outlawtrials.com

While the main purpose of Trials bikes, is for competition, likely only about 40% are ever used for this. - most are used as trail bikes or for exploring mountainous terrain - here is a pic showing one rider doing just that - pushing across a snow slide in the late Spring.

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This is a classic shot of a rider blasting down Bray Hill in the Isle of Man - the bike is a New Imperial - very fast and popular in the 1930’s. - Les Archer junior, later became a very successful Scrambles rider on a very special Norton.

Amazing quality in this photo, which would have been taken with a “Plate type” camera - long before film and digital stuff that makes things so easy these days.

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The British Super bike Championships are on this weekend at Donnington Park - and the big surprise has been “The Flying Dutchman” Van Der Mark - Taking both his races ahead of some very fast Brits.

This weekend is Memorial Day in the USA - lots of stuff happening, but notably the “Indy 500″ - I think that the Formula One race in Monaco also goes this weekend - here is an old poster. - Remember the film “Grand Prix” which starred James Garner ?  - they set up a sequence where one of the cars goes into the harbor, but this actually happened one year, luckily the driver escaped.

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The action has also started in the Isle of Man - where June is always TT month - crazy road racing on ordinary roads around the Manx 37 .7 Mile Mountain circuit - always thrilling, but also  deadly.

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We haven’t heard if any riders got ticketed on the long weekend, while out riding in the Forestry - Our Outlaw Event at Scotch Creek was on Private Property, so no problem.  However, with already a bunch of Wild Fires burning in  BC, I’m sure all Off Road activity will be under scrutiny.    We still don’t have Spark Arrestors for sale ( We do have one on our Beta Evo) but some people are making their own. - Basically the Co’s will be checking for these, plus Off Road Registration and Insurance.

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A good caption for this photo, taken at the first Outdoor World Round in Spain last weekend ( in the rain)  could be

” How the hell do we ride this ?  We only practice hopping on dry rocks?”

Of course the exception, would be James Dabill - who had just completed the very wet Scottish Six Days Trial.  - As most folk know - this World round stuff, is supposed to be scored under the “No Stop”   rules, but if you watch the videos from both the Scottish and this Spanish event, a lot of the top riders, should have been scored a few “Fives”  for stopping - or as it used to be written in the Rule Book - “Cessation of forward Motion”   - We saw Dougie Lampkin, get away with at least one “5″ in the Scottish - and in the video of this Spanish Trial - Toni Bou has an outstanding ride on one section, but it should have been scored a Five.  -

The problem we have with this scoring system, is that many Observers or checkers, are intimidated by the top riders, or their “Minders”

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More news as it happens >>>
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This is a blurb posted by our buddy Heath Brindley out of the UK in regards to the latest FIM ruling on Safety.

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For all those that entered into the discussion about body protection in trials … here is the FIM press info i had but couldn’t find at the time ..

Thanks to Mick Wren, Dan Thorpe, Katy Sunter Thorpe and others for their input on the previous post …

“Body Protector Manufacturers meet at FIM HQ

The Trial, Technical & Medical Commissions of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), together with Sport7 & 2Play, the Trial & X-Trial Promoters and Theresa Bäuml, the Female Trial Riders’ Representative, recently gathered in Mies to meet manufacturers of body protectors suitable for riders in the Trial and X-Trial disciplines.

Alpinestars, Hebo, Leatt, Mots, Ortema, Racer, REV’IT! and S3 were all represented at the meeting and presented their current products and new prototypes.

The FIM is currently working on the next steps toward the implementation of back protectors for the upcoming 2019 season.

Fabio Muner, FIM Sports Director, commented: “I want to deeply thank all the protection manufacturers for attending the meeting. For the FIM it is really important to work in close cooperation with the main brands operating in the motorcycle marketplace and build constructive and durable relationships with the industry engaged and investing in our World Championships. The day after this valuable workshop, the FIM Trial Sections & Safety Working Group held its meeting and engaged in fruitful discussions with a view to improving the safety of Sections and other general aspects of Trial, in accordance with the priorities defined in the FIM Strategic plan.”

Theresa Bäuml, the Female Trial Riders’ Representative, expressed satisfaction about the meeting: “Discussions about safety in our sport are very important; it was interesting to get to know all these different products, including some coming from other sports. It was a good chance for me to represent the female riders’ positions and work more closely with the manufacturers to find the best protectors suitable for Trials.

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And here is a video clip of the First World Round of the season in Spain - looks more like a typical day in the UK weather-wise  >>

video

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Can’t help but think that this guy on on the wrong type of bike for going up there !!! reminds me of when a bunch of us guys from the Calgary Club were stuck on a snowy Mountain with our Enduro bikes - Our buddy Bucky Johnson said - “You know I think we would have been better off on sleds today”

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So here we are heading into another weekend - There is a CMA Trial at Ioco on Sunday, and Sammy has got an Enduro School going on at the Carl Kuster Mountain Park .  - We are planning on doing a bit of one on one coaching with Britta on Sunday, hopefully it won’t be too hot - I see there are already Forest Fires burning both in BC and Alberta, plus a big one in Manitoba - not good this early in the riding season.

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Next Event in our region  - June 10th at Malakwa ( CKMP)  - Last round of the Outlaw Series and Sammy is Clerk of the course.

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I see the Trials Canada site is down again - I’ve emailed Bob so that he is aware, and can get it fixed. UPDATE NOW FIXED.
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We love riding at this location when all the flowers are in bloom - later these yellow “Dog-daisies”  will be replaced by blue bells- absolutely stunning.

Here is another sea of yellow - this time from the TRS Factory

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It’s a bit cooler this morning in the Valley, which is nice - perhaps a shower of rain later, which would be good.

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Here is the poster for the WTC Western Canadian Championship at Revelstoke - Round #1 of the National Series in the West. - Florian already has the route planned with some new stuff cut out - this was done last year, but of course we had to cancel because of the Fire hazard.

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Thisn’t one of my pics - but it could very well be - as there is nothing I like doing more than climbing Mountains on my Trials bike.

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A bit of a lazy day on Tuesday - after the busy long weekend - looks like we will get hot weather for most of the week, with maybe a shower on Saturday.

This old memory from the 25th running of the Outlaw Trial just popped up on FB - it shows Tony Down from Colorado with his very nice  Yamaha Majesty  - In case you can’t tell Tony is an Ex Brit, who was a Pilot in the RAF before settling in the USA.

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Jordi and Adam unveil the new TRS “Gold” model in Spain - Not sure if we will get any as there are only 150 being built. - Steve Saunders the UK Importer is getting 20 & says they are fabulous - but then again so are the stock bikes - Here is what a Trials dealer from North Wales just posted.

David Williams Hi guys!! I am a trials dealer and former Welsh clubmans champion in north wales…I had the opportunity to ride one of these on a test day and these machines are absolutely fantastic!! I only ride what bikes I have in the shop, as many come and go etc. I’ve always been a Montesa rider by choice…and ridden and competed on almost any trials bike!! These TRS bikes in my personal opinion have become my personal favourite and wishing to own one before the end of the year!!

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Bob Clark our TRS Importer, and former Beta Importer - decided to ride a Beta Evo 300 4T at the Outlaw Trial - we don’t see too many of these out on the loop, but having had one a couple of years ago, I can tell you that they are neat bikes - really easy to start, very quiet, and a pleasure to ride as a “Trail” bike - However, like all the four-strokes - they are heavier than the 2T versions,  so it’s a case of personal choices.

As everybody knows, the World Champ rides a Honda 4T - but this is a very expensive factory model  full of exotic materials which bring it down close to the same weight as the other Factories 2T bikes -  However, the FIM have a “Weight limit” for these events, which means that many of the factories have to add lead weights to their 2T bikes ( Some say Honda dictate the rules to the FIM ??)
Many people might remember that a few years ago, the FIM ( under pressure from Honda) that all the World Trials bikes, would have to be four-stokes, by I think the year 2005 - but of course this simply didn’t happen.  - All that did was cost some of the smaller European Factories, a bundle of money in design and new manufacturing costs.

Sherco brought out the 320 in 2005 ( A bit of a disaster) and Gas Gas played around with a side-valve model  -   ( never went into production) - So finally common sense prevailed, and things reverted back to normal. (  except for the lead weights to make the 2T’s the same weight as the Honda)
The latest buzz on the Trials scene - is the new Electric class - which sees Gas Gas and others - including Yamaha - exploring this market - but these bikes are only good for parking lot Trials and are super expensive. - ( Maybe these might work out for the next generation of riders - but not for old guys like me)

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The opening round of the 2018 FIM World Championship appeared to be a toughie - with heavy rain half way through making for slick conditions.  No surprise about who won.  Must admit I thought  Raga and Caby would have been further up.

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Here is a pic of Sammy at the Outlaw - he seems to have adapted nicely to the new ride. ( I pressed the shutter a bit too soon)

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So Monday was a quiet day around the Outlaw Camp -  except of course we had to unload the van - found some things that people wanted at the event !!!! What the !!

Later Britta called around to drop off some of some stuff from her farm in Enderby ( nothing like fresh veg)

We chatted about the weekend, and in particular about her ride up over Cougar Bluff ( with another young lady) - This is not an easy ride - so kudo’s to her for making it around -  (We heard brakes were smoking on the down-hills)-  I must say that I’m amazed at how quickly Britta has caught on to the Trials riding, with her TRS -( it’s a 300)
We hope to get out at the weekend with maybe some other folks.

Looking back at the weekend event - I have to congratulate Ross Rathbone, for setting up another great Outlaw Trial . - The idea behind this way back in 1987, was for it to be a fun Trial with a long loop and traditional style sections. - For 25 years, or so, we ran it at Summerland  - everybody liked Summerland - but times change and you move on. - I think this latest campground at Scotch Creek, will attract many more people.
While there are folk who think, we should now be changing our plan - and hosting this as a Spectator type event. with circus like obstacles - I can assure you that this will NEVER happen ( as long as I’m alive)

We tend to think and watch, what is happening at the Scottish Six Days - and although we understand that this is a unique event, the basic idea of how I myself feel about Trials, remains the same. - Keep it simple and the riders will come back.

In  the World Enduro events,  riders are now trying to ride “Trials” sections”  - - Why is this? I don’t understand it at all, but of course it is easy to see why ex Trials riders are always winning these events. — The powers that be at the FIM,  now have a “Race type”  section for qualifying at World Championship Trials  ????  None of this makes sense to me -  Trials is and always has been a unique sport - if we try to change it, it will die.
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We had Chris Hrabb, stop by yesterday on his way out of town,   he was at the Squealing Pig Hare Scramble just outside Vernon,  but unfortunately pulled some muscles in his side before the event, so ended up helping out and playing medic to a couple of injured riders.  - Chris told me that it was a great event - our Beta Importer was there with demo rides on the neat Enduro bikes and by all accounts this went really well.  A big “well done” to Steve Howland for driving all across Canada ( from New Brunswick) to promote the Beta product.

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The 31st running of the Outlaw Trial.  is now in the history books - and we can honestly say that it was a huge success. - The new  large campground near the hiway is a big improvement, with easy access and room for a hundred vehicles if required, thanks to Dan & Helena Roane for continuing to support our events, they always stop by to make sure everything is OK - great people.

The weather was great for entire weekend - a tad on the hot side maybe, but nobody was complaining - we had riders from all over, with some new faces this year, from Vancouver Island and other places - quite a number were riding in their very first event, and Ross and his crew did an outstanding job getting the degree of difficulty spot on, for the various classes - the Outlaw Trial is always about having fun, with low scores big smiles at the end.

It’s hard to believe that we started this event, back in 1987, as a one off deal - and it’s still going as one of the most popular Trials on the Calendar. - We would like to thank everybody who continues to keep this going, including our great Results Team - Julie, Judy, and Barb - did a fantastic job - calibrating the scores and posting.

We had 37 riders sign up on Saturday for Day #1, followed by 40 on Sunday - a very good turn out, and it was nice to hear that many of the new riders, expect to make this  a regular fixture when  planning for “Must Do” events.

I would like to thank the girls and Stan, for surprising  me at the end of the day, reading out the details about the Hall of Fame thing - everybody was so kind, it was a touching moment that I will never forget.

We would also like to wish young Sam all the very best for the upcoming season, as he embarks on another stage of his career, we have enjoyed helping him get established over the last 4 years. - ( we will always be around to help if we can)

Results (Top 3)

Saturday

Junior

1st Jordan Rice - Kamloops  BC- Sherco  - 3 points

2nd Leigh Stocks - Revelstoke BC  - TRS  - 4 ”

3rd Russel Nelson - Celista BC - Montesa  - 6  ”

Intermediate

1st Lee Usher  - Nelson  BC  - Beta  - 21 points

2nd Wyatt Pospisil - Edmonton AB  Beta - 29

3rd  Ty Morrison  - Scotch Creek  BC -Beta 42

Sportsman  ( 2 finishers)
1st Bob Clark - Coquitlam BC   -Beta   25 points

2nd  Richard Ouellet - Calgary AB  -Scorpa - 56

Advanced

1st Ben Pospisil - Edmonton AB  -Beta   12 points

2nd Cam Collie - Vancouver  BC  Vertigo 17

3rd Kolten Morrison - Scotch Creek  BC Beta - 18

Senior Advanced

1st  Ted McDowall  - Vancouver  BC  -TRS    9 points

2nd  Ross Rathbone - Scotch Creek  BC - Beta  16

3rd Don Doerksen  - Mission BC  Scorpa -  29

Expert

1st  Sam King   Sicamous  BC  - GG  - 7 points

2nd  Sean Bird  Vancouver BC  - Scorpa 12

3rd  Steve Day - Mission  BC  - Vertigo - 25

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Sunday

1st  Harold Pospisil  Edmonton  AB  Beta  - 5 points

2nd Martin Lucas - Celista  BC  TRS       - 6

3rd  Oscar Usher - Nelson  BC  Beta    -   51

Intermediate

1st  Lee  Usher  Nelson  BC   Beta  -  21 points

2nd  Ty  Morrison  Scotch Creek  BC  Beta - 23

3rd Wyatt Pospisil  Edmonton AB - Beta    24

Sportsman

1st  Bob Clark  - Coquitlam  BC   Beta     14 points

2nd  Mike Lynnes  - 150 Mile House  BC  Mont - 27

3rd  Richard  Ouellet - Calgary  AB  -Scorpa  - 40

Advanced

1st  Ben Pospisil  - Edmonton  AB  - Beta  -  3 points

2nd  Byron Neu   - Calgary  AB  - Scorpa   - 9

3rd  Jake Wideman - Scotch Creek  BC - Beta - 19

Senior Advanced

1st  Ross Rathboone  - Scotch Creek  BC  -Beta  3 points

2nd  Ted McDowall  -  Vancouver  BC   - TRS      8

3rd  Don Doerksen  - Mission  BC   - Scorpa  - 24

Expert

1st   Sam King  - Sicamous  BC    GG     8 points

2nd  Stan Bakgaard - Yale  BC   Scorpa - 14

3rd   Sean Bird   - Vancouver  BC   Scorpa  15

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What  a scorcher of a day yesterday up at Scotch Creek  !!  We had a great entry out for Day #1 of the 2018 Outlaw Trial, and as usual - Ross and his crew laid out a super loop from the new camp spot  - which is huge and so easy to get to.

We had riders from all over  Western Canada, quite a few riding their very first event, with everybody having a great time - Day #2 goes today.

At the sharp end of the scale  Sammy took a narrow win  on his new Gasser ride, over buddy  Sean Bird              ( Scorpa)- we will post the full results just as soon as I get a minute ( likely tonight)

Here is Julie holding up the Expert result sheet - The girls did a fantastic job as usual  -A huge thank-you for this

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Now I have to run - to get an early start to the day -   >>>>>

BIG day today - The Outlaw Trial - Day #1 - not much time to post anything before i head out - more later tonight

Good luck to everybody - See you there

So here is the latest news.

Obviously I feel very honored by this nomination - and for sure Motorcycling has been a huge part of my life - Along with my wife Babsy, we have traveled a long road, and met lots of wonderful people along the way.  I got “hooked” on Motorcycles back in 1953, and still love to talk bikes, and competition. any chance I get - so thanks for the memories Canada, and for me, it’s very gratifying to see my old buddy Al Perret also on the list - it looks like it will be a fun time in Burnaby, come November.

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We had a visit by Steve Howland and his son, yesterday, who have just driven across Canada with this neat rig - Steve will be in Vernon tomorrow for the Squealing  Pig Hare Scramble, where interested ridrs can get to try out the fleet of fantastic new Beta models, including the wicked 125 rocket ship. - On  Sunday, Steve will join us at the Outlaw Trial in Scotch Creek, before they pack up and head out on the road again.

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Today I will be loading up the van before heading up to the Trials site at Scotch Creek   - it’s always a challenge trying to remember everything to take - Opti Oil - parts etc.

As usual, we are lucky to have Julie in charge of sign in, which will get underway around 8 am tomorrow. - the weather looks like it will be perfect, and I’m sure Ross has everything set up for an enjoyable two days of competition.   - I will be available at home until this afternoon for any last minute orders.
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Here is the soon to be limited TRS Gold model - Only 150 being built !!

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Adam Raga will ride the new Gold Special - in the FIM World Round in Spain this weekend.