Motocross Videos

The Erzberg Enduro is well known throughout the off-road motorcycle community as being one of, if not THE MOST extreme motorcycle race in the world. The event encompasses three days of riding – two days of preliminaries that narrow the field from more than 1,800 entrants to just 500 for the main event: the Erzberg Rodeo. The Rodeo is a 25-mile course that 500 riders attempt to complete within a four-hour time limit. On June 23, 500 racers started the Rodeo and only nine crossed the finish line. Mike Sigety, a seven-time A Class champion in the AMA National Enduro Series was one of the 500 men lined up in the 10 waves of 50 racers at the start line. (Mike pictured with his Drift HD170 Stealth Helmet Cam)

DI: Going into Erzberg, you knew it would be a gnarly race. Did the course exceed your expectations in terms of both the physical and technical challenges?

MS: It was actually only a fraction as physical as I thought it was going to be. If you didn’t make it up some of these hills, I don’t care if you’re Hercules – you’re not pushing to the top. Even if you made it within inches of the top of these hills – which were really cliffs, not hills – there was absolutely no way to push to the top of a cliff that’s nearly vertical.  I think if I would’ve made it farther into the race, to where there were some sections where more pushing was required, it would have been a more physical race. I made it to check seven, which really isn’t that far in distance, but it was enough to get me 261st.

However, it was five times more technical than I ever thought it was going be. I have a bit of a fear of heights to begin with, and these cliffs were so tall that just standing near the edge – not on my motorcycle – was scary. It was one of the most terrifying things I’ve ever done on a motorcycle. I probably broke a sweat just from having to go down these cliffs. There were people who had their tires locked up and they were going 30 – 40 mph down a cliff – there was just no stopping.

DI: Did the preliminary qualification days make you feel any more prepared for what was to come in the main event?

MS: The qualifying that they do for this event has absolutely nothing to do with the type of racing that you are doing in the Rodeo. That would be like to qualify for a golf game you would have to win a game of poker. They were two completely opposite events. I was shocked when I saw what I was going to be racing on.

DI: What did you feel was the most challenging element of Erzberg?

MS: The hills were really, really challenging and I did make it up every one that I tried, but I had the help of spectators. The hills were so tall – they were hundreds of feet tall – that when you are at the bottom you can’t see what obstacles you are going to be encountering when you get near the top. So I would just wait at the bottom for a little while and see where people were getting stuck and I would try not to go that way. I think if I had more time to keep attacking the hills, without having to worry about a 30-minute tow-rope wait line, I think I would have eventually made them myself.

DI: How big of a role do the spectators play in the Erzberg as opposed to other motocross races?

MS: They were really into it. They show up with their motorcycle boots and pants and they are ready to pull people up the hills. In motocross races they don’t ever get involved at all except for cheering people on. In other types of extreme or enduro races occasionally they may get involved. In this event they get anywhere from 40,000-50,000 spectators and up until I went, and when I went, no-one made it up the hill without the spectators, so they play a huge part in it.

DI: How useful did you find the DRIFT camera in capturing video at Erzberg because of the burley nature of the course? What specific features were you glad the camera had?

MS: I’m really glad I wore the camera. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity that the Drift camera documented for me, so I’m really, really happy I had it. I love the fact that the battery pack lasts four hours – I felt like I could’ve let it run all day. The camera is so easy to use, and so easy to clip on. I can take this camera on and off my helmet and clean it with the clip mounting system very simply. The remote is great, the audio – overall it’s a very high quality, yet simple camera. Everything about it is very good.

DI: What SD card size did you choose to use?

MS: I chose to go with a 32 GB card which isn’t necessary, but I didn’t want to run out of space. I definitely could’ve gotten away with a smaller card, but the prices are coming down on the cards and I’m serious about recording and really it’s only another $15-20 to go from a smaller size to a 32 GB card.

DI: How do you prep for a race like Erzberg – physically and mentally – knowing that traditionally less than 2 percent of the competitors finish?

MS: There are a lot of ways to prep physically. I was working on two categories: one was my stamina, the other was my strength. I thought it was going to be very physically demanding so I trained five days a week. I ran, and I went to the gym, I rode bicycles, I lifted weights, I did all kinds of exercise classes to get in shape. And for me, I didn’t find it physical at all.

Mentally, I went there with a couple different mental attitudes. One was, ‘I just hope to qualify and enjoy myself.’ I know plenty of people who went there to qualify and didn’t, and that would’ve been a real bummer after all of this work. The other attitude I went there with was the ‘I’m going to do well and I’m going to kick some butt.’ Even though I was completely wrong, I guess you can’t go over there thinking ‘oh I’m going to get my ass kicked, this is going to really suck,’ so I really believed I was going to do well right up until Saturday night when I saw the course.

Mike Sigety Erzberg Recap from Drift on Vimeo.

Editor’s Note: You can see more of Mike’s training videos here.

DI: Are there any races or training areas you’d recommend to riders interested in getting a taste of the Erzberg in the U.S.?

MS: If you really want to do well and you really want to see a lower finishing number and have better bragging rights then what you have to practice for is the qualifying. The qualifying is kind of like a high-speed jeep road that goes up a mountain for about 12 miles. If you do better in the qualifying you can easily start ahead of 100-200 people, so that’s what I would really practice. If you’re interested in being able to get around the course in a way that you enjoy it, it would be important to practice big hills. Coming off the hills in Erzberg was like standing at the top of a chairlift at the top of a mountain and only seeing the valley on the other side.

DI: How would you change your training plan for the Erzberg now that you’ve experienced it? Do you plan on doing it again?

MS: I hope not, because that was terrifying! It really was one of the scariest days of my life going down this stuff, and even up it. As far as training again, I would try to find somewhere that I could practice as fast as my motorcycle can go around turns and on the edge of a mountain, for a better qualifying time and start.

DI: What is the best memory you have from the race, and do you have any words of wisdom for future Erzberg racers?

MS: Riding away from the course and not being hurt. I don’t like getting hurt, no-one likes getting hurt. Obviously I don’t like the pain, but I didn’t want to be in a cast for the next few months when I returned to the U.S. that would prevent me from racing. I’m competing in the national series, and I’m doing very well this year – I’m leading the class and I’d hate to ruin my chances just because I tumbled down a hill.

If there are any words of wisdom I can give to anyone, you better not be afraid of heights because it is really, really high up there. And if you really want to do well you need to practice your high speed qualifying.

Other sponsors that helped Mike Sigety on his Erzberg experience were Tire Balls, which helped him adjust the tire pressure for maximum traction; Turn Tech’s lightweight lithium-ion battery; TGT handle bars which connected to the suspension via air tanks; a Rekluse handle bar brake control and automatic clutch; Scorpion side armour radiator braces; Richochet skid plate; EBC brake pads; and Evans radiator fluid.

Erzberg Enduro Rodeo – Best of Mike Sigety – Drift HD170 Stealth from Drift on Vimeo.

For more on Mike Sigety check out his website and the complete blog on his Erzberg experience.