Known all over the world as a true legend of hard enduro, Graham won Erzbergrodeo five times, the Romaniacs Hard Enduro Rallye six times, and hopes to add to that tally further over the course of the 2022 season.

After eight years as a Husqvarna Factory Racing rider, Graham has formed the Jarvis Racing Team to take on the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, where he will compete on TE 300i together with fellow Brits Jono Richardson, Sam Winterburn, and Grant Churchward.

Graham will also put continued focus on his ever-growing Jarvis Signature Tours in 2022, where he will continue to use the latest Husqvarna enduro line-up. The popular tours cater for riders of all skill levels, taking place at specifically selected locations. Participants can choose between a selection of TE and FE models and take on some of the best trails the world has to offer, in countries such as Spain, Romania, and Turkey.

Jarvis’ first outing as a Husqvarna Motorcycles-mounted privateer will be at round one of the 2022 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship – the Minus400 in Israel, from April 5-7.

Graham Jarvis:“Continuing to race on Husqvarna Motorcycles machinery is something I’m really pleased about. I’ve been with the brand for a lot of years now, and we’ve had so much success together. Obviously, my goal is still to challenge for the Hard Enduro World Championship and to try and do as well as I can in each event. Things will be a little different for me with my own team this year, but I’m really looking forward to it all. I’ve been working hard to get back to full fitness after my knee injury, and I’m feeling pretty good again now. I’m looking forward to an enjoyable season.”

Hard man Jarvis tried to carry on but the pain was too much. He’s had scans on knee and docs decided surgery was called for.

“Bad News – broken ACL! Gonna have surgery and a few months off!” he said on social media.

Manuel Lettenbichler is leading the event from Wade Young, Matrio Roman and Billy Bolt after three days of racing.

Starting as a top trials rider who won the Scottish Six Days trial four times as well as the British championship five times, he was one of the first stars of Extreme Enduro. He’s won the tough Erzberg Rodeo five times and the Romaniacs six times. And destroyed his shed while riding in has garden during lockdown.

We catch up with the factory Rockstar Husqvarna rider to hear how to got to where he is now, plus his plans for the future. And we then catch up with his dad Cliff who fills us in on the hard slog Graham has gone through to be the king of extreme.

Kicking things off in Portugal with the prestigious Extreme XL Lagares on May 7-9, competitors then face the iconic Red Bull Erzbergrodeo one month later in Austria. New ground is then broken with the arrival of the Abestone Hard Enduro in central Italy in early July.

New Italian Hard Enduro

A brand new race for Hard Enduro fans to enjoy, the Abestone Hard Enduro will take place in Abetone, Tuscany on July 10-11. Organised by the vastly experienced Hard Enduro competitor Michele Bosi and his team, the race is set to take place across two days. Saturday will see racers tackle a one-hour mountainous loop, which will be ridden four times, with the addition of an extreme test at the end of each lap. The top 50 riders will then advance through to Sunday’s main event – a three-hour multi-lap Hard Enduro.

More info on the Abestone Hard Enduro can be found on the event’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

Two weeks later and it’s full steam ahead for arguably the most-demanding race on the calendar, the five-day Red Bull Romaniacs in Romania. A Hard Enduro Rallye like no other, it will prove a decisive halfway marker in the fight to become the first FIM Hard Enduro World Champion.

From Romania competitors head to Tennessee, USA for the Red Bull TKO, before returning to Europe for Poland’s HERO Challenge on September 11-12.

Poland’s HERO Challenge

Set for its second edition, the HERO Challenge proved a great success in 2020. Held at the Enduro Park Poland and MXDG Motocross complex near Dabrow Górnicza – east of Katowice – the event will provide a true test for competitors with elements of SuperEnduro, Cross-Country and Motocross added to the Hard Enduro format. The opening day will begin with a Cross-Country race, where the top-30 riders qualify through to a SuperEnduro finale in Dabrow Górnicza’s city centre.

More info on the HERO Challenge can be found on the event’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

Sunday’s main race will be a three-hour multi-lap event that mixes Hard Enduro with Cross-Country. All 250 competitors will face a physically demanding 17-kilometre course that will feature a mixture of steep climbs, forestry trails, motocross jumps and SuperEnduro obstacles.

With Spain’s Hixpania Hard Enduro and Germany’s GetzenRodeo providing two spectacular races to conclude the 2021 calendar, the stage is now set for this year’s FIM Hard Enduro World Championship.

Organisers will continue to closely monitor the ongoing developments of the coronavirus pandemic with the schedule being adjusted if needed.

2021 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship calendar

Round 1: Extreme XL Lagares – Portugal, May 7/8/9
Round 2: Red Bull Erzbergrodeo – Austria, June 3/4/5/6
Round 3: Abestone Hard Enduro – Italy, July 10/11
Round 4: Red Bull Romaniacs – Romania, July 27/28/29/30/31
Round 5: Red Bull TKO – USA, August 13/14/15
Round 6: HERO Challenge – Poland, September 11/12
Round 7: Hixpania Hard Enduro – Spain, October 1/2/3
Round 8: GetzenRodeo – Germany, October 29/30

In addition, Husqvarna Motorcycles will support Graham’s newly set-up five-rider Jarvis Husqvarna Racing team, as Jarvis fulfils a long-standing ambition of launching his own race team and developing talented future Hard Enduro champions.

As well as challenging for race wins and regular podium results himself, Jarvis is hoping the new eight round FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, together with the British Extreme Championship, will be the perfect series to showcase his new team and its roster of young stars. Passing his experience on to his team riders, Graham hopes to develop future world champions.

Jarvis Husqvarna Racing has secured some of the most exciting and promising young riders – Bulgaria’s Teodor Kabakchiev, English trio of Jono Richardson, Will Hoare and Sam Winterburn, and experienced Welsh rider Grant Churchward. All riders will compete aboard Husqvarna TE 300i machinery.

Graham Jarvis: “I’m often asked when I might stop racing, but as long as I can be competitive and my fitness allows it, I’m going to continue doing what I love. So, I’m thrilled to continue racing for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing in 2021. In addition, starting my own race team gives me another opportunity to remain active in the sport I love and hopefully play a part in developing the champions of the future. This would give me a great sense of achievement, as much as anything I’ve done to date. Husqvarna Motorcycles has been incredibly supportive in this venture and we hope to repay that support with some great performances. Like everyone, I’m hoping that life, and racing, will return to normal very soon, and I look forward to getting back to competition.”

Andi Hölzl – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team Manager: “Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing have enjoyed so much success together with Graham, continuing to support him for another year as a racer, and as he takes his first steps into team management, is something we’re more than pleased to do. Obviously, Graham’s situation is unique – there aren’t many motorcycle athletes able to consistently perform like he does at nearly 46 years of age – and that’s why Graham makes decisions regarding his career one year at a time. Knowing that he has the fitness and motivation to compete for at least one more season, we couldn’t be happier to have him race alongside Alfredo Gomez and Billy Bolt in the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing.”

Despite the uncertainty of a pandemic-hit year, the world’s toughest hard enduro rallye finally got underway in late October. Ready to deliver his best, Jarvis had his sights set on a record-breaking seventh Romaniacs crown.

From the off, the British rider was on top form on his TE 300i. Winning Offroad Day 1 set the tone for what was to come as he embraced a lengthy battle with 2019 event winner Manuel Lettenbichler.

Continually swapping positions each day, Graham held a slender 25-second advantage entering the final day of racing. But faced with the unenviable task of opening the 107-kilometre-long course, the final event outcome didn’t quite work out as he hoped it would.

An early crash saw his lead evaporate as Lettenbichler drew level. Unable to respond, Graham had to put his dream of a seventh victory on hold, ending the demanding event second overall after more than 20 hours of close racing.

A strong start saw Billy Bolt end Offroad Day 1 in third as he chased a debut Romaniacs podium. However, a series of mistakes and crashes midweek frustratingly slipped him down the running order.

Determined to show his true worth, Bolt put in a masterclass of riding to win Offroad Day 4 and with it claim a solid fifth overall.

Graham Jarvis:“It’s been different to race here in October, but it’s worked good. I felt like I was riding really strong all week, but today Mani just had the edge. Starting out the week with a win was perfect and put me into a strong position. I knew the other guys would be pushing hard too, so I tried to play the long game and wait for another attack. I won the penultimate day but only by enough to give me a 25-second lead. With one crash early on, that advantage was quickly gone. Overall, I’ve a lot to be happy about, but I guess I’ll have to wait a little bit longer for a seventh win.”

Billy Bolt:“Overall, I’m pretty happy. It’s not the result I wanted, but I feel like I made good progress with this race, was more consistent, and closer to the leading guys. Certainly, winning the final day has been a real boost of confidence and already has got me thinking about next year. Finally, a big thank you to the team, they worked so hard this week too. Romaniacs really is a team effort because it’s such a long and tough race.”

Manuel Lettenbichler: “I’m over the moon, it really is amazing. It’s been such a tough year for everyone and it’s cool to get another win here at Romaniacs. I started well but couldn’t believe how fast Graham was going – he was riding so good over the whole four days so congratulations to him. We were riding together a lot over the event and that really kept me motivated. I’m stoked to come away with another win. It was hard coming into the race to know how you would fair compared to the other guys as there has been so little racing this year and you don’t know how you are skill or fitness-wise. I’m super happy to take the win!”

Results – Romaniacs Hard Enduro Rallye 2020

1. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 20:27:11
2. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) 20:29:37 +2:26
3. Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna) 20:41:20 +14:09
4. Wade Young (Sherco) 20:41:33 +14:22
5. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 20:58:29 +31:18
6. Mario Roman (Sherco) 22:11:39 +1:44:28
7. Michael Walkner (Husqvarna) 23:15:01 +2:47:50
8. Teodor Kabakchiev (KTM) 24:57:25 +4:30:14
9. Michele Bosi (KTM) 29:22:42 +8:55:31
10. Sonny Goggia (Beta) 30:04:05 +9:36:54

As always at Sea to Sky, Jarvis made a solid, but cautious start to the event. Claiming an impressive fifth in the hectic Beach Race, the 45-year-old then began to put on the pressure in the Forest Race, taking third and staying within touch of race leader Bolt. Despite a heavy impact with a rock damaging his bike, Graham was able to skilfully bring his Husqvarna TE 300i home in fourth on the technically demanding Sky Race.

Going into Saturday’s Mountain Race, Graham was lying third overall, a minute down on second place and close to four minutes down on his teammate Bolt in first. In typical Jarvis style, the Brit kept his nerve and maintained a strong pace throughout the 55-kilometre course. Making no mistakes, the extreme enduro expert crested the final hill in first place and with enough of an advantage over his rivals to claim the overall win.

Billy Bolt had looked on form throughout the 2020 edition of Sea to Sky. Winning the opening Beach Race, Billy went on to top the proceedings in both the subsequent Forest and Sky Races. Leading much of Saturday’s Mountain Race, the young British rider was first to reach many of the more challenging sections with other riders playing catch up behind.

Unfortunately, in following track marking tape left from a previous running of the event, Bolt was forced to double back on himself, losing a considerable amount of time. Pushing hard for the remainder of the enduro, the reigning FIM SuperEnduro World Champion was able to salvage fourth, earning himself a place on the overall podium, in third.

Graham Jarvis:“It was a great race today and I was lucky if I’m honest, especially after damaging the bike earlier in the event. I went into the Mountain Race about four minutes down on Billy and as all the top guys ended up riding together, I thought there was no chance for me today. Billy took a wrong turn and I managed to get out in front and for that last 20 minutes I just pushed as hard as I could to the finish. It feels nice to get another win here in Turkey, it really is an amazing event.”

Billy Bolt:“Overall, it’s been a really good week here in Turkey. I’m really happy with my riding and know I had the pace to win every day. I had led 80 or 90 percent of the Mountain Race today and was first to reach this tricky hill – it seems they had left some route marking tape up from last year and so I followed it. As it turns out, it wasn’t the right way to go, and by the time I had realised and turned back I had lost too much time to catch up with the leader. Finishing on the podium is good, but I’m disappointed not to have taken the win.”

Overall Results – 2020 Sea to Sky, Kemer, Turkey

1. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) 4:48:37
2. Wade Young (Sherco) 4:51:12
3. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 4:52:12
4. Mario Roman (Sherco) 4:56:23
5. Teodor Kabakchiev (KTM) 5:14:59

A fitting tribute to the legend, the new TE 300i JARVIS EDITION is the perfect machine to explore new ground and go where few have gone before. The trusted 2-stroke is exceedingly simple to manage. Combined with electronic fuel injection, smooth power delivery and an extremely nimble chassis, this limited edition TE 300i delivers class-leading performance to match its official Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing graphics.

 TECHNICAL HIGHLIGHTS

=>Black frame
=>Black seat cover with additional ribs
=>Supersprox blue rear sprocket
 => Front disc protector
=> Blue chain guide
=> Grey grips
 => Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing graphics

701 SUPERMOTO / 701 ENDURO / 701 ENDURO LR

On display at this year’s EICMA are also the 701 SUPERMOTO and 701 ENDURO models featuring the latest cutting-edge electronic rider aids. Cornering ABS, lean angle sensitive traction control, ride modes and easy shift are featured as standard and offer the highest levels of safety matched to the highest performance. Both models are extremely well-balanced, offering outstanding levels of agility and handling.

The renowned, torquey, 74 hp single-cylinder 692.7 cc engine features ride-by-wire throttle, offering a perfectly linear power delivery. For the first time the new machines will have their own unique progressive new graphics.

Bred from Husqvarna Motorcycles’ highly popular 701 ENDURO, the brand new 701 ENDURO LR (Long Range) shares the same advanced electronics as the 701 ENDURO but offers additional touring capabilities for riders wanting to travel further.

 Remaining a lightweight and nimble machine, the additional 12-litre auxiliary fuel tank increases the total fuel capacity to 25 litres, meaning a significantly bigger fuel range for endless enduro capability.

TECHNICAL HIGHLIGHTS

=> New switchable Ride Modes – change power characteristics while riding
=> New Bosch cornering ABS – lean angle specific braking technology
=> New Easy Shift function – shorter shift times & improved rear wheel traction
=> New lean-angle sensitive Motorcycle Traction Control – perfect rear wheel traction
 => New graphics & slim bodywork – carefully engineered ergonomics

Centre stage at EICMA will be the new NORDEN 901 concept model. Unveiled for the first time, this new twin-cylinder machine is Husqvarna Motorcycles’ first ever tourer machine. A dynamic and versatile long-distance concept, the NORDEN 901 balances practical accessibility and comfort to suit the modern traveller.

Showcasing the brand’s commitment to both the street sector and motorsport, Husqvarna Motorcycles will re-enter the Moto3 World Championship in 2020. Officially supporting the Max Biaggi owned Max Racing Team, the official FR 250 GP machinery that will be used by Romano Fenati and Alonso Lopez is exclusively unveiled at EICMA.

Forming Husqvarna Motorcycles’ view of an adventure-touring motorcycle, the NORDEN 901 concept is a dynamic, twin-cylinder motorcycle that features advanced rider ergonomics and high performance based on years of rally experience, in a distinct modern design. A versatile long-distance exploration concept, it delivers both outstanding street and offroad performance. Class-leading lightness and power delivery is set in a versatile and accessible package, precisely arranged to allow discerning riders uncompromised exploration possibilities. Delivering effortless rideability and sensible, high-end modern equipment this motorcycle can be used on daily commutes, extended adventures and everything in between.

VITPILEN 701 AND SVARTPILEN 701

The VITPILEN and SVARTPILEN 701, now in their third and second year of production respectively, receive new colours, trim, graphics and technical details that enhance the modern look of their ground-breaking designs. With 75 hp, the high-performance 692 cc single cylinder engine compliments the machines’ dynamic handling and exciting riding experience. Weighing only 158 kg and 161 kg respectively without fuel, both motorcycles feature adjustable suspension and are further highlighted by new spoked wheels and CNC machined footrests.

 VITPILEN 401 AND SVARTPILEN 401

The VITPILEN and SVARTPILEN 401, with their strong and tractable 373 cc, 44 hp single cylinder engines, are equally well suited to urban environments as they are to out-of-town riding, thanks to their dynamic chassis, accessible overall size and low weight. For 2020, both models feature a new bolt-on subframe that has been extended by 40 mm for improved pillion comfort, as well as a new, high quality paint finishes and graphics that highlight their progressive designs.