OBITUARY
in the beginning . The Bel-Ray Hare Scrambles was conceived , and the Kawasaki Good Times Scrambles created . Mike ’ s magic formula was that he made time to help all ... from the top riders to those just starting out in off-road riding . He offered advice to other dealers , and worked with the Kawasaki NZ technical department in preparing Team Green tuning specs in our Team Green magazines . As the Team Green Race Team grew in strength , particularly through the junior riders , opportunities came to help those riders improve . Mike took a group of young riders to New Caledonia , among them was Ben Townley , who we all know went on to become MX2 World Champion . Multi Womens World Champion Kathryn Prumm was greatly influenced by Mike when she began her riding career . There are so many more off-road riders who Mike helped become the best they could be , NZ champs , club champs or , simply , good recreational riders . I ’ d like to share with you the skill Mike had for putting across his point of view , combined with his sense of humour ... In the early 90s (‘ 93 or ‘ 94 ), we had two Kawasaki development engineers visit NZ . Their project was to develop their ATVs as farm work-horses . Naturally , we took them to our number one dealer , who arranged to show them the use of their new KLF300 Bayou as a farm vehicle . We got there just before the
milking . The farmer took them to the shed and proceeded to dress them in overalls , so they could go into the Herringbone Shed , teaching them to change the cups . Mike was with them , and they gained confidence in him . He suggested taking them for a ride on the Bayou , to show the paddocks that the ATV needed to traverse . Are you getting the picture yet ...? The track to get to the paddocks was covered with cow shit . Mike sat the engineers on either side of the Bayou , sitting on the carrier , and proceeded down the track . You can imagine
28 KIWI RIDER