Trail Rider Magazine

January 2018 11 Rider Spotlight Jeff Staples 2017 A 45+ Na onal Enduro Champion This month's Rider Spotlight is one that's been long overdue in our opinion. Year a er year, there's a handful of New England woods warriors that not only just fl at out kill it in the woods, they also eat, sleep and breathe off -road motorcycling to the core. Jeff Staples is this guy, the defi ni on of living the off -road lifestyle. We've all heard the saying , don't make your hobby your job. In fact, Mike Rowe, host of the Discovery Channel TV series 'Dirty Jobs', says, "Don't follow your passion. Always bring it with you. You can bring your passion to the job you work at, which will give you sa sfac on as well as fi nancial stability. It will also give you enough me to pursue your hobbies, with no pressure to make money out of it" Bullshit Mike Rowe, true hard core enthusiasts can live and earn a good living from their passions. It's who we are. No ques on, Jeff Staples is one of these guys. Hav- ing raced for more than half his life, Staples has also made a living from his love of motorcycles his en re life, A er gradua ng from MMI in Arizona, Jeff began his career at Cycles! 128 in Beverly Massachuse s. (as with your Editor, Kurt) Jeff wrenched at Cycles for 8 years before teaming up with his current business partner Jon Thompson, where they opened Motor- bikes Plus in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. During the early years of Motorbikes Plus, they serviced all makes and models of motorcycles. When KTM was looking to expand their dealer network, the two jumped at the chance and took on the line. Fast for- ward 17 years later, the business is doing phenomenal with Staples running the service end, Thompson on the business side. Like many dirt-to-the-core riders, Jeff grew up as a kid with love of all things two-wheeled. Minibikes were the introduc on to trail riding, later moving on to an '86 YZ125 as his fi rst real dirt bike. Jeff 's fi rst NETRA event was a Hare Scrambles aboard an '89 CR250. The year was 1992. Twenty fi ve years later, the thrill of woods racing hasn't diminished one bit. Staples 2017 season began with a goal to race every Na onal Enduro. A lo y goal for a self–employed, self-sponsored rider. With 9 rounds in store, this was a huge commitment. Round 1, Sumter, NC. yielded a 4 th place fi nish in his class of A 45+. Not too shabby, as being from New Hampshire, one tends to get a bit rusty during the off season. The Alligator Enduro in Florida was the next round where Staples killed it with a fi rst place.. The Cajun Classic in Louisiana was a stretch of a drive from New Hampshire. Roll- ing solo, no pit crew and s ll pulled off a 4 th place posi on. Round 4, the Cherokee Na onal, in Greens- boro, GA. Staples was on fi re. Another fi rst place fi nish amongst 26 riders in the A 45+ class. A cool groove was found. The Ra lesnake Na onal Enduro in Pennsylvania yielded another 2 nd place fi nish. Sta- ples later said the Ra lesnake was the most New En- gland-like event he'd ridden. Rugged but enjoyable. The Muddobbers Na onal in Ma hews, Indiana wasn't a highlight but spirits didn't diminish. Round 7, the Leadbelt Na onal in Missouri made up for the Muddobbber with another fi rst place fi nish. Round 8, Zinc Ranch in Oklahoma (one long solo drive from New Hampshire!) delivered a solid 2 nd place. Round 9, the last and fi nal of the series, The Gobbler Ge er Na onal in Alabama wrapped up the season with yet another fi rst place fi nish. What a huge commitment and such and incredible achievement, 20,000+ miles of driving, and only two events raced with a pit crew. The vast majority done as a solo eff ort. That's real iron man stuff in our opinion. Huge congrats Jeff Staples, you fl at out killed it this season and we're incredibly proud of your accom- plishments! Not only on the race course but as a motorcyclist to the core! -Kurt

• Cover