by Louise Forsley
What’s your name?
Louise Forsley
How old are you?
32
Where are you from?
I am originally from Massachusetts but now I live in California
When did you get into the sport of hard enduro and when did you ride a dirt bike for the first time?
I got into hard enduro in 2012, it was the first year of King of the Motos and I had gotten talked into racing it. I got my first dirtbike when I was 8, I think that was 1996
What bike do you ride?
I ride the Sherco se 300 right now, but switching to the se 250 soon!
What team do you ride in (if any)
FactoryONE Sherco USA
How many hard enduro races have you entered (roughly, doesn’t have to be 100% accurate)?
Not too many actually. King of Motos 2012, 2013, 2020, 2021 – Tough like RORR 2020 – Fallen Timbers 2020, TKO 2020, Revlimiter 2020
From 2014 to 2019 I was on a full time traveling stunt show and unable to attend any races.
If possible, what would you characterize yourself as? Beginner, weekend warrior, ambitious amateur, semi-pro or pro?
Pro. It’s my current profession right now
What race are you going to talk about and what year did you do it?
King of the Motos 2021
What was the race format like – how many days, hours or races did you have to do to finish/win the race?
It was a 1 day race – 1 qualifier, 1 main. The qualifier took me roughly 45 mins and the main took me 3 and 1/2 hours. There was a 2 hour break in between the qualifier and main race.
What excited you the most about this race? Was it the terrain, the grip, the camaraderie, the organisation, the weather, your own performance or something entirely different?
I enjoyed the terrain and the challenge of the race. The venue is also very big and popular due to the event King of the Hammers that hosts the KOM. I enjoy technical desert riding and generally this race is pretty long and grueling so finishing it is a huge accomplishment. It feels really great once it’s over.
What kind of tires/mousse/tubliss/tube did you use and why? More importantly – would you recommend your setup or did you learn that something else would have been better?
I used the soft nuetech nitromousse with the Kenda Knarly tire. It worked well for me! At first I was worried that maybe I didn’t have enough tread, but it didn’t affect me at all. I would run that next year too. I really liked how wide the Knarly is.
Was the track tough on you physically, mentally, both or not at all?
Well compared to all the other KOM’s I have raced it was pretty easy. It definitely physically worked you because we were in a lot of rock gardens. But there wasn’t anything too big that you would get stuck on for a while. The start was definitely the trickiest because it was a steep technical hill with one line. So it got pretty backed up. Mentally it was comparable to other hard enduros where you have to just keep telling yourself to keep moving and charge when you can. I was never going to fast but I never really had to stop due to fatigue. I felt like my fitness was pretty good.
Was the track easy to follow (markings or GPS tracks) and was the difficulty level what you expected, easier or harder?
Well it probably would have been easier following a gps haha But I smashed my gps on the first hill within the first 3 minutes of the race. Luckily I was able to keep riders in sight and try really hard to keep an eye on tire tracks. It did slow me down a bit because I would get ahead of some guys I was following but would have to stop and wait for them when I was unsure of where to go.
Where did you stay during the race, was it a good choice and would you do it again? (camping, hotel, private etc.)
I stayed in a hotel the first 2 nights in Yucca Valley and then stayed in my friends camper after the race so we could enjoy some of the excitement of the king of hammers. It’s a wild venue with lots to see and experience. It would be a good race to camp at to get the full experience. Unless you don’t like crowds, parties, trucks and jeeps. Then stick to a hotel haha
What result did you get and are you happy with it?
First woman finisher, 25th overall. Yes I’m happy with my finish. I think if I hadn’t broken my gps I could have finished a little sooner. But that’s part of racing, dealing with all variables.
Did you feel like you got a good value for your money at this race?
Warning it is an expensive race.. $400 total. For me it’s worth it, especially being in February when they’re not many other races going on.
Finally, would you do this race again and recommend it to other riders?
Yes definitley! It’s fun to ride technical desert terrain. I sometimes feel like I’m in the Dakar with a lot of rocks haha very far from it’s a fun feeling during the race.
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