Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1532327
Spending a season in the trials world was a thrill, something I'd highly recommend to anyone ready for something new. more to this unique subset of off-road motorcycling than the pinnacle athletes. For people with a small piece of property, or limited access to wide open riding areas, a trials bike can be a very fun way to get your throttle twisting fix. You can ride for hours just within a few acres, sharpening your skills, testing yourself and find- ing abilities in places you didn't know you had. Whether or not you indulge in the sport itself or use it as a training tool for other forms of motorcycle riding, you can find a lot of fun in the trials world, so if and when you ever do get the chance, I encourage you to Try Trials. CN A Season Reflection My season with a trials bike was a unique experience, and I can honestly say it wasn't what I was expecting. The sport itself, and especially the MotoTrial community, is extremely wel- coming, and grateful to help out new participants. From the ex- treme trials videos you've seen on social media, it may appear to be an exclusive and cliquey community, but the MotoTrial crowd was thrilled to have us bungling newbies at their event. There's a place for everyone, and while it's always incredible to watch the wizards at work, especially in person, there's a lot P110 FEATURE I A SEASON WITH A BETA EVO FACTORY 200 round three of the SCTA 2024- 25 MotoTrial Championship Se- ries. We cheered each other on, of course; we laughed at each other and also picked up skills as the day wore on. Even Kato, whose background is actually in trials, don't you know, felt more at home in the saddle by the end of the day. We found ourselves learning the ropes on loop one and getting comfortable with the flow. Balance, control, clutch finesse and coordination started feeling sharper on loop two. What was a three on loop one was a zero on loop two. Strength and endurance came into play on loop three, where my proud zero became a five. I was surprisingly wiped out by the end of the day. It's not bar- banging intensity of motocross or GP racing, but the mental fo - cus it requires is a different level of intensity that is nearly as try- ing. Remembering the sections, memorizing my lines, staying calm, not getting flustered or try- ing to rush through the sections became increasingly difficult. Beyond the double-blips and the counter-intuitive body language, the mental game is what a trials bike will help you sharpen. This is golf on two wheels. At the end of our three loops, we found ourselves crunching the numbers in the same way apparently all trials riders do: "Ah man, if only I had cleaned this one section, or if only I had got- ten through that one turn with- out dabbing, I could have won my class instead of ending up third…" Coulda, shoulda, woulda. Better improve my focus next time.