SATURDAY MARCH 3, DEPARTING MOTO CITY AT 10AM.  Hosted by Chris Welch (Basic Skills Handling Test Examiner and Defensive Driving Course tutor.)  Ride is specifically for learning riders and those looking to gain confidence and skills.  This ride is at a sensible pace – YOU WILL NOT BE LEFT BEHIND and IT IS NOT A RACE like other rides can be – and you will enjoy the ride – GUARANTEED!  Call Andrew at Moto City for more details – Make sure you call us today!  Also a great opportunity to catch up on the new road rules and ride with like-minded people in a confidence inspiring environment…

Moto City will be hosting a ride down to palmy, leaving on Friday at 9am.  Register your interest to join us and for more details.

It will be epic!

Hamilton’s Andrew Stroud finished the job he started three weeks earlier when he wrapped up the Suzuki Tri Series superbike crown at the final round on the streets of Wanganui on Boxing Day.

He finished runner-up at the series opener at Hampton Downs on December 10 and snatched the points lead when he won the day at round two at Manfeild just over a week ago, but it called for an entirely different style of racing to conquer the tight and twisty streets of Wanganui’s fabled Cemetery Circuit.

The David Reid Homes Mobil 1 Suzuki GSX-R1000 rider also had to tame Australasia’s elite superbike riders, each of them determined to snap the Stroud win-streak, and all of them entirely capable of doing just that.

But Stroud finished 3-2 in the two superbike class races at Wanganui, and also finished third in the one-off Robert Holden Memorial feature race, to firmly rubber-stamp his “ownership” of the Suzuki Tri Series. He has now won the superbike component of the series every year since the inaugural running in 2008.

In the end, Stroud’s eight-point buffer at the top of the standings as he headed into Boxing Day’s finale was again just too much for anybody to overcome.

Stroud didn’t dominate the 2011 series as he may have done in previous seasons – with Australian Robbie Bugden (Triple R Suzuki GSX-R1000), Aucklander Ray Clee (Colemans Suzuki GSX-R1000) and Australian Dan Stauffer (Bernard Racing Yamaha R1) – each taking wins from Stroud during the series, but Stroud was consistently good and also so many of his rivals chose not to contest all three rounds, thus making Stroud’s task that much easier.

Last year’s winner on Wanganui’s streets, Gold Coast rider Stauffer, was again a force to be reckoned with on Boxing Day – finishing 1-1 in the two superbike races and also winning the Robert Holden Memorial feature race – but unfortunately for race fans this was also his first and only showing in the Suzuki Tri Series this season and he therefore had no chance of taking the series win outright.

Consistency gave Hamilton’s Nick Cole the runner-up spot in the Suzuki Tri Series.

“Nick (Cole) was riding very well,” said Stroud. “It was a very bumpy track at Wanganui, I struggled to find traction a times, but all credit to Dan (Stauffer) for winning here.

“Winning the series overall was the main aim for me, so I’m happy to have achieved that.

“I am now getting prepared to race the New Zealand Superbike Championships (which kick off at Christchurch’s Ruapuna circuit on January 8).”

Meanwhile, Wellington’s Glen Skachill (Museum Hotel Suzuki GSX-R600) was chased all the way by fellow Suzuki stars Dennis Charlett, of Christchurch, and Karl Morgan, of Auckland, as he wrapped up the Tri Series’ 600cc title, while Palmerston North’s Glen Williams (Dannevirke Suzuki SV650) dominated the F3 Sportsbikes class.

Wanganui’s Jayden Carrick (Suzuki) impressed in two categories, finishing among the leaders in both the 450 Super Motard class, on a Suzuki RM-Z450, and in the 600cc class, on a GSX-R600.

Barry from Moto City designed a frame system that could stand up to the pressures of handling a camera man that was rear facing and front facing while standing.  It also had to house all the camera gear and power equipment, complete with poles to provide direct link pictures via motorcycle and helicopter for live TV screening.  It could also only utilise existing mounting points and could not in any way affect the resale of the motorcycle.

The recent Auckland round of the World Triathlon Champs was the debut and all went smoothly.  If you were watching the programme you would have seen the mighty V-Strom 650 set with camera crew during the race.  Check out some pics of Barry’s stage 1 fabrication.  Customer satisfaction achieved – tick!

Three wins from three starts … it doesn’t get any more comprehensive than that.

If there was ever any room to question the veracity of the big, bold No.1 emblazoned across the front and sides of Cody Cooper’s Suzuki RM-Z450 bike, the Mount Maunganui man left no room for question or doubt when he finished the day unbeaten at the annual Auckland Motocross Championships on Sunday.

Not only did national MX1 champion Cooper win all three MX1 (open class) races at the Pukekohe track, but the strength of his dominance was truly impressive, surely sounding alarm bells for his rivals as the motocross season gets more serious in the coming months.

The national MX1 champion will now build on his performance at Pukekohe as he works towards winning the annual Whakatane Summercross just after Christmas, the annual Woodville Motocross at the end of January and then, hopefully, a successful national title defence, beginning with the first of four rounds in South Canterbury in February.

“I’m two weeks into my hard training now,” said the 28-year-old.

“I’m pretty determined at the moment and looking forward to the start of the national championships. I want to win every race I enter, give it 100% and be the best that I can.

“And, not only do I want to retain the No.1 plate in New Zealand, but I want to gain the No.1 plate in Australia as well in 2012.

Riding for the Mount Maunganui-based Moto City Suzuki team for the New Zealand phase of his campaign and for the Rockstar Motul Suzuki team in Australia, Cooper knows he has all the support necessary to achieve his goals.

“The bike was great. The guys at Moto City set it up perfectly for me. It handles great and has awesome power.”

Leaving from the front of Moto City – 52 Hewletts Road, Mt Maunagnui at 5.30pm every second Tuesday evening for a short 2 or so hour ride.

Any make and style of bike welcome to join us.  For dates and info contact Jared at Moto City on 07 927 1340 – we hope to see you there!