tricky dicky

What an absolute shock. Having known Leigh and his family for many years now I can honestly say that Leigh was one of the nicest guys I have ever met in my life. A true gent and a fantastic doctor. He will be very sadly missed. R.I.P mate

I agree that the change to non stop in the Scott and SSDT isnt the only reason why the events are such a success, a lot has to be said for the hard work of the organising teams. I do think that the change to non stop has helped the events grow into the spectator friendly events that they are now. I agree witht the comment made that world rounds are boring after the first few riders have had a go. Most people that dont ride could go to the Scott or the SSDT and think " I could have a go at that" whereas at a world round they would obviously think its mighty impressive but then think "no chance I could do that". I know that the sections are better suited for the rules in the SSDT and Scott but in normal trials it is far harder to ride a section clean for the hoppers when the rules are no stop. The trouble is that people seem scared to lose marks for some reason. In winter when in my opinion is the best time for trials, tight turns are not needed because its usually that wet that riding in a straight line is hard enough. I had to learn to ride non stop when the rules changed in 98 and it took time. Why does everybody want everything on a plate without trying it? I really dont get that at all. A suggestion to all the people who are for the hopping rule is to mark your usual practise sections out then try them non stop. I bet that most of them can be done non stop and if they cant then widen them up slightly and I bet that it doesnt take much for them to be done non stop. Just a suggestion!

The Raga is mega, I still dont think its as fun to ride as the 225 though! If you are riding at earl shilton then try it in 1st and 2nd gear, you wont need any more than that there on any route!I would keep the dellorto on and see how you get on with it for a month or so cos the 225 barrel takes some bedding in to get it to its best.

The whole point is that if trials have tight turns but you cant stop to line up then the obstacles dont need to be big to take marks. The big steps DO NOT take the marks, its the fiddly bits in between. When the rules changed in 98 the sections were no bigger at all, they were technical with 1 chance to get it right and thats where the skill comes in. If you can stop and line up then it defeats the whole point and different lines will be used which is what trials is all about. The stop for a 1 rule worked perfectly until the observing got slack and it ruined everything. How come that in snooker if the player misses a pot they sit down and the other guy gets a go. Being able to stop and line up is like having another go when you miss a pot. The skill is getting it right first time not 3rd or 4th time like it is now. If anybody has got any world videos from either 98,99,2000,2001 etc then you will see that its far better to watch and its not elitist like it is now. I can remember watching the world round at Hawkstone in 98 and I was only 15 thinking I could actually have a go at the sections then cos they werent stupid big steps, they were sections that could be ridden. I remember Doug doing the last lap of the trial when it lashed it down for 4 and the next best was 30 and I watched him do every section and I can honestly say that he hardly hopped, he rode the sections and picked better lines than everybody else. That was skill, not this crap that we have at the moment. Kepp the hopping for the 6 that ride indoors.

I agree with ishys last comment. The same riders will win whatever the rules so it makes no odds to them. Trials needs making more enjoyable for the majority and non stop is the way to solve that. I remember the uproar in 98 when the rules were changed to stop for a 1. Everybody was against it until they tried it. There is much more of a sense of achievement of cleaning a section and being on line first time rather than messing about lining up. I will openly admit that I didnt like non stop at first but it makes better riders and people actually get rewarded for good rides unlike this farce we are in at the moment. Ive seen people have 100 dabs, drag the bikes sideways up hills and allsorts to be rewarded with a 3. I'm sorry but that is never a 3 and they dont give a bugger about the 30 poor sods getting drenched in the queue.

I never ran the dellorto carb on mine but the bike needs jetting as a 125 to work properly. I have tried the 10/42 gearing and it just made 1st gear useable. I much preferred the 9/42 setup. I hardly use bottom gear on any bike to be honest but putting a 10/42 on would make bottom equivalent of 2nd with the 9/42 gearing and it would be a bit quicker on the road! The 225 definitely needs 2 flywheel weights on cos its a completely different bike to a 200!

The flywheel weight shouldnt make any difference to the noise of the engine Ben. It will just make the bike a lot smoother. I am guessing it will be the exhaust that was making the bike in question sound different.

Les, the keihin definitely makes the bike quicker, it takes a lot of getting used to. If you are running 9/42 sprockets then try using 2nd and 3rd gear a bit more, it is quite slow in bottom and wants to lift the front end all the time

I am all for the return to non stop trials. The current rule is absolute crap and proves nothing. I attended the youth trials in Northumberland at the weekend and the trial wasnt up to much due to the rules. If the trial was non stop it would have been a good trial and every section could have been done non stop aswell. I dont ride either the novogars or BTC at the moment cos the rules are crap and I am very competant at hopping. I have witnessed trials change from the early 90's when reversing was allowed to then go to stop for a dab then go backwards to the current crap we have. I hated the stop for a dab rule when it came in in 1998 as I had spent time practising how to hop but then I had to learn to ride non stop and it made me a far better rider. At world level they dont need the big steps to take marks and its never the big steps that take marks anyway so some of the comments on here are absolute nonsense. If trials are non stop then you get one chance to get it right not 90 seconds to **** about lining up. And just for the record the hopping can be done non stop aswell. I have never quite understood the argument about having to make trials hoppy to take marks cos of the land not quite being as good as some places. Surely if the trial has some tight turns but is no stop then people would lose far more marks? I showed one of my mates who doesnt ride trials what we have to do at the moment with the hopping and then showed him a no stop section and his response was that theres no chance he could even attempt a hoppy section but if it was no stop he would be keen to have a go at trials. That comment alone summed a lot of things up for me. I am with trialsnutterman and lets get trials back to how they should be and encourage some new blood into the sport.

What really baffles me is how narrow minded everybody is. It was rushed to get it to a show just to create a reaction. I seem to remember that when the Sherco came out ( actually called a Bultaco at the time ) it really looked a bit plain and was a copy of a Gas Gas. Why cant people actually give it a chance, its British, surely thats a good thing cos were the most critical people on the planet so when it does reach production it will be good!

It looks like an 06 Sherco that has done 2 years work already. In my opinion it is too expensive at 3195. It needs to be a good grand under the price of a gasser to get anybody on one otherwise anybody with any sense would buy a nearly new sherco that has lost a bit of its value already and is proven that it works. It may well have looked more attractive to the public if it actually had a decent graphics kit on it.

I had a 300 a few years ago and it was far too powerful. The 280 is the compromise between the two but it definitely needs a flywheel weight on it then it is nice. I think the bike for the majority has to be the 250 though.

I heard that there are only a few about aswell. Did it look better in the flesh?

I think where it all went wrong was when the FIM brought back the hopping into world rounds as there was technically 3 sets of rules which is ludicrous. I witnessed it myself that riders were taking the **** by hopping a liitlle bit, then a very brief pause became a longer pause and now its ended up that people are stopping unpenalised in no stop trials. Its very difficult to get observers as it is without people standing balancing for no reason when its freezing cold.

I can remember very clearly when the rules changed back to stop for a dab in 1998 in the british and world champs and everybody thought it was crackers but it was brilliant. The trouble is that the same people will still win whatever the rules so its not going to make a difference! I think the ACU have done the right thing bringing it in for normal trials. The C of C's just need to lay the trials out so that it makes bugger all difference if you can hop or not!

It is an 09 bike and I bought it as a 225 from GGUK as I am a supported rider. It has been prepared by Factory Kev and it has 125 jetting in the carb. He runs this on his own that was featured in the TMX and has set mine up the same. I am from near Sheffield. If you are close by or at any trials I am then you are more than welcome to have a go, it is a seriously nice piece of kit!

I have just purchased a 225 which was effectively a 125 with the kit on and I have to say it is something else! I have a keihin carb and a short s3 titty pipe on. I also have a flywheel weight. I have found it is nothing like anything else I have ever ridden. It is really strong and quite fast off the bottom but revs like a 125 and pulls like a 250.I tried a big climb on it and found that it would pull 4th from a standing start without any hesitation. I find that it is such good fun, I just cant help but having a big grin across my face when i'm on it. Hope this helps.

Apologies if i have touched a few nerves. The point I am trying to make is that I dont see many Pegasus/Banovallum riders usually at the Falcons trials and looking at the championship standings it isn't really affecting anybody. For the record Mansfield Maun have cancelled their trial which was due to run the same day and that would have had no bearing anyway as it was a beginners and wobblers trial. I will be making the trip down to Banovallum and Pegasus for their rounds of the championship as I feel that the centre championships are dwindling.

i dont recall seeing many banovallum riders at sutton falcons trials so i dont see what the problem is! The Sutton falcons club put on cracking events and need to be supported like any other clubs. thanks for changing the date Steve as i can now still have a chance in the centre champs and do the dave rowland aswell!

I did a bit of an experiment and the breather from the carb appeared to be working like a syphening( dont think i have spelt that correctly) effect and when we pierced a very small hole in the pipe it appeared to stop it. Just wondering if this is a beta problem or just my bike

This may have been mentioned on here before but I am having a few problems with my new rev3 pouring fuel out. When i had a techno in the olden days that did it when parked downhill but the rev3 appears to do it intermitently on the flat. somebody told me it could be the float level but I dont want it weak when i'm going uphill. Any ideas?

the technique described by zippy is correct apart from you do need to pull back hard on the bars to get the lift. the best way to perfect the technique is to do it quite slowly cos it then saves a big crash. Try it first on a smaller step in 2nd gear. 3rd is for big stuff really. Hope this helps.

i think that Freixa will be good on the Gasser. He used to be fantastis in 99 on the andorra gasser with Caby as team mate

1030 tonight on eurosport, world indoor champs

I agree with Rosey about Doug being the best of "his" time. He is a great ambassador for the sport as was Tarres and he was the best in "his" time. Its never easy changing bikes at the best of times and i dint think the indoors prove a great deal. I think that Doug will achieve that magical 100th win and maybe he will sneak another couple depending on the trial, he isnt out of it yet! I think that Bou is something else though. How does he get up those massive steps on just above tickover when Raga etc are revving the nuts of their bikes and only just getting up? weird if you ask me, his technique is extraordinary!