The NATC held their annual meeting over the weekend. Among the highlights at the meeting was a decision to use the term 'MotoTrial' instead of the phrase 'Observed Trials' for the sport.

They just emailed a press release, available here:

http://trialstrainingcenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/2011-1-NATC-PR-MotoTrial-promo.pdf

Very European

The NATC held their annual meeting over the weekend. Among the highlights at the meeting was a decision to use the term 'MotoTrial' instead of the phrase 'Observed Trials' for the sport.

They just emailed a press release, available here:

http://trialstrainingcenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/2011-1-NATC-PR-MotoTrial-promo.pdf

Sorry, not for me. Yet another americanism!

New Zealand (MNZ) went to "Moto-trials" earlier this year ... followed on from Australia. Personally, I prefer "Observed trials" or just "Trials" but voting dictated the change. One reason for the change was to differentiate the sport from "Bike-trials".

Andrew

So when they move into stadiums will it be Super Moto Trials?

We've been trying to get the name changed to MotoTrials for years. I remember a big campaign a few years ago to go to MotoTrials and to try to get all the clubs on board doing the same thing in an effort to unite the sport nationwide, but there were too many folks who just couldn't deal with the idea of trying something new to save the sport. So we moved on.

We do MotoTrials now. We even got a MotoTrials venue in the Utah Summer Games last year. Observed Trials means nothing to anyone outside the sport. Trials means a bunch of lawyers. I guess we can try to keep with the old traditions and let the sport slowly die, or we can update. So we went MotoTrials for the USG. We're the only motorized sport recognized in the Utah Summer Games. Here's the link for last year. http://www.utahsummergames.org/sports/mototrials.html . The USG is a big thing in Utah. It's like the Olympics. Last year was our first year and we learned a lot. The event for 2011 will be the weekend of June 11th. We're hoping to make it bigger and better this year.

We've gone to Facebook too. On FaceBook we're known as UtahTrials. We've got to do something to get the word out to new riders. The web site is http://www.utahtrials.com.

Edited October 25, 201015 yr by Ridgrunr

Sorry, not for me. Yet another americanism!

Good idea. MotoTrial has been in use in Europe for decades. Don't see how you can call it an americanism.

According to a certain online dictionary thing the word 'Moto' in Urdu translates to 'Fat Girl'

I'm gonna stick with 'Observed Motorcyle Trials' thank you very much !

GJ

I as a UK resident am totally against the word mototrial. There is the risk it will link trials with speed trials, motoGP and Motocross. This will make it easier for opponents of offroad motorcycling to group us with sports that are easy to portray as fast, noisy, land damaging and bad for the environment.

Far better it is called "observed reliability trial" even if it is a mouthfull.

Cheers

I as a UK resident am totally against the word mototrial. There is the risk it will link trials with speed trials, motoGP and Motocross. This will make it easier for opponents of offroad motorcycling to group us with sports that are easy to portray as fast, noisy, land damaging and bad for the environment.

Far better it is called "observed reliability trial" even if it is a mouthfull.

Cheers

That is exactly the problem here in the states. Those sports you mention above are our competition for riders, and dollars and they are wining because the sound exciting and are exciting.

At our August event we had 14 riders. At our September event we had 10 riders. At our October event we had 9. How do you pay for that million dollars liability insurance policy, the $300 permit fees, and buy ribbon, medals and everything else that's needed to run and event with only 10 riders? We need 22 just to to break even.

We used to average 35-40 riders at our events. A lot of the old guys are just that...old...most of us are in our late 50's now and can't do it or run it anymore. One of our club founders died last year. He was 79. We need new riders and new blood to run take over. Who's going to run the thing when we can't? That day is fast approaching. There's a handful of us old guys keeping the sport going. Are you doing all you can to help keep the sport alive? Some guys want to keep it "pure" and refuse to see that the sport needs to evolve to survive. That's great, but we are going to "pure" the sport to death.

Some blame it on the economy, which is true to a point too, but if we don't do something entice those new riders who get excited by motocross, and motoGP etc., to come spend their recreational spending money on MotoTrials, there won't be any Trials period and we can all use those expensive Trials bikes in our garages for boat anchors.

I like the new name. I've always been a little embarrassed calling it Observed Trials while explaining it to someone who has never heard of the sport. It sounds wimpy and conjures up images of people standing around watching something. I would make one change and call it MotoTrials (plural). Without the S doesn't quite sound right.

A rose by any other name is still a rose.

Edited October 26, 201015 yr by Neil King

I agree Observed Trials is kinda wierd to say to a person who has never heard of it , but I am used to it, Moto Trials however doesn't mean too much to me either, I suppose it will catch on, trying to get used to it MotoTrials, wierd... Mototrials, I'm trying, Moto Trials, ...yes that bike with no seat is for Moto Trials, hmmmm.... never heard of it? me neither, it's a new sport? no it's an old one with a new name. yes I compete in MotoTrials it's an old sport, I am suprised you havn't heard of it before. Don't you love it when our government imposes new rules and regs with out asking what we think first.

I think I will just keep calling it Observed Trials.

I think I will just keep calling it Observed Trials.

WEEEEE! Here's my chance to BE LIKE LANE [you know, the guy who invented trials] when I say that I was the man who, over a decade ago, initiated 'MOTO Trial' here in America. I can't say whether or not the term was used in the UK before that but I can tell you that America's first Indoor "Moto Trial" was put on at the Cow Palace in San Fransisco California. This event was funded and hosted by our very own Ted Gansberg.

As for the squid that puts up a frown when referring to Americanism, I guess I can only say that jealousy is be a horrible thing and it can really bring a person down.

Of course Kramit will always be old school, you can't teach an 80 year old dog new tricks.