Electric motorcycle manufacturer Stark Future has recorded its strongest year to date, posting a 77 per cent increase in annual sales and generating €115 million in revenue across 2025. The company says it is now preparing to expand its model range and production capacity through 2026.
Stark confirmed the figures in a business update released this month, outlining a year of sustained growth and continued progress towards profitability. The brand claims to have achieved profit in five out of the last nine months of 2025, as demand for its electric off-road and supermoto models continues to rise.
Strong growth across core dealers and new markets
According to the company, most of the year’s growth came from existing dealer networks. However, it said that “rapid expansion into new regions and markets” was a key contributor to its record performance. Stark reported growth of 97 per cent in the final quarter alone, with electric models now accounting for over three per cent of all enduro motorcycle sales globally.
Stark’s current line-up includes the Varg EX, MX 1.2 and the road-legal SM supermoto. All three models have been instrumental in building the company’s early market share and establishing it as one of the fastest-growing brands in the electric motorcycle sector.
€45 million in new investment during 2025
In December, Stark finalised a €15 million (£13 million) financing agreement with the European Investment Bank, alongside a €25 million (£21 million) equity round with one of its existing shareholders. Combined with previous fundraising activity, the moves brought its total equity investment for 2025 to €45 million (£39 million).
Inside Stark Future factory
The funding is expected to accelerate development of the company’s next-generation platforms. Stark says it is already working on electric motorcycles for larger segments of the market, extending its focus beyond the off-road sector that has powered its early growth.
CEO Anton Wass: “We grew fast, stayed disciplined”
Anton Wass, CEO and founder of Stark Future, said the brand’s success reflected the increasing maturity of electric motorcycle technology and rider confidence in performance alternatives to combustion engines.
“This year proved a simple theory: when you offer the market electric bikes that are superior to combustion, riders switch,” Wass said. “We grew fast, stayed disciplined, and showed consistent growth while building the supply chain to scale. Next, we take the same winning formula into bigger categories, while we’ll continue our organic growth off-road.”
Wass added that Stark’s long-term strategy is centred on scaling responsibly while maintaining quality control. The company’s 2025 results, he said, demonstrated that electric motorcycles could achieve mainstream acceptance when performance and reliability align with traditional benchmarks.
Competition and next steps for 2026
Stark Future is expected to build on its commercial momentum this year with further model launches and new racing projects. The company has confirmed it will compete at the Red Bull Erzbergrodeo in 2026 — marking the first time electric motorcycles will race under the same sporting and technical regulations as combustion-powered machines.
That entry signals a shift in how electric off-road racing is viewed, with Stark positioning its involvement as both a test of capability and a showcase for its production technology. The manufacturer’s continued participation in mainstream events is seen as a step toward normalising electric competition at elite level.
Stark’s next phase of expansion will focus on scaling manufacturing and extending its global reach, particularly in Europe and North America. With profitability achieved in several months of 2025 and record quarterly performance at year-end, the company is entering 2026 in a position of strength.
“We have shown that riders will make the switch when the technology delivers,” Wass said. “Now our focus is on maintaining that trajectory and bringing electric performance into even more categories.”
From Bilbao to the Desert: How Hard Enduro is taking over the world
Hard Enduro has never been more alive. At the elite level, Billy Bolt’s grip on the 2026 SuperEnduro World Championship looks unbreakable as he heads to Bilbao with a thirty-point cushion and a chance to seal his sixth world title. Thousands of miles away, in the Nevada desert, grassroots riders are filling every available pit space for the Vurbmoto 500 West, a sell-out endurance race that captures the sport’s booming popularity at ground level. Two sides of the same coin, both proving one truth — Hard Enduro is thriving from top to bottom.
The sport’s evolution over the past few years has been remarkable. Once a niche for specialists, Hard Enduro is now a global scene with factory riders, electric innovators and weekend warriors all chasing the same test of grit and skill. Bolt’s dominance might define the professional story, but the appetite for endurance racing across continents shows how far the culture has spread beyond the championship gates.
Billy Bolt’s relentless march
Bolt’s control of the 2026 SuperEnduro season has been near total. A nervous opener in Poland gave way to perfection in Germany, where he swept every race to extend his lead to thirty points over Jonny Walker. Enduro21 summed up the feeling perfectly, writing,
“The challenge has to arrive for Billy Bolt this weekend or it’s gonna be too late.”
Few expect anyone to stop him in Bilbao, where another win could make the title a formality.
Jonny Walker remains the closest rival, though mistakes in Superpole have cost him valuable positions. Josep Garcia, meanwhile, brings a home advantage in Bilbao and a growing reputation after taking his first podium in Germany. Behind them, Stark Future’s Eddie Karlsson continues to turn heads as the first rider to put an electric motorcycle on the SuperEnduro podium — proof that the sport’s innovation is matching its intensity.
Grassroots grit at the 500 West
While Bolt headlines the global stage, events like the Vurbmoto 500 West in Nevada embody Hard Enduro’s grassroots strength. As of mid-January, the 2026 edition was already seventy percent sold out, with organisers warning that pit rows from 100 to 900 had gone. The event, set for 14 March at Mesquite MX, combines eight hours and twenty minutes of racing — 500 minutes in total — across two motocross tracks, a six-mile off-road loop and a Hard Enduro section that features a ‘Scaredy Cat’ lane for less adventurous riders.
Vurbmoto described it as,
“Whether you’re a Hard Enduro contender or a weekend warrior looking for a full-send day with friends, The 500 West has something for every skill level.”
The format allows teams of up to four riders or solo entries, with laps averaging seventeen minutes. The event has sold out for the past two years, and all teams are eligible for prize payouts. A new pit-starting sequence and strict 10mph lane limit underline the growing professionalism even at amateur level.
Innovation meets endurance
What links Bilbao’s floodlit arena to the dusty Mesquite desert is a shared love of difficulty. In both worlds, the aim is the same — survive, adapt and overcome. Karlsson’s podium on Stark’s electric bike at the top level hints at the direction of the sport’s technology, while the open-entry structure of events like the 500 West shows how accessible Hard Enduro has become for ordinary riders. The machinery may differ, but the motivation remains universal.
As Enduro21 noted,
“When the others bring their best, it brings out the very best in Bill, and that makes the racing even more awesome to watch.”
The same energy fuels the amateurs chasing their own version of greatness in the Nevada desert. It’s the same fight — just on different terrain.
The future of Hard Enduro
From the SuperEnduro spotlight to the desert marathons of the American West, Hard Enduro is no longer a specialist pursuit. It has become a global community united by one mindset: no shortcuts, no excuses. Whether Bolt takes another title in Bilbao or a new name emerges from Mesquite, the message is clear — Hard Enduro has never been stronger. The sport is thriving, expanding and evolving, built on the same grit and drive that define every lap, climb and corner.
Billy Bolt arrives in Bilbao this weekend already looking untouchable in the 2026 SuperEnduro World Championship. Two rounds in, the Husqvarna rider holds a commanding thirty-point lead and looks well on course for a record-equalling sixth title. Unless something extraordinary happens inside the Bizkaia Arena on Saturday night, the fight for the crown may be over before it even begins.
Enduro21 summed up the situation perfectly, writing that,
“the challenge has to arrive for Billy Bolt this weekend or it’s gonna be too late.”
That’s the mood across the paddock, where the rest of the Prestige class seem to be running out of answers. Bolt has been almost faultless since his rookie year and, right now, no one looks capable of slowing his charge. The question is not whether he will win, but whether anyone can make him work for it.
Bolt’s dominance and early-season charge
After a nervy start in Poland, Bolt was back to his flawless best in Germany, taking maximum points with the kind of clinical control that has defined his reign. The talk in the paddock is that he wants to wrap the championship up early, possibly with one eye on being at home when his partner Roxie gives birth. If that’s true, it only adds to the sense of urgency for the chasing pack, who need to stop him now or surrender another season entirely.
As one Enduro21 commentator put it,
“It doesn’t look any more likely than it has for the last four seasons to be honest, but we want to be proved wrong by Jonny Walker, Josep Garcia, Mitch Brightmore, Eddie Karlsson or anyone frankly.”
The British rider’s consistency remains his biggest weapon, and right now, there’s no sign of a weakness. Bolt’s rivals have seen this movie before, and once he hits rhythm, the rest are left fighting for scraps.
Walker’s pace, Garcia’s home test
Jonny Walker remains the closest challenger, but his EnduroCross-winning momentum has yet to translate into SuperEnduro success. Twice in two rounds, mistakes in Superpole have cost him crucial gate positions, leaving him with too much work to do when it matters most. The Triumph Racing man looks sharp in qualifying, but small errors keep turning into big consequences. To stop Bolt, those laps have to be clean.
Home favourite Josep Garcia will have a passionate Basque crowd behind him. The EnduroGP world champion is still being described as a rookie in the indoor series, but his rapid adaptation is no surprise. After minimal training before round one and an impressive overall podium in Germany, Garcia now has a clear shot at a heat win in Bilbao. On home soil, with the crowd at his back, this could be the night he breaks through. Enduro21 noted that,
“You have to expect that the EnduroGP world champ has more in his locker by now after doing minimal training ahead of round one, then saying, ‘why not’ for another go in Germany two weeks ago and surprising himself with an overall podium.”
Brightmore, Karlsson and the electric revolution
Mitch Brightmore is another rider who deserves a better return from his pace. The X-Grip Racing man has been one of the quickest on track, but luck has deserted him. Crashes, traffic, and the chaos of the short motos have combined to keep him off the podium so far. If he can put together three clean runs, his first top-three of the season is within reach. The report added,
“The cards haven’t fallen well in the motos more than once for Mitch this year and, despite looking one of the best on track, he has failed to find the results across the races to hit the podium.”
Further down the order, Eddie Karlsson has already made history. His third-place finish for Stark Future in Poland was the first-ever SuperEnduro podium for an electric motorcycle. He looked capable of repeating that in Germany before fading in the final race, handing the spot to Garcia. Still, Stark’s progress remains one of the championship’s most compelling subplots, proof that electric bikes can now mix it with the factory gas-powered giants. Enduro21 described it as,
“an historic first for Eddie Karlsson and the electric motorcycle manufacturer’s racing team.”
Track, stakes and what comes next
The Bizkaia Arena circuit, designed by Alfredo Gomez, will be the first indoor SuperEnduro round in Spain for five years. It promises a technical layout that rewards precision and control, qualities Bolt has in abundance. With Hard Enduro world champion Manuel Lettenbichler out through injury and family commitments, the field is slightly thinner, but the stakes remain high. Every point from here matters for the riders chasing second.
Live coverage is available through FIM-Moto.tv on pay-per-view and season subscriptions, while Enduro21 will deliver on-the-ground updates, results, and rider reactions. Whatever happens under the lights in Bilbao, it feels like another chapter in the legend of Billy Bolt, a champion who keeps finding new ways to stay miles ahead of everyone else.
4am flights after racing until midnight. Eight-hour drives through Moscow traffic to sleep in a tent with no security. Getting stuck in an Indonesian mud hole for two laps while 12 people try to lift your bike as the crowd literally rides alongside you on the track. Dean Wilson said it best on Billy Bolt’s podcast: “It’s insane for people that haven’t done it to realize what the riders actually do go through.”
Bolt appeared on the Against the Rut podcast with Tom Searle and Dean Wilson to discuss life on the road as a professional enduro and motocross racer. What emerged was a window into a world that makes normal professional sports travel look like luxury tourism. These riders aren’t just athletes competing at the highest level, they’re nomadic warriors navigating chaos across continents.
The Russia Race Nobody Could Believe
Tom Searle kicked off the travel horror stories with a race that sounds completely made up. The 2012 Russian Grand Prix.
“Russia, it was always mad when we went there because I remember the track was like an eight-hour drive through all like Moscow traffic,” Searle recalled. “And it was the race where Jeffrey Herlings actually had a car crash trying to overtake in the traffic jam because he was missing his flight.”
But the drive was just the beginning. “The hotel for us was two and a half hours away from the track. So, we drove eight hours from the airport and then had to drive two and a half hours back towards the airport to even stay in a hotel.”
Some riders didn’t bother with the hotel at all. “Some of the riders ended up just like sleeping in trucks and under trucks and in tents. No security, nothing then.”
Zack Osborne set up a tent with his mom and just camped at the track. Multiple factory riders did the same because a four-hour daily commute on top of racing made no sense.
Searle summed it up perfectly: “It was just mad, like riders sleeping in tents.”
Indonesia: Racing in a Car Park With Crowds on Track
Bolt went to Indonesia in 2024 for what he described as “literally just a race for fun.” The experience captured everything about how different extreme enduro is from normal motorsport.
“The area of Indonesia we’re in was like the furthest part from being a tourist place,” Bolt explained. “Put it this way, I was expecting to see like travelers and backpackers like everywhere in the airport. I didn’t see a single traveler or like tourists, but people were just so happy and just wild, like couldn’t do enough for you.”
The event structure was bizarre. They did a qualifying race through the jungle with locals in sandals riding alongside the track. Then came the main event.
“The main race, we did quite a cool race in like the jungle and stuff which had like blokes in sandals like riding alongside the track,” Bolt said. “But that was just qualifying for the main race, which was literally a race around a car park and they just built these ginormous hill climbs out of the digger.”
The crowd situation got completely out of hand. “The crowd was literally in the track. Like you was hitting people out, weren’t you?” Tom asked.
“Yeah. Well, I actually got stuck again,” Bolt admitted. “I went in this mud hole and just couldn’t get out. It took like 12 people to pick my bike out, so I was stuck there for two laps.”
The locals loved every second of it.
The Travel Schedule That Breaks Bodies
Searle laid out what a typical European race week actually looks like, and it’s absurd when you hear it spelled out.
“When you think back to what we did do of setting off at three a.m. in the morning to get to Stansted London airport, which is like a two and a half hour drive to get a six, seven a.m. flight to travel all day to get to the track at seven p.m. in say Sweden or wherever it may be, it’s absolutely bonkers that then you woke up the next day and then raced Saturday and Sunday.”
Dean Wilson, racing the American supercross and motocross circuit, confirmed it’s just as brutal across the pond.
“The travel weighs, it takes a lot out of you, especially now, you know, I do it with the family and you’re racing until 10, 11 at night, get back to the hotel, 12:30, one, six a.m. flight at the airport, you know, up at four. It’s rough.”
Wilson admitted he’s reached a point where he just accepts never being at 100 percent. “I’m kind of gotten to a stage where I’m just used to not being 100 percent. Like when I flew to Abu Dhabi and raced and I was a big travel and man, I was up when everyone was sleeping, then during the day I was just dying through the day with the jet lag.”
Brazil and the Hundred Percent Import Tax
Searle shared another element of international racing that fans never see. Brazil’s import taxes make riding gear incredibly expensive, so riders became traveling salesmen.
“At the end of the weekend, everyone would come around because the flyways for MXGP, the ones where we couldn’t take trucks, they would have like this tent and everyone would pit under it,” Searle explained. “But then at the end of the weekend, everyone would want to buy anything you had. Like anything.”
He’d pack specifically to sell gear. “We would take extra gear and I’d basically go out there with like three gear bags and then come back with one because they would want to buy everything.”
One particularly wet race, riders just gave everything away. “The one race it was so wet and everything was just covered, so people just didn’t want to take anything back. We was just like, ‘Have it all.'”
Dean Wilson, who races for a Brazilian Honda team, confirmed the import situation is still brutal. “The tax is pretty bad. My team owner at Honda Brazil there, he always makes me bring a bunch of parts and stuff. Like I’ve had to make a stop at Pro Circuit and stuff for him and bring it over.”
Camel Racing and Robotic Monkeys at Three A.M.
Sometimes the culture shock hits in the middle of the night when you can’t sleep. Searle had one of those moments in Abu Dhabi.
“I always remember when I was racing in Abu Dhabi and I was up in the middle of the night because I couldn’t sleep. And on the TV was camel racing and on the camel there was a little robotic monkey slapping the thing and they’re like people betting on it.”
Dean Wilson had his own Abu Dhabi observations. “Flying into Abu Dhabi is a trip because like it’s just all desert, all desert. It was just weird coming in. It was like you’re flying into Mars or something and then there’s just buildings and then there’s just big houses.”
The Mechanics Who Never Stop Working
The riders stressed repeatedly that mechanics are the real heroes of this lifestyle. Dean Wilson broke down the American system.
“The mechanics, they fly pretty much seven days a week. You know, they race, we race Saturday. They work all day in the heat, you know, doing what the mechanics do. Sunday, usually they do a rebuild day, usually the hotel parking lots. They get an easy up, you know, in front of the semi truck, rebuild the bike, frame it, engine out, scrub it, engine back in so it’s ready for the next weekend.”
Then they fly home for two days and turn right back around. “They’ll fly out Sunday night back to the shop Monday, Tuesday, and then most of them fly Wednesday or Thursday to the race, set up the tent, dial in the bike.”
Searle talked about his mechanic from his racing days. “The one that speaks to me, Mindo, who was my mechanic, he’s Belgian, and he was my mechanic at CLS. His whole life has just been dedicated to being a mechanic. He’s still now doing the same thing years on, but he’s still just one of the best mechanics in the paddock.”
Many mechanics sacrifice having families entirely because they’re on the road constantly. “Some of them don’t have families because they’ve just literally worked tirelessly on the road for years and years and years.”
How Motorbikes Run Entire Ecosystems
Bolt made an observation about countries like Indonesia and the Dominican Republic that puts the sport in perspective.
“What I found pretty mad was how much them countries rely on motorbikes. Like it is the biggest form of transport by like a million miles. Like that’s all you see. Without motorbikes the ecosystem wouldn’t exist.”
Tom agreed from his experience. “You go roundabout and it’s just yeah, moped heads just scan round this roundabout. It’s wild. Like we had to ride on the road to the start of each day.”
Dean Wilson experienced the same in Brazil. “When you get there, you’re in traffic. There’s just bikes going like through the middle. That’s all you hear. And then it’s just like there’s just so much going on. Helicopters flying over. It’s like you’re in a scene of like Grand Theft Auto.”
The Mental Compartmentalization Required
What makes all of this even more remarkable is that riders have to arrive at these chaotic locations and perform at the absolute highest level. Bolt touched on this when discussing Manuel Lettenbichler wrapping up the 2024 Hard Enduro championship.
“Obviously Manny wrapped the championship up in Germany last weekend. So, kind of makes it a bit easier for me to just put my focus onto indoor training now.”
That casual comment reveals how elite athletes compartmentalize. Lettenbichler winning the outdoor championship while Bolt recovered from knee surgery just meant shifting focus completely to SuperEnduro training. No dwelling, no excuses, just adapting to the situation.
Bolt’s ability to win seven straight SuperEnduro rounds on a destroyed knee, then make the mature decision to have surgery, shows the mental discipline required. These riders navigate absolute chaos in their travel and racing schedule while making calculated decisions about their careers and bodies.
The Reality Behind the Results
When you see race results or championship standings, none of this context appears. You don’t see the eight-hour Moscow traffic jam, the tent camping at the track, the mechanics rebuilding bikes in hotel parking lots at midnight, or the 4am. wake-up calls after racing until 11pm.
You just see who won.
Searle captured it perfectly when talking about stepping away from racing. “It’s not until you step out of it all like where I am now, obviously just racing in a domestic championship, that you just think, wow, that is nuts.”
These riders live a version of professional sports that makes NBA or NFL travel look like vacation planning. They’re dealing with language barriers, wildly different safety standards, import taxes, mechanics working around the clock, and somehow staying mentally sharp enough to compete at a world championship level.
Billy Bolt races with crowds literally on the track in Indonesia. He wins SuperEnduro rounds with a torn ACL. Manuel Lettenbichler dominates Hard Enduro while managing the chaos of racing in locations where the ecosystem runs on motorbikes.
The next time you see an enduro or motocross result, remember what it took just to get to the starting line.
Billy Bolt rode seven SuperEnduro rounds in 2024 with a torn ACL, shredded meniscus, and two fractured bones in his lower leg. He won all seven. Then he made a decision that the younger version of himself never would have made: he stopped racing and had surgery. The journey from that choice reveals everything about how elite athletes actually break down.
Bolt opened up about his relationship with rest, recovery, and the crushing pressure to never stop during his appearance on the Against the Rut podcast with Tom Searle and Dean Wilson. His story connects two moments in Germany that bookend what he’s learned about listening to your body versus grinding through everything.
Germany 2018: Running on Empty
The first Germany moment came at the 2018 Tong race in the British Extreme Championship. Bolt was in his second year with Husqvarna, carrying expectations, and something inside him snapped during the race.
“I didn’t ride good, completely like lost my head, got so angry like during the race,” Bolt recalled. “I’m just like holding this thing on the rev limiter going nowhere, making an absolute tit of myself.”
He finished third. Paul Bolton passed him on the final lap while Graham Jarvis won comfortably. Bolt threw his bike down, smashed his helmet into the ground, and watched it bounce into a fishing pond. His mechanic Stan loaded the bike and left without speaking to him.
Looking back on the podcast, Bolt recognised what was really happening. His body and mind were telling him something was wrong, but he didn’t have the tools to understand the message. He just knew he felt overwhelmed and responded by losing control completely.
Germany 2024: A Different Response
Fast forward to the 2024 SuperEnduro round in Germany. Bolt landed awkwardly in practice and immediately knew something was seriously wrong. He’d torn his ACL, damaged his meniscus, and fractured his tibia in two places.
The pain left him on the floor. But this time, instead of emotional chaos, he made a calculated assessment. He could race. He did race. He won that round and the next six, claiming his fourth consecutive SuperEnduro title.
Then came the decision that defined his growth. With the Hard Enduro World Championship starting and Manuel Lettenbichler in dominant form, Bolt chose surgery over pushing through. He sat out the first half of the outdoor season while his knee healed properly.
“Obviously Manny wrapped the championship up in Germany last weekend,” Bolt said on the podcast. “So, kind of makes it a bit easier for me to just put my focus onto indoor training now.”
The old Billy Bolt would have tried to race through it and probably ended his career early. The mature version understood when to stop.
The American System That Breaks Riders
During the podcast discussion about travel and training culture, Bolt touched on something that connects directly to his injury experience. He observed a fundamental difference between European and American racing mentality.
“I find a bit mad about in America, and I don’t know, this might be untrue, but this is how it seems,” Bolt said. “It’s portrayed that like it’s so strict with your kind of in the week stuff as well. Like even when you’re like three quarters of the way through the year, it’s like everyone still rides two days a week or whatever.”
He continued, “I just feel like when you’re that far into a year and you’ve done that many flights and that many travel, surely there’s times when you just say like, whoa, like my body just needs this week of like nothing to be able to race next weekend.”
Dean Wilson, the American motocross rider on the podcast, agreed. “The season’s like a bit too long on our side. The writers are very few of us writers are making it through all the way through. I think we need to figure it out and chop it down somehow because the writers are just getting fried.”
Bolt contrasted this with European flexibility. “Whereas I think Europe’s a bit more there’s a bit more give, a lot more.”
Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Billy Bolt. Credit: Husqvarna
Winning After Two Weeks Off
Bolt shared something that challenges the entire rigid training narrative. Sometimes rest works better than grinding through prescribed schedules.
“I just know for myself, like there’s been weeks or like even several weeks I’ve thought I just need to do nothing and I’ve turned up at a race and not rode for two weeks and I’ve still won,” he explained. “There’s races that I’ve turned up for after not riding for two weeks and I’ve still won.”
That admission cuts through conventional wisdom about constant training. Bolt has reached a level where he understands his body well enough to know when backing off produces better results than pushing through.
“From the outside, America looks so regimented and so strict that it just… it’s no wonder people get burned out,” he said.
The Spiral That Confirms Everything
Bolt experienced exactly what happens when you ignore your body’s signals. After breaking his back in Abu Dhabi early in 2024, he took six weeks off and returned feeling better than he had all year.
“Even for me this year, I broke my back in Abu Dhabi when we was out there, Dean, and then I had six weeks off and then I returned to a race and almost felt the best I’d felt all year other than feeling a little bit rusty in qualifying,” he said.
But then the pressure to keep racing kicked in. “Then I did feel like I had to then have another week off because I hadn’t rode and that had knackered me out from that race. And then I had another race and then I almost got in a spiral where I could only go, I couldn’t practice for a bit because I was that tired from each race weekend.”
That spiral, where racing without recovery leads to more fatigue and worse performance, is exactly what he avoided by choosing surgery after Germany. The toll doesn’t show up immediately. It compounds over weeks until you’re racing below your capability and risking serious injury.
What This Actually Means
Bolt returned from his knee surgery to win Hixpania Hard Enduro, then dominated the 2025 SuperEnduro season to claim his fifth consecutive title. The time off didn’t hurt him. It probably extended his career.
The contrast between 2018 Germany and 2024 Germany shows what separates champions who last from those who burn out. In 2018, he didn’t know how to read his body’s signals and responded with emotional chaos. In 2024, he pushed through seven rounds on a destroyed knee, then made the hard choice to stop before permanent damage set in.
Tom Searle, the retired rider on the podcast, captured the broader issue. “It’s insane for people that haven’t done it to realize what the riders actually do go through aside from the racing, just traveling to an event.”
Bolt’s point isn’t that riders should never push through pain or fatigue. It’s that the culture of rigid training schedules and never backing off creates a system where athletes can’t make smart decisions about their own bodies. Sometimes the bravest thing a champion can do is recognise when stopping makes them stronger.
His body gave out twice in Germany. The first time, he didn’t know how to handle it. The second time, he made the right call and came back better than ever.
Billy Bolt’s career didn’t turn on a podium or a title win. It started with a helmet thrown in anger, a long silent drive home, and a humiliating fishing expedition in a Yorkshire pond. After finishing third at the 2018 Tong round, he lost his head completely. The fallout from that day ended up shaping him into a five-time world champion.
Bolt opened up about that moment during his recent appearance on the Against the Rut podcast with Tom Searle and Dean Wilson. What’s striking is how a single meltdown at a muddy British race became the catalyst for learning how to handle pressure, and the start of a very different approach to his career.
The Tong Disaster
Heading into the 2018 Tong race, Bolt was in his second year with Husqvarna and coming in with expectations. But during the race, something snapped. As he described it on the podcast, he completely lost his composure.
“I didn’t ride good, completely like lost my head, got so angry like during the race,” Bolt recalled. “I’m just like holding this thing on the rev limiter going nowhere, making an absolute tit of myself, shouting at everyone. It was like fully head gone, like couldn’t hack.”
Graham Jarvis won by miles. Paul Bolton passed Billy on the last lap. Although third wasn’t a disaster on paper, Bolt didn’t see it that way in the moment.
“I finished the race and I came third. Paul Bolton passed us on the last lap. Graeme won miles ahead,” he explained. “I threw my bike down, smashed my helmet off the ground.”
What happened next became the defining image of that day. The helmet bounced off a rock and landed in the fishing pond next to the paddock area where locals would cast their lines.
“There’s actually a little pond by the paddock at Tong where people fish into, and it bounced off this rock and my helmet landed in the lake and I had to go and get it out,” Bolt said.
His mechanic Stan picked up the bike without a word and left the circuit entirely. “Stan picks the bike up, puts it in the van, he just leaves, left the race, didn’t even say goodbye. He’s like, ‘I’m not even talking to you.'”
The silence continued for days.
A Childhood Influence That Wasn’t So Cool
Bolt admitted on the podcast that he’d been influenced as a kid by watching speedway racing at Newcastle, just two miles from his house. A rider named Nikki Pettison used to throw his helmet into the pits after bad races, and young Billy thought it looked impressive.
“I used to watch Speedway a lot as I was a kid. There was the Newcastle Shack was like 2 miles from my house, and there was a rider that used to ride for them who, like, when he used to have a bad race would just come in and throw his helmet into the pits,” Bolt explained. “I would be like a little kid watching it and for some reason that was just like, I used to think it was quite cool.”
Standing in that pond, fishing out his own helmet, he realised just how wrong he’d been. “Anyway, it’s not cool. And I did it once, ticked it off the list.”
The Turning Point
The moment hit him hard when Stan refused to speak to him. “I was just like, it hit us. I was like, ‘Whoa, I need to… That was embarrassing. Like, I need to sort myself out. Like, that can’t happen. Like, I can’t behave like that.'”
Bolt made a crucial decision after Tong. He started working with a sports psychologist to learn how to control his emotions and channel his anger productively instead of letting it explode.
“So then I went and started to work with a psychologist to try and control emotions and use my anger in a positive way,” he said on the podcast.
That work came into play years later. In 2024, during practice at the German SuperEnduro round, Bolt landed awkwardly and suffered a torn ACL, damaged meniscus, and two tibial fractures. The pain was intense enough to leave him on the floor, but this time he didn’t react emotionally.
He took stock, decided he could race, and went on to win not just that round but seven straight events to claim his fourth SuperEnduro title. Later, he made the mature call to have surgery and sit out the first half of the Hard Enduro season to avoid long-term damage.
The difference between the 2018 meltdown and the way he handled 2024 injuries is stark. While recovering from surgery, Manuel Lettenbichler wrapped up the Hard Enduro championship. Bolt acknowledged this on the podcast, saying, “Obviously Manny wrapped the championship up in Germany last weekend. So, kind of makes it a bit easier for me to just put my focus onto indoor training now.”
But Bolt returned to win at Hixpania Hard Enduro and added a fifth consecutive SuperEnduro crown in 2025. He’s still a passionate rider, but he channels it differently now.
The psychology work helped him stay calm under pressure and make better decisions. “There’s been weeks or like even several weeks I’ve thought I just need to do nothing and I’ve turned up at a race and not rode for two weeks and I’ve still won,” he explained, discussing how he’s learned to trust his instincts about when to rest.
Stan forgave him eventually. “Yeah, we hugged it out a few days later when I went, I think I had to go and pick my bike up from his or whatever. I was like, ‘No, that’s… I’m sorry. I’m an embarrassment.'”
The apology mattered, but the real change came from understanding why he needed to apologise in the first place.
The Moment That Defined Him
Every champion has a turning point. For Bolt, it wasn’t a victory or a breakthrough ride. It was standing in a fishing pond at Tong, holding a helmet he’d thrown in a tantrum, realising he’d just acted out a childhood fantasy that should never have been one.
That embarrassment pushed him to get help, develop the mental tools to match his physical ability, and become a rider capable of winning SuperEnduro rounds on a destroyed knee while also knowing when to step back.
The helmet landed in the lake. But Bolt came out stronger on the other side.
Hard Enduro champion Manuel Lettenbichler and MX2 world champion Simon Längenfelder will compete at the Red Bull Stoppelboss in Frohburg. A total of 300 riders will battle for seconds, dust, and glory.
When earth piles up on a harvested field, straw bales become jump ramps, and two world champions battle for seconds at full throttle, it’s clear: This isn’t about farming. On November 1st, the Frohburg Triangle will be transformed into an off-road arena. At the Red Bull Stoppelboss, around 300 drivers will compete on loose soil – right in the heart of the Leipzig district.
The starting places have long been taken, but the race will be a special experience for spectators: Admission is free, and the race starts at 10 a.m. Access is via the B7 / Streitwalder Straße – from Grauer Wolf toward Kartoffelhalle. There, the road becomes one-way, and parking is available along the course.
World champions meet amateurs
The Red Bull Stoppelboss is perhaps Germany’s most unusual stubble cross race. The race takes place on a freshly harvested wheat field, which transforms into a 2.7-kilometer circuit dotted with straw bales, tree trunks, and other artificial obstacles. The loose surface demands concentration, sensitivity, and courage: The grip constantly changes, and every meter can mean the difference between victory and a crash.
The focus is on the sporting competition – and it bears a clear signature: Team Mani versus Team Simon. Hard Enduro World Champion Manuel Lettenbichler, who secured his fifth world title just this weekend at the GetzenRodeo, leads the blue team. MX2 World Champion Simon Längenfelder faces him on the red team.
Regional actors are also involved
First, all participants must qualify in the so-called pre-eliminations. Only the top 100 drivers advance to the super final, where they are assigned to the two teams. In several races, the teams compete for two classifications: the best overall performance and the fastest individual time. This means that every start determines the outcome of the race – regardless of whether the driver is a professional or a hobbyist. “What’s special is that world champions and amateurs are racing side by side here,” says Nicky Neubert of Neubert Racing, who supports the event behind the scenes. “This is a rare opportunity to experience motorsport at this level in such a tangible way.”
It’s no coincidence that the event is taking place in Frohburg. Red Bull specifically sought a location in the east – one with motorsport tradition, space, and passion. “The region between Chemnitz, Leipzig, and Dresden is ideal. Frohburg simply has everything: experience, enthusiasm, and the right space,” says Neubert. He personally helped coordinate with local authorities and contacts. “Red Bull has the know-how, but it’s always good to have someone who knows the routes.”
It’s great that Red Bull is doing something here – it brings attention and shows how diverse our region is.
Nicky Neubert – Member of Neubert Racing
Practice sessions and time trials begin at 10 a.m., with the finals following in the afternoon. The highlight is the Le Mans start, where the riders sprint to their bikes before setting off—a spectacular moment reminiscent of legendary off-road races. The event will also be filmed and later posted on Red Bull’s official channels. Spectators should bring weatherproof clothing and sturdy footwear—the terrain will remain natural, in keeping with the format.
For Frohburg, the Stoppelboss is more than just another motorsport event. “It’s great that Red Bull is doing something here – it brings attention and shows how diverse our region is,” says Neubert. The traditional triangle is once again proving itself to be a home for motorsport – this time literally.
KTM factory rider Manuel Lettenbichler has won the Hard Enduro World Championship for the fourth time in a row, and his fifth time overall. SPEEDWEEK.com spoke with the Red Bull ace from Kiefersfelden.
With one event left before the end of the season, Manuel Lettenbichler of Team Red Bull KTM is already uncatchable in the overall Hard Enduro World Championship standings. At his home race, the GetzenRodeo in Saxony, he secured his fourth consecutive title with victory.
Speaking to speedweek.com, Manual reflected on the win.
Mani, congratulations on winning the title again! How does it feel one day later?
My body is pretty tired, but of course, it feels really cool. I didn’t expect to win the World Championship title again this year, and certainly not in the penultimate race. To achieve it at my home race, where the atmosphere is always extremely good anyway, is obviously very cool. I feel very relieved and proud that everything worked out so well and that the season turned out so well.
You dominated both races in Saxony and finished almost 13 minutes ahead of Mario Roman in the GetzenChamp. How was that possible?
I guess I just rode better than the others. I won both holeshots, which means a lot at the GetzenRodeo. I rode so cleanly from the start that I was able to gain a minute per lap early in the race. I had very good grip and was riding smoothly — the good grip made a huge difference in the Getzenwald. If you go too aggressively, it doesn’t work. I felt very good the whole time, and that continued on the final day. You’re already on the road for two hours in the morning and then another hour and a half in the afternoon, which is not to be underestimated.
Lettenbichler secures World Championship title with home victory. Credit: m_letti304 Instagram
Was the route in Saxony significantly different from previous years?
It was similar, but a few elements were different. The X-Loop had also been redesigned, not too difficult, as it had been in previous years. You could ride the whole thing and didn’t have to help each other. In GetzenChamp, the course had become so worn out over time that there was only one line. But it was a good track, and the organizers did a great job.
The fans in Grießbach seem to be particularly motivating you. The route helps with that, doesn’t it?
Absolutely. For me, the GetzenRodeo is the ultimate model race. It will have to go in that direction in the future because it’s perfect for fans to watch. As a spectator, you can get everywhere quickly, and it’s extremely exciting throughout the entire race.
Was there no need for the drivers’ union WERA to take action there?
No, there wasn’t much to complain about; they made it very rider-friendly. The plan for the prologue was actually for the top four to have a race for the prize money, but the organizers and riders decided against it because it was already so late. Especially for this race, the organizers are very open to interacting with the riders, and that will continue to be very important in the future.
Red Bull KTM factory rider Manuel Lettenbichler won the GetzenRodeo in Grießbach, Saxony, successfully defending his title in the Hard Enduro World Championship with one event to go. Manuel Lettenbichler never left any doubt about his victory in front of his home crowd, both in the GetzenRace qualifying race on Saturday morning and in the GetzenChamp main race in the afternoon. Young German talent Felix Bähker (Beta) from Baden-Württemberg, with another very convincing performance in the iconic Saxon race, secured the runner-up title in the Junior World Championship behind South African James Moore (KTM).
The prologue on Friday determined the starting order for the GetzenRace on Saturday morning. The top three finishers also received prize money. The winner was then determined in the GetzenChamp on Saturday afternoon.
The rule is: unless something extraordinary happens, Billy Bolt wins the prologue. This was also the case at the GetzenRodeo, where the British SuperEnduro giant shone on his Husqvarna on Friday in front of the traditionally large and enthusiastic crowd in Saxony. Rain in the preceding days had softened the ground considerably, but Bolt held his own even in these conditions, winning ahead of fellow countryman Mitch Brightmore (GASGAS) and Bavarian Manuel Lettenbichler on his Red Bull KTM. Due to the muddy and dangerous conditions, the World Championship points for the prologue were awarded not on Friday, but on Saturday morning during the GetzenRace (Prologue 2).
The GetzenRace started at 10 a.m. on Saturday, and the 2.8 km circuit was peppered with sections that were not only technically challenging but also had memorable names: Bacon Rind, Top Heat, Spice Rack, and Hot Pipe – to name just a few. The GetzenRodeo is so popular with spectators not only because of its names but also because the circuit is designed so that all sections can be reached on foot during the race.
Lettenbichler set a breathtaking pace from the start. Like Bolt in SuperEnduro, Mani is virtually untouchable in Hard Enduro, especially in the forest. After one of the two hours of racing in the GetzenRace in the morning, the Bavarian already had a lead of almost five minutes over Brightmore, who could feel the Spaniard Mario Roman (Sherco) breathing down his neck. Roman overtook Brightmore in the second half of the race, confirming his solid form. After 11 laps, Lettenbichler took a comfortable victory, almost four and a half minutes ahead of Roman and a good eight minutes ahead of Brightmore. This secured him three World Championship points, Roman received two, and Brightmore one. Billy Bolt got stuck on a climb right after the start, dropped back to 14th place, and was unable to gain much ground over the remainder of the race.
The 20 fastest riders from the GetzenRodeo competed in the afternoon on the same course, but ridden in the opposite direction. Besides the change of direction, the X-Loop was another difference from the morning. This additional section had to be completed once by each rider, with the riders free to choose which lap. And once again, Lettenbichler piloted his KTM like a world champion over the technically demanding sections, pulling away from the start and finishing with a lead of almost 13 minutes over Roman. Only the southern German and Roman completed eight laps; Bolt had already completed one less.
According to the provisional World Championship standings after the sixth of seven races, Lettenbichler is 43 points ahead of Bolt. Since the Roof of Africa in Lesotho is a multi-stage event, a maximum of 43 points can be earned there. Even if Bolt manages to win, Lettenbichler would still be able to secure the title with more wins. The KTM star thus clinched his fifth World Championship title, his fourth in a row!
In the Junior classification, Felix Bähker (Beta) from veteran Alfredo Gomez’s team engaged in a fierce battle with South African James Moore (KTM). Moore had accumulated sufficient points before the final race of the Junior World Championship at the GetzenRodeo and finished the event ahead of Bähker with a win, preventing the young German from overtaking him.
Manuel Lettenbichler: “I’m speechless! The crowd at our home race is the best. All the other riders here will confirm that! Now we’ve already secured the world championship title — that’s amazing. Today we’re going to have a beer; we deserve it!”
Mario Roman: “I’m very happy, thanks to my team and especially the spectators in Germany. This is such a good event, and I’m proud to be on the podium at the GetzenRodeo for the fourth time. It’s very special, and it wasn’t an easy course again — certainly one of the most difficult all year. You can’t make any mistakes. Congratulations to Mani; he flew. I tried everything, but he was too fast.”
Billy Bolt: “That wasn’t my best race, and I had some issues, which I was able to mitigate in the second run, but not enough. I congratulate the two riders in front of me and Mani, who won the world title again at the GetzenRodeo. The atmosphere here is unique — the fans can follow everything, and it’s a great race. I hope we can continue to develop the sport in the direction that the GetzenRodeo continues to demonstrate. Kudos to the organizers for putting on an exemplary race.”
Results – Hard Enduro World Championship GetzenRodeo (Germany):
Manuel Lettenbichler (D, KTM), 1:38.23 h
Mario Roman (E, Sherco), +12:48.485 min
Billy Bolt (GB, Husqvarna), +1 lap
Mitch Brightmore (GB, GASGAS), +1 lap
Matthew Green (ZA, KTM), +2 laps
Teo Kabakchiev (BG, Sherco), +2 laps
Alfredo Gomez (E, Beta), +2 laps
Lorenzo Gandola (I, Husqvarna), +2 laps
James Moore (ZA, KTM), +2 laps
Wade Young (ZA, GASGAS), +2 laps
Provisional World Championship standings after 6 of 7 races:
Prepare for a crammed schedule of getting muddy, experiencing a rush of adrenaline, and twisting throttle as the UK’s November 2025 enduro schedule gets into top gear. Ranging from traditional hare and hound events to hardcore hard enduro weekends, there’s certainly no shortage of competition to get stuck into. LC Enduro will be at Shotwick every Sunday in November for a pay and play session.
Big names such as Raw Enduro and Edge Offroad are staging two-day events with championship points at stake, while WOR Enduro’s TOLB Extreme Challenge returns towards the end of the month. LC Enduro remains committed to organizing its highly popular Sunday Sessions at Shotwick with opportunities for fans to get regular riding time at one of the North West’s most loved tracks.
Whether you’re chasing championship points or just out for a play day in the woods, November has something for every level of rider.
LC Enduro
🗓️ November 2025 Enduro Events
Every Sunday – LC Enduro – Shotwick, Deeside, CH5 2NA
Sat, 1 – Kingston & DMCC – Ted Smith Hare and Hounds – Ashdown Farm, Aston Tirrold, Didcot, OX11 9DR Sun, 2 – Ramsey MCC – Centre Timecard Enduro – Glen Wyllin, Kirk Michael, Isle of Man, IM6 1AL Sun, 2 – Lincolnshire Enduro Club – Dust Devils Hare & Hound Rd8 – Bash Farm, Horncastle, LN9 6QU Sat, 8 – Rogershill Off Road – ACU Southern Centre Winter Warmer Rd2 – Manor Farm, Dorset, DT11 0JS Sat, 15 – Peveril MCC – Moto43Duro – Knock Froy, Santon, Isle of Man, IM4 1JD Sun, 16 – Diss MCC – Muntjac Enduro – Thetford Forest, Brandon, IP27 0RE Sun, 16 – Edge Offroad – UK Hard Enduro Series (Venue TBC) Sat–Sun, 22–23 – Edge Offroad – BXCC Final Round (Venue TBC) Sun, 23 – Raw Enduro – The Nutbuster Hard Enduro – Catterick Military Area Sun, 23 – WOR Enduro – The TOLB Extreme
