Kawasaki will have a huge presence on New Zealand’s motocross scene this summer.

National 125cc champion Ben Broad, from Ngatea, has switched to the green brigade and will now step up to race in the MX2 (250cc) class on board one of the new Kawasaki KX250F bikes, riding under the Whyteline Kawasaki banner.

“I feel very positive about my future riding for Kawasaki,” said the 17-year-old Broad, who, in addition to being backed by Kawasaki New Zealand and Whyteline, will race with support also from Motul Oil, Epic Decals, Fox, Scott, Pirelli, BikesportNZ.com, M-Spec Racing, Renthal, Twin-air, Carter Coaching and CFX Seats.

“There is a good pathway for the future for me here and it was an offer too good to pass up. We went to Auckland to talk with new Kawasaki New Zealand boss Shane Verhoeven and that was fantastic.

“I picked up the bike only last Friday, but already I’ve had a lot of fun on it. We’ll do some testing and suspension set-up work now before my first big race for Kawasaki, at the annual MX Fest at Taupo over Labour Weekend.”

Although he’s a current national champion, Broad still has to prove himself in the MX2 class.

“I won’t be able to have the No.1 on the bike because I’m switching classes, but will revert to my old No.21. That number is significant only because it’s my birth date, November 21, and that’s why dad put it on my bikes in the beginning,” said Broad.

“I always train to win, but I have no expectations of how I’ll fare in the MX2 class. We’ll just have to see how I stack up at Taupo (on October 23) and work from there.”

Verhoeven said he wished to “bring back the sea of green” to the race tracks and leading MX2 class rider Tyler Steiner could help with that realisation too, the Te Puke racer also now on a Kawasaki KX250F bike this season, with additional support from Crown Kiwi and Alpinestars.

And the green momentum doesn’t end there, with Tauranga pair Rhys Carter and Josh Tredinnick continuing to race for the 3Twenty3 Racing Team this season, supported through Mr Motorcycles in Pukekohe, although the team is now armed with KX450F and KX250F bikes respectively.

Could Kawasaki dare to hope for another “Green Sweep” on the New Zealand scene this summer?

Kawasaki achieved a clean sweep in the junior motocross ranks in New Zealand in 1983, with Atiamuri’s Jody Bates (12-15 years’ 125cc), Pukekohe’s Bryce Hunt (12-15 years’ 80cc) and Taihape’s Justin Thompson (8-11 years’ 80cc) cleaning up the big event.

Kawasaki also achieved a senior motocross championships clean sweep in 1984 with Rotorua’s Bryan Patterson (500cc) and British riders Perry Leask (250cc) and Jonathan Wright (125cc) doing the honours.

The season kicks off with the traditional MX Fest at Taupo over the Labour Weekend (October 22-23), followed by the annual Whakatane Summercross just after Christmas and then the annual New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville in late January.

The four-round national championship series kicks off at the start of February and winds up at the end of March.

© Words by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com

© Photos by Isaac Broad

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