Trials Riding Wishlist

Trials Riding Wishlist

Trials Helmet in Gulf colours:  $76

Trials helmets are specialists.  They aren't designed for highspeed riding because trials bikes generally don't do high speed riding, but they are designed to let you breath freely while offering you maximum vision, especially down as you're picking your way over obstacles.

I'm a child of the 70's and the Gulf colours take me back to the mighty Ford GT40 race car dominating Le Mans.  A good design article on this colour scheme is here.

'94 Fantic 250cc Trials Bike   $2500

This lovely thing has been up for sale on Kijiji for some time.  He's asking $2700 but I suspect I could talk him down a few hundred.

I'd actually prefer a basket case I could completely rebuild (and then paint in Gulf livery) but trials bikes are vanishingly rare and (like dirt bikes) strangely expensive.  Maybe something better will come up that lets me do a full engine rebuild and restoration.

'01 GasGas TXT200 Trials Bike  $3000

This one's a step closer to a project bike but newer and more expensive. It needs brake work and fork seals. The photos are terrible and it looks like it's been well used, but being newer it'll perform better than the 80's tech in the Fantic.

As a project this one isn't a complete rebuild but it does need some TLC.

There ain't no such thing as a cheap off roader.  This beaten up old things costs almost as much as a brand new Chinese trails bike so it doesn't make much sense.

The Amateur Trials Association of Ontario

The ATA runs regular events throughout the riding season in Ontario.  They have an active Facebook group and seem very keen to welcome new members.

They have Tenaci-Wong TWA150A 150cc new trials bikes for about $3500+ PDI/shipping/taxes on the FB group.  That means a new adult sized trials bike is about four grand plus a few hundred more, which suddenly makes the abused and ancient things above seem like a bad idea.

The end of May event got pushed back thanks to Doug's on-again-off-again Ontario lockdown policy, but they're hoping to re-insert it into the end of June.

The ATA?ECTA schedule runs from the end of May to mid-October and offers a busy August of events.  If I'm looking for a relatively inexpensive way to combine competitive sport with motorcycling, this might be the thing.  I'm terrible at exercising just for the sake of it but given a  reason to work out, I do.  This might be just the thing to get my chasing fitness again.

A new Tanaci-Wong 150cc trials bike and competing in the ATA/ECTA events wouldn't cost much more than new hockey equipment and a season of beer league, and it would let me improve my bike riding skills.  I also happen to have a backyard built for trials practice.

This one's on the to-do list.

Track Days & Dirt Days

Two goals over the summer as far as biking goes:  go to a track day and get in some off road experience.  Fortunately I've got choices for both nearby:

That's not too far!

1... Track Days:  Grand Bend Motorplex does beginner track days at various times throughout the summer.  I'm going to make a day where I can go down there and give the Ninja a workout in a track environment.  It'll be an early start, but if I can time the weather right it'll be a great opportunity to develop more fluid riding and gently get a feel for how the bike handles in more extreme conditions.  A hundred bucks doesn't seem bad for a full day of track time.

If not Grand Bend then there are other options.  Cayuga is $125 for a day and an hour and forty five minutes south through Hamilton.  Mosport and Shannonville are both venues for Riderschoice.ca, who offer track days there.  I haven't been to Shannonville since I did the Nissan advanced driving school in the 1990s, it'd be nice to go back.  Shannonville does their own track days, for $145 a day.  Calabogie is way out Ottawa way, but it ain't cheap, though the track is supposed to be fantastic.

2... Off Road Training:  Yamaha Adventures is a lovely hour and a bit ride north of where I am.  The full day package on their bike isn't cheap ($329), but it would give me a chance to get a feel for off-road riding without the equipment overhead.  

Trailtour also offers trials and dual-sport courses, both of which are cheaper alternatives, and they happen to be under an hour south of the family cottage.  Trials riding is very technique intensive and would do a lot to improve my balance on any bike.

As many different experiences in as many different circumstances as I can manage, that's the goal this year.