Mount Maunganui's Cody Cooper claims the big annual post-Christmas Honda Summercross motocross near Whakatane has not been good to him over the years.

But he undoubtedly showed on Tuesday that he has the class, the determination and superb machinery to rise above that.

"I have not always done so well here," says the 33-year-old national MX1 motocross champion, even though he has a clean sweep of five wins from five starts this year seem to disagree.

In his last ride aboard the 2016-model Honda CRF450 bike before his new 2017 version gets wheeled to the start line at the big annual Honda-sponsored New Zealand Motocross Grand Prix at Woodville at the end of January, Cooper was simply unbeatable.

"I'm pretty happy with that," he says, in classic understatement, after peeling off his gloves and helmet at the end of a scorching day of racing under blue Bay of Plenty skies.

"I knew I needed to do some work on my starting technique and, although I only holeshot two of the five races, I was always in front pretty quickly anyway.

'This has always been a weak event for me because it has so many different variables... a concrete start pad, a difficult sand track and back-to-back sprint races a unique part of the day's programme.

"I've had a few minor health complaints lately too and my doctor said I probably should rest up and not ride at all. But I guess I passed the test today eh?"

Runner-up to Cooper in the premier MX1 class was fellow Mount Maunganui rider Rhys Carter (Kawasaki KX450F), with Cooper's Honda team-mate John Phillips, of Rotorua, completing the MX1 podium.

Cooper now takes a break for a few weeks before lining up at Woodville on January 28-29.

He will then prepare to defend his national MX1 crown in the New Zealand Motocross Championships, the first of four rounds in that series set for Timaru on February 5.