It has been 25 years since a New Zealander first reached the pinnacle of the motocross world and now that probably seems like a lifetime ago . Today we offer a tribute to those men who flew the Silver Fern flag highest on the motocross world stage .

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Kiwis at the Top

It has been 25 years since a New Zealander first reached the pinnacle of the motocross world and now that probably seems like a lifetime ago . Today we offer a tribute to those men who flew the Silver Fern flag highest on the motocross world stage .

Taranaki ’ s Shayne King was the first Kiwi to win a motocross world championship crown , wrapping up the 500cc world title for the KTM factory at Gaildorf , in Germany , on September 8 , 1996 . He was , interestingly , also the last man to win this title on a two-stroke bike , a 360cc KTM , and from the following season onwards it was dominated mostly by 450cc four-stroke machinery , with the 1995 champion and King ’ s great rival in 1996 , Belgian Joel Smets , riding a Husaberg to reclaim the 500cc title in 1997 . The class was relabelled MX1 in 2004 . King is now aged 51 and so that world