Jump to content

What Do You Pay For A Trials Ride?


biffsgasgas
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hello TC'ers,

Dating a European I can say that its pretty darn cheap to ride trials here in North America. So cheap in fact that she wants to ride our nationals again this year because it gives her the level of competition with an excuse to see someone like me. Having ridden some events over there I thought it would be interesting to see what you all pay for a trials. I suggest starting with a bike cost then working your way down through licencing and event fees.

Bikes first.

1. Bike new $7500-$8500

2. Bike Used less than 5 Years $3000-5000

3. Bike Used newer than Year 2000 $1200-3000

4. Bike between 1982-1999 $500-1500

5. 70's bike $500-2000

6. 60's bike $1500 on up

7. pre 65 if they know what they have Big $$$

Licencing.

1. In USA $49 per year for AMA membership (I just got my life time :) so $0 for me now!!!) Most require this including nationals.

2. In some states Off Road Vehicle sticker $15-50 (most States are exempt)

3. Road registration (I have never seen a state that requires this to ride a trials) If wanted $40 per year on up depending on state.

4. Insurance (If you want it but not required) $50 per year on up depending on bike and theft rate in your location.

5. Local club membership $10 on up.

Event fees:

1. Nationals $100 per event

2. Local $15-25 per event depending on location.

Transportation:

1. Travel 2 hours one way drive on average to an event and back $50-70 depending on your rig. (most events are 2 hours away if not more)

2. The rig which is probably used to drag your sorry a... to work and back. $1500-50,000. (Also being used for your honey do list on non trials weekends)

So if I tally it up I am on the low Dollar side of this.

09 Raga 300 used: $3500

Parts per year: $500 (conservative)

Fuel to events including nationals: $2000

Vehicle wear and tear: $2000 (most of the work done by me, tires, oil, belts, ect...)

Event entry fees: $700 (including Mrs who wanted to ride nationals this year)

Event accommodations: $1200 or so

Bike registration/licence: Not needed so $0

Insurance: $0 even though i live in Detroit its not really needed. Thing doesn't have a seat so it does not fit the demographic.

So all together i am about $10K per year US in trials just to compete. Practice adds some and I do ride as much as I feel I can. There is fuel to get to practice grounds in there but gas is cheap here. \

I also have a TL125 engine going into a Greeves Wesex frame (finish date TBD), Ty80, Ty175, the Mrs. Sy250, BT5 bicycle, probably something i want tomorrow, Housing a few other trials friends bikes, several scooters, bicycles and cars i am not considering here. None of that i have factored in but all of it feeds into the addiction.

How much do you think your in to your trials addiction?

--Biff

PS. Is it worth it? Oh he.. yea!

Edited by biffsgasgas
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

I ride a 2002 Trials bike that I bought in 2008 hasn't had any real heavy use probably worth around $3k.

Upgraded the clutch and a few small fixes so averaged out over 7 years probably less than $200 a year including oil changes.

$20 a year to support the local off road riding association NSORRA (supports all off road riding including trials, covers trial event insurance).

I think DMV "off road bike registration" is about $100 a year ($40 of which goes to trail building and training areas) and about $100 for bike insurance (good to have).

The last 3 years I have put on one Trial Demo each year that makes money to support NSORRA and pays all the riders (there wasn't enough interest to do it this year)

We also put on a pro training day (about $50 per rider) and that money goes to the Canadian TdN team.

We put on 3 or 4 trials events that are free and typically within 100 km so don't really factor it in.

I probably average 3 litres a week for 6 months of riding so $100 a year

So for the 6 month season it is roughly $500 including training (once or twice a week) and attending 3 or 4 events and a training weekend.

I really don't understand why more people don't join the fun!!!

Edited by michael_t
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

We've spent about $35,000 in last 12 months...

Two bikes,

Trailer,

Gear.

Already had Toyota Landcruiser tow vehicle.

Yesterdays trials ride at favourite area was about $65 in fuel and $90 entry fees. About $175 with food for the day. 300k round trip.

If we want to ride in comps Motorcycle Australia wants $400 a year for competition licence (Ned Kelly is alive) and entry fees are $20-$40 for comp.

Mags

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

A Motorcycling Australia Senior National licence which lets you ride in any motorcycle competition in Australia is $300 this year and a Senior Restricted National is $210 which lets you ride in Fast 50`s, Mini Moto and Moto Trials. My club the riding fee for a club day is $15.00 and an Interclub or open trial is around the $40.00 mark. M.A. does have a very good insurance policy though. Graham.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

1300 for the bike, around 700 plus for insurance, repairs, parts, dvds and clothing so far. 18 for an AMCA license, 10 for an ACU License. Done around 5 trials, completed 3 hehe, some were 10, some were 15 so around 50 so far for competitions.

The bike has cost a fair bit to do up, fork seals, wheel bearings, new sprockets, air filters, repairs to the clutch case, gear oil, motor oil, petrol, filter foam, chain lube, levers, new throttle body, new grips and bar ends, sticker kit, reeds, labour for cleaning out the carb and doing the fork seals, new master cylinder kit for the clutch. Basically an overhaul, beware buying second hand!

And I still need to buy a pair of decent tyres and a new clutch case that won't corrode. And maybe save up for some raptors, we'll see on that one!

Just over 2000 I guess so far in 5 months, but I figure I would have spent my money on junk if I didn't spend it on trials.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 
 

Thanks for posting. This is interesting. Seems about the same cost wise across the board from what i am seeing. We spend more traveling here but thats to be expected. Its really hard to put a dollar sign on fun so its totally worth it for me. Is especially hard to justify cost to fun level but one good ride makes it all worth it for me. Keep em coming!

--Biff

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

My first year coming up,

£1400 old sherco

£500 upgrades and reliability parts purchases (lanyards, Jitsi bling, short levers, kickstart springs, carb rubber intakes, filter, mudguards etc. Further £200 on maintenance renewal of worn parts at end of year.

£40 lubricants such as chain and filter oils, gearbox oils, 2 stroke premix, fork oils.

ACU membership £10

Local club membership £10

South Western Gazette entry form newsletter 12 editions £20 per annum

practice £5 per day

Clothing £103 boots wulfsport + £99 clice pants + £35 wulfsport shirt +£ 80 helmet + £100 for rain coats, hydration pack, gloves, fleece gillet, etc

comp entries £13 - 15

travelling no further than 1 hour / 60miles for SW club comps with own trailer.

fuel for event currently £1.10 per Ltr

stand £35 flywheel puller £20 specialist tools

Enjoyment factor, priceless!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 
  • 3 weeks later...

For last year and this year so far.

Sale of old bike £3000

Well here goes then.

1 New Montesa £5700.

1 complete Termignoni pipe and bit's £1000

Tyres that let it grip £160

The process of getting weight off the bike £1000

Kick start pawl .Still arguing with Honda about that one.

Variouse gearbox oils £180.

Engine oil and filters,'o' rings and copper washers £160 but bought a 5 ltr castrol engine oil at discount .

Fork oil £ 22.00

High temp DOT 4 £14

S/h Parts £180

S/h Bike rack £50

S/h boots £80

S/h trials coat £20

Diesel don't know really

Petrol the same

Licence ACU £10.00 new membership needed.

Member ships £45

Clothing £80.

Time on bike 30hrs

There's a very good reason for that .

Vehicle is the family car derived Van which i bought in 2012

I also have my old trusty TXT280 £1100.

The cost has been worth it no matter what

My ex wife cost me £ 87000 and as if that wasn't enough she took my Whippet dog ,Triumph Motorcycles mug and the toilet paper (No joke) !!!

So the Montesa was a bargain eh !

Hello Biff .

Edited by shyted
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 
 
 

Wife, wife! Who mentioned wife's, if she is reading the bike was £200 it costs a fiver a month for traveling fuel spares and entry. And you get free food and drink at events.......

At 2 day events free drink does sometimes occur.......... :beer::guinness::hl:

depends on how stupid your friends want you to act..............

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Having moved from the UK to the U.S. (New York state) I've just been looking at getting a trials bike again and inevitably comparing costs.

I would say bikes cost about the same uk v us. Entry fees per trial also pretty similar although maybe slightly dearer in the U.S.

AMA license $49 versus £10 (about $15) for an ACU license.

The big difference is in traveling and number of events. In the UK you can pretty much ride every week if you ride club trials, regional trials (I.e. North Kent) and Centre trials (i.e. South East England) and that's every month of the year, year round. Plus they would all be less than an hour drive from home. In the U.S., in New England (which is the closest I can find) the first trial of the year is the beginning of May and the last is in October. None in July at all. Travel is between 1 1/4 to 5 hours each way.

To be fair, 5 hours is the exception and if you took that one out it would be about 3 hours max.

As for travel cost, although they are probably 3 times as far in the US fuel is about 1/3 the cost so pretty even. But as mentioned, in the UK I'd be going to a lot more events so it would cost more in a year.

Edited by smarty156
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

×
  • Create New...