BAT Woman wrote:In 1975, at Mt Kembla, Wollongong, I rode my 2nd ever Open Trial & their was a young lad there riding for Uncle Brian's Bike Shop Team (Dapto) on a TY80, same as mine. He was very impressive. Next time I met him was 1983 at Brands Hatch, UK, he had already wrapped up the GB RR Champs, so it did not matter that he crashed out. One Wayne Gardner!
I saw a photo of Wayne Gardner in a magazine recently. He doesn't quite look as fit and 'sleek' as he did about 20 years ago.......but you, Bev, don't look a day older!!!
Hope to catch up with you soon somewhere around the trial scene.
Hey Maree, you are too kind, flattery will get you everywhere! People will think I am paying you! Just don't look too closely! Unfortunately, the start to my trials year started in disaster. First day of my holidays I took a very slow speed fall off my bike only to have my knee wedge itself in a fork of a branch & I kept going, causing some major, major knee damage. Two months up the track I have been working very hard on rehab, putting in hours every day. So lucky I work at the AIS. Having access to Sport Doc & Physio everyday have been awesome. I have just started gingerly cycling & balancing on my trials bike. Stephen Gall measures me up for a knee brace tomorrow but it will still be a while before I will be riding let alone competing, I am trying to be sensible but not sure how long that will last! So, I am hoping, hoping I will be up to riding at the Women's Cup in April, & able to catch up with you then. Til then, take care my friend, Bev
Here is just some of what I came up with while researching last years Aussie Trials Titles programme from the South Aussie side of things.
Chris Holmes - trials to Enduro - 1st SA rider to Medal at an Aussie Enduro championships, a 24 Hour Reliability Trial win - and back to trials to win the 1st Post Classic Title in 1994 Steve Martin - Aussie Junior Champ to World Superbikes & World Endurance Championship Glen Richards - SA Junior Champ to ARRC Champ to British Superstock Champ & World Endurance Championship David Holt - SA solos & sidecars to 3 time Aussie Enduro Champion & ISDE Gold Medallist David Maunuel - Aussie Junior Champ to multi MX sidecar Champ, multi Finke Desert Race sidecar wins and 6 SA 24 Hour Reliabitlity Trial sidecar wins Shane Diener - SA juniors to Aussie Enduro Champ, ISDE Gold Medallist, Aussie Vintage MX Champ, 9 24 Hour Reliability Trial wins and Aussie Safari Stage placegetter. Phil Medson - trials to Speedway, competing in international competitions Andy Haydon - trials to Supercross & MX Championships, multi 24 Hour reliability Trial wins, and, a 3rd outright in the Dakar Rally.
Of course in the good ole days it was a lot more common to ride more than one facet and a lot of riders were multi facet. From the Keyneton MCC side of things there were many including; Dennis Weichert - trials, enduro and reliability trials Ken Warnest - trials, reliability trials and road racing Jim Warnest - as above Bob Petts - trials, reliability trilas and scrambles (mx) Geoff Warnest - as above Max Lee - as above Ian Zander - trials and reliability trials Trevor Diener - as above Philip & Roger Holmes - as above Geoff Barratt & Laurie Williams - as above
Just to name a few.
The bottom line - there is little doubt trials is the best grounding for all facets - it can help every facet in some way.
Cheers Outfit
Sidecars - its betta to have a swinger than fly solo!
Not only motorcycle stars enjoy branching out into trials. Former V8 supercar driver David Parsons was a former rider who competed in open solo at the 1985 Aussie titles in Tasmania. If memory serves me right he also owned the property where the titles were held.
Hey Trango, yes, you were right, David Parsons did own the property that the 1985 Aussie Titles were held at in Tasmania. Anyone who attended would have it imprinted on ther memory. David should have gone racing instead of setting the sections! Crasher would second that. Don't think Tassie have dared have the titles again, have they? Catch ya, Bev
I was unable to attend those titles but after hearing first hand reports from some competitors & seeing video footage it was an extremely wet, difficult trial. You are right about not hosting anymore titles since then.
Josh Brookes, Aussie Road racer currently giving the Poms a hard time in BSB has a Gas Gas in the UK he plays with when not racing superbikes. Glenn Kearney, Aussie Enduro star that raced GNCC in the USA for 6 years bought my 2008 Gas Gas as a 'Cross Training' tool a few years back.
Gary B. from Wollongong MCC. Now the Old Man in "Team Boniface"
Moto Central wrote:We sold a Sherco to Casey Stoner last year (although I'd stop short of crediting that to his awesome year but you never know) Also Steve Martin, former Aust junior trials champ bought a Sherco off us direct from the factory to train on at his Swiss base while he competes in the WSBK champs. Shawn Giles, Suzuki Aust Superbike rider & multi Oz Superbike champ rides a tidy 2005 Sherco. seems to be a trend here with the road race guys.... I have pics of a young Mick Doohan riding in an arena trial in Brisbane in an old bike mag also.
re the Doohan pic, can you remember what bike it was? TLM?
not hosting anymore titles since then.
