Knobbies n’ Slicks: The Los Ancianos Tecate Enduro
The Los Ancianos Motorcycle club, established in 1960, was originally formed for the seasoned veterans of the off-road community, a club for old guys, but quickly turned into a group of legends. Los Ancianos or “the elders” would eventually host one of the most hardcore off-road events, the Tecate Enduro.
It was 1973 when the Tecate Enduro was first put on, and at that time the event stretched over two days and several hundred miles through the deserts of Mexico. Known as one of the most difficult, physically demanding, and epic motorcycle races in North America, the Tecate Enduro has evolved over the years in both format and course layout. There may be several reasons for the changes, but the most common is to balance the scale between difficulty and throttle-induced enjoyment.
Start line for the first test… just look at the dirt!
Motion Pro has been proudly supporting the Tecate Enduro since 1998, and has been slated as a proving grounds for Motion Pro products’ quality and durability. Each year riders put their bodies and machines to the ultimate test in some of the most sought-after terrain in the off-road world. It is not very often that we find a place to ride with sand washes, rock gardens, flowy single track and wide open desert all within a 20 mile test.
Motion Pro sponsored rider Gary Sutherlin accepting the big check after earning the overall Win on his Hatch Racing KTM 450 XCF
2018 proved to be a year for the record books. Continuing with the newly popular Sprint Enduro format, the race sold out within 2 hours and nature did its part by perfectly preparing the course with multiple days of rain leading up to the event. All 3 test loops provided a perfect mixture of suffering and fun, stretching 20, 35 and 42 miles respectively for the day. Motion Pro’s Brandon Baldwin, Jeff Wilson and I were ecstatic to participate in this year’s event and test not only us but the machines underneath us.
Motion Pro’s (left to right), Brandon Baldwin, Jeff Wilson, and Jon Mullins
“It is only natural that Motion Pro, a company founded in racing by International Six Day Trial gold medalist Chris Carter, not only supports but participates in such an iconic event. This year I had the pleasure of racing my first Tecate Enduro and wow, what an experience! We couldn’t have asked for better conditions and I think the course had a perfect balance of technicality and flow.” Jon Mullins, Motion Pro Race Manager
“The Tecate Enduro was a great time! The course layout included everything from 1st gear single track to 5th gear sand washes. I can’t wait for next year.” Jeff Wilson, Motion Pro R&D
“Motion Pro is proud to be a long-time sponsor of the legendary Tecate Enduro. The Enduro is one of those legendary offroad events that is known throughout the hardcore off-road community. This year’s event was epic, and it was a pleasure to line up with Motion Pro’s Jon and Jeff on the same row together.” Brandon Baldwin, Motion Pro Sales and Marketing Manager
¡Hasta el año que viene!
Motion Pro would like to thank the Los Ancianos Motorcycle Club for continuing to put on such a great event, we can’t wait for next year! More information about the Tecate Enduro can be found on the Los Ancianos Club website here: http://losancianos.com/
Article by: Jon Mullins
Watch the official Los Ancianos Motorcycle Club’s Tecate Enduro Video:
2018 Tecate Enduro