The CLS Monster Energy Kawasaki team will field four riders in the 2014 FIM Motocross World Championship but for the first time since 2010 will not rely on the assistance of famed American tuning firm Pro Circuit. The French set-up, with Arnaud Tonus, Alessandro Lupino and Dylan Ferrandis – all Grand Prix podiumees – in MX2 and Tommy Searle in a separate MX1 annex on the KX450F in ‘MXGP’ will further internalise their technical operations and rely on the knowledge and nuance of the experienced Harry Nolte and Harrie Van Hout.

Last week at the Motocross of Nations Searle used WP Performance systems suspension for the first time and was extremely satisfied with the change in handling offered by the Austrian-Dutch hardware. Teutschenthal was the first public sign that the Pro Circuit agreement had ended and leaves the Californian company with diminished interests in Grand Prix.

Dutchman Nolte explained in the interview below – carried out at the Nations – the reason for the split and how CLS will improve to tackle 2014 after their debut term in the old MX1 category in 2013 and front Kawasaki’s main title push in MX2 next season.

So why the move away from Pro Circuit?

Mainly because of the distance from those guys and just the general way to work together; the American tracks are different, their fuel is different…it wasn’t so easy. We had a really good year in 2012 and were unlucky not to win the title. It was good for both parties but now is the time to change.

Now you are looking to confirm technical partners and using WP suspension was a first step in a new direction…?

We are going more ‘in-house’ and the suspension will change; as people could see we were already using WP. It was a big deal for us and for them to get together for the Nations. A deal for 2014 is not completely done as I speak but we went testing last week and it went so well that Tommy wanted to use it at the weekend. We are free to choose but the deal is that there will be one technician working only for us. WP is not KTM. If we go with them then it will be very easy as they are less than an hour from the workshop! Engine-wise we are looking to renegotiate with the technical partners because with the 450 four-stroke you need support to get the bikes as good as possible. We’ve learnt a lot and we know where we have to go for next year. The 250 is good…we were very unlucky with Tonus and his injuries this season.

You were the one that had the direct link with Pro Circuit…

I’ve always had a good relationship with Mitch [Payton, Pro Circuit founder and head honcho] but private and business lives must be different. He was OK when we told him and it was quite a mutual decision.

So what will be your main role for 2014?

At the races I will be looking after MX1 while Harrie [Van Hout] will take care of MX2 and then during the week I will look after both engines. We want to win and be in the top three next year and I think it is possible. My motivation is still really good and I always want to win!

It seems that it took some time with Searle to get the set-up and direction clarified for what was a maiden MX1 season for both. Are you on the same page for the build up for 2014?

Yes, we discovered that going to the U.S. is not the best preparation for the Grands Prix and we were unlucky that the pre-season Hawkstone Park International was cancelled and we could not go to Mantova. We couldn’t make any races until the first Grand Prix and with hindsight that was a big mistake both on Tommy’s side and our side. We needed the first three or four GPs to find our way and then we were working during the season…which is wrong. Now we have decided to work in a different way and before the Nations we were in France for five days testing and we found a really good improvement. Tommy knows that being in the U.S. for the winter is not the best way to prepare because the weather and tracks are different over here and the distance from the team doesn’t help. We used the set-up we had for the U.S. in Qatar for the first GP and it was OK, it was then alright for Thailand a week later but coming to Valkenswaard we discovered it wasn’t what we needed.

Photos by Ray Archer