Champion Kyle Jenkins sets sights on yet more biking glory
The 25-year-old from Ruskington has just been crowned champion of the No Limits Metzeler Pre-Injection 600 class, claiming the title with three races to spare as he ultimately finished 103 points clear of nearest challenger Carl Vickers.
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Hide AdJenkins claimed nine wins, five second places and four thirds on his way to the title, although by his own admission, taking the honours wasn’t necessarily on his radar right at the start of the year.
He said: “I had no intentions as to where I’d be at the end of the season.
"When the first race came around at Snetterton, I’d not even ridden the bike, it had been in the garage right up until the meeting, so I had no idea how it would go, especially with it being my first time on a 600.
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Hide Ad“There would be a lot of things to learn compared to the bikes I’d been on before, right through from handling to power delivery and braking markers.
"So it was a weird season as I was learning the bike as I went along and suddenly, half way through, I was leading the championship.
"From then on I was concentrating on defending it instead of going all guns blazing, so I went from taking it easy to learn the bike to taking it easy in trying to defend the championship lead, as the onus was to stay on the bike and get points rather then go all guns blazing and crash.
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Hide Ad"Brands Hatch was the turning point. We won all three races there but that was only half the story.
"The first race was won by 26 seconds but then on race two, with three corners left I lost power and crossed the line with the bike barely running before it then fired back up.
"So before race three we had the bike in bits trying to make sure it wouldn’t happen again, but on the warm up lap there was again no power. Luckily at the start there was a crash on the grid as a lad stalled on the line and three others piled into him, so the race got delayed.
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Hide Ad"That enabled me to shoot back to the van, get on a spare bike, stick some fuel in and get straight back out, albeit on cold and old tyres.
"So I had to be careful, the bike was also 10bhp slower than the other one, so it was a case of taking it easy to get heat into the tyres, but then I went for it and opened up a 32-second lead and won the race.
"That gave me more confidence and was when I really believed the title was there to be won."
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Hide AdIt was a second title on the road for Jenkins who, having started out on moto cross for a number of years, winning two titles in 2017 and 2019, won the Thundersport CB500 class title in 2022 and was then runner-up in the 2023 No Limits CB500.
He is funded by a combination of sponsors and money put in by himself and his dad, Lee, who is also his secondary mechanic. The costs of taking part in the championships are very high, with Jenkins estimating the pair have put around £17k into it over the last month alone.
Costs revolve not just around the bikes and their upkeep but also the backup team, clothing, travelling costs and numerous other expenses.
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Hide AdKyle said: “When I started road racing I gained a key sponsor in Grantham, RP Motorsport, who do all the engine and mechanical work for us. We pay for parts but they do the labour for free and he gets his logo on our livery.
"We then have other sponsors on our clothing merchandise and so on, with spots on the bike and helmet available as well.”
And the season having now finished means little for Jenkins and his dad, who are already getting ready for 2025 in which he will race in the No Limits Cup 600, with newer bikes that have already been purchased in preparation for the extensive work required to make them competitive.
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Hide AdJenkins said: “It’s one step closer to British Superbikes level which is where I want to be.
"I’ve had a lot of positive feedback that I’ll do well, particularly given I entered into the 600 Cup at the end of the season just to see how I’d do and on my other bike I had to start at the back of the grid in 40th but finished 13th, then was ninth in race two, so that bodes well and made me a lot more positive.
"So I’m planning to go out to Spain to test in February/March to get the new bike set up.”
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Hide AdJenkins is an electrician by trade, having to fit that in around his busy schedule of racing and bike maintenance, something which makes him also very grateful to have an understanding partner.
He added: “She keeps wondering when we might get a holiday, so I’ve promised her we’ll go to Spain. She can sit on a deckchair in the paddock while I’m testing the bike!”