We take a look at Jess Gardiner's Yamaha WR250FP that she's leading the AORC with and why it's so damn good!
Jess is a multi-time National and International Off-Road Champion that shows no sign of slowing down. She has been at the top of the off- road racing world for over a decade competing at national, world and international events for years and achieving some of the best results any Australian rider has ever recorded. Even as we write this, she is running second in the World Enduro Championships after two rounds despite not having raced at the level for a few years now.
She also runs a successful coaching business with her partner and fellow off-road racer, Jeremy Carpentier (Offroad Riding Institute), as well as working closely with Yamaha for come and try days or Mini Moto at events like the ASBK or major metro bike shows. In the last few years she has become an ambassador for female participation in motorcycling and worked closely with MA and other groups encouraging women to ride motorcycles in a safe and friendly environment.
“I ride a WR as they are a really easy bike to ride both in terms of motor / power delivery and suspension” Jess said. “The WR is really easy to setup for off-road racing as it comes with the 18inch wheel, headlight etc. and the WR suits me perfectly and it’s a really enjoyable bike to ride. They are also much easier to resell due to being able to register them!”
“Most of the mechanical work is done by my partner Jeremy, I assist when and where I can. If it’s something major Excite Motorcycles assist us with the work. Being an off-road rider, I think it’s important to know how to work on your own bike or at least have a knowledgeable base to get you out of trouble as it comes in very handy at events like the A4DE or the ISDE.
“The hardest part about off-road is that it is difficult to set a bike up perfectly as you come across so much variety of terrain over any given round. We can go from sand to rocks and back again within a couple of tests or even at times within the one test so the priority for me is to ensure the bike is predictable. When I hit something, regardless of if it’s a log or a washout, to be fully confident in the bike I need to know exactly what it will do. Ian and Joel at Pro-Moto Suspension have done a great job with our suspension. I also run Neken triple clamps and they are to reduce twisting in a crash as much as anything, and they look amazing!
“Motor wise, I don’t really do much and keep it as close to standard. Of course, I set up a map to suit my riding style for the bush and various events, which is easily done via the Yamaha Power Tuner app on your phone. We run an Akrapovic exhaust as it meets every noise requirement, performs well and is lighter than the standard one. Most of the other stuff we do is about protection and durability, like running a good bash plate, GYTR bendy back levers, Bark Buster handguards and GYTR engine covers to resist breakage.
“As you can see, I don’t make a lot of changes to the bike and the WR250F is an awesome bike for what we do. The last few years have seen the performance of the standard bike increase significantly and it’s more a matter now of personalising it to what feels comfortable to me and the conditions we race in. We use stronger EZE wheels and excel A60 rims as they get punished during an event. Same with engine covers, bash plates and hand guards – none of them make you any faster but they protect the bike and allow you to attack some things a little more aggressively knowing that they are there.
“I don’t think I’m an overly fussy rider, as long as my power is smooth, my suspension is predictable and my handlebars are straight, I can deal with the rest and be very flexible. It makes travelling the world to compete a lot easier!
“Well, I kind of am the team Manager, so I either employ or sack myself. I think my best quality as a rider is determination. I fight to the end and never give up and there are times when you are stuck in the mud in the middle of nowhere and you want to give up but you can’t. I see the similar qualities in Danielle, that’s why we assist her and want to give back to the future generations firsthand beside us at the events.
“She is dedicated and determined and there now seems to be more support in Women’s racing. With so many of my great sponsors whom we’ve built up many years of working together, she will be able to continue what I have done and fly the flag for female off road racers, both here and internationally. I really enjoy the managing side of the team as well as being a professional racer. I hope to continue to expand on this in coming years.
