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| >Supermoto:
Interviews with some top supermoto racers |
| Well, it looks like we got lucky
again. We managed to get these exclusive interviews with some
leading professional Supermoto Racers. If you are considering
racing supermotos you will find some of the information useful. |
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| The supermoto racers
we interviewed |
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| The Interviews: |
| David
Tougher: Irish Supermoto Champion (VOR 570) |
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Why
did you choose supermoto as opposed to other forms
of racing? I've done motocross for 15 years
or so and I had a go at this when it first came on
the scene and I enjoyed it but I stopped for 2 or
3 years and then I started again. I just enjoyed it,
its good, its fast, it's exciting - everything you
want. I got started in it because it was just a bit
of fun, but its got a lot more serious now and it's
starting to take off well. The bikes are getting better
and the riders are getting better as well.
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Tell
us about your VOR 570 supermoto? Well, its not
mine I just borrowed it for the weekend because my new
VOR hasn't arrived yet. The suspension is hardened up,
its got the 17' wheels, different front brake for the
harder braking but basically just a motocross bike.
The Olins shock is standard, the forks have been revalved
and use heavier oil. Not a lot of modification really.
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What
do you think your chances are this season? I'm
quite confident in myself that I can do it, but you
never know what is going to happen at the end of the
day. |
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What
sort fitness training do you do? To be honest
I do very little training. I play 5 a side football
a couple of nights a week for general fitness. I try
to ride the bike when I get a chance to, but at home
we have to pay to ride the circuits, which is £40 an
hour, which is too much. Do
you still motocross? No, I'm too old for that.
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Do
you have any tips for those who are just starting out
in supermoto? Learn to slide the bike which you
would obviously learn on a motocross bike. Get a feel
for finding the grip on the road and how far you can
lean it over. The more practice you get, the more confident
you'll be as the year goes on. |
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| Jason Chipchase: pro-class supermoto
racer. Interview: 27 Jan 2002 |
| Jason
Chipchase: Vertemati Factory Rider |
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Why
did you choose supermoto as opposed to other forms
of racing? I was involved in British Championship
Enduro. I had an accident on an enduro bike and snapped
my right talus, that unfortunately didn't heal and
I ended up with a club foot that I repetitively kept
breaking all the time. I bought a KTM Duke supermoto
bike (because it was low, electric start) just to
ride it on the road but unfortunately after having
it for only 3 weeks I was off racing with it. I felt
that I couldn't reach my full potential with a club
foot so I had it amputated in November 2000. I was
then on a running machine before Christmas, doing
fitness training in January and racing in Feburary.
In the British Supermoto Championship I finished 4th
in my first year. I finished 9th last year but I had
quite a few crashes and broke my hands and stuff like
that, and that's how it all came about.
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The Vertemati Supermoto bike: Janson Chipchase
has the same spec bike as Mark Oxley. Click here to
read Marks comments on the Vertemati. |
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What
do you think your chances are this season? I
want to be top 5. I don't think to win is realistic,
not now, but I'll train and practice as push hard as
I can and we'll see how we go. |
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What
sort fitness training do you do? Not as much
as I should really. We've all got jobs to do during
the week and we've all got to work hard to earn a living
these days. I ride an enduro bike when I can and I'm
on the lookout for a nice young 20 year old female!.
Basically I train on a mountain bike and an enduro bike.
But to be honest, your level of fitness dosen't have
to be that great when you are first coming into the
sport. The races are short, and its intense, but its
not as physically demanding as say enduro racing. |
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Do
you have any tips for those who are just starting out
in supermoto? Turn up and have a go! It's a real
friendly place. The way the chapionship is structured
is that the abilities are really wide spread so that
people who are coming into it with say a lower ability
can come into it and feel like they have had a hard
race with people with a similar ability. If you are
looking at just the pro groups it may look a bit daunting,
but the other groups are not so. So come along and you'll
find it a real friendly place to be. |
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| David McKee: pro-class supermoto
racer. Interview: 27 Jan 2002 |
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| Michael Laverty: pro-class supermoto
racer. Interview: 27 Jan 2002 |
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| Mark Oxley: pro-class supermoto
racer. Interview: 27 Jan 2002 |
| Mark
Oxley: Vertemati |
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Why
did you choose supermoto as opposed to other forms
of racing? I used to race motocross about 10
years ago but due to work commitments I had to pack
in the racing unfortunately. A friend of mine introduced
me to Supermoto and I know Dave Jefferies very well
and he said I should have a go at it, and so I did.
I never looked back. I absolutely love it!
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Tell
us about your Vertemati SR570 supermoto? The
Vertemati will be a new name for a lot of people but
it's considered the Ducati of the supermoto world. Jason
Chipchase, David Jefferies and I are on full factory
prepared Vertemati SR570's and we have 3 of only 25,
which will be made this year. There are other Vertemati
501's here and those are the which anyone can buy. They
come road registered, and the performance from them
is very impressive. There is not that much difference
really between a 501 and the factory prepared bike.
This being a 570 the top of the engine is different
so there is a difference in performance but its not
as noticeable as I thought it would be. But with regard
to the rest of the components on the bike it's pretty
much the same. The Vertemati 501's come loaded with
titanium parts, beam frame, titanium silencer, talon
wheels, 48mm white powers shocks at the front and shock
unit at the back, and the engine is revolutionary. The
best thing about the Vertemati 501 is you can buy one
and you don't have to do anything to it - it comes ready
sorted, with all the top components. I've seen guys
buy supermoto bikes from other manufacturers then they
spent £2,000 or £3,000 on them. |
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What
do you think your chances are this season? This
season will be very difficult because we've got a lot
of other top riders coming into the championship from
other disciplines. For instance take Rob Meek, he's
won everything there is to win, motocross, enduro, beach
racing like at Weston. |
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What
sort fitness training do you do? I spend a lot
of time on the mountain bike, I go to the gym a couple
of times a week and I do a lot of running as well. But
the best type of training for this sport is time spent
on the bike. We do a lot of motocross as well especially
through the winter. |
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Do
you have any tips for those who are just starting out
in supermoto? The only problem with the racing
is the injuries - we are all walking wounded. Newcomers
will find the paddock very friendly, everybody helps
each other and its very social.
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Getting
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