outlawtrials.com

Here is a nice pic from a Classic Trial in the UK ( pic by Tim Britton)  - It shows a very natural section - camber  uphill - the type of section that can take the odd point, on a nice long loop. ( Not sure what the bike is)

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Big thanks to Scott Barrie from Ontario, who saw my note on where to buy new DVD discs for copying VHS tapes - He sent me a bunch, and Yesterday, I made a a couple of copies of some of my old Trials training tapes, for the  new riders we have. - Interesting to watch one of these that I took with my Cam- Corder at Summerland, back in 1995. - We had a good group out that day - Barry, Hugh,Ted, Neil, Richard, Peter, Mike and Doug. -Many of the sections we had the lads practice are still there, and still a challenge - even on the latest bikes.

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We have heard from both Beta and TRS with price reductions on the 2019 models that are still available .  The 2020 bikes are on order and these need to go.
We have on offer. a very limited number of -
1 only  2018 TRRS 125 - 2019 TRS 250,- TRS 280 - TRS 300  + Raga Racing 280 and 300 and Xtrack 300

2019 -  Beta Evo 125 - Beta Evo 300 - Beta Evo 300 SS - Beta Evo 300 Factory - Beta Evo 300 4T Factory.

These are going at huge discounts, so if you are interested - act quickly and phone us for pricing.

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It’s hard to believe that we are in the last week of June already - with Canada Day next Monday. The rain we have had this month has certainly made the Forests great for riding, but don’t forget you need a Spark Arrester.

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Looking back at things from last weekend, - I see that the Ladies day at Revvy was a great success, with 70 gals out for the event, which also featured training by Lexi Pechout. - I talked to Dominique about this as she often rides at that location with a friend who has an Enduro bike. - as she says, a lot of these women would be better off on a Trials bike.  -

In fact look for an article in one of the top Canadian Publications on this subject, as we have been approached to do a Test day.  ( Likely featuring the often overlooked 125  Trials bikes)

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In spite of what we think regarding the World Trials scene, they certainly get a good crowd out to most of them - be interesting to know what the financial breakdown is, and where all the money goes.

This pic shows Franz Kadllec (TRS)  who finished in 8th place in Holland.  ( not sure who took the pic)

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Steve Holcombe took another win at the weekend on the Factory Beta - neat shot but don’t know who took it.

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Meanwhile Sammy was doing his stunt show in Moose Jaw - scary stuff - but he does come from “Down under”

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It was another weekend of no riding for us - Hopefully manage to get out in the week sometime. - watched the Women’s World Football game between Brazil and France - 24,000 fans all singing the French National Anthem  - they took a narrow victory and are through into the next round. - Canada play the Netherlands today.

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We had a big rain storm yesterday afternoon - when we lived in Wales, we got tired of all the rain, now because of the Forest Fire hazard, we love it.

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Max stopped by with some fresh veggie from his garden - turns out he was hiking when he fell and broke his hand - not on the bike !!!

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I’ve checked out some of the video from both the World Trial in the Netherlands, and the Extreme Enduro from Spain ( won by Graeme Jarvis)  - My thoughts are as follows. -

Although the Dutch did a great job with the Trial, - because they have no hills, they have to build everything -and  this became an Arena Trial.  - So not really what could be termed on a par with other outdoor locations  for a World Round.. ( All very clever - but boring in my book)

Interestingly they had an Electric Class with 5 riders, won by Albert Cabestany ( yes 5 riders)
In comparison - the Spanish Enduro had places that resembled Trials sections, with top riders ending up with bikes drowned out in water, or thrown off the top of steep hill climbs.  As one  European person wrote ” Why do we now have Enduro that is like Trial and Trial like Circus?”  Very strange.

Of course looking back at Alberta Cross Country races from the 70’s - it was common to have deep River Crossings - big hills and muskeg bogs etc,  which killed off most of the entry,  and that is why,  later these  races became multi lap Hare Scrambles. -

What I do know, is that modern bikes cost a lot of money, and anytime an organizer puts on a Super tough event - entrees are way down the following year.

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more news as it happens >>

Sammy Miller certainly hosts a lot of  events at his Museum in the UK - the latest was an invite to all Rickman enthusiasts. -Many will recall the brothers Don & Derick, who were not only successful - “Scramblers” back in the day - but also had a very good  business, building special frames for a wide variety of engines, which were sold in Kits, Worldwide.

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Results from the FIM World Round.

Here is a great shot of the late Brian Pearson from Lethbridge - like many riders, Brian started out on a Yamaha DT 1 - riding it in Cross Country races and Hill Climbs.  - He went on to become a Champion in Hill Climbing, and was a very successful Kawasaki Dealer in Lethbridge, before his untimely death from LGD.

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The Vernon “Half Throttle” event up above Noble Canyon had a good turn out of riders  with weather just about perfect.  Unfortunately, we could not attend this time.

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Today is the Vernon Club’s big Half Throttle event up above Noble Canyon   - great for everybody - looks like we will have to miss it because of business - but I’m sure everybody will have fun - weather looks to be perfect.

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After a very successful Trial and Training session in Scotland - it seems that Bernie Shchreiber will be coming to Canada to do a school in Ontario, He will teach both vintage and modern.   Not that this is the first time Bernie has put on Trials Schools - he did one back in the day at Panorama  BC - which was organized by Harlow Rankin. see info:

Bernard Schreiber

MASTERCLASS in CANADA 🇨🇦
The next Schreiber Experience will be hosted in Ontario, Canada on July 27th. Don’t miss this opportunity to improve your skills, lower your scores and witness an approach to coaching not seen in our sport. All level of riders and bikes are welcome. More information at: http://www.sovt.website/schedule.html

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Early today, we had Hugh stop by to pick up his Evo 200, which he has decided to keep ( smart decision) after which Max Lang and a buddy called - Max with his arm all wrapped up after surgery for a broken finger !!! ( out for 6 weeks) - then late afternoon Chris Hrabb paid a visit with all the news from fighting the Forest Fires up near High Level  - plus he told me that Terry Duflott has gouged his leg really bad when his boot slipped off the Vertigo kickstart. - Talk about the walking wounded !!.

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Just saw that James Dabill  ( Beta) set fastest time in Qualifier #1 in the Netherlands.
More news as it happens >>

I just had to post this pic of a young lad on the TRS 125 - The same bike ( and the only one in Canada) that we have - This is where it all begins for the young riders in Europe - the new bikes are frankly quite amazing - this is when they learn the correct clutch technique - combined with lots of revs these small displacement bikes are fantastic and lots of fun as I’ve found out recently. ( they are not just for kids)
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Bit of Nostalgia just showed up on FB - The letter sent by Bruce Brown to the Military base before filming some of the “On Any Sunday” movie - of course the Greeves that was ridden by Mert Lawill, had Harley Davidson decals on the tank, as he was contracted to them at the time.

And here is another bit of history - The year Bernie Schreiber won the World Trials Championship

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The weather has certainly been strange this week - much cooler with snow on the connector and 10cm expected in Banff and Jasper - plus heavy rain which has caused the cancellation of the Trial at Falun Alberta. ( Sunday)
However, things should brighten up in the Valley for the big Poker Rally at Noble Canyon on Saturday  scroll back to see the poster. - Always a lot of fun for all ages especially the kids.

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There is a World Round going this weekend in the Netherlands - so we will watch to see what kind of sections they put in - likely the same man made rocks as usual. Here is the official info:
Following a 40-year absence, top-flight Trial action returns to Holland this coming weekend with TrialGP Netherlands – round three of the 2019 FIM Trial World Championship – at a purpose-built facility at Zelhem in the east of the country.

The event will feature the premier TrialGP class along with the Trial2 and Trial125 categories and for the first time this season the TrialE competitors on electric motorcycles will be in action at the highly-regarded venue that’s staged acclaimed rounds of the FIM European Championship in 2012 and 2017.

Leading the TrialGP title race on a maximum 60 points is defending champion Toni Bou (Repsol Honda) who remains unbeaten following the opening two rounds in Italy and Japan. The Spanish superstar is the most dominant rider in the history of the sport and on his current form he surely must start favourite.

So who can stop him? While Bou is certainly the man to beat there is a queue of talented riders ready and willing to depose him headed by two-time World Champion Adam Raga (TRRS).

Already 11 points adrift of the leader, the Catalan rider knows he must strike soon if he is to deny Bou a record-breaking 13th consecutive title. Last season was the first time since 2002 that he failed to win a World round and after two second-placed finishes in Japan earlier this month the 37-year-old is determined to go one better this weekend.

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In other news - we just saw that Gas Gas are closing the doors again - at least for Six months. - ( unofficial)

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With things a bit slow - I’ve been able to watch a few of the Women’s World Football ( Soccer) games - Canada lost to the Netherlands today, while the US Team beat Sweden - but I think the biggest upset so far has been the game which Scotland lost mainly due to some very bad referee calls. - One thing that stands out is the energy and skill that the teams have these days - I’ve never been much of a Soccer fan ( called Football in Europe) but these matches are fun to watch.

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Finally for today - We just read  the VMC Newsletter which Roger Boothroyd does such a great job on - in particular, I enjoyed reading about the guy who rode all through Europe on a 197 Francis Barnet - back in the day- that must have been  a struggle going over the Alps - check it out on the VMC website.

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Yesterday we posted a pic of Sammy after being presented with a Life Time achievement award for the preservation of old Motorcycles at his wonderful museum. - This shot shows him a couple of years ago test riding his 1938 AJS Supercharged road racer.  ( Anybody who thought exotic engineering started in Japan - think again - all they did was copy stuff)
I was lucky enough to see Sammy road racing in the Isle of Man in 1957  - he was leading the 250 race when the bike broke down about 1/2 mile from the finish line - he pushed in to get 4th.  He says in his book ( which I have) that the main reason he gave up road-racing, was because the Privateer, didn’t stand much of a chance against the Factory teams. -

He proved that in Trials anybody with a will to win and some engineering savvy, can be very successful.                ( Remember, he was the guy who designed the first really good lightweight Bultaco - which changed Trials forever) - That was when he got invited to visit this guy - Francisco Bulto in Spain, back in 1964 - And the rest is History.

In another video Sammy just posted, it shows him testing one of the Gilera 4 cylinder racers from the late 50’s - I feel very fortunate to have seen and heard - a lot of these wonderful old bikes racing back in the day - when it was mainly a battle between the Manx Nortons and the Italian Factories.  ( Before the Japanese invasion)- -        MV Augustas - V8 Moto Guzzis - Mondials,- Patons - NSU -the list is endless. - and a host of other small European brands. - I was there in the Island when Bob Mac did the first 100mph lap and at Oulton Park when John Hartle     ( Who used to ride in our local Trials) and Geoff Duke gave the Gileras an outing.

My ambition was always to road race - I had a buddy who had a Ducati 125 that he let me ride and as these were doing really well at that time plus we had an excellent dealer only 30 miles down the road,  however this never worked out.

I think the very good Trials rider, has a better “Feel” for the terrain under the tires, and this also works in road racing -  Although the way they slide the bikes these days is unbelievable, and the tires are huge compared to the early days.
Throttle control and “Feeling” for grip are essential  in both sports -
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Here is the first pic of the 2020 TRS - Looks nice. - more details to follow

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A happy birthday to our son Steven today who has reached the age of 52 - Steve was a very good Cross Country rider as a junior, but got blinded in one eye when a rock got thrown up by a senior rider he was trying to pass at a Kelowna race - he had pulled his goggles down when they got filled in with mud.  This was a really tough time for both him and our family. ( he was 15 at the time)

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I saw that they had a big Hare Scramble at Blackfoot Park last weekend in Calgary - - lots of riders and - “23 CLASSES”  !! And I thought the NATC Trial was pushing it with 20 classes.  Trystan Hart was the big winner, but Foordy did pretty good as well on the Beta.

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I decided to make an early start on Tuesday, before it got too hot - so was out in the shop before 6 am - I had a bunch of service work to do and it was nice to work in the coooool.

Had more running around after lunch - but at least I could do this in the air conditioned van.

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Here is a neat video of Mick back in the day - I remember when he came to Calgary in 1974 & I set up some sections for him to demo - hauled a bunch of rocks from down by the old railroad tracks & hand built some tricky stuff for him to climb. in the top gully.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKqdmTr7XqQ&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR3Yd3K4jrMXW5KbKkwoUIzf2GNI_DBzV_1gyPBbfOIKvp04XYJgkqKNDnc

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Here is a great shot by Kaylana Photography of Jon English ( Beta) at the WTC Trial in Ontario last Sunday.

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This is THE big event in the Valley this Saturday - Check it out - not sure if we can be there due to business obligations !! ( that’s a big word)  but we will try and at least we have supported it with give-ways- etc.

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Late Tuesday - our local lady, Dominique stopped by to drop off her Beta and pick up a Wulf Trials helmet   ( somebody else who has found that the Wulf Trials helmets are not only a great price, but they keep your head coooooool. ( BTW the Beta needs a water pump seal - no big deal it will be ready tomorrow) ( Naturally we had the parts in stock) - She has a lot of hours on this Evo 250 and can put a lot of guys to shame, on some of the knarly mountain trails - she told me she got to ride with Sam  at Golden a couple of weeks ago. - They had quite a group out with Max ,Debbie, Lee Usher and his lad, plus others.
With regard to my comment above  re: parts -  Last week I had a guy pick up a rear Beta Fender for his buddy in Calgary - I had already shipped him a bunch of Beta parts that he needed. - The comment the pick up guy made was - Yeah!  he was really surprised that you had everything.

This past two days, I have had two phone calls from guys in Quebec - needing info on parts supply and general stuff on Trials. - We have been shipping parts & accessories all over  Canada for decades.
As I have stated many times - Trials is not for everyone -  but all I can say, is if I can help anybody enjoy the sport- then I don’t mind spending hours on the phone. - as  I told the guy from Quebec today  - ( he wants to go trail riding on a Trials bike)-  I said buy a Beta - they are the best!!! for what you want to do !!
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Check this out >  Sammy is still going strong well into his 80’s and is at his museum every day, working on bikes or showing people around.

This is a pic of Chris Hrabb from Revelstoke, riding the Outlaw Beta Evo 200 at an ATRA Trial at Falun Alberta, a few years ago - The MTG Trials group, have an event planned at this location for Sunday, but best check with Jacek before heading out as the weather forecast is not good for the area.

When I saw this pic, I thought - Just like in Trials bikes - bigger  is not always better for everyone!!

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The temperature got up to +33 in Vernon yesterday - too hot to do much of anything, -  but an early Doc appointment , ( more meds)  was followed by dropping my van off to get some new tires, before kicking back with the air conditioner up full blast..  The forecast is for it to cool down a tad before the weekend, with a shower or two.

The local Vernon Club have their annual Poker Run happening on Saturday up above Noble Canyon - always a great event for the whole family. Check out the VORMC site.  ( Unfortunately I am busy at the shop that day)
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Check  out this video of the latest Enduro stuff - Brad Freeman (Beta) and Steve Holcombe (Beta) continue to lead the troops, but Irish  lad Danny McCanney is also going well on the TM
https://www.facebook.com/enduroliveofficial/videos/1085686918284875/

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So I noticed the results posted from the AMA/NATC Western National in Colorado at the weekend - Not surprisingly, Pat Smage took the Pro win. - But what did surprise me, was the number of classes they have. - A TOTAL OF 20  !!

Some had no entrees, some just a couple, some only one etc - the biggest class was the Clubman’s with 12 riders. ( they also had a Junior Clubman and Senior Clubman’s class - In fact they seem to have a class for everybody. must be a nightmare for the organizers.

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Father’s Day for me was spent for the most part watching the last round of the US open Golf from Pebble Beach - really good competition with Gary Woodland finally getting the win, his first Major. - In other golf news, Canadian Brooke Henderson won again making the 21 year old a  real Super star.

Later we were out for a Family dinner, so all in all a great way to spend Father’s Day.
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In Trials News, Jack Price (GG) won the British Championship Round in Devon, with Toby Martyn (Beta) runner up - Welsh lad Iwan Roberts (TRS) had to retire with a return of the strange illness that has sidelined him so much for the past two years.

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The lads from Nova Scotia also had a Trial yesterday - no results yet, but sounds like it went well.

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More news as it happens >>

A happy Father’s Day to all out there - we hope you all get time to spend  with your families. - Not sure what our plans are for today, but  I will take in some more of the US Open Golf. - Yesterday they had some great action from Pebble Beach, with some unbelievable shots from the leaders.

We also watched some of the Women’s World Soccer, - Canada against New Zealand - the skill level at many of these sports is fantastic to watch - even though I do of course, prefer Motor-Sports action.

I saw that  Steve Doel ( Beta) had a good ride at the Trial  South of the border - his first event for 4 years, I didn’t count the entry list, but it appeared to be well attended - Not sure if any other Cannucks were there.   Steve used to come to quite a few of our Trials in the Valley years ago, and his brothers were quite involved at one time. ( They also have a Summer home out at Mable Lake)

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A round of the British Trials Championships goes today in Devon. - Not sure if James Dabill is riding, as he has elected to compete at more Spanish events this year. - Unlike our hot dry conditions - they have had heavy rain in the UK this past week .

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There are a lot of old pics and magazine articles being posted on FB these days - many on “Scrambling” as it was called in my day - here is a report from the Motorcycling Magazine ( no longer in business)   - I used to have some of my Photographs printed in that.

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