ADV Pulse

NEWSLETTER
Get ADV Pulse delivered by email
Sign up for ADV Pulse Weekly

Newsletter

Get ADV Pulse delivered by email
Sign up for ADV Pulse Weekly

Connect With Us

Follow On Facebook:

ADV NewsThe Seeker 2: Pol Tarres Defies Gravity Once Again On His Tenere 700

The Seeker 2: Pol Tarres Defies Gravity Once Again On His Tenere 700

Watch hard enduro & trials star Pol Tarres squeeze the T7 for all it’s worth.

Published on 11.11.2021

Watching trials champ and extreme enduro rider Pol Tarres do impossible-seeming tricks on a stock Yamaha T7 in The Seeker short film was one of the best things to happen in 2020. In addition to showcasing Pol’s mind-blowing skills, it was a work of art. So richly structured and filmed it raised the bar on what a motorcycle thirst trap could deliver. 

Well, after a long wait, The Seeker 2 is here, and we’re excited to say it’s even more impressive and meaningful than the first film.  

The Seeker 2 Pol Tarres defies gravity on the Tenere 700

One of the things that was most impactful about the original The Seeker film, was its relatable storyline, the solo rider quietly rolling out at dawn to spend a day with his beloved adventure bike, really brought it home. The Seeker 2, with Pol’s now modified T7,  also tells a story, but this one is deeper, and of very personal significance to Pol and his team. 


ADVERTISEMENT

It’s about a friend of the champion rider, Gerard, who had endured a very difficult life and, like so many, turned to drug use to cope. Pol’s father gave him work, hoping that a sense of purpose would help him fight his demons, and Gerard subsequently became one of Pol’s best, and most trusted friends. Until one day when Pol says they unknowingly said their last goodbyes. Gerard did not make it to see the next sunrise. 

“Authentic and generous, he marked all our lives, so we are dedicating this project to him,” says Pol of The Seeker 2.

The Seeker 2 Pol Tarres defies gravity on the Tenere 700

The film opens with Pol’s friend Gerard, embodied by another friend of the rider’s, actor and comedian Ahikar Azcona (Money Heist), alone on a desolate beach and hopelessly stuck, with his own T7 sunk in deep sand. He calls Pol but the phone dies before he can explain where he is. The rest of the 17:48 minutes of the short film is a visual feast featuring 28-year-old Pol doing unthinkable things on his adventure bike as he searches for his friend. 

There’s slaloming through dense forests at diaper-wearing speeds, gap jumping of roads and never-ending wheelies as Pol races through accidental playgrounds that include mine shafts, derelict houses and an abandoned factory. It’s always breathtaking to watch Pol make any bike dance, even more so, when it’s ballet with a 400-plus pound adventure bike. Capturing these feats on film also has its challenges too. “Most of the scenes were not possible to repeat because of the risk,” says one of The Seeker 2’s creatives, Javi Echevarría. 

The Seeker 2 Pol Tarres defies gravity on the Tenere 700
The Seeker 2 Pol Tarres defies gravity on the Tenere 700

We met Pol’s latest T7 early last summer, a bike he went on to use for the short film, A Thousand Ways To Live and raced in the Red Bull Romaniacs Hard Enduro, coming in 18th in a field of nearly 200 riders. Unlike the bone stock T7 he rode in the original Seeker video, this bike has had some work. Pounds were shaved by removing things like the stock ABS system and a full Akrapovič exhaust system was added. Outback Motortek supped its stock T7 crash bar system and created a custom aluminum skid plate with linkage protection for the bike, and by the time it headed for the Romaniacs rally it had also received a new fork and rear shock built by Italian off-road specialist, Boano Moto. Pol prefers to use aggressive Mitas knobbies (Terra Force EF/EF-07) and a rally-style seat. 

The Seeker 2 Pol Tarres defies gravity on the Tenere 700
The Seeker 2 Pol Tarres defies gravity on the Tenere 700

While Pol’s incredible stunts on the T7 are the magic we see on the surface of The Seeker 2, it’s the Echevarría brothers, Javi and Mito, also known as The Who, that bring the work to life. Filmed in The Algarve, Portugal’s southernmost region, famous for its beautiful Atlantic beaches, the backdrops alone are compelling.

The stunts in The Seeker 2 get more intense as the film progresses, culminating in a bum-clincher cliff climb toward the end, where Pol coaxes the T7 up sheer cliffs in order to get a bead on his trapped friend. Pol says this last stunt sequence was his most challenging to date. In fact, he almost didn’t do it. “As I stood at the foot of the almost vertical wall, I said I wouldn’t do it, even for a million dollars.” 

The Seeker 2 Pol Tarres defies gravity on the Tenere 700

The drive to tell the story of his friend Gerard’s struggle, and how far Pol would go to save him if given another chance, got him to the top, where he says he screamed with joy. “I always feel insanely happy when I discover a new personal high. I am just sorry I didn’t have a flag to mark the greatest adventure of our team so far.” In the outtakes Pol says in Spanish the achievement wasn’t him alone giving his all, it was the passion of the entire crew, the “visionary tribe” behind the film. 

So, being the gifted and passionate rider Pol is, he did the whole death-defying cliffside climb over again just to give the camera crew extra footage. “When you shoot extremely challenging stuff, you will always feel a bit frustrated because the camera won’t ever be able to capture all of his greatness,” says Javi of Pol’s cliffside scenes. 

The Seeker 2 Pol Tarres defies gravity on the Tenere 700
The Seeker 2 Pol Tarres defies gravity on the Tenere 700

After literally climbing up a mountain, Pol is able to spot his desperate friend down on the beach, and in the perfect world of filmmaking, is able to ride to his rescue. 

“To be honest, we kind of hope that after watching the movie you’ll think about the true meaning of life,” says Pol of the project. “If I think about what really counts in life, it amounts to a very few things.” It’s family, he says, and friends and the adventures you have together. 

The Seeker 2 Pol Tarres defies gravity on the Tenere 700

While the original Seeker movie left us with a message to chase life, the sequel reminds us to keep our friends close…in the highest, and the lowest of times. “Call a friend,” says Pol. Because the best of adventures are those we share.

Photography by Javi Echevarría

Author: Jamie Elvidge

Jamie has been a motorcycle journalist for more than 30 years, testing the entire range of bikes for the major print magazines and specializing in adventure-travel related stories. To date she’s written and supplied photography for articles describing what it’s like to ride in all 50 states and 43 foreign countries, receiving two Lowell Thomas Society of American Travel Writer’s Awards along the way. Her most-challenging adventure yet has been riding in the 2018 GS Trophy in Mongolia as Team AusAmerica’s embedded journalist.

Author: Jamie Elvidge
ADVERTISEMENT

Related Stories

Related Stories

Notify me of new posts via email

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

8 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Stew
Stew
November 11, 2021 7:45 pm

A powerfully moving story showcased through exemplary talent and discipline… BRAVO

James Shoemark
James Shoemark
November 12, 2021 4:08 pm

Awesome video – Pol is the real deal.

My friend and I were refuelling our T7’s in a petrol station near Merzouga, Maroc a few weeks ago and Pol turned up on his T7 with his team. We had a great chat about how awesome the T7 is and some of the mods in development…

Even more exciting things coming up for Pol 😉

Patriot159
Patriot159
November 13, 2021 8:15 am

I’ll never want to bury my rear wheel that deep knowing what awaits me though my helmet could be a poor imitation of a volleyball.
Pol and all the extreme enduro and trials riders are amazing talents for sure.

Henriette Thiim
Henriette Thiim
November 15, 2021 11:56 am

Speechless!

Craig Alberhasky
Craig Alberhasky
November 18, 2021 9:20 am

Show video’s not photo shopped pictures.

Jamie Elvidge
Jamie Elvidge
November 18, 2021 10:35 am

The video is right there on the top of the page, before the story and photography, which has absolutely not been altered in any way. If you follow Pol – and I highly recommend it – you’ll see he does stunts like this with his T7 all the time (@poltarres13 on instagram).

John F Hislop
John F Hislop
November 19, 2021 8:10 pm

What a fantastic story of friendship; Pol is an amazing rider, he has total control. The video/photography is exceptional, totally enjoyed watching it.

trackback
1000 Miles On A Honda CT90 & Trail 125 To Alaska’s Northernmost Tip | Vacation Inspiration
November 26, 2021 1:17 pm

[…] slew of terrific adventure bike videos cross our screens in recent weeks, including Pol Tarres’s Seeker 2, Zero e-bikes on the Colorado BDR and a Royal Enfield Himalayan tour of America’s Last Frontier, […]

ADVERTISEMENT

Watch: 2024 Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro Tested

For 2024, Triumph's dirt-focused Tiger 900 — the Rally Pro — has received...

My First Time Riding Enduro, How Hard Could It Be?

Nestled between the Sierra Nevada and Inyo Mountains of California lies a l...

REV'IT! Tornado 4 Mesh Adventure Jacket

REV’IT! Launches Two New Mesh ADV Suits For Warmer Days Ahead

The thaw is on in North America, and before we know it we’ll be tearing up th...