The L.A. Sleeve Honda eats...
The L.A. Sleeve Honda eats the sandy track right up.
As a member of the dirtrider.com team, I was lucky enough to attend the annual torture test first hand. I was excited and curious as to just what this event entailed. Sure I've worked on torture test stories before, but as I found out in one long day, there was a lot more to the test than even I thought. Here's your complete Dirt Rider Torture Test Guide, from my eyes.
Dirt Rider editor Jesse Ziegler informed me that, "Dirt Rider Magazine's annual torture test has become a main event on the off-road world's calendar. Each year, the staff at Dirt Rider concocts a wonderful blend of test bike criteria in order to challenge the manufacturers, aftermarket companies and top off-road dirt bike riders and racers of the world to deliver the best of the best. It has evolved from the Dirt Rider 24-Hour Test into what it is today: the most enjoyable torture in off-road." With this in mind, I was ready to endure my first Torture Test as a volunteer on foot. As I read the previous stories of these tests, I asked Jesse why the test had been changed from 24 hours to 2 day event. He replied, "The 24-Hour event was hard, but 24 hours isn't enough time to show the weaknesses in today's machinery. And, it was stretching the limits of what we should expect these companies to do in two or three days. Just finding enough quality riders to run a bike consistently for 24 hours is hard enough! But the biggest negative 24 hour testing posed was the inability for the Dirt Rider staff of testers to come away with real, conclusive test results. With the bikes so spread out, our riders couldn't get on them enough to evaluate. So, we created the new format, dropped the 24-hour running requirement and have a much more realistic test for the coolest off-road dirt bikes in the world!" It seems to me the 24-hour sounds like a lot of riding without much light left to take notes in, this Torture Test format sounds best for optimizing every bit of energy the riders have left while the bikes effortless conquer these tests.
Directions, that's what I needed before I head out to the testing, where was I going? Glen Helen, Elsinore, Milestone? I figured wherever it was I had probably been to and wouldn't need much to get there. Boy was I wrong assuming it was at any ordinary MX track. For 2009, Dirt Rider went to the new and already legendary Rynoland dirt bike playground in Anza, California. Ryan Hughes' personal moto playground/testing/training grounds offer dirt bike enthusiasts one of the most glorious landscapes for which to roost upon. It has numerous motocross tracks, acres of single-track-laced hillside and open areas for parking, radar gun testing and the ever popular Red Bull and Moose Racing Hospitality rigs. When my brother found out we were going there, he thought about cutting his cast off his arm.
Ryno knows this dirt like...
Ryno knows this dirt like the back of his hand.
So I would be helping out at the private training facility of Ryan Hughes?! How cool is that! This was a new experience for me as I had never been to Rynoland. Is it rough? Should I drive my car out there? I decided to make my brother Brad drive me out there in his truck. It wasn't like I really made him, he would have went without me.
"Why are we out here doing a torture test at Rynoland?" I asked JZ. "The 2009 Dirt Rider Torture Test was inspired by modern machines, slippery economic slopes and the desire for utmost versatility in our two-wheeled toys. We wanted someone in the industry to deliver the best one bike that can do it all. If every Dirt Rider reader could buy one bike for Motocross, Enduro, Desert, Tight trails, Grand Prix events, etc. they would. So, we thought the dirt bike world should see what they could do. We didn't limit their budgets or direct teams and bike builders on engine displacement or configuration. It was open to all brands, makes and models regardless of sales numbers or United States popularity." With this great news, I wanted to know what can we expect and when we were going to see these bikes. "Once the invited participants submitted their bike proposals, we let them get to work. They built some amazing machines--some in as little as a few weeks or less-and brought them all to Rynoland on Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009," Jesse answered.
Tuesday morning came and before the sun was up, the Torture Test riders were well awake, preparing for the early morning weigh-in, radar test and escargot test.
From the crack of dawn, Brad and I had been on our way to Anza, CA without much but an ounce of shut-eye. We finally arrived at Rynoland with anticipation of what this place and day held; we checked in and got down to business by helping Jesse setup the motocross test. With staple gun in hand we trekked to the top of the course, found some orange cones and setup the Motocross test signs. After everything was good to go for the testing, we waited, and waited, and waited for a test bike to show up; Dave Donatoni & Jesse were becoming anxious. Assuming some of the test riders must have slept though the previous tests, the first team test rider showed up for the moto test about an hour behind schedule.
 Red Bull is burnt into my...  Red Bull is burnt into my skin too. | 
Vintage! | |