Few names resonate with long-time New Zealand motorcycle fans quite like Paul Pavletich. A racer, mentor, administrator and lifelong motorcycle fanatic, Pav has been a valued contributor to Bike Rider Magazine for many years, offering insight that only comes from decades at the sharp end of the sport. We’re pleased to confirm that Paul’s regular column will continue on BRM Online, where his loyal followers can keep enjoying his uniquely honest, passionate and deeply knowledgeable perspective on racing, riding and life on two wheels. Given the feedback his pieces consistently generate, we’re confident that’s welcome news.
Pics: ASP (Main image) / Ninja Photography
Hello, fellow petrol heads.
December has been a full-on month for me. Extremely busy at work, preparing, and competing at the three-round Suzuki International Series. In my previous article, I told you how hard I trained to be able to ride my 160hp Pre’89 superbike flat out for nearly 15 minutes. At my age of 67, that’s not an easy task, believe me. I set a goal of 60 days gym training and achieved it to the day. Luckily, I had done a couple of track days to shake the cobwebs out of my brain and get my energy levels and reaction back up to a suitable level. I recently read that from the age of 60, we lose 3% of our muscle every year if we don’t train. It is really frightening, so I hope I can inspire some of you guys and girls to get stuck in. It’s not over when you receive your gold card. In fact, our 2-week pension will buy a set of Metzeler K1 slicks with change.
Let’s Go Racing
Round one was at Taupo on December 5th and 6th. However, my ever-faithful team of my brother Mark and good mate Wayne Anstis arrived on Friday, 4th to get some practice in.
This was critical as I had not raced my bike on the long circuit before. All the other times I had been there were with the NZCMRR series riding on the short circuit, which is only half of the equation. We made solid progress on Friday, and each time we ventured out onto the track, we improved our times. In my first session, we could only manage a 1.42-second lap. Fast forward to Saturday’s Qualifying, I managed a pole position in the Pre’89 class in the 1.39s, so a good start.
For the series, Mark and I agreed to install our middle-spec engine, which is about 15hp down on our beast mode engine. This would increase the likelihood of finishing all eight races. We managed to get the holeshot in each race and lead for a bit until the young lions on the Pre’95 superbikes came past. It’s fantastic to see two highly skilled young men coming through. Tyler King and Kieran Mair, both riding Suzukis, rode beautifully. I followed both of them for a lot of the series, so I got to watch them closely. Tyler King is a huge talent for the future and rides fast and aggressively, whereas Kieran Mair has perfect flowing GP-style riding lines and carries high mid-corner speed.
Taupo worked out well for us, as we won all three races, although I was pushed hard by Hastings’ rider, Gian Louie. The bike Mark prepared was superior to Gian’s, as I had an edge on him out of the turns and down the straights, even with my 25kg weight disadvantage. He pushed me hard, and he rode great. That’s why he’s won the series three times in the past. One of the other riders who really impressed me was Jordan Burley. He rode a sweet-handling but underpowered Honda VFR750. He would terrorize Gian and me in the tight sections of the circuit, and then we would smoke him down the straights on our 1000’s. I said to Mark, I am glad he isn’t riding a bike like mine, or we could be in trouble. In the second race at Taupo, I was angry at myself as Mair passed me on the last corner under brakes. I thought I had a bigger lead than I did, and I could have braked a few metres later than I did. It’s funny how one mistake can taint your view of the weekend when really, I should have been stoked.
We left Taupo leading the series feeling pleased with our efforts. What I was most pleased about, other than winning my races, was that the training and hard work in preparation had paid off. My lap times were as fast at the end of the race as they were on lap 2.
The following weekend, December 13th and 14th, we headed down to Manfield for round two. I felt good heading down to Feilding because we have had a lot of success there in the past. I have done thousands of laps around Manfeild over the years. In fact, I believe I have competed in more Castrol 6-hour races than anyone else, with a few class wins banked.
We arrived at midday and quickly unloaded the van so I could get at least two or three 15-minute sessions in. I was a bit disappointed, to be honest, at the end of Friday, as I was stuck in the 1.14’s. The last time I raced there in 2017, I did a 1.11, so I felt a little deflated. Mark said, “Don’t worry, you always go faster in the race.”
Qualifying came, and I qualified second behind Gian Louie. I did a 1.13.2 lap time, so we were improving. In the race, I got the holeshot again and led for a while until the young boys on the Pre’95 superbikes came past. I tried hard to stay with them, but just couldn’t do it. It’s very frustrating knowing that if I weighed 25kg less, I would like to think I could give it to them. Oh, to be young, foolish, and skinny again.
On a brighter note, every time we went back out, we went faster, and I ended up getting back into the 1.11’s bracket, so there is hope for us pensioners. I said to Mark that if we had a bit more practice and we put the mean engine back in our OW01, I think I could do a mid-1.10 for sure.
Over the course of the weekend, we secured another three wins. I was very happy with the way I rode. I rode fast and smoothly, trying to stay out of trouble. Louie and Burley were always pushing me hard. We did have one drama on Saturday morning, when the OW01 started leaking water from one of the radiator hoses. It was a pinhole leak and put us into a mini panic with the first race only one hour away. In a super act of sportsmanship, Steve Cavell, the owner of the machine Gian Louie was riding and our serious competitor, loaned us a spare hose. What a decent man to do that for us. I will never forget this act of kindness and sportsmanship.
Heading into Wanganui for the Boxing Day event, we had a big points lead from the six from six race wins and an additional point for pole position at Taupo. Our strategy was to go to Whanganui and finish race one no matter what. Do not get tangled up in a first corner pile-up or get drawn into any bare-knuckle scraps, which could lead to a crash. And, to be honest, it was a bit stressful racing with that mindset.
I qualified third in class, and in the first race, a disaster nearly happened. Ivan Smith smacked me up the rear into the first corner, nearly knocking me off. He crashed, and I was able to continue, shaken a bit by the whack with Mark’s words ringing in my head, DON’T FALL OFF!! We need 8 points to win the series.
I lost a bit of ground after that, not as much as Ivan, to be fair, but calmed down and carried on. Gian rode very aggressively in race one, making a couple of full-on passing attempts. He ran wide on the first attempt, coming onto the front straight, getting very close to clipping a hay bale. I could see he meant business. His second attempt was even more aggressive, and I thought, relax, don’t engage. Just bank the points and go home and enjoy the rest of the summer with the trophy in the cabinet. So that’s what I did.
We finished third in race one for the Pre’89s and took the series win. Jordan Burley was impressive at Whanganui as I knew he would be. I watched one of his video clips on YouTube, and he was terrorizing Tyler King for eight laps very impressively.
Calling It
The forecast for race two was heavy rain, so we thought, why bother? It’s a very slippery track in the rain, and the job was done. So, we packed up and got underway for the seven-hour drive home in the van.
I love racing at Whanganui. We have had so much success there. Spyda, who is the unofficial record keeper and mastermind of who, what, and when there, informed me that I have had around 35 podiums and over a dozen national-class wins there. Last year was a highlight for us as we won the Pre’89 class, beating TT racer Davy Todd by one point and young Jesse Stroud by two points.
It’s important that I thank Mark and Wayne for their commitment and expertise in giving me the best bike out there. I also want to thank Rebecca Brown from ProRider for sponsoring us for this series.
Also, a special thanks must go to Forbes and Davies for their sponsorship of the Metzeler tyres. I believe I am their longest sponsored rider, beginning our arrangement back in 1982 when I raced for Blue Wing Honda, and we won our first F2 NZ Championship in 1983.
Please stay safe on the roads over the summer. Remember, even if you are just riding down to the shop, put your safety gear on.
Pav #4
About Paul Pavletich
Paul Pavletich is one of New Zealand’s most experienced and respected motorcycle racers, with multiple national titles across a wide range of classes. Still actively competing, he combines real-world racing knowledge with a deep understanding of rider training, safety and performance.
Paul is a senior trainer with Pro Rider, a former General Manager of Motorcycling New Zealand, and a lifelong motorcycle collector whose passion for the sport extends well beyond the chequered flag.
