Husqvarna Nuda by Touratech

For what is the world's biggest off-road race, taking place on a 13.5 km long gravel road at Eisenerz in the Austrian Alps, Touratech's designers and technicians turned two Husqvarna 900R Nuda bikes into true off-road racers.

"We test our products and designs under the toughest conditions," says Touratech Managing Director Jochen Schanz, "on long distance travels, which are a real test of the equipment, as well as on hard enduro events. Only products which pass these tests will meet our customers' requirements."

With the two Nuda-X-Cross bikes, a number of Touratech accessories were used, such as engine and radiator guards, hand protectors, off-road foot pegs and optimized suspension components.
"For example, we've fitted new Tracitive Suspension fork legs by Touratech," Lars Wurdemann, the race team technician, explained.

Wurdemann, who is responsible for this road bike conversion, will race in the prologue with one of the two Nuda-X-Cross bikes. He is used to such big bikes: Last year he finished in the Welsh 12-hours "Dawn to Dusk" enduro race with Touratech's F800GS enduro conversion.

The rider of the second Nuda-X-Cross is Marco Straubel. It wasn't hard to convince him; the two keywords "Touratech" and "Erzberg" were all the four-time German Enduro Champion and former Vice European Champion needed to assure his participation.

In addition, Touratech will be competing in the Red Bull Hare Scramble with their top rider, Gerhard Forster, on his Husqvarna TE449. Forster was top four-stroke and top-placed German rider at last year's Hare Scramble.

One of the most extreme enduro challenges, the Erzberg Rodeo has a high attrition rate, with a 1500-strong field contesting the prologue to determine the 500 starters for the race. Of that 500, only a handful of the competitors reach the finish line. It is not without good reason that the Erzberg Rodeo is one of the last adventures in which even the toughest men reach their physical limits.

Touratech will report live from the Erzberg Rodeo all weekend long on Facebook.