Barbon Hill Climb Delivers Another Brilliant Day

Barbon Hill Climb always delivers - and 2026 did not disappoint. Riders and spectators enjoyed another fantastic event and, as always, it was great for the Triple D Motosport team to be there and help bring the bikes, riders and atmosphere that make the day so special.

There were plenty of familiar faces around too, including TT legend John McGuinness and sidecar star Ben Birchall with his two sons.

One of the big talking points of the day was the Stark Varg. Lots of people had come to see the bike take on the hill but after hammering up the climb for the first run, they were soon banned as the ACU officials wouldn’t sign the bike off on the day. A little too much power perhaps, and maybe even a bit of a risk for the event insurance too!

Despite that, there was still time to capture the attention of the crowd, even if it did bring with it a little embarrassment and bruised pride! But that's the epic power in these machines. And, it was only set to 60%, or as I like to say, pussy mode.

As we went blasting towards the hairpin and nudging a tonne, a combination of cold slick tyres and cool track temperatures created, ah hem, a bit of a spin. Luckily after a little unexpected break dancing on the track there was no damage done and there was still time for a few more runs, albeit on a different bike.

Next year, with everything signed off in advance, we're hoping the Stark Varg gets the chance to show everyone what it can really do and make the shootout.

Without the Stark to haul me up the hill I switched to the KTM 450 SMR to get in a few more runs, only narrowly missing out on a place in the shootout.

A big thank you goes to Andrew Davies ("Ozz") for all his help throughout the day, and sorry we didn't manage to get 'Starking' up the hill on the Enduro machine.

Sadly Burts wasn't able to join us at Barbon leaving some fans of his growing 'celebrity' status disappointed. He was focused on practice ahead of the next round of the British Enduro Championship on the Isle of Man, where he'll be aiming for another podium finish as he continues pushing for ISDE (International Six Day Enduro) selection later this year.

Back at the showroom, the first of the 2027 KTM Enduro and Motocross bikes are starting to arrive. Numbers are limited again this year, but the good news is prices haven't increased, making it a great time to upgrade. If you've got a bike to trade in, we'd love to hear from you.

Our Stark Varg test days are also proving really popular. Once people ride one, they're often blown away. Plenty of riders have gone from "just curious" to placing an order after a day out on the trails. And don't forget, if you take one of the Starks for spin with one of the team, you'll get the cost of that experience knocked off your new bike.

Call us on 01539 732666 if you’d like to chat about 2027 models, Stark or anything else. Or pop into to see us in Kendal.