Empire Motorsports and Team Green leave Queensland upbeat despite brutal opener having to be cut short

The 2026 Australian Enduro Championship (AEC) has launched in style, with a demanding opening round at Roma dishing up tight, technical terrain and rising temperatures that tested riders across every class.

While Round 2 was unfortunately cancelled due to flash flooding, Empire Motorsports and the Kawasaki Team Green program have left Roma in strong spirits and are now turning their attention to Dungog, NSW in April.

Empire Motorsports: Munro dominant, Austin shows speed on senior step up

Empire Motorsports welcomed back reigning J3 champion Nate Munro in the junior ranks, lining up aboard the KX250X. The team also added a fresh face, with rising talent Kai Austin stepping into the EJ category.

Austin, 16, made an immediate impact in his first season in the senior classes, ripping his KX250X to a test win early in the day.

“The day started off great with a test win but struggled hard for the rest of the day to keep it on two wheels,” Austin said.

With Roma offering few opportunities to claw back time, a handful of minor mistakes saw Austin slide down the EJ order. Still, his pace was clear and he’s confident the result will sharpen his approach into the next round.

“The speed is there, so keen to clean it up and come out swinging at Dungog,” he added.

In J4, Nate Munro delivered a statement ride. With experience from the last time AEC visited Roma, the 15 year old rode smart and consistent across the day, winning five of the six tests to take both class honours and the outright win.

“I felt unreal on the bike and the bike set up was awesome. The tracks were pretty cool and had a lot of different terrain like rocks and sand as it ran along some creek beds,” Munro said.

“Overall I am wrapped with how I rode and keen to get back out and do it again at the next rounds.”

Empire Motorsports results, Round 1 (Roma)

  • Nate Munro (KX250X): J4 1st, Outright 1st
  • Kai Austin (KX250X): EJ 6th, Outright 30th

Team Green: Phillips wins EJ, Koby Munro takes J2, Murphy on J4 podium

Kawasaki Team Green riders also featured strongly at Roma, with Mason Phillips claiming the EJ class win on a KX250. Phillips kept it consistent across the tests to open his AEC campaign with a victory in his home state.

In the juniors, Koby Munro followed the family form, taking a dominant J2 class win aboard his Team Green-supported KX85. Munro controlled proceedings across the tests to start his 2026 season in the best possible way.

Another podium for the Team Green program came through Asher Murphy, who finished third in J4 on his KX250, sharing the podium with Kawasaki stablemate Nate Munro after a solid, steady day.

Team Green rider list (Roma)

  • 82A Mason Phillips – Gympie Motorcycles
  • 387A Michael Blake – Gympie Motorcycles
  • 983A Asher Murphy – Gympie Motorcycles
  • 26A Jaxon Gaylor – RSM Motorcycles
  • 456A Jyo Booker – Caloundra Motorcycles
  • 672A Koby Munro – Peter Stevens Motorcycles Dandenong

With Roma now in the books and Round 2 abandoned due to flooding, the Kawasaki-supported squads will be looking to carry their momentum into Dungog as the 2026 AEC continues.