World Supermoto Championship Racers at Taupo.

Lazzerini talking to a small part of the group

Italian World Supermoto Championship Competitors Offer advice at Taupo. Words and Photos:Kiwi Rider

KiwiRider was recently invited along to meet a couple of Italian Supermoto stars that Northern Accessories and the good folk at Blue Wing Honda had bought over for some southern hemisphere racing.

Ivan Lazzerini and his mechanic Palo Vallarino finished third in the (S1-450cc) 2009 World Supermoto Championships and were coaxed to our shores to do the road race 'Tri Series'. So in late December KiwiRider joined New Zealand's supermotard fraternity at Taupo's race track to see what we could learn from the pair.

Steven Croad who's CRF450 Supermotard conversion recently featured in KiwiRider, introduced Todd to Ivan and Paolo. Croad was instrumental in getting the pair (who were subsequently joined down-under by countryman, and TM racer Davide Gozzini ) over for a brief working holiday. After a brief discussion, with Croad and the Italian pair it was a case of gearing up for some on track tuition and arranging to have a word with Paolo a little later in the day.

A key difference to riding in New Zealand was evident when Ivan demonstrated his technique into Taupo's turn one. We all gathered, baited breath, waiting for the full lock 'hack' into the turn and it didn't happen. "The corner is too fast for that technique to be useful" Ivan commented, (and so it proved for two of the three circuits they raced in the series, with Cemetery Circuit providing limited chances as well) He offered some helpful tips, pointing out track irregularities and the correct lines but for the most part hacking doesn't work on most of our courses.

Here in New Zealand we don't do a lot of racing on kart tracks (save Tauamarunui on occasion) and there are very few true Supermoto (dirt and road) meetings. We tend to have our bikes revving their heads off, consequently when Ivan talked about moving our body position forward to a more centralized (more motocross style than road) position, the benefits weren't immediately obvious. His corner speed however, very much was.

Ivan went on to demonstrate corner entry into a slower turn (a tighter option into the final chicane) and the stylish Italian, showed some of that stylish hacking style. It certainly looked good and as he explained with a slipper clutch and some practice in a quiet place, around a couple of cones "you'll find it isn't that difficult". That may well be the case. The trick is being able do it with anything like the speed Ivan demonstrated it at.

Thanks to Blue Wing Honda, Steven Croad from Northern Accessories and the Cemetery Circuit team for helping get the Italians out and putting the day at Taupo together. And thanks to Boyd motorcycles for the use of their RMZ450!

Left: Italians Ivan Lazzerini and his mechanic Paolo Vallarino right

Toby Summers shows us how to do the supermoto hacking turn here.

Check out all the top racers who have been doing a bit of Supermoto.

 

 

 

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