Stemming from a racers passion to forming his own race shop, Hayden Franklin, known as ‘Franko’, is intent on getting the optimum performance out of every motorcycle that rolls through his doors.
Get to know Franko below, and why he chooses REP products.
Tell us a bit about yourself, Franko.
My name is Hayden Franklin, and my shop is Franko’s Race Shop, which is something that has developed over time from a part-time gig in 2018 to transitioning to full-time in 2022. It all started out as something that I loved doing, then I had the opportunity to go out on my own which I took, and the rest is history.
That mechanical side of things sounds like it started of pure passion, where did that begin?
I started racing bikes around 13, and then at 15, I started a mechanical apprenticeship, which was an industry that would basically be me for the next 10 years. I worked in a performance car shop, but racing bikes was where my true motorsport passion came from.
In 2018 I spent a good amount of time travelling Australia, wrenching for a friend who was racing flat track, and through that, it really snowballed. We both Headed to the US in 2019 travelling and racing The American Flat Track Circuit, being on a low budget we did everything ourselves - from engine work, suspension stuff and so on, before getting hooked up with a company called Solid Performance.
They’re huge in the Flat Track scene and do a lot with WP, and after chatting to them, they really took us under their wing and I did a lot of stuff under Evan’s guidance and information, which gave me the itch to do more. Heading back to Australia, I had the passion to start my own thing - I was doing builds for Jack (Miller), but it would take another couple of years of doing it on the side and learning other disciplines to then transition it to a full-time thing.
Sounds like a pretty unique pathway, mate. Talking suspension, it’s usually everyone’s ‘go-to’ after purchasing a motorcycle. Why are suspension mods important?
I think the biggest thing with suspension is that a bike comes from a manufacturer, and it’s built for anyone and everyone. Anyone can buy it; any size, skill level, discipline, and weight, so when they manufacture it, they need to allow for a 60kg person to buy a 450, as well as a 110kg person to buy a 450, which means that the setting is very broad. Especially when considering the gaps in skill levels and so on.
The key for suspension setup is setting the motorcycle up for you specifically - what it is that you plan on doing with the bike, whether thats motocross, enduro, supermoto, or flat-track - all require unique setups. The bike becomes more of a tailored fit for you instead of what rolls out of the showroom floor.
No doubt, and it’s true in saying that this is important for every single rider who purchases a bike to get the most out of their riding experience, right?
100%. The biggest thing I think about is that a motorcycle - regardless of size, is a piece of machinery, and once it’s set up for you, it does what you would like it to do rather than you just being along for the ride. With that in mind, it immediately becomes safer.
The more safe a bike is, the more predictable it is underneath you, and the easier it is to ride, therefore it makes things much more enjoyable, but also much safer. With predictability and a more comfortable feel is actually how you go faster, because you feel more confident to do so on your bike.
It’s less about, ‘the suspension is heaps better and I can go a lot faster’, and more that ‘the suspension is better, I’m more comfortable and have a better feel - I feel safer’, and that’s what allows you to go faster. And then, everyone who rides a motorcycle wants to go faster, so it all works pretty well together.
That’s a great way of putting it - a comfy rider is a fast rider! Lastly, there are plenty of suspension components out on the market, why would you recommend REP Suspension products?
For me, my goal is to get the most out of each bike that rolls into my shop, and what stood out to me with the REP stuff is one the quality, but two, the products truly make a massive difference, and that’s what excites me. There are a lot of products out there that cost a lot of money, and you don't get a lot of value out of them honestly speaking.
I had always paid attention to what REP were doing, and the quality looks incredible, plus they have a solid stable of riders who are out there testing their product. Then, the first time we used a couple of parts from those guys ourselves, we saw a huge improvement in the bike's performance - and more specifically, in areas where the bikes were lacking. A lot of the time, certain parts will give you a benefit and might solve a problem, however they then introduce a new problem to solve. What I found with the REP stuff, there were a lot of positives, and very minimal negatives, which is really rare to find.
So for someone in my position, the boxes that you’re wanting to tick, REP ticks those boxes straight away. They’re not in the business of building something and releasing it just to make money - they spend the time developing a product to the point where it’s the best it can be before releasing it, and the products speak volumes towards that ethos.
And who does the product work best for?
Everything that we’ve used has been a huge step forward for pretty much every bike we’ve worked on. I’ve bolted the parts on rider's bikes that range in skill level, and each one notices a huge difference straight away in the performance of the bike.
I’ve spent a lot of time working with the new KTM - the ‘23 - ‘24 KTM Linkage and Knuckle. This bike in particular has some characteristics that make it difficult to set up, and even when they are set up, you make some steps in the right direction but introduce another problem. This linkage, from the guys who have used it, they’ve reported that it’s changed the whole bike. The part has solved all the issues in the rear end that the bike has, and that really helps the front behave much better as well. Settling the rear, the bike is known for getting low in the back and then wanting to step out side to side and loses that forward drive - especially through chop - which makes it unpredictable and nervous.
Again, what’s really cool about this product especially is that it suits everyone - it’s really a game changer. Usually, if you’re working with professionals, they’re able to report a difference as they test all the time, but when the average rider reports a massive step up, that’s when you know that a product works really well.
Great to hear, mate! Sounds like a massive help and exciting heading into the future.
For sure. The team at REP have the right values, and you can see that in their products and the performance along with it. We’ll start working with a bit of the Showa stuff too which suits the Honda’s and Kawasaki’s, so we’re excited to see what sort of performance upgrades come along with that too, as those bikes have their unique chassis to work with too.
Awesome. Appreciate the chat, Franko, and keen to see what the future holds.
Thank you.