Motorsport: Riders get tips from the top

Paul Whibley offers some advice to a young local rider at the Mangatete Moto-X Track on Saturday morning.

Local motorcycling enthusiasts of all ages and abilities received tips from the best when Paul Whibley and the PWR Yamaha Programme came north on Saturday morning.

Holding an accomplished international CV, having raced professionally overseas for 12 years, Whibley kept an eye on the young novice riders as they completed multiple laps of a beginner track, stopping the odd one every now and then to offer coaching tips.

"[I'm here] Help the young guys and some the older guys," he added with a grin, "with a few tips, like braking, bike control, body position and just general safety."

The second part of the programme, a demo session, took place after lunch in which Yamaha provided a range of new models for the riders to take for a test ride to see what suited those keen on raising their game.

Noting it was the second time the programme had been run at the Mangatete Moto-X track on the Hassan property (at the bottom of the Kaingaroa hill), Whibley was full of praise for Dave Travers from Kaitaia Motorcycles for organising the day.

"This is an event Dave puts on for the community, here we are, all the way from Palmerston North, good if they [community] can support Dave."

The respect was clearly mutual; Travers being rapt to have a rider of Whibley's stature in town to share the insight and knowledge he'd gained from his extensive professional racing career.

"I couldn't have asked for anything better. The last one we did [in January] I thought would be hard to beat but this one was twice as good."

Travers added having some talented senior riders in attendance and giving it heaps on the day also gave the younger and novice riders something to aspire to.