FEATURE I 2022 CYCLE NEWS BIKES OF THE YEAR
P154
JESSE ZIEGLER
Age: 45
Riding Done This Year: a lot of
hard enduro, ADV riding and
motocross. But mostly picking my
bike up during hard enduro races
JESSE'S WINNER:
2022 KTM XC-W
(250 OR 300, I DON'T REALLY
CARE ANYMORE)
I rode these bikes a lot this year.
I have more hours on this model
than I've ever put on bikes in
a season. We're talking almost
10 hours of alone time at one
event here. With most of the U.S.
Hard Enduro West series races
and the entire Sea to Sky Hard
Enduro in Turkey in our first
year together, it's safe to say the
KTM XC-W and I have become
awkwardly close friends.
The bike keeps deliver-
ing smiles and working like a
champ. The KTM two-stroke
platform makes hard enduro, a
mistake-riddled activity for most
and a complete s-show for me,
as easy as possible with trac-
table TPI-fueled power and ultra-
durable componentry. I made
slight protective modifications to
deflect the abuse I inflicted, and
slapped on sticky, gummy tires,
but that's all it takes to go from
the showroom to the hardest
races in the world—even for an
idiot like me. Then, in Turkey, I
hopped on a 250cc version and
had just as much fun. So, if it's
and XC-W, I'm into it.
