Features 19 Jan 2016

Unplugged: Kane Burns

Off-track with the Australian Supersport front-runner.

Image: Russell Colvin.

Image: Russell Colvin.

My Way

Greatest moment of your career?

It would have to be winning the Australian Under 19s dirt track championship and became the youngest rider to do it in 2012.

Toughest race ever?

That’s a good one. It would have to be against Callum Spriggs and Chris Quinn at the Queensland Road Race Championships in 2014. It was a 12-lap race and by the end of it we were all covered by 0.3 of a second at Morgan Park, which is nothing. It was just so close!

Long-term goal?

It’s getting closer… I want to win a World Supersport Championship!

Favourite track?

Morgan Park, purely because I have the lap record there from August last year.

Arch-rival?

Everyone who I race against. I don’t really have an arch-rival as such. Whoever I’m racing against is an arch-rival really. I don’t like getting beaten!

If you weren’t a racer, you would be?

A builder. I’m a qualified carpenter, so I would keep going on with that and try and make a living.

Greatest inspiration?

Greatest inspiration for me would have to be Casey Stoner. He was a dirt tracker and he was the pioneer of drifting road bikes really. Everyone loves his slides!

Superstitions?

Not really. Whatever happens, happens really.

Training methods?

I train pretty much every day of the week. I cycle, run, go to the gym. I also live on the beach, so I try and do most of my stuff around the beach. I pretty much started training when Brayden Elliott flogged me in Queensland last year.

Off the Wall

Non bike-related hobbies?

I’m a commercial fisherman and builder, so I do that. As I said, I live around the beach, so I enjoy doing a bit of surfing and live the beach lifestyle.

What car do you drive?

Currently driving a Holden Colorado.

What’s on the iPod?

Modern rock! Can’t get enough of it.

Best thing about racing in Australia?

I have a close group of people who I work with at the track that I enjoy. I have my father Trevor, Dave Fuller and Tony Hatton. Tony is a big one for me. Ryan Taylor also helps out as well and makes things a bit more of a giggle out on track.

Who will win WorldSBK this year?

Jonathan Rea. I’ll play it safe.

And MotoGP?
Dani Pedrosa. I’ll step out of line there. Half the world hate Marc Marquez, half the world hate Jorge Lorenzo and the other half hate Valentino Rossi, so Pedrosa is just going to go!

Tell us something we don’t know about you?

I’m basically just a quiet coastal kid. I’m not always as crazy and aggressive as I am on the bike.

First and Last

First bike?

I got a PW80 when I was six years old from good old Santa!

First proper injury?

I fractured my ankle at Mac Park in South Australia. It was my first road race in 2011 at the Easter Cup. I had a highside and it just ended up in s**t creek!

First time you got in a fight?

I’m a clam person, I don’t fight. I wait till I get on the track to fight [laughs].

Last holiday?

My last holiday was today because I didn’t have to go to work.

Last big crash you had?

It would have to be 2014 at Phillip Island, while leading race one in the Australian Supersport Championship. I crashed out at Lukey Heights in the rain!

One or the Other

Faster circuits or more technical circuits?

Fast! As a kid I started racing motocross, then I went to dirt track because it was faster then moved onto long track because it was faster before making the switch to road racing because it was faster. I simply love the speed! There is nothing better than going fast.

Monster or Red Bull?

Red Bull.

PC or Mac?

PC. Macs are too complicated. It’s best to keep things simple.

McDonalds or KFC?

McDonalds. It looks healthier when you get it, I don’t know if it is, but it does have less oil.

MotoGP or WorldSBK?

World Supers. There are better crashes… I just like the look of the heavier bikes and they are street related bikes which I like that side of it.

Print or digital magazines?

I would like to say print, but I read them all digital now days, so will have to say digital.

Blonde or brunette?

This is tough and this will get me into trouble – we’ll go brunette. They just look hotter.

Recent