January 11, 201511 yr Tony Bou's DNA is wired at a much higher degree of precision than the rest,. His obvious desire to maintain an ever improving riding standard and superior fitness that surpasses all his rivals makes his domination such a complete package.. Add to that the seemingly unlimited backing of Honda Japan, there is no one on the horizon at this stage, that will challenge the most professional and successful partnership ever seen in Trials. Edited January 11, 201511 yr by steveo
January 11, 201511 yr I would be interested to know what Honda's R&D budget is compared to the other manufacturer's. I'm no expert in the field of trials but in my humble opinion I would say Bou is currently the best rider with the best package and on the bike that suits him more, probably because Honda invest more. This is evident not only in trials but in all motorcycling in general. Motorcycle sport is big business now and although I have never been a Honda fan, I can tell you from working on various manufacturers bikes that they are usually better put together than most others. He probably earns more also, which is a great motivator. I wouldnt think the r and d is all that much tbh, year on year there improvements are marginal now compared to 07/08 when it first made a real impact at wtc level. I also think that after such a long time the bike as stated above is pretty much how he wants it, and yes its probably alot better than the others. Where their budget is bigger is the team support and service vehicles and personnel.
January 11, 201511 yr I think the biggest challenge for any rider wanting to beat Toni Bou will be the sincere belief that they can beat him. I think his domination is founded on three factors. 1. He pioneered & mastered a different riding style, very cyclo-trial inspired & back wheel focussed, he uses physicality as much as engine power to move the bike. He has superior technique to the other riders. 2. He has the best support package with the bike & team set up. 3. He has committed to & genuinely believes he will win every event he enters. This confidence helps him produce winning rides at critical moments or in critical sections. The confidence comes from the first two points and his track record of success. It is evident when you read or hear other riders that they are aiming for second or for the podium. Either Bou's commitment will need to waver or a rider with sufficient technique and belief will need to arrive on the scene. It will be interesting to see how Casales goes in his second year in WTC and also hoe Jamie Busto fares.
January 12, 201511 yr Ummm, How to beat Bou.....pinata springs to mind! Sorry is this a serious thread!
January 13, 201511 yr Modern world rounds and indoor rounds seem to suit bous style of riding too. If the sections changed or demanded a different riding style that could cost him a few more points, though in the long run he'd probably adapt. I've been watching the old world rounds on youtube, the 1988 British round was particularly entertaining- this sort of trials is more entertaining to watch than modern rounds- at least I think so
January 22, 201511 yr Toni is a better rider than the rest, simple. I remember Eddie Lejeune wowing crowds with a new riding style, then Jordi Tarres doing the same. Doug then pushed the "modern dynamic" style to its extreme, along came Bou and a new even more dynamic and technical style was born!! Raga, Cabestany, and Fuji have had to adopt Toni's riding style to compete at his level. But they are not quite as good. Now the no stop rules are in place in the WTC you can see that the margin between Toni and the rest (especially Raga) closed dramatically. This might be due to Toni's riding style not being quite as much of an advantage on less serve sections??
February 5, 201511 yr Author The domination continues Perhaps he is using https://www.merlinmotorsport.co.uk/p/grip-tyre-softener-2-5-litre-grip-25 or perhaps Raga should give it a try?
February 5, 201511 yr The domination continues Perhaps he is using https://www.merlinmotorsport.co.uk/p/grip-tyre-softener-2-5-litre-grip-25 or perhaps Raga should give it a try? I've used a similar product on spec miatas , go-karts and Drag racers ... I really don't think that's Bou's secret ... If you want to beat Bou , Have a Baby right now , Forget the learning to walk BS. , put the kid on two wheels as soon as it can stand up !!! And then start the training program !!! When the kid is ready to compete against Bou , Bou maybe about to retire !!! It's a given !! How hard was that to figure out ??? Glenn
February 6, 201511 yr Author I did not seriously think Bou was using this stuff but you never know. Remember last time Honda were in F1 with Jenson Button as driver. They were banned for about 6 months for running an oversize hidden fuel tank. So using something that is presumably allowed might tempt a company that likes to win. One bloke at our local Kart club even went to the trouble of having special soft compound tyres moulded so they looked exactly like homologated tyres. Has anybody tried this grip improver on a trials tyre? I could understand it working on dry rocks or X type trials but probably not on anything else
February 6, 201511 yr Diesel is the best tyre softener, I found that out the hard way!. The trailer that used to transport my bike was also used during the week to transport the old mans steam cleaner. I had a 6 inch patch on my tyre that swelled up and resembled cubed jelly, At the end of the trial I had a nice 6 inch bald patch where the tread blocks ripped off flush with the casing. All from a small amount of diesel that had soaked into the wooden floor on the trailer! I can't see them using it for indoor trials, They spin the tyre alot before sections and that's usually enough.
February 6, 201511 yr News Flash! Raga has just beaten Bou in the pau x-trial. Edited February 6, 201511 yr by smiffo221
February 7, 201511 yr Author Never disputed GG being competitive, just some parts don't last as well as they should. Nice to see Rag win. Who knows, perhaps he has even picked up some tips from this topic! One swallow does not make a summer but something I wonder from time to time is how long a 4T can continue to beat a 2T. In pretty well all other branches of 2 wheeled motorsport the 2T would be dominant but for the FIM rigging the rules in favour of 4T. This has been done to some extent in trials with the introduction of the minimum weight limit, without which Raga may have had more wins. Edited February 7, 201511 yr by dadof2
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