Willis joins world enduro mastersBy Glen Atwell

JEHI Willis’ speedy ride to fame on the international enduro motorcycle racing scene has lifted another gear.
Willis left Pakenham for Slovakia last week, to compete for Australia at the International Sixday Enduro.
After winning the Victorian OffRoad Championships for the second year running, Willis secured a place on the Australian team.
He is one of six on a team comprised of the best enduro riders from across Australia.
The gruelling sixday event will see Willis trek up to 240 kilometres a day through dense Slovakian forest.
And the 25yearold said he would be pulling out all stops to do well for the Australian team.
“It’s a hard event, but I’ve been riding all year in the Victorian Off Road Series.
“The hard part is the maintenance of the bike,” Willis said.
The competition only allows competitors to perform maintenance on their bikes for a total of 25 minutes a day, 10 in the morning and 15 after each stage.
Willis said with such time restrictions, the riders are always under the pump. “You have to keep the bike running smoothly, so obviously the tyres are first priority.
“But the air filter needs to be changed daily and keeping everything tight is also a must,” Willis said.
Willis has an array of sponsors who generously provide most of his motorcycling needs, including KDM, which provides Willis with $12,000 motorcycles.
“KDM will have a brand new bike waiting for me in Slovakia. Some other riders had to send their bikes over in the container three months ago, and were left with no bike in Australia,” Willis said.
Motorcycle Australia takes care of the airfares, allowing Willis to focus on his international riding career.
“It’s great not to have the financial pressure, I’d imagine for someone riding privately the costs would be enormous,” he said. Willis is a member of the Kooweerup Motorcycle Club and is looking forward to riding well and doing his home club proud.
“The Kooweerup club is going well. There is around 150 members down there, which is terrific,” he said.
Fitness is a crucial component of any endurance sport and Willis makes sure he is always conditioned to race.
“I do a lot of gym work at Pakenham Fitness Factory. They have been terrific support over the years,” he said.
After the event in Slovakia, Willis will venture to the United States of America, in an attempt to break into their exclusive racing market.
“I will be riding in threehour, Grand National crosscountry races,” he said.
Willis said the sport was big in the US. “That is where all the money is, racing in the USA is where I’m aiming,” Willis said.
But he isn’t expecting instant results. “To finish in the top 20 would be great, then I’ll take it from there,” he said.