The plan was already in motion when BRM caught up with Sloan and Nixon Frost a couple of weeks ago. Now their new Suzuki GSX-R1000R has been unveiled at TSS Motorcycles, and the father-and-son Superbike project is officially underway.
- Sloan and Nixon Frost unveil their 2027 Suzuki GSX-R1000R at TSS Motorcycles.
- Former NZ Superbike Champion Sloan will race the full 2026/27 NZSBK series.
- The long-term plan is to develop the bike for Nixon to race in 2028.
There’s been plenty of talk about Sloan Frost returning to the New Zealand Superbike Championship, but now things are getting serious.
A couple of weeks ago, we caught up with former NZ Superbike Champion Sloan and his son Nixon to discuss their plans for the coming seasons. The idea was an interesting one: rather than spend a small fortune moving Nixon through the intermediate Supersport classes, why not invest in a proper Superbike that Dad could race and develop before handing it over to his son?
Well, the talking is over. The bike has arrived, and the project is officially underway.
The new 2027 Suzuki GSX-R1000R was unveiled at a special launch evening hosted by TSS Motorcycles, with a great turnout of supporters, friends and motorcycle enthusiasts keen to see the latest chapter in the Frost family’s racing story.
A big night at TSS Motorcycles
TSS Motorcycles has been closely involved in getting the project off the ground, and the dealership pulled together a launch evening to give the new Suzuki its first public appearance.
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Despite having only a couple of days to organise everything, the team put on an impressive evening, with food, drinks and a crowd eager to get a closer look at the new machine.
“It was an amazing event, way more people than I expected to show up.” — Nixon Frost
Sloan was equally pleased. “The night went off really well. For what George and TSS pulled together at the last minute, I was really pleased with the turnout and how it looked.”
Even Sloan wasn’t sure which of the three available colours would be revealed. As it turned out, the bike arrived in red, and he was delighted.
“When you see the red one in the sun with the gold fleck through it, it’s a really beautiful bike to see.”
From showroom to Superbike
Of course, the gleaming road bike unveiled at TSS won’t be staying standard for very long.
Sloan is returning to race the full 2026/27 NZSBK championship, and there’s a considerable amount of work ahead to turn the Suzuki into a race bike. He says changes to the new model mean previous race parts and electronic settings won’t necessarily carry across.
Add in his recovery from knee surgery and the fact he hasn’t raced seriously for some time, and it’s a challenging timetable. Sloan expects to have only a couple of days of practice before lining up against New Zealand’s leading Superbike riders. But he’s never been one to shy away from a challenge.
More than just a comeback
As we discussed with Sloan and Nixon a couple of weeks ago, the project has a bigger purpose than simply getting the former champion back onto the grid.
The ultimate goal is for Nixon to take over the Suzuki and race it in the 2028 NZSBK season. Sloan questions the sense of spending upwards of $80,000 building a competitive intermediate-class race bike that Nixon might only use for a couple of seasons. Instead, the plan is to invest in a Superbike now, with Sloan racing and developing it before Nixon steps aboard.
He also wants to challenge the idea that riders must spend $100,000 to get involved in Superbike racing. He’s realistic about what a more modest build can achieve against the best-funded machines, but hopes the project will show there’s another way.
And, as Sloan admitted, he’s not entirely sure whether the bigger motivation was preparing a bike for Nixon or finding an excuse to go racing himself.
Taking everyone along for the ride
Nixon says the pair plan to document the Suzuki’s transformation from showroom road bike to race machine, with YouTube videos explaining what goes into preparing a GSX-R1000R for competition.
It should offer an interesting look at the equipment, effort and costs involved, as well as the inevitable challenges of getting a new machine ready for racing.
Now the hard work begins
For the moment, the Frosts can enjoy a successful launch evening at TSS Motorcycles. The bike has arrived, supporters have seen it in the flesh, and the plan BRM heard about a couple of weeks ago has become something very real.
Now Sloan has to turn that beautiful red road bike into a Superbike. With a former champion returning to the grid, Nixon waiting in the wings and TSS Motorcycles backing the project, we’ll be watching closely.
Read more: Our interview with Sloan Frost and Nixon Frost: Racing Towards His Own Future.
Watch the launch video on Facebook.
