Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Actor Matt LeBlanc, one of the stars of the hit television comedy “Friends,” helped his real-life friends at American Suzuki by participating in the opening ceremonies of the Suzuki dealer show Monday, September 23 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“Mike Webb, who runs the (Suzuki) off-road race team, is a good friend of mine,” LeBlanc told Roadracingworld.com Tuesday. “Him and Pat Alexander and Mel Harris, they all said, ‘Will you come out and be part of the show?'”

During the opening ceremony Monday night, LeBlanc told the audience of Suzuki dealers, “I’ve been a Suzuki guy pretty much all my life.”

On Tuesday, LeBlanc said “And I wasn’t lying last night. I’ve been riding Suzukis since I was a little kid. So for me it’s kind of an honor to come be a part of (Suzuki’s) world. This is really cool.”

LeBlanc said he had several Suzuki off-road bikes, a GSX-R1000 and an Aprilia Mille R. “But I downplay that (Aprilia) at this place. I love bikes; two wheels, on the road, on the dirt, whatever.

“I ride on the roads around L.A., like Angeles Crest, or up the coast there’s great riding. I do a little desert riding, I guess it’s Northeast of L.A. I don’t really ride any of the (motocross) tracks. I’m more of an off-road, trail rider. The tracks…if I get hurt it means I can’t go to work and make money. I can’t afford to get hurt. I’m not getting paid to ride. I’m getting paid to do something else. It’s just for fun for me.”

When asked if he ever considered taking his GSX-R1000 out for a track day, LeBlanc said he was looking forward to doing that but was having a tough time fitting it into his schedule. “My schedule is just radical. I’m supposed to be at work right now. There’s a plane waiting for me right now. I need to go get on it and get the hell out of here,” said LeBlanc.