Category Archives: Sponsors

Kenda Returns as Official Tire of Tennessee Knockout; The most popular tire among TKO racers

Kenda tires will return as the presenting sponsor and official tire of the Red Bull Tennessee Knockout for 2022. Forty-seven percent of the racers competed on Kenda tires at the 2021 TKO event, making it the most popular tire brand by a large margin.

“Kenda has been a partner with the Tennessee Knockout since the first event in 2011 and as the event grows, our market share in extreme enduro grows with it,” said Dave Komoroski, Director of Powersports at Kenda. “We’re enthusiasts first and foremost. In fact, a couple of our Ohio-based engineers are competing this year. It’s rewarding to see our work paying off as more and more riders choose to ride Kenda.”

Kenda will have a tire service crew at the Tennessee Knockout ready to help all the riders choose and mount the best options.

You can learn more about Kenda tires here.

There are still entries available for the Saturday amateur classes, including the new ECR eMoto class. Click here to enter.

Kenda will be back as the official tire of the Red Bull Tennessee Knockout for 2022. The brand will have tire support and a few of their engineers competing in the amateur classes to put their product to the test.

Sur Ron Partners with Red Bull Tennessee Knockout. Electric motorcycle brand will have a big presence in eMoto

Sur Ron, one of the most popular electric off-road motorcycle brands in North America, has partnered with the Red Bull Tennessee Knockout. The Sur Ron Light Bee X has expanded riding options for people of all skill levels.

The Sur Ron Light Bee X has a large cult following. Several riders will be racing these bikes in the ECR eMoto race at the TKO.

The reduced sound and easy rideability compared to gas-powered motorcycles opens the door to more riding locations and makes it easier for new riders to enjoy the thrill of motorcycling riding. Several of the racers competing in the new ECR eMoto electric motorcycle class at the TKO will be racing Sur Ron motorcycles and the TKO staff will be using a Sur Ron Light Bee X to create the course on the massive Trials Training Center property. Building on the success of the Light Bee, Sur Ron has a full-size motorcycle called the Storm Bee that will be available soon.

“We are thrilled to see electric bikes showcased at a prestigious event like the TKO,” said Graeme Jones, Director of Marketing for Sur Ron / DIAN Motors Inc. “The ECR eMoto class will introduce a whole new audience to the Sur Ron brand and the capabilities of our unique electric bikes. It’s an exciting time.”

Most people are surprised at how capable and fun the Sur Ron Light Bee motorcycles are.

The Red Bull TKO is round six of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship so the best Hard Enduro riders in the world will face off against the best North American riders. The event will kick off with a Thursday evening Straight Rhythm Enduro challenge on Broadway Street in downtown Nashville. The riders and fans will then reconvene at the Trials Training Center in Sequatchie, Tennessee on Friday, August 12th for the Amateur class prologue qualifying before two rounds of amateur class racing on Saturday to determine the AMA Grand Championships for Extreme Off-Road racing. The ECR eMoto class will be part of the Saturday morning racing. Sunday will include four rounds of racing for the pro riders.

There are still entries available for the Saturday amateur classes, including the new ECR eMoto electric motorcycle and Youth Lites 12-15 classes. Click here to enter.

Kenda Tires available on-site at the 2021 TKO via TrackSide Support LLC

TKO sponsor Kenda Tires will have a vendor on-site with a selection of enduro tires and miscellaneous services. Here are the details from Trackside Support’s Tim Anderson:

TrackSide Support LLC will make Kenda tires available on-site at the TKO again this year. With Kenda’s expanded Extreme Enduro tire line-up, you have a broad choice of tires. Cody Webb has been dominating the extreme enduro circuit on his Sherco using the Knarly tire. He recently shared a few tips on modifying your bib. The Ibex tire is still a great standby tire too, with expanded size availability.  We plan to be changing tires from Friday morning through the entire weekend, servicing bib mousse, Tubliss, and tube tires. In addition, we have a fairly extensive line of hard parts and Kenda tubes, in case your weekend doesn’t go as planned. We do take cards too, in case your green stuff supply runs short. If you would like to reserve tires in advance, you can call 248-431-7506 before 10 PM EST or email at reservetires@msn.com.

Kenda Returns as Official Tire of the 2021 Tennessee Knockout

Kenda has been a partner with the Tennessee Knockout (TKO) since the inaugural event in 2011. At that time, a small fraction of the competitors used Kenda tires, but the brand continued to develop and market new tires aimed at extreme off-road, and in 2020, a whopping 52% of the competitors raced on Kenda tires. While Red Bull has taken over the title sponsorship position to help grow the event and increase the exposure worldwide via Red Bull TV, Kenda will continue as the presenting sponsor and official tire of the Red Bull Tennessee Knockout.

“The Tennessee Knockout has become one of the premier off-road motorcycle events in the US and we are happy to continue to help extreme off-road motorcycle racing grow in popularity,” said Jason Baldwin, Director of Powersports at Kenda. “We are proud to have so many of the extreme off-road racers choose Kenda and the new Knarly tire is winning at the top level with Cody Webb and the Sherco team. We are happy to provide the tires that help riders get through the tough stuff.”

Kenda will have a tire service crew at the Tennessee Knockout ready to help all the riders choose the best options.

You can learn more about Kenda tires here.

Cody Webb and the FactoryOne Sherco team count on Kenda tires. Webb will be aiming for his seventh TKO win in 2021. Photo: Shan Moore