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Gas Gas - Self Promotion Diatribe


4ourtea
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I was just thinking (easy there)......

If promotion is such a worry for anybody then they could remove all the badges/decals from their bike and even the manufacturers name from their car and clothing etc..... Oh and leave the bike name blank on the entry form when they enter a trial too. :guinness:

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I knew I'd get a reaction. John will no doubt be delighted with everyone's support.

I haven't got (as some people seem to have interpreted) a personal dislike for Shirty at all. Whether people think I'm an idiot or worse... I care not. This site has had plenty of reactionary posts put up on it and no action has been taken with them so I think that Andy has taken a relatively level headed view by leaving my posting up.

However, the fact that a reader may have only posted 20 posts since January 06 (and thereby is deemed an insignificant contributor) doesn't mean a reader can't contribute and post a view. If "only 20 posts" was a valid reason for me not being allowed to "contribute", the editor should have pulled the piece rather than post it. The inferrence is that had I written 220 posts, then my current piece would have been more acceptable...? I don't think so. No, I don't cough up the tenner to the site but then I don't pay before giving my opinion to my local councillor or MP either. If the

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i enjoy shirty's reports even thou i'm not a gas gas owner.

4ourtea, we all entitled to an opionion i've read yours and guess what your a ****!!! Keep to riding the KTM i'm sure you can really push a 525cc to limit, mind you i bet you have a thing or too to say about why david knight is such a good rider, but then lets hope KTM don't say what a great rider he is. just one more thing 4ourtea "I am gay".

Edited by Andy
Insult replaced :D
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i enjoy shirty's reports even thou i'm not a gas gas owner.

4ourtea, we all entitled to an opionion i've read yours and guess what your a ****!!! Keep to riding the KTM i'm sure you can really push a 525cc to limit, mind you i bet you have a thing or too to say about why david knight is such a good rider, but then lets hope KTM don't say what a great rider he is. just one more thing 4ourtea "you cock".

Freedom of expression is a wonderful thing, crude name-calling not so clever. TC has always had a reasonable standard of debating, I'm hoping that remains the case.

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Thankfully the majority of respondents to this original posting are very much in favour of John Shirt's reportings on this website.

If you are an importer of a product, and that product is your lifeblood, then it makes good business sense to promote that product at every available opportunity. So John Shirt sensibly produces a report of events and outlines the results of his riders. If he has good business sense he also supplies regular editorial material, including suitable photographs to every other publication that is likely to use them. Let me say now, that as a long time journalist, the material that was used in the paper was that which was supplied editorial ready, well written, clear and concise with good pictures. In other words, if John Shirt had the good sense to do my job for me, then there was every chance his material would get used.

He's doing that with Trials Central, and like the editorial contributed to every publication it's entirely up to you as the reader to either read it or turn over the page, or in the case of a website, click your mouse to another subject.

Rather than criticise John Shirt for plugging Gas Gas, the criticisms should perhaps be aimed at the traders who DON'T promote their products. In fact, look at my user name, I have the sense (I hope) to make good use of the company with whom I am involved.

As an individual I have had the occasional run in with the Shirts, and whilst I don't intend to go over that subject again, at the time the two Johns were actively protecting their product, and for that alone, they have my admiration. As the years have passed, we have all mellowed and I like to think that the relationship between us is stronger than it ever was. They realise that back in those troubled days I was only doing my job, equally, they were doing their best to protect their business. That we fell out is well known, it's also well known that we are again on good terms.

I've known both Shirts for nearly 30 years. Young Shirty was a little s*** at one time, but he's grown into a superb guy and NEVER fails to be anything other than 100% with me. Equally Senior tells it as it is, and if we have to differ we do, but our interests are mutual, and that's the long term future of trials.

So let me finish by saying that John Shirt should continue to do what he sees fit to promote his product, and so should anybody else. If you don't like it, don't read it, but don't waste time castigating somebody for doing their job properly.

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To clarify something. As part of their sponsorship of Trials Central, sponsors are told at the outset and actively encouraged to provide news, reports, details of new products, special offers etc. Shirty is the only one that's really embraced this and probably gets more value for money than any of the others by doing so. I do wish the other sponsors would do likewise. Perhaps then it wouldn't look so one-sided.

I think Shirty's post-event reports are a good thing for the riders for a couple of reasons. Firstly it's a nice wee boost for them to get a little bit of recognition - he even mentions them when they might not have had such a good ride and is always encouraging and secondly these guys are all seeking sponsors - the more their name is spread about the better.

The only thing that REALLY pee's me off is his insistence that "well done" is one bloody word (ie welldone) and I have to go through correcting!!! ARRRGHHHHHHH!!!!!!! :guinness:

PS. Spud. Out of order. Post edited.

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Ell, Mr. 4ourtea,whoever you are,I think you need informing of a few basic facts.

1 John Shirt supports many young hopfull riders and also the TC website through his business and would not be the successfull businessman he is without his undying passion for the sport. Perhaps you would love to gloat if his company went under through lack of effort,in a difficult market.

2 Jnr. is always more than fair in his comments about rival riders and importers. i.e. Recent references to Dougie, Graham, and Rhoda's kind words to Steve Colley at Skyrakes.In fact he is sometimes critical of his own team riders if they don't come up to scratch. Constructive critisism but as always meant from the heart and straight talking like he always is.

3 In regard to the pro, John never shyed away from full back up ,now and in it's early days and maybe it was a year or so too soon for the general public but JST and GG factory were put under great pressure to have a revolutionary new bike with such brilliant design and weightsaving, unlike nearly all the opposition plugging away with the same old bikes with new stickers every year. "We want one like Adam's.

4 I really can't understand the stupid anti GG attitude that some ignorant people seem to revel in and I can only comment on my own and Alexz's experience with the product. Fact. Alexz has riden GG machines for 9 seasons and only once failed to complete an event this being in 1999 when the main bearings seized on a pre Pro model BEARING FAILIURE. Fact.One trial at Hawkesnest we had a misfire due to a lose earth wire.MY FAULT. Fact 2005 Southern experts we had the bike stopping on full noise,overtightening the Keihin drain nut had knocked a bit of metal off the inside of the carb intermittantly getting sucked into the mainjet.MY FAULT. Fact, The 125 at this years UK World Round the fuel breather stuck on section 4 first lap. This was not a genuine GG part but an alloy aftermarket part a couple of years old. MY FAULT? Fact At the BTC round at Skyrakes the other day the extra flywheel retaining nut came undone and wiped out the lighting coil wires and we fixed up the flywheel and decided to carry on topping the coolant up at every section due to shortage of time, Alexz finished in third place. I didnt locktite it. MY FAULT

Apart from these problems mainly my mistakes ( nobody's perfect ) we have had 1 gearbox re-build and welded up the exaust brackets quite a few times. Fact Our bikes have always come out of the box and have only been prepared by a boring old fart in a shed in Winslow with technical help from Jonh Jnr. and Factory Kev at GG UK. i.e. not factory specials. Fact. These have been our only problems in well over 500 events, plus practise days. IF any of you subscribe to Mr. 4ourtea's opinions you all must be as stupid as him. Alexz's results over the last 9 years could not have been such a great success without such a Brilliant, Lightweight, innovative and totally reliable machine as THE GREAT GAS GAS PRO AND JOHN SHIRTS JNR & SNR. NUFF SAID.

Bigwig AKA Julian.

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MY FAULT. Fact, The 125 at this years UK World Round the fuel breather stuck on section 4 first lap. This was not a genuine GG part but an alloy aftermarket part a couple of years old. MY FAULT? Fact At the BTC round at Skyrakes the other day the extra flywheel retaining nut came undone and wiped out the lighting coil wires and we fixed up the flywheel and decided to carry on topping the coolant up at every section due to shortage of time, Alexz finished in third place. I didnt locktite it. MY FAULT

Beg to differ on this point Julian, it's (IMO) Alexz' fault. It's his ride and he's responsible for making sure everything's fine & dandy whether or not he worked on it.

M2CW

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Beg to differ on this point Julian, it's (IMO) Alexz' fault. It's his ride and he's responsible for making sure everything's fine & dandy whether or not he worked on it.

M2CW

If you would've read Shirty's report, you would know - Alexz isn't the best mechanic in the world.

I knew there had to be a weakness in the UK Wonderkids game. Thanks for that tidbit Shirty......

Edited by City Trials
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3 posts from PHYSCO and a grand total of 5 words...

Saving up 'em all up for the next YOU HAVE USED WORDS OR A PHRASE WHICH ARE NOT PERMITTED ON THIS WEBSITE. PLEASE DELETE YOUR POST/TOPIC. DO NOT TRY TO CIRCUMVENT THE FILTERS IN PLACE ON THIS WEBSITE John? Leave some room for the piccies ;)

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