norrimac Posted April 16, 2010 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 Hi guys (& gals?) I'm new here and Jeez, I'm getting old... I did a lot of club trials and we used to go to the SSDT regularly in the mid 70's as a spectator. (Bultaco Frontera 370 Enduro.) Continued biking ever since and I'm about to start Classic trialing again. (57!) I live in Mallorca so it's gonna be a Montesa or a Bulto or an Ossa. Trials is big here if on the dry side! No streams & no rivers except when it rains. Then we get torrents that would wash away Ewan McGregor complete with GS. But there's loads of enduro & off-roading except in July/August and then the cops chase the young 'uns coz they'll start forest fires. (The cops have KTMs.) I'm going to the SSDT this year with my lad who's an enduro rider with a Spanish International licence. He's been brought up in Spain and I want to take him up the Glens before I get too decrepit and have to buy a 50cc Mobylette with a supermarket basket tied to the back mudguard with hairy string. (All the rage for old guys in Spain.) Back in the 70s, we used to follow the trial (to some extent) off-road, although even at that time it wasn't quite legal to do so. Hence I class myself as an off-road hooligan. But the local Polis didn't really bother. I gather this kind of outlandish behaviour is totally banned these days - understandably, and I'm not bitching about it. (Bitch, bitch and bitch again...) But we're certainly not going to consider going off-road as them's the rules. I need to do a bit more walking to get rid of the flab anyway. I have a question for the forum as loads of you will have rode or attended the SSDT: Are there any off-road routes around Fort Willie where we can ride legally? We're on road legal XT600 Yam and a KTM 625. I'd love for my lad to be able to experience REAL Scottish off-roading with REAL rain, rocks & streams. That'll larn'im! Thanks in advance - Norman. PS If anybody's considering biking on Mallorca, or know anybody who's doing so, contact me at norrimac@gmail.com and I'll be glad to help with routes etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabby Posted April 16, 2010 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 Only with the landowner's permission up here now I think. Just wish I lived out in the sticks like that, I'd be away bagging Munros every night Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big john Posted April 16, 2010 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 Norriemac, The short answer is a resounding no. By riding off road at SSDT time could seriously jeopardise the event. And I mean seriously! Most of the land around Fort William is either owned by companies who have factors or large landowners. It takes a heck of a lot of work to ensure that the trial and it's officials are allowed to pass through and it certainly doesn't extend to spectators on motorcycles. You are welcome to walk to the sections, but certainly not by bike. Big John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_scorpa3 Posted April 16, 2010 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 No grey areas there then. Anyone found riding off road at the SSDT will have to accept the consequences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beta bhoy Posted April 16, 2010 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 Ah hope that wasnt dougie practicing at aonach mhor in the I love trials video haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norrimac Posted April 16, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 (edited) Great stuff guys! Many thanks! No way would I go off-road and jeopardize the SSDT. Further, my son would lose his international competition licence. It's over 30 years since I attended my last SSDT so I wanted to be sure. Even back then, the only 'offroad' was along farm tracks and not in the hills or near the sections. We're driving up for the event and for the creik, not to offroad. If it had been possible, that would've been a bonus, but it's the the reason for coming. I want my son to experience the atmosphere. (And the rain.) Question: is General Wade's road still open to vehicles? We did that on bikes and Land-Rovers too. Thanks again all, that helps the planning. (And will save 2 sets of knobblies!) Norman. (Originally West Lothian.) Edited April 16, 2010 by norrimac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andat Posted April 16, 2010 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 Hi guys (& gals?)PS If anybody's considering biking on Mallorca, or know anybody who's doing so, contact me at norrimac@gmail.com and I'll be glad to help with routes etc. Norman, We should have been in Majorca yesterday for a long weekend but due to some bloody volcano we are stuck in the UK. We were planning to hire some trail bikes and go and have a look at the trial up at Galdent, Llucmajor. Looks like we'll have to wait 'til next year now. I've saved your contact details so that next time we're there we'll get in touch. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabby Posted April 16, 2010 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 Question: is General Wade's road still open to vehicles? We did that on bikes and Land-Rovers too. Once again, I believe that is frowned upon also, but just crack on up there, no one will mind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewy Posted April 16, 2010 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 I dont know about no one minding! That track is full of walkers always, that means ramblers and we all know they want everything just for them;. it really is sad but why not just visit the ssdt office and ask (its at the Ben view hotel..was milton) I think you'll get a resounding no. The problem for the club is that some tracks like mamore "road" are all that joins up the sections....it could be a 100 yard strip of nothing that loses all of Rannoch for example if somone was upset. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabby Posted April 16, 2010 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 I dont know about no one minding! I was being ironic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norrimac Posted April 16, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 That's great, thanks very much. Based on that, looks like we definitely won't need to waste a new set of knobblies. Besides, we all know that badgers, squirrels and bunny rabbits provide more traction... Andat - stay in touch - there are loads of places on Mallorca you can ride here without getting into bother. The local offroad trials/enduro clubs collaborate with the fuzz when these w******s on quads go where they shouldn't. A bunch of these idiots recently ruined most of a field of crops and it was one of our lads who got a reg. no and got them lifted. Brill. Our local club has 1 Superintendent and one Chief Super as active riding members. Which helps. See some of you guys in Fort W. Look out for a loud KTM with a reg. plate that starts with 'IB'. (Islas Balears = Balearic Islands.) Great forum. Glad I found it! Norman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big john Posted April 16, 2010 Report Share Posted April 16, 2010 Great stuff guys!Norman. (Originally West Lothian.) West Lothian?? I probably know you then? Have a good time at the Scottish. Big John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norrimac Posted April 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 (edited) Aye, Bathgate to be exact. I escaped in 1988. Used to be the manager of the Bathgate Palais, if that rings a bell. Best mate was a guy called Greg Boni, of Boni's Ice Cream Shop fame. We both had Suzuki SP370s and rode a lot in the Highlands when it was (more or less!) okay to do so. We hung about in Jim Allen's Bike shop (Vic Allan's brother.) Weekends were in the Bathgate hills on a vast piece of land that the local farmer allowed us to use. Great fun. The laws in Spain are totally different as the hills, although mostly in private ownership, are pretty much open to all. The Guardia Civil have KTMs and little BMWs and they used to carry a rifle in a holster running down the front forks. Wish they still had - maybe they could pick off those b******* quads at 1000 paces! What's really good here is that because the land is pretty accessible but CAN be closed, the bikers are very careful not to upset landowners and work with them to an extent to protect the land. We fit eco-friendly tyres in order not to rip up the goat tracks that we follow. Plus ALL Spanish kids grow up on bikes as they can get a moped/50cc scooter at age 14. You can't sit a car test here till 18, so Spanish drivers have virtually all rode bikes, although not all have ridden big bikes. Trials scene in Spain is big - about the same as the UK, but the Enduro scene is much bigger, due to access to land. Plus there are a lot of tracks that are actually unmetalled public roads, so high speed practice is easy. Sports biking is huge here too, with local lad Jorge Lorenzo breathing hard up Rossi's tailpipe. Anyway Big John, thanks for the help. Based on what you and the guys have said, we're having a rethink on which bikes to bring. (We're vanning up the road.) We might bring the BMW 1100S and a Triumph Scrambler 900 so we can get a wee bit of touring in too. Adios the noo! Norman. Edited April 17, 2010 by norrimac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big john Posted April 17, 2010 Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 Aha, manager of the 'Palais De Dance'?? Or was it 'Queens', whatever... Sure you were not the original owners' eldest son (Jim & Jean MacLeod) maybe? In that case you must be 'Norman', elder brother of Alastair then? The ground you mention was probably that of Dan Reid at Ballencrieff??? Ho-yes I know who you are then Norrimac! Bet you'll be surprised when you find out who Big John is then? You knew both my Mum & Dad. Best wishes, Big John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norrimac Posted April 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2010 Guilty as charged! Well bugger me! Aye, Dan Reid's right enough!!! Okay, I give up - which Big John would this be???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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