My impression, mainly based on watching the indoor trials series is that Bou has raised his game a notch. He just seems to have that few % more confidence and ability compared to last year. Although anyone can slip as he did on the first day I would not be surprised if he goes on to dominate the season by a wide margin.
Jack is not well enough to compete in this round or the next in japan I think, due to his injury from the indoor trial which was his first back from his unlucky injury at sheffield.
Easter will always bring reduced entries as there are plenty of other events on and thats without family stuff/work etc.
The organisers simply need to get on with it and not worry about numbers. They did so very well at Mow Cop there is no reason why if they keep up this standard of events that the series will succeed where the Sebac failed/got swamped by over 40 or 50's. Build it and they will come! My entries in!
Or do it the right way with a tyre beader. You can buy one from any good trials dealer and it will pay for itself in no time with ease of fitting safely.
Its basically the bmx innertube made of sponge and works a treat.
Its so easy to cheat a system which is a) not at all worth doing ie adding lead weight to comply, and easy to circumvent because everyone knows when and where the bikes are tested.
Personally, (as I have said before) I think the market should decide. If somebody believes a modern mono trials bike with a air cooled head and barrel is the answer, then they should produce it and reap the rewards of an exploding market that has been waiting for such a bike. If they are successful, the others would surely follow.
It seems to me that all the modern bike OEMs have followed a long history of technical innovation in developing the next best thing. Maybe this is the time for something different, but I seriously doubt anything the FIM mandates will be the answer. (at least from this shoot from the hip - no market data based group now in place) NONE of the modern OEMs are selling tons of there cheaper, heavier bikes as compared to the light weight and expensive versions. Forcing them to do so to grow the market is not a rational conclusion.
NONE of the 2t OEMS have publicly supported any of the changes. In fact, all the new bikes seem to fly in the face of the new rules. Interestingly, The videos of all the WTC riders practicing seem to indicate they haven't given up on the stop and hop techniques either. To those folks who point out that the OEMS arent forced to change, only the WTC riders, then I would ask what good are the rules then. There supposed to help drive sales somehow.
It seems backwards to me. In the past, weight limits were put in place to protect the small manufactures that didn't have the deep wallets of the big three who could outspend everyone else to gain insurmountable advantage. Now, its the small guys with the advantage and the big ones pulling for the changes for regulation to remove the competitive advantages.
I say produce what you want and let the market decide. If your a big manufacturer, use your extensive engineering to win the market. Or Even maybe your extensive marketing group that can unveil the huge market for next big thing in trials - heck, maybe even a low cost, super reliable, air cooled mono.
If all you (FIM) can come up with, is "well something had to be done", then sorry, I doubt many will rush to follow your lead. (I point to exhibit A - this long thread)
i spoke to the ohlins shock guy and he said for anyshock to work on continuous usage it needs a reservoir, thats what he has on all the works bikes, pretty sure fuji had it on his bike when they tore it down at shefield one year.
I probably view it as one man's quest to build his perfect bike but entirely share the view held by Greeves regarding modifications to existing twinshock bikes.
For a bike to be perfect it must have few if any faults, I think the x lite is in need of several modifications and a way off perfect.
easy to circumvent because everyone knows when and where the bikes are tested.
Fim Minimum Bike Weight Increase 2014? What?
in World Championship Chat
Posted
think again.