Talent -2023
Dave Moss
Suspension & Mechanic God
(Speaking at Invercargill, Queenstown, Nelson & Whangarei Talk Series and running his learning workshop at Kapiti Bike Fests)
As a globally respected Guru and influencer working to save a life every day, Dave has been travelling the world teaching riders and enthusiasts alike for well over 20 years. He continues to educate riders with the why and how of setting up a motorcycle’s suspension and ergonomics for solo, two up and fully loaded sports touring rides matched to weight and ability. He has helped millions of riders both in person and online and this will be his 10th year of teaching in NZ and several years with Shiny Side Up.
Todd Wylie
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency – Principal Advisor, Vehicle Safety
(Speaking at Invercargill, Queenstown Talk Series events)
Todd started his career as a motoring journalist – editing and managing NZV8, NZ Performance Car and NZ Classic Car magazines and their associated websites and TV shows. He then progressed to working on modified vehicle standards and the Low Volume Vehicle Certification system before joining Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency in 2020 as Principal Advisor – Vehicle Safety. In this role he is responsible for Waka Kotahi’s vehicle safety strategy, managing the Rightcar website, chairing Waka Kotahi’s internal motorcycle safety group. He’s owned a variety of motocross, trail and trials bikes in the past. Now his collection only includes motorbikes for his daughter.
Todd will be presenting on New Zealand’s road safety strategy, Road to Zero, with a focus on the work being done to improve motorcycling safety.
Dave Keilty
ACC Ride Forever – Injury Prevention partner
(Speaking at Whanganui, Rotorua, & Auckland Talk Series events)
Dave is an avid motorcycle rider, who rides daily.
Having ridden bikes since he was around 14 years old (44 years) with a short break due to an injury sustained in a crash. Dave manages the Ride Forever programme on behalf of ACC, has been in his current role since 2012, and was instrumental in developing the Ride Forever coaching programme.
Why is Dave so passionate about motorcycle safety? Having seen his best friend and riding buddy get severely injured and now wheelchair bound, along with others who have lost their lives. Dave wants to do all he can to help riders stay Shiny Side Up!
Brittany Morrow
Crash to survivor, ‘Rock The Gear’
(Speaking at Nelson, Whanganui, Rotorua, Auckland & Whangarei Talk Series and Kapiti Bike Fests)
Brittany Morrow survived the unthinkable. She was skinned alive, permanently disfigured and mentally disabled in a motorcycle accident when she was just 20 years old.
Fabian Marsh
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency – Senior Manager Road Safety
(Speaking at Kapiti Bike Fest)
Fabian is an internationally recognised expert, with extensive experience working in road safety in New Zealand, Australia, Qatar and the United Kingdom. He has helped develop new national road safety strategies, led policy development and national road safety programme implementation as well as research to inform road safety improvements. Senior Manager Road Safety at Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency since 2019 he led the organisation’s input to the current Road to Zero strategy and is responsible for the delivery of key actions by Waka Kotahi. Fabian takes an evidence-based ‘Safe System’ approach, informed by insights from his early work in forensic crash investigation and global research including many papers he’s authored or commissioned over the years such as a major trans-Tasman study of motorcycle crashes into roadside barriers.
Fabian will be presenting on New Zealand’s road safety strategy, Road to Zero, with a focus on the work being done to improve motorcycling safety.
Tara MacMillan
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency – Head of Regulatory Strategic Programmes & Former Road to Zero Portfolio Manager
(Speaking at Whangarei Talk Series)
From mid-2021 until earlier this year Tara was the Road to Zero Portfolio Manager within Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency. In this role she oversaw multiple programmes delivering a combination of evidenced-based interventions to achieve a reduction in deaths and serious injuries on New Zealand roads. She has recently been seconded to a senior leadership role in Waka Kotahi’s Regulatory division, but has kindly agreed to speak about Road to Zero at Bike Fest in Whangarei. Proud to call Northland home, Tara has recently taken up motorbiking and is looking forward to picking up some great tips today and doing some coaching before she sits her restricted licence.
Tara will be presenting on New Zealand’s road safety strategy, Road to Zero, with a focus on the work being done to improve motorcycling safety.
Bryan Sherritt
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
(Speaking at Auckland Talk Series)
Bryan is an experienced safety executive with a demonstrated history at the forefront in government organisations in Australia and New Zealand. As Director Road to Zero at Te Manatu Waka (Ministry of Transport) he works closely with all the Aotearoa road safety partners, who together are striving to deliver a 40% reduction in death and serious injury on Aotearoa’s roads by 2030. While Executive General Manager Safety at Auckland Transport and in senior roles in Australia he lead the delivery of large safety improvement programmes, including to enhance motorcycling safety. He is also a former member of the Victorian Motorcycle Advisory Committee, which delivered the MotoCap system for motorcyclists’ PPE. Bryan lives and works in Auckland.
Bryan will be presenting on Aotearoa’s road safety strategy, Road to Zero, with a focus on the work being done to improve motorcycling safety.
Jef Ikenn
All things electric bikes
(Speaking at Kapiti Bike Fest)
Jef Murupaenga Ikenn comes from an ocean and conservation background, spending most of his adult career as a tourism skipper and commercial diver. He learned to ride a bike at 5yrs of age and has ridden extensively around the world as an ‘RTW’ rider on all continents bar Antarctica. He has captained fully solar/electric canoes across the Pacific Ocean and back in 2011/12, stopping at many island nations along the way to share conservation messages and traditional navigation knowledge.
Those vessels were his first foray into electrification and BEV (battery electric vehicles), and in 2013 he had built his first custom electric motorcycle. It wasn’t long before he upgraded to commercial brands owning both a Zero and an Energica. These bikes completed several records in Aotearoa/NZ, including the first e-moto to cover the length of the country fully electric, and the very first e1KC electric 1000kms in under 24hrs. He is known as E-otearoa from the bikes and blogs on several social media channels, and is the go-to person for learning about and importing electric motorcycles. His current bike is a 2023 Energica Ribelle RS.
Hamish Mackie
Mackie Research – Principle Researcher
(Speaking at Kapiti Bike Fest)
Hamish is co-director of Mackie Research and has spent the past 15 years in road safety, including motorcycling safety. As a certified Human Factors professional Hamish’s expertise focusses on how people behave, responding to the world around them and the vehicles they use. Hamish has worked on a number of motorcycle safety projects including testing of perceptual countermeasures in the Coromandel, intersection improvements for “looked but didn’t see” crashes, and understanding how rider experience can assist safety. Put simply, Hamish focusses on the ‘you’ part of motorcycle safety”
Roger McMillan
Ziodirog designer & creator
(Speaking at Kapiti Bike Fest)
One of my addictions is motorcycles, the current direction is Hub Centre Steer.
Late in 2009 I went to the Formula One show at Te Papa in Wellington. One of the cars had the front cover off exposing all the suspension. At the time I thought that if you turned the wheels around 90 degrees so they were in line and put a motor in the middle that would be the best suspension ever.
The 1990 Bimota Tesi prototype was born, initially impossible to ride but after many hours it came good. Followed by many packets of Special K cut up to create the forms, the ZDR1 Kawasaki Nija powered roared to life. This was then followed by the more computer designed ZDR2.
Wayne Gamble
Building a classic Indian from scratch
(Speaking at Kapiti Bike Fest)
I have been interested in motorcycles since my early teens, vintage and WW2 machinery. I guess the spark was a chap down the road, had a 1942 Army Indian 741 parked outside his boat building shed, most days.
Amber Uhrle aka Chaotic Blonde
Motorcycle Enthusiast
(Kapiti Bike Fest)
Amber or most commonly known as Chaotic Blonde, is a motorcycle enthusiast, an ambassador for Kawasaki’s female ride program “KawiGirls” and a promoter of women’s safety gear and track training across New Zealand.
Amber will be discussing her rapid rise through the ranks, what drives her and how she became integral in leading the charge for the increased range and availability of female riders gear. With that same quality safety gear reducing the potential outcome of her nasty crash.
Having only learned to ride within the last four years, Amber has accelerated her motorcycle passion through road racing and dirt bikes, finishing second on the ladies podium in road racing for the 2020/21 season, while also chasing the NZ Cross Country series.
With an invested interest in ladies gear and safety, Amber works closely with the distributors of REV’IT!, HJC and SIDI to promote safety on the road, and on the track.
Current Bikes – 2020 Kawasaki ZX6R, 2016 X4R (Race Bike) & 2008 Kawasaki KX125
Dr Chris Hurren
Senior Research Fellow (Fibre Science and Technology), Deakin University, Australia.
(Speaking at all events)
Dr Chris Hurren is both a rider and a scientist. He works in research at Deakin University, Geelong, Australia and specialises in protective motorcycle clothing. Chris and his team developed the test protocol for MotoCAP (Motorcycle Clothing Assessment Program).
Chris will update us on the latest re MotoCAP and what new items have been added, how the system is being received by the public and why Kiwi riders should use MotoCAP compared to the European Standards.
His laboratory undertakes MotoCAP testing on behalf of the ACC and similar groups from Australia. MotoCAP has been running for four years and over this time it has tested over 450 jackets, pants and gloves. All of the results are free online at motocap.com.au
Chris is always looking at new science on what happens to riders and clothing when they hit the road. He believes that motorcycle clothing can be both protective and comfortable to wear. His research is about making safer clothing affordable and available for all riders. His work is aimed to give riders information so they can navigate the marketing spin and get the right gear for them.
Chris rides to work most days and has a mixture of café racer and vintage motorcycles in his stable.
motocap.com.au
deakin.edu.
Kevin Williams
Avid rider and runs Survival Skills Rider Training in the UK.
(Speaking at Nelson, Whanganui, Rotorua, Auckland & Whangarei Talk Series and Kapiti Bike Fests)
Just a few types of crash dominate all powered two-wheeler crash statistics, two of the commonest are collisions at junctions, especially in urban areas and spills on corners. Each new generation of riders seems to discover this the hard way. Kevin takes a no-blame look at the mistakes and makes positive suggestions to help riders recognise what goes wrong, in order to avoid those mistakes if possible, or to correct errors which couldn’t be avoided.
Having gained a science degree at London University, limited job opportunities led to Kevin taking a temporary job as a courier . He ended up riding for a living for 16 years and his interest in rider safety grew with the job – couriers who can’t ride don’t eat. Adding a Masters degree, then trained as a CBT instructor in 1995 and qualified to teach DAS (uk) two years later . He added a BTEC in post-test coaching and has worked in person with thousands of riders at all levels from complete beginner to expert. Kevin writes a long-running column for the Motorcycle Action Group magazine ‘The Road’ and has contributed articles to UK motorcycle magazines RiDE, Two Wheels Only, BIKE and Superbike, as well as the Daily Telegraph.
Combining extensive training experience with a science research background means Kevin is uniquely qualified to evaluate rider safety issues on a sound basis and he has worked with numerous road safety bodies both in the UK and abroad. Working with Buckinghamshire County Council and Somerset Road Safety Partnership on proactive rider safety interventions. In 2011 Kevin’s ‘Science Of Being Seen’ (SOBS) presentation was created for Kent Fire and Rescue Service as a module for the innovative ‘Biker Down’ course . The Kent team was presented with an international road safety award in 2012. SOBS went on to be presented by fire services all over the UK until 2020. Also from 2014 spending six years working on their Ride Skills days at Brands Hatch delivering an interactive session called ‘A Crash Course (in how NOT to crash)’.
Sgt Peter Sowter
Serious Crash Unit & Road Policing, Wellington
(Speaking at Wangarei Talk Series)
Sgt Peter Sowter has spent the last 28 years with the Police Serious Crash Unit, attending and analysing fatal and serious crashes to determine the cause. As a motorcyclist himself he has developed a special interest in examining motorbike crashes to figure out the ways to stop the loss of life.
Peter is currently working at Police Headquarters developing training programs in crash investigation. This year Peter will be part of the Question & Answers Panel responding to your questions posted in teh live chat during the event.
Peter joined the Ministry of Transport (MoT) back in 1988 because they were prepared to pay him to ride a motorcycle for a living. Peter says that worked out well as he rode Yamahas and BMWs up and down the Remutaka Hill, near where he was based in Upper Hutt.
He moved to Taupo in 1992 and stayed on after the Government merged the MoT and Police in July that year.
From 1995 – 2009 he specialised in attending & investigating fatal crashes beginning in the Taupa area and then in Feb 2009 moved to Wellington where he took up the Sergeant’s postion at the Serious Crash Unit.
Ray Heron
Creator, Broadcaster, Rider & Shiny Side Up Presenter
(MC at Kapiti Bike Fest & Whangarei Talk Series)
Ray Heron is a content creator and broadcaster who lives and breaths motorcycling. His mantra is “do something you love, because then it’s not work”
He started riding on the road around 15 years ago on a 1986 Honda VT250F. He soon developed a love of dirt riding, so bought a Honda CRF250R which saw countless laps of Taupo’s Digger Mcewen Motorcross Park, as well as kilometre after kilometre of trails throughout the central plateau. Over the years bikes have come and gone, but the passion remains the same.
When he’s not riding, Ray loves to share knowledge and his motorcycling passion by hosting and producing Kiwi Rider Podcast, writing about his adventures for Kiwi Rider Magazine, and sharing his digital motorcycling content on MotoNZ.com and Onthrottle.co.nz.
Ray keeps his skills sharp by signing up for at least one Ride Forever course each year, and is an associate member of IAM Roadsmart.
He currently rides a 2020 Yamaha Tenere 700 adventure bike, and is commonly found riding around Red Rocks on Wellington’s south coast, or in the Akatarawas improving his off road riding skills, as well as commuting 5 days a week from his home in Upper Hutt into the city.
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