HSE Motorex KTM Desert Racing’s Ben Grabham kicked off his season with a bang, taking the overall Moto division win at the East Coast Bullbars Australian Rally Championship in Busselton over the weekend.

Grabham began the event with strong form during Friday night’s special stage under lights at beachside Barnard Park, powering his KTM450SXF to wins in both legs before an appreciative Western Australian crowd.

“The Friday night stage was fun, there were two very short, two-kilometre runs only 50 metres away from the ocean,” said Grabham. “They banged in a tabletop for the motos and it was interesting with the lighting a little dark over the back.

“There would be two of us out there at a time, with a second rider released ten seconds behind just to help get the heart rate up a little bit.”

The weekend’s day rally stages began Saturday morning at Nannup, with motos following a unique course that featured much of the car route – Grabham won the first day aboard his all-new KTM450SX-F by a little over four minutes from fellow KTM rider Matt Fish.

“They were two good long two days, we only finished day one at 6pm with the sun going down,” he explained. “It was a great run for the new KTM450SX-F, which is the bike I’ll be racing all year in the desert races.

“I really love the bike. It has the maximum power, it’s light, it stops and turns unreal in these conditions so to get over 500 kays on it in two days, I can’t ask for much more of an honest test in tricky conditions.”

Grabham went on to continue his success, winning Sunday’s leg by over four minutes on the testing course.

“The pea gravel was something you really had to look out for but the bike worked really well in it and overall the course was a lot of fun,” he added.

“I really enjoy the rally style tracks through the forestry and where it was hilly in spots. It would be nice to know how we compare with the cars but we don’t use exactly the same course so that’s impossible.”

This weekend’s success marked 12 months since Grabgam sustained severe spinal injuries in last year’s Condoblin 750 race, when he collided with a kangaroo while moving at 140 kilometers per hour.