Many ATV racing fans have heard of the off-road King of the Hammers race, but the event organizers decided to expand this year with the first-ever "King of the Motos." This grueling inaugural competition through the desert in Lucerne Valley, California, pushed some of the top off-road motorcycle riders to partake in over three hours of racing.
The race was designed to mix high-speed desert racing with some highly technical sections, including riding up sand dunes, hillsides and over jagged rocks. In fact, one particular part of the race took an average of 40 minutes to finish, even though it was just an eighth of a mile long. Organizers said they planned for the race to be extremely punishing, and they got their wish, with some major off-road stars taking DNFs after suffering mechanical damage to their bikes.
In fact, famous names like Kurt Caselli, Cody Webb, Cory Graffunder and Nick Burson all had to retire early from the event, thinning the field significantly. In the end, it came down to Husaberg two-stroke riders Graham Jarvis and Kyle Redmond. Jarvis was able to beat Redmond to the finish line by 15 minutes. Monster Energy Kawasaki Destry Abbott came in third, later saying it was the most difficult race he's ever ridden.