With the commencement of racing in the 2025 Yamaha Australian Enduro Championship presented by MXstore (AEC) only a month away, anticipation is building as a new era of off-road competition dawns.

The 2025 AEC will not only cater to the full gamut of senior and junior riders, but the addition of a Sportsman class and an official Pro Enduro points table will add even more intrigue into the 12-round championship, which begins in Kempsey (NSW) on March 1-2.

Daniel Milner is back as one of the superstars in the AEC paddock

Pro Enduro is a ‘best of the best’ points structure, replicating many other championships from around the globe, including FIM EnduroGP.

Pro Enduro will be fought out by participants in the E1, E2 and E3 classes, with an outright winner per round and at the conclusion of the championship.

The timing of the Pro Enduro inauguration has come at a tantalising time, with 2022 world E2 champion Wil Ruprecht – one of only four Australian riders to reach the world enduro summit – returning home to ride for the ShopYamaha Off Road Racing Team.

Ruprecht will not only lock horns in the E2 class against reigning champion Daniel Milner (DM31 Racing Team KTM) and Andy Wilksch (Beta Motorcycles Australia), but they’ll also be the leading candidates to shoot for Pro Enduro success as well.

But don’t discount riders like Jonte Reynders (DM31 Racing Team KTM) for Pro Enduro honours. He will contest the lower-capacity E1 class in 2025, but as his fellow Tasmanian Kyron Bacon proved in 2024 a 250cc four-stroke in the hands of a talented rider with a steely resolve can make for a powerhouse combination.

Last year’s E1 runner-up Korey McMahon (DM31 Racing Team KTM) will also fancy his Pro Enduro credentials as he moves into the E3 class alongside defending champion Jye Dickson (Beta Motorcycles Australia), while Will Dennett (ShopYamaha Off Road Racing Team, E2) will be another to watch – and with more seasoned enduro competitors still to declare their 2025 intentions, the battle for Pro Enduro honours isn’t going to be a walk in the park: success will be hard-earned.

Among the riders to have been ‘unofficial’ outright champions in the Australian Off-Road Championship (the precursor to the AEC) over the years include Milner and Dakar Rally heroes Toby Price and Daniel Sanders.

Will Dennett returns to Yamaha in 2025, but with a new teammate: 2022 world enduro E2 champion, Wil Ruprecht

Meanwhile, the Sportsman Cup has been created for state clubman-level riders only, in an All-Powers format. Pro level motocross riders will not be permitted to compete, in what’s expected to be an exciting outlet for grassroots competitors to show their mettle on a national stage.

In total, the 2025 AEC will encompass 11 championship classes – seven senior and four junior – four Cup classes, and of course the creation of the Pro Enduro outright crown.

There are also two dedicated women’s and girls’ classes, both All-Powers.

Juniors are a huge part of the AEC fabric

2025 AEC CLASSES OF COMPETITION
SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
• E1: 120-200cc 2T and 150-250cc 4T
• E2: 220-250cc 2T and 275-450cc 4T
• E3: 290-500cc 2t & 475-650cc 4T
• EJ (Junior): All Powers (Rider must be under 18 years as of January 1, 2025)
• EW (Women): All Powers
• EV (Vets): All Powers (Rider must be 35-plus years of age before January 1, 2025)
• EM (Masters): All Powers (Rider must be 45-plus years of age before January 1, 2025)

JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
• J2 (12-U15 years): 85cc 2T and up to 150cc 4T
• J3 (13-U15 years): 100-200cc 2T and 200-250cc 4T
• J4 (15 years): 100-200cc 2T and 200-250cc 4T
• JG (12-U16 years): 85-200cc 2T and 150-250cc 4T

CUP
• JJ (9-U12 years): 65cc
• J1 (9-U12 years): 85cc 2T and 150cc 4
• Sportsman: All Powers, state clubman riders
• EWD (Enduro Women’s Development): All Powers
• EL (Legends): All Powers (Rider must be 50-plus years of age before January 1, 2025)

Jess Gardiner will attempt to win win back the women’s crown in 2025

Entries for the Kempsey and Traralgon (April 5-6) rounds of the 2025 AEC will open soon, and keep an eye on the all-new AEC website and AEC socials for the latest news and information as the build-up to the season continues.

Images: Troy Pears