    |
 |
|
|
|
KAWASAKI RIDERS HAVE PLENTY OF BITE
APRIL 10, 2006: It is not the dog in the fight but the fight in the dog.
And, if that’s the case, the Kawasaki range of small-engined motorcycles certainly have a mean bite.
At round three of the New Zealand Motorcycle Cross-country championships near Huntly on Sunday, Kawasaki’s Kevin Hermansen won the under-300cc four-stroke class; the green brand filled out four of the top seven spots in the under-200cc two-stroke class; it was a Kawasaki 1-2 in the junior 12-16 years’ under-200cc two-stroke class (Aaron Stone and Ricky Ramsey) and, to cap it off, Kawasaki youngster Luke Ramsey finished third in the under-21 years’ age-grouping.
Hermansen (Kawasaki KX250F) finished eighth overall at Huntly, battling through the traffic from 10th after the opening 25-kilometre lap, and now sits fifth in the overall standings.
Hermansen nipped past the big 450cc four-stroke bikes and 250cc two-strokes of the other riders at Huntly, before becoming embroiled in a battle with his own Kawasaki team-mate, Scott Bregman, in the battle for eighth and ninth spot overall.
Despite the clinging mud and power-draining bogs, Bregman, riding a Kawasaki KX125 two-stroke, belied the horsepower disadvantage as he too fought off stiff challenges from riders on the larger capacity machines and eventually settled for ninth overall at Huntly.
As for the race within a race, Hermansen still leads the under-300cc four-stroke class after three of four rounds so far and Bregman continues to dominate the under-200cc two-stroke class -- it seems there will now be no stopping the two men from collecting their respective national championship titles at the fourth and final round near Blenheim on May 6.
“It was very muddy out there but the track held up pretty well,” said Hermansen afterwards. “It was tough work, a real challenge. I’m glad it stopped raining when it did (about a third of the way into the three-hour race) because it was getting to a point where it was impossible to carry on,” said the 32-year-old Norsewood man.
“I’m absolutely rapt with this,” said Hermansen, patting the seat of his Kawasaki. “It has just been an absolute weapon for me. Today was a real test for both man and machine and we both passed.”
Bregman led a Kawasaki suffocation of the under-200c two-stroke class as four Team Green riders, each on virtually identical KX125 motocross bikes, crammed into the top seven spots in the division. The Kawasaki foursome were Bregman, Luke Ramsey, Jason Bennett and Brad Carlyon.
Meanwhile, in the junior race, staged in drier conditions earlier in the day, Kawasaki riders topped two of the four classes.
Rangiriri’s Aaron Stone (15) and Te Kauwhata’s Ricky Ramsey (15) finished 1-2 in the junior 12-16 years’ under-200cc two-stroke class at Huntly, while Raetihi’s Charles Alabaster won the up-to-85cc two-stroke class.
“I just borrowed my brother’s bike for the day. It wasn’t even set up for me properly,” Stone said afterwards. “But the track was rough and slippery today but I like it that way.”
Ramsey said he “had it full throttle everywhere, but I fell off three times”.
After winning the class at the series opener near Pahiatua in March, Ramsey’s result at Huntly was easily enough for him to win the class title.
Meanwhile, Suzuki rider Cam Smith, from Marton, leads the senior series overall and the over-300cc four-stroke class as well, while Hermansen is closing in on Ngaruwahia’s Heath Howlett (Yamaha WR450F), currently in fourth overall.
Leading results from round three of the New Zealand Motorcycle Cross-country Championships near Huntly on Sunday:
