ishy Posted September 13, 2007 Report Share Posted September 13, 2007 Has it always been so hard for a talented rider to get sponsorship ?. I see posts were very good riders can't afford to attend the world events because it's way beyond there means, is the profit margin for factory,importer, dealer so close to the bone that the best a top rider can hope for, is a loan of a bike and/or help with expenses if lucky. I see some think the cost of a new bike is too much, on the other hand I hear the profit margin is so small that, people in the business to make a living, are struggling to keep afloat. I may be wrong, but it seemed to me twenty years ago the shops had more lad's out on the hill with a bit of sponsorship, the importer could have a few more riding international events, and the factory would have more world riders, or do you think the top few in the world now demand the whole pie, and there simply isn't any crumbs left. I also see posts where some think the sponsorship from, factory, importer, dealer should be more, but how can it if there isn't any more to give, do we realize how stretched it really is, or do you think they are on a good earner. Trials riders for the most part seem to be very careful how they spend the hard earned, but the price change of a bike over the past twenty years doesn't seem high compared with other items. Trials has to be by far the cheapest form of motor sport, with a full day of trials costing very little to enter and compete in, when compared with the price of other clubman's motor sports, you would think that new and used bikes would be in high demand, and sponsorship and participation would be up, it doesn't look that way to me. Or do you think in reality trials is just going the way of the polar ice cap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorpa3 Posted September 13, 2007 Report Share Posted September 13, 2007 Remember dealers/importers took a big hit on the price of new trials bikes back in '97. I paid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billyp Posted September 13, 2007 Report Share Posted September 13, 2007 Remember dealers/importers took a big hit on the price of new trials bikes back in '97. I paid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandelboy Posted September 13, 2007 Report Share Posted September 13, 2007 interesting points you raise, i think until someone can convince the mainstream tv companies to maybe televise perhaps the british champoinship rounds on a regular basis, real deal sponsorship will be hard to find. If a company wants to advertise itself then to attatch its name to high profile sporting personality for maximum exposure then that personality needs to be seen. I think also if the general motorcycle public got to see what trials is really about they would find it exciting enough to come to the bigger events to watch in the flesh, then you never know with enough people there the clubs might be able to charge for entry and the riders might get paid some prize money and maybe that would help to finance a crack at the world rounds. Just ask anyone from the public domain in their forties do you remember junior Kickstart and they will say oh yes that motorbike program that peter purves used to host that was great was"nt it. What Trials needs is a bernie ecclestone type person to bring it to the fore to get better recognition for the brilliant talent we have in this country and to show off their brilliant hard earned skills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul w Posted September 13, 2007 Report Share Posted September 13, 2007 sponsorship is a funny old thing, the importers dont need to give product away, they can always sell full allocation of bikes no matter what. ancillery product factors will give away small ammount of there product to good riders,unless the team or individual is already successfull then they may pay to get there name on the bike. having come from a road racing background there are two types of riders, the truly good and the very rich. the same in every form of motor sport, it will never change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bilco Posted September 13, 2007 Report Share Posted September 13, 2007 Im glad i experianced Trial's all those year's ago,there was no glamour or glitz to the sport,just get on your bike and ride,now i truly believe trial's at the top end has gone well above it's station,maybe the factory's feel they have to chuck all there money at a few good rider's to keep them,i don't know. Don't let's be fooled here there is no big money coming from the outside,if it has'nt come by now it never will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomant Posted September 13, 2007 Report Share Posted September 13, 2007 ....What Trials needs is a bernie ecclestone type person to bring it to the fore to get better recognition for the brilliant talent we have in this country and to show off their brilliant hard earned skills. You been reading some of my earlier posts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ishy Posted September 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2007 Got me thinking on how much world rounds have changed from the first running in 75. Back then the top riders all rode the major trials like the SSDT and Scott plus the big nationals, those event's were close to the type of section and style they were riding at world level. I just seem to remember there were more good center riders on a Shirty yam, or Appy's Mon't, with many other well known shops and dealer bikes with a good local lad on them Now if your a top contender you need to stick with world type sections that have no resemblance to what the clubman sport of trials is about, and it's rare for a clubman to ride the same event as a top contender, but in the past you often could, did this attract riders, Did Doug, entering the Scott boost entries last year and this ?. In a way Doug's career has come full circle, winning the Scott and the SSD in the early 90's probably over a very similar course that his dad won on in the 70's and last year returned to win the Scott, with entry in this year, and also talk of an 08 SSDT ride. What would change if there wasn't a world championship, or if the FIM named x amount of event's a year like the two above as world championship point scoring round's, bet you wouldn't get too many minders following their riders round the Scott No doubt what the top world riders can do is fantastic for the enthusiast to spectate, but just like 30 years ago, it still is the enthusiast who's the spectator, Joe public doesn't seem too bothered even with all the bells whistles and show added. Trials does need more sales and bodies on bikes and involved with the running of event's, in your opinion what would entice more into the game, the world circus, or the club side of the sport ?. I have no clue, just thought I would raise some different question than what bike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbo Posted September 13, 2007 Report Share Posted September 13, 2007 ...pardon me for barging in... As a longtime motorcyclist, 35 years, 500,000 miles street, unknown dirt miles. I was completely ignorant of the sport of trials. Only in the last couple of years have I begun to get involved, and that only with the help of a very involved trials riding friend of mine who has supplied me with a nice old fantic to bounce along the sections with. Now, it's not to brag, but with the available space that we have here in the states, and the popularity of bmx trick riding and urban affluence, I think that the sport could be on the brink of an explosion here. I'm not sure what the catalyst will be, but I was quite pleased to see so many people who were not technically "enthusiasts" at the world round at Sequatchee Tennessee last year. True, participation in the smaller events, like the STRA event that I attended earlier this year is not overwhelming, but the sport appears to have an incredible amount of potential. As a motorcycle skills instructor for street bikes, i make regular references to the sport of trials and have had several students contact me pursuing trials riding. I'm completely ignorant of the history of trials, but I'm constantly immersing myself in the community as I become more and more enamored of the sport. I truly hope that in this new age of the motorcycle, which appears to be blossoming here in the US, that trials will be pulled along into the limelight, hopefully without some of the negative press the sportbiking and cruiser crowds have brought with them. I would have to say, that as far as motorcyle communities go, the people I've met riding trials are by far the most pleasant. Happy Trials.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandelboy Posted September 13, 2007 Report Share Posted September 13, 2007 (edited) no Atom i havent been reading any particular post that you might have put out ,its just that i come from a Speedway background and i have 3 young lads that ride Trials and obviously i can see the potential for the sport if handled correctly . It seems to me that if the sport is highlighted and youngsters are watching on TV then it could also bring new young blood into the game. Ican remember from my own point of view watching The world speedway final and seeing Ivan Mauger win ,it just took my imagination and i had to do it so started out on junior grasstrack after pestering my non motorcyclist father into submission for a crack at it. I showed a mate who didnt know a great deal about trials a WTC dvd the other week and he was in awe of what the boys are doing these days. Show that sort of thing to the right audience and it could encourage more kids to want to have a go.... ie more sales etc anything that becomes popular has spin offs for everyone. Edited September 13, 2007 by pandelboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malibudon Posted September 13, 2007 Report Share Posted September 13, 2007 Now, it's not to brag, but with the available space that we have here in the states, and the popularity of bmx trick riding and urban affluence, I think that the sport could be on the brink of an explosion here. I'm not sure what the catalyst will be, but I was quite pleased to see so many people who were not technically "enthusiasts" at the world round at Sequatchee Tennessee last year. True, participation in the smaller events, like the STRA event that I attended earlier this year is not overwhelming, but the sport appears to have an incredible amount of potential. Admit it, Jimbo, you stole these sentences from the many articles on trials in US magazines in the early 1970s. To me, trials in the US had its chance in the 1970s. There were four Japanese manufacturers, three Spanish and a few from the UK. The public's response was a collective yawn. Yamaha tried again in the 1980s with the TY350. Many were left languishing on showroom floors, even as they made up the majority of local event entries. I love trials, but I also realize that (at least to Americans) it is a strange sport with a strange concept. We ride motorcycles but don't go fast or jump high? You're penalized for putting your foot down? Huh??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toofasttim Posted September 13, 2007 Report Share Posted September 13, 2007 I love trials, but I also realize that (at least to Americans) it is a strange sport with a strange concept. We ride motorcycles but don't go fast or jump high? You're penalized for putting your foot down? Huh??? Yeah I'd figured that trials is a bit far left of centre for many "national personalties" The US and South Africa to name two. I still don't know about NZ but it's probably considered a little less eccentric here than it would be in the US or SA. However, the US seems to have adopted golf which is IMO as eccentric as trials. Go figure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joostio Posted September 14, 2007 Report Share Posted September 14, 2007 I think Jimbo is onto something, traditional trials will be hard to get lots more peolpe interested in. I think that the new group of cross over people will be from mountain biking. I live on Vancouver island BC Canada, we have awesome single track trails. we have a small group of ridders (trials) here and we 99% trail ride. We had a downhill MB guy buy a sherco and he is totally into it. The MB guys have no concept of going up some of their trails, when this new guy rode with us he was amazed. A good event to help gain popularity would be to go to a Mountain Bike park in a place like Whistler and have uphill races. just a thought. Also some demos in a few skate parks would be fun and good eposure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomant Posted September 14, 2007 Report Share Posted September 14, 2007 no Atom i havent been reading any particular post that you might have put out ,its just that i come from a Speedway background and i have 3 young lads that ride Trials and obviously i can see the potential for the sport if handled correctly . It seems to me that if the sport is highlighted and youngsters are watching on TV then it could also bring new young blood into the game. Ican remember from my own point of view watching The world speedway final and seeing Ivan Mauger win ,it just took my imagination and i had to do it so started out on junior grasstrack after pestering my non motorcyclist father into submission for a crack at it. I showed a mate who didnt know a great deal about trials a WTC dvd the other week and he was in awe of what the boys are doing these days. Show that sort of thing to the right audience and it could encourage more kids to want to have a go.... ie more sales etc anything that becomes popular has spin offs for everyone. Speedway is easier to market than trials I would guess. Its in a stadium - easy to set up cameras and film it etc - and its fast and exciting. All motor sports which have a speed element and generally well supported - I wonder why that is Trials is exciting but non hardened enthusiasts only seem to like watching it when someone falls off in spectacular fashion from some great height! I was showing one of my sons friend some vid of Toni Bou doing his stuff and he was watching. When it ended he said, " Damn.. he didnt fall off. That would have been cool if he fell off from that big rock! [HA HA]" WTC is moving in that direction I think. Theres been quite a few injuries this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomant Posted September 14, 2007 Report Share Posted September 14, 2007 I love trials, but I also realize that (at least to Americans) it is a strange sport with a strange concept. We ride motorcycles but don't go fast or jump high? You're penalized for putting your foot down? Huh??? However, the US seems to have adopted golf which is IMO as eccentric as trials. Go figure. Golf has 3 main things that trials doesn't have - Its clean - Theres big money in it and you can drink beer when doing it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.