The Taikorea Motocross Park in the Manawatu needs you!

It has been a bit of a battle brewing at the Taikorea Motocross Park near Himatangi recently as neighbours fight to have it closed down.

The popular dirt bike venue, in operation since the 1970s, is currently owned by two-time United States Grand National Cross-country Champion Paul Whibley, the Kiwi international star generously allowing the local motorcycling community to manage and use it while he is away racing overseas.

And, when Whibley returns from his battles in the US, he uses the tree-strewn slopes for his own training needs and to run occasional cross-country and motocross events.

Taikorea Motocross Park has an international reputation – the site of many photo shoots for overseas magazines and a training facility for current and past (and possibly future) national and world champions, but typically only on weekends and falls silent after 5pm anyway – so the attitude of the new neighbours simply angers and confuses the biking fraternity, many generations of whom have been using the venue responsibly for the past 40 years or so.

Riding at the venue is controlled and supervised and for it to remain a haven for New Zealand’s elite and amateur sportsmen alike, it requires the plaintive voice of the dirt bike community to be heard by the Manawatu District Council.

“What I would like from the bike community is a statement regarding what the Taikorea Motocross Park means to them,” said Whibley.

“Write down your views and send them to the Manawatu District Council. Please include who you are and what Taikorea has helped you to achieve.

“Include the importance of the area for training, racing, riding, photo shoots, testing, coaching … whatever your use of the area is … and how many years you have used the facility.

“Also, where you from? Let the Council see that it is a facility of national relevance and help indicate how much revenue it is bringing into the region. We need this facility to remain open.

“We need to show that the motorcycle riding community is passionate about the Taikorea Motocross Park and want it to remain operational.

“If you can provide a brief statement to include any or all information you feel relevant to Rachelle.Johnston@mdc.govt.nz

“Time is of the essence so please do this as soon as possible please.”

If the alternative is for dirt bike riders to head down to the local beach to ride unsupervised, to blast through sand dunes or rampage through picnic areas, surely the Council will see the wisdom of keeping this facility available to bike riders.

Taikorea Motocross Park is a long way from any built-up area and its neighbours have only moved to make their homes on its borders in recent times.

© Photos by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com

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The black an d white photo above, taken in the 1980s, shows six-time former national motocross  champion Murray Anderson in action at Taikorea.

The photo below, from the same era, shows Manawatu club riders in action during a club day. The rider in the middle is Brent Stephens, who has been for many years and continues to work as the head mechanic for Italian multi-time road-race champion Valentino Rossi.