The 2023 Bootleg Gravity Series kicked off with a bang, as riders from all over the Southwest region converged on Bootleg Canyon for the first round of the competition. The three-stage enduro race would test the riders' fitness and technical skills, while crowning the SW Regional Champion.

Brian Lopes from team Yamaha arrived at Bootleg Canyon on a Friday midday, giving himself enough time to take the new Yamaha Moro 07 out for a spin and pre-ride each course, knowing the courses is key to having a good race, as there isn’t much room for error out in Bootleg. The trails are narrow and extremely rocky, making flat tires and unexpected washouts quite common. Running a full downhill casing tire is a must for both traction and reliability.

After a few hours of getting the course dialed in, it was time to head back to the room and start prepping body and bike for Saturday's race day. Brian Lopes made sure the Yamaha was ready by going through everything, so there were no unexpected mishaps during the race. Bolts were tight, tires were undamaged, chain was clean and lubed, battery was charging, and suspension pressures were dialed. After a shower, a good dinner, and an early bedtime, he was ready to take on the competition.

Race day started off chilly, with a temperature of 38 degrees as everyone pedaled up to stage one. By the time they got to the top, it had warmed up to 42, which was a relief. It's good to stay warm before racing starts, so the pedal up helped to prepare.

Stage one was the fastest and most downhill of all the stages, but Brian’s run went according to plan. He made no mistakes, hit all the lines, and put the fastest time of all competitors up on the board.

Stage two had one of the most technical sections ever encountered in a race out in Bootleg. It was more of a traverse, and just making it through with no dabs had to be a goal for everyone. The MTB mode really shines on sections like this, where pedal precision is so critical. Another clean run with the fastest time only extended Brian’s lead heading into the final stage.

All Brian needed to do on stage three was to be clean with no mechanicals, and he had enough of a lead to be confident he'd take the win. He took it slightly conservative in a few areas, but still pushed hard everywhere he could, extending his overall lead and ending the day with another nearly flawless run. The new Yamaha Moro 07 motor worked flawlessly all weekend. The reduced weight and added torque were great improvements to the already great handling YDX Moro Pro.

Brian Lopes is already looking forward to the second round out in Bootleg on February 18th, where he'll be looking to put the Moro 07 back on top again!