Yup great bike. Current bikes don't have the same build quality. My '00 TXT321 has a lighter and smoother clutch pull than my '05 Pro. The old frame is a work of art and shines up better than the brand new ones. The TXT models require much less maintenance than the Pro's do too.
I should sell mine but its tough letting such a good bike go.
My interest in trials has been a series of hooks. At age 38 I bought a used COTA200 to crosstrain on. Bought "The Bernie Book" and was overwhelmed with page after page of traction, technique,etc etc. Sweet info. Static balance was not easy. Obviously it was going to be a challenge to ride this bike proficiently. HOOK.
After a year I upgraded to a new 2000 GG321TXT. WOW. Of all the bikes I'd ever ridden this was the coolest, the wildest, the craziest, the hardest to ride, and the most fun thing EVER. Even better than the Superbike School ! This wasn't like a motorcycle at all. It was a precision instrument. BIG HOOK !!
One day I got on my old woods dirt bike and went for a ride with my old harescramble pals. It was a little boring because they were slower than usual. But actually they weren't slower - I was faster! And I was expending much less energy to boot! BIG GIANT HOOK !!
Brought the wife to a World Round in Watkins Glen. I couldn't believe the things I was witnessing. WTC actually scared me off a little thinking that no way in Hades would I ever be able to do any of those things. But the friendly spectating crowd was really fun to hang with.
Eventually I found other local plonkers to ride with and learn from. Legal riding areas in New York are almost non-existant. So riding a "stealthy" trials bike is a smart idea around these parts. I continued to make slow, painful and unsteady progress. Progress plateaus now and then. Anyhow trials riding with my buddies was just as much fun as I remember having on my old purple Yamaha Enduro LT100 when I was 14. Only better because more control = more fun. HOOK !!
I tried the local club events and floundered as a newbie. I got vertigo from all the dam markers. (Anyone in 3D understands why). But if ever there was a relaxing fun club, 3D is it. Great bunch of oddballs. Okay I'll come back. HOOK !
Went to a bunch of National events to spectate. Camping with my wife and 2 daughters was a great adventure. We quickly found that Trials people are friendly people, even at the national level. Even more amazing was that I (a complete stranger) could just walk up to any of the top National guys (except one I won't name) and have a conversation. No overinflated motocross type egos here! Me and wifey were blown away when champ Geoff Aaron chatted with us as if we were friends. We had never met him before! Of course we didn't know it then but learned quick. All are friends in the trials community. HOOK !!
Last year I rode 4 nationals just to see how I'd do. Support class of course. Most everyone could outride me but no one ever made me feel stupid or unwelcome. LATEST HOOK !!
For those who've skipped to the last paragraph, lets summarize my largest 3 hooks:
Trials has made me a much better dirt rider.
Trials has made me a much safer street rider.
Trials has introduced my family to many wonderful (and colorful) people in the tight knit Trials community. A great class of people.
Hey Brian! I also thought most of the smog was from the radio controlled cars. Glad to hear they're moved. Also the air on the floor isn't as bad as in the stands. Guess I'll have to ride it next year. Keep that Cota in one piece!
Sorry I missed it then. Thanks for freshening the air with your 4-banger. Likewise Cornie must have refrained from igniting fireworks off his head this time.
I see that Cookie didn't make it this year. Too bad. I enjoyed watching him win the expert class last time I was there. Hope Mike is ready to go this year.
Hey Norm, couple years ago it wasn't the Gassers stinkin up the place. The radio controlled cars were way worse than all the trials bikes. And the mx bikes are worse still, but the big arena has much better ventilation and it is tolerable.
Running 90:1 in my Gasser. I'd go 100:1 for indoors if I had gone.
More importantly... how was the smog this year? Have they done anything to improve the ventilation? I haven't gone in two years now because the exhaust made us all sick. Shame too cuz its such a great event.
Trials jobs (that pay) certainly are hard to come by. But there are other motorcycle jobs available, for instance in the training industry. I work part time as an MSF coach in New York. It pays decent and is a very satisfying job. Hard work but where else can you get paid to ride motorcycles? Coaches work free lance as each class runs only 2.5 days. So it's great for extra income (I just work weekends). But for some coaches this is their primary job. The free lance work is great, work as much or as little as you like.
I see that most of you are in the UK where MUCH more rider training is required than the USA. So I'd assume there should be many more rider education positions available for you Tommy's.
Its a wonderful gig for me, extra money and I get to ride a little. Also possibly saving the lives of noobie riders is rewarding enough in itself. And an unexpected side benefit: it had the second biggest impact on my riding skills. My single biggest skill improver was buying a trials bike.
As crazy as this may sound, I start with my foot 2 inches off the kickstarter. Then whip it through. The extra 2 inches seems to really help. Don't bother finding top dead center or trying to go easy on the starter gear teeth. It just doesn't start using the same method as my old 2000 TXT321. Now that I have the hang of it, the '05 PRO starts first or second kick.
Thank you Ron for "80cc" story. That must be a first, huh? In the USA at least.
Another rider that impressed the heck out of me is Louise Forsley. She just gets better and better and better. Her learning curve is really accelerating out of sight. Its fun wondering "how good can she get?"
Jesse, don't take offence about the "ugly red bike ". You know those Sherco guys can be very jealous of other bikes that aren't blue.
This wasn't like a motorcycle at all. It was a precision instrument. BIG HOOK !! 
But the friendly spectating crowd was really fun to hang with. 
I continued to make slow, painful and unsteady progress. Progress plateaus now and then. Anyhow trials riding with my buddies was just as much fun as I remember having on my old purple Yamaha Enduro LT100 when I was 14. Only better because more control = more fun. HOOK !! 
I got vertigo from all the dam markers. (Anyone in 3D understands why). But if ever there was a relaxing fun club, 3D is it. Great bunch of oddballs. Okay I'll come back. HOOK !
Also the air on the floor isn't as bad as in the stands. Guess I'll have to ride it next year. Keep that Cota in one piece!
3d Club Season Opener
in USA Trials
Posted · Edited by 327 MAG
Jim,
This sucks. NETA Meriden is the same day again.
Tough decision which direction to point the truck sunday morning.
Maybe I should help with the 3D schedule next year