Off-road veteran Trent Lean is above all a dedicated Dungog clubman
Trent Lean’s dirtbike career spans almost four decades, from his first motocross on a Suzuki RM125 at Barleigh Ranch (now MX Central) to his final Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship round at Dungog in 2015, where he wrapped up his fifth National Masters Title aboard a Suzuki RMX450Z.
You could be forgiven for thinking that Trent was born wearing a yellow jersey and would be a lifelong Suzuki stalwart, but when he returned to the sport after a decade spent raising a family and establishing a career, it was with VOR and TM, supported by Cross Country Action at Cessnock.
“It’s a great family sport,” Trent said, “and I was in my mid-thirties when I got back into it with my boys, Alexander and Nick. Then, in 2007, Toby Andrews (MX1) and Vince Strang (VSM) got together with Acerbis and for
a few years I was back with Suzuki again.”
It was testament to both his riding and management skills that, when BMW established a team to launch the BMW450X at the Australian Four Day Enduro, it was Trent who got the job.
“The BMW was front-heavy, which made you feel you had to pull back on the ’bars,” Trent recalls. “And the swingarm pivoted on the countershaft, which made it drive extremely well but it was near impossible to rear-wheel steer. Despite that, Luke Tomlinson won his class in 2009.”
At the end of 2010 Suzuki hired Trent’s Dungog property to launch its new ADR-compliant enduro racer, the RMX450Z – essentially a motocrosser with lights and an electric start. The launch went so well that Trent was soon back in harness with Suzuki as manager of a new MX1 team set up to develop young talent.
While competing in the Masters Class for the first time, Trent led by example, winning his first AORC title. And in front of his home crowd at Dungog.
“We had three young riders that first year – Lachlan Stanford, Nick Lean and Wil Ruprecht, all of whom have since won Australian titles and represented Australia at the ISDE. To have contributed to their success, in some small way, is an honour.”
Trent kept leading by example, winning five successive AORC Masters titles, but it’s the 2013 A4DE he remembers best.
“Geoff Ballard and I battled for all four days, swapping the lead many times each day. Going into the final moto I had a 37sec lead, got the holeshot and led the final lap before GB pushed me wide and took the lead. But I chased all the way to the finish line and won the title.
“The following year was special too. I finished second but it was memorable because the Dungog MCC hosted the event and it was fantastic to participate in what was probably our club’s greatest accomplishment.”
Dungog MCC was established in 1923, and when it hosts Rounds 5 and 6 of the AORC in 2018 it will be Trent’s 40th year with the club and 14 years since he was elected president – a huge commitment to one of Australia’s oldest and most active clubs.
Trent still attends every AORC round as Course Director, assessing the venues and setting the courses for all classes of racing from the juniors to the three senior pro classes. And he’s someone who can stand up to the bureaucrats and insurers in the unlikely event the integrity of the track is questioned.
Trent has also made time to participate in three ISDE campaigns, the first with son Nick in 2012, Spain in 2016, and France last year. This is the culmination of the effort he has put into cross-country and enduro competition over the past decade.
“In the last six years Australia has come from 50 minutes behind the leaders to being front-runners, and thanks to Yamaha the AORC has a lot to do with our international success, largely because our top riders compete with each other once a month.”
Trent still rides every weekend, races motocross when he can and, as well as organising the AORC in Dungog next year, “might do some state enduros in 2018”.
By Peter Whittaker
