“It will be a rare opportunity to interact
with these experts face-to-face. SSU has
expanded year on year and we now have
quite a large national network, bringing
some real knowledge and experience into all
areas of the country.”
SSU was started in Kapiti in 2016 and it has
enjoyed huge growth over the years. It now
comprises 11 events run nation-wide each
year.
SSU will have a large foot print at Hampton
Downs and its involvement further endorses
the multi-faceted MotoFest concept.
MotoFest will actually be the fourth
appearance for SSU this year – following
events in Nelson, Kapiti, New Plymouth –
and SSU will continue on afterwards, with
further events scheduled for Christchurch,
Gisborne, Taupo, Napier, Tauranga,
Auckland and at the Burt Munro Challenge
week near Invercargill.
The Mike Pero MotoFest is rapidly
becoming New Zealand’s premier
motorcycle event of the year and this time
around will again feature biking excellence
on all fronts, with former champions (and
perhaps future ones too), from across the
entire motorcycling spectrum, all coming
together for a massive weekend of fizzing
bike action.
The Legends Rider Clinic on Thursday,
February 28, will have former Kiwi
international Simon Crafar as one of its
draw-card individuals.
The former MotoGP and WSBK
Championships star from Taihape (now
based in Europe) will be one of the heroes
riding several bikes of note in the Legends
Track Sessions. Now a noted road-racing
coach and mentor to the world’s elite, as
well as a MotoGP commentator, Crafar will
attend signing sessions and the Celebration
Dinner on the Saturday night of MotoFest.
Mike Pero MotoFest will run with the same
format that was introduced last time around
and will again also include the popular
Kawasaki Trail Ride, Motul Trials Challenge,
Star Insurance Bike Show, Alpine Stars
Dinner and the Shoei Classic, as well as the
much-anticipated resumption of the national
superbike championship series and the
Shiny Side Up (SSU) activities.
In the meantime, check out Ride Forever
coaching, a training programme developed
by ACC https://www.rideforever.co.nz/ and
head to http://www.hamptondowns.com
for more information on the Mike Pero
MotoFest weekend.
WSBK CALENDAR
The dates for the 2019 WSBK Championship
have been released and we’ve only got a
handful of weeks to go until the season kicks
off at Phillip Island, Australia.
February 24 – Phillip Island (Australia)
March 17 – Buriram (Thailand)
April 7 – MotorLand Aragón (Spain)
April 14 – Assen (Netherlands)
May 12 – Imola (Italy)
June 9 – Jerez (Spain)
June 23 – Misano (Italy)
July 7 – Donington (Great Britain)
July 14 – Laguna Seca ( USA )
September 8 – Portimao (Portugal)
September 28 – Magny Cours (France)
October 13 – San Juan Villicum (Argentina)
October 26 – Losail (Qatar)