Boxing Day turned out to be a gorgeous day filled with blue sky, crispy air, and a few wisps of early morning fog. I’m not known to brave shopping malls the day after Christmas, and this year was no exception. Ron Walsh, a friend and dual sport riding buddy of mine, invited me to a Canadian Pacific Trials Association (CPTA) practice ride. I gladly accepted, and with camera in hand I made my way out to the Belcarra Regional Park to find out what the world of trials riding was all about. To be completely honest, I had no idea what to expect. I had seen a few YouTube videos of trials competitions but that was pretty much it.
The first thing I noticed was the size of the bikes. I knew they were smaller than ‘regular’ dirt bikes but after throwing a leg over one I was astonished at the weight, or specifically the lack of weight. Ron informed me the bikes come in at around 65 to 70 kilograms (about 150 pounds). Wow, that is light. My DR350 tips the scales at twice that! The second thing trials bikes will do is introduce you to a whole new world of motorcycle manufacturers: Sherco, Ossa, Beta, Gas Gas, Montesa, Scorpa. Ever heard of them? Me neither.
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The age diversity among the riders was far greater than I had anticipated too. Preteens to golden years were well represented, and both genders too, albeit the majority were male.
The most interesting part of trials riding Continue reading »