VOL. 50 ISSUE 50 DECEMBER 17, 2013
P101
BACK
ON TOP
CHARLIE MULLINS RETURNS TO THE TOP OF THE ENDURO CHARTS
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHAN MOORE
T
his was a busy year for Charlie Mullins.
In 2013, he and his wife Rachel had their
first child, a baby boy; they started work
on their dream home in North Carolina, and
Charlie spent the year contesting two national
off-road series, winning a second national
enduro title and finishing runner-up in
the Grand National Cross Country
Series (GNCC). Additionally, the
KTM factory rider helped lead
the U.S. World Trophy Team
to a second place finish at
this year's ISDE in Sardinia,
Italy.
In addition to having a
busy year, it must have
been a very satisfying one,
as well.
After a disappointing national
enduro season in 2012, one that
saw him finish 11th in the final
standings, Mullins came into
2013 ready to go. This would be
his fourth season in the enduro
series (after winning the title in
2010), and he controlled it from
the get-go, winning the open-
ing two rounds by relatively safe margins.
A DNF in Texas was one of only two blemishes on his season, otherwise, Mullins dominated, finishing the year with eight wins in 10
rounds.
Despite his problems the year before, Mullins was confidant coming into 2013, which he
says was important to his success.
"I've always been good at reading trail and
I kind of expected it out of myself to be up
front," says Mullins. "I know it's going to be
hard matching that kind of season next year,
but I'm going to try. I just came out swinging at
the first round this year and I need to do that
next year too."
Another reason for his success may have
been his choice of bikes; going from the 450
he rode last year to the 350 he rode this year.
"The 450 was a good bike, but it was too
powerful and too torquey for the woods and
the 350 is just the right amount of power and
torque for wiggling through the tight stuff," says
Mullins. "This last winter we did our east-coast
testing on the bikes, and I jumped on Kailub's
[Russell] 350 and I was five seconds faster on
a five-minute loop on the 350. I was quite a bit
faster on the 350 right from the get-go, so they
got me one and it ended up being really good.
It ended up being an awesome bike for me."
