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Motorcycle Trials
The sport of motorcycle trials can be defined as a sport where
a rider on a specialised motorcycle rides their machine over
a series of obstacles/hazards within a marked out section which
tests his/her skill. The rider will use their balance and throttle
control to manoeuvre their machine through the section the best
they can in order to pass the hazards without failure and incurring
penalty points.
A rider is observed through a section by an official who records
their performance based on a system of scoring if they fault.
An event will be split into sections and as the rider rides
the course they in turn ride the different sections of the course
while attempting to avoid touching the ground with the feet.
The rider will incur penalties for footing or failing to complete
the route in which they are forced to ride over by markers within
the section. The less penalty points the rider is given the
more skill they have used and displayed over the section they
have ridden. |
World Champion Takahisha Fujinami
riding at the top level of the sport |
A typical Trial may be set on a course to include
ten sections which all have to be ridden for example say four
times each. As more riders pass though the sections they can
either deteriorate in severity or become easier to ride due
to weather conditions or other varying factors.
The order and amount of sections and how they are ridden can
change from event to event but ten sections ridden four times
each in any order is an average approximate. When each rider
has completed the course by riding every section by the agreed
amount of times, the points they have incurred for faults recorded
by the observers of each section are added up and the rider
with the least amount wins. |
This entire process
is known as a Trial. Trials are held every weekend by thousands
of clubs around the world. The sport is often referred to
as ‘Observed trials’ and is the slowest and least
expensive form of off-road motorcycle sport. Each rider is
allowed to inspect the sections they ride before attempting
them.
The obstacles within the sections and across the entire course
may be set on natural land or on constructed elements. Normally
a typical club trial is held on natural land, often a disused
quarry workings, forestry location or private land which offers
challenging riding. Sections in this type of Trial will consist
of natural terrain, rocky outcrops, muddy climbs, stream beds
etc.
Sometimes the sections are in close proximity to one another
sometimes they are miles apart. The rider has to travel across
land to the next section. Trials that are made of sections
with hazards built with man made constructed elements are
often referred to as Arena or stadium Trials and are designed
with an audience to entertain in mind. An example of this
was the popular BBC television program Kick-start that ran
throughout the 1980’s.
Nowadays indoor events have evolved dramatically such as the
Sheffield Indoor Trial which attracts a sell out audience
of up to 8000 strong.
|
Berko Club Rider Bob Wheatley is watched closely
by an observer |
Berko member Alezx Wigg during the 2007 Scottish
Six Day Trial |
To give examples in addition to the traditional
events previously mentioned Trials also has World and European
Championship events where only the very best riders take part
and the length of course is maybe only five miles in length
so allowing spectators to follow the riders as they go.
Although Trials is a slowest form of motorcycle sport in terms
of speed, it is, none the less, a tremendously spectacular sport
where rider and machine, at top level, appear often to defy
the basic laws of gravity.
The sport of motorcycle Trials is very popular in the United
Kingdom where it was evolved and particularly popular in Spain
where the Spanish have become masters of the sport since the
1980’s.
Historically motorcycle Trials evolved as a test of both rider
and machine and was often referred to as “Reliability
Trials”. |
| One of these events was a trial named ‘The Scott’
a trial with a time limit run over a single lap course covering
approx 70 miles of Yorkshire country side. Not only was the
rider’s skill based on observation but they also had a
time limit to complete the course. |
Today this Trial is still one of the most popular
events for spectators and is regarded as one of the toughest
one day motorcycle events in the world. Another most famous
Trial being the Scottish Six Days, a Trial which covers up to
1000 miles and has differing routes for the riders each day
across the Scottish highlands. Many regard this as the greatest
Trial of all time and entry requests each year topple the allocated
riders permitted to compete.
The machines the riders use for Trials are distinctive in that
they are extremely lightweight and do not have a seat as they
are designed so that the rider stands allowing for full control
of the machine. In comparison to Enduro and Motocross machines
the suspension travel on Trials machines is a lot shorter and
the bikes are very low geared. |
World Champion rider Adam
Raga on a man made section |
| In many local observed club Trials events such as our Berkhamsted
club Trials, the sections throughout the course are divided
into separate routes to accommodate the different skill level
of riders and their age. Courses are set out for the very best
area riders as well as beginners with several different class
levels in between. |
Pre65 club rider C Hurworth on a BSA |
Additionally there are Trials for Sidecar outfits,
riders of machines manufactured prior to certain dates (Pre1965,
Pre Monoshock etc.) Trials specifically for youth riders, Trials
specifically for female competitors (a growing branch in terms
of both numbers and skill levels), and so on.
Trials continue to grow as a sport and it is not uncommon for
three generations of the same family (male and female) to compete
in the same event, riding and enjoying the day. There are special
two-day events organised by clubs where the emphasis is on the
social atmosphere and these can attract entries of over 250
riders. |
The scoring system across an event is very simple. Each time
a competitor touches the ground with a foot (commonly called
"dabs" or "prods"), the penalty is one point
marked against them. The possible scores in each section consist
of 0, 1, 2, 3, or 5. If a competitor makes his/her way through
the section without touching the ground with a foot, a score
of 0 (called "cleaning the section") is earned.
If he/she touches the ground only once, the score of 1 is earned.
If he/she touches down twice, the score of 2 is earned. If he/she
touches the ground three times or more, the score of 3 is earned—as
long as the section is completed without stalling the motor,
dismounting, going out of bounds or going backward. If the competitor
fails to complete the section a score of 5 is earned. The winner
as said above is the competitor with the least amount of points
at the end of the event. Some events are also timed with penalty
points assessed to late riders. |
For a comprehensive overview of the
rules of the sport click here >>
For further FAQ’s click here >>
There is as said above a world indoor and an outdoor championship.
There is also both indoor and outdoor national team "world
cups" (Trial des Nations). British competitor Dougie Lampkin
is notable for winning seven world outdoor titles in the 1990s
and 2000s. Lampkin took over the world crown from the great
Spanish Trials rider Jordi Tarres who also won seven world outdoor
crowns.
Other previous Trials greats include Northern Ireland's Sammy
Miller (1960s), Finland's Yrjö Vesterinen and Belgium’s
Eddy Lejeuene.
Up until the late 1960’s many of the bikes ridden in Trials
were classic British Machines. During the 1970’s twin-shock
machines such as Bultaco, Montesa, Ossa and the TY Yamaha phased
out many of the older more traditional machines. Today the Classic
machines have made a very popular comeback and many riders take
pride in their pre 65 class machinery and have their own Championship
series to contend. Today major current manufacturers of trials
bikes are Gas Gas, Beta, Sherco, Montesa Honda, and Scorpa.
|
_s.jpg)
Dougie Lampkin the Worlds
Greatest Trials rider ever pictured in 1999 during the height
of his career
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For a beginners guide to Trials click
here >>
Guide to world Trials Click here
>> |
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