scorpa3

Yes Rappers is talking about the WTC rules. I personally think that all trials would be better for becoming Non stop, but that wasn't my original point at the start of this thread. What I was wondering was.... do the "better riders" get away with shorts stops because they are feet up and in control, where as the "strugglers" who foot through a section making similar length short stops are frequently given a five. As Rappers suggests?

You will need insurance to register the bike and that's going to be final. Try Carole Nash again and see if they will issue you a short period cover note and expain that you will forward the reg number as soon as you get it. I used my local broker who went to Norwich Union and this was no problem. They just insisted that I supplied a number within two weeks.

Or perhaps you would have had the same arguments about stopping instead of ones about going backwards?

In this weeks T&MX news, Rappers states that he believes all trials should now go over to FIM rules. ie- one for stopping. He suggests that the "better riders" get away with shorts stops because they are feet up and in control, where as the "strugglers" who foot through a section making similar length short stops are frequently given a five. I must say his argument makes sense.... or does it? Is this what happens?

I've had a good look on Ebay and not been able to find any goggles with masks attached. I've tried searching for MX, goggles, masks, shields, face guards and even clip on (???) with no sucess. This type of mask must be still available somewhere but I don't think Ebay will help very much.

Think yourself lucky they didn't want to sample your sausage!

Never thought of that one, now that's a good idea, I'll have to try that. We put on club trials with four routes, using diversions is almost impossible, so I use coloured arrows. This is a lot more time consuming when setting out, but it really pays off for the riders. They simply ride between the arrows of their colour and ignore all the other arrows completely. Eg Experts ride between the red arrows only. Clubmen Blue etc. Although I must say, I consume box after box of staples using this method! But it really does work well.

I'm pleased that you are getting on with the new bike ok. I really like mine, as I say; it flatters my limited ability. The '05 I have now is the second Scorpa 250 I've owned, in between I tried a Gas Gas and a Beta but although both bikes were better than me, I seemed to always loose more marks than on the Scorpa. That said, in the Midlands we rarely see a rock. It's always cambered banks and tree routes around here. Maybe things would be different I I lived further North. My only gripe is the difficulty in removing the carb. It really isn't a job I'd want to do at a trial unlike the Gas Gas and Beta's where you could whip the carb off and back on again whilst waiting in a queue for the section if required.

The Stratford-Upon-Avon MC&LCC are pleased to announce that Kenilworth based Gas Gas dealer, Behind Bars are backing the OK SUpreme Long Distance Trial on 24th September. Behind Bars can be contacted on 01926 855541

"Five" signals the observer, I enquire why. "The two whites you went through mark the left of the section, you should have gone through the other pair!" I must say, one of my all time hates is the use of pairs of the same colour to mark out a section. I really wish clubs would either use blue left, red right with yellow left and green right for the easy route. Or if they must use pairs of the same colour, then at least make them arrows. If a rider rides the wrong side of an arrow they can't moan.

The Stratford-Upon-Avon club run the Union Jack trial as part of the Miller series. We are lucky because we have a strong British bike interest in the club, who work together with the 'modern' bike members. We help each other out, The Colmore is a modern bounce and hop style National and the Union Jack is a traditional pre-65 event. Two years ago, the Miller series dropped the trail bike championship. I personally never understood why, the trail bikes made up the numbers thus making some of the poorer attended rounds viable. Due to this, the Stratford club decided to hold a trial aimed at trail bikes. We reserected an old trial named the OK Supreme and used our (very poorly subscribed) Group trial date to put it on. The 24th September this year! The Ok Supreme attracted over 100 entries and is now a National trial bike trial. The sections are easy, wide and in the main, straight forward. The winner is almost guaranteed to finish on under five, with a special timed test being the tie break. The trial is open to any road legal machine and there is a class for British bikes. Note that I say British bike and not pre-65. As we already run a National trial for Pre-65's (with 9 or 10 different classes!) we decided to keep things simple and just insist on the engine and frame be of British manufacture. The format works, and whilst I'm certainly NOT suggesting that classic trials should do the same, our strategy of simple, wide and generally easy sections and relaxed classes has really paid off. The OK Supreme winner could just as easily be on a B40 as a Beta Alp... or for that matter a mid 80's Armstrong! You could say it's an excuse for a trail ride around the Cotswold hills and you'd probably be right, but it is a damn good trail ride and very popular.

Good advice and don't forget the clubman friendly Scorpa.

Isn't there a LDT held at night? The Lands end or something similar?

The route is now finalised for the OK SUpreme LDT on 24th September. Due to trail riding restrictions (Nerc) on some of last years route, this year sees a slight change, although the location of the sections remains the same. In past years riders have covered 75 miles of going between the sections, this has been reduced to around 60 but still takes in some superb Cotswold trail riding, some of which is on privately owned ground not normaly available to motorised vehicles; a chance to ride your bike legally (but slowly) past ramblers on footpaths. The event is a round of the National Trail Bike Championsip but it is open to any road legal machine, being slightly shorter this year, it is ideal for classic machines who have their own class along with lady riders who also have a class. The sections will be wide and straight forward and ridden without Inspection, with a timed special test to sort out any tie breaks. Contact Richard Gill for an entry.

They certainly look the business. But at a price. Enough to mark out one route through one section. If that's all you need for a spot of practicing they would be ideal. It would be a hell of a lot cheaper to buy some coloured plastic and staple it onto some sticks though.

I must say, the Scorpa's soft power delivery certainly flatters my very limited riding ability. Let us know how you get on with yours.

As the bike is three, maybe almost four years old, value goes very much by condition. 03's can be picked up from around

There is a venue in this area called Top Farm which is near Broadway, Worcs. Riders can practice there for

Central Wheel components at Coleshill not far from the NEC, do heavier duty rims and in any colour. I had a black set done for my Gas Gas a few years ago and they were magic.

Vintage wines.... hic!

Great invention. Can you provide one marked 'Faster' suitable MX and Road racing? I could also sell some 'On time' ones for enduro if available. I am interested in a franchise for these if you can do them at the right price.

Does anyone know?

It should not be a suprise as its been talked about for 4 or 5 years now. Well I must have been asleep with my head in the sand for the last 4 or 5 years now because, as I said, the penny has only just dropped.

Running trials here in the Mildands Uk, it is always good to see Youth riders turn up for our events. There are few sports, and even less motorsports, where all family age groups can compete together on equal terms and trials is one of those sports. Over the last few years we have seen a marked reduction in Youth entries, this is despite putting on four routes at some of our events. There is a lot of media talk about obesity here in the UK at the moment, which possibly prompted the comment about diets. The population is getting bigger and much of this is down to lack of excercise, it's really good to see youngsters doing something physical especially when it's like sirhc's son.... riding a trials bike. I wish we had lots more youngsters like that around here. And although I agree with the ACU's new rules on machine capacity, it is not going to help entries next year by refusing youth riders a ride if their bike is the wrong capacity. I'm a national Clerk of the Course and then penny only just dropped reading Johns replies on this thread, that Youth C's will be restricted to 80cc next year. (Yes I know it's there in the hand book for the world to see) so I'm sure it's going to be a big suprise for some parents who are buying 125's right now.