outlawtrials.com

And the caption for this is - Always have a good minder - (and a good medical insurance plan!!)

And the Show isn’t over “Until the Fat lady sings” - Adam Raga is still in the fight,

Jordi must be “Over the moon”  with the results in Andorra.

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And a video from Saturday >>>>

#WeAreTrial

And another old video from the TDN back in the day.
youtube.com SPAIN 🇪🇸 | 2000 TRIAL OF NATIONS Check out the review of the 2000 TRIAL OF NATIONS | SPAIN Subscribe to VintageTRIAL: https://www.youtube.com/vintagetrial

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Today we are heading down the Valley for a ride - it’s been quite a while since we visited the old Outlaw site - hopefully the smoke will clear - looking forward to doing my favorite  loop on my new Goldie 280 - did I say how much I love this bike ? and the e-start is magic for me. - I’ve been getting lots of good video on my handlebar mounted Go Pro - now I just need to figure out an easy way to post some of them.

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The Podium from Today at Misano     -  Vinales (Yamaha ) wins

This was my first test ride on the all new TRS 250 back in 2016 - Although this was a very good bike - they have improved big time since then and are now one of the best selling Trials bikes all over the world.

Pics from our Thursday ride - this is Caroline from Lethbridge AB ( formally from Kelowna- and the UK) - she has numerous bikes, but says maybe her favorite is this neat 2020 TRS Xtrack 300 with electric start.

Then there’s Emily   always a happy smile and a very good rider - she was out on the Outlaw Beta 125 and had a hoot.  It’s also her birthday today so we hope you have a wonderful day Emily.

Of course having Ladies enjoying motorcycling is nothing new - check this out >

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video for today >>>>

silodrome.com Documentary: Stanley Woods - The Man Who Won The Isle of Man TT 10 Times This (almost) one hour long documentary offers a look back at the incredible life of Isle of Man TT legend Stanley Woods – the man who famously talked his

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One thing I should mention - is that although we like to give 24-7 service  - Please phone ahead if you can - we sometimes have people showing up out of the blue at very odd hours, !!

Also please note that we close at 4pm on Fridays.

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A blast from the past ! Anybody recognize these guys and where the pic was taken?

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We had a drop of rain overnight !!  but we need more.

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Some early results from Andorra.

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And in France it looks like Steve Holcombe and Brad Freeman finished 1-2 - for a Beta sweep.

Back in 1971  I got the chance to ride a Montesa for Blackfoot Motorcycle in Calgary, and so followed the progress of British Star Gordon Farley on the factory bike - However, I never came to grips with it at that time,  and went back to Bultaco.

Here’s a nice shot of Martin on route to the top of Crowfoot Mountain a few years ago .

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Thursday we had a great ride over on the Westside   with Caroline from Lethbridge AB - Emily from Revvy, - Andrew & Roy -  Still smokey, but definitely  not as bad as it was. - Here we see the old guy relaxing at our lunch stop up on the Ridge with the ladies.

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We only had one  correct reply to our quiz for Thursday -  from Harlow Rankin - Gordon Jackson won the Scottish in 1961 losing only one point - and the observer who marked that on the score sheet, was David Johnson - A Scotsman, who later emigrated to Canada  and became a Montesa Dealer in Calgary for a few years.

Stan Bakgaard correctly guessed Dave Johnson as the observer, and mentioned that he used to stop into his Montesa shop in Calgary, on the way home from School. - He later bought a couple of bikes from Dave.

The interesting thing that I noticed on Gordon Jackson’s AJS, was the rubber shrouds protecting the carb from water ( no air-box on the bikes back then) - we used to get a large truck tire inner tube and cut a hole in the center to fit around the intake - then attache the shrouds with rubber bands  ( cut from smaller inner tubes)
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+ Heard today the sad news that my old friend and neighbor Art Gavel died last Friday, after a long illness - Art worked for Walt Healy for 12 years, before moving to Vernon. - He then worked at the Yamaha shop, until he retired. - A brilliant mechanic, Art had a large collection of old Vintage bikes, and often helped me with projects when I lived across the road in Vernon. - One of the things we talked about at one time, was building a 12 speed YZ 80 for Cross Country Racing ( think this was after I came back from the ISDE in Wales & had seen the European mini- rockets.)   Nothing ever came of this, but Art figured he could do it. -

His son Richard lives in Vernon and is a member of the Vernon Off Road Club.  - Our thoughts are with his family at this time.

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Sammy took this great shot of me sitting by the river at Malakwa with Tiki. - I posted it on facebook at some point with the caption “Beam me up Scottie”

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A couple of interesting video clips.
Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum

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86 years young Motorcycle Trials Champion in action!

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A pic of Tony Down, likely taken at the Scottish.  Tony Was in the RAF and flew Tornado Jet Fighters - He came to the 25th Outlaw Trial at Summerland with his nice Vintage bikes. - He now lives in Colorado.

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And here’s an old one of Harlow Rankin, riding at Cochrane AB. quite a few years ago - He just had a birthday so Greetings from all our blog lovers.

A great pic of Gordon Jackson with his Factory AJS - Gordon won the Scottish losing just one point, on this bike - so my quiz today is “What year was that”  and who was the checker???? ( Not many will get the second part)

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Yesterday I got a real treat in the mail - The movie “Take it to the limit”  by Peter Starr. - It was sent to me by David Brooks from Vancouver - What a thoughtful gesture, after me making a comment that I had never seen it.

Really took me back in time - when I worked for Yamaha and met so many great Champions ( A very humbling experience)

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Not sure what this video is - but I must have saved it for a reason.
https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftrialgp.com%2F2020%2F09%2F15%2Fthe-big-squeeze-in-the-pyrenees%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR1H8hV_9QmG2holPuQKyBVZRsavKcjYwt4k4aMJ-3GasCsB_2A16n8rP7E&h=AT1Q4aBtd_P4R6crdOnDtCZioLSlSCYzpwDu94YaCUxvha2BnremaRjuoxiLl_rrQVuWQmJHO–I7gfTPr0PXWOcUpGb34o-MIoMhSM5k2OryO5SUJoec8UsWzrSX-YQQA&__tn__=H-R&c[0]=AT0LJgGz78FI1QFNEkl_3Z7MTFaDlKjtryHcAZlQAffVV_gMeWbhDdGOCAIq61Cm3Zw3RPGASlY5QPzqgj86hyb-sDPutwRaXMbMd_T_DuWChPYideHA_pZazFJ32WLBaHJxlzjyI1f0BXLM-ZNzsA6JLwV8H0iAno3DTaz_2_7XnHsqCGuClr8XV-pAvJHfdwAdoL8mw574ASNb13LEf4cnjxk

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Jimmy Corkle calls this “Hell Creek” - and it’s located between Elko and Fernie   BC -  I was not with the lads this day - but was on another occasion when the water was running pretty good - when we got to the top cliff face I looked up and there were a bunch of Big Horn sheep looking down at us - likely wondering what the hell we were doing there.   As you see by the pic - this one tough ride - big rocks and water holes to go through when I did it.  - I remember Jimmy was on his Aprilia that day, and I have this picture in my head of him on top of a huge rock, front wheel high - one foot tippy-toeing - and I was praying he wouldn’t come off backwards. - but that’s what you have to do to get up this creek - ( Not even sure if you can do this anymore)

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Most people have seen pics of modern Stunt riders, jumping over a couple of people - but how about this one of Bernie Schreiber   “Bunny hopping” over a a lot more  and on an old Bultaco Twin Shock ??  - Steve Day was brilliant at this back in the day.

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Today we will head over Westside again to meet up with Caroline, Emily, Roy and Andrew - Caroline is out from Lethbridge on Holiday, and is keen to  get out with us on her TRS Xtrack 300 - Emily will be on the Outlaw Beta Evo 125, Roy on his Evo 250, Andrew will be riding his TRS 280, and I will be on the new 2021 TRS Gold Edition - complete with GO PRO - watch for some pics and video coming up.

Hopefully the smoke will clear a bit so the girls can see the great views of the Valley.

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Here is a Yamaha that I never knew existed from 1975 - and I was working for them back then - it’s a Prototype YZ 125 TWIN. They likely used the motor from the very successful 100 twin which sold like Hot Cakes in North America.

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A blast from the past - I loved the look of those Six Day bikes - AJS- Matchess- Triumph - to me they still look great. - Never did get to ride one though.

And an old Francis Barnett - a big name back in the day.

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This just popped up from 4 years ago - We had just started selling TRS bikes.

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Video from the Spanish Hop.
#WeAreTrial

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So in GO PRO news - My son in law (an expert in this stuff) stopped by and was I think a bit surprised that I had managed to figure out how to work the one he had bought me for my birthday - ( He could have bought me a bottle of Scotch - but this was way better) -We spent some time   chatting about the all new to me world of the Go Pro- and watched the clips I took on Sunday -  He was really impressed ( as was I) at how  the Handlebar mounted unit coped with the rough terrain -  amazing how I’m getting more toys and enjoyment  at an age when many are in old folks homes - The rather strange thing about our ride - was that it was my first on the Fantastic 2021 TRS Gold Edition. - but I was more intent on getting footage to show later of just where I go to my lovely wife Babsy. -  The Goldie ?? WOW!
This new camera technology - is fantastic for families that sometimes sit at home and wonder where the man of the house really goes on a Sunday.

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This is a great shot of Bob Hannah - I met him at a Yamaha show back in the day - he said money can buy anyone. - And I guess it did - but his best years were always on Yamaha.

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Not quite so smokey in the Valley this morning - I can see across the Lake from my office window through the haze. Hopefully it will improve move by tomorrow when we are going riding .

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Not available until late November - but we still have a couple of  2020’s for sale - save big time by calling us NOW.

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This pic of Adam & Jordi was taken 5 years ago - the beginning of the new TRS Project that has become so successful.

And this pic is of a 1929 AJS four cylinder at Sammy Miller’s museum  - the only one in the world.

Your video for today.

https://www.facebook.com/Legends.Yamaha.enduros/videos/1034275256624411/

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Well, I’m happy to say that the GO PRO video I took Sunday of our ride on the Westside - turned out great - being new to this technology - I wasn’t sure how it would all pan out, as you really don’t get any instructions with the camera. - Of course it’s early days and we will learn more as we go along, but at least I know that having it mounted on the handlebar works. - Neat stuff.

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We watched  the video taken by Michael Traves of their Trial in New Brunswick last weekend, and it was nice to see the sections taped correctly and natural terrain for the most part - they seem to be doing things “Right” for the various classes they have, so congrats to them for their hard work.

They also had a Trial in Ontario last weekend - very muddy by all accounts - Dave Butler ( Beta/TRS dealer) was out on his new bike for the first time - looks like he got it dirty !!

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The smoke in the Valley has been brutal for the past couple of days, hopefully it will clear by Thursday, when we have another ride planned with Emily from Revvy  and Caroline - from Lethbridge. - I will try to get everything recorded on my GO PRO.

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Here is a rare pic showing the late Nicki Lauda (left) along with Paco Bulto - trying out one of the Bultacos back in the day, - It’s surprising how many famous people from other realms of the Motor-sport world have ridden a Trials bike at one time.

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And finally - remembering what happened 80 years ago. ( When I was just three years old)

An old pic of Sammy when he was young and Trials bikes were big and heavy - Sammy did a lot of mods to his GOV132 Ariel 500 - but saw the writing on the wall for the British bikes and went to work for Bultaco in 1964 - and as they say - The Rest is History.

Saw this pic of a couple of Alberta lads with a Yamaha XT 500 - all the road legal stuff stripped off for racing. - We had one of those back in 1976 - studded it up and let Gord Lalonde race it on the ice.

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Our ride yesterday was great, but very smoky - in fact the whole Valley was pretty much socked in - I was out on the 2021 TRS Gold 280 for the first time and had a new GO PRO mounted on the handlebars - I let Roy & Andrew go ahead on the trails so that I could get some video - not sure how this will turn out - but this is a neat gadget, which is voice activated - I need to get my expert to download the events of the day. -This is a pic I took up on the ridge by Two Chairs - but you could not even see the lake because of the smoke.

The Gold #99 is fantastic, and I felt at home on it straight away - completely stock - and of course the estart is really the only way to go for an old guy like me.- Naturally it has lots of power, but all very controllable and smooth - easier for me to ride than the 300 Xtrack model that I just sold.  Can’t wait to check out my video - and yes we are going out again later in the week.

As most of my buddies know - I’ve been  out on quite the variety of machines lately - and have to say that I love them all - the Beta 125 Evo was my choice for a few weeks, after spending time on the TRS Xtrack 300 - then this was followed by a day out on the fantastic Beta Evo 200. - Amazingly, I didn’t have difficulty adapting to any of the bikes - yes of course the 125 likes to be revved, but it really does have amazing torque and with a 6 speed tranny - will go anywhere the larger capacity models will go - I guess the best way to describe this model is “Fun” - ( I do have a bit of experience racing a YZ 125 back in the day- and I’m quite small in stature)
The TRS Xtrack 300 is in a slightly different class - having the seat and larger tank - it has the advantages of an enduro bike, but is very nimble with the Trials base, and of course once again the e start makes this a winner for many., especially the ladies.
We have been riding and promoting the Beta Evo 200, for many years, and simply put we call this “The Giant Killer” - easy to start and just like the 125 - will climb any hills in 4th gear - absolutely the best all round bike for a lot of people.

Getting on the TRS Gold - I immediately felt comfortable - everything feels “Right” - it is very light and of course I have the optional e start on this bike. - I couldn’t find one thing to criticize on the new toy. - even the choke  lever is easier to get at than the Xtrack model - not that you ever need this until the cold weather hits - the bike fires up first touch of the starter button. - No adjustments were needed, although I did fit my own easy idle adjuster screw, which I swap from bike to bike.

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2012 and up above Trout Lake - fantastic scenery  - We had Chris Hrabb - Taff  and Bruce  - along that day as I recall - the elevation at this point is about 7,000 ft. ( The Evo 200 worked just great)

Most people will know that SOS is the international distress call - (Save our Souls) or in morse code …—… However this is a new one on me !! quite the slogan, and so obviously British!!

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A good win for another British Gal - Well done Alicia and Beta.

Another young British rider on his way up the ladder - Harry Hemmingway at age 14 was already on the Podium in Spain - and after watching some video of him - could this young relative of Dougie be a star of the future?

A familiar looking Podium at the Hoppity- Hop  Trials.

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Another old pic of Mick Andrews in 1978 when he was in his prime ( and also the new era of having to wear a Trials Helmet)

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Interesting bit of video from the Spanish FIM Round -on FB today -  they are calling the series of three weekends the 2020 World Championship ????  All events are in Europe!! - Should it not be called the European Championship?
Anyway back to the video - the first one shows Busto making a huge leap across a gully, rather than ride down the bank & across the creek - later Raga is seen doing the same, so I’m guessing that Tony also made the leap of faith as well.

When I saw this it brought back a memory of a Trial back in 1974 in Alberta - I was on the new Yamaha Motor Canada TY250 and having pretty good  success on it. -The Trial was outside Cardston in Southern Alberta, and it turned out to be a dramatic kind of day, as I found that I had a flat rear tire at the start !! - - I managed to get this fixed fairly quickly ( no tubeless tires back the)   and off we went - the only other memory I have of this Trial was a section dropping through a ditch - up a bank then back through a swamp type mud hole to the exit. -

However I had spotted a tricky but possible line going between two trees ( very narrow had to wiggle the bars through)  but this allowed me to position the bike on a bit of a grassy hump. ( All no stop back then)  - so taking a chance and fortunately not spinning the tire, I launched the Yam off the grassy hump into the air and completely cleared the swamp through the end cards for a clean - and as it turned out an Expert win.

Funny the things that you remember.
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Today I’m heading over to the Westside again - this time I will be on my very special Edition TRS Gold 280 - #99 out of 150 made. - Maybe I should call it the “Gretsky”. So far I have only tried it around the yard !! will be taking video (GO PRO) and pics.

We will see how this GO PRO - Mount works ( All new to me)

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Very Smokey in the Valley this morning - Hope it clears later for my GO Pro Video

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While most of the attention given to World Trials is focused on the men - lets not forget the gals who are out there - this is Emma Bristow from the UK the current Ladies World Champion and a fantastic rider..

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A blast from the past and easy to recognize the rider as Dave Bickers - but what is the bike?

Still on the Moto X theme - check out this video.

https://www.motoparkracing.com/2013/11/30/canadian-motocross-history-1970-1975/

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A pic of a rider at the ISDT back in the day - he is on a Bultaco Matador - this model was specially built for this type of competition but some were also used for Trials.  I think the first ride I had on a Bultaco when I started riding in Canada back in 1969 was on one of these, owned by Ron Harvey - sadly no longer with us. - Later I was supposed to ride one in the 1971 ISDT in the Isle of Man on the Canadian Team, but broke my leg in May of that year. - Back then - the speed test was held on a road circuit - good fun on knobby tires!! The bike also had unusual “Split”  handlebars.

Pic courtesy of Trials Guru.
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Here is an unusual pic & one I’ve not seen before - it shows a Prototype Manuel Soler. on a 1980  Montesa with a cantilever style rear suspension - however this one had two small shocks under the tank/seat unit similar to the Vincent design.

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And a couple of Trials videos >>>>

1992 INDOOR TRIAL

https://www.motoparkracing.com/2013/11/30/canadian-motocross-history-1970-1975/

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Some early Results from Spain.

Did the PDI on the Goldie yesterday and noticed this is #99 out of 150 special editions, made for Worldwide Distribution - So NOW I know it must be good as it has that famous Hockey number of “The Great One”  -

This bike oozes quality and really is a credit to Jordi and his Spanish Team. - I will be taking it out for a test ride this weekend and will file a report - all pretty exciting for the old guy. ( It has a carbon fiber air box and other lightweight parts)
I was lucky to have my kids buy me a Go Pro for my birthday and hope to have that figured out this weekend as well.

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The winning TRS Team will be in Spain this weekend for what the FIM are calling Rounds 3-4 of the 2020 World Trials Championship.  - Now I noticed that Australian Roadrace Champ Casey Stoner posted on FB questioning why  the Moto GP events are also being called the 2020 World Championship, when in fact all the events in the shortened series are being held in Europe !!!!!  I think he has a point.

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The weather in the Valley continues to be fantastic - cool mornings then sunshine later - perfect time of the year, and although we are getting some smoke from the Fires burning South of the border, it’s not bad.

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We had word from Roger Boothroyd  that their new book  ” The first 100 years of the Victoria Motorcycle Club”  will be going to print  very soon and should sell out quickly.  The VMC is one of the oldest established clubs in Canada, with a wonderful history. - Check with the VMC if you want a copy.

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The Nova Scotia guys have been hosting some closed to club -Trials events lately, with small entrees and social distancing - these are all very low key Fun days with Michel Traves doing most of the organizing.

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The caption for this pic just posted on FB is “Real Trial” - and I think that says it all - especially for the older crowd. and Look at the spectators standing out in the pouring rain.  I’m not sure where it was taken or by whom - it could be a World Round as the riders have “Bibs” .

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Famous Road Racer and general”Crazy guy” Barry Sheene, would have been 70 today - had he not died of Cancer many years ago - Barry was the original “Play boy” - Wine women and song- and unfortunately cigarettes which likely caused his demise.  - This video shows his lifestyle - at a time when there were so many great riders battling for the World Championship. - His big Daytona crash which he was very lucky to survive have been well documented, but not so many people might know that Barry refused to race in the Isle of Man - because he said it was too dangerous. - In the 1970’s he was on Suzuki and up against Steve Baker and Kenny Roberts on Yamaha, plus Agostini on the MV. - Did you know that he started his Road race career on a Bultaco?

check out the video >> #HappyBirthday

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