From a long list of “Jarvis Edition” parts to his choice of protection, plus the scruffiest exhaust in the Hard Enduro World Championship, Graham Jarvis runs Enduro21 through his 2023 Husqvarna TE 300 race bike.

Since leaving the umbrella of the factory Husqvarna Racing team three years ago, Graham Jarvis has been ploughing his own furrow, running his own team, helping young riders, running schools across the globe and doing wheelies (obvs).

All the while the Hard Enduro GOAT continues to race at the highest level in the Hard Enduro World Championship and though his main competition this last year or so has stepped up a gear, Graham remains one of the most popular riders in enduro.

The beauty of running your own race team is the ability to pick and choose parts depending on sponsors but also because this stuff works and Graham’s bike is testimony to that. It’s littered with different parts from manufacturers all over the world and makes fascinating viewing.

Enduro21 caught up with Graham in the paddock at the final round of the 2023 Hard Enduro World Championship in Germany, right at the end of a long season, when he says his bike was “definitely bedded in”…

First things first Graham, what’s going on with that exhaust?

We had to ask this question because it looks so scruffy in the Hard Enduro World Championship paddock. “I want people to feel sorry for me,” Graham laughs, “like I need help!”

The truth is there’s a bit of an ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ philosophy in the Jarvis bike set-up and team generally. That and the fact some of the parts on his bike are bought and paid for which means they are made to last a bit longer than the factory machines!

Graham’s legendary technique also means he’s rarely a crasher (social media wheelies aside), even at a tough and challenging event like Getzenrodeo. So the expansion pipe can last longer, need replacing less and therefore gets a bit of a used patterner to it – although clearly the dents have been blown out a few times!

Stock engine? “Mostly”

Graham’s engine is basically the standard Husqvarna 300cc two-stroke TPI with no internal modifications to the main components.

Note it’s the TPI, not the new generation TBI engine simply because of all the development that has gone into perfecting his set-up: “It works, we put a lot of development in over the years and I’m happy with how that is, I didn’t want to start all over again with the new bike yet.”

What is different here though are the Two Stroke Performance (TSP) parts helping the tune of Graham’s bike. TSP head, plus tuned and reflashed ECU make a big difference to the way the TPI motor makes power and the fuelling.

The truth is Graham “keeps changing things” according to TSP as he modifies the bike to suit different conditions and events. He was running a high-compression head for a while but the general consensus across the HEWC paddock (where quite a few riders a re running TSP mods) is a medium head works best, which is what’s fitted here.

“It’s about personal preference, what works for one rider doesn’t work for another,” says Graham, “you’ve got three options and we sometimes run more compression depending on elevation and the race. Races like Romaniacs where you have the hills and a lot of altitude.”

He also tried the TSP relocation kit and found it good but “a little bit more aggressive” so doesn’t run it FYI.

Tyres and mousses

“I use the Nitro Mousses and Tubliss,” Graham explains about his tyre set-up. “They’re always developing and I’ve been helping them and using different combinations. Sometimes the Tubliss, in the front also in different conditions which is unusual in hard enduro, and sometimes a combination of the two actually in the back. You can mix it up.”

For the Getzenrodeo it was mousses all the way and the soft ‘Plushie’ 120 size option in the rear “sometimes drilled” he says, depending on the race. Spot also he’s running three rim locks in the rear wheel.

You might be surprised to learn Graham doesn’t have a sponsor for tyres, “the idea was to have flexibility because some are better than others in different conditions but it never really worked out for obvious reasons and we have to buy them.”

“We don’t want to upset any of the sponsors!”

Look around his bike and we find a long list of parts from different manufacturers. It’s a fact you don’t usually see on a Pro Bike which tend to have few parts suppliers and sponsors depending on the manufacturer. But it is the private teams like Jarvis’ who have this flexibility and need to spread the love wider.

Magpul are the main sponsor for Graham’s team, a firearms accessories company from the USA. “It’s quite good to have a sponsor who are not directly involved in the sport,” Jarvis explains, “although the guys there ride enduro and off-road so they know what we’re all about and are good people.”

Free guns and products then from your sponsor? “Well, it’s a sensitive subject whenever I put something on social media so I best not mention it!”

As for the chassis things are already pretty dialled from years of riding Husqvarna’s for the factory team and now his own. The WP Xplor Pro Cone Valve forks and re-valved standard shock are tuned by Spanish specialists TRS Racing Suspension.

Jarvis Editions all the way…

“We need to start selling Jarvis edition whole bikes really!” Graham says as we start to run through a long list of non-standard parts around his bike – many of which are special editions tailored to him.

Jarvis seat cover, Jarvis Racing Rekluse clutch cover, XC Gear clamps Jarvis Edition with titanium bolts and which are, “a bit lower than the standard one but they’re a great part, not well enough known outside the US,” he explains.

Astra handlebars are also perhaps less well-known globally but have also just started making a Jarvis Edition. Graham tried different ones form the range but settled on the 27mm Gemini series option which are lower and have a little more back sweep.

While we’re up top on the bars, Graham also uses ODI soft grips and bar end protectors plus a 9mm clutch pump, like so many do in hard enduro, which reduces the lever pressure and is easier on the forearm.

Yet another US-based company is Enduro Engineering who provide some of the more crucial protective parts on this Pro Bike. The aluminium sump guard with suspension linkage protector, hand guards (slightly wonky), radiator guards and rear disc guard are all tried and tested products built for hard enduro.

Galfer discs are another good sponsor for the Jarvis team and he is using the same products as some of the EnduroGP riders like Steve Holcombe and Brad Freeman (though not yet the new Shark discs).

Graham is using the Galfer Fixed Grooved Disc Wave 260mm in the front and Solid Fixed Disc Wave 220mm in rear (both original sizes) plus their sintered G1396R brake pads.

Maybe the freshest looking thing on the bike as we photographed it was the RK Chain which sits on Supersprox sprockets with an 11-52 final drive ratio – although this varies depending on the race.

Jumping back to Europe for some of the protective parts though, Graham points out a lot of the plastic parts are from Italian company Acerbis. That includes the LED headlight and cowl, front disc guard, rear swingarm protectors and side frame protectors.

S3 Parts are Graham’s clothing supplier (also Jarvis editions are available…) plus he uses their Hard Parts chain guide/rear sprocket protector. The footpegs are from 24MX and the ‘Twenty TiPeg’ titanium models which you can get with different off-set options 5mm or 10mm lower).

Like we said at the top, this is a well-used bike at the end of a long season. Graham’s year isn’t just about the Hard Enduro World Championship but multiple events and training schools across the world. This bike hasn’t done all of that of course, but it has had a hard time – not just the exhaust!

Photo Credit: Future7Media | Andrea Belluschi