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Ryan Young is always there and is a great teacher as was Ray Peters when I attended. Most students are beginner-novice level so don't expect Ryan to be teaching techniques from his advanced training video to a group of high level riders. It's good for learning the basics.

I ride trials stuff on my MX bike and when the power valve kicks in it get scary! Fantic had an exhaust valve and they went out out business shortly after. It seemed to just add weight with no benefits.

Trials bikes are among the quietest two strokes. I think there is a regulation in Europe where trials bikes have to be legal on the road which is probably why they are quiet and have lights.

Most guys are looking for less power so modifying the exhaust is not a good idea unless you want more high end power at the expense of low end which will make it less like a trials bike. Trials bikes don't have expansion chambers because they are tuned for trials. My middle box is packed with coarse stainless steel wool so it is not easily repackable. I made a door of sorts and can open it and burn out the oil. My silencer bent so badly I had to cut it up and have it welded to stop tire rubbing.

I can hop the rear just like the TTC video but I always think turn right to hop right which you can see he does on the first hop. Then he says turn right to hop left which is not the best way to teach the hop. Most students will just get the rear up with no side movement. I might have been there that same weekend of the video and everybody struggles with side hops as I did at the time. I suggest it's easier to do it when you think turn right to hop right.

My breakthrough in learning to move the rear wheel sideway was turning right to move the rear right whether stationary or in motion. If you watch anyone moving the rear to the right you will see a moment when the bars turn to the right when it gets airborne.

I have an 07 Gas Gas and have had 3 Ducati regulator/rectifiers fail. Once no spark, twice no fan and each time there was a burn mark on the epoxy showing that some component (diode?) burned out. The box is mounted above the radiator and my theory is as it heats up the fan power output decreases making the bike run hotter eventually making the regulator/rectifier fail. I moved the box to behind the number plate and so far no problems. A quick test would be to look and feel how fast your fan is running. If it is slow, you could be prone to failure. On a side note, I am still using my Ducati box with no fan power. I'm running the fan off of 10 nimh AA batteries running through a motor speed controller, voltage meter as well as using stock thermostat. I have to swap batteries once during a regular riding session. Also for amusement and curiosity, I put a meat thermometer in a gap between the radiator and shroud.

Check these out: http://youtu.be/IT98bNoSvzU?list=UU754QRdUQw3d9n6o4i1Fpuw One thing Ryan Young and Andreu Codina don't mention is when you want to hop the rear to the right, use handlebar turning pressure to the right when the wheel comes up as seen in the supermoto video. Turn back to the left to control landing. The supermoto guy is sitting the whole time and doesn't use much hip. A stationary trials hop to the right will have the front tire turned to the left, front brake to get rear up, handlebar turning pressure to the right with hip movement, then straighten front wheel and stop with front wheel turned left.

You should check out nearby Donner Ski Ranch in Truckee. They had several world rounds there. I don't know if you can ride there but some amazing terrain.

Mine is an 07. When mine started squealing a several years ago I kept lubing it and it lasted another year before burning out. If you drill the fan like my tip, you could probably get more life by lubing both ends of motor. Here's a cheap motor that might work but the shaft isn't round. You could put epoxy in it. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0096BJ92E/ref=pe_385040_128020140_TE_3p_dp_1 I burned out a Graupner Speed 500E motor after a few years which is actually a Mabuchi motor with a sticker on it. Right now I'm using a motor pulled from a O2 Cool 10 inch portable fan.

I have to agree with this. As long as your shock is not blown and your not way to heavy, ride with what you got. For months I rode my 07 GG with 1995 forks and I didn't ride any worse. MX guys tend to be obsessive about suspension. It's not as important with trials unless you are at a very high level. I don't mess much with rebound or compression because it doesn't make much difference.

During the 90's a dab while stopped was a 5. It was enforced like today's no-stop rule and observers let you stop for up to 3 seconds if you made an effort to look like you are not stopped. Observers tended to be lenient about stopping and going backwards just like today. They don't want to give a 5 if you are using all your might to push yourself over that log even though you are not moving forward and bouncing backwards. There were a few observers who were strict about stopping with your foot down and that's when the arguing started. Riders now don't like no stop because of the conflicts with observers it causes and inconsistencies in scoring. The same thing happened with stopped+dab=5. That said, it make me cringe when I see a rider who is too lazy to walk the section cruise into it and at the first split takes a 30 second dab, chats with the observer about what line to take, and rides out with a one.

I don't think Gas Gas is financially sound. In the retrotrials.com interview of the GG founder, he says GG is 90% owned by the government and doesn't think they will survive. I also got the sense the he is bitter about GG and doesn't wish them well since he left. GG received a 2 million euro loan from the government and another 4 million investment last March. Do financially sound companies need all that outside money? http://trialscentral.com/news-archive/trials-bike-news/15692-gas-gas-in-the-money

My 1995 and earlier trials bikes were pretty good for trail riding with their more linear gearing. I think the Contact would be better if they used the old Contact motor with the old style gearing. It would gain about 15 lbs but the motor would be more reliable. You don't need the Pro motor for casual trials and trail riding.

With the exception of the seat and gas tank, the Contact looks like the Eco model they have been selling in the US for a while. Lower grade suspension, components and leftovers for a lower price point. It won't be a good trail bike because it uses the same gearing as a regular trials bike with the huge jump between 4th and 5th. It uses a smaller carb than the pro which might explain 50:1

I found a way to remove the motor without destroying it. You drill a couple of holes in the fan to access the two motor mount screws. Then when you tap out the shaft, the motor will fall out. You can now lube both bearings if squealing and replace the motor. Put some tape on to cover the drilled holes when finished. You could also try pulling the fan. The fit isn't as tight as before on mine and I can pull off and push on the fan without much effort. I ordered a motor from a US source and it looks like it will fit. Geeks use these motors to build robots. http://www.trossenrobotics.com/store/p/5151-RS-540-Motor-12V.aspx

I suggest to middle aged newbies to not think about trying to zap until you have a few years experience under your belt. You can get up huge rocks with just the double blip and roll up. I've been riding 30+ years and can only get a couple of inches of back tire lift when trying to zap so I just place a kicker on undercuts to make it easier with the double blip.

I had a piece of wood glued to my flywheel cover to protect the shifter and it broke off during a crash this weekend. I may have gone overboard with this golf driver glued on, but it will protect the shifter! 20141123_235805 by burning retinas, on Flickr

I'm reluctant to let enduro guys try out my Gas Gas. If I let them, I would tell them not to shift or kickstart. After replacing the kickstart gear, idler gear, top hat, and splitting the cases to replace the gearshift link, I don't want anybody treating my fragile gearbox like a normal bike. I have Japanese MX, Enduro and dual sport bikes and I can hammer the shifter and kick lever all day and not do any damage. Enduro guys think they can do the same with a trials bike. With my GG, I need to be careful with every kick and shift. Gentle with the shifts and make sure the kick start gear is engaged before kicking. I've had electrical issues also, which seem to be specific to my 2007 model.

I had one Ducati unit fail and the fan stopped working but the engine ran. Replaced it and a few years later it failed with no spark. There were burnt marks on the epoxy in different places. Right now I'm running my bike with the first failed unit but using a battery to run the fan. When you replaced the diode, did you have a spark but no fan or no spark?

Danny rides a silent motorcycle: Over 135k views in one week with unimpressive skills.

Geoff Aaron is 6'4" and doesn't use risers. Looks like he runs stock height. Pretty good rider, 10x champ.

How fast is your fan spinning? On newer bikes you can hear the fan and feel a strong air flow. I've had problems with my Ducati rectifier where it doesn't put out enough power to make the fan spin fast enough. Those model boat motors work well as replacements.

I think it's normal for an average use trials bike ridden by an average rider to not need a new top end for up to 10 years or more because of the low rpms involved. MX and enduro bikes need new top ends as part of regular maintenance, but a well maintained trials bike won't need it for many years. I would look for another bike to buy as this one was probably not well taken care of.

My gloves of choice are the next best thing to no gloves at all, and only $5 at Home Depot. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Grease-Monkey-Coated-Gripping-Glove-Medium-25052-030/202709678 They don't get smelly in the summer, dry quickly, and you can forget you are wearing gloves since they are so thin.