outlawtrials.com

Holy Moly - The last day of September - Hard to believe that Summer is over - Fall is here and Winter not far away. - For most people this has been a very stressful year with the Pandemic, loss of jobs and life - plus a total downturn in business for a large majority . -  Overall, I think the Motorcycle Industry has weathered the storm so far, although many dealerships have been forced to shut shop.

In our small Trial’s World - we tend to be protected from these ups and downs - and certainly can survive, when others cannot.  -   Although  a lot of people  are going through a very tough time at the moment,  imagine how things were at the turn of the century? - This is a pic of Silverton in the Slocan Valley - a place that I have often traveled  through and as I recall a good place  to stop for breakfast - very old - very interesting history.

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Back in the day when Ossa were still building bikes, and Mick was still “Perming” his hair.

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Cody Webb wins US Rev Limiter hard Enduro - Trystan Hart  - 2nd.
#RevLimiterExtreme

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youtube.com Isle of Man TT 1975/76 - Kompletter Film 1974 kaufte ich mir eine Super 8 Filmkamera um meine Kinder im Urlaub zu filmen, da unsere Urlaubsfahrten aber meisten zu Motorradrennen führten, wurden auch…

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Here’s a Classic shot for you - When Moto X was called Scrambles and men rode big heavy bikes with about 4″ suspension - In this pic you see Les Archer (Norton) Dave Curtis  ( Matchless) I - and Raene Baeten -        ( Later killed in a race)

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This shot is from the Italian Trials Championship - Looks like they at least had some great natural sections.

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I posted this pic of Becky Cook showing her in a Downhill Mountain bike race - ( She is a former Ladies Trials rider in the UK only beaten by Emma Bristow)  - What I noticed was the Go Pro camera mounted on her helmet, something that I think is a bad choice - I mentioned previously that I now have one of these mounted to the handlebars of my TRS and it works fine, so why take the chance of having a camera pressed into your brain in the event of a crash? - And before somebody says that will never happen - it already has - Former World Formula One Champion Michael Schumacher fell when skiing with this set up - hit his head on a rock and has been a vegetable ever since.

I think they banned them for MX for that reason.

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The Victoria Club held the Annual Joe Brown Memorial Trial last Sunday - Joe was a great guy who died of cancer many years ago - He was a Yamaha Dealer on the Island, so I got to know him and his wife quite well - a  very sad loss for sure.

The Expert winner was Thomas Cordner (Vertigo)  13 points - 2nd  Brandon Volk  ( Vertigo)  28 - 3rd Andrew Watson (GG) 29. - watch for full results on Trials Canada or go to the VMC website.

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We talk a lot about Trials Technique on this site - and the changes that developed over the years both in the type of events and the machines. - One of the new stars was Bernie Schreiber, who perfected the   ” Floater” turn, he is shown here in the pic by Len Weed.  - Interestingly enough - Len attended a few of our Calgary Trials back in the 70’s - with another guy by the name of Leon Wildbanks - they were on some pretty souped up Hodakas - good, but not good enough for some of the big hill climbs we used to have back then - plus of course there were the Muskeg sections !!!

I was chatting to a buddy last week about the long distance Trials , which were the standard back when I started riding in the 50’s - and I mentioned how surprised I was in my first event - to find a Tie breaker many miles out on a narrow Welsh Country road. - To me this was something completely new as was the rest of the stuff back then at age 16. -

Anyway - they had Officials at this spot on a hill, and you had to put your front wheel on a line across the road, then with the bike in neutral and a dead engine - you had to coast down the hill and stop with the bike across another line!!! This was timed with a stop watch and entered into the results to break any ties!!. ( The “Fastest” roll got the nod)
Naturally they had this test just after you came off the extremely muddy Welsh Moors ( bit like Muskeg) - so the wheels were all plugged !! What a great idea!! - Of course the big heavy BSA’s etc rolled pretty good - but the lightweights were painfully slow - and you could not put your feet down to help!!!  - Brilliant !!!!!!
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Finally a reminder for those attending the Ross Rathbone Thanksgiving bash - don’t forget your mask !! you will need it to sign in.  Yes we will be there so try to plan ahead if you need anything ( Like a mint hardly used 2020 Beta Evo 200 at a really great price!!)
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Looking for something to do on the upcoming Thanksgiving Long weekend? - Why not head to Scotch Creek?  Ross is putting on a Special Trial at his great location where he has built  a virtual “Trials Playground”  for all abilities - It all goes on Saturday at 10 am - $20 Entry which goes into a “Pot” - As usual he is planning a a big Cook-up on Saturday night ( Camping is allowed)  - Sunday it’s the same thing and if the weather holds like this, it will be Fantastic - because of the current Pandemic - entries are limited, and social distancing required - why not give Ross a call if you plan on attending - it should be a lot of fun. (250) 371-1380

This is Ross tackling one of the “log Walls” he has built.

Another great Beta pic of Florian Schott  at Revelstoke a few years ago - not sure who took this but it’s really good. ( Pic got a bit Squished in the download).

Still on the Beta theme - Steve Holcombe took the overall win at the Italian Enduro last weekend - finishing ahead of Team Beta buddy Brad Freeman . The Brits seem to be the ones to beat again this year.

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This is Gary MacDonald on the very special Triumph Cub at last weekend’s Trial in the Highlands.  ( Sorry don’t know who to credit for the pic) - Unfortunately the frame cracked on the day making for a DNF.

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And a shot of Christy Williams riding the Iron Mountain Trial - Steve Day acting as “Minder” ( Not sure who took the pic)

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This pic is of Stevie Baker and Brian Rolls with a very special Yam that Brian built up for display at the Edmonton Hall of Fame Induction of Stevie and Bob Work. - Brian worked for Yamaha Motor Canada during the time I was there and we shared some good times. He is quite a gifted bike builder and did some road racing at Westwood   ( Vancouver) - Taff & myself attended Steve & Bob’s Induction into the Hall of Fame in Edmonton.

Your video for today >>

drive.google.com Amotoras_1973_Yamaha.mov

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Check out these prices from back in the day - I remember I paid 125 pounds Stirling for my very first James 197 in 1955.

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I think the caption for this shot should be “FULL STEAM AHEAD”

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The 2nd round of the French Trials Championship at La Bresse had to be cancelled, due to the bad weather (rain) and safety concerns.

As a long time organizer  I know how it feels to have to cancel an event midway through a weekend, due to this type of thing, and it’s a very difficult thing to have to do, as there are always some riders, who want to carry on in spite of everything.

Because of the new type of extreme rocky hazards used in modern World type trials, this only adds to the problem, as the risk of injury is far greater.

The organizers of the Scottish Six Day Trial, know only too well the difficult task of setting up a daily 100 mile loop, with 30 sections per day, all possible to scramble through by ordinary club riders, in a test of both ability and stamina.  - And that ( in my opinion) is how Trials should be. But even so, many times the hardworking team need to be up at the crack of dawn to be out on the moors checking for problem areas.
The pic below shows top Beta rider Benoit Bincaz - who was very glad to see day two dropped in France, as he is already injured. - You can just imagine trying to ride sections like this in bad conditions.

Video for today >>>>

youtube.com Isle of Man TT 1975/76 - Kompletter Film 1974 kaufte ich mir eine Super 8 Filmkamera um meine Kinder im Urlaub zu filmen, da unsere Urlaubsfahrten aber meisten zu Motorradrennen führten, wurden auch…

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Sunday we were over the Westside again, doing some exploring with Roy - we found yet another new loop up above the lake & I posted a video from the Go Pro that I have mounted on Goldie! - It was a perfect Fall day with bright sunshine, but cooling off, with a need for one of my neat Wulf Trials jackets.

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Later back at home - we were able to help out a couple of customers needing stuff ( I’m guessing we must be one of only a few  Trials dealers willing to open up for this on a Sunday ?

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I know we have posted pics of the amazing Scott water cooled twin before - but it’s such a neat bike that here it is again.

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A good one to watch >>>
Championnat de France de Trial FFM

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A great pic by Len Weed of Bernie Schreiber at the Donner World round - watched closely by Yrjo Vesterinen.

Barry Van As and myself drove to the 1994 Trial at this location, in my then new Van ( now parked with over a million KM on the clock) - It took us 22 hours driving time.

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Saturday Podium at the Spanish Championship - Busto wins for Vertigo.

Big jump for winner Busto  who is brilliant when on form, but seems inconsistent  at World Level.

Day Two in Spain - Raga takes  over >>>

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Meanwhile. in France they held another round of their Championship - won on Saturday by Alex Ferrer (TRS) seen here checking his phone up high on a Mountain.

And this is a section at the Italian Championship !!

Matteo Gratarola ( Beta) took the win

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A rare pic of Bob Work fine tuning Stevie Baker’s Trev Deely Yamaha.

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Foggy morning in the Valley - a sure sign of Fall or Autumn as we called it in England.  - - I will be heading over to the Westside today - Andrew will be riding down South with some  of the other lads, including Gord out on his new TRS Raga 300.

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Sammy was doing a bit of MX last week at the Blackfoot Park event in Calgary - Not his chosen sport - but looks like he had fun on the Beta Canada Thumper. ( Not sure who took the pic)

And here is another Beta rider - Michel Belanger winning the ATAQ Trial recently- that’s a pretty good climb.

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And now for some rather startling Industry news >>

The news is out and official – Harley Davidson, the iconic American motorcycle manufacturer is ending its operations in India for good. Harley’s inability to capture the insanely popular cruiser segment in India despite its enviable brand history and recognition will go down as one of the biggest manufacturer flops in the ultra-competitive Indian premium bike segment. But this very move paints a clearer picture of the current state of Harley Davidson as a company and why the future of the brand seems bleak.

Let’s go back in time to 2014, Harley had just launched the much-awaited Street 750, assembled in an all new plant in India and was destined for greatness in the local market. Or, so it seemed. The shift in public preference to cruisers and retro bikes wasn’t in full swing back then and any hopes of Harley initiating the change were put to bed when they launched the bike at a starting price of Rs. 4,10,000 ($5500). While that might not seem like a lot to European and American bikers, the fact that you could get a Royal Enfield Thunderbird for about the third of the price means that Harley was simply non existent on buyers’ shopping lists. Add to that the insane number of quality control issues and the overall lack of desirability of the product meant they couldn’t sell a lot of bikes.

But the issue with Harley Davidson at the moment goes way beyond the Street 750 and India. To put it simply, they are too reluctant to adapt or embrace change. Manufacturers put in a lot of effort to lock young and first-time buyers into their brand, and to do so in emerging markets like India usually involves teaming up with local giants like TVS or Bajaj to develop an accessible entry level model or use their might to reach out to a wider base. KTM and Kawasaki used this model to perfection, and are now the most popular foreign bike manufacturers in the country. BMW has used this model with relative success, and other iconic brands like Triumph are expected to follow suit.

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Did you know that the De Haviland Mosquito  that was one of the fastest twin engined light bombers in World War Two, was constructed out of Balsa wood?  very light and with two powerful Merlin engines, it could out run most fighters of the day. - It was used in low level raids on a number of targets, but also flown by famous Dam Buster’s leader Guy Gibson in what they called a “Pathfinders” role for the heavy bombers. - Sadly it was in one of these that Gibson was lost on a flight late in the war.

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Gord Rinke from Alberta stopped by yesterday to pick up his new TRRS 300  - Couldn’t wait to try it out in the back yard - all he could say was “WOW” - Not a bad review considering that Gord has been riding his 2017 model with much success .  Yes New bikes really do “Turn you on” - He pulls off some perfect  “Floaters”

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For the vintage enthusiasts!! - This one from 1921.

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With the year 2020 being somewhat of a lost call for Motorcycle sport - It’s interesting to watch what is going on at both the World and local levels.

The FIM have sanctioned a few Road races and this is good - but of course with no spectators -  there is no money for sponsors. so we will have to see how this plays out.

The same thing  applies for all other Motorcycle sports - although !!  a loop hole might mean we can hold a Trials event at Ross Rathbone’s place on the Thanksgiving long weekend  (This will not be called “An Event” - just a gathering of friends)

( He has built some Pretty big stuff )

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The first signs of winter - but no this is not Canada - it’s the Highlands of Scotland.

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Your video for today >>

youtube.com Epic battle with graham Jarvis and wade young in the 2020 sea to Sky Race GoPro Sky race is a new format first time in 10 years the organizer decided to make a fast format with flags and navigation gps points. I had solid ride but lost t…

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Here is a great photo by Iain Lawrie of Eddie Lejuene on the Rothman’s Honda - Steve Saunders rode the other one.  Saw them at Ioco at a World Round.

Above is an old pic of Steve Troupe - very active on the Trials scene in Ontario back in the day - seen here on an early JCM which he imported at the time.

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I saw this pic posted of a bunch of older riders out riding the Mountains in Italy - and it occurred to me what a great sport we have where the same bikes can be used by riders of all ages ( male or female) - to either challenge themselves in competition - or just spend time exploring. ( My Slogan is “Never say Stop”)

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How about this beauty a 500cc 1939 Supercharged Velocette.
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Beta Motorcycles have been around for a very long time - since 1905 in fact when Enrico Bianchi founded the factory. Still going strong today and still family owned.

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video for today >>

youtube.com Trial Clasicas Tarragona 2020 Crash&Show (Edgar-RaceVideos)

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I took this pic a few years ago, while we were scouting for the WTC National at Revelstoke - Although this would make a great section - because of the rules we now have regarding the environment - we could never use it.

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Flat-trackers, just like Trials riders are a special breed - I think the Bultaco Astro was likely one of the best looking bikes out there -back in the day, and many might even be racing now.

There is another Round of the British Trials Championships coming up - but lots of restrictions and no spectators allowed.

A great shot of Don Rickman - always very stylish

video for today   >>

#WeAreEnduro

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It’s almost a year, since Rob Edwards passed away - here is a great shot of him on the Montesa in Scotland - the section could be Edramucky ?

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The CPTA held a trial last Sunday at the Iron Mountain venue, with organizer  Don Doerksen in charge - It appears that things went well with a good turn out and a few newbies in the junior class ( always good to see) - The results will be posted soon on Trials Canada. They had 31 riders.
Note this is only the 2nd event of the year due to the Pandemic.

A reminder that Ross Rathbone is hosting an unofficial Fun weekend at his property near Scotch Creek on the  Thanksgiving long weekend - more on this later.
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It was interesting to see how Toni Bou “Bounced back” last weekend in Andorra to beat Adam Raga on day #2 of the Trial.( Which they should be calling a European Championship)  - While you can have two or three riders or competitors in any sport, who are equal in ability - it’s always the one who has “The will to win” that succeeds
The “Mind games” that are played in any sport, are endless, and while some are able to ignore, and cope. - others simply fall apart on the day.

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This is Torstan Holman with the lightweight Yamaha Factory 125 from 1971 ( 140 lbs)

Classic Yamaha TZ750 2-Stroke Race Bike on the Isle of Man TT Course (MUST WATCH!)

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Another shot of that amazing YZ 125 when first introduced - I was lucky enough to be a part of that era in the 1970’s when the Mono-shock rear suspension changed everything, - Designed by Belgium Engineer Tilkins - this was first offered to Suzuki - but when they hesitated - Yamaha jumped in and the rest like they say is History.

( I know that the first ride I had on a 74 YZ 250 was a mind blower)

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The 2021 Beta Evo’s will soon be here - Don’t be disappointed - get your order in to us now ( limited early supply) - OR if you fancy a great deal on a 2020 Evo 200 or a 2019 Evo 125 - Give us a call !!!

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trialworld.es VIDEO | Así fue el GP de España de Trial en Pobladura de las Regueras Video resumen del GP de España de Trial 2020 celebrado en Pobladura de las Regueras, con victoria para Toni Bou, seguido por Adam Raga

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This pic was posted from Quebec - Looks like Beta riders cleaned up.

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Not sure who this young lady is from Europe - but she obviously did well at the Spanish Trial and wrote some very good advice to anybody new to the sport. !!   We are lucky to see a lot more young ladies getting involved with Trials, all over the World.

Nice to come home with a first place in my trial Improved my line selection & techniques which felt amazing. But most importantly of all I calmed those nerves down. Our thoughts have such a huge influence over our performance in competition and in training or out riding In general. Here were some strategies I used that may help you too

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Say a mantra before you ride a line. Whatever reminds you of either a technique or even how to relax. Mine was active legs, soft throttle. To remind myself to stay active on the bike, not to tense up & use technique over misuse of power. When we are nervous it’s easy to stop thinking and make an error.

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Regulate your HR by slowing down your breathing and focus on deep breathing

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Place less importance on the result and more importance on what you’re gaining/learning from the experience

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Practice your ability to move on when you feel disappointed in your performance. Become a power house at not ruminating on one negative experience.

Move on quickly. I’ll share the trials event footage soon

UPDATE - Just got word that this lady is from the USA !! ( Thanks to Chris Hrabb for that)  - so not sure which Trial she  was talking about.

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Great performance by the British lads & gals in Andorra .

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Video for today >>>

youtube.com 2011 Ihatove Trials Adventure Riding– have you got the skills Mick Andrews and Yasuo Manzawa were special guests, at the NZ Ihatove Trails comps in New Zealand. Nonstop Adventure has a yearly trials competition at 88 va…

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And to mark the anniversary of the Battle of Britain - Here is an excellent photograph of a Spitfire and a Hurricane. ( Unfortunately the pic got a bit squished downloading)

Sam on our TRS - I took this pic of him at Malakwa,

A pretty amazing shot of  one of the great US MX tracks.- Anybody know where this is?

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We sold Sherco  from day one back from the first model in 1999 ( called a Bultaco)  -  Although we dropped the line in 2013 due to a change in the Canadian Importer -  - It is still very nice to see Emma  doing so well supported by Malcolm Rathmell  UK  - A 7 time Ladies Champ is pretty special >>>

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Sunday we had a great day riding at Summerland - -it’s been quite a while, what with the Smoke and Pandemic - but glad  to say that Andrew and myself had a fantastic day - no we didn’t go on any wild ride - we just took in all the traditional trails from yesteryear  -Obviously at my age I have to be careful so most of my rides  often   have a “break” for me to catch my breath. But today was again another one to mark on the calendar as “One to remember”  - I have a lot of GO PRO video on file which is a nice way to remember your ride.  - Interesting that we did not see another soul all day out on the trail - or any animals ( until we got back on the Westside road - then there were dozens of Big Horn Sheep) - We took a short detour on our way back to visit the Kelowna Bear Creek  MX track - Andrew had some family practicing at this very dusty location.

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Results from Final day in Andorra - Toni bounces back to take the win.

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video for today  >>

enduro21.com EnduroGP highlights: Day 2 action from France Video highlights from day two of the 2020 Enduro World Championship season in France where Steve Holcombe and Brad Freeman made it a one-two for Beta Racing ahead of Andrea Verona.

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