I ride road bikes with a buddy at work. His only dirt bike experience was with a YZ125...two weeks on crutches afterward, so I worked long and hard to get him out on a Trials bike. I showed him all the videos and stuff, and he thought they were neat, but they jast reaffirmed that there was no way he would ever try that stuff.

It's taken a year, and 3000 miles on the road bikes, but I finally got him out last week, on my two GasGases, a 280 and a 321. Guy was real pensive at first, so I did a little pit training, then we just sort of played follow the leader and I took him on a gentle trail ride through the rocks. He couldn't believe how stable the things were, and rode things he hadn't dreamed he could ever do. Most important, he could touch the ground and he didn't crash. Grinned all day!

He has two road bikes, a Buell, which has never run decent, and a Kawasaki Concours. The day after the ride on the Trials bikes, he took the Buell down and traded it for a new Montesa Cota. The Honda dealership in St George thought they would be a Trials dealership, and got in three Montesas, then they had a management row and fired all their staff, including the only guys who knew anything about Trials. So they had this brand new 2002 Cota sitting there that nobody knew anything about. They were tickled to unload the Montesa and he was tickled to get it. Now I'm working with him to get him ready for his first Novice ride in the meet next month. He's even already bought a new helmet and boots. He's stoked, and estatic to have finally unloaded that POS Buell.

Showing guys the big guns on the videos doing their death defying thing usually will just scare them off. Wait till after they get excited about the sport...then show them what can be done. But the bottom line is...if you want guys to ride with...get em out on a bike. Usually it only takes once.

Great story Ridge:

I have found that most guys who ride other forms of motorcycles ALWAYS enjoy getting out on a trials bike. Some dive in head first like your friend, others continue to dabble and eventually see the light! Good on you!

Cheers, Steve :santa1:

i did that once introduced a friend to trials riding and i payed for it cos they fell of and broke ma bike never again

Since the GG got stolen, I've been doing a lot of desert/single track riding on my new to me Kawasaki KLX. We've got a couple of forums like this for Arizona trail riding folks. I posted a notice for a CAT trials events and got 3 father/son teams out to spectate. All of them seem interested. As soon as the TY engine gets rebuilt, I'm going to hold a very informal trials intro clinic (hopefully with some help from petersdragon and sendero). I've said it before, we will grow from within the existing motorcycling community.

I do not remember who said it, but the guy who brings his own helmet and boots is the guy that will stick.

The others are along for the free ride.

Sometimes I hate to think of what I have spent for others to ride, then sometimes, it all pans out well.

Really is the best though if you can get them out trying it in an informal manner.

Of course we have taken one or two new guys out with the Rednecks and I think we scared them off!!!

I have a very elderly Gas Gas (1987) out on loan to a friend. He is already talking of getting his own. He has 2 boys so who knows how far it will go. After 30 years in the sport it's nice to see some young blood showing an interest. My own boy is 8 I bought him a trials bicycle last Xmas, no interest so far he much prefers tennis!