Speedway: Zane Keleher

Zane Keleher is a professional speedway racer, originaly from Austrialia, who is currently racing for the speedway championship team 'Poole Pirates'. We caught up with Zane to discuss his love of motorbikes and life on the speedway circuit.

How long have you been riding motorbikes and what was your first bike? Do you still have it?

I’ve been riding for over 20 years now! My first bike was a KX60 motocross bike which I learnt to ride on but my parents sold that bike when I stepped up to a new bike when I started racing motocross. 

Do you have a road bike now? If so, what is it?

Back in Australia I have a KTM 400 EXC which is setup with motards. I enjoy getting out and riding the mountain ranges when I get a chance. 

What is your earliest memory of riding a Motorbike?

I remember my dad taking me for rides on his CR125 in the mid 90’s and me hanging onto the handlebars for dear life when he was doing wheelies but I loved it and obviously got hooked from there! 

When did speedway come into your life? How did that lead you to moving over to the U.K?

Speedway was always big in my hometown of Rockhampton, AUS when I was young but I didn’t have the opportunity to try it until 2015 when it made a big comeback. I was racing motocross at National level at the time and I actually went ok on the speedway bike so I made a massive decision to switch full time to speedway. It was like starting over again though. Speedway bikes are nothing like any other motorcycle and it was a steep learning curve and a lot of hard work. 

The move to the UK came about after I realised if I worked hard, I could make a career out of racing speedway. So I’ve spent the last 5 years working hard to get over here to the UK to race professionally.

When you are not training for speedway, is there a favourite place that you like to ride?

Definitely a National park area by the coast back home in Australia. It’s a mix of forestry and sand dunes by the beach. I like to get out with my mates and go exploring on our dirt bikes. 

How did you come to find MPW?

When I came back to the UK this year I needed to resupply the workshop with engine oil for the race bikes with Motorex Power Synt 10w60 which was difficult to source. I found MPW from searching the product online and they offered the best price, free shipping and next day delivery. 

How involved are you in the mechanics of your speedway bike? 

Very much involved. Professional Speedway racing is quite different to other motorsports because the rider is responsible for almost everything. We build the bikes to our own specs and use the parts we prefer when building a speedway bike. I run quite a few unique parts which I have had specially made which aren’t available off the shelf. 

What bike are you currently racing?

The bikes are all hand built to each riders specifications but mine are built from kit GM Engines from Italy and then the engines are hand built in Poland. I use Stuha frames from the Czech Republic. The rest of the parts are individually sourced from around the world. 

What is it like to be a speedway racer and what does it mean to you?

It’s honestly the best job in the world to be a professional racer. Although it’s a lot of hard work and a very busy schedule racing speedway and organising the entire off track side of racing as well, it is rewarding to see your hard work pay off. Travelling around the world to race a motorcycle and winning trophies is what you dream about as a kid!

What Speedway Team do you ride for and what races/events do you have in the future for people to get involved with?

I race for the Poole Pirates in the UK and we compete in home and away fixtures across the UK multiple times per week, everywhere from Plymouth to Glasgow. Fans can follow my racing through my social media to keep up to date with where and when I’m racing, or check out my website to learn more about me! www.ZANEKELEHER-Z22.com