August 9, 2023
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As full-blown motorcycle enthusiasts, we have our panoply of competitive champions. And in the Enduro racing world, the name “Knighter” commands a lot of respect. Of course, we’re talking about David Knight, a three-time world champion Enduro rider (with 5 total world championships) hailing from the Isle of Man.
It’s hard to write about his career without heaping praise on his accomplishments, so we’ll put it like this: In 2011, Knighter received the award of Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) from Queen Elizabeth II. You’ve got to have some serious clout in the motorcycle world to get the third-highest award possible in the UK from the Queen herself.
We’re quite pleased to report Knighter will be joining Onyabike Adventures for a motorcycle tour of Vietnam, which will cover a significant chunk of the country. “Pleased” is a bit of an understatement here — we’re bloody flattered.
Let’s take a brief look at Knighter’s career here and then jump into where and when he’ll be riding with us in Vietnam. First, though — how did this all begin?
Table of Contents
Early Life and Career
“My dad was a trials rider, my brother was on a bike at 3, and all I remember is wanting to ride bikes,” Knight told us. “Growing up on the Isle of Man TT course also probably helped.”
That’s as pretty good a pedigree as a guy is going to need, we reckon. Growing up steeped in a two-wheeled racing environment can build motorcycle enthusiasts handily.
So, let’s get to the career stuff: The racing. It went something like this.
Knight began his career in the Enduro FIM Junior Cup, climbing his way through the ranks. His debut in the World Enduro Championship was with team Yamaha, in which he finished second in the 250cc class to Juha Salminen in 2001 and Samuel Aro in 2002. Then, in 2003, he moved up to the 500cc class, the biggest, and placed fourth.
Moving to KTM
In the 2004 season, Knight joined the KTM team. He finished second to his teammate Aro in the Eudo 3 class. In the following season, 2005, he earned his first world title and further won the International Six Days Enduro. In 2006, a career year, he nailed a perfect season, winning all 14 rounds of the E3 WEC season. He also won almost every special test at each event.
Moving to the US
In 2007, Knight moved to the United States to take part in the Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) series against the US’s best riders. In this season, he replaced Salminen, who had moved back to the world championship from the USA’s KTM team. Although he suffered some mechanical difficulties as well as an injury, Knight still snagged the GNCC title. Following his successful defense of his title in the next season, he moved back to the World Enduro Championship, winning his third world title in 2010.
Extreme Enduro Events
Knighter has competed in all sorts of racing events, including a wide range of extreme enduro events like the Hell’s Gate extreme Enduro in Italy, The AMA EnduroCross Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Erzberg Rodeo in Austria, and the “Tough One” in the UK. He has placed first in all of these events, even edging out Salminen. Furthermore, he won the first and second annual Red Bull Last Man Standing events in Texas — all while leading every lap.
Indoor Enduro World Cup
Knighter additionally won two races at the inaugural 2007/08 FIm Indoor Euro World Cup, defeatingTaddy Blazusiak for the title. In the following race, in 2009/10, he earned a win as well as three podium appearances. He further got two wins in the 2012/13 race, landing behind Blazusiak. In other indoor enduro appearances, he won the Barcelona Indoor Enduro in 2003, 2006, and 2007, and came in second six times: in 2001, 2002, 2004, 2010, 2011, and 2013.
Accomplished All-Rounder
Knighter is a well-rounded racer. He’s won the British Expert trials championship and has additionally competed successfully in a number of motocross and beach racing events. His all-rounder status was proven with his victory in the Moto 1 event in the UK, in which riders from several varieties of motorcycle racing competed in several disciplines, like road racing, MX, Enduro, and trials.
We were curious what Knighter considered his toughest win, so we asked. He noted the most difficult was winning the International Six-Days Enduro (ISDE) outright. As he put it, “It’s very mentally tough to not make any mistakes racing at your maximum for six full days.” Too right.
What Can We Expect from Knighter in Vietnam?
Knight is going to be joining us for a tour of the country from the 18th-26th of February, 2024. We’ll spend a week riding through the mountains of Vietnam on some of the country’s finest roads, including up into the crater of an extinct volcano.
Note that the map below is just a rough estimate of the tour, since we’re not going to give away all our secrets just now. We’ll be following small roads from the Hai Van Pass down towards Pleiku in Vietnam’s Central Highlands region, known for lush mountains, unique ethnic groups and cultures, and sparse population — which means lots of road to play with.
If you’re looking for top-notch, fun-loving winding roads, well…let’s just say there’s a reason we chose Vietnam as our home. Knighter himself is looking forward to riding in a new country and culture and taking in the impressive sights Vietnam’s countryside has to offer.
How Can You Be a Part of Knighter’s Tour?
You, yes you, can be a part of this adventure ride. Check here for full details and itinerary on the 7-day tour, part of a 9-day total program. As of this writing, August 8, 2023, spaces are still available.
We can’t wait to kick this off and ride with the best. Having a fun-loving crew of motorcycle junkies will make it all the better. Check the link just above, and feel free to contact us to find out more. We’re always ready to go.