All the attention usually goes to the riders at the Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) but with Hedley just a few days away, AORC had a chat with the unsung heroes who spin the tools and keep the rider‰Ûªs bikes ticking over.
AORC sat down with Active8 Yamalube Yamaha‰Ûªs Brandon Frail to begin a series of chats with mechanics in the championship, which will include KTM Enduro Racing Team‰Ûªs Michael Carusi and Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team‰Ûªs Lewie Landrigan.
What goes into prepping the bikes for an AORC round?
There is a lot that goes into preparing the bikes for the round. We have a number of different specs that we must adjust for each rider, as they all require their own unique set ups. All the riders are different heights, and all have different riding styles, but we just make minor tweaks to keep them happy. These tweaks range from the changing of wheels and tyres including the mouse tubes, all the way up to the handlebars.
What goes on during an AORC event, take us back to round 1 & 2 which was a sprint format?
Sprints are a much easier format for mechanics. We have more time to check over the bike and basically you have more control on what is going on with the machine and rider. The additional time during the sprint format provides you a better chance to make changes after each test.
