Jesse Ziegler | October 22, 2017
The 2017 KTM Adventure Rider Rally was held in Crested Butte, Colorado for the second time in three years. With nearly 500 attendees including a massive staff of KTM event planners, celebrity riders, world-class racers and helpful technicians, it was a popular destination to say the least. On top of that, nearly 30 vendors from the Adventure Motorcycling industry showcased their latest adventure motorcycle gear and services.
We had a quick chat with Pacific Powersports’ Brian Cornelius (distributor for Motoz tires, Falco boots, Zac Speed, High Roller, Haan Wheels and more) inside their booth at the KTM Adventure Rider Rally to see why they made the trip, what kind of cool new stuff they have and what they think the KTM Adventure Rider Rally is all about.
What product in your booth is drawing the most interest from the attendees here at the KTM Rally?
Brian Cornelius: Man, we have so much new stuff these riders are in to this weekend! Adventure riders are really excited about our new range of adventure tires from Motoz. Motoz is an Australian company with a factory in Thailand and the Adventure market is relatively new for us, but we’re established off-road. We’ve only been in the Adventure market for two years. Already, we’ve introduced some really popular tire options for these riders.
First, we launched the Tractionator Adventure. It’s a 75/20-dirt/street tire—definitely on the aggressive dirt side of things—and we now have sizes for the biggest touring bikes in the ADV world with 170/60-17 and 120/70-19, etc.
Next, we launched the Tractionator GPS, which is more of a 50/50 tire. It has longer life on street use but is substantial enough for off-road traction.
Finally, new for 2018 is the Desert HT tire in adventure bike sizes like 150/70-18, etc. This tire is the most aggressive knobby tire in the Adventure bike line. It’s more of a 90% dirt tire. It’s a serious off-road tire for big bikes that’s also DOT approved.
We also have new stuff in Zac Speed’s line. Zac Speed is another Australian company that builds a backpack system for motorcycling in three different sizes. But what’s cool is the front components of the system are configurable so you can change them out for what’s needed. We have a chest protector front, a tactical vest front, a POV camera harness front, etc. All packs have a three-liter hydration system as well.
Last, but not least, we are showing off the Falco boots. They have two adventure boots. One is called the Avantour and it’s the most aggressive off-road adventure boot. And we have the Mixto 2 with a little more comfort focus. Both boots are waterproof and come in black or brown in full-grain leather. Falco boots are relatively unknown but they’re actually produced in a small family-owned factory in Italy.
Why should riders consider attending the KTM Adventure Rider Rally?
Brian Cornelius: I think the camaraderie is fantastic at this event. The adventure market is growing and learning about what’s coming into the market and what’s available out there is fun and this is a great place to do it. You can come here and see the vendors, have the opportunity to demo a KTM Adventure bike and more. Overall, it’s a fantastic place to be.CN