Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Another valuable basic skill taught is how to pop a small wheelie. Instead of fanning the clutch and tugging on the handlebar, though, Bussing teaches now to get the front wheel up with a simple forward squat followed by a springing up and back and a blip of the throtUe. It works, and the students soon put that to use, as well as a double blip in order to begin crossing logs. Again, Bussing's trials-based technique differed from the usual. When it comes to crossing a log (or rock or some other obstacle), he has students hit the log with the front tire, just a few inches below the top. The students quickly discovered that a rebounding front end works nicely with the second throtUe blip to smoothly (after some practice) get the bike over the log without the rear of the bike kicking excessively. Before too long, most students got the hang of it and attempted larger and larger logs and boulders. "Hitting the log with your front wheel - never thought of it: admitted AA rider Mike Grizzle (pictured here). "I aiways thought about getting all the way over it, but once you let the front wheel hit Ithe top of the logl. it's so smooth." Climbing and descending is another eye-opener. Bussing first had the class climb a short, steep bank while using no throttle - after giving it a short burst of gas at the bottom. Again, trials bikes' heavy flywheels make this possible, but it also makes you think about the role momentum plays and how having the tire hooked up instead of spinning markedly increases your control. Dropping off the bank, you squat and shift your weight extremely rearward as the front end begins its descent, according to Bussing. Done correctly, you should find the rea r fender against your butt. When It comes to larger hills, traction (not wheel-spinning horsepower) is the key - at least when you're not on a paddle-tireequipped, four-cylinder, purpose-built hillclimber. Naturally, Bussing has you stand (there's really no other way to ride a trials bike - and anyway, he feels that most off-road riding should be done standing). However, when the rear tire begins to spin, you simply squat a little (as Scott Fraser demonstrates in this photo). If it spins more, squat more and back off the throttle a IitUe. Conversely, if you start to loop out, feather the clutch a little while maintaining the throttle position. It sounds too simple to work. but it does. On descents, you want to get way back and use both brakes. If you feel any weight on your hands, you're probably not back far enough. When you get way back on the bike, it reduces the wheel lockup and increases your control. There's that word again. Learn b Doin £furn 0 ~vent5 Off-cambers and tums are another subject, and there were no real differences in what's often taught elsewhere. When traversing an off-camber section, weight the do Nllhill peg. While turning on the side of a hill is often trickier than on flat ground, the same principles apply. After the initial lessons in the grassy area, most of the Cross-Training 101 instruction took place out on the trails - and there are miles and miles of them at the TIC. In fact, some customers book time there just to trail ride those marked, private routes, though they're tight and very physically demanding (especially on regular dirt bikes, as the group discovered when it stayed for a third day to ride theirs). To give you an idea of what the terrain is like, the TIC has hosted a number of trials events over the years, including Nationals. Besides the often-dense woods, there's an abundance of rock. which makes it fairly easy to construct impromptu trials sections in which to practice various techniques. While most Cross-Training 101 schools are completed in a weekend, the group from Georgia arranged ahead of time to spend a third day riding their personal dirt bikes mostly KTMs, plus Grizzle's Husaberg - in order to put their newfound skills to use right away. As they discovered, the most difficult task was putting aside the bad habits so ingrained in their riding and putting the new ones into practice. Both days went by quickly, with Bussing presenting his curriculum in a fairly animated, understandable fashion, demonstrating the technique and then observing as each student tried it. No one gets bored, and there are few breaks, adding to the physical effort trials demands in the first place. he said, but like Grizzle, he wanted to Lunch and - at the end of the day - riding. "I wanted to have an advan- dinner are certainly welcome, and no tage that would enable me to get up to the A class." one complained of being hungry afterward. Welcome, too, was a improve his normal "go fast" dirt bike A few weeks after the school. Fras- cha nce to cool off in the river across er reported being able to apply much the road after the last day of class. "It's just amazing what you can get course: "As far as turning with my feet of what he learned, though not all, of from this," said Husaberg AA rider [by weighting the pegs], I wasn't really Mike Grizzle. "Everything he taught us, if I can take and apply half of it, good at that on the trials bike, and I'm not really good at that on my enduro - he calls us up three events [after then I can pick up speed. Just trying to apply [what I learned] will be a bike, either... But as far as standing up taking a class] and says, 'I just tro- and turns and moving my weight phied!' That makes it worthwhile challenge to me, but knowing it now - around the bike, that all really helped because someone has more fun doing me... lt was an experience, I'll tell you that. It was a lot of fun." what they're doing, and to me that's knowing that it works - will be a big plus. It's hard to take all this in in two classes, but regarding teaching applicable trials basics to non-trials riders, the TIC's Cross-Training 101 school certainly seems to work well. If the class we observed is a good indicator, learning the low-speed basics of motorcycle control can effectively improve your riding at the whole point." days; it's a lot of stuff. I didn't think And it's something that even the Again, Bussing doesn't aim to it'd be this intense...When you get to teacher enjoys. "Sometimes it's prob- ·convert" off-road riders to trials rid- the final day, you take everything that you've learned and apply it, and ably even more rewarding for me to ers, but after seeing what you can do see them make a good turn, and they on a trials bike, it's not unusual for you go, 'Wow, this really works.' It's don't even realize they made a good off-readers to gain a new enthusiasm amazing." turn," Bussing insists. "I don't know for trials. The Frasers, in fact, ended that [proper technique] registers as much on the rider's mind as it regis- up purchasing a pair of Gas Gas trials graduate to the A class next season, ters on mine because [the student] is order to practice more trials as a way his knowledge of trials was limited at best: "I knew they didn't have seats and I was going to stand up all dayl" so busy thinking about what [his] to improving their enduro results. For body's doing. That makes it fun for those who want to learn even more me... 1 can think of a guy in Michigan trials, of course, the TIC offers other Michael Fraser certainly agrees. A SETRA "B" enduro rider anxious to higher speeds. Plus, it's a lot of fun. Trails Training Center 300 Woodland Rd. Sequatchie, TN 37374 423/942-8688 trialwench@aol.com bikes after attending the school, in cu cle n I::N www.trialstrainjngcenter.com e _ S • NOVEMBER 14.2001 55

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