Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/804174
IN THE WIND P36 BOU CLOSES IN ON X-TRIAL TITLE T oni Bou (Repsol Honda) survived a stalled en- gine in the last section of the night in Marseille, France, March 25, to secure his third win in a row in the 2017 FIM X-Trial World Championship and in doing so closed in on an 11th successive title with just one round remaining. True to form, Adam Raga (TRS) kept Bou hon- est and finished only a single mark behind the defending champion and as runner up after Bou fived the final hazard. Albert Cabestany (Sherco) fought off Jaime Busto (Repsol Honda) for the last podium placing as the teenager claimed his maiden top four spot in the series. "We suffered a lot today," Bou said. "In the qualifying we finished third and I had to win the races to be able to start out last in the final. I came out very focused and in the second section I was able to gain an advantage over the rivals that turned out to be decisive. There was no room for mistakes and luckily I was able to win before the trial ended and the five-point penalty in the final section didn't amount to anything. We can't make any mistakes in trials with so few sections. Now there is just Nice [France] left where we will have to stay focused to pick up the 11th title." The final round of the 2017 FIM X-Trial World Championship will play out next Friday evening further along the southern French coastline in the city of Nice. Bou, who now holds a 15-point lead in the general standings, will be the odds-on favor- ite to seal his 11th indoor title in a row. CN MUGEN DEBUTS ELECTRIC DIRT BIKE L egendary Japanese firm Mugen has taken the wraps off an all-electric dirt bike concept. Called the Mugen "E.Rex," the bike is the first electric off-road variant to come from the company that has dominated the Isle of Man TT Zero meet- ing for the past five years. The Mugen E.Rex was put on show at the Tokyo Motorshow over the weekend and runs dinosaur skeletal bodywork (hence E.Rex, rather than T. Rex), Showa forks and Nissin brakes—in- credibly, with carbon brake discs! No details have been released as to the num- bers the electric motor is producing, however, as it comes from Mugen, that has a history with everything from the Isle of Man to Formula 1, you can bet they are going to be impressive stats. Now that Alta and Zero have been kicking major goals in the electric bike sector, are we about to see the Japanese take that first crucial step? CN Toni Bou is closing in on his 11th world title after scoring the penultimate FIM X-Trial World Championship round win in France. PHOTOGRAPHY BY REYGONDEAU/GOODSHOOT The Mugen E.Rex is one badass looking electric bike!