6 replies to this topic

[lacho]

Hello everyone.
I am considering getting a lisence and joining a club but i have no idea how go go about it. I am 17 and have a 250cc, can I compete on this bike??? I am located in the scottish borders 20 miles south of edinburgh and was wondering what clubs there are around here to join. My dad dug out an ancient fantic motors fluorecent orange helmet for me to wear which fits ok and i have motocross gloves, but i still need boots and trousers. I'm not wanting to spend megabucks, but at the same time i want something comfy and decent enough to last a while. Is there any particular brands i should look out for and are there any cheap places on the net that sell trials clothing.
Thanks for any help, Lachlan.

[Big John]

Hi Lacho,

Firstly it would be better and safer to get yourself a more up to date helmet, there is a good range available now and some dealers do deals on last years designs. For example a new Nau helmet retails for about £70.

On the question of what you need to do to compete, you have to join an SACU affiliated club to get a competition licence. If you are just south of Edinburgh you have a choice of Lanarkshire MCC who run trials as far south as Galashiels and have quite easy events, you also have the Edinburgh St. George (Lauder) as well. Also Dunfermline is a bit further north but also worth considering. Check out the SACU website: (www.sacu.co.uk) for a listing of clubs throughout Scotland and covering your area. It also gives you details of what events are being run throughout the season.
Your nearest ACU club (England) would be Tweed Valley MCC based around Berwick.

A competition licence costs £42 which runs from 1st February to 31st January annually, this includes a copy of the ACU handbook, it gives you all the rules applicable to trials; it also covers your capitation fee and gives you a quarterly SACU riders newsletter. This competition licence enables you to ride in a variety of events including national trials throughout the season.

As you are 17 years attained you can ride in the adult classes as a "novice" on any engine size of bike you choose. It's better to start on a bike you can control than be "over-biked" using a machine that has too much power for your capabilities. It is only the Youth classes that are retricted to 125cc machines and the Youth C on 80cc machines and Youth D class on 50 mono/80cc twinshock machines.

Also there is a dealer called Border Bikes (Andy Minns) in Berwick on Tweed if that's near you? They sell a lot of trials bikes and clothing etc. Support your local dealer whenever possible! Also Off Road Motorcycles (Willie Gillespie) in Dunfermline to the north of you!

Hope this helps.

Big John

Edited by Big John, 04 July 2007 - 03:08 PM.

[lacho]

Well I don't think its too powerful for me, I have had a lot of experience riding bikes offroad and I am a big guy (6'1" and 15 stone). I had a go on a 2006 125 gasgas and it seemed a bit gutless, the 250 beta seems pokey enough but not out of control. You are probably right about the helmet, it is very elderly. I think the lanarkshire club sounds good as I stay 200m from the scottish borders, in lanarkshire and galashiels isn't far from where i stay.

Thanks very much for all that information, I shall be making further enquireys before long

[ZIPPY]

I have seen much postings on a "competition license", I am in the US and am wondering if the competition license is the equivilent of a membership in the AMA (American Motorcyclist Association)?

[lacho]

I think it must be similar as it is membership os the scottish auto-cycle union (SACU)

[Big John]

Hi Zippy,

It's a bit like having a drivers' licence, it is a form of identification so that event organisers known firstly that you are a member of an affiliated (or associated) club of the governing body (ACU in the UK or Scottish ACU for Scotland) which is similar to your AMA.

It is necessary to effect the insurance cover for the promoting club and clarifies who is riding the event. In fact the Clerk of the Course is responsible for the identification of riders competing at any event. It really is a situation of no licence = no ride!

Amusing story from years ago. I remember when I was much younger around about 1971/72, a couple of guys had stolen a model 49 250cc Bultaco Sherpa from a local Policeman's house in Bathgate West Lothian (of all people to nick a bike from!) then pushed it to the local motocross meeting at Hillhouse Farm near a town called Linlithgow. They had painted the bike in white gloss paint and stuck a race number on the front and coolily asked if they could ride in the motocross!

When they could provide no licence or ID to prove entry and it was evident that the ligitimate rider had already signed in with the same number, the track official had a quiet word with the Police man on duty near the main gate and hey presto, the guys were taken to the local nick for questioning and the local Copper got his bike back!

Big John

[ZIPPY]

Thanks for the info was just curious.