After a two-year hiatus, the KTM Adventure Rally was back for 2022, this time at the Tamarack Ski resort in Donnelly, Idaho, September 16-18. The event is managed by multi-time Enduro Champion Mike Lafferty with a lot of help from several KTM staff. The events are well known for great riding and this year was no different as riders could choose between A, B and C difficulty routes.
Photos by Simon Cudby
Quinn Cody, the multi-time Baja 1000 winner, former rally racer and now the street R&D manager at KTM, led the team that mapped out three days of trails that were blessed with rain earlier in the week and a few times throughout the weekend. As Cody said, this part of Idaho has endless dirt roads and trails to choose from so their biggest challenge was choosing the best alternatives rather than trying to find the good stuff. The riders were provided with the GPS tracks and encouraged to tackle the terrain in groups of 3-5 riders, so riders’ navigation and riding skills were put to the test. A small group of riders also chose to camp out in two different locations in the mountains with Chris Fillmore (former Supermoto Champion and Pikes Peak winner) as a guide.
A hundred-plus ADV riders (mostly KTMs but other brands were welcome) participated and were joined on the trails by several star riders, including 2021 Dakar Rally Champion Kevin Benavides, multi-time off-road champion Taylor Robert and former Red Bull Romaniacs winner and ADV madman Chris Birch, who traveled from his home in New Zealand. Cycle News joined the party and enjoyed mingling with ADV enthusiasts and star riders that showed just how capable and fun an ADV bike is in this beautiful mountain terrain.
The weekend capped off with awards and raffles from the many aftermarket companies that were also in attendance to show off their latest parts, accessories, tires and gear.CN
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