Trials on Speed TV

[MotoTrials]

Hello all,

Last night on Speed TV, they showed some trials coverage on 2-Wheel Tuesday. Did you guys happen to see it? I heard about it on Trials Central but didn't realize they were airing it this soon. Elsewise, I would have given you a heads-up.

Well, the coverage was pretty good. It was taken at the Trials Training Center (TTC) in Tennessee. Greg White, the host, did a decent job learning to ride trials. The instructors were Ray Peters, Chris Florin, and Tommi Ahvala. I liked the interviews and comments on how it helps your skills in other motorcycle styles (like woods, mx, etc.). I hope more people seen it and want to get interested in MotoTrials. It truely is motorcycling's best kept secret. Hopefully, one of these days, we will see it on ESPN XGames.

Matt
:thumb:

 

[Patman]

I'd be happy just to see coverage on an occasional basis let alone regular TV time! I too hope it makes more people think about giving it a try as it is a hoot!

 

[theroyz71]

I saw it last night too. It looked pretty cool. Some of those guys are pretty crazy because it looks pretty easy to crack your head open on those rocks.

BTW, did everyone catch that TWT is changing time slots in a few weeks?

 

[sleeplow]

did you see

did u see the part when the trialbike jump over Greg bike
that cool :aj:

 

[TheJunkMan]

Yeah it was good and I would hope speed would cover some national events, but I hope the sport does not get too far out and really I wouldn't want too many people interested in it cause then someone would ruin it for everyone (that is kinda why we are having land use issues, plus it would just drive the price up) I am pretty happy with it being a "secret" it keeps it real, and only for the dedicated and the hardcore, I just wish the US could have the mentality towards OHVs as some other countries.

 

[DAB]

I talked to Greg White today & thanked him for the great job they did on the show. He was genuinely enthusiastic about trials riding and both he & the producer Brad Jones have told me they will have more coverage on trials in future shows. They all had a great time at TTC and said they will come back. I think we will get good coverage for the nationals this year, for sure the round at TTC since we are convenient to the producers in Atlanta and the studios in Charlotte. They have a lot of footage from the TTC shoot that they didn't use, so maybe we'll see some of that in the future also.

If you like trials on Speed, log onto www.speedtv.com and tell them you enjoyed it and want more!

regards,
Dan Brown
www.trialstrainingcenter.com

p.s., hope to see some of you at the training days rally or the opening round of the nationals at TTC in March/April!

 

[mdkuder]

Trials and Speed isn't that a contradiction. Anyway I would like to see more off road events of any type!

 

[DAB]

Trials and Speed isn't that a contradiction.

"trials and speed", I like it, I guess that would be kinda like a trail ride in the mountains of TN. Trials riding techniques are the way to ride the rocky and steep trails around here! We sometimes have folks come by for a trail ride with a bike that some magazine testers in California said was wonderful, but you cannot ride those ill handling motocross bikes on our trails. A big KTM or YZF450 will spit rocks and bounce around and not stay hooked up and meanwhile somebody on a little GasGas Pampera or an xr250 who knows how to ride and make traction will motor on by and on up the hill!

Anyways, if you know how to do the trials techniques on the trail, then you can add the speed. We've had lots of AA enduro riders who took some trials instruction and were wildly enthusiastic about learning some new techniques.

regards,
dan brown

 

[Patman]

I have so much fun with trials that I sold my big KTM and built an XR284 to be more nimble and have monster low to mid power! Once you really "get it" the moster power bikes become less appealing in the woods.

 

[Jonala]

I've been thinking about selling my XR250 to get either CR or YZ250. I was thinking, tune the motor so that it would have Montesa / Scorpa type power. The XR now feels like a tank compared to my Montesa.

 

[DAB]

I've been thinking about selling my XR250 to get either CR or YZ250. I was thinking, tune the motor so that it would have Montesa / Scorpa type power. The XR now feels like a tank compared to my Montesa.

It's more than power, it's also suspension and a CR or YZ is way too stiff for trail riding. Also these bikes have "long legs", i.e. long wheelbase and more raked out front end compared to a trials bike. A CR or YZ must be ridden hard and fast and very aggressively, or the suspension does not work. The Honda xr250 is the japanese trail bike which has geometry most like that of a trials bike. But it still feels clunky after you've been on a Montesa.

The GasGas Pampera is the trail bike most like a trials bike, in my opinion. Soft suspension and a smooooooth engine with a great clutch. You can actually ride it much like a trials bike, hop logs and unweight the suspension, slowly slip the clutch while doing an offcamber uphill turn, etc. It is a secret weapon. The Beta Alp is also great for such purposes, but it uses a Suzuki 4-stroke engine. I haven't ridden it as much as the Pampera, but it would be more like a trials bike that you could ride up to a gas station and pump fuel into it and go a long, long ways.

dan brown

 

[Patman]

Jonala I was in a similar boat after riding my Montesa and KTM360. The KTM just felt to "big" and as DAB points out too stiff except on more open higer speed stuff. My son is now at the point where we can ride together instead of basically watching each other so I wanted something that was fun a lower speeds. While I don't know that you'd want to go full tilt like I did with USD fork and extended rear shock the engine mods I have make the bike feel totally different. They are not crazy expensive nor do they make the XR a time bomb, just really wake it up. The basic setup is a 284cc kit with head work and a Thunder Alley exhaust. Rich & Eric did all the work except for the Serdi'ed Kibblewhite valve job which I believe they now have the equipment to do. Stock carb and cam! The little XR is a super starting point if you are not looking to be a MX star, just takes a little planning and reasonable modifications.

 

[Jonala]

It takes me forever before I actually go out and spend $$$$. I think big bore kits are less than $300. I already have a Edlebrock carb, which has helped a lot. So I may just bump up the displacement and go in that direction.

Thanks for your opinions.

 

[Patman]

There is a lot of power available in the head as well, Rich would be your best resource on that pretty much free power.

 

[Jonala]

I take what I said about my piglet back. Went trail riding today, and a had a lot of fun with the XR. :yeehaw:

I did the maintenance on the suspension, adjusted the valves, put "NEW" air in the tires, it was a different bike from the last time I rode it.

 

[wayneg]

I had a ride on a friend's XR a few years back which sounds similar to your XR284. He had gone the whole hog and had the crank cases machined to fit a larger piston which took it out to a full 299cc. It was legal over here to do this because of the KLX300s which were competing in the same class.
He also fitted XR400 forks and an Ohlins rear shock. The bike went pretty well and just added a bit more oomph all the way through the rev range (compared to my KLX250 at the time.) This was an ideal NZ tight trails bike as it had improved grunt, ground clearance and very supple suspension which could still take the odd big hit. At that stage the XR250s were still taking out our Enduro National Championships, and occasionally the overalls at Enduros.

 

[Patman]

The gains that Eric & Rich gave me over the stocker were MASSIVE. The bike was one of the best running stock XR250's anybody in my club had ever rode and there are several. Nobody has had the chance for the new incarnation. This reminds me I need to finish up my writeup of the project.

 

[CaNaDiAn,Eh?]

I saw the trials feature on TWT last week and all I can say is that is was awesome! The part where they jumped over the other bike was awesome. I've wanted to get into trails riding for a couple of years now, but unfortunately can't afford another bike. In the future however, I would love to get a trails bike. Trials defanitely needs more coverage on TV and in magazines and stuff, it's an awesome sport but know one really knows anything about it. I know I didn't really know anything about it until I saw a demo at a motorcycle show, the stuff those guys can do is amazing!