Don rides away with title treble

It is fair to say that motorcycle riding is an enduring passion for Don Munro.

The 58-year-old Blenheim-based contractor recently bagged a notable hat-trick of enduro titles, claiming the South Island, North Island and New Zealand championships.

Don competes in the intermediate veterans over-55 division of a sport that involves riding multiple loops of varying off road courses over a four-hour period, with timed enduro sprint stages thrown in, similar to car rallying.

The nationals were raced over four rounds, two in the South Island (Omihi and Nelson), two in the North (Wellington and Martinborough).

Don took part in all four rounds, up against around 20 rivals in his class, and was delighted to come away with a clean sweep, describing it as “a bit of a dream come true. I was quite chuffed actually”.

He previously took out the 50-54 vets national title in 2020 but this was the first time he had laid claim to all three crowns.

To succeed in enduro fitness of both man and machine is critical, says Don, who took up the gruelling discipline aged 49.

“It is basically all about the endurance of you and your motorbike. With enduro you are not allowed outside assistance, so I carry tools to carry out any repairs that may be needed along the way. Helpers are not even allowed to touch your bike.

“It is also physically hard on the rider so I try to stay quite fit and exercise regularly.”

Don also dabbles in a more extreme version of enduro racing, hard enduro, which is similar to the internationally-regarded Red Bull Romaniacs series, a challenge he suggested was, “not for riders who are fast in a straight line, more for those who prefer more technical riding”.

“I do a three-day race in Tokoroa called the Husqvarna Hard Enduro which involves riding around 120-130ks each day.

“In preparation for that I will ride my bike 30-40ks a night, then hop on the cross trainer for an hour or so … I will do that two or three months out just to prepare for riding up to seven hours a day.

“If you are not fit you just struggle. You get more and more tired and it becomes harder to stay on your bike.”

After previously trying his hand at road and speedway racing, Don has embraced enduro with a passion.

“I just love the challenge of [enduro racing],” said Don. “You have to keep up a decent pace all the way through and you have several obstacles that you have to negotiate on the way round.

“It is quite different to traditional motocross, I really enjoy the people involved, they all help each other … it seems a very friendly type of motorcycling.”

Underlying all Don’s efforts is a strong desire to be the best.

“The veterans’ class is very, very competitive. A lot of these guys have been racing for 30 or 40 years … it is probably more competitive among the older fellows than among the younger guys. There is a lot of beer and bragging rights at stake,” he adds with a chuckle.