Image: Foremost Media.

WBR Bulk Nutrients Yamaha will retain the unchanged line-up of Maximus Purvis and Alex Larwood for the 2021 Pro MX championship, with Purvis stepping up to MX1 and Larwood MX2.

Current New Zealand MX2 champion Purvis will defend his title at home with JCR Yamaha prior to stepping up to the YZ450F in Australia.

“2021 needs to be a huge year for me and one that establishes me in Australian motocross,” Purvis said. “The move to the 450 class is one that excites me as I have been riding one in New Zealand for the last eight months and I feel really comfortable on the bike and suits the way I ride.

“Being back with WBR Yamaha is also great. We have a great working relationship that has grown over the past few years and they are a good group of guys to go racing with. The dealership is also close to where I base myself while in Australia, so they are always available if I need anything.”

Larwood was supposed to debut in MXD this year until motocross was cancelled, instead now stepping directly into the professional ranks after the MX3 class took the MXD category’s place. He’s recovered from a broken leg earlier this year.

“It’s great to be back with WBR Yamaha again and racing the MX2 class on the YZ250F,” Larwood said. “I had put in a lot of work at the start of 2020 and was feeling great on the bike, but my leg injury kept me sidelined for a while and that has only made the motivation stronger.

“I’m looking forward to racing the MX2 class and going against the best guys in Australia. It will be a big step, but I have been training with a lot of riders already in that class and feel comfortable riding with them. The leg is nearly 100 percent and I have a full program ready to go in the off season to ensure I hit round one in great shape.”

WBR Yamaha is a motorcycle dealer in the Victorian border town of Echuca. Ran by the Whitten family, the racing arm of the business has become a great promotional tool for WBR Yamaha and one that owner, Travis Whitten, is passionate about.

“Our whole family is into racing and as the business has grown, so has both our and Yamaha’s investment in racing with us,” he explained. “In 2021 we will be fielding two riders in the major classes and I’m confident in both the talent and determination of Maximus and Alex to succeed.

“The knowledge that we learn from racing can be feed directly back to our customers and we can provide them with real-world information that can make the most of their purchase. 2021 is a step-up up for our race team and one that we are looking forward to.”