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Thanks, Everyone! Yesterday, I rode the SCTA event in Lucerne and just entered the Novice class. It was a very hot day out in the desert, but it was a great ride. As Glenn mentioned, at the end of the day I was smiling, tired and not hurt. It was great!!! One thing I noticed is that the upper classes were riding things MUCH MORE DIFFICULT than I remember from the last events I entered 12+ years ago. Things have changed more than I thought.

BillyT, I'm in Southern California. The first round of the season is this coming Sunday.

Sounds like great advice. Start easy and just keep going. Good luck competing against your kid in expert!

Thanks, that sounds like a perfect solution. For some reason, at this later stage of life, starting over at the beginning and truly working up the classes and proving that I stuck with it and mastered each class seems more desirable. However, it also seems a bit unfair on my part, since many of the Novice riders have NEVER ridden in an event before and are struggling with just getting through.

Hi Everyone, I've been riding Trials off and on for many years, but never competed on a regular basis. I would enter a few events in various classes and do OK, but circumstances kept me from completing a full season of competition. The last time I entered a competition was 12 years ago. About about 4 months ago, I decided to get serious about riding Trials again, and have been out every weekend practicing. Since my skills are quite varied, it's hard to determine what class I should start competing in. In looking at videos of some recent events, it seems that things have changed a lot over the years since my last competition. Should I just start over at the beginning at the Novice level and work my way up, or try Sportsman or higher? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

The "clutch" switch is definitely "different", but for stopping, etc., it seems normal. For VERY low-speeds, the clutch is not required whatsoever. Throttle alone can handle that just fine. The same applies to most "roll-ups" and "double-blips". Even large steps seem to be handled with throttle alone, however, there is much I still need to learn.

That sounds like a good way to improve the queue issue. As you pointed out, making sure there is a way around the section is obviously a necessary. Any thoughts about how to get more people involved? I've talked to a number of people in our local motorcycle shops and their main comment is that they think it's too hard for them to even attempt, even though they have been street, or off-road, riders.

The EM 5.7 has many similarities to a Sherco, but the electric system is amazing. No shifting, a "clutch-like" switch, and a power setting switch for selecting various throttle response curves. The Novice mode is very tame and suitable for someone who has never ridden before, the Trek mode is good for average trail (loop) riding if there are no major hills/steps to deal with, the Trials mode also uses a thumb switch near the throttle to select two different curves: one for full-power, quick response and the other for about 95% power and smoother response. The latter mode is good for loose terrain and/or muddy, slippery sections. It definitely feels like a regular Trials bike when ridden. I've had a couple of expert riders put it through it's paces and it performed well. It sounds basically like a petrol bikes does when coasting downhill with the engine off. Chain noise predominates and the motor has a quiet, pleasing sound. However, when going downhill, the motor does produce an odd whining sound, but still very quiet. It also has a button on the left that engages re-generative braking. It feels somewhat like the compression release on a two-stroke does when engaged on a downhill. The energy from the motor is fed-back into the battery and slows you down at the same time. I'm still trying to figure out how to use the "clutch". It basically shuts the motor off when pulled, but when released, it will instantly accelerate to whatever the throttle was set to. This is challenging since there is nothing moving, nor any sound, while advancing the throttle when the clutch is pulled. As a result, I have to guess where the throttle is set, then release the clutch for an immediate surprise. I'm sure with time, I'll be able to get the correct feel for setting the throttle. On steep hills, it just climbs, and climbs and climbs. Just add more throttle. So far, after a full day of riding, the most I've used was only 40% of the battery capacity. In 45-60 minutes, the battery can be fully charged from that point. It takes at least a couple of hours to fully charge the battery if it's nearly depleted. Plus, I can ride it in our yard and the next-door neighbor doesn't even notice!

Yes, that's a good point. Perhaps some of the events could be shorter and have different start times. That way, riders wouldn't spend most of their time in queues. Although, watching other riders can be fun and beneficial. The last event I rode in (2003?) had 3 loops to complete the first day and my first lap took nearly 3 hours. Not to mention, riding the loop itself was much harder than many of the sections. I recall Trials "classes" at a location here in Southern California called Saddleback Park where the first couple of hours were instructional, and a short (5+ sections) event was held for during the last 2 hours. Those used to have many riders attending and events where held several times per month. They also welcomed non-trials bikes.

Hello Everyone, I just recently returned to trials after having been involved in an on-and-off manner for the past 30+ years. Living in California, the environmental/air quality issues made purchasing a bike that I could ride all year long extremely difficult. I ended up buying an Electric Motion 5.7 and really love it. However, now there are now fewer places to ride and fewer trial riders at the events. Trials seems to be on a very steep decline and I would like to hear your opinions as to why that may be happening. I've seen the OSET company trying to get very young riders involved in trials, and I think that's great. But what do you think can be done to get more teens and young adults involved? Is it FIM rules, extreme sections, cost, or something else. I know when I show work mates what I'm doing, they seem interested and want to give it a go. But without someone they know who's actually doing it, they seem to think that trials is way beyond their skill level. Is the press making trials seem too extreme? Thanks in advance for you comments. Best regards!