South Carolina Enduro Tough But Encouraging For Obermeyer Suzuki’s Nick Davis
Monday, March 3, 2014 | 1:00 PM
A rough day at the opening round of the Kenda AMA National Enduro Series in Pelion, South Carolina, left Obermeyer Suzuki’s Nick Davis disappointed in his result but encouraged about the future.
After getting off to a good start in the opening test of the day, Davis clipped a tree branch in test two and broke the clutch cable mount on his Obermeyer Suzuki ZM-Z450, leaving the Pennsylvania rider without a clutch for the rest of the section.
Davis lost considerable time at the gas stop making temporary repairs, and was forced to race in “catch-up” mode for the remainder of the day. Still, the Obermeyer Suzuki-backed rider remained positive about his performance and impressed with his bike.
“I lost a lot of time making repairs so I was just trying to get back up to my minute after that,” said Davis. “It was pretty much a test day for me, but before I lost the clutch I felt really good on the Obermeyer Suzuki RM-Z450. The bike handled so well and I could go right where I wanted to in the tight woods.”
Davis comes from a GNCC background so he’s still adjusting to the tight sections found in the national enduro series.
“At first, I was afraid a 450 would be too much for woods racing, but honestly, it’s such a smooth bike that it works perfectly for this kind of stuff, and I love it,” added Davis. “This course was tight but it had a good flow to it, so I actually felt pretty comfortable on the bike.”
With the Sandlapper Enduro in the rearview mirror, Davis is looking forward to the more open terrain of the Concho National Enduro in Blackwell, Texas, on March 23rd.
“I enjoy riding the tight woods, but I think I’m at my best in faster terrain,” said Davis. “The first round of the GNCC series is next weekend in Florida, and I think the RM-Z450 will really shine in those conditions.”
Next Race: Round 1 of the Grand National Cross-Country Series in Bunnell, Florida, on March 9th.