WORDS: Brendan Abel PHOTOS: jadecvetkovphotography. co. nz

WHAT’ S YOUR CURRENT RIDE? At the moment I’ m racing a Triumph TF250X, and since getting my 6L, I’ m learning to ride the roads on a Triumph Scrambler 400XC WHAT’ S YOUR FAVOURITE MEMORY OF LEARNING TO RIDE? My dad taught me to ride on a JR50. But my favourite memory... I would’ ve been about 5 years old doing donuts on a 50cc quad and crashing into a fejioa tree( mum’ s one to be specific...). GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT, BOTH ON AND OFF THE BIKE? On the bike it was finishing the last race of the Martinborough Motorcycle Club series with a snapped collar bone, to make sure I would still get on the podium. And off the bike, it would be being selected as a sticker for the First XI Wairarapa College football team! WHAT’ S YOUR FAVOURITE DISCIPLINE IN OUR SPORT? At the moment, it would be motocross! ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO ON A BIKE THAT YOU HAVEN’ T DONE YET?

12 O’ clock wheelies! Sometimes I ride a DR-Z motard that’ s in our shed. It always hits me when the young boys pull a hand signal to pull a mono- not that I would on the road, but it would be nice to know that I could if I wanted. WHAT’ S YOUR GO-TO RACE DAY FOOD? Hot chips and chocolate milk # fatlifeornolife WHAT DOES BIKE RACING IN NZ NEED? Stock MX classes, so the cheque book doesn’ t come into it for Juniors. FAVOURITE PLACE TO RIDE? Any wide open, natural terrain track, like the Two-Stroke Nationals. They always have good, wide open tracks, and the East Coast flat track is always good. WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO THANK? Leigh, Mat and the whole team at Triumph New Zealand, Brent Copper at Wairarapa Mitsubishi has always supported me, Moto Gear NZ, HJC helmets, FastHouse NZ always coming through with the slickest gear, Castrol NZ keep my bikes well lubed, Shayne King at Crown Kiwi Enterprises and, of course, my mum, dad and brothers for always being helpful.

18 KIWI RIDER