Motul Pirelli Suzuki has signed Cody Cooper and Matt Moss for 2013. Image: Simon Makker/Makkreative.com.

Team Motul Pirelli Suzuki has officially announced its 2013 rider line-up of Matt Moss and Cody Cooper for this year’s Monster Energy MX Nationals, Australian Motocross Championship.

As we reported last week (click here for more), Moss will be reunited with Suzuki for a full season this year, stepping up to the premier MX1 category alongside Cooper on the RM-Z450.

At 24, Moss already has five national Lites titles to his name – three of those coming with Suzuki in 2008 and 2009.

After spending much of last season in the United States, Moss returned home to join Motul Pirelli Suzuki for supercross, however injury at the opening round sidelined him for the series remainder.

Now recovered and in training for the upcoming outdoor season, he’s hopeful that this year will mark a great opportunity to win further titles with Suzuki.

“I’m excited to be back with Suzuki and I really want to focus on a successful season ahead,” Moss explained. “I feel like I will be ready for the opening round and I am looking forward to the challenges ahead in the MX1 class.

“The RM-Z450 has unbelievable power and it ultimately feels really good – so smooth and consistent.”

Cooper, fresh from winning last weekend’s opening round of the New Zealand Motocross Championship, will return for his fourth consecutive season with Suzuki’s factory race team in Australia aboard the all new 2013 model RM-Z450.

After finishing third in last year’s MX Nationals series, the likeable 29-year-old Kiwi is confident that he can progress into a championship contender when it commences at Raymond Terrace, New South Wales, in April.

“I’m really happy to be back with Motul Pirelli Suzuki and riding the RM-Z450,” Cooper commented. “I’ve been with Jay Foreman and the team since I returned from the US in 2010, so it’s definitely good to enter the season with familiar surroundings and I hope to really challenge for the MX1 title in 2013.”

Team manager Jay Foreman is excited at the prospect of having Cooper and Moss on board for the MX Nationals, the Motul Pirelli Suzuki team opting to focus on the MX1 category with Suzuki’s revised 2013 model RM-Z450 this year.

“It’s shaping up to be a great team effort this season,” Foreman said. “We were able to finish second and third in the series last year, so this year it will be a great challenge to go one better with Cody and Matt.

“Cody is in great shape, he’s really determined and has been really impressive during the pre-season. Matt is Matt – you always know he will have the speed to be in there battling for the championship. We’re excited to have him back, he has had surgery during the off-season and has had his bike for a couple of weeks now.

“The 2013 RM-Z450 is a real improvement, making it very straightforward for us to develop as we’re starting with such a good package in production trim.”

Suzuki Australia’s General Manager, Motorcycles Perry Morison welcomed the combination of Cooper and Moss to the Motul Pirelli Suzuki team for the new year, continuing the brand’s relationship with Foreman for the 18th season since it was first established in 1996.

Morison is also pleased to continue Suzuki’s relationship with Link International, confirming Motul and Pirelli as the team’s title sponsors.

“This year will be an exciting one for Motul Pirelli Suzuki and we look forward to having both Cody and Matt on board the RM-Z450,” Morison stated. “Jay Foreman does a tremendous job running our factory race program and it is great to welcome Motul and Pirelli, along with all of our team partners, for season 2013.”

The opening round of the MX Nationals, Australian Motocross Championship, will take place at Raymond Terrace in New South Wales on Sunday, 14 April 2013.