michael_t

There are a lots of threads on here about which bike is best. If you look in general trials this one seems along the lines of what you are looking for... http://www.trialscentral.com/forums/topic/57920-what-would-you-buy/page-1 Of course it is best to try a bike... well worth travelling to an event to watch a few bikes in action and ask people in person... I am always happy to loan my bike to people who want to give it a try... to bad you don't live near Nova Scotia. This weekend we are putting on an event and Honda, Beta, and Sherco will all have 2016 demo bikes there for people to try... I tell the local dealers they won't sell bikes by letting them just sit on the show room floor - ride on Sunday sell on Monday... I bet you will find any new bike is going to be totally different than what your old bike was and as mentioned the weight on the scale is not as important as how heavy it "feels" when you are riding it - don't discount the Sherco they are awesome (and yes they do sponsor me so) don't take my word for it give one a try... It also seems the US national team are all over them .

I had a good practice tonight with all of this in mind... I typically ride along slowly and use the clutch when slowing down to a crawl and as my way of not stalling when braking. Tonight I used the throttle and a bit of back brake. I quickly realized I should have been doing more of this all along. So often I will use the brake just to stop not to slow down (if that makes any sense) The idea of using it to produce a little drag while giving a little more throttle while still going slow is something I can see as being very useful. It also make a lot of sense when doing wheelies they always say cover the rear brake and I always would just slam it on (with the clutch) if I was about to loose it and bring the front end down quickly... just covering it and using it ever so lightly makes so much more sense I guess I always realized that but never got the hang of it.... I can see many more hours of practice to master all of this but all good fun when you have one of these light bulb moments

This is a very interesting topic. I found a big difference moving from my older GG200 to my new Sherco 250 as far as when creeping along with no throttle. The Sherco sort of "chugs" with little surges when going really slow which is not very smooth but it keeps going where the older 200 would have stalled. I would think if you are typically always running at 1/2 throttle you wouldn't be riding super slow but more like quick bursts of clutch then stopping then going again. On the other end of the scale... on a training day it was demonstrated what opening up full throttle is actually like - scary as hell! You kind of get used to 1/2 throttle being about all you ever need so kind of forget what is possible when you go past that 1/2 throttle point. In my case nothing ever good comes of opening the throttle past 1/2 way but it can be fun trying (when in a controlled practice area with a soft landing area) - LOL!

Due to unforeseen circumstances the June 11th event has been moved to June 26th Sorry for any inconvenience

I just got a pair of Up and Over pants. designed for trials riders that are not built for Lycra.... Also have built in knee protection which is a bonus. http://www.upandovertrials.com/pants/ This is from their website... We've designed our TNT Pants to have a classic, clean look and optimal functionality. Lightweight, stretch fabric used throughout offers a full range of motion and comfort. Cordura reinforced knee panels for durability. Large crotch stretch panel offers both flexibility, as well as the ability to exhaust heat. Removable, CE rated pads at the knees. Zippered front pocket gives you room for your car keys, money, etc. Close, but not skin-tight fitment gives a flattering profile for most body types. "TNT" stands for "trials 'n trail". If you're a trail rider, you may think trials outerwear is pretty much the same as motocross gear, but it's not. The same properties that make these pants great for trials also make them perfect for the trail, especially if you like to hammer technical singletrack. The combination of light weight, breathability, and flexible comfort will keep you in the saddle long after your buddies have faded!

Yep... funny thing the less I ride my bike the bigger the problem becomes... As a side note when I bought my first trials bike, I had a bet with my wife that if I didn't loose 15lbs in 2 months I promised I would sell it (I won the bet). Trials truly is great exercise but like any exercise it is only really effective if you do it regularly. Once a week or so just doesn't cut it. That is why it is so nice to be able to ride 30 minutes or so around the yard really no excuse not to get out there every day... I just need to get back at it. Might need to make a new bet.

After seeing the video Sherco Canada has offered to send me a new shirt ... they politely suggested that French sizing runs smaller than it does in NA - Really can't beat that type of support .

Just thought I would post a little update. I am still really enjoying the 250. I moved up a class and ended up middle of the pack at our first event of the year so am very pleased! I shared my bike with a coupe of people at the last event and I hear one of them went and bought a 2016 ST250 first thing Monday A few pictures from the event can be found here: https://dualsport.smugmug.com/2016-Ride-Reports/2016-NovsScotiaTrialsAssociati/NovsScotiaTrialsAssociation-Ev/ And a short video of me playing around in the back yard... I'm afraid the Up and Over trial's pants make me look heavier than I am https://youtu.be/S0lfYQoiDwM

Should probably start a new thread as this is way off topic as far as how much power a vertigo has - Maybe start a thread under Canadian Trials about your first year experience...

We had 2 people join the event last weekend who had no trials experience showed up on BMW adventure bikes and so a leant them my Sherco for few sections... that was the biggest thing they had trouble with, they kept using all 4 fingers on the clutch despite what I kept telling them ... happy ending though they went out and bought a brand new Sherco the next day... The events are just that much fun.

Looks awesome... hope to see them in action this summer! BTW...try using just one finger on brake and clutch... takes a bit of getting used to but leaves more fingers for holding on, which comes in handy when trying larger obstacles

29th running - very cool ! Hope you guys have a great event - wish I could make it but I'm still feeling last weekends event plus it would be a 5,413 km drive from my house google is saying 55hrs but pretty sure that is without meal breaks . Cheers !

Hey Pat, Great looking bike!!! Guy came down from Moncton with his brand new Repsol Honda for our little event this weekend... I let him know you got a bike and will be looking for some riding opportunities. You will find riding with others will be a big help in sorting things out. Looks like 3 or 4 new bikes have been bought locally so hoping to have a good beginner class at events this year. Cheers, Michael

This might help explain things... basically we are all idiots but life is too short not to have some fun with it. https://youtu.be/lhj2QtnsA90

I agree, Here in Nova Scotia we try to do at least one "public" type event each year for 3 years we did an outdoor show which was actually in doors in the winter but there were lots of people who got to see guys riding trials bikes. This year we are doing a big biker bash called the Wharf Rat Rally in Digby they have offered to put up the riders and build whatever obstacles we want plus a nice bit of cash to support our other events. You don't need to put on a pro level show just promote the riders in the local area whatever level they are at... sometimes it is better if people can watch and say "hey I could do that". Head to head competitions (can't call them races for insurance reasons) are usually a lot of fun for people riding and watching.

Murphy's Laws _ part 2 1. Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak. 2. A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well. 3. He who laughs last, thinks slowest. 4. A day without sunshine is like, well, night. 5. Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine. 6. Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't. 7. Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool. 8. The 50-50-90 rule: Any time you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong. 9. It is said that if you line up all the cars in the world end-to-end, someone from Texas would be stupid enough to try to pass them. 10. If the shoe fits, get another one just like it. 11. The things that come to those who wait may be the things left by those who got there first. 12. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat all day drinking beer. 13. Flashlight: A case for holding dead batteries. 14. God gave you toes as a device for finding furniture in the dark. 15. When you go into court, you are putting yourself in the hands of twelve people who weren't smart enough to get out of jury duty.

Seems to be working in Canada today... that is a pleasant surprise!

It was a really close call for me between the EVO200 and the ST250. If you have been riding since the 70s I really don't think you can go wrong with any of the modern trials machines they are all great fun but giving them a try is your best bet... good luck !!!

Welcome Art, I have an X-Ride and added a ST250 (to replace my GG200) last year. It is great having a real trials bike for events and the X-Ride for trail riding... I have run the X-Ride at events but it does make it more difficult to do well... of course Jarvis can ride trials events on a full out Enduro machine so anything is possible. Are you on the Sherco forum as well? Cheers, Michael

Who needs to read Kenny the Rooster with so many jokers on here. The SSDT is certainly on my bucket list but I might be getting too old. I know we are only damn colonials but we certainly have enough miserable terrain and weather in Canada to put on a similar event here... but it could never hold the same prestige as the real thing... not sure what any of this has to do with a Honda winning though

Hi Steve, Can't you just use the "attach files" feature...

Thanks Steve, This is going in a much more productive direction, it seems I was just asking you the wrong questions. Knowing what you can and cannot share has been very helpful. Marilynn has been very helpful as well.

Yeah I found it strange that the CMA did not mention their not-for-profit status on their "about" web page. The MCC makes a big deal about it on theirs. Thanks for the additional info on how things are run in BC it is very helpful. We might try to do something similar here.

No worries Steve, I heard back from the CMA and they have answered my questions that you seemed unwilling to (see the previous page)... the answer was "yes" the CMA does charge clubs in addition to the riders fees for both insurance and sanction fees. This all started in relation to what goes into rider fees but got so far off base we got kicked off the original thread. The CMA also clarified that they are a bona fide not for profit corporation with corporate responsibilities and it that means there is a cost to have them here. It also costs them money to be affiliated with FIM. I was not aware it was not-for-profit and had stated in the past that they are a for-profit - I am sorry about that, I'm surprised nobody corrected me.