Scottish legend Billy Mackenzie talks about his 11th hour decision to ride the Aberdeen leg of the Arenacross British Championship.
View him live by subscribing to AXTV – www.arenacross-tv1.vhx.tv
Okay um here’s an interview I didn’t expect to happen I didn’t think I’d be sat in the p&j live Arena on Friday talking to this cat Mr Billy McKenzie Billy um how did we end up here how yes how how did it happen because you’re not
Here to spectate no you are racing I was going to spectate that was the original plan I was going to come up on the Saturday with my team and just spectate cuz you know we’re happy to have you guys up here like all the all the mouth
And off of on on the podcast everyone’s listening Scotland’s getting more of a hit these days and we’re here at the PJ live arena in amberine and you know what it’s one of the best Arenas on the calendar for sure so we’re just showing you how it’s done up here and the track
Looks good but yeah I’m riding I’m riding it I actually can’t believe the way the way I thought about it right was I was going to come spectate but I need the laps it’s too cold like thanks for coming to Scotland like we we do know
That you guys have to put up with the weather yeah but you do you always travel down to exactly and you know what I was talking to someone in the pits but you know all you have to do is put up with it slightly wetter slightly colder but the positives are there’s less
Traffic beautiful scenery fresh air and you know what you did you did climb North we are in aberin so that’s quite it’s quite far above Edinburgh and the central belt which is kind of that’s like the it’s just above Hadrian’s Wall but you you seem quite happy to get to
That point but yeah you by the way the Scottish tourist board paying you cuz you’re selling it selling it l listen I am on like I’m the king of Scotland so they work for me King of Scotland Scottish Jesus you know divine intervention has put you here all of it
You know like so so come on how how how did it happen when did you think I’m gonna go and do an arena cross um it was last night he’s not joking no basically so so I knew I had to get Ry in CU you know The Season’s fast approach here I’ve
Just come back from Australia I haven’t rode the bike since like seriously since the last round of the Scottish championship at clay chance so I’ve not had a lot of bike time but I need it because you know The Season’s fast approaching I was like what better way
To get some laps in on my brand new KX450 than the arena cross they custom built an indoor track in Aberdine right on my doorstep and then I got the invite and I’m like you know what all I need is a bike so I called Tommy’s team I’m like
Listen you got a pair of injured Riders right now like I know a guy that might want to like take your bike for a ride I said but the conditions are I canot imagine this I imagine it now I will finish the ax series for you but I’m taking Tommy’s
Bike with me after it and I want it for bottom price but it’s a secondhand used unlucky crashed 450 so that was the deal I should imagine that conversation went down a storm it was fun it was a bit back back and forth I was trying my best
I’m like well you know what like I am5 per cc to turn up anywhere right that’s my that’s that’s your going rate that’s my going rate so when I added it all up and I figured it all out and you know we had a bit haggling like I was prepared
To take Tommy’s broken bike his unlucky horse with me and compete the season on it but you know it didn’t really work out that way and in the end like I didn’t really need it the team at modu they they piped up yeah they helped your
Lad the time and um so we we struck a deal with dries last night which is one of the the big Scottish Distributors right now so you know first of all I just had to get the bike so we went to ddes I met Thomas there we walked in we
Um we got them told Ross word was on the phone I was doing all the phone calls I was like look how much can I get a bike for and when can I get it they’re like there’s one on the showroom at ddes you
Can get it tomorrow so I slept on it and I was talking to everyone in the background like Matt B and everyone I was like really just being like should I go do this I haven’t rode the bike for x amount of month I didn’t even have a
Bike no no no I was I was about to break out the CR 500 oh my God cuz that was the only thing that was like rolling around so anyway like long story short I’m here I’ve got a brand new KX450 2024 model you picked up it’s now Friday you
Picked it up yesterday on the way up y now even after picking up I still wasn’t sure if I was going to raid I was just sending pictures to everyone just be like well I’ve got a bike now uh but I had to go and eat because I don’t like
Decisions on an empty stomach so we all went and had a proper big Curry uh me and my team and we all sat down and once we had fed ourselves we’re like right so what we’re going to do then I was like well I either go home and sleep or and
They’re like no we get get your hotel so stayed at dunde last night got had the new bike and then just drove up here in the morning and I still wasn’t even sure if I was even going to do it but this I do know so it’s so SE the pants stuff
You haven’t packed a bag oh no literally you’ve only clothes that you’re in for the next two days there somebody brings you some clothes up yeah so it was weird cuz in the back of my mind like when I left my place to come and collect a new
Bike I did do a a a repeat visit to my my storage place and grab the forks and my handlebars off of my old bite because I’m like look a brand new standard stock Kawasaki isn’t it could get around there and I could make it go around but I
Would prefer to go through those whoops with a stiff stiffer front end so you know I’d obviously redone it like there was was there was the num skulls in my head telling me take your suspension take your take your bars um so they were in the van and when I did see the
New bike and I did fall in love with it a little bit it’s a really sexy looking kawasaka they’ve produced this year so so he’s he’s running literally at this point no Graphics no numbers on his bike yet he’s got to go and find like a hardware store and buy some weenie bin
Numbers tap for or keep it old school no Hotel you don’t know where you’re staying after the event so you on about that you might crash in here if you can no well you know like that’s that’s a last Stitch effort but my team will look
After me they always do um and they’re excited that I’m riding so they were they were working today CU it’s Friday and you know what that was another thing I was I was doing all my negotiations and I was really like up for it but when
I realized it was Friday Saturday I just in my head I was just ran out of time I was like I’m not going to be able to do this like I needed that extra day um but you know once I just called my team at modu they’re like if you need a bike
We’ll get you a bike I’m like I was trying to get one for a deal and a price and I was trying to like slot in some within the industry like no no no we’ll just get you the bike like let’s just go because you need the laps I’m like
That’s all I need I just need that motivation from the team and they’re all finishing work early tonight so they can get up here and watch me such a great story it is fun isn’t it listen you know you’re still a race you want to win um
Age has nothing to do with it by admission you’re now the wrong side of 40 really um if to be a competitive motoc cost R to a degree yeah but you’ve you just love being out there the thing about the thing about the practices is um it’s quite it’s it’s quite a nice
Feeling to be in amongst it with the other Riders knowing that I have the experience to go through the whoops because you know I see them struggling out there they they’ve not they’ve not hit those whoops as many times as I have cuz you know I did my my season in
Australia and I’ve did a lot I’ve done I’ve done Supercross so it’s it’s it’s a nice feeling to be this age still able to do it on a brand new bike with a good Fork setting and just go raid my bike let’s let’s talk about you’ve been out you’ve done
Basically ran the bike in simultaneously while was trying to put quick laps in you’re a time over two it’s pretty pretty tidy well look after after the first one because I basically just went and got around because it’s the brand new bike it’s still got the standard
Shock on which is soft like there’s no doubt about so I need to tweak it a little bit but I got around the first session and I I wasn’t aware that it was timed I I was aware that it was timed but I didn’t know that it yeah yeah so I
Was a bit slow in the first one got round felt comfortable felt balanced and the second one I had a little bit more of a goal and my lap time was a lot better and I really thought I was oh cool I’m going to have a good qualifying
Position but apparently it’s an average of both so doesn’t matter like I’m having fun out there and that’s the main thing like the bike feels comfortable I’ve got all my fresh kit on thanks FTA got some new sponsors on this year um you know what team the team got me a bik
Yesterday we’ done a little deal with dri Dale so they’re they’re on it now and I’m here and I’m here and I’m riding around there so I’m so looking forward to this probably more than you when when we get you out there tonight obviously you know cuz you will be quality to talk
To in front of all the Scottish fans yeah that’s that’s that’s another reason I’m doing it like I’m promoting Scotland as much as I can this year you know because um being done it AC all across the world I’m just so happy to be home doing it in my back Garden especially
When there’s events like this happening like consistently now so you know it’s it’s great to give back to all my sponsors everyone that’s helped me plus all the kids you know looking up to me and looking up to John Adamson and the other Scottish Riders we we have to go
Out there and perform and you know what it’s a fun event and um the tracks safe and and it’s fun it’s just a really fun track so there’s a couple of sections out there I was just going to bring that are we going to see the triple triple later on cuz you were
Eying that up man i’ do it in my I do it in my sleep but you know like just taking in every you know I haven’t Rod the bike for a long time I it do need to sort of warm up and I do need to do it a
Bit more consistently but today’s the day like I got my new bike yesterday at half 4 I had dinner at I think half 6 and then it was about 7 8:00 I was like okay I’m going to sleep here tonight I’ll I’ll drive up there in the morning
It’s a cool story well look yeah thanks man um you need to go get some food cuz you haven’t eaten um he’s here he’s in the house Billy Mack uh happy to be here as well it’s really Scotland Scottish Jesus whatever whatever one of his many nicknames many nicknames yeah um he’s in
The house and hopefully he’s going to rock it yeah well look I I felt comfortable there so a couple of good starts and just try and find a bit of space on the track and I I’ll bring it home I’ll get R go on mate there you go Billy McKenzie cheers