Corey Forde and Hugh Robinson's partnership aims to reap rewards at Phillip Island

Forde will not only be taking around his CBR1000 Honda in Australia's top-tier motorbike series but he'll also be a part of the International Island Classic event on a Trident XR69 Suzuki replica of Graeme Crosby Factory bike.

The eye-catching piece of machinery is owned by Bathurst's Hugh Robinson, who has put in countless hours re-engineering the engine.

Robinson and Forde's partnership has produced exceptional results in a short space of time.

"In the development of products I needed someone to test them in engines on the track. Corey came to me looking to get an engine rework done and I said to him 'Corey, it's your lucky day. I need someone test this'," Robinson said.

"That engine is actually in a different bike of his, and we'll be running that bike in Mount Gambier at the start of April for the Australian titles. He actually won the Australian titles at Symmonds Plains before COVID hit.

"We a team to try and help him on the track and he's been very successful."

Robinson been blown away by the flexibility in skill Forde has shown across a range of machines.

"Before COVID hit we went to Phillip Island with his CBR1000 for the MotoGP. He was in a support race which had a lot of Superbike guys in it, because they'd just finished the series, and he ended up coming ninth on an older bike," he said.

"He's such a good rider and he is renowned as such around the traps as such.

"I'm just so lucky that we've got this relationship and he can test these products of mine, which is beneficial for him because the products I'm developing aren't the norm and I'm trying to prove to the world that it can be done.

"It's great to get feedback from him ... and I'm getting towards the end of testing before I put it into production."

Forde's campaign this weekend follows his brilliant outing at Sydney Motorsport Park's Old Bike Australasia Classic Challenge.

He took the XR69 to a hard-earned Period 5 Unlimited round victory. Forde was second to Brendan Wilson in the opening race but got the better of him in the next two races.

Forde claimed a clean sweep of all three Period 5 and 6 Formula 750 races on his Suzuki GSXR and on the same bike in Period 6 Formula 1300 he won the opening event and scored podium finishes in the next two races.

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