This is my first column with MotoOnline and I’m pretty stoked to be doing it, keeping you guys up to date with my progress every month at Monster Energy Kawasaki.

I haven’t really stopped since November last year, when I signed the deal, but it’s been good even if it has been a little bit hectic. I started with a new trainer at the end of last year and I feel that’s helped me heaps with my riding – he’s made me a little bit stronger and a little bit fitter.

With the KX250F, I jumped straight on it and felt comfortable from the beginning, making minor adjustments, getting it 100 percent right in time for the first round and so far, so good.

Everything that we’ve been doing in testing has taken us big steps forward and I’m really happy with the team. Troy Carroll and the mechanics work their butts off, so it’s really good to be involved with a good bunch of guys who are keen to help me get to where I need to be.

Around the NSW and QLD area the weather hasn’t been the greatest, but I’ve been dealing with it. I went back home for a few weeks over Christmas and then went back to Queensland.

We got pretty wet up there, so I went back home, and then rode around home. It was surprising because in Melbourne we were sort of begging for rain, things were really dry, so it was making it hard to get quality riding in.

After that I decided to work my way up to NSW, do some riding around the Sydney and Wollongong regions. I’ve been riding with my teammate Jay Marmont, which has been good because he’s sort of been helping me with my riding. It’s just good to practice with someone who’s obviously going really, really fast, so it helps me out every time I go out practicing.

It’s also good to go ride a bunch of different tracks, but it feels like all I’ve been doing is driving lately. I think it’s worth it because it helps me every time I go somewhere new, it keeps it really exciting and I’ve been enjoying the riding.

I’m up in Queensland at the moment, we’ve just finished a week of photo shoots and a little bit of testing as well. All the new gear, plus the new bikes, is all pretty trick. I keep looking at the bikes and I love it, but they don’t only look trick, they’re unreal to ride.

I’ve also signed a new goggle sponsor, Arnette, and I’m really excited to sign with them. It’s all coming along nicely and I’m stoked with how it’s all falling into place, that’s for sure. I’ll check back after round one of the outdoors next month!