By Shannon Warner, Deputy Editor, Dirt Action Magazine, Australia

It's the dream of every dirt bike rider to join the ranks of the 250cc factory race teams in America. Australia's Jeff Leisk did it a decade ago, and countryman Chad Reed made it this year. Now another Aussie, Michael Byrne, is stepping up to the big time, joining teenage American sensation James "Bubba" Stewart in the Team Kawasaki big rig in 2004. It's the opportunity of a lifetime for the dedicated Queenslander racer - and we just know he's going to grasp it with both hands. Go Burner!

 Dirt Action: Okay Burner, we've heard you have some pretty major news to announce in regards to your plans in 2004, so how about you spill the beans?
Michael Byrne: I've just signed to race for the factory Kawasaki team on a 250 for the next two years, and I have a three-year deal with Parts Unlimited and THOR.

How does it feel to finally be stepping up to a factory 250 ride?
It's going to be awesome. I can't wait. This is what I've always wanted to do, and to get the opportunity to do it proves that all my hard work is starting to pay off.

How long ago did you start talking about potential deals for 2004 and beyond?
I'd actually spoken to Honda and Kawasaki before the '03 supercross season had even finished. I'd signed a letter of intent with Kawasaki at Salt Lake City. It was hard not to let anybody know, but somehow there were rumors flying around that I was riding for Kawasaki before I even spoke with them. That kind of took away the whole surprise factor because people were running up rumors anyway.

How difficult was it to focus on your racing, with all the deals and rumors going on in the background?
That was tough, but that also gave me motivation. People on the Factory Connection team knew I was leaving, and I wanted to prove to them that just because I'd signed a 250 deal with Kawasaki that I wasn't going to slacken off. I was still determined to put in 110 percent for those guys every weekend. I proved that to them and got them a top-five overall in the MX Nationals.

How difficult was the decision to move on from Honda after such a long association with the company, both in Australia and America?
It was a difficult decision. I've always had a good relationship with Honda, and I really like the bikes, so it wasn't like I left because I didn't want to ride there anymore. I left because I really didn't have any other option. Honda didn't want to give me the chance to ride 250s full-time, and Kawasaki did. Honda wanted me to do what I did this year and start the supercross season on a 250 and then switch back to the 125 for supercross and the Nationals.

Why was it so important for you to step up to the 250 class full-time?
I'm 25 next year, and I want to work on winning a 250 title. The 125 was fun, and it was pretty important to me. I would've liked to have won a 125 supercross title, but unfortunately I was injured during both seasons. I figure it's time to cut my losses and realize it wasn't meant to be on the 125. I proved I was fast enough to win a 125 supercross title, but it just never happened. If a 125 title is something that I really, really want, then at the end of my career I'll try it again. It's not like I can't go back to it. I'm really happy to be racing 250s next year, because I think that’s where I do my best, and I'm confident I can get the results I did earlier this year.

When will your first opportunity be to ride the new Kawasakis?
When I get back from my trip home to Australia [in late September] I'll be getting straight into testing on the '04 models, and that will actually be the first time I'll get to ride the new bikes.

Honda already has the runs on the board in supercross and motocross, proving they have some of the best bikes out there. Do you expect the Kawasaki machinery to be competitive from the first drop of the gate?
I personally think all of the brands are competitive and that you can definitely win on any bike. You just need to look at James Stewart. He's on a Kawasaki, and he might not even have the fastest bike, so a lot of it still comes down to the guy who's riding it. Lusk won at the Phoenix Supercross and proved the KX250 is capable of winning races. All of the bikes are good these days, so it comes down to testing and being comfortable on the bike you're riding. I've ridden Kawasakis at different times throughout my career, so I'm sure I'll be comfortable. I'm certainly not worried about the bike being competitive. I'm more excited than anything else, because I'll have so many more options being on a factory team. When I rode the 250 class at the start of this year's supercross season, apart from suspension and a pipe, I pretty much rode a stock CR250. I had a lot of engine stuff done, but it was all done by Pro Circuit, so there wasn't anything done that any privateer rider couldn’t go out and pay for.

What kind of extra options do you have at Factory Kawasaki?
They can make whatever I want. They can build up engines just the way I like them, and I can have a choice of ten different triple clamp offsets and ten different suspension linkage setups. There's all kinds of crazy stuff that you'd never even think you'd need.

Have your teammates for 2004 been confirmed yet?
Honestly, I don't really know who'll be on the team next year. Stewart is supposed to be on the team, but I'm not sure what's going on there. I've heard some rumors that he might be looking at some other deals. From what I know, it's going to be James and myself on 250s and there'll also be a young guy riding the new four-stroke for testing and development. Kawasaki will have a top guy riding the KX250F on the Pro Circuit team.

Are you looking forward to riding with Bubba Stewart?
I'm really looking forward to riding with him. He's the fastest guy, so to be able to ride with him will be awesome. I think I can learn a lot from him.

When you say that James is the fastest guy, are you saying that you think he's faster than Ricky Carmichael?
I think he's faster than Ricky was when Ricky was racing 125s. It's hard to say, because James has never raced a 250 before. To say he's the fastest probably isn't right, but to say he's going to be one of the top guys on a 250 is more correct.

Have you had a chance to get to know Bubba on a personal level?
A little bit. He seems like a pretty good guy. He's just a young kid who's always excited.

When is your first race on a Kawasaki?
If everything goes well, the first race will be at the U.S. Open of SX in Las Vegas. It just depends on how everything goes during testing and whether or not I feel comfortable and if I'm up to speed. Otherwise we'll just wait until Anaheim.

Along with all the equipment advantages associated with being a factory rider, I assume you'll also be benefiting from a healthy pay rise.
Yeah, that's for sure. The money is awesome. While the money is great, there's even more satisfaction for me in just being on a factory team. The money is good and it makes life a lot easier, but I'm just glad to finally get a ride. It feels good to have people look at me and actually see potential and want me to ride for them. I can't go any higher from here. But with a factory ride comes a lot of responsibility and a lot more pressure. I now have to work even harder and show them that they didn't make a mistake and that I can run up there with Chad and Ricky and those guys.

What are your goals for next year?
My first year I definitely think I can be where I was this year in terms of 250 supercross results. I think I can be a consistent top-five guy, if not going for the podium each weekend at supercross events. I think top-five is a realistic goal, and if everything goes to plan I think I can even be battling for the win. That's what I want. I want to make a statement and prove that I'm worthy of this ride and that I can run up there with Chad.

What about goals for the outdoors?
Personally, I believe I can be a top-five guy in both. Before I left Australia I was always a good motocross rider, and I think I still am. The only thing that's held me back in America is the fact I've been hurt at the start of the series. Hopefully I can go into the '04 Outdoors fit and healthy. It's a long series and anything can happen. People can win one moto and finish tenth in the next because they crash. That's not hard to do, so I plan to be consistent. All I'm going to do is, whenever I'm on the bike, give it 110 percent, ride as fast as I can and then go home. That's all I can do. I guess we'll find out soon enough if I'm fast enough or fit enough.

Will we see you on a Kawasaki 450cc thumper next year?
I've heard through the grapevine that Kawasaki has one, but I don't think it's really ready yet. Nobody brings anything out until they think it's ready to win and the four-stroke thing is pretty important over here, so they don't want them out on the track unless they're going to be competitive.

Are you looking forward to the time when Kawasaki has a competitive open class four-stroke for you to race?
Definitely. I love riding four-strokes and I always have. When the opportunity comes up for me to race a four-stroke I'd certainly like to go that route. Everything's going to go that way eventually.

Any final words you'd like to add?
I just want to thank all my sponsors from this year and to everyone who gave me the chance to do what I'm doing now and to put me in the position I'm in. I couldn't have done it without them.