The eMoto Show
The ECR eMoto Show is a podcast dedicated to electric dirt bikes and the eMoto industry.
The eMoto Show
Cooper Abbott on Joining Stark, Racing Erzberg, and Hard Enduro on Electric Dirt Bikes
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In Episode 11 of The eMoto Show, we sit down with professional hard enduro and EnduroCross racer Cooper Abbott to talk about his new partnership with Stark Future, the evolution of electric motorcycles in hard enduro, and one of the biggest races of his career.
Cooper shares how his relationship with Stark began, the challenges of transitioning away from a factory ride, and why he's excited about the future of electric off-road racing. We also dive deep into Stark VARG setup, traction control strategies, regenerative braking, hand brake vs. foot brake, battery management, tire and mousse setups, and what he's learned racing electric motorcycles in some of the toughest terrain imaginable.
Most importantly, Cooper reveals his plans to race Erzbergrodeo aboard a Stark VARG, becoming one of the few American riders to take on the Iron Giant with an electric motorcycle.
Uh welcome to the e-moto show. Today we have professional endurocross and hard enduro racer, Cooper Abbott, to share some exciting news for the emoto industry. Cooper, thanks for joining us, man. Um, some exciting stuff coming up. Obviously, we've been seeing you riding this dark a bunch lately. And uh truthfully, like I've known you for a while, but I talked to your dad from the start years ago. Uh Destri is just a legend in off-road racing. And uh, we had a really good chat just about him using electric dirt bikes for training and just kind of messing around at home and stuff like that. And so that's kind of where I started learning about um his use case in your family. Um, and he's just like a huge proponent of it. Um, is he the one who kind of got you swinging over to the electric side of things or or how did that all start?
SPEAKER_02Um no, um, thanks for having me on again too. Stoked to be on. So yeah, um, no, I actually I've always enjoyed like when I saw the Stark, I always thought electric was cool. Um, something new. And I feel like it's a a new generation that maybe, you know, like we had talked about a little bit earlier, offset when we were saying you can ride from your neighborhood and it's not as big of a deal with electric. So I always thought that was a cool aspect of it. But no, actually, going to Supernuro, I just got to know the Stark guys really well.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Um, when I went to Super Enduro and just spoke to them, they kind of brought me in like family a little bit, and uh I was over there solo, so kind of was just like hanging out with everybody that I could. Um, and then yeah, I was going to dinner with them and got to know them pretty well, and then yeah, an opportunity came about to ride the bike, and then yeah, it's kind of led into a little bit more each time, and yeah, we're uh working together now um pretty well, and I'm uh excited for what's to come with them.
SPEAKER_01Sweet. Yeah, I want to dive into where you're where you're headed because you've got some news to drop, which we'll I think get to in a little bit here, and um just dialing back a little bit, like you have uh a fairly long career already. Uh, like I mentioned, you know, anybody that knows off-road racing and especially desert racing knows your your dad. So you guys have just been so ingrained in the sport and um like walk me back a little bit, like getting into dirt bikes, it's pretty natural that that was what you were destined to be. Um, but like how did things start for you uh way back in the day?
SPEAKER_02I got into it not super young, to be honest. Like I was always around it, obviously with my dad, um, around dirt bikes at races, stuff like that. So I was always around two wheels and enjoyed watching it. Um, but I was really into other, you know, ball and stick sports growing up and did that. And honestly, I thought that was gonna be my avenue. I went down. Um, and then when I was like 14, 15, I started riding a little bit more. I had rode a little bit when I was younger, but only a handful of times. Um, got into it more at 14, 15 and started enjoying it. And uh actually started with like works racing, like hair scramble stuff, and then did endurocross early on as well, and uh kind of just got hooked on that and kind of took off from there and really just started having the fun. And I had no intentions of going and racing professionally at the time, you know, I just enjoyed it, was kind of just riding when I could and and playing sports other than that, and then kind of just started taking off. I started progressing, started enjoying it a lot, and then I think I started seeing, you know, a potential of maybe doing it professionally. Um, and yeah, just more so enjoyed it, you know, top to bottom and was like, all right, let's see where this takes me if I fully, you know, put everything I have into this and stop playing ball and stick sports, is kind of what I did. And yeah, it kind of took off.
SPEAKER_01So you raced a bunch of works in the beginning, and then I mean it always looked like you were doing Endurocross type uh riding. Also, did did you gravitate more towards one or the other? Was it was the goal uh to race in the desert, or how did that evolve for you?
SPEAKER_02No, I don't think race in the desert was ever, you know, a big thing. Obviously, that was what my dad did growing up. Um, but that definitely uh didn't entice me to go race in the desert and hold it fifth gear wide open. Um that wasn't really something I I yeah, it wasn't something I watched and was like, oh man, I want to do that. Um, I kind of enjoyed the technical aspect of Enduro Cross and even works with line choice. And like we talked about, I wrote a Taylor Robert a lot, and he was doing that at the time. And so I kind of enjoyed both, um, you know, just in different ways. But then I feel like endurocross is what really made me fall in love with riding a motorcycle and just wanting to get better on it. Um, and then yeah, it's kind of work started getting a little bit faster in that stuff. And then so that was right about when hard and duro started becoming a bigger deal in the US and transitioned to just doing hard enduro and works or sorry, hardened or endurocross in 2019 is when I think my first hardener was. Um, so started doing that then and yeah, I've just pretty much stuck with that since. And yeah, just honestly just enjoy riding dirt bikes and riding any type of terrain is the biggest thing for me.
SPEAKER_01That's crazy that your first hardener was 2019 because it wasn't very long after that that you had signed with Sherko, right? Like that was a pretty quick thing a couple years later, right?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so I had an amateur contract with KTM through RPM Racing um and was doing works in Enduro Cross. And then yeah, 2019 started riding some hardened, and then I believe 2022 was my first year with Shirco. So yeah, it was only three years or so um from when I started my first hardener to when I was signed with Sherco and was teammates with Cody Webb. So uh yeah, pretty quick. Uh I thought I, you know, I was decent at Enduro Cross at the time when I transferred to Hard and Duro, but it was just I thought I was gonna be okay, and then it was just a whole nother animal switching to Hardenduro. I was I remember I went and did Silver Kings was the first race I did, and I got waxed. Like, I mean, I got whooped. So I think I literally ended up like 70 something overall, and I was thinking, I was like, oh, I'll be able to like do all right. And I had these guys just motoring right behind me. I was like the young aggressive kid just lighting up the rear wheel, and yeah, it didn't uh let's just say it didn't end very well. Um, there's a few frustrating moments out there, but uh I think I like the struggle sometimes, along with a lot of us, uh, trying to get better. I think that's what's so cool about dirt bikes.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, there's a big reality check there. I feel like it's like there's a a way to pace yourself in some of those races, and it it's like it's one thing just to make it through some of these sections, but to go fast through it and be competitive and and hang with the the front group. Not that I know anything about that latter part, but man, it's just like uh for me, it's just pure survival. So I hear you, it's like uh guys like Cody and Tristan that have been doing it for years and just you know strategizing really how to how to execute a race like that. It's just it's super impressive. So I'm sure it's uh kind of eye-opening as a young kid to just get tossed into that.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, definitely. I was uh I remember I'm pretty sure there's videos of me like pretty much just holding it wide open because I was thinking it was gonna help me get traction somehow. And it was like in the slick creek, and now I look back and I'm like, I don't know what I was doing. I'm pretty sure I had like a hard moose and like just didn't fully know, and now it's like I mean, it's changed so much. Now you have the soft moose is you know, drilled out, cut, however, it is like just that alone, and like it's changed so much and it's evolved so much. So it's uh cool to see and yeah, just trying to evolve with it.
SPEAKER_01So, how influential was your dad, you know, when you started getting into racing? How influential was he on uh helping you with your path uh through that that stuff and kind of figuring out uh what disciplines you were gonna do and uh how to do them because obviously he's got a lifetime of experience there.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, he definitely had a lot of uh riding experience, that's for sure, and racing experience. So uh I definitely learned a lot, just kind of try to create my own path um and choose something that I enjoyed, which became endurocross and hard and drow. So he definitely gave me you know all the guidance he could um from you know his works days and his heron hound days of all the fast stuff. So definitely some of it translated, and then like I said earlier, like just the moose setup and everything, like that's all new. They didn't do that in you know, heron hounds and stuff. Um, so learning that aspect and learning a lot of new things, you know, I figured that out from you know spending time with Tristan and those guys and Cody Webb as well. And uh I kind of learned a little bit and took what I learned from my dad and you know still take that to this day, and as well as you know, just try to uh soak everything up I can from each individual I've been around.
SPEAKER_01Nice, man. So the yeah, and so the Shirko thing, it it came and went, and it feels like there was like a a little bit of a lull there for you where you're you're trying to figure some stuff out, and it's it's tough because you're you're such a talented rider, and it just seems like, especially in Hardenuro, there's just so few opportunities to be on a factory bike. And so um walk me through like you know the end of the Shirko relationship and what you were uh trying to sort out like basically the last you know year or so.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, definitely it's uh it was kind of an unfortunate ending. You know, I was extremely excited to get the opportunity to go to you know factory shirko in the US um and to be teammates with Cody Webb, who is obviously very well accomplished, and I was close to him prior to when I went there and stuff, but uh definitely learned a lot from him and Cody Richeldurfer, um his mechanic, and kind of ran the you know the team manager side of things. That all went honestly really great and very thankful for my time there. Um obviously there was some things out of our control that you know changed the ending of that. Um I had a longer term deal than you know when I ended that my time there. So it was kind of an unfortunate thing to leave, um, especially because pretty much I think it was like April when I left. So it was, you know, nobody's got contracts at that time to sign anything. Um, and at the end of the day, you have to live and you know put a roof over your head. And yeah, I would have liked it to be differently um for sure. I had a good time, you know, when I was there and you know, wish certain things could have been different because I felt like there was a really high potential of you know making something very successful there. But uh yeah, it just changed unfortunately and uh just trying to uh work with it and you know try to do what I can and race what I can um with what I have right now. And uh, you know, the Stark stuff came up, you know, semi-recently. So very fortunate for that, and you know, just trying to follow that and see uh what we can make out of that.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So you were racing, you were not racing the Stark, but you were riding it. And I don't know if that was like a personal bike back then, but um you know what like I think you were dabbling with a few different bikes for a little bit because you were obviously kind of doing the the privateer thing, just staying on on two wheels and doing some some races in your area. Um, but like what what drew you to riding the Stark kind of on your own on your own terms?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think that last year kind of when stuff was a little bit going south of Sherco, I went to Super Enduro Um and did all that on my own dime. It was kind of already set um in stone, and then I got about two weeks before the start of Superenduro, I got left to hang to dry. So um had to spend all that money to get there, and that was when I was solo and got to know the Stark guys really well. Um and yeah, just honestly, super good people there, you know, outside of even the bike, like just overall good humans. And um, yeah, like I said, took me under uh their wing and took me to dinner. And when you're across the pond by yourself, and uh it's another world over there. So uh it's really cool and you know, nice to have them to uh take me to those things and just show me the ropes a little bit. So kind of led to something of them sending me a bike just to ride for a little bit. Um and then yeah, just ride it when I could. Uh I rode the Kawasaki obviously for Enduro Cross last year and still in part-time on you know that for hair scramble stuff. And then hopefully at some point the Stark will be allowed to race in more stuff in the US with AMA. Um, but yeah, just literally went and bought a Kawasaki from a dealership because it was on the cheaper side of the bikes and you know, hoping for something potentially there down the road with their possible two-stroke. Um, and then yeah, kind of the Stark stuff came about and they were super awesome to work with and just rode the bike and they were super happy with just the little amount of stuff I had put out on it. And yeah, it's kind of turned into more. And then uh yeah, now I'm working as an ambassador with them. So just signed with an ambassador for the EX model in the US. So I'll kind of be the face of that, and we're working on some more stuff coming here soon. Awesome, man.
SPEAKER_00You mentioned uh your evolution of learning how to find traction and when you first started racing hard endurows and stuff. How has that gone with electric for you? Like what has been your thought process around that and how has that worked for you?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's definitely unique because electric, it's such instant power, like the torque is just instantly there. Um, so fortunately, because they have like the advanced setting, I think you can pay like a a small amount per month to get like the advanced settings to where you can adjust, you know, the power settings. And I've actually had people ask me recently for mine, and like if anybody listens to this and wants to know what power settings, like I'll send you a screenshot of my power settings. There's no secrets or anything. Like I've had to tame it down definitely at the beginning. Yeah, um, I think like my initial, you know, you have the bars and you, you know, you can adjust each exact power curve. I think I start at like seven horsepower. Right. Like so I run 47 horsepower with like 55% uh regenerative braking. Um, for hardener, at least, obviously that would change whether you ride moto or or something different. But for hardener, that's what I found works pretty well. But my initial power curve literally starts at seven horsepower to ease into things because on a hill, you know, obviously we all want to get up at one go, but there's a lot of times when you don't get that. And like I said, what we were talking about with the wheel spin and all that, like because it's electric, it's such instant power. I've honestly found with taming it down, it almost creates more traction because there is a little bit more weight to that rear wheel. Um, and yeah, just have a very linear, you know, build with the power. Um, and I've found that works pretty well. And you're not able to slip the rear wheel as much as say, like you're more fluctuating with the clutch on a on a gas bike. So I feel like with electric taming it down a little bit more at the beginning, you're able to, you know, create more traction with that rear wheel.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, we've got two EXs here right now that we just got, and I'm I'm personally really curious to try your setting because it's one thing that I haven't struggled with necessarily on the Stark, but on other electric dirt bikes, I feel like I'm a broken record. I keep saying it on here, but I'm like, man, I keep getting on these, like, I mean, you're in the west. We had basically no winter this winter, so everything's dry and blown out, and it's like on steep stuff where I'm not getting traction. I feel like I'm having such a hard time getting going when I'm on uh when I'm basically stuck. And it's like I I just I'm like, oh my god, I really miss having a clutch here where you can just kind of build RPMs and get the rear wheel moving and then ease into it from there. But um yeah, I'd be curious to try your settings because I've been struggling with that this year for sure.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, absolutely. I'll send them over to you. I'm happy to, and literally, like I said, anybody that wants them, I'm more than happy to send them over to them. No secrets or anything like that. And yeah, it's like like you said, like it's so dry out here, you build silt ruts so quickly, or even like when you're on a hill and you're on like a marbly hill, like yesterday when I was riding, it's just this slick, gravelly rock like on a hill climb, and like you're trying to switch back up it, and if it's just lighting up the rear wheel, you're not gonna get that exact traction, you know? So trying to tame that initial power to where you're getting more the wheels more tracking on the dirt and not just necessarily digging a hole with that instant power is is huge on the electric bike.
SPEAKER_01Do you feel like you're changing body position versus a gas bike much, or does it feel like all the principles kind of stay the same?
SPEAKER_02Um, I would say it's relatively the same. Um, I would say the timing maybe moves a little bit just because on a gas bike you adjust a couple things with the clutch, whereas with the electric, it's just such instant power. Um, so I would say maybe your movements will be, you know, a quarter second earlier or a quarter second later. Um, but I would say all the movements and you know, all that still transitions. It's just the timing is slightly different.
SPEAKER_01And and back to settings on the bike, are you running the handbrake or the foot brake? Yeah.
SPEAKER_02I'm running the handbrake. Yeah. I actually rode uh Stark and I did a video shoot like a month ago. Um, and I rode, they had a couple bikes there, and I rode a foot brake, and it was very odd because at first I was like, oh, I'm definitely just gonna run the footbrake. Like I thought the handbrake was the weirdest thing ever. Um, didn't think I'd be able to get used to it just because your mind's trained one way, you know, your whole life. Yeah. Um, but it's funny, I literally have ran the handbrake for the last, I don't know, two months or something like that, maybe even a little bit more. And now it's became so natural to me. But when I rode one with a foot brake, I was like, this is weird. Like I can't, I couldn't imagine not having the handbrake now on the Stark. Um, it's definitely a weird switch at first. And a lot of people ask me, like, oh, like, are you able to like you know go back and forth between a gas bike? Like, I still have a gas bike here, like I'll go ride my gas bike like I rode it last weekend. Um, and then I'm back on the Stark. And so now that I've ridden the Stark so many times, it's it's pretty natural, it's a pretty quick switch. Um, but yeah, without the handbrake for especially hard and duro, I I couldn't imagine not running the handbrake, to be honest.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, there's like certain benefits I feel like that are just impossible to get around. It's just the the handbrake, you just lock your feet in the same position. And truthfully, like I don't know if you're doing this, but I've used it as a little bit of a clutch where you're like, okay, I'm gonna like ease on the rear brake and just get the RPMs going so I can kind of dump the brake and use it kind of like a clutch. And it feels more natural to do that on the the handlebars, it seems.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, absolutely. I like and people even ask me, like, I've had a lot of people comment and say I have a clutch on the start that like they aren't releasing or something, and it's like because they can see like my hand is on it all the time and I'm manipulating it a lot. Yeah, but what a lot of people don't realize it is I almost am manipulating it somewhat like a clutch um in some like you know technical rock sections. I'm dragging it or I'm loading it, like even Cody Webb at Page, he's like, I noticed I saw a video of you like doing a splatter on it, and he's like, I literally saw you like load the rear end. So, like before the splatter, I dragged the rear brake so it would lower the rear end, so it would help lighten the front when it was coming up for splatters and stuff like that. So I'm definitely manipulating it like a clutch a lot of times, but then you also have the benefit of having it as you know, a handbrake. And I've like you said uh earlier, I believe, is like your foot positioning. I one thing I've realized is like my foot positioning can be almost perfect. Obviously, it's not perfect, but it I can almost have my feet in the perfect positions at all times because I'm not having to shift, I'm not having to use the rear brake pedal, you know, because everything's up on the hand, or even like there was a downhill I rode yesterday and I'm walking down it. And usually you're you know holding the clutch in, you know, turning the bike off where it's actually, I didn't realize how nice it is to have the handbrake because I'm walking down it. Normally the bike's wanting to freewheel because you don't have access to that rear brake. So there's definitely benefits to it. Um, and it's just learning, you know, little different tactics that you can use with the Stark or honestly any electric bike in general.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you're just gonna burn through uh brake pads instead of clutch plates.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, probably. But those are a little cheaper.
SPEAKER_00Easier to service too. Um and you know, if you break a foot peg off, you don't have to worry about it as much too because you can keep your foot placement.
SPEAKER_02I heard we know that from experience, right? Yeah, I actually broke a foot peg off at the uh hardener on a page of the grinding stone. Um on the second lap, I that place is brutal to bikes. Like I did the bike, I didn't make it up something. Um the bike came tumbling down. I looked down and the foot peg is like just hanging on by thread. So I just kicked it and snapped it off. Um, but I had just like enough of a nub that uh I could get my foot on it um going down the hills, which is still very scary for sure. Yeah, but like I couldn't imagine if I had to use like a brake pedal. Like I think I would have just let the bike go. Like, I don't think I'm riding it down it if that's the case. So yeah, there's definitely benefits in that scenario. Hopefully that doesn't happen again. Um, but yeah, it definitely uh there's definitely benefits.
SPEAKER_00You run quite a bit of uh like regenerative braking or like quote engine braking. Uh is that to make it feel more like a four-stroke, or where's your thought on that?
SPEAKER_02Um, you're saying with the higher engine braking that I run?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, you're at 55. I'm like yeah, I'm like 25, man. I just like that two-stroke or or less feel. So 55 is pretty strong.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so 55, I'm actually lower than some of the factory guys, too. Um, so I actually ran 60 at uh grinding stone, the US Hardener. Um, just because those hills are so steep and because the bike has extra weight to it, it wants to freewheel a little bit more downhills. So I'm using it to slow the bike down more so going downhills and then also preloading into stuff or like, you know, trying to do a techie little rock line from a stopstill. Because you can't necessarily load the clutch up and like load the gears, it because it's such instant power. That engine braking kind of helps load the front end as you're coming into a section to where then it the rear wheel will light up quicker to where you can get more momentum towards a section. So there's benefits to it. Like in when I ride like single track or something, it 55 would be too much engine braking. Like even when I'm riding out to an area, I'm like, oh, this is like I will go to a different setting just so I don't have so much engine braking. Um, but for hard enduro, like I honestly it's so helpful going downhills or any like that because like before early on, when I was running less, I was almost freewheeling down hills, and it was some smaller hills were okay, but when you get to like the big ones, you know, at certain events, like it's you don't want to be freewheeling when you have to stop at the bottom and turn or something like that. So yeah, higher engine braking, it just helps the bike stop a little bit more to where I'm not having to be even as hard on the brakes, um, to where I can almost let the bike break itself as it's coming down a hill.
SPEAKER_01Are you doing different settings on like are your modes different and will you switch? Or are you just in one mode and that's the way you're gonna run it for a hardened arrow?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I'm pretty much in one mode. Like if I go down a hill, like I'll have one that's even higher engine braking just to help. Um, so I'll have one that's like 65% engine braking. If it's just like a crazy steep hill, then I'm like, I need this thing to stop at the bottom. Yeah, I'll switch. But for the most part, I'm staying in the same one. Um, I kind of have you know two of them that are identical power ratios, you know, the power curves identical just in case I accidentally clip it or something um into a different mode. But yeah, they're pretty much identical and run the same thing unless I'm going downhill, then maybe I'll switch. Um, but yeah, for the most part, if I'm like riding out to an area, I'll run like a lower horsepower with like zero engine braking just to get me out to the area that would say I'm using a little bit less battery because I'm not trying to race out to my loot, like I'm just cruising out to it, and then I'll you know start practicing my sections that I have. So pretty much for the most part staying in the same mode though.
SPEAKER_01Cool. And what else have you? I know I saw like a bike check that you had done after uh page. What other odds and ends are you running on at least the race bike that you raced at page to get it ready for a hardened euro like that?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so I've ran pretty much a relatively stock bike. I have some aftermarket stuff, you know, to make bling stuff look better and all that. But then I would say for stuff that definitely has helped, like I've added the I don't know what you would consider a clutch cover or whatever it may be that they would consider it, you know, probably protects the side. There's a dirt tricks cover there. Um, it's just I think it's like five or six times thicker than the stock one. Um, I didn't have an issue with the stock one, but I had heard it's a lot thinner. Um, so Dirt Tricks was awesome to send me that. Um, so I could run that and it's taken a beating and literally haven't had an issue with it at all. Um, and then Dirt Tricks brockets and discs and stuff like that. Um, and then I have an R and Duro throttle housing. Um, so it just goes over the stock throttle housing. Um, it's just a good protective piece, just because the stock throttle housing is a plastic, so with hard enduro, if you land on dirt, it's fine. But if you say impact a big rock, like it is a possibility of shattering that. Um, so you don't want to do that. So I have an R and Duro um throttle housing, and then I have some just bulletproof aftermarket stuff. So I have a bulletproof chain guide protector with a different chain guide. Um, and then also a like a chain derail piece. I've I don't know if you've seen it, but it's like a black um little, I guess a hard rubber um that goes around the hub in case you derail a chain. It's literally universal for all bikes, all wheels, I think. Um, but in case you derail a chain, that way your chain doesn't get jammed in the hub or anything. It just helps you, you know, put the chain back on. Um and then pretty simple other than that. I have ARC levers that I put on. Um, I feel like the stock ones, it's essentially a Brembo, you know, stock um levers, but I just felt like it was a little bit more grabby with ARCs. Um, it was a little bit more touchy, which I liked. Um, I didn't really because I'm using the handbrak so much, like a clutch almost. I didn't want it to be spongy and almost mess with my mind like it's a clutch. Yeah. So I want it to be like really sensitive and touchy. So that was one thing with like the ARC levers. As soon as I put the lever on, like it was way touchier. Um, and then outside of that, it's relatively stocked. Like I don't think there's anything else on it other than that.
SPEAKER_01So and are the ARC levers, are those adjustable too? Like, can you bring them closer or further away? Yeah, I want to try those.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, they're the they're metal ones, so they have like a bunch of different options. I don't they make a Memlon one, which it has like a memory to bend back, but because it's brakes, I usually run a metal brake because the Memlon does flex a little bit, and since you're so aggressive on it, like on a clutch side on a normal gas bike, I would run a plastic on a clutch, like the Memlon, and then I'd run a metal front brake because we're more aggressive on the front brake. Where on the Stark I run metal front or metal front brake and metal rear hand brake. Um, they're still foldable, so they fold out and everything to where you don't have like an issue with them braking. Yeah, but that way so it's not the lever's not flexing as you're pulling it in and messing with like your mind and how much braking power you're actually giving.
SPEAKER_00Are you running grip tape on the frame down by the foot pegs?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so I actually have grip tape on the frame and then also the side number plates, it's anchor tape. They make you know all the super cross grip tape, all those guys are running it. Um, pretty much make it for every bike. And yeah, he sent me some for the Stark, and then that's definitely helpful because I rode one without grip tape, and it's a lot more slick because the frame is like almost a shiny smooth coat. Yeah, um, it does make it a little slicker. So I definitely recommend grip tape um for that as well.
SPEAKER_01And what's your tire and moose uh setup for Page?
SPEAKER_02For Page, I was on a Dunlop EN91 EX uh rear tire. Um, so it's a 140. And then I run a Dunlop Moose as well. They came out with a new like a year ago, a new 140 enduro one. Um, I've messed with a lot of moose, but I've actually came to like this new 140 that they've made. Um, I obviously drilled it out. Um, I don't know what size drill I was using or what size holes, um, but I was like two inches in between each hole, so quite a bit of holes throughout the setup. Um, and then a Dunlop front moose with a Dunlop AT82 front is what I run. So I run the 82 front everywhere and then pretty much the EN91 EX everywhere, and then we also we have a little customer tire that you'll see Tristan and those guys will run too sometimes for like Endural Cross and stuff like that. But I think from what I heard, it will be available to the public here pretty soon from Dunlop.
SPEAKER_01So that's rad. So what's the the plan for uh more rounds this year? You did grinding stone and obviously, you know, earlier talking about just AMA legalities and whatnot uh in different disciplines, but fortunately for U.S. Hardendaro, there's uh the opportunity to race the electric class basically all the rounds. Um, do you think you'll participate in any more of those this year?
SPEAKER_02Um, we're still settling on a couple rounds, but I would definitely like to be at more if we can make it work. Obviously, it takes their schedule as well lining up to make it to make it all happen. Um, outside of just me wanting to do it. So because they actually changed the TKO weekend, uh they pushed it back a week. It actually I think will line up to possibly do TKO. Sweet. Um, so that'd be pretty neat. And then we're trying, there's a possibility because Silver Kings is a world round. Obviously, it's not part of the U.S. Hard and Dorothy series, um, but because it's a world round, they'll have their two factory guys, Eddie Carlson and Toby Martin, um, over for that. So possibly I'll do that as well. Um, and then the big thing that we have lined up right now is I'm gonna actually go do Earthburg. No well on the Starks. So that's uh it hasn't hasn't been uh released yet, but maybe by the time this will be out, it should be uh released. So we're working on like a media release for that. But yeah, I'll go race uh Earthberg.
SPEAKER_01So that's huge.
SPEAKER_02So uh do that. So I've been pretty much prepping for that. So I was possibly gonna go do Moab, um, but their focus was just to kind of do some testing and and get dialed in for Earthberg. So been grinding away for that, and uh yeah, I'm pretty dang excited for that. So that's a big one, man. See how it goes. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Have you done Eurzberg before on gas bikes?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so I did it my second year with Cherco. Uh I raced Ursberg. So have one one time there. Um, it was the first year you couldn't walk anything, so I was just flying blind uh into everything. But yeah, I was relatively happy, you know. I think the guys are so good there. I ended up on the first row, which was good. Um, and then yeah, battled somewhat up front for a little bit and then got through Carl's Diner. It's obviously changed now. Every year they changed a little bit. They go into Carl's Diner way earlier now than when I did it. But I think I ended up like 38, something like that. So that's awesome. Not not great, not horrible. I don't know, man. Hopefully, uh improve on that for that race and in that part of the world.
SPEAKER_01Like, clearly, Europe is just so focused on Hardenduro. It's like that's a a gnarly round for sure.
SPEAKER_00What do you think battery management's gonna be like for an event like that?
SPEAKER_02Honestly, I there's a pit stop in the middle, I know. Um, usually right either before or after Carl's Diner, depending on how they decide the course. I don't know if they release the course or not yet. Um so I pretty positive we'll do one battery swap, which those guys are pretty dang fast on it at the factory. Um, I heard they're right around like a minute, right around a minute to do a battery swap. That's cool. Um, so we'll do a battery swap of that, and then that's it. So we'll be able to make it to the pit um pretty much no problem, and then we'll most likely do one battery swap and then to the finish. So um with hard and durable, that's the thing. Some people always ask me, like, how long do you get on it? Like there was one day when Tristan was out, you know, in Arizona for a month. We rode for almost five hours, and I was still had like 11% at the end of the day. No way. So it just depends on like how much it depends on how many hills you're riding and you know what speed you're going. But if you're just doing like little like tic-tack-y kind of stuff, manipulating, you know, up a little hills and all that, like it really doesn't use that much. And because I run a higher regenerative power, when I go down hills, it charges the battery. So running a higher percentage of regenerative braking will charge the bike more going down a hill. So steep hills, I can look and I can almost see the battery going up. So like if I go down a hill and it's a long, you know, a decently long hill at 18, I'll be at sometimes 19 or 20 by the time I get back to the bottom.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I feel like electric in hard and duro, it's like the best application for that reason. You know, most morals, like you guys are at a different level. But man, if I do like proper hard and duro on an electric dirt bike, I am way more spent before the bike is in most cases. And it's like that's to me, it's like, okay, this is why this is such a good application for electric, is because you do that on a motocross track, you might get, you know, a moto in before the bike is cooked. And um, if you're in decent shape, you're probably have more in the tank to go ride. So uh I feel like hardener and electric just it's a match made in heaven right now, it seems.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, absolutely. I agree. Um, yeah, even with like the hardened euro at Page, the grinding stone, um, people were asked me left or right whether or not I'll have to charge it or or switch a battery or anything. And I made both the qualifier, which was I think an hour and 53 minutes, um, which is in deep sand and a lot faster than the final, uh, made that no problem. And then also the final was two hours and made that no problem. So um it definitely can make it, um, depending on you know how fast you're going for sure, uh, makes a difference. But for hard and draw, I feel like it's I'm going out for my big normal days. I'm not doing any shorter, you know, than I normally did in the past in my training, and I'm making it back with like no concerns on the battery. So I'm literally here three, four hours from my house uh riding and have some pretty gnarly loops, and I'll get back with above 50% still with three to four hours. So it's obviously crazy technical riding, and I'm not doing you know a ton of mileage with it, but I'm still tracking three to four hours on the bike.
SPEAKER_01Cool, man. Is that pretty much all the training that you're doing right now? Obviously, you've got Ursberg coming up. So are you just like focused on riding hardener or are you doing other stuff too?
SPEAKER_02Um, I'm kind of doing a combination of hardened. I'm more focused on the hardener because Ursberg's coming up um in just I think just over a month now. Um so mainly focused on the hardener, but I still have a I'm doing West hair scrambles as well, uh, which is an AMA sanctioned uh hair scramble events. Um so I actually have one two weeks before Earthberg. So kind of doing a little bit of prep for that. It's at Glen Helen, um, I think on May 23rd. So have that coming up first, and then yeah, I think I fly to Europe about four or five days later, and I'll actually go to the headquarters um of Stark in Spain first. So I'll go to the headquarters first and then go from Stark and then we'll fly to Austria and uh face the Iron Giant.
SPEAKER_01Cool, man. That's huge news. That's super exciting. And I'm sure Eddie's gonna uh go as well. So you guys will have your team there.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so it'll be Eddie and Toby. Um we'll both be the factory guys, and then my contract is more on the marketing side of things because they're not able to race in you know the US with AMA uh sanctions events as much um for right now. So for right now, just more on the marketing side going. Uh, I don't know if I'll do like the rocket ride or any of that, but just uh try to market the bike as best I can and uh I still want to do well. So hopefully uh with my hair scramble stuff, I've been training as well. I uh I would like to do quite well in the prologue and then yeah, see if because it's electric, see if we can put the things out front early in the main race and see where it goes from there.
SPEAKER_01I'd be rad, man. I'm excited to watch that. And it's good on you to stay sharp. You know, I feel like after everything, you it seems like you just never got off the bike and you're just keeping your skills sharp. So uh I'm glad that uh all this stuff lined up for you. It's really cool.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, no, it's been good. So obviously, we all love riding dirt bikes. Uh that at the end of the day, like I enjoy it. Yes, I race them professionally, but at the end of the day, I just enjoy riding dirt bikes. Like I just want to go on the weekends and ride with my buddies and and do that. So I've tried to ride as much as I can. Um, in the meantime, when I was, you know, kind of out of contract and didn't really have much of deals, I was just doing trainings. Uh obviously my dad does those, and then I was either helping him with some or doing some on the side, and you know, I'm still doing that right now. Um, still training guys, you know, young kids coming up, guys that want to ride trials, hard enduro, uh, whatever it is. So I still offer training on the side to you know help fund this uh dream I'm trying to make happen. And yeah, we'll hopefully uh keep it going as long as I can.
SPEAKER_00Have you done any electric specific training or trained any other riders on uh Stark or other electric dirt bikes?
SPEAKER_02Um, so I've trained a couple people that have ridden Starks. Um, not necessarily like a electric specific uh training, but I will have a second bike here soon that I'll have available for like people to rent if they want to either fly in and like rent it and do a class. Um, so that's what Starks also send me a second bike so that uh people can fly in, ride it, give it a try, or even if they're in Arizona and they just want to try a demo and they've never tried one, uh, I'll be accessible to you know, offer a demo for people to try on Enduro stuff or anything like that. So it's uh a pretty cool opportunity to you know be able to offer that to other people, whether they're in Arizona or in other states that you know want to do training, but it's a little hard to get out, you know, to Arizona um and can fly and you know, I'll have a bike accessible that you can use and everything.
SPEAKER_00Awesome. Cool opportunity for someone out there for a lot of people.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Well, sweet man. So, how can people follow along? You know, I'm sure uh anyone listening is gonna want to watch uh Urzberg and see your results. Uh, you're gonna be posting stuff probably on Instagram or any YouTube or anything like that?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so I'll be on obviously my Instagram, Facebook, TikTok. Uh all that stuff will be like my normal post. Um, and then trying to make a bigger push on YouTube as well. So uh we have some things coming out soon with Stark. So that video project we worked on. Um I know it's finished, but it's got to get approved by uh the higher ups. So uh hopefully that video will be out soon and that'll go on YouTube. And then yeah, I'll be uh putting out a lot more onboard stuff um for YouTube and yeah, I'll hopefully uh my goal is to wear a camera for all of Ursberg and try to post full point of view uh footage from all of Ursberg. So it'll be uh like the goal to put that all that out on my YouTube as well.
SPEAKER_01Sweet, man. Well, we'll be following along for sure, and I think we uh we'll need to check back in with you after the race and see how it went. But uh yeah, awesome to hear the the partnership that you've got going with Stark and uh best of luck out there, man. We're excited to see you on the bike.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, thank you. Yeah, so yeah, we'll definitely have to check back up after that. Hopefully, uh I'll be healthy and have some good stories from it. And uh yeah, it'll be exciting to kind of see how it all goes. So been uh dealing, you know, with the race team leading up to it, and you know, they I'm just kind of along for the ride. They have it all settled. They're so you know professional, have it such down to science, you know, from battery swaps to just the way they run everything. So uh excited to see how it's ran over there. And yeah, hopefully here soon there will be a US team uh for Stark as well. Um in the near future, once all the AMA stuff's situated, and yeah, we'll see if maybe I can uh be a part of that.
SPEAKER_01Awesome, man. Well, good luck again. Thanks for the time, Cooper. Good to talk to you.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, thank you. I appreciate it, and uh thanks for having me on. I uh I like the setup in the back. Next time uh we might have to get a Stark there.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you know, there was a Stark there, but there's two Starks on the other side, but they're just really dirty. So that's the cool thing. Uh yeah, it means we've been riding them, you know?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, that's good. That's a good thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I'm gonna hit you up for that. Uh I'm gonna hit you up for that uh power curve too. I want to I want to get your mapping. Try that out.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, of course. Send me uh a text or whatever and I'll I'll send you uh that over as soon as this is this is done and over with. But uh thanks for having me. Hopefully uh we'll catch up again soon after Earthberg and yeah, hopefully I'll have some good stories.
SPEAKER_01All right. Sounds like a plan, Cooper. Thanks.
SPEAKER_02Awesome.
SPEAKER_01Well, thank you.
SPEAKER_02Have a good one.
SPEAKER_01You too, man. See ya. If you made it this far and you want more, if this was useful, please like and subscribe.