For WE Ride (Whites Employees Ride) Issue #9 we hear from our NZ National Sales Manager Hayden Mills about his path from farm to ADV trail and how his role gives him a sneak peek at upcoming product releases.
WE Ride is all about sharing our passion for bikes by introducing a team member, what they ride, wear and use in the shed.
Let's hear from Hayden and get revved up to gear up and go ride!
What’s your name, what do you ride, and what do you do at Whites?
Hayden Mills, 2022 KTM 890 Adventure R, NZ National Sales Manager, I head up a team of seven staff consisting of three amazing Internal Salespeople and four high-performing external territory managers.
Together we're the team that makes it all come together with our trade customers and product sales, all while offering exceptional customer service and satisfaction along the way.
How long have you had your bike and what mods have you made to it so far?
I’ve had the 890 for three years and I’ve made a load of mods in that time...
- Bark Buster Jet Hand Guards.
- Oxford Auxiliary lights.
- AXP Skid Plate.
- K&N Air filters.
- Workshop Graphics custom graphics kit.
- Scott's steering stabilizer.
- OEM heated handgrips.
- Navman Mivue front and rear cameras.
- IRC Tubes.
- OEM rims fitted with Bridgestone AX41 tyres for road and gravel riding.
- OEM H/Duty Rims fitted with Bridgestone E50 Front and Gritty ED04 rear tyres for all the more hard-core off-road adventures.
- Giant Loop & Oxford luggage.
- Garmin XT2 GPS.
- Ram Tough Mirrors.
- Rottweiler Tower stabilizers.
- Rottweiler side stand switch.
- Monimoto GPS tracker.
- RG3 custom suspension upgrades.
- RK Chain.
- MTX front and rear sprockets.
- Putoline N-tech 10w50 synthetic oil.
- Motion Pro Clutch Cable.
- Premier Brake pads.
- Motobatt Battery.
There's probably more but let's leave it there for now.
Check out all Hayden’s bike mod parts in one place » mods product collection.
Do you have more plans for your 890?
Keep riding it hard until I upgrade to a newer version when it comes out.
What sort of riding do you enjoy and where do you like to do it?
Off-road, mainly... and gravel. Exploring places that I've never been before.
Favourite spot would be the South Island because there's a lot more places to explore that are open to motorcycles; it's completely different terrain to the North Island and the views are amazing!
Are there any notable products that you use on the regular to enhance your riding?
There’s a pretty long list of our products scattered throughout my shed and vehicles...
Tell us a bit about your life on two wheels...
I was brought up on a farm down in the Wairarapa where we rode bikes from time to time, but I didn't get my first real bike until I was 18. I mainly just rode dirt bikes for the next 15 years, where I raced the odd motocross club day and trail ride. No notable achievements apart from winning a few overall club classes.
Then when I started working at Whites Powersports, I thought I had better get my licence so I could get out there and practise what I preached with our customers. I tried a few different road bikes to start with but got a bit bored of riding the same tarmac roads over and over again.
The Adventure begins
Then I purchased my first ADV bike and I've never looked back since. First one I bought was a BMW 850GS, which was a beautiful bike, but I think I was a bit too hard on it and couldn't bring myself to thrash it so much. The signs of wear were starting to show through.
Then I tried a DR650 just before the new ABS law came into play and you couldn't buy them in NZ anymore. The DR was a barrel of laughs, but I was left wanting something more and made the mistake of riding a KTM 690, which ticked a lot of boxes for me!
Time to Rallye
The 690 was awesome and truly ready to race, but it also gave me the opportunity to get involved in the popular KTM Rallyes. I met more like-minded people and saw parts of the country you just wouldn't get to see if you hadn't gone along on one of these well-organised events.
After attending a couple of Rallyes, I saw a lot of people riding 890 Adventure R's and wondered what the fuss was all about, so I thought I had better have a go. Anyway, here I am now riding an 890 and loving the added challenge it offers, along with the smooth power delivery from the high-torque engine.
It's like a dirt bike on steroids. I've been lucky enough to attend plenty of rides all over NZ and seen parts of the country I would have never seen without being part of the fast-growing adventure community.
Tell us about your gear — why you chose it and what you like about it.
I'm lucky in my position that I get to try a lot of different products from the various brands we offer here at Whites Powersports. I've also built strong relationships with some of our suppliers and manufacturers, which has given me the opportunity to test new products before they even hit the market and share my feedback.
I try to mix things up to represent all the brands we carry, and over my time at Whites, I’ve definitely had the chance to use some very cool bits of kit. Currently, I wear different gear depending on where I’m going and the environment I’ll be riding in.
For more road-focused riding, my go-to setup includes a Shoei helmet, Richa Atlantic Laminated Gore-Tex pants and jacket, Gaerne boots, and Richa gloves. This combination gives me comfort, weather protection, and reliability on longer road trips.
When I’m pushing the boundaries in off-road ADV riding, I’m a big fan of the new Leatt ADV gear. It offers an advanced level of protection and flexibility, which is essential when the terrain gets more technical and demanding.
I used to wear a Leatt MX helmet for its breathability — especially useful when the heart rate climbs through tough sections — and Leatt goggles to keep the dust out. The ballistic-grade lens gives me confidence and clarity in all conditions. And when the 8.5 and 9.5 ADV Helmets dropped, I moved to a 9.5 and am loving it. It’s super adaptable with the different shield/visor/goggle set-up options.
For boots, I switch between Leatt MX boots for added protection and support in technical terrain, and Leatt 7.5 ADV HydraDri boots when I need waterproofing and comfort but still want a solid level of support for those longer rides.
See all Hayden’s gear in more detail, here.
See Hayden’s Shopping Lists
Check out all Hayden’s bike mod parts in one place » mods product collection.
Browse all Hayden’s gear in one place » gear collection.
