A new team, a new bike and a return from injury – Tristan Purdon heads into the 2026 season with plenty of motivation. After two years with the SC Sports Husqvarna squad, the South African has made the switch to Lexa MX Honda and already showed promising form by taking the overall win at the opening round of the Scottish Championship at Tain. Having spent much of the winter training back home in South Africa, Purdon is now focused on the British Championship opener at Hawkstone Park, where a stacked MX1 field awaits. We caught up with Purdon to discuss the move to Honda, his off-season preparations and what he expects from the year ahead.
GateDrop: Tristan, you have signed with Lexa MX for the 2026 season. Just how did the move all come around with the new team?
Purdon: It was just time to move on I think, the SC Sports Husqvarna team were good to me for two years and became like family. The Lexa deal came along last minute, and I was keen to give the Honda a go.
GateDrop: Honda is a new bike for you, when you first got on the bike, how did it feel and what were your first impressions?
Purdon: It’s a really good bike. I felt at home on it straight away, so I’m really looking forward to the year on it.
GateDrop: It looks like you’ve spent a lot of your off-season in South Africa, has it been nice to spend a lot of time back home?
Purdon: Yes, I went home, bought my own bike and did some good training there. It was nice to see family and friends and just enjoy the African sunshine.
GateDrop: The Honda you were riding back home in South Africa, how similar is that to your Lexa MX machine?
Purdon: It was a 2024 model and completely stock, so it’s a bit different from my race bike here. But it still had the same overall feeling, so it wasn’t too different jumping between them.
GateDrop: You just won the opening round of the Scottish Championship – can you talk me through your day and the track? Tain always looks super rough!
Purdon: Yeah, it was my first race back since breaking my tib and fib, so I was a bit nervous but also really looking forward to it. It had been a long seven months, but I was ready to get racing again. Tain is a rough track, so it was good preparation for this weekend at Hawkstone. I’m happy with my day to get two wins out of three and just keep building from here.
GateDrop: The British Championship gets underway this weekend – what are your goals heading to Hawkstone Park?
Purdon: I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be tough this year as we have a lot more guys in MX1, but my goal is to finish both motos and come away healthy, unlike last year.
GateDrop: Conrad Mewse, Oriol Oliver, Ben Watson, Adam Sterry etc. MX1 is looking strong this year! Are you looking forward to battling with some MXGP riders?
Purdon: Yes, I am. If I can get out of the gate well, I’m sure I can be right up there with those guys.
GateDrop: You’ve been living in Scotland the past few years now I believe, how do you feel living there? It’s not home but do you feel comfortable?
Purdon: Yes, I enjoy it. I’ve got a good bunch of people around me, and the tracks are a lot better for training. I think I have it pretty good up here when it comes to tracks.
GateDrop: Lexa MX did a lot of the GP’s last year in Europe – I believe you only have plans to do South Africa and maybe Foxhills, why? I was looking forward to seeing you do plenty of GPs in 2026!
Purdon: Plans do change, so you never know, I might end up doing some GPs or even AMA. It really comes down to results, so we’ll just see how it goes.
