Table of contents

• Each other’s life “What should be so great about off-road driving?”
• “Let the battle dwarf see how he does the killer thief!”
• “These shitty ruts!”
• “The tires closed, the track steep, the pants full!”
• “Henniges grins, I’m beaming, the photographer claps.”
• Data and measurements
• Conclusion

Jahn

33 pictures

Jahn

1/33
Rolf Henniges and Stefan Kaschel: They have the same hairdresser, but not the same opinion.

Jahn

2/33
Rolf Henniges was able to convince Stefan Kaschel: Ruts down, mud pack up – he is now an Enduro fan.

Jahn

3/33
Stop! Stop! Caution! It’s not as dangerous as the sign suggests.

Jahn

4/33
Only flying is more beautiful! This motto also applies to off-road sports.

Jahn

5/33
Open the bush, close the bush. Goes faster than you think.

Jahn

6/33
Loss of control? At most at Kaschel (back).

Jahn

7/33
Tough job! If you don’t want to sweat, you have to cool down.

Jahn

8/33
Failed halfway. The professionals turn left beforehand.

Jahn

9/33
Mud pack! The professional pulls through, with the beginner paddling helps.

Jahn

10/33
Off we go into the field.

Jahn

11/33
Two editors in the mud: Rolf Henniges and Stefan Kaschel.

Jahn

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Two editors in the mud: Rolf Henniges and Stefan Kaschel.

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Two editors in the mud: Rolf Henniges and Stefan Kaschel.

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Two editors in the mud: Rolf Henniges and Stefan Kaschel.

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Two editors in the mud: Rolf Henniges and Stefan Kaschel.

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Two editors in the mud: Rolf Henniges and Stefan Kaschel.

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Two editors in the mud: Rolf Henniges and Stefan Kaschel.

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Two editors in the mud: Rolf Henniges and Stefan Kaschel.

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Two editors in the mud: Rolf Henniges and Stefan Kaschel.

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Two editors in the mud: Rolf Henniges and Stefan Kaschel.

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Two editors in the mud: Rolf Henniges and Stefan Kaschel.

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Two editors in the mud: Rolf Henniges and Stefan Kaschel.

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Two editors in the mud: Rolf Henniges and Stefan Kaschel.

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Two editors in the mud: Rolf Henniges and Stefan Kaschel.

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Two editors in the mud: Rolf Henniges and Stefan Kaschel.

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Two editors in the mud: Rolf Henniges and Stefan Kaschel.

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Two editors in the mud: Rolf Henniges and Stefan Kaschel.

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Two editors in the mud: Rolf Henniges and Stefan Kaschel.

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Two editors in the mud: Rolf Henniges and Stefan Kaschel.

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Two editors in the mud: Rolf Henniges and Stefan Kaschel.

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Two editors in the mud: Rolf Henniges and Stefan Kaschel.

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Two editors in the mud: Rolf Henniges and Stefan Kaschel.

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Two editors in the mud: Rolf Henniges and Stefan Kaschel.

Sports & scene

The other’s life: off-road

Each other’s life
“What should be so great about off-road driving?”

It’s like always. They disagree. “What is so great about off-road driving? If God had wanted you to drive straight through woods and meadows, he would have paved there accurately, “growls Kaschel. Henniges grumbles: “First of all, it’s really fun, and secondly, you learn a lot here for life. Also for life on the street, mind you. “The two of them go off-road.

Stefan Kaschel, Rolf Henniges

06/06/2013

Henniges:

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Finally I was able to convince Tall Hendrik. For the first time since childhood, he goes back to play in the mud. And as always, it is his disproportionate East Westphalian self-confidence that gives him the ubiquitous arrogance: because the seat height of the two KTMs is a fat 970 millimeters, he actually believes he has an advantage. Kaschel measures 1.86 meters, I only 1.68 meters. But just as performance is only useful to those who can handle it, even the longest legs are of no use if you cannot drive. But to be honest: I also feel a little queasy. I was active in off-road sports 25 years ago, but that was a long time ago. Really respect the two oranges. Before its height and before its power: the 250 cc should have 37 hp, the 350 cc should have 47 hp. You have to be able to implement that in the mud first. And it’s muddy, after these days of rain …

“Let the battle dwarf see how he does the killer thief!”

Kaschel:

Oh shit! What did I get into? I haven’t got this out of my head for days. Alone when I saw these carts in the underground car park. Rank, slim, well-trained, long-legged. And me? Well-being and muscle wasting. It just doesn’t go together. I’ve never sat on something like this, my last off-road tour was about 35 years ago on a 125cc Montesa. And now I’m in the middle of this number. For days I have met the aardvarks in the editorial team with that smug smile. Knowing, gleefully. So according to the motto: What is this poor lunatic doing to himself with almost 50 Lenzen?

Jahn

Failed halfway. The professionals turn left beforehand.

Test chief Gert Thole didn’t want to lend me tinted glasses. Reason: He wants to see the fear in my eyes in the photos. Too late. Clear glass! We’re standing at the edge of the track, I look down at Henniges, and he tells me in all seriousness that it’s all half as wild. He has already partially left the route. Lots of mud, little traction. For the steep slopes, one thing applies above all: You really have to want to go up. I want to, but I’m seriously scared! Fortunately, I at least grabbed the smaller 250 instead of the 350. Why? Quite simply: A sympathetic person from the editorial team said mischievously: “The best would be a 50s. You know: the more modest you are, the better off you are with less power. Otherwise you will only fight against power, not against the track. “Hahaha! Let the combat dwarf see how he converts the killer thud of the 350s into speed …

Henniges:

Damn! The Kaschel is smarter than expected. I wanted to talk him into the 350. According to the motto: “The tractor pulls you up the mountain by itself.” Otherwise it can never have enough pressure. And now I’m sitting on the thing. Let’s see how it’s going … The single barks at the push of a button. We used to play football. Sometimes you were finished before the race if the goat didn’t start. I remember the first LC4 models in the late 1980s. KTM Back then it stood for “kick ten minutes” … To get a feel for the chassis and engines, we first cucumber around on a kind of meadow that has dried off in the sun. Boy, does that engine stop. It’s amazing what the development has brought about over the past 25 years. The 350 immediately converts every little twist of the throttle into propulsion. And when I write right away, I mean it. Spontaneous, almost instantly. A quick turn is enough and you put the Kaschel in the rear of your 250cc …

“These shitty ruts!”

Kaschel:

This jostling from behind is annoying. But it was clear. Damn it, it’s over! Even if it doesn’t look like it now, I’ll give it my all. They talked about terrain, steep slopes and jumps. I was prepared for everything. But these shitty ruts – that was never mentioned. Just as wide as a rear tire and deep as the Mariana Trench. In a moment, in a moment, zero speed is reached. Then the KTM will definitely just stop and I’ll tip over to the side. And here should I beat up? Never.

In fact, I’m almost looking forward to the curve up there. Local residents call it that. For me it will probably be a “Dalieger”. But it’s better to fall there than straight ahead at walking pace …

Jahn

Loss of control? At most at Kaschel (back).

Henniges:

That was close. I almost rushed into him. Almost stops on the straight stretch. Groundless! Likely to slip off a horse like a dead rider. He can’t tip over, his wheels are threaded into deep ruts. But he’ll probably still be able to do it. Nothing is impossible for East Westphalia. The brakes of the 350s are a poem. It also packs flawlessly at the back, slip in briefly, at an angle to the neighboring and out again with pressure. I’m curious how Kaschel does it. The “I-only-brake-front-hero” would not have noticed in the last 30 years if they had stolen his rear brake. Here in the area, however, things look very different. I’ll look back: He’s paddling helplessly with his long legs. He’s guaranteed to have sore muscles in his thighs tomorrow …

Kaschel:

Phew, made it, open the gas again briefly, and now the curve. But why isn’t that thing turning in properly? Pushes over the front wheel, drives a very wide arc. Okay, Henniges said brake at the rear. How is that supposed to work with those fat boots? Zero feeling, the wheel stops immediately. But at least: the rear comes around, I’m on course. Now use the steep face a little more, open the gas, and … yes, that actually works. Okay, I only want to drive local residents. But there comes the next straight, two ruts next to each other. Where the hell am I supposed to thread into what horror? I prefer to use Plan C. In a wide arc past it and shortly before the next hill back on course. Henniges will laugh himself to death – it doesn’t matter …

“The tires closed, the track steep, the pants full!”

Henniges:

Alone like Kaschel sits on the thing – it never gets worse. Crouches with his ass over the rear wheel, arms outstretched, probably wondering why the box makes huge arcs. Boy, you have to put weight on the front wheel! So now I’ve driven in a circle 20 times, and the Kaschel four times. Mind you, at the same time. I have big forearms, but want more. The route is supposed to be quite demanding. World Cup pilots train here. If I drive slowly, I will definitely get around sometime. Oh, it’s really steep here. And you can’t call it mud any more. More like glue. The tires closed, the track steep, the pants full. Should have trained beforehand. Paddle too, keep fighting bravely. Now up the steep driveway, and then out of the forest. The Kaschel never gets through here. The engine roars, the body sweats, the soul hopes. I’ll be up soon. There are two tracks here. The right one leads straight ahead. The one on the left makes an arc … There are exactly 26 years and four months between this and my last real off-road assignment. Not only the bones but also the memory deteriorates. Two of the most important basic rules in off-road sports are: “If there is a crowd in the middle of the forest – drive carefully. They are gawkers. It’s tricky there. And: If there are two lanes – one straight ahead, the other with a bend – then take the bend. There is guaranteed danger lurking on the straight … The hole I fall into is around 1.40 meters deep and 1.50 meters by 1.50 meters. Nothing happened to the KTM, only the fork was twisted. I am also whole. I can well imagine how Kaschel is amused when I tell him that …

Kaschel:

Oh man, now off to the forest! I just loosened up a bit, didn’t hold on to the handlebars like crazy. Then the box runs wonderfully through the deep grooves and has impeccable traction. In general, the chassis is incredible. What hits that can take without teetering and running off the track. You can’t imagine a street fuzzi at all. But now, this muddy steep descent – should I go down there? With the best will in the world, I can’t imagine how that’s supposed to work. Above all: at some point I have to get up out of this crater of horror. It is best to let it run and then fall all the way down. Then at least I’m not on the slope. Hooooaaaah – gone well. And now? Now the ruts are starting again. With the difference that this is the worst mud I’ve ever experienced. Hard to believe, but I sort of dig my way through. With deductions in the B-note, of course, but still. Now the curve, and let’s see what’s behind it, Ha, Henniges is standing in a hole? Others could look out there.

Jahn

Only flying is more beautiful! This motto also applies to off-road sports.

Henniges:

It was clear. The Kaschel always comes at the wrong time. It is always and everywhere. Now he also looks like he has won the Enduro World Championship. He only drove here over a damp meadow. Well, whoever has the damage doesn’t need to worry about the ridicule. Yeah, just laugh. Now we’re driving properly. And on the course! In the forest! First steep ascent: second gear, momentum, decent thrusts, jump over the edge at the top. Let’s see where the East Westphalia is. I can not believe it!

It is in the middle of the slope and can neither back nor forward. Hey Kaschel, you have to turn, go back and get some new momentum! But, back? He doesn’t even know the word …

Kaschel:

I knew it, oh man, I knew it. Now I’m literally ankle-deep in the dirt. I actually did everything right. Second gear, run-up and then brave the gas. The first 20 meters went quite well. I stood loosely on the pegs, put my ass out in an exemplary manner, shifted weight – everything goes great on these slim things. And then the grip decreased, the speed increased, the pace slower. A quick look up: Henniges grins. A quick look in front of the front wheel – and again one of those … grooves. The rear wheel comes around, the front wheel turns, Busch open, Busch closed, I’m gone. And now the real advantage in off-road sport: the moped falls softly, I fall softly, nothing happens. Now I only have three problems. First: How do I get this thing up again, because I whistle out of the last hole in terms of fitness. Second: How do I get out of here again, because my boots slip at least as hard as the clogged studded tire. And third: How do I endure Henniges’ ridicule up there? He stands there and pats his thigh.

“Henniges grins, I’m beaming, the photographer claps.”

Henniges:

For its first time, the Kaschel is not driving too badly. After all, he is 75 percent up the slope. I’ll help him before he gets a heart attack or slides down the slope on his pants. If we practice this a few more times, maybe it will …

Kaschel:

He’s coming to help me! Who would have ever thought? Thank God. Explains the enduro world to me. Short thrusts of the gas, the tire tread free to spin, now and then less gas. I don’t even know anything like that! Okay, I’ll roll back down. I start running again, this time more. Now I’ve got it, I really want to go up there. Momentum, just don’t get out of step. And nothing half-hearted! It is moving forward, now the chain is pulling, there comes the paragraph in front of which I just failed. Now it is just a matter of letting go, just let grooves be grooves, over there, I fly, albeit very deep, the last climb, go forward – done! Hey guys, what a great feeling. Henniges grins, I’m beaming, the photographer claps. So this is off-road sport! It’s very different from anything I’ve done before. And that’s a really good feeling. Henniges asks what happened. But I don’t have time. I want to go back down – try again right away.

Henniges:

What about now? Does he want to flee? No, Kaschel makes another attempt. Now he really got it. Well, then we want to go deeper into the bushes, I saw a steep driveway there that begins right behind a bend. Nothing goes right away. So it’s time to get into the neighborhood and take some momentum with you. The best thing to do is to keep it short and tell him that he has to take the upcoming curve with momentum in order to then come up the slope. Anyone who shows so much ambition deserves a few tips …

Kaschel:

Ha, now Henniges is standing there and wants to explain the world to me. Even takes off the helmet. But puff cake! Now I’ll mill right past it and show what I’ve already learned. Spin my tire tread free! Mud fun, Henniges, mud fun!

Data and measurements

archive

Performance diagram of the test machines.

KTM 250 EXC-F

Single-cylinder four-stroke engine, 250 cm³, 37 HP, 26 Nm, 106 kg, 8745 euros (excluding additional costs)

KTM 350 EXC-F

Single-cylinder four-stroke engine, 350 cm³, 47 HP, 37 Nm, 107 kg, 8895 euros (excluding additional costs)

Does a lot help a lot? As far as power and torque are concerned, clearly. The Austrians get a hefty 47 hp from the 350, while the small 250 is ten hp less. A similar relation applies to the torque yield. Whether and how you can implement this additional performance, however, depends crucially on driving ability. The extra weight of the 350 is not even two kilograms.

Conclusion

Jahn

Rolf Henniges was able to convince Stefan Kaschel: Ruts down, mud pack up – he is now an Enduro fan.

Henniges: “And, Kaschel, off-road driving is a lot more fun than pounding on the road, isn’t it?”

Kaschel: “You can’t say that now. But I admit: It’s really exciting. An experience that is worthwhile. “

Henniges: “Correct, correct! Most of the experience you gain from off-roading can also be used on the road. The other way around is more difficult. Do not you think?”

Kaschel: “No idea. In any case, it is worth giving it a try. Ruts down, mud pack away. I’m a fan now. Satisfied? “

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