King of Motos Newsletter from Jimmy Lewis

Moto Riders Newsletter
Firstly we’d like to thank you for taking the challenge of riding the toughest and most physically grueling motorcycle race of any king in the United States. It takes a special kind of rider and we hope to provide you with a worthy challenge in the course yet an excellent experience in the entire event so that the King Of The Hammers event continues to grow to levels no one though possible.  All started when a group of 12 teams got together to race rock crawlers across the desert and to the top of a gnarly hill for a case of beer and has grown to the scale you will see the week of February 3rd.
The course is approved and will be announced to riders on Friday February 1st at 9AM. Riders will receive a course map and can also get a GPS track log of the course minus a few of the motorcycle-only sections that will be kept secret until the rider’s meeting (including the start, which will be more spectacular than last year.) Then an updated GPS track will be provided with the entire course at the rider’s meeting.
The course is a single 79-mile loop that hits a common remote pit twice during the loop. The mileages work out like this: Start to Remote Pit 12-mi. Remote Pit to Remote Pit 32-mi. Remote pit to finish/main pit 25-mi. Pros will ride two loops. Expert and Teams will go one lap. For fuel consumption comparisons, a 2005 KTM 200 did the start to the second passing of the remote pit (44-mi.) and was nearly empty (on reserve with a stock tank).
There is no outside assistance allowed anywhere on the course. We will transport a gas cans only to the remote pit. You can attach things to it but if it is in any way more difficult to transport than just a standard gas can we will not take it. You can check with us on Saturday. Remember the spirit of this race is one-man, one bike, no assistance. At the main pit riders can use outside tools and parts but no one else can touch the bike. Yes, the rider gasses the bike. Riders can help other riders as long as they are on the course and have not shortcutted to get to another rider.
GPS is not required but highly recommended. The course will be marked, especially in the motorcycle only sections. On common course, shared with the Untra4 event, the markings will in the fast stuff and the few shared canyons will be car-style marking, meaning a lot less than a motorcycle racer is familiar with. The motorcycle only sections will be marked with typical markings.
There is no restriction on where you can ride leading up to the event. When you get the course map you can even pre-run the course if you desire, we’d like to call it course inspection. The motorcycle only sections will not be marked until late on Saturday (about the time of the rider’s meeting) so you won’t know exactly where they are till you come across them on the course where there will be tons of markings and officials to make sure you get on the right course.
We have used a Trail Tech Voyager GPS in setting up the course and making the track logs you will be following. Trail Tech will be at the event to support any riders who need help with the GPS or operating it. If you’d like to use one they are offering a discount to racers of the King Of The Motos.
The Pro Purse is broken down to the top three positions this year. 1st=$7000, 2nd=$1500, 3rd=$1000. You have to finish the entire race and not miss any checkpoints to get paid. In the event a rider misses a checkpoint there will not be a time penalty rather he will be placed behind all the other riders who went through more checkpoints. In the event that two riders have missed the same amounts of checkpoints the race director will rank them based on the checkpoint missed. Top three riders in Expert and Team will receive trophies.
All riders will be using an Iridi Tracker for the event so there will be no course cutting. We will compare the tracker’s information with our official course track log at the finish to confirm riders stayed on the course. As we get more information on this and the mounting of the tracker we will pass it along.
We will have checkpoints out on the course that will not be announced and put in positions to make sure you stay on the course and do not skip a technical section. If you cut more than 50’ off the course, you could be missing a check. Stay on the marking and do not cut corners or shortcourse and you will not have a problem.
You will be provided an official front numberplate with your requested number on it for the event. It will be given to you at sign up.
The rider’s meeting is mandatory! The exact time on Saturday afternoon will be posted on the event schedule. We are also encouraging all riders to come to a Autograph signing for and hour before the rider’s meeting. It will allow fans (and if you have not been to KOH before, you’ll be pretty surprised!) to meet you and also we’ll be doing interviews that will run live during the event on the Jumbotron in Hammertown.
Tech inspection is mandatory on Saturday Afternoon! We will be checking for sound (96db) spark arrestor and proper numberplate mounting as well as Iridi Tracker mounting. There is no restrictions on the bikes in displacement, tires or much of anything. Just a safe motorcycle, this is run what ya brung.
We’ll be getting you more information as we get closer to the event. If you have any specific questions feel free to e-mail jimmy@jimmylewisoffroad.com and we will get an answer for you.