducati Multistrada S from this driveway all the way to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb event. But Jamie wouldn’t be watching Pikes Peak from the sidelines, he was going to compete. More specifically, Jamie, founder and director of MotoGeo.com, would participate in the heavyweight class on the very same motorcycle parked in his driveway.



With his saddle bags full, the MotoGeo film/photo crew in tow, and the Multistrada in Urban mode, Jamie kicked off his adventure with a quick stop at the iconic Hollywood sign, where he posed for the camera with a big thumbs up. Jamie was looking forward to making his way into the mountains. First stop: Las Vegas. While on the Multistrada, Jamie was able to toggle between touring mode and sport mode on the move with the change of his mood, letting him focus on the challenges of the road, not those of the bike.

Passing through Southern California, the mountains flatten out, turning into the Mojave Basin range. With cruise control set, the Multistrada traveled across open road toward Sin City with grace and ease. Arriving in Vegas, Jamie aimed for the strip where he took the advantage of the eerily empty streets to backlight photos of the bike with native neon. Checking into a hotel room just to go to sleep is not the stereotypical Vegas trip, but this adventure called for sharp minds and clear eyes.



A subdued exit from Vegas on the Multistrada wasn’t easy, but Zion National Park, Utah was next on the cue and the epic backcountry was calling louder than the lights. Two days were spent exploring Zion’s offerings of dirt roads and more technical trails and camping in yurts with Jamie’s MotoGeo crew. The Multistrada took the off-road challenges in stride - surprising riders with whom the name Ducati calls to mind it’s superbike heritage. The Ducati was happy, light and ever-adapting off piste with the enduro rider mode selected which delivered smoother throttle inputs and adjusted the electronic suspension, keeping the bike supple and controllable.

Continuing offroad in enduro mode towards Utah’s Moab City for his final night in Utah, Jamie had begun to feel and show that he was one with his Multistrada; embodying the spirit of this adventure. Jamie took the last evening of camp to mentally prepare for what was to come, bedding down on top of his jacket just a few paces from the same Ducati that would carry him up Pikes Peak in the coming days.



The next morning Jamie quickly crossed over the Colorado state line. With a quick lunch in Aspen he pushed on through a spectacular sunset to finally reach Colorado Springs. With the road trip over and race leathers on hand, things had gotten pretty serious for Jamie over-night. In Colorado Springs, Jamie handed over his keys to the Ducati Race Support and Service Managers, who outfitted the Multistrada with some convincing race livery, a Termignoni performance exhaust, and racing slicks.

Pikes Peak Highway is a public road, so practice is held from 5:30 am to 9:00 am over three sections of the course, on four separate days. The risks that racers like Jamie take have very real consequences, even during these practice sessions. Pikes Peak is a real place. And indeed, the third day of practice was a very real and very heavy day. 39 year old Carl Sorenson passed away after having a crash. Carl was a father, a husband, a brother, and a racer. Motorcyclists are bound by a common bond; what we are most passionate about can at times be inherently dangerous and illogical. We recognize and accept the possible repercussions of our passion all in the pursuit of not just living but feeling alive.



Once he had logged four days of practice and qualifying times, Jamie could finally assure his team that the Ducati’s race settings were close and he was coming to grips with the track. He was even second quickest in practice on day two.

Running the Multistrada wide open in sport mode, with all 160 horse powers pushing him up the 156 turn, 12.42 mile (19.99km) public road turned hill climb. Jamie Robinson summited Pikes Peak, America’s Mountain, in 10:30.453; climbing 4720ft (1440m) aboard his nearly showroom stock 2015 Ducati Multistrada S. Not only did Jamie Robinson place 4th in the Heavyweight motorcycle division, he was the fastest Ducati to the top of the mountain that day and he walked away as Pikes Peak’s 2015 Rookie of the Year (bike). No other competitor used one motorcycle for to-and-from transport for the race, and few would even consider taking their race bike for a two week adventure shake-down run.

After ascending the 14,110 foot Pikes Peak racers must wait at the summit until the day’s racing is complete, which left Jamie Robinson plenty of time think about his race to the clouds, the perfect capstone to his adventure. “Goodbye Pikes Peak, see you again soon….” -Jamie Robinson

Some of us have the strong urge to explore beyond our daily surroundings. We dream of high mountains, vast deserts, and the shorelines of faraway places—constantly longing to traverse the roads less traveled—far from cities and towns, down dirt paths, to remote campsites. If you’re reading this, you’ve likely envisioned yourself traveling to these places via a motorcycle. For someone with little to no motorcycling experience, this can seem a daunting task, especially for women who want to step into a heavily male-dominated riding style.

Six vibrant and adventurous women joined the Zacker Adventures team in Tellico Plains, TN, back in August to learn to ride their motorcycles off road at their first ever all women’s class—the Ladies of Dirt 101. Some participants had been riding for years, while others were basically new to riding, but all shared common goals; to become more comfortable on a motorcycle, to learn to handle motorbikes off the beaten path, and to gain the confidence to set out on their own riding adventures.

Marisa demonstrates various standing techniques to the group.

The training weekend began Friday afternoon as everyone rendezvoused at Cherohala Mountain Trails Campground, a beautiful motorcycle campground located in Tellico Plains that so graciously agreed to host our course for the weekend. We spent the evening getting acquainted over dinner and then learned how to make camping stoves from soda cans while having fun playing with fire starters. Everyone was excited about the upcoming training over the next two days.

The goal for Saturday morning was to improve each student’s ability to maneuver and control a motorcycle at very low speeds, because “if you can’t do it slow, you can’t do it fast.” Most of the drills consisted of clutch control and riding while standing, two essentials to riding off road. As with any class of this nature there was frustration at times, and there was joy at times, as everyone pushed themselves to try techniques they never had before.

Marisa and Todd demonstrate proper cornering technique at speed.

In the afternoon, we set off on what most would call their first dual-sport ride. Equipped with Sena helmet communication systems, we were able to discuss cornering and braking techniques while riding the gravel loop around Citico Creek. No one had any idea that within the first day of our off road riding careers that we’d be on a twisty gravel road following alongside creek beds and beautiful mountain ridges in the Cherokee National Forrest. By Sunday afternoon it was time to tackle even rougher gravel roads as well as our first water crossing on part of the Trans American Trail.

The instructors senced the confidence rising in each student as they tackled more than they may have originally envisioned for the weekend. The ladies pushed themselves outside their comfort zones, some riding further away from blacktop than ever before. That’s what adventure riding is all about—pushing yourself to do extraordinary things in extraordinary places, and these amazing ladies did just that! Each one of them left with confidence to ride any gravel road, a sense of independence, and most importantly, a sense of adventure! Happy Trails!

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“I was HUNGRY to learn how to handle the beast on gravel. After one day of instruction I felt so much more ready to tackle the curves and more. Day Two I was taking curves in gravel better than I’d ever thought I could and I’m just beginning! Add to that the great instructors and mentors and awesome women to learn with and you’ve got the ultimate learning machine.”—Kim Teems, Student

“I went from a two to a 10 on the confidence scale this weekend. Besides seriously improving our off-road skills, we had an awesome time in a beautiful, relaxed setting while making incredible new friends and connections.”—Tracy Mayo, Student

“The Ladies of Dirt course was such a good opportunity to go back to the basics and get rid of bad habits. I already feel like a better rider and can’t wait to continue to practice the drills that we learned.”—Cory Wall, Student

Want to become a more confident and comfortable off road rider? Check out Zacker Adventures for more upcoming classes, from basic to advanced, to fit your riding skill level. Through their “Unfiltered Experience” you will learn to ride off road, how to camp, and how to travel the forgotten roads. It will leave you seeking adventure around every corner. For all the adventurous women out there; look for more Ladies of Dirt events coming soon. ZackerAdventures.com

Train Small, Win Big……. or Just Ride Better.

Go to flat track school. Learn to slide. Go pro. World domination. How hard could it be? Going to flat track school and learning to slide did in fact happen at my two day class at American Supercamp. The rest I’ll have to work on.
American Supercamp is a flat track racing school for the rider looking to learn new skills or as owner operator Danny Walker likes to phrase it “putting more tools in the tool box.” He, along with other motorcycle racing greats, designed and developed the drills and techniques for this flat track racing school. Danny also manages the 2015 A.M.A 1000cc Superstock championship winning team with Jake Gagne on the Road Race Factory Orion R1. You can bet Gagne’s using Supercamp training techniques.

Slide. It’s the first thing you think of when you imagine yourself riding a flat track bike. You can hardly stop yourself from holding invisible crossed up handle bars in front of yourself and a sideways bike between your legs with your throttle hand turned up to eleven when someone just mentions it. I attended American Supercamp to slide, and to become a better, faster, safer rider. I had also heard it’s an absolute blast and that everyone and anyone has to go at least once.



There’s no shortage of action during the 2 days you’ll spend at Supercamp. You arrive at the location and get right into your training. Everyone is assigned to one of three riding groups (to Danny’s best guess at your skill and experience level) and are let out on the track after you’re given a few pointers and are brought up to speed on the theory of corner entry. It immediately feels like you’re thrown in the deep end, but even with just the intro demonstration and talk they’ve already got you thinking about your body positioning and your line through each turn. This is a “passing” school but at the non-racer two day course you’re encouraged to only pass on the outside of the corner entry for the set up on the exit. The instructors gradually add difficulty into the class – spraying down the arena dirt to give you slick conditions and constantly changing up the course on day two – but are always looking for the same principles introduced at the very beginning of the course.

I do a lot of things wrong on a motorcycle. I know it. I actually say that I’m a horrible rider and what I lack in skill I make up for with brute force and ignorance. While at Supercamp you’ll work on making yourself a faster rider by learning proper body positioning and breaking bad habits. Literally breaking - the Supercamp instructors stand out on the track and beat you with sticks until you get that outside elbow up or stop being lazy and get your butt on the right side of the seat (they use padded broom sticks for adjusting you as you pass). They even make you do a few laps holding onto your gas cap with your left hand to show much the rest of your body positioning can affect your turn.

Countless laps are completed the first day of Supercamp aboard the small Yamaha TTR 125’s. The beauty of this school is that you’re training on someone else’s small light weight bike. To further enhance the slide-ability they’ve fitted a Dunlop street biased tire to the rear while the front still sports a knobby. Learning on a bike this small increases the safety factor by ten, at least. I had 7 crashes at Supercamp and other than a bruised ego and maybe a stiff shoulder I was able to get right back up and continue turning laps. Attempting to train this close and sometimes over your skill limit would be downright dangerous on a full size dirt bike, let alone a big adventure bike. Yet all of these skills transfer from slow and small to big and fast seamlessly. Don’t worry about not being able to “ambi-turn”. Half way through every riding session the group stops and turns laps in the opposite direction so you’ll be able to slide right and left hand turns.

Learning how to smartly hustle these 10 horse power beasts around the track is much more than just giving it a hand full of throttle and having the biggest power slide. Sliding the rear out of a turn looks great and feels fun but you’ll be quickly passed up by one of the instructors yelling “SMOOTHER” at you. Here is where this course translates the most for me to all types of riding situations. Getting your braking done by squeezing the rear brake before the turn. Leaning the bike over and changing direction as quickly as possible and getting the turn done. Then rolling on the throttle searching for maximum forward drive. Being in the turn is actually the most dangerous part of racing on the track or riding on the street. Danny explains in many, many more words than this. “Get the turn done, then stand the bike up and get on the gas.” It sounds simple but its extremely effective and a much safer way to ride.



Getting things to “click” means you have to tell yourself to do things you might not want to. Like braking much later than you think is possible or taking a racing line so wide it seems inefficient, but this is why you’re at school. To help you learn safely about late braking, the track is set up with plenty of run off at the end of the corners. To show you the best lines around the different track set ups, instructors are out on the same 125cc bikes you are. They pull in front of you and signal for you to follow them and they’ll adjust their speed to only slightly faster than you think is achievable. This and the one on one GoPro footage review between group outings proved to be the most helpful for me.

After two days at American Supercamp am I going to go pro? That’s an easy question to answer. NO! No, I’m not going to be making my flat track debut next season. How much did I learn? More than I can put into words. I truly believe that this school can make anyone faster, and safer. Maybe that’s why elite motorcycle racers attend the racer-camp as students. The non-racer class had students ranging from “I’m not old enough to buy beer” to “retired”, and our lone female rider showed everyone in group three what a proper racing line is. From a practical application standpoint this school is second to none for any type of riding or racing. The only way to know what to do when a motorcycle slides is to understand the theory behind it and to actually slide a motorcycle. American Supercamp gives you the right bike, the know-how, and the safe environment to loose traction and regain it. Just sign up, show up, and learn.

Classes fill up early with return students who understand the value of this school. So head over to AmericanSupercamp.com to sign up for one of their upcoming camps nearest to you. $600 per person for the non-racer 2 day course is less expensive than learning to ride fast the hard way, and worth it just for the laughs and memories.