Trail Rider Magazine

TrailRiderApril2020

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April 2020 15 Penton to join their team at True Sport Kawasaki developing the up-and-coming Kawasaki KDX line. With that star-stud- ded line-up consis ng of Jack Penton, Dane Leimbach, Kevin LaVoie and Mark Hyde, I can't imagine how much fun that season was! Back to Husky and working under Dick Burleson, Ron rode the Swedish bikes to fantas c success. With ISDEs in Czechoslovakia and Wales, Ron earned two silver medals on the Vase Team aboard a 250WR. Seasons'85 and '87 were a jump back to small bores, riding Honda CR125s and ISDE Qualifiers. Yes, motocrossers set up for woods racing with flywheel weights, por ng, steel clutch plates and a few other tricks of the trade to increase bot- tom end. The Honda brand was a good fit for Ron, who was riding red under Dave Mungenast from 1985-1997. Ron's last ISDE was 1994, here in the U.S. at Tulsa, Oklahoma. In recent years, Ron has grown fond of the KTM brand. In 2005 on a 400 EXC, he was soon jumping back to two strokes in the way of a handful of 300 XC-Ws. Ten years later Ron made the jump back to his small bore roots with a new KTM 200 XC-W while taking the 60-plus Na onal Championship. Yes, our friend Ron Ribolzi's been on one wild ride that's literally consumed a good part of every weekend over the past 50 years! Other noteworthy accom- plishments are racing AHRMA Motocross from 2004-2012 on a Dick Mann-built BSA 441 Victor and a '74 250 Husky for Cross Country events. Taking over from Dick Mann, Ron also managed the ISDT Reunion Rides from 2001-2012. What's amazing is there's no sign of stopping him. He's s ll racing the Na onal Enduro circuit, and at the me of this interview he was s ll high on his 65-plus Sumter Na onal (SC) win! Talk about energy! E Line Founded by Kevin Hines more than 30 years ago, E Line Accessories has been at the top of its game for decades with no sign of slowing down. Several years back, Kevin had men oned to Ron that he was interested in selling E Line so he could do something different. Friends for decades, the two ham- mered out a deal over a few drinks and the rest is history. E Line moved from Cape Cod to Columbia, Illinois. There's no ques on that new blood breathes enthusiasm. With Ron Ri- bolzi at the E Line's helm, he's proud to say they've added a whopping 45 new products to their line and many more are in development. As for E Line's products under Ron's watch, we're thoroughly impressed. The fit and finish is nothing short of Formula One tech- nology. E Line's pipe guards fit ght to the pipe, snapping into place with zero room for mud and dirt to accumulate. The company's skid plates wrap around key areas with- out protruding or adding unwanted, extra weight. E Line uses a composite of carbon fiber, Kevlar, fiber- glass and resins. The use of Kevlar in skid plate manu- facturing is unique to E Line. There is good reason that Kevlar is the material of choice in the manufacture of bullet-proof vests, wear-resistant gloves, and high impact-resistant kayaks and canoes. Kevlar disperses impact, has a longer fa gue life, and has a greater tensile strength than just about any other material, including aluminum. For more informa on, check out elineaccessories.com

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