For motorcycle racers, even the relatively short winter break is a long time away from competition. Keeping bike-sharp is key in these months of no racing, and the answer for Toprak Razgatlioglu is impressive.
Although the AMA Supercross season kicks off this weekend in Anaheim, there are still almost two months before WorldSBK begins at the end of February in Phillip Island. So, how to kill the downtime?
For Toprak Razgatlioglu, the answer is clear: enduro.
The 2021 Superbike World Champion is arguably the most technical rider in the world who applies his talents on asphalt in a professional capacity. As a result, he makes an adept enduro rider, as displayed on the latest video published by Enduro Channel on YouTube.
The location for the ride - on which Razgatlioglu and his Yamaha WR 250 F were also joined by the rider’s compatriot Deniz Oncu on a KTM EXC 250 Six Days - was Kemer, Turkey, which is the location of the Sea to Sky Hard Enduro event. (Incidentally, this year’s will be the 14th edition of the race when it takes place in October.)
Razgatlioglu’s bike control is lost on nobody even in the WorldSBK races where his absurd braking performances occur with an unsettling regularity.
Nonetheless, this short, casual enduro ride over rock gardens, near-vertical rocky hillsides and huge gaps requiring maximum commitment allow for a greater appreciation of the talent which has taken Razgatlioglu to one world title, 32 WorldSBK race wins and possibly even to a factory MotoGP ride in the future.
The 2023 WorldSBK season commences on 24-26 February in Phillip Island, Australia.
Lead image courtesy of Enduro Channel.
