Longtime 250 class front-runner Kaleb Barham has announced his retirement from professional racing ahead of the 2026 season, instead shifting his focus to other aspects of life away from competition. The 25-year-old’s career has featured both the highs and lows of the sport, with Conversation detailing his time as a top-level competitor and what the future holds.

Image: Foremost Media.

Alright, Kaleb, the news is out there that you are going to hang up the boots for this year, and maybe beyond. Just take me through that decision for you and what it means.

Yeah, mate. I made the decision that, yeah, 2025 was going to be my last year of racing professional motocross and supercross. So, yeah, look, it was a decision that me and my family and my loved ones made. I think it was Sydney AUSX Supercross that was pretty much the nail in the coffin for me. It was at the point where I was kind of driven against a wall and was… I wasn’t enjoying it as much as I’d like to. That wrist injury [from World Supercross in Perth the year before], unfortunately, meant that I couldn’t train and ride to the level that I knew I could and needed to be to take it to that next level again. So, unfortunately, that just weighed on me a bit. And look, mate, I’ve got plenty going on in life at the minute. Fortunately enough, I’m getting married to my best friend here in a couple of weeks and, yeah, not just that, [but] with work and everything, the house and all that – there’s plenty of adult stuff and stuff behind the scenes that I’m looking forward to. My life’s just taking a bit of a turn away from dirt bikes at this point, so look, never say never. Obviously, it’s something that I’ve grown up doing my whole life, it’s something that I love, and I still adore riding a dirt bike – I still have a dirt bike and am still riding, but at this point, my life’s just taken a little bit of a different turn at the minute.

What changed in Sydney that led to the decision? Where you’re like, ‘Okay, that’s it.’ Because we saw you then go to the World Supercross Championship on the Gold Coast, so what was the final piece towards the decision?

So before Sydney, I let my parents know that if I got in for World Supercross, it was going to be my last race. And then it so happened that it was literally the day after that I got confirmation that I was going to be in, but yeah, look, it was kind of a redemption to get back to the series that I got that injury from that was nearly career-ending. To get back there, to show everybody that I could get back to that level, be a privateer in that series, [and] to be in with the likes of Haiden Deegan, Eli Tomac, Cooper Webb – they were all pitted right beside me. They’re idols that I’ve looked up to my whole career. That in itself was obviously just a phenomenal experience and I was so pumped to be a part of it. It just felt like it was the cherry on top to go out on. Obviously, it was an unreal event, and to be back on the world stage, to be back at the pinnacle of the sport for me, and where I’d already been, it was obviously nice to just finish on top.

Image: Supplied.

You made it to the Monster Energy CDR Yamaha team for WSX as well as the Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha team locally, which was almost like a long time coming for you. You were there for a couple of seasons and then ended up back on a privateer program. Take me through that full circle moment.

Definitely. To be able to say that I was a rider for Monster Energy CDR Yamaha… since I turned pro, that was the team. It is probably the best team here in Australia, I believe. And to be able to say that I was a professional racer for that team is amazing, and something that I’m super-proud to say I have accomplished. It’s something that I earned to be able to get there. But not just that, to be able to be on Yamalube Yamaha Racing as well – the whole team took me under their wing and gave me that opportunity, and look, it’s another thing that I’m so glad I was able to achieve. We got race wins, we were able to podium in AUSX with some really fast guys there on that day as well. I got to race some really gnarly dudes. The guys that are over in the States – Max Anstie, Brodie Connolly, or even Wilson Todd – there are so many names that I’ve raced over the years that are phenomenal. Not just that, I grew up racing Hunter Lawrence. Like, there are so many people that I’ve raced and had awesome battles with over the years that it all just, it’s all kind of come to that point. And I was glad to be able to take it back to the world stage with that small privateer program. We knew [that] 2025 was going to be a hard year, that it was going to be a long slog getting back from injury, and we knew it wasn’t going to be until the latter stage of the year that I was going to be anywhere near 90 percent, not even close to 100 percent if I’m being honest. So, it was good to be able to shake it back up and kind of finish with my parents. My dad was on the start line with me at most races. It was our show, we ran it how we wanted, and I was able to use whatever I wanted. There were no political decisions in anything, so it was nice, and it was good just to finish on our own terms and do what we wanted to do.

Looking back over the years, there’s been a handful of situations for you… A race winner in MX2 at Toowoomba. If you were to look back over the years and I had to ask you to pinpoint a high point, what is it?

As far as an experience, that win at Echo Valley was special, just being at home and beating Brodie Connolly and going head-to-head with him in a battle, not just holeshotting and running away with it. I had to hunt him down in the latter stages of the moto and pass him, and really had to fight for it. That was obviously a massive, massive highlight. Then the AUSX podium with Yamalube – my first podium with the team, with that bike, was another massive one. To have the likes of Max Anstie on the podium with me, who has obviously gone on to do some phenomenal things as well. Look, man, I don’t think you can just pinpoint it down to one situation, there have been multiple times in this sport, and as we always talk about, you get the highs and the lows of any sport, but this one in particular can be very brutal. Getting drafted into Monster Energy CDR Yamaha for WSX and then breaking my wrist. Again, it’s the highs and lows of this sport, but that’s why we do it – it’s why we love it.

Image: Foremost Media.

There’s only a handful of people who, in recent years, can say they went head-to-head with Brodie Connolly and beat him. Switching it the other way, though, the low point over the years, if you had to think of the low one, what is it?

There are plenty of situations where you’re at the lows. It would obviously be injuries, man. It’s with any athlete, I feel. Injuries never come at a good time, unfortunately, and our sport can be riddled with them – it’s always devastating. I’ve been fortunate enough that I’m able to walk away from the sport that I love. So, I’m obviously very fortunate to only come away with a couple of broken bones here and there, but, yeah, that’s definitely the low part of our sport, the injuries, and it’s something that… it definitely gets to you as an athlete.

Staying around the sport – you do a lot with 00 Elite Rider Training – is that something you’re going to continue to do, and be around the younger generation as well?

Yeah, I love coaching. I love giving back to the little ones and being able to share my knowledge with them. I’ve been very fortunate to have the platform at 00 Elite Rider Training with Big Crawf [Nathan Crawford] to allow me to do that. At this point, I have stepped back fully at the moment. As I said, I’m getting married in a couple of weeks, so my full focus is on that. It’s nice to have a break. Straight after racing, I had two months where I didn’t do anything for the whole two months. I didn’t need to exercise, I didn’t need to go to the gym. And looking back on it, it’s something that I never really did as an athlete, and I’m pretty sure there are a lot of other people who can relate to that. Even if you get an injury, if you hurt an arm, you’re on the cycle bike straight after surgery, trying to get back to where you were, so it was nice to just fully shut off from everything and everyone and just not have to get up early and go do anything. And then, yeah, look, it’s been a nice little reset, and I am looking forward to getting back on the bike here in a couple of weeks.

Last question – 2026 ProMX MX1 and MX2 champions… Who are they?

MX1 champion, it’s hard to go past Jed [Beaton] or Kyle [Webster], but I’m going to give Jed the benefit of the doubt. I’m giving Jed the nod, he is solid. In MX2, it’s hard to go past my old teammate Ryder Kingsford. I don’t know how he’s going with the Honda at the moment, but he’s a good little operator. If the riders’ list is what it is at the minute, yeah, I’d have to say Ryder – he’s a strong competitor.