- Rogan Chandler reveals how a broken foot nearly ended his title campaign before it began.
- The M1 Motorsport rider explains the Taupō finale that secured his first NZ Superbike Championship.
- Chandler also opens up on Superbikes, electronics, Bridgestones and his future racing ambitions.
A broken foot, years of near-misses and a title fight that went down to the final round. Rogan Chandler opens up to BRM about finally winning his first Star Insure New Zealand Superbike Championship — and why he feels he’s now riding better than ever.
For years, Rogan Chandler was the guy who was always close.
Fast enough to win races. Consistent enough to be a championship contender. But after season upon season battling near the front in the Supersport ranks, the elusive national title never arrived.
So when Chandler made the jump to Superbikes with the M1 Motorsport BMW team, even he wasn’t convinced he’d suddenly become a championship-winning rider.
“I honestly never thought it would happen,” Chandler admitted to BRM. “I’d come second or third so many times in 600s, and when I moved up to Superbikes I just thought, ‘This will be cool for a couple of years.’”
Instead, the 28-year-old ended 2026 as New Zealand’s newest Superbike champion.
And perhaps surprisingly, he says the bigger, faster bikes actually suited him better from the very beginning.
“I Thought I Was Probably Done”
Chandler’s move into Superbikes almost never happened.
“I was basically at the point where I thought I probably couldn’t keep racing,” explained Rogan during our chat.
During his time racing in the Supersport category with Suzuki, Rogan essentially ran his own team, which meant handling all the logistics and behind-the-scenes organisation as well as riding the bike. That was tough enough on a 600. Moving up to Superbikes — something he’d always wanted to do — felt almost impossible.
He’d always looked at the M1 Motorsport team and thought it would be cool to be a part of, but the timing had never lined up. So, after the final round of the previous season, Chandler walked over and introduced himself to Moggy, the boss of M1 Motorsport, for the first time.
“I literally just walked up and said, ‘What are you doing next year? Because I’ve got no idea what I’m doing.’”
A month later, Moggy called Chandler and invited him to a test at Manfeild.
From the first laps, the fit felt natural.
“The way they approached setting up the bike and racing was really similar to how I think. Everyone was super relaxed and easy-going. It immediately felt right.”
That simple conversation eventually led to Rogan Chandler becoming a New Zealand Superbike champion.
“I Felt Comfortable Straight Away”
After spending years racing 600s, Chandler expected the transition to Superbikes to be intimidating. Instead, it felt natural almost immediately.
“I always looked at Superbikes and thought, ‘There’s no way I’ll be able to ride those things properly.’ I thought the power would be terrifying,” he said.
“But as soon as I got on one, I actually felt really comfortable. I think it suited the way I ride.”
“I always thought Superbikes would scare me. But once I rode one, I realised I actually liked having more power than I needed.”
Chandler credits much of that confidence to the incredible sophistication of modern Superbikes and their electronics packages.
Riding the BMW prepared by Moggy and the M1 Motorsport team, Chandler quickly discovered just how much the latest traction control and electronics systems allow riders to push the limits, especially with the help of Andrew Heagren, who was in charge of assessing the data and adjusting the BMW’s electronics.
“I’d be like 50-something degrees lean angle and I’d just whack the gas on,” he explained.
“These new bikes are just insane. You feel the electronics stepping in and controlling the spin before it ever becomes a problem.”
Still, learning how to fully exploit the electronics took time.
“The biggest thing for me was understanding how much rear tyre spin you can actually use,” he said.
“You can get the tyre spinning slightly to help turn the bike, then stand it up and let it hook up and drive forward. Trusting that feeling took me probably a year and a half.”
Photo: MNZ/Derek Morrison
The Broken Foot That Nearly Ended Everything
Ironically, Chandler’s championship campaign nearly collapsed before the opening round had even begun.
On January 2 — just weeks before NZSBK kicked off — Chandler crashed during training and broke his foot in four places.
“At that point I thought, ‘Well, that’s it. Championship over.’”
The injury left him in a moon boot only a week before the opening NZSBK round at Euromarque Motorsport Park.
“My fitness was terrible because I couldn’t really move for weeks,” he said. “I honestly just went there hoping to survive.”
In addition to the injury, Ruapuna had also historically been Chandler’s worst circuit.
“I don’t think I’d ever gone there and not crashed,” he laughed. “Out of something like nine races over the previous few years, I think I’d only finished three.”
But instead of disaster, the opening round became the turning point of his entire career.
After finishing second in the opening race, Chandler went on to win the prestigious NZ Grand Prix.
“When I won the GP at Ruapuna, that’s when I thought, ‘Okay… maybe we can actually win this championship.’”
More importantly, it changed his approach mentally.
Rather than trying to break away from the field, Chandler instead focused on consistency and race management.
“I went into the GP race wanting to destroy everyone,” he admitted. “I thought because I’d already been on the Bridgestones for a year, I should just disappear.”
“But instead, I just picked a lap time and repeated it every lap.”
That calmer, more measured approach became one of the defining features of his title campaign. Chandler said he realised consistency would win him the title rather than trying to break away from the field every race.
Bridgestones, Control Tyres and a Head Start
One advantage Chandler believes helped him during 2026 was his prior experience racing on Bridgestone tyres before the championship switched to a control tyre format.
While many riders were adapting to the harder-compound tyres, Chandler already understood how to make them work.
“I think having that year beforehand helped massively,” he said.
“I’d already learned how the tyres behaved and how to manage the spin.”
Unlike softer sprint-race tyres, Chandler explained the Bridgestones rewarded smoothness and patience.
“They’d spin nicely initially and help turn the bike, but if you overheated them and spun them too much, they’d just keep spinning forever and you’d lose all your drive.”
That understanding became crucial throughout the season.
Taupō: The Championship Shootout
If Ruapuna was where Chandler began believing, then Taupo International Motorsport Park was where he finally proved it. Although, Chandler says the pressure was unlike anything he’d experienced before.
By the time the championship arrived at Taupo International Motorsport Park, the title fight between Chandler and Luca Durning had become one of the closest NZSBK battles in years.
The pair arrived at the final round tied on points after Durning’s strong Hampton Downs performance erased Chandler’s earlier advantage, setting up a genuine winner-takes-all showdown.
“That was the most nervous I’ve ever been in my life,” Chandler admitted. “I barely slept Friday night.”
The M1 Motorsport rider immediately put himself in control by claiming pole position by nearly a second — a crucial championship point that immediately shifted momentum back in his favour.
But the championship was still far from secure.
After Chandler won the opening races of the weekend, the decisive moment came during the NZ Superbike TT race when Durning and Australian guest rider Max Stauffer crashed together while battling near the front. With Durning out, Chandler suddenly had breathing room in the championship fight and was able to ride smartly to the title.
“I knew I had the pace. At that point it became about staying calm and not making mistakes.”
Even with the advantage, Chandler said the pressure inside the helmet remained enormous.
“The first race felt like 500 laps,” he laughed. “I was honestly exhausted just from being so tense.”
“The first race felt like 500 laps,” he laughed. “I was honestly exhausted just from being so tense.”
When the chequered flag finally fell, Chandler had secured not only the NZ Superbike TT victory, but also his first-ever New Zealand Superbike Championship.
Throughout the year, Chandler says the competition level at the front was far stronger than some outsiders realised.
While the overall field may have been smaller than previous years, the front-running pace remained incredibly high.
“Luca’s team absolutely turned up prepared,” Chandler said. “They had a serious bike, serious data guys and put a huge amount of effort into it. You couldn’t relax for a second.”
He also praised the friendly atmosphere within the NZSBK paddock despite the intense championship fight.
“There’s really no bad blood between anyone,” he said. “You race hard, there might be protests or disagreements sometimes, but at the end of the day everyone gets over it.”
Why Teretonga Felt Like Home
Asked which circuit suited him best during the season, Chandler doesn’t hesitate.
“Teretonga. Easily.”
Teretonga Park has long been one of Chandler’s favourite tracks — even though, on paper, it shouldn’t necessarily suit a Superbike specialist.
“I grew up racing RS125s, so I think I naturally still carry a lot of corner speed,” he explained.
“You can’t really just point-and-squirt a Superbike around Teretonga. You still need flow there.”
That old-school lightweight bike background still shapes the way Chandler rides today.
“I Just Want To Enjoy It”
Away from the racetrack, Chandler works full-time as a project manager installing specialist fire systems for Kāinga Ora housing, often helping people with disabilities.
It’s a world away from Superbikes — and perhaps part of the reason he remains refreshingly grounded about racing.
“I’m 28 now,” he laughed. “I’m basically an old man.”
Unlike many younger riders, Chandler says he no longer feels pressure chasing dreams of MotoGP or World Superbikes.
“There’s no dream of MotoGP or anything now — I’m too old for that. I just want to enjoy racing bikes with good people.”
That doesn’t mean his ambitions have disappeared completely, however, with some exciting plans in the pipeline that he’s hoping to announce shortly.
NZSBK’s Bright Future
Chandler also praised the efforts of NZSBK promoter Mike Marsden, saying the increased crowds and atmosphere throughout 2026 made a noticeable difference.
At rounds like Ruapuna, Chandler says the packed spectator banks genuinely changed the feeling around the championship.
“When you ride past and there are people lining the fences cheering, it absolutely adds to the atmosphere,” he said.
“That’s part of why we race.”
And while he now carries the number one plate into 2027, Chandler insists his mindset won’t change.
“I’m just enjoying riding my bike with these guys,” he said.
“As long as the team wants me there, I’ll keep showing up.”
Thanks to Rogan for taking the time to have a chat with us here at BRM.
Rogan also wanted to acknowledge the people who helped make the championship possible, including David, Noel, Teddy, Sue and Brayden for their work in the pits, along with his parents and partner for their ongoing support throughout the season.
He also thanked Mount Motorcycles, MRB Build, RBC Skip Bins and Levels LTD for supporting the team throughout the championship campaign.
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