big john

Hi Calum, Yes I knew of your father and he knew mine very well, his name was T. Arnott Moffat. A.M. Laurie MacLean was a former Scottish Trials Champion and Edinburgh St. George member. The photo (taken on Laggan Locks only 50 miles from my home) you have provided is of a machine that still exists - TFS 500 was built by Bell & Small from parts obtained from the Competition Department at Royal Enfield by Ian Bell. Willie Dalling had the bike up until his death and it is still owned by the Dalling family. It was ridden in the 1961 Scottish by a friend of your father's Johnny Clarkson from Skirling, Biggar. Laurie also rode DMW machines for Edgar Bros of 241 Leith Walk, Edinburgh If you can get a copy of my book Scotland's Rich Micture (by John Moffat) there is information about your father in it. Google it, there are some copies still available from The Magazine Man. Any more information, PM me on here. Best wishes, Big John (aka John Moffat)

For me a great weekend because four of us travel down from the Scottish Highlands, by aircraft. It is much more than just a show to us, it's a weekend away with the lads, an event in itself! Great craic, great company and we meet up with literally heaps of old friends and newer ones too. I didn't even see a third of the show because of chatting, doing deals and socialising. It must be difficult to find new attractions and Wrighty usually comes up with something different year by year. Hard job and I take my hat off to him as he manages to cajoule folk into doing stuff. I wouldn't miss it, as I said, more of a social gathering. I ordered a bike, bought a load of bits and pieces I need to smuggle back to Jockland and had a great time overall. If I find out what the dates are for 2014, I'm booking early again! Count me in Wrighty! Big John

This thread has been quite useful to me, just bought recently a very bent (nose shunted) 199A frame for "development purposes" which was also stamped with an Italian DGM number, so the frame is from a 199A sold in Italy - now at Moffat Racing HQ! I also have a bent 199A swing arm, probably from the same blasted bike, also for "development purposes" Big John

Angus Campbell Motorcycles in Campbell Street, Dunfermline (bought out by Ernie Page in 1980/81), part owned by Jock Pattison (brother of Andy Pattison of Inverkeithing Ariel works rider pre-war and Clerk of Course SSDT post war). Willie Pitblado - Motorcycle Spares Scotland, Golf Drum Street, Dunfermline - Breaker of note! Uncles to both Willie Gillespie of ORM & SSDT Mairi too! Big John

With the release of Bultaco Model 91/92 onwards the UK government outlawed non-metal fuel tanks for road use. This was to create many problems at the Scottish Six Days Trial in 1973. Many trials bikes were at that time used on the public highway. Importers Comerfords of Thames Ditton acted and Homerlite produced two sizes of alloy tank seat unit. Many of the 1973 machines were then fitted as supplied by the importers or aftermarket with the blue and silver alloy tanks with the silver band abbreviated on the baseline. Later model 1974 model 124/125 had the same colour combo but more silver band sweeping up to the filler cap. Earlier conversion had polished tank seat units. I actually have both types of alloy tank/seat and a number of the glassfibre 'Kit Campeon' (Championship kit) originals. Big John

Bultaco UK does them www.bultacouk.com Big John

My SACU comp licence runs out on 31st January 2013, I'll renew mine then! Big John

Overthehill has made some very valid points there. Many other sports are now investing for the future. There is a bigger picture with Scottish Trial sport, it's just a pity some people don't really see it. Big John

No thanks Stevie, I have way too many better things to do with my time than waste it on show promotion! Big John

Don't think so Overthehill, Robbie Allan was down to promote it for Mortons Media, think he pulled out too busy with other projects. I haven't seen any adverts for it. Big John

It wasn't just me that was listening, more importantly the whole SACU was listening - it has too. Never forget the sport is bigger than just one man, its way bigger than me! Cheers, Big John Link to SACU webpage for full information release: http://www.sacu.co.uk/sacu_pages_editing_regularly/Press%20Release%20-%20to%20SACU%20Clubs%20Edit%20v2.1.pdf

Update: (15 November 2012): The SACU have issued an Information Bulletin to all SACU affiliated clubs and a rider's letter has also been sent to all current SACU competition licence holders. This updates all clubs and riders with the 2013 SACU Competition Licence tariff and details of 2013 season event and personal insurance cover at SACU permitted events. Big John

The SACU have listened to riders and clubs views and have taken this very seriously indeed. There will be an official communication issued, hopefully as early as Friday 16th November or Tuesday 20th November at the latest. Big John

The subject matter is now under review by the Scottish ACU board of directors and an official statement will be issued directly from the SACU shortly. Big John

Brilliant! I wondered where this would go eventually. No code - no licence, sems fair to me. I firmly believe that all comp licences should be only provided to paid up club members - end of! Support your clubs guys! OTF, I see you are still acting as a sales rep for the AMCA, you seem to put the same thing on every forum, including the Scots threads! Maybe not? Big John

GJ - That is an assumptive question. Where does the inference that reducing licence fees, creating a 'pay as you ride' levy system and revised insurance arrangements have anything to do specifically with motocross actually come from? Someone on here actually quoted a specific loss figure for the SACU claiming they got it from someone 'high up in the SACU' - I know that is quite wrong, for one good reason - the financial year of the SACU ends on 31st December 2012 (I'm writing this on 10th November 2012) we are not even there yet! Evidence: Read the information from the SACU it states clearly "we all pay the same". Evidence: The 2013 full licence is £34.99 (inc. Riders PA - £8.00) across all disciplines; the comp levy is the same rate across all disciplines. The only thing that varies is the rates per event for event insurance, because it happens to be riskier to motorsport insurance underwriters to cover high speed events on tarmac than Motocross; Enduro & Quad off-road speed than Trials, which is still the cheapest to underwrite and insure. Trials should not subsidise another sport, nor should any other sport subsidise trials, is that simple enough logic? If you agree thats good because that is how the SACU views it! Cheers, its good to discuss. Big John

GJ - I do understand that in some cases trials clubs do indeed pay for land, my concern was that Chris and his club are identifiable and therefore so too is the landowner (it's very easy to work out with the information on the internet nowadays) Point I was trying to make is he/she may not wish it known on a public forum that he is charging for trials on his/her land. Especially if the landowner forgets to 'declare it' heaven forbid! Anyway.. The decisions taken by the SACU do not, in any way, centre around the split in motocross at the start of this year. However one thing is for certain the split proved one thing, if you take something that is whole and split it in half, you end up with 50%. The 'new level' that was promised, didn't really materialise due to the low numbers. Riders have been rather disappointed by it all, but I'm not here to degrade fellow sports people. The SACU lost out and so did the SMXF! More to the point, riders lost out too, which is the real shame of it all. Fact: Scotland is a small country, splitting things doesn't work well with small numbers. Fact: There are plenty of people that dislike off-road motorcyclists, we don't need to dislike ourselves. Anyway... With regard to trials entry fees next year, the burning question is this, will Scottish trials riders stop riding events because a closed to club trial will cost £13 -15 and a national £20? When I personally think back to when I was much younger and fitter than I am now and what I earned back then, it's still cheaper to ride now than back then! Most riders are actually like me, they want well organised events, good fun, no hassle, a good days sport and home to wash the bike and Gaernes. They are not really that bothered about why the SACU want to charge a levy or indeed what they really want the funds for. When I am actually on a bike in a trial, the last thing that is on my mind is how much the days sport is costing me. I have also had to listen to folk talking about "the SACU don't do this, the SACU dont do that". Well if they don't clear their feet financially they wont do anything, will they? Who exactly are the SACU anyway? Well the SACU is a union of affiliated clubs of which I am a member myself and so are all my colleagues on the SACU. Most have actually ridden in one form of motorcycle sport or another. Mine happens to be trials predominantly and the occasional enduro. We are all voted into office to make decisions on behalf of our respective sports, if these decisions are wrong, then vote someone else in, they can have the problem. Maybe they can do better? We are not a bunch of 'suits' dreaming all this stuff up for the hell of it either, we actually want to better our sport, make it more useable, encourage more people to take it up, something we are all extremely passionate about. But we can't do that simply on enthusiasm, it takes money to do certain things, that is a fact of life! And we are all volunteers, read the factsheet on the SACU website, its all there in black and white. The SACU are always happy to hear the views of clubs and their riders. But remember, it's one thing talking it's another thing to do something! The easy bit is telling the SACU what to do, someone has actually to do it! It's the very same situation as a club! How many times have you heard it say, great idea - now who is going to carry it out? So if you want to learn more, SACU affiliated clubs have the right to send delegates to the SACU AGM in February, where they can learn more, perhaps the attendance levels will be greater in February 2013 than they have been for years? Anyway... The details are now out there, clubs and riders have now got all the information about next years fees. We shall now just have to wait and see! Big John

http://www.sacu.co.uk/sacu_pages_editing_regularly/SACUFactsheetNov2012%20-%20v1.0.pdf Link to SACU website, gives more information. Big John

There will be a 'fact sheet' available as a download released on the official SACU website later today. www.sacu.co.uk Big John

I wasn't having a go at you Chris, please don't take it that way. It's just the 'taxman' has ways and means - that was all! Cheers, Big John

Chris, You are making certain assumptions and at the same time giving specific information, you should perhaps talk this through with the BAMCC. The club conclude their own deals with their landowners who perhaps would not wish their income discussed on an open website - Just a thought! The BAMCC secretary has the details now and will be able to make calculations. Cheers, Big John

Firstly, it is no longer a "day" Licence it is a "One-event" licence (could be a 2 day event! - one licence) Secondly, £8.00 PA annual premium paid with full licence included in the £34.99, so licence cost is actually £26.99. If a rider buys a One-Event licence at £18.00 (that includes the PA premium for the whole 2013 season at £8.00) If a rider then buys another One -event licence for another event in the same 2013 season, he/she has already taken the PA insurance so only needs to pay £10.00 for any subsequent One-event licence purchased. If anticipating riding in 2 or more events in the season, buy the full licence at £34.99, I know which one I'll be buying! Big John

The official SACU communication concerning event insurances and benefits and the competition levy to SACU affiliated clubs is now with the club secretaries. Big John

Now then, I am only going to stick to the facts and I won't comment on any rumour or speculation! I can say that the deadline to release important detailed information to the SACU affiliated clubs will be met (15 November), in fact it will probably be released earlier than expected, as the paperwork is undergoing final checks at this moment in time, before it is signed off, ready to go out to club secretaries. Once the clubs get their information about the new event insurance, then the picture will be complete and only then will clubs be able to work out their own figures to establish what level of entry fees they will set for next season. After all it's the individual clubs that know what all their costs are. That's all affiliated sporting clubs not just trials of course. Some posters on here have made comment about fairness etc. Let me answer that element. What the SACU have done is introduced a new fee structure for their licences; every competitor in every sport is now paying exactly the same for their competition licence and their personal insurance cover, within their licence - we all pay the same! All competitors will also be paying the same rates for ACU Benevolent Fund Levy and the new Competition Levy, per event. The only aspect that will differ is event insurance, as some sports carry higher risks than others, high speed sports carry considerably higher risks than low speed trials - fact of life! All funds raised by the Comp. Levy will stay in Scotland under the control of the SACU and it's various sporting committees for the future advancement, fostering and promotion of all motorcycle sport in Scotland, including Scottish Trial Sport. No doubt clubs will communicate with their members in due course, after they have had the opportunity and time to digest all relevant the information not just from the SACU but they will consider other factors too and decide what they (the clubs) plan for 2013. Remember not all trials clubs get their land for free nowadays! No land = no trials! Hopefully, when all this euphoria calms down and people in Scottish motorcycle sport, including trials riders (as this is a trials forum) can see what is really happening and why it is happening, then we can all get on with enjoying our sport in 2013. Yours in sport Big John (a volunteer!)

Hi Ross, I have actually answered one of your queries above already It is certainly not ideal to answer 'specifics' on an open website, as I said there is additional information going out to clubs shortly, the clubs will then set entry fees for their events based on what they provide to riders and what they pay to put an event on the ground. As for joining an ACU club that you can do, but an ACU licence is not available to a Scottish resident, neither is an SACU licence available to a non-Scottish resident. Try applying today online on the ACU website for an ACU licence with a Scottish postcode and see how far you get! Ross, you ride the Pre-65 Scottish 2 Day regularly so, for example the entry fee went from say £70.00 up to £72.00 you won't enter the event? The actual SACU full, annual licence fee (1/1/2013 to 31/12/2013) has actually been reduced by £16.01 - from £43.00 to £26.99 for all sports, the £8.00 is not a licence fee, that is the riders' PA insurance premium for the whole 2013 season! As I said more to follow! Big John