NIBBI PERFORMANCE JOURNAL · SEA TO SKY 2026
One Relentless Test of the NIBBI ET300RS
From the Mediterranean shoreline to the slopes of Mount Tahtalı, NIBBI Racing entered Sea to Sky for the first time with two riders, two stock-based ET300RS machines, and one clear purpose: put performance to the test where the terrain leaves nowhere to hide.
A First Start at One of Hard Enduro’s Defining Events
Held in Kemer, Antalya, Türkiye, from October 8–10, Sea to Sky formed Round 7 of the 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship. The event compressed three very different tests into three consecutive days: the Beach Race on Thursday, the Forest Race on Friday, and the decisive Mountain Race on Saturday.
That format is what makes Sea to Sky so revealing. Soft sand demands momentum and precision. Forest trails add rocks, roots, changing grip and GPS navigation. The final day begins near sea level and climbs toward the 2,365-metre summit of Mount Tahtalı, becoming more technical as the mountain rises.
For NIBBI Racing, this was more than a debut. It was a chance to place the NIBBI ET300 in a demanding competition environment and learn from every kilometre. Racing turns design decisions into direct feedback: how the motorcycle responds, how controllable it feels as fatigue builds, and how the complete package holds together across changing terrain.
Beach Race
Deep sand, tight obstacles and head-to-head intensity opened the event on the Mediterranean coast.
Forest Race
A GPS-navigated route through Kemer’s forests shifted the test to traction, line choice and endurance.
Mountain Race
Sixteen checkpoints and an unrelenting climb toward Mount Tahtalı decided the final classifications.
Day One: Finding Rhythm in the Sand
Sea to Sky began at Kındıl Beach, where the hard enduro field traded long mountain climbs for a compact course built around soft sand and repeated obstacles. The format rewarded fast reactions, clean lines and the ability to keep the rear wheel driving when traction disappeared.
For Emirhan Kurt and Murat Can Köse, the Beach Race was the first competitive chapter of NIBBI Racing’s Sea to Sky story. It established the pace for the weekend and gave the team its first opportunity to observe the ET300RS under race pressure before the route moved inland.
Day Two: Into Kemer’s Forests
The Forest Race replaced the crowd-lined beach with a long GPS-navigated course through pine woods, rocky tracks and constantly changing surfaces. This was a different kind of challenge: less about short bursts and more about sustained control, accurate navigation and preserving both rider and motorcycle for the mountain still to come.
Hard enduro rarely offers perfect conditions. Grip changes without warning. Small mistakes consume energy. Impacts accumulate. The only useful response is to adapt, keep moving and turn every problem into information for the next section. That mindset carried the NIBBI riders through the forest and into the final day.
Day Three: Silver on the Mountain
The Mountain Race is the stage that gives Sea to Sky its name. Riders leave the coast behind and climb through increasingly difficult terrain toward Mount Tahtalı. In 2026, the route was measured through 16 checkpoints, with final classifications determined by how far each rider progressed and, where applicable, by race time.
Both NIBBI Racing riders earned the official Silver classification. For a first Sea to Sky entry, bringing two riders into the Silver classification was a result built on persistence, teamwork and the willingness to keep pushing when the mountain became hardest.
“We Wanted to Show What a Stock Motorcycle Could Do”
After the race, Murat Can reflected on the scale of the challenge and the purpose behind choosing the NIBBI motorcycle for Sea to Sky:
“Sea to Sky is one of the toughest hard enduro races in the world. This year I passed 11 checkpoints and earned a Silver medal. Many people asked why I entered on a NIBBI instead of a Beta. Our aim was to show what a Chinese-brand motorcycle in original stock form could do in a race this difficult. Yes, we faced problems, but we also completed the challenge on a motorcycle priced around the cost of the suspension on some European bikes.”
— Murat Can Köse, translated from Turkish
That perspective matters to us. A race result is worth celebrating, but honest feedback is just as valuable. Hard enduro exposes every weak point—in setup, preparation, components and decision-making. The purpose of testing in competition is not to pretend those difficulties do not exist. It is to understand them, improve the motorcycle and return stronger.
The ET300RS that raced in Kemer was presented as a stock-based machine rather than a one-off factory prototype. Completing this first Sea to Sky campaign with two Silver classifications gives the NIBBI team a real benchmark and a clear direction for continued development.
Watch the NIBBI Racing Sea to Sky Story
RACE FILM · SEA TO SKY 2026
From the Coastline to the Mountain
See the terrain, the riders and the ET300RS in action across three demanding days in Kemer.
The film follows NIBBI Racing from the soft sand of the Beach Race, through the forest, and into the final climb toward Mount Tahtalı.
Two riders. Two Silver classifications. One unforgettable first Sea to Sky.
Performance Is a Process
Sea to Sky reinforced the principles that guide NIBBI Racing’s work.
Build for Real Terrain
Performance has to remain usable when sand, rocks, heat, fatigue and changing grip arrive together.
Listen to Riders
Competition provides direct feedback that no static specification sheet can replace.
Improve Without Excuses
Every difficulty is data. Every race is an opportunity to refine the complete motorcycle.
We are proud of Emirhan Kurt and Murat Can Köse for carrying the NIBBI colors through all three days. We are equally grateful to Enduro Market and Mitas Moto for supporting this effort, and to the organizers, marshals, volunteers and fans who made Sea to Sky 2026 possible.
This was our first Sea to Sky. It will not be the last chapter.
Race beyond limits. Boost your performance.
