The Yamaha Australian Enduro Championship (AEC) is set for an intriguing season in 2025, with Motorcycling Australia (MA) unveiling a rebrand of the series formerly known as the Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC), and with a highly-competitive field shaping up, this year is poised to deliver some of the most intense competition witnessed in some time. MotoOnline lists the major talking points ahead of this weekend’s opener at Kempsey in our latest Countdown feature.

Image: Foremost Media.

6. Mixture of venues and formats
Once again spanning six weekends and 12 rounds in total, AUS Enduro will enter the coming season in a reinvigorated state. When the series takes off this weekend in Kempsey, New South Wales, it’ll start with a bang by commencing with the ever-popular cross country race format on Saturday, followed by a more regular sprint race on Sunday. Dust depending on the region can and does mean that cross countries don’t actually eventuate, but they’re always popular – we will see what eventuates come race day. And in line with the ‘enduro’ moniker, there’s that more rare option that the series includes. There are also an influx of new or returning locations included on the 2025 schedule, resulting in even more change in comparison to just one year ago.

5. Depth rising:
The depth of competition in the AEC is shaping up to be one of the strongest in recent years, with a stacked field of talent across multiple teams and classes. Defending champion Daniel Milner (E2) leads the charge for the KTM DM31 Racing Team – which has expanded to three riders for this season with Jonte Reydners (E1) and Korey McMahon (E3) joining the factory-supported KTM outfit. But the challenge ahead is perhaps greater than ever, with a mix of young, experienced and proven front-runners all eyeing the top step in the new-look championship. ShopYamaha Off-Road Racing heads its line-up with the highly-anticipated return of Wil Ruprecht alongside Will Dennett, adding serious firepower to the E2 category. Meanwhile, Beta Racing Australia enters the season with a formidable roster, featuring defending E3 champion Jye Dickson and former E3 winner Andy Wilksch, now in the E2 category. With a deep field of talent spread across KTM, Yamaha, and Beta teams, along with a group of formidable independent efforts, the 2025 season is set to be one of the most competitive yet. Factor in Yamaha’s ongoing EW class involvement with Jess Gardiner once again leading her own program and WBR recruit Madi Simpson, as well as Beta’s Ebony Nielsen, and the domestic series is stacked with talent.

Image: Supplied.

4. Reynders and McMahon switch:
One of the bigger moves ahead of 2025 was the surprise addition of Reynders to the Milner-led KTM DM31 Racing Team. Reynders was a standout last season, securing multiple round wins and finishing second overall in the E2 class behind his now teammate/team boss Milner. Moving into this year, Reynders will contest the E1 class on the KTM 250 XC-F, effectively helping to create the three-class roster within the KTM DM31 Racing Team. Milner is remaining in E2 on his 450 XC-F, while Korey McMahon completes the trio, stepping up the E3 category onboard the KTM 500 EXC-F. McMahon has been solid since making the switch across to off-road racing from motocross, finishing runner-up in the competitive E1 category over the last two seasons. The collaboration of Reynders (E1) and McMahon (E3) alongside Milner (E2), realistically gives them the best shot at wrapping up all three titles in 2025, but it won’t be a simple task.

3. World champion return:
As the 2022 EnduroGP series’ E2 class world champion, Ruprecht is set to make a significant return to the Australian enduro scene in 2025. After several successful years competing internationally, Ruprecht has rejoined the ShopYamaha Off-Road Racing Team – effectively in place of Europe-bound Kyron Bacon – to contest the rebranded AUS Enduro series. Partnering with youthful teammate Dennett, Ruprecht will contest the E2 category aboard a Yamaha WR450F, setting the stage for a direct rivalry with reigning champion Daniel Milner in class and for the Pro Enduro overall.

Image: Foremost Media.

2. Daniel Milner making history:
Last season saw Milner cement his place in thehistory books by becoming the outright champion at the 2024 season finale in Nowra and matching Toby Price’s long-standing record of five outright championships – even if they were unofficial titles, as such. Now, with 2025 in his scope, the KTM DM31 Racing Team owner/rider has the chance to achieve something unprecedented, a sixth outright title would not only set a new benchmark in the AEC, but also further solidify his legacy as one of the most decorated racers the sport has ever seen.

1. Outright overhaul:
The new season brings a major shift to the AEC landscape with the introduction of a Pro Enduro category, which is headlined by a revised outright points structure designed to align with international enduro series. As part of the rebrand from the AORC, MA has introduced a renewed focus on elevating competition at the national level. Pro Enduro will see riders from E1, E2, and E3 classes battle for outright honours at each round, as well as the overall Pro Enduro title at season’s end. While unofficial outright champions have been recognised in the past – featuring the likes of Milner, Toby Price and Daniel Sanders – this new format formally crowns the best-of-the-best in AUS Enduro.