ADB Magazine

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when three everyday punters decide to take on the Australian Enduro Championship season? In this episode of the ADB Podcast, we sit down with three Vets riders who did exactly that — including one bloke who had never raced a motorcycle before. What started as a challenge quickly became one of the best experiences of their lives, travelling around the country, riding places they’d never normally see and lining up at some of Australia’s best enduro events.We talk about the reality of racing a full AEC season as normal working blokes — the travel, costs, preparation, fitness, crashes, laughs and just how bloody fast the front-running Vets actually are. More importantly, they explain why the championship became about far more than results, with the road trips, new mates and experiences along the way every bit as memorable as the racing itself. If you’ve ever thought you’re not fast enough or experienced enough to have a crack at AEC, this episode might change your mind.

Send us Fan MailDirtbike Burrito's Jeremy Cowley and ADB's Mitch Lees were back at it again this time testing the 2026 Honda CRF300L Rally. Jez took it home to spend some quality time with what the boys reckon is the best-looking adventure bike on the market. Here's what they thought of the performance of the bike. 

Send us Fan MailWil Ruprecht is back on top of Australian enduro racing. After narrowly missing the Pro Enduro crown in 2025, the former EnduroGP World Championship runner-up came into 2026 on a mission, winning the opening seven rounds outright and building a championship lead that would eventually be seriously challenged by Korey McMahon. In this episode of the ADB Podcast, Wil takes us through the highs and lows of his championship-winning season, the areas he worked hardest to improve and the pressure of taking the title fight all the way to the final weekend.We also look beyond 2026 and dig into Wil’s incredible career — from leaving Australia to take on the world, finishing runner-up in the 2022 EnduroGP World Championship and eventually returning home to race full-time in Australia. Wil talks about how much he’s changed as a rider, the strength of Australian enduro right now, whether another overseas campaign could ever tempt him and what’s left on the bucket list now that he can call himself the 2026 Australian Pro Enduro Champion.

Send us Fan MailLevi Stephens has well and truly announced himself as one of the brightest young talents in Australian desert racing. In this episode of the ADB Podcast, we sit down with the young gun after a massive 2026 season that included fifth outright at Finke, an Under-19 class win at Hattah and, most recently, an outright victory at the Don River Dash — going one better after finishing runner-up there in 2025.We talk about Levi’s rise through the AORC junior ranks, why desert racing has clicked for him, the rivalry with his brother Kodi, what it was like mixing it with Australia’s best at Finke and how he put together his Don River Dash win. We also find out where Levi wants to take his racing from here, whether overseas events are on the radar and just how big he’s dreaming for the next stage of his career.

Send us Fan MailAfter the popularity of our Yamaha WR300F test on YouTube, on this podcast and in print, we thought we'd get it back and put it up against the only other high-performance 300cc four-stroke in the class, the Sherco 300 SEF Factory. We were at the test track while ADB Editor Mitch Lees and Chief Tester Jeff Briggs were testing the bikes and here's what they thought as soon as they hopped off them.

Send us Fan MailJeremy Cowley and his old man Nev were back at it again for us taking another Triumph, this time the Tiger 900, for a one-month adventure through NSW, Victoria and the ACT. They had extreme heat, water and cold and managed to survive with a detailed idea of what it's like to live with the Triumph Tiger 900 off-road as an adventure bike. Here's what they thought.

Send us Fan MailADB Ed Mitch Lees hopped on the Honda Transalp 750 for a month and headed bush to push t his thing through nasty dirt as far as he could. We caught up with him when he rolled back into the garage to see what he thought. 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the ADB Podcast, Mitch Lees sits down with Rob Nowak to unpack his incredible journey to racing the Ultimate Adventure class at Red Bull Romaniacs on a KTM 890 Adventure R. After years of trying to conquer Romaniacs — including broken bones, shoulder reconstructions and a broken tailbone that ended his 2025 attempt before he'd even left Australia — Rob finally arrived in Romania healthy in 2026, only to discover his entire box of race parts was stuck in customs. What followed was a mad scramble involving KTM Australia, KTM Austria and the wider riding community just to get him onto the start line.

Send us Fan MailCheck out what we thought of Chris Watson's Yamaha WR300F which is a 2026 Yamaha WR250F with the Athena kit in it. We grabbed ADB Editor Mitch Lees and ADB's Chief Tester Jeff Briggs to see what they thought after hooping off the bike and still at the track. 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the ADB Podcast, we sit down with 2025 Finke Desert Race winner Corey Hammond for a wild chat about where he’s been and where he wants his racing career to go next. Corey opens up about his ambition to move into rally racing and ultimately become a long-term Dakar competitor, plus his experiences racing Baja and why international desert and rally racing is firmly on his radar.We also dive into the incredible highs and lows of his last two Finke campaigns — from winning the whole thing as a privateer in 2025 to returning as defending champion with Factory Honda in 2026 and having his race turned upside down. Corey shares some crazy behind-the-scenes stories from both years, what becoming King of the Desert did for his career, and why Finke could ultimately be the launching pad for much bigger things overseas.

Send us Fan MailWe managed to get our hands on a 2026 GASGAS EC 300 GP, which is the up-spec model in the GASGAS two-stroke range, to see if it is worth the extra coin. We stuck the mic under the nose of ADB Editor Mitch Lees and Dirtbike Burrito's Jeremy Cowley as soon as they hopped off the bike to see what they thought. Here's there raw feedback. 

Send us Fan MailWe grabbed a 2026 Kawasaki KX250 and stuck our Enduro Editor Geoff Braico on one to see if he could turn one of the best handling motocross bikes into an agile, easy-to-ride bush race bike. Here's how he's tracking after a few months with the bike. 

Send us Fan MailFresh off wrapping up the 2026 ProMX MX1 Championship, Jed Beaton joins the ADB Podcast for an exclusive look behind one of the most rewarding title victories of his career. After finishing runner-up in heartbreaking fashion in 2024 and seeing a broken femur end his championship charge in 2025, Beaton finally completed the comeback, putting together a dominant 2026 season to secure the crown with a round to spare. We also look ahead to what's next, discussing his plans for the upcoming Supercross season, whether he'll represent Australia at the Motocross of Nations, and what it took mentally and physically to overcome the setbacks of the past few years. 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Mitch and the ADB crew break down a huge Round 7 of the 2026 Penrite ProMX Championship from Conondale. We unpack Jed Beaton wrapping up the MX1 Championship with a round to spare, Aaron Tanti's emotional return to the top step of the podium, Nathan Crawford's sensational Factory Honda ride that included a moto win, and Kyle Webster proving once again he's one of the fastest riders in the country despite just missing the overall.We also dive into the ever-entertaining MX2 class, with another action-packed day of racing, along with all the standout performances, disappointments and paddock talking points from one of the best rounds of the season. Plus we break down MX3 and Lachlan Turner's impressive 2026 season. 

Send us Fan MailWe gave a pair of Triumph Tiger 1200s to Jeremy Cowley from Dirtbike Burrito Podcast and his old man Nev to see how far they could go in a month. Turns out they squeezed 6000km out of them! After it was all said and done, we sat down with them around the fire when they returned to get some raw feedback on what they thought of the Triumph Tiger 1200. Here it is!

Send us Fan MailWe caught up with ADB Editor Mitch Lees at the track as soon as he hopped off the 2026 Beta 300 X-Pro to see what he thought. If you're in the market for a new two-stroke, have a listen!

Send us Fan MailFresh off becoming the 2026 FIM Junior Motocross World Champion, Blake Bohannon joins the ADB Podcast to relive the biggest moment of his young career. The 13-year-old Aussie sensation talks us through his incredible weekend in the Czech Republic, where he won both 85cc motos to become just the third Australian ever to claim the prestigious title.We also dive into Blake's journey from racing in regional NSW to taking on the world's best juniors, the work that's gone into earning the "next big thing" tag, and where he wants his career to go from here. It's an honest chat with one of Australia's brightest motocross prospects as he reflects on becoming a world champion and the exciting road that lies ahead.

Send us Fan MailThinking about racing the Don River Dash? In this episode of the ADB Podcast, four-time Finke winner and ADB's longest-serving tester Ben "Grabbo" Graham joins Mitch to preview one of Australia's fastest and most exciting off-road races. Grabbo explains what makes the Don River Dash unique, how the course compares to other desert events, and the bike setup changes riders should be making before they hit the start line.We also break down who to watch, the biggest challenges competitors will face, and the riding techniques that can make or break your race. Whether you're lining up on the grid, heading to Bowen to spectate, or simply love desert racing, this episode is packed with practical advice and insider knowledge from one of Australia's most accomplished off-road racers.

Send us Fan MailFresh off defending his Hattah Desert Race crown, Korey McMahon joins the ADB Podcast to break down one of the most dominant performances of his career. Korey talks us through his perfect weekend, from topping the Prologue and Shootout to controlling the four-hour race, while explaining how the wet conditions, changing fuel strategy and brutal track shaped this year's event.We also dive into the journey that led him to become a two-time Hattah winner, including the controversial decision to put his Finke ambitions on hold and focus on becoming Australia's fastest desert racer. Along the way, Korey shares plenty of behind-the-scenes stories about bike setup, training, life with the KTM DM31 Racing Team, and what's next as he continues to chase success in Australia's toughest off-road events.

Send us Fan MailRound six of the 2026 Penrite ProMX Championship at Traralgon delivered and epic weekend of racing, with Jed Beaton tightening his grip on the MX1 title after another dominant 1-1 performance. Alex Larwood continued his march towards the MX2 crown with a perfect day of his own, Seth Morrow broke through for his maiden MX3 overall victory, while Lachlan Turner maintained her unbeaten MXW season despite a bruising opening-race clash with Charli Cannon. (ProMX)In this episode, we break down all the winners and losers from Traralgon, who impressed, who struggled and what it all means heading into the business end of the championship. From Beaton's vice-like grip on MX1 to the championship shake-ups across the support classes, plus the standout rides, biggest surprises and talking points, we've got everything you need to know from one of the most pivotal rounds of the 2026 ProMX season.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the ADB Podcast, Mitch catches up with former factory motocross racer Tye Simmonds to look back on a career that took him from his home in Bourke, NSW to competing at the highest level of the sport in Australia and the US. Tye shares how he first got into riding, the people who helped him along the way, and what it was like signing his first professional contract.We also dive into his years racing motocross at home and overseas, the challenges of making it as a professional racer, and ultimately why he decided to step away from the sport. It's an honest conversation packed with stories from one of Australia's most respected racers, covering the highs, the setbacks, and life after motocross.

Send us Fan MailWe got the chance to sit down with 2026 Finke runner-up Campbell Hall and ask him how he does it! As a privateer, he does a stellar job keeping up with the factory teams with bigger budgets. This is Campbell's story from the 2026 Finke Desert Race.

Send us Fan MailADB's Mitch Lees and co-host Jeff Briggs talk all the things that went on behind the scenes at Rounds 7 and 8 of the Australian Enduro Championship (AEC) at Casterton, Vic and catch up with ring-in Lyndon Snodgrass who's back from racing in the US. Snoddy talks Casterton and Hattah and what's in store coming up for him. 

Send us Fan MailADB's Mitch Lees is joined by co-host Jeff Briggs and special guest Yamaha's Wil Ruprecht, who has won every round of the Australian Enduro Championship in 2026, to discuss everything that happened at QMP on the weekend and all the things that might hav happened you probably didn't know!

Send us Fan MailThe Wildwood Rock Extreme Hard Enduro has become a point score round of the World Hard Enduro Championship but what does that mean of local Aussies racing the series? We sit down with Wildwood Event Manager Steve Braznell who explains the Pros and Cons of becoming a point score round, how it all came about, what it means to Australia's best hard enduro event and how you can get in on the action. 

Send us Fan MailProMX Rd3 winner, Honda's Kyle Webster joins ADB's Mitch Lees and Jeff Briggs as well as ProMX commentator Danny Ham to break down the weekend of racing in Gillman, South Australia. Hear all the things you may have missed as Kyle talks about finally breaking Jed Beaton's win streak.  

Send us Fan MailHow similar are the Yamaha YZ450F and Triumph TF450-X? Both have KYB suspension and both have alloy frames so we put the up against each other to find out. Hint, they're nothing alike....

Send us Fan MailIf a neck brace could save your life, why doesn't everyone wear one? Do they hinder movement and vision or just transfer a potential injury to another part of the body? ADB's Mitch Lees caught up with founder of Atlas Braces, Brady Sheren, to talk about neck braces and why they believe everyone should wear one. They talk about the myths and stories regarding neck brace injuries and provide data and analytics on how a neck brace can prevent a catastrophic injury. 

Send us Fan MailWe’ve got Hamish Macdonald on the podcast and if you follow EnduroGP, you know how fast this bloke is!The Kiwi has built one of the most complete careers in modern enduro, climbing the ladder the hard way. He’s a former Youth World Champion (2019), backed it up with the Junior World Championship in 2020, and has now gone all the way to the top, claiming the 2025 Enduro3 World Championship with Sherco Racing Factory. That makes him a three-time world champ across three different classes, which is no small feat in a sport this stacked. What stands out with Macdonald is how methodical his rise has been. He’s been consistently in the mix in EnduroGP for years, podiums, top-three finishes, and battling factory teammates week in, week out before finally cracking that senior title. In this episode, we get into what it actually takes to go from a fast junior to a world champion in the toughest off-road series on the planet the mindset, the grind, and what separates the good guys from the ones holding the #1 plate.

Send us Fan MailWe grabbed the 2026 Yamaha TT-R110 to see if it is the most versatile bike on the market. Can a 6, 8, 10, 12 and 40 year old ride the same bike! We put it to the test, here's what we thought. 

Send us Fan MailADB's Mitch Lees caught up with ProMX commentator Danny Ham and Boyd's Moto Racing's Matt Boyd to talk about all the stuff that happened at Round 3 of the 2026 ProMX Championship on track and behind the scenes off the track. 

Send us Fan MailWe put a 6 year old and a 10 year old on the Surron Hyper Bee to see how it goes in the 50 cos and 65 class because this one bike can ride in two classes if you switch the wheels from 10/12-inch combo to 12/14 inch combo. Would the hyper Bee be too much bike for a kids int he 50 class or would it be too slow for a kid in the 65 class. We ask our 50 and 65 tester to find out. 

Send us Fan MailADB's Mitch Lees caught up with one-time Australian Supercross Champ Kale Makeham to talk about his rivalry with Lynchy, his life after racing and how he built his multi-million dollar online coaching business, the dark times he went through after he retired from professional racing and more.

Send us Fan MailADB's Mitch Lees is joined by co-host Jeff Briggs and special guest Geoff Braico, who won the Vets class at Round 3/4 of the Australian Enduro Championship, to discuss everything that happened at Dungog on the weekend and all the things you probably didn't know.  

Send us Fan MailWe grabbed the now-registered Kawasaki KLX300 and took it for a spin. We trail rode it, commuted on it and went for a bit of an adventure ride on it. We tested this bike back in 2021 but you could not register it back then, now you can which has opened it up to a whole new category of rider. Here's what we thought of it. 

Send us Fan MailWe put the registered RFN Ares Endurance electric dirtbike to the test on a bunch of different terrains from commuting to trial riding and farm work. After nine months with this bike it is clear to us this bike is not a competition-spec dirtbike like the $20k job from Europe and Japan but a great trail bike, commuter and farm bike. Have a listen. 

Send us Fan MailWe jumped on the 2026 KTM 300 EXC and as it turns out, KTM in Europe undersold this bike climbing there weren't many changes for 2026 when there actually were. There's been a bunch of motor and suspension changes but the biggest news is the final gearing which i now a 14/42! We took it into the hard enduro stuff and somehow it worked! Here's what we thought. 

Send us Fan MailAs a professional racer, the COVID pandemic killed plenty of promising careers. With racing in Australia essentially on hold for almost 3 years and no great opportunity to travel overseas and race, professional riders had ton make some hard decisions. There was the hotel isolation, the expensive flights, travel restrictions and more to deal with but through it all Andy Wilksch managed to line up a few different rides in the EnduroGP. It mean being away from his partner and support network for 9 months with a return to Australia not an option considering quarantine time. This is Andy's story and how he pushed through the hardest time in off-road racing history. 

Send us Fan MailThe 2026 Sherco 500 SEF Factory is almost exclusively sold in Australia. It's a bike built for the desert but how does it go in the bush? When Sherco built the 500 years ago they told us "This is Aussie Bike" so we thought we'd hit the Aussie bush on the latest version, the 2026! Here's what we thought of the 2026 Sherco 500 SEF Factory.

Send us Fan MailWe caught up with desert specialist Callum Norton who has just signed with Ducati to race the 2026 Tatts Finke Desert Race! We talk to him about how he went from the #1 KTM team to a brand that has never done Finke, what he's had to do to setup the Ducati to survive Finke plus loads more about his time with KTM, how he transitioned to desert racing and the moment he could've been racing for Kove at Dakar. This is an absolute cracker.

Send us Fan MailADB Podcast host Mitch Lees catches up with ProMX commentator Danny Ham and our resident podcast co-host Jeff Briggs to talk all the things that happened   at Rd1 of the 2026 ProMX. It was an epic weekend of racing and lot to catch up on! 

Send us Fan MailThe 2026 Sherco 300 SEF Factory is arguably one of the best mid-capacity four-strokes you can get but how does it stack up against other mid-capacity four-strokes like the 350s? It's won world titles and been successful in Australia against bigger bikes so why is this bike so good? Here's our thought on the 2026 Sherco 300 SEF Factory. 

Send us Fan MailJess Gardiner is Australia's most successful female racer, in fact she's our most successful racer across all classes and almost any discipline. We sat down with Jess to talk about round one of the 2026 AEC, how she got into racing, here toughest and best times racing here and overseas, how close she came to retiring and what she has in store for the future. 

Send us Fan MailWe grabbed a 2026 Husqvarna FE501 and stuck our smallest tester we could find, Wes Mills, on it to see what he thought of the big girl in the bush. Is it too much bike for single track? Only one way to find out, give it to Wes! Is it easier to ride in the bush, even for a smaller rider? 

Send us Fan MailWe caught up with ADB's Jeff Briggs to discuss everything that happened at Rd1 and 2 of the 2026 AEC from flooding to, technical tracks and who looked fast after a long pre-season. Briggsy was there racing the Vets for us so got a firsthand account!

Send us Fan MailWe got 4 x Australian Motocross champ Dean Ferris on the Podcast to talk about why he has come out of retirement to ride for Empire Kawasaki in the 2026 ProMX and we also got the chance to ask some fun questions like who was the most intense teammate he veered had and what was the best factory bike he's ever ridden! Among many other chats... this was a fun conversation and Deano has done so much in our sport we agreed to come back and break down his career into 3 serrate podcasts later this year all about his upbringing, time in Europe, time in the US and racing in Oz. But for now, enjoy this overview of Deano's career wit some nuggets of gold you would have never heard of.

Send us Fan MailWe got our South Australian Correspondent Ed Hartley to sit down with Kiwi dirt biking legend Chris Birch to talk all things hard enduro, rally, bike builds and coaching. Birchy is an absolute legend of our industry and we get a good look at what life is like for Birch behind the scenes. 

Send us Fan MailAfter our Yamaha v Triumph Enduro comparo last week we were inundated by people asking us to do the same with the motocross machines, so we did! We grabbed the 2026 Yamaha YZ450F and 2026 Triumph TF 450-X and put them against each other on the same track. Lap times, different testers on a hot day. Here's how they differ!

Send us Fan MailWe thought the 2026 KTM was just a 2025 model with new graphics but as it turns out, there's more new on this bike than KTM Europe lead us to believe. Different gearing, different cylinder internals and a bunch of other changes have transformed the 2026 KTM 300 EXC again. Have a listen to that ADB's Mitch Lees and Dirtbike Burrito Podcast's Jeremy Cowley thought of the 2026 KTM 300 EXC. 

Send us Fan MailAfter being inundated with letters from readers asking how similar the Yamaha and Triumph enduro models are we decided to grab them and put them up against each other to see how they differ! We got a 2026 Yamaha WR250F and WR450F and a 2026 Triumph TF 250-E and RF450-E and went back-to-back on all four to figure out how they differ and who would suit which bike more.