Ken Roczen father has never been the type to stay quiet. When something was wrong with the bike, with the team, with the setup, Heiko Klepka said so. Loudly. Publicly. And without caring much about who was listening.
Most people in professional motocross keep their frustrations behind closed doors. Heiko took his to a German magazine, a European sports outlet, and anyone else who would print it.
The result? Two interviews that shook the sport, one that called out RCH Suzuki, and one that alleged Kenny was racing a completely different bike than his own teammate at HRC Honda.
Was he right? Was he out of line? Here’s exactly what Ken Roczen father said, and the full story behind it.
He Handed Ken a Bike at Age Three, The Rest Is Motocross History
Heiko Klepka was a professional motocross rider himself before he ever became a father.
He competed during the GDR period in East Germany, where he also trained as a decathlete, a background that shaped how he later developed Ken physically and mentally.
When Ken was born in 1994 in Mattstedt, a small village near Leipzig, Heiko didn’t wait long to introduce him to the sport. Kenny was on a bike before he turned three.
By the time he was old enough for school, he was already competing in age groups above his own and winning.
Heiko built a private track on the family’s land, ran an amateur racing team, and personally coached his son through the early years of his career.
By age 9, Suzuki had taken notice and began supporting the family with equipment.
By 15, Ken had his first professional contract.
The foundation Heiko built in those years became the launchpad for everything that followed.
The German Magazine Interview That Shook the Motocross World
In 2015, Ken Roczen father gave an interview to German motocross publication Cross Magazin that sent shockwaves through the sport, all the way from the Vital MX message boards to motocross forums across the world.
Heiko pulled no punches. He went after the RCH Suzuki team’s management, questioned the competence of key personnel, and made a stunning claim: that Ken had been faster on a completely stock bike than on the machine the team had prepared for him.
His comments on Ricky Carmichael, Ken’s team manager at RCH at the time, were particularly pointed. Heiko suggested Carmichael was rarely present and showed little hands-on engagement with the team’s technical problems.
Ken was quick to distance himself from the interview. In a conversation with Racer X, he said he had no idea the interview was happening and called the comments “very extreme.” He made it clear: he was his own man, and his decision to be on that team was his alone.
But the interview had already done what it did. It opened a window into a fractured relationship between the Roczen camp and RCH, and sparked a debate that the motocross world is still talking about.
What Heiko Said About the 2022 Season And Why It Matters
Years later, Heiko spoke again. This time, about the 2022 AMA Supercross season, Ken’s final year as an HRC factory rider, and what he revealed was just as striking.
In an interview with SPEEDWEEK.com, Heiko alleged that Ken and his teammate Chase Sexton were not racing on the same equipment. According to Heiko, Sexton had access to a completely different chassis, the same one Tim Gajser was using in MXGP, while that setup was simply not available for Kenny.
Kenny’s teammate had a completely different bike. He had the same chassis like Tim Gajser in MXGP. It was available for one rider only, and it worked for one rider. The same chassis was not available for Kenny.
Heiko Klepka
He also pointed to the Lawrence family, Jett, Hunter, and their father, Darren, as a positive force within Honda’s structure, calling Darren Lawrence a potential game changer for how the team operated going forward.
Whether you agree with Heiko or not, his willingness to speak publicly about issues that most people in the sport stay quiet about is a defining part of who he is.
The Father, the Trainer, the Advisor, All in One
Beyond the controversies, Heiko’s role in Ken’s career has been consistent and deeply personal. Here’s how his contribution has evolved across the years:
| Phase | Heiko’s Role |
|---|---|
| Early childhood | Coach, mechanic, amateur team manager |
| KTM & GP years | Trainer, riding coach, career advisor |
| RCH Suzuki era | Background advisor, public advocate |
| HRC Honda years | Closest confidant and behind-the-scenes voice |
| Post-HRC | Continued advisor, media spokesperson |
He stepped back from day-to-day training when Ken linked up with renowned trainer Aldon Baker ahead of the 2014 season.
But when that relationship ended before 2015, Heiko stepped straight back in, exactly where he had always been.
FAQs: Ken Roczen Father
Who is Ken Roczen father?
Ken Roczen’s father is Heiko Klepka, a former professional motocross rider and decathlete from former East Germany. He introduced Ken to riding at age three, built a private track on the family’s land in Mattstedt, and has served as his son’s coach, mechanic, trainer, and closest advisor throughout his career.
Why does Ken Roczen have a different last name to his father?
Ken’s mother, Stefanie Roczen, did not take Heiko’s surname when they married. Under German naming conventions, Ken took his mother’s last name, Roczen, rather than his father’s, Klepka.
What did Heiko Klepka say about RCH Suzuki?
In a 2015 interview with German publication Cross Magazin, Heiko criticised RCH’s management and technical operation, claiming Ken was faster on a stock bike than on the team’s prepared machine. The interview went viral on motocross forums worldwide, though Ken publicly distanced himself from his father’s comments.
What did Heiko say about Ken’s 2022 HRC Honda season?
Heiko alleged that Ken and teammate Chase Sexton were given different equipment, specifically that Sexton had access to a MXGP-spec chassis that was not made available to Kenny. He also praised the Lawrence family’s involvement with Honda as a positive step forward for the team.
Was Heiko Klepka a professional racer?
Yes. Heiko competed professionally in motocross during the GDR era in East Germany. He also trained in decathlon, a background he later drew on when coaching Ken’s physical development.
Is Heiko Klepka still involved in Ken’s career?
Yes. While his official role has evolved over the years, Heiko remains Ken’s closest advisor and continues to speak publicly on his son’s behalf when he feels the situation warrants it.
Heiko Klepka is not the easiest man in the paddock, and that’s exactly what makes him interesting. He built a champion from scratch in a village most people have never heard of, fought for his son at every turn, and never once pretended everything was fine when it wasn’t.
Love him or question him, one thing is undeniable: without Ken Roczen’s father, there is no Ken Roczen.
For more on the riders and families shaping the sport, keep reading at The Sportory.
