New Zealand’s Motocross World Championship veteran Josh Coppins has revealed in a blog on his website that he’ll ride an Aprilia MXV450 in the 2010 title chase, abandoning plans to return home from Europe at the end of this year.

The 32-year-old has made the dramatic switch from Yamaha to Italian manufacturer Aprilia, already testing the only twin-cylinder motocross bike on the start gates.

“Many people speculated that I was going to Aprilia for 2010 and it was true but it took a long time to sort out,” explained Coppins. “At first I was thinking to head home and race in Australia. Why? because I liked the idea of heading home and trying something new, but then Aprilia came along with an interesting proposal and after a lot of meetings and talks we finally made it all official last week.”

Coppins has rated the bike as having a lot of potential after early testing, looking forward to completing more laps and yet another season in the MX1 Motocross World Championship next season.

“My decision has certainly raised eyebrows and I will admit I wasn’t sure at first. That was until I tested the bike and visited the factory in Noale, Italy,” he continued. “After testing the bike and seeing the Aprilia racing structure first hand I was convinced that not only is the bike good but there also so much potential in the project and still a lot to come.

“My goal is to be the first rider to win a GP on a V- twin. I’ve had one test and have another scheduled next week. There is not a lot of work to do. The bike handles well and honestly it is the fastest dirt bike I’ve ever ridden.”

The 2010 world championship will commence at Sevlievo in Bulgaria on 4 April.