Interview with Kyle Buckley

Australian Motorcycle News’s contributor Russell Colvin caught up with the recently crowned Swann Insurance Australasian Supersport Champion, Kyle Buckley this morning to have a talk with him about his 2016 season and what lies ahead for the 21-year-old and this is what he had to say.

AMCN: Kyle congratulations on a great year in the Australasian Supersport Championship. To be able to do the double and take out both series it must be a big reward for yourself and the whole team. First of all can you round up you year for the AMCN readers.

KB: Yeah overall it was a good season for us. The SA Kawasaki BCperformance team and I didn’t really have any problems. In saying that we did have a few ups-and-down during the season, but that is to be expected. I don’t think anyone who wins a championship doesn’t have a season where there are a few ups-and-down. Overall however we we’re able to put it all together and come away ahead of Mitch Levy, who was the guy who we were trying beat. So it was nice. It was nice to reward the team and our sponsors with the Supersport championship in both series. It was also nice to win the title alongside Robbie Bugden, who was able to win the Superbike championship as well. So all in all it was a great season and a great launching pad heading into 2017.

AMCN: In 2014 you were racing in the Ninja 300 class. Then for 2015 you made the leap back up to the Supersport class aboard the ZX6R machine. How hard was it from jumping from the Ninja 300 class back up to the Supersport category from your point of view?

KB: I don’t think it was too hard, as I had ridden a Supersport bike before making the step down to the Ninja 300 class. I think jumping back up to the Supersport category from the 300 class does change your style a lot. I did find myself riding the Supersport bike like a 300 a little bit at the start of 2015, but then towards the end of last year I was pretty sweet on it. Just all little stuff you can do on a 300 such as whacking the throttle on early. You can’t do that on a Supersport bike of course, as you have to be smooth. That is what I found the hardest part about it, just trying not to ride the 600 like a 300.

AMCN: This year you had Vaughan Cumming as your crew chief. Vaughan is pretty handy when it comes to getting a bike set up the way a rider wants it. How was it having him as your crew chief this year?

Up until the middle of last year I was just working with a few different guys from Queensland. It wasn’t quite working out well, as we were not getting the right setup. Vaughan was working over in Asia with Michael Blair in the ARRC series and I think going away was starting to get a bit hard for him. So Kelvin [Reilly] gave him a call and asked if he wanted to come board with the SA Kawasaki BCperformance. So he came on board and started working with me and we just kicked it off really well. He understands what I am trying to say. He just knows what I’m after and what I’m asking for. Vaughan was the real game changer in my Supersport career and that is what I needed. We just really clicked and things started to move forward from when he came on board. He is the key ingredient to why I have been able to go a lot faster in this last twelve months of racing.

AMCN: This year in the Swann Insurance Australasian Superbike Championship in there a particular round that stands out for you as a highlight for the season?   

KB: I would probably say the last round at Sydney Motorsport Park. I didn’t exactly have any good results to write home about. We only won two out of the four races last Sunday. However just knowing we had a good shot at the title. I was just so nervous going into the final round. So to be able to win the championship was just the best feeling in the world. Then on top of that being able to do the burnout with Robbie at the end of the round in pit lane was just even nicer. So for sure it was the last round which was the highlight.

AMCN: Let’s talk about 2017. It was announced today that you will make the step up to the premier category, the Superbike class and racing in the Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK). First of all, have you ridden a Superbike yet?

KB: Yes I have. This year I rode Ben Burke’s ZX10R at Mallala and Sydney Motorsport Park. I have probably only done a maximum of an hour on the bike, so we have a pretty heavy testing schedule packed in for January and February as I am going to be trying to get as much seat time in before the opening round at the end of February at the World Superbike event at Phillip Island. I’m pretty excited to be making the jump up, but I think I have maybe chosen one of the hardest years to jump on the Superbike, as the top fifteen riders are looking like they are going to be some the best riders in Australia. It’s going to be tough, but it’s going to fun at the same time!

AMCN: How was riding a Superbike compare to a Supersport bike? How hard was it to master a Superbike?

KB: The first time I rode the ZX10R was at Mallala. Mallala is a physical track on a Supersport bike. Then jumping on the Superbike with so much for power, well the straights were so much smaller, everything happens so much quicker. I was doing five to eight laps and I was just so worn out. The Superbike is just a whole different level compared to the Supersport bike. You just have to be a lot fitter and smooth out your riding and be ready for it as it’s a whole different level. It makes you respect what the top Superbike rider’s do that’s for sure.

AMCN: Have you set yourself any goals for next year yet? Or is it a case of take it as it comes and see what happens?

KB: Obviously the goal is to go in there like a ball and win the first round, however I think that is a bit of a long shot (laughs). Look if I can finish in the top eight, top ten that would be a pretty good goal for the first few rounds, then towards the end of the year start eyeing off a top five finish here and there. It will just all depend how I go on it. I’ll be taking it easy for the first few rounds and make sure I don’t go jumping off the thing. Top ten finishes for the first few rounds would be great I believe.

AMCN: Anything you would like to add Kyle?

KB: Look I really just have to thank Kelvin, Vaughan and the whole SA Kawasaki BCperformance team for a fantastic year. While the spot light maybe on us, the riders, people must never forget without the team I would be nowhere. It’s a team effort and without everyone this championship would not have been possible, so a massive thanks to everyone involved including all of our sponsors and of course my personal sponsors. I’m really thankful for everything they have done and now looking forward to a new challenge in 2017.

AMCN: One final question, what’s installed for the off-season?

KB: Heading down to Adelaide for two weeks. Will just do a bit of fishing and hang out with family and friends and just chill out before getting back into the race season which is shaping up to be a big year.

AMCN: Kyle, thanks heaps for your time today, we’ll see you in 2017.

KB: No worries at all, thank you! 

Vaughan Cumming on Kyle Buckley:

“I had never met Kyle before round four at Queensland in 2015, as I got a phone call from Kelvin to come fill in for someone. I watched Kyle in the first session and he was a kid lacking a bit of confidence and riding around in twelfth or there about. However what I did notice was his ability to grab huge amounts of throttle and control a slide incredibly well, and then even if he was thrown out of the seat he would hit the corner even harder on the next lap and even not be sook about it. Our results ended up ok with seventh that weekend. Then we went to Wakefield Park a month later and got a win on both days. His first Supersport national win was a huge boost for him, kelvin and I as a team because I sent him out on slicks in the rain but it dried out like I thought it would and he won by seven seconds. For a young rider to trust a guy he knew for only four weeks to go against what twenty other riders were doing was massive! Kyle then backed it up in the dry the next day coming from fourth and passing the likes of Brayden Elliot, Michael Blair and Callum Spriggs to win by two seconds. Since then we have built a great mateship and he is kind of like a little ‘brother’ now and one of my best mates. I honestly think Kyle has a huge future and I can’t wait to see him take the next step in his racing next year aboard a Superbike.”

Words & Images – Russell Colvin