Mike Parliament from MB1 Suspension Canada has been around Canadian motocross for quite some time. From his early days as a rider to now taking care of the suspension needs for a lot of Canada’s pro and amateur riders, Mike has made the sport of motocross his life. This week Mike and his MB1 Suspension truck will be front and center at the 2015 Parts Canada TransCan providing advice and technical support for his riders, as well as anyone who needs it. We caught up with Mike as he was preparing his rig for the weeklong event at Walton Raceway.
MXP: Hey Mike, how has your summer been so far?
MP: Hey Chris. This summer has been great for me… going by too fast though, I can’t believe it’s already the Walton Trans Can next week. That’s always a sign for me that summer is winding down.
MXP: We know summer is obviously a busy time for racing, this must be your busy time as well.
MP: Yes it is. With this being my second full year with MB1 Suspension more and more people are seeing the name out there and hearing good things about the product, so I’m getting sets of suspension in from all over Canada. I’m also at a track every weekend for trackside support, and I even try to squeeze in a couple motos of my own. (laughs)
MXP: Who is your customer base? Do you service little bikes as well as the big bikes?
MP: I do work on little bikes and big bikes for riders of all riding abilities. Everybody deserves a comfortable, safe ride. Obviously we do more big bikes, but this year there are a lot of kids who want to go fast and want good suspension.
MXP: Do you ever watch a bike on the track and say to yourself, “Man, I wish I could do that riders suspension.”
MP: All the time. It’s actually painful for me to watch sometimes. That’s why I offer free bike set up at the track. I want riders to see what an improvement and difference that is made just by setting their sag and clickers properly.
Whether it’s at his shop or at the track, Mike is always spending hours working away to make sure everybody’s suspension is just right.
MXP: Do you ever approach riders or do they usually come up to you about working on their suspension?
MP: Riders usually approach me about working on their suspension. In certain circumstances I will approach them, though, and start building some trust, and then we start to work together. Once they see that the stuff works we’re usually all good.
MXP: One of the really cool things about you is that once you do someone’s suspension, it doesn’t stop there. You’re at the track almost every weekend taking care of your riders.
MP: Yes! I like to be there to make sure their bikes are set up right for them and do any tweaking that may be needed to suit their comfort and riding style. As a racer I know how drastically track conditions change throughout the race day and what adjustments may be needed to compensate for that. I believe being available on race day is important, whether it be in person or even a phone call or text. I can tell the rider what adjustments to make themselves over the phone.
MXP: And you’ll be at Walton next week, correct?
MP: For sure! We’ll be there Monday right through until Sunday. We will be there doing full suspension services including oil changes, rebuilds, and re-valves for all racers. We encourage riders to come by and take advantage of the free bike set ups we offer.
MXP: That’s great Mike. Is today’s suspension a lot more complicated than say 10 or 15 years ago?
MP: Very much so! A lot of today’s bike have air forks, single function forks, or single function air forks. At times it’s difficult to keep up with the ever changing technology in the bikes, compounded with different frame designs, swing arm lengths and linkage ratios, which adds to getting a bike to work properly. Mike Battista, the owner and founder of MB1 Suspension from California, has all of the experience, background, and knowledge to perform all the necessary testing needed to ensure riders are getting the right settings, and to keep up with the ever changing bike technology.
MXP: So who exactly is Mike Battista and do you work closely with him?
MP: Yes, we are in contact almost on a daily basis. MB1 Suspension in Corona California was established by Mike in 2004. He has years of suspension experience with being a factory Showa technician and factory Honda technician, and has multiple national championships to his credit including Ricky Carmichael’s perfect seasons. He does all the dyno work and trackside testing. All the information he gathers from testing goes into all the settings I use for our Canadian riders.
MXP: How did it all start for you? You used to race every weekend; how did you get into working on suspension?
MP: I still try to race… or at least participate (laughs) Back in the day when I raced there wasn’t a lot of trackside support available for amateur riders, especially where suspension was concerned. I just started working on my own stuff, and maybe a few friends stuff, and found that I liked it. I tried to learn as much as I could and I’ve had the opportunity to work with certain people that helped with the understanding of the fundamentals. It’s pretty much just gone from there.
MXP: You love doing this don’t you?
MP: I absolutely do! I find it very rewarding when riders and their parents tell me that what I have done has made a positive impact on their riding and racing. It makes all the long hours worth it. If you don’t love what you do, why do it? Right?
MXP: Final question Mike and then I‘ll let you finish packing up for Walton. Even if you haven’t worked on a certain rider’s suspension, can they still come and see you at Walton and get some advice?
MP: Yes, they can for sure! We are set up to help everyone racing the Trans Can. We offer free bike setups, or even just advice or answer any questions that racers may have. We encourage everyone to stop by the truck and check out MB1 or just to say hi.
MXP: After Walton, how would people contact you?
MP: We are located at 72 Colonel Talbot Rd., RR#6 in Tillsonburg, Ont, N4G 4G9
Our shop number is (226)270-2785 or email me at mb1suspensioncanada@gmail.com
MXP: Thanks Mike. Have fun this week and we’ll see you at Walton.
MP: For sure, thanks for calling Chris.