Hard Enduro changed off-road racing by proving that riders and motorcycles could conquer terrain once considered impossible.Now, the team behind Red Bull Romaniacs wants to do it again—this time with large-capacity Adventure motorcycles.
The next chapter is called Hard Adventure Racing, a new form of competition designed to bring the difficulty, spectacle and technical challenge of Hard Enduro into the world of big twin-cylinder machines.
From Hard Enduro to Hard Adventure
For more than two decades, Red Bull Romaniacs has pushed riders, manufacturers and motorcycle technology towards increasingly extreme levels.
The event did more than create one of the toughest off-road rallies in the world. It helped shape an entire discipline, forcing riders to develop new techniques and manufacturers to build more capable motorcycles.
Now, the Romaniacs team believes Adventure Bike Racing is ready for the same transformation. The sight of a large twin-cylinder motorcycle attacking terrain previously associated with lightweight enduro bikes is already changing expectations of what an Adventure motorcycle can achieve.
Although Hard Adventure Racing is still in its early stages, its development could happen much faster than the rise of Hard Enduro, supported by strong public interest and major involvement from motorcycle manufacturers.
The First Big-Bike Experiment Came in 2017
The foundations were laid at Red Bull Romaniacs in 2017, when Gerhard Forster, Quinn Cody and Chris Birch entered the Iron class on large twin-cylinder Adventure motorcycles. At the time, the idea seemed almost unreasonable.
Touratech BMW and KTM had independently reached the same conclusion: take big Adventure bikes onto a softened Hard Enduro course and see how far they could go.
The results immediately attracted attention.Gerhard Forster, riding for Touratech BMW, finished an impressive 14th overall in the Iron class, while KTM rider Quinn Cody completed the event in 33rd position.
More importantly, the riders demonstrated that large-capacity motorcycles could survive—and even pass traditional Hard Enduro bikes—on terrain few believed they could handle.
Three Classes and 100 Riders in 2026
Following years of development and the influence of riders such as Pol Tarrés, Red Bull Romaniacs introduced two dedicated Adventure categories in 2025.
The response exceeded expectations.
For 2026, the Adventure programme expands to three dedicated Hard Adventure classes:
- Ultimate – 20 riders
- Core – 40 riders
- Lite – 40 riders
A total of 100 competitors will line up across the three categories, showing just how quickly the new discipline is growing.
These classes are no longer simply additional categories within Red Bull Romaniacs. They represent the foundation of a separate form of racing, with its own direction, identity and future.
A Major Line-Up of Off-Road Talent
Red Bull Romaniacs founder Martin “Madman” Freinademetz plans to take both riders and machines into terrain never previously attempted on large-capacity Adventure motorcycles.The quality of the rider line-up reflects the growing importance of the project.
Names preparing to compete include:
- Sam Sunderland
- Ivan Cervantes
- Pol Tarrés
- Jonny Walker
- Mario Roman
- Adam Riemann
- Kevin Gallas
- Dieter Rudolf
- Greg Gordinne
The field brings together rally champions, Hard Enduro specialists and some of the most talented big-bike riders in the world. That combination should make the Adventure classes one of the most closely watched parts of the event.
Manufacturers Are Already Taking Notice
The interest extends far beyond the riders.
CFMOTO, BMW, KTM, Triumph and Yamaha are actively supporting factory or partner entries, while motorcycles from Kove, Honda, Aprilia and Ducati will also appear among the competitors.
For a discipline entering only its second full season, the scale of manufacturer involvement is remarkable.
Hard Adventure Racing offers brands the chance to test their motorcycles in real competition, under conditions far more demanding than conventional product launches or controlled off-road demonstrations.
For manufacturers, it is not only a race. It is also a development laboratory.
BMW Joins the Ultimate Class with Adam Riemann
BMW Motorrad will support Adam Riemann in the Ultimate class, underlining the company’s belief in the future of Hard Adventure Racing.
Marc Bongers of BMW Motorrad said:
“At BMW Motorrad, we share the enthusiasm for the emerging discipline of Hard Adventure Racing. That’s why we’re excited to line up with Adam Riemann in the Ultimate class at the Red Bull Romaniacs.”
“We believe this area of motorsport will provide important impetus for the continued development of both motorcycles and riders—much like we experienced during the early years of Hard Enduro.”
“The Red Bull Romaniacs played a key role in establishing that discipline, and we are proud to support Martin Freinademetz and his team in their vision to take this sport to the next level.”
A Separate Discipline with Its Own Future
The Romaniacs team does not want Hard Adventure Racing to remain a secondary attraction attached to Hard Enduro.
The intention is to build it as an independent racing discipline, with dedicated staff, rules, rankings and communication channels.
Martin Freinademetz explained:
“We want to drive this development as hard and as fast as possible. Our goal is to establish Hard Adventure Racing as a major racing discipline.”
“That’s why we’re building it completely separately from Hard Enduro—with a dedicated team, its own rules, rankings and communication channels.”
The ambition is clear: repeat the transformation that helped turn Hard Enduro into an internationally recognised form of racing.
This time, however, the motorcycles are heavier, more powerful and far less forgiving when the line choice goes wrong.
Bringing the ‘Hard’ to Adventure Racing
Hard Adventure Racing is still being defined, but its direction is already clear. It combines the scale and power of Adventure motorcycles with technical terrain, endurance and obstacles traditionally associated with Hard Enduro.
Red Bull Romaniacs helped change the limits of off-road racing once before. Now, with 100 riders, some of the biggest names in the sport and strong manufacturer involvement, the same team is preparing to push those limits again. A new discipline is taking shape—and it will not be gentle.
Roast Mode
Hard Enduro riders complain when they have to lift a 110-kilogram bike. Hard Adventure riders will drop more than 200 kilograms on a rocky climb, stare at it for three seconds and suddenly remember every life decision that brought them there.
The future of off-road racing is here—and apparently it comes with twin cylinders, luggage mounts and a mandatory gym membership.
