The Members’ Magazine of the Trail Riders Fellowship Autumn 2019
Lands End Trial Blez toughs it out on an RE Himalayan
Green Road Watch TRF teams up with the police to curb anti-social riding
Testing, testing...
Husqvarna’s 2020 TE150i
A new feature: Clothing and accessories under the microscope
Super-light, super-tough, super-trick, fuel-injected 2-stroke. The way forward? Members give their verdict Rights of Road: Achievements and progress TRF leads the way at new-style bike fests Metisse profile at Rickman Festival Responsible rider training SW Wales Group: Newbies’ weekend
THE TRF TEAM TRF Chair & Marketing Director: Mario Costa-Sa mario@trf.org.uk 07721 480000 After 4pm please unless urgent Conservation Director: Dave Carling dave.c@trf.org.uk 07586 325260 Financial Director: Michel Sabatier finance@trf.org.uk 07801 187304 Police Liaison & TRF Governance Director: Stuart Bosworth stuart.b@trf.org.uk Heritage Director: Steve Neville steve.n@trf.org.uk Membership Director: Carla McKenzie carla.m@trf.org.uk Safety & Northern Area Director: Doug Cartwright doug.c@trf.org.uk Technical Director: John Vannuffel john.v@trf.org.uk 07730 796215 Training Director: Chris Barrable chris.b@trf.org.uk TRF Membership PO Box 4829 Shrewsbury SY1 9LP Membership Secretary: Sharon Connor sharon@trf.org.uk 07958 316295 IT: Adrian Allen web@trf.org.uk Equestrian & Events Liaison: equestrian@trf.org.uk TRF Learning Platform: learning@trf.org.uk Press: pr@trf.org.uk Creative Communications & Website Editor: Greg Villalobos greg@trf.org.uk Advertising: Charlie Harris charlie@trf.org.uk 07768 855019 Editorial: Rick Kemp rick@trf.org.uk 07941 233777
Editorial Hello Fellow membeRs and welcome to the Autumn issue of Trail. As ever, it’s something of a mixed bag which reflects the diverse activities that is the modern TRF. we report on the shows where the TRF has a presence, on the one hand trying to get across to countryside users that not all trail riders are hooligans. on the other, it plays an active role at shows that target the motorcycling public, and at which the motorcycle industry tries to tempt us with its latest offerings, by leading visitors round the local lanes. somewhere in-between is the emergency services show, which gives the TRF the opportunity to interact not only with 999 services but also with many specialised rescue organisations. some activities have hit the national headlines, such as the Green Roads watch scheme (pages 22 & 23), where the TRF has joined forces with south Yorkshire Police to help tackle anti-social motorcycling. Just in case some might think that we’re moving away from core principles, take a look at our Technical Director’s Report which details our Rights of Road activities. on a more personal note, I benefited from the TRF in action after I skilfully managed to rip the valve out of the front tube on my CCm while riding the Pilgrims way. with my minimalist approach to tool kits I was facing the prospect of cable-tying the tyre to the rim and ‘proceeding with caution’ when, as if by magic, Kent TRF member Tony Taylor arrived on the scene complete with tube, tyre levers and a very can-do attitude (see pic). It doesn’t get more grass roots than that. big thanks.
elsewhere in this issue you can wander down memory lane with the first Rickman Festival at the sammy miller motorcycle museum, featuring several metisse street scramblers. Paul blezzard does the lands end Trial on an Re Himalayan. oh, and did I mention a small Husqvarna we had on test, the Te150i? As ever, what you and your TRF Group get up to keeps us entertained. enjoy. Rick Kemp rick@trf.org.uk Trail is published quarterly and is designed and produced by Rick Kemp Media Services, for the Trail Riders Fellowship. The TRF is registered in England & Wales No.05884933 Registered Office, 218 The Strand, London WC2R 1AT. All advertising enquiries should be sent to charlie@trf.org.uk The views expressed by individual members in Trail are not necessarily those of the Trail Riders Fellowship.
CONTENTS
AUTUMN 2019 Issue #9
The Members’ Magazine of the Trail Riders Fellowship 03 Directors’ Reports: Including updates from Chair and Marketing Mario Costa-Sa and Technical Director John Vannuffel plus a sad farewell from Membership Secretary Sharon Conner 14 Summer Shows: This summer has brought a major shift in the way the TRF operates 15 Overland Event: Oxford TRF (wo)mans the stand at the Overland Event 16 Emergency Services Show: The TRF mixes it with the serious safety organisations 18 The Lod Way Round: Loddon Vale raises money for the Thames Valley Air Ambulance 22 Green Road Watch: A new initiative sees the TRF helping South Yorkshire Police 24 TRF Group Map: All the regional contacts for TRF Groups 26 Jewel in the Crown: Husqvarna’s TE150i is potentially its most interesting 2020 model 38 Mighty Metisse: A brief history of the iconic Rickman Metisse 46 The Lands End Trial: Paul Blezard rides this long distance trial on a Royal Enfield Himalayan 56 A Century of Competition: The Motor Cycle Club invites the TRF to the Exeter Trial 60 Nice Trainers: Mario Cost-Sa talks to 90-One Rider Training regarding responsible riding 68 2019 ABR Festival: The 2019 Adventure Bike Rider Festival in pictures 72 Beginners Luck: Mo Rapley on the the South West Wales TRF Newbies’ training weekend 76 Dales Delight: Nick Grant ponders the plight of the vertically challenged 82 E-NDURO – KTM’s E-Partner: We have a go round KTM’s official E-Park down in Dorset 84 Tested: The Knox Urbane Pro armoured shirt worn with pride 86 Group Savings: The TRF looks at a way of saving you money on expensive engine oil
Some of the action going on at the official KTM E-Park down in Dorset Pic: Rick Kemp Cover pic: Husqvarna
DIRECTORS’ REPORTS Mario Costa-Sa, TRF Chair, looks back on a productive and thoroughly enjoyable summer
Directors’ meetings
Moving forward
Last time I mentioned that the TRF now has a forward plan for the Directors to work to. We are progressing further by adding the views of individual Directors and their priorities to the plan. The Directors took the opportunity to meet in person at the ABR festival and, without cost to the TRF, met in the beautiful stately home of Ragley Hall to discuss TRF operations and approaches. This was the first meeting in person of the TRF Board with new Director Andrew Byatt who has offered to lead several important projects for the TRF. The next AGM will be in Summer 2020 and now is the time for us to be proposing and planning resolutions for voting at a future AGM.
Underpinning this is a culture change that needs to be cemented into the TRF. Putting it bluntly, the TRF in the past has welcomed new ideas to move forward with a fear of failure, and has perhaps even sought reasons to fail. We need to replace this with a culture of trying out new ideas where “skunk works” and creativity are celebrated.
Members shaping the TRF As part of this process we will be looking for members to help with shaping the TRF through consultation, focus groups, meetings and project leadership. Amongst the many areas currently being worked on for consideration include: Local Group funding
Autumn 2019 Trail 03
Pic by: J Bentman
TRF policy for property & assets Options for Membership and additional benefits Group Structure & membership Different classes of members for diverse needs to include young riders Membership rates for the different classes Grace period & voting rights for expired members
IT HAS BEEN a great summer for TRF events, highlighted for many by the 2000 rider ABR festival where the TRF was responsible for leading green road ride-outs and marshalling the adventure trail. Many TRF members enjoyed seeing a TRF Director’s cherished 1200GS being ragged around the off-road adventure trail by a 16year-old who rode it like he stole it.
Summer, ice creams on the prom...
ensure that we carry a sufficiently large “stick” to defend the public’s access entitlements. We have been busier than ever with legal work and many groups will be aware of the efforts taking place in their area.
Fighting Fund reserves
Carrot and Stick The TRF’s recent progress in leading responsible trail riding and being accepted by authorities has been appreciated by most members. Initiatives like our work with the Police, equestrians, road conservation work and reaching out to the countryside community has won us many friends. In July the TRF were invited to attend the Peak District National Park “Peak Summit” where we had a constructive meeting around the TRF’s support for Sergeant James Shirley of Derbyshire Police Rural Crime initiatives. September brings the launch of the TRF’s involvement in the Green Road Watch partnership with South Yorkshire Police and Doncaster Council led by Inspector Craig Clifton. The TRF’s role in education in the Peak District has been formally acknowledged. As well as the “carrot” of our role in social responsibility, we must also
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Support for this additional activity needs deeper pockets for reserves. The more reserves we have the more cases we can take on. Our fighting fund-raising goal this year is £40k in addition to membership revenue. John V, the technical director, will be making his report and this is your chance to contribute financially to this area. Thank you again for your interest and support and we look forward to continuing to support you in conserving our network of green roads.
TRF Director Stewart Bosworth tucking in to his pre-ride preparation
MARKETING REPORT TRF show presence In September we were at the Emergency Services Show talking to the Emergency Services about the TRF’s offerings in Rider Education, Search and Rescue and Community Support. We have invited current and former serving emergency services, especially police, to represent the TRF at the flagship event. At the end of September the TRF returned to the International Dirt Bike Show at a new location in Stafford with a message of responsible riding and working with the Police. Due to new positioning of the TRF, the growth in riding-based shows such as ABR and Overland which has seen visitors to the TRF stand, and our progress with authorities in getting on the agenda of policy makers, we are currently re-evaluating our presence at many of the traditional motorcycle show events.
Marketing Strategy The TRF’s strategy for reaching out to the Public at large events including Countryfile Live and the Gamefair has served us well over the last few years, and delivered a step change in how the TRF is perceived by other organisations and authorities. Many groups have started local marketing activities in their area , and a stock of marketing equipment has been dispersed to the North with Nick Berry, Lancs TRF Chair, and in the South with Brian Hill, Chair of Sussex TRF, who have requested a pool of equipment for regional shows. Following a review by Marketing and Strategy volunteers including Graeme Collins, Chair of Loddon Vale TRF, Steve Taylor Chair of South London & Surrey TRF and David Warren the ever helpful TRF volunteer, it was felt we should review our approach to shows moving forward.
Guerrilla marketing is a strategy that focuses on low-cost unconventional marketing tactics that yield maximum results. Guerrilla marketing is often suited for small businesses that need to reach a large audience without breaking the bank. We will migrate our physical presence to low-cost events which directly engage the influencers and individuals who have a high impact on motorcycle access, whilst keeping the volume engagement with the wider public on low cost social media and other events which allow for motorcycle riding as well as publicity. Examples of this include our presence at the Emergency Services Show which has not incurred significant cost for the TRF, whilst engaging a highly influential audience. Likewise the ABR, Horizons Hubb and Overland Event allow for riding as well as show presence, playing to our strengths.
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TRF 50th Anniversary The 18th of January 2020 will be the TRF’s 50th Anniversary, and will not pass unmarked. Among other events, we will be working on plans to include a celebration at the Valiant Trooper in Aldbury near Tring in Herts and a party at the 4500 rider ABR festival in Summer 2020. A 50th anniversary TRF badge has also been proposed. We are looking for a 50th Anniversary project manager to take the programme forward and put the ideas into practice.
Event and Project Management To put in place a wide variety of programmes across the country, every successful event needs a new project manager and we are pleased at the volunteers coming forward. Peter Potts volunteered to project manage the TRF’s presence at the International Dirt Bike Show this year, and a team of three, Garret Felon, Tony Ferrari, Manuela Beis, have put their hands up for the ABR show next year. All events
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are assisted by a web based project plan to help manage the event. Event management is a simple process that covers the following stages: Liaising with TRF Marketing Confirming the stand bookings Health & Safety processes Arranging a stand rota Setting up the stand appearance including AV and bikes Picking up volunteer refreshments Writing an article for Trail Many thanks again for your support of the TRF marketing@trf.org.uk
Equestrian Events We spend effort on our organisation for equestrian events across this winter with a view of increasing the TRF’s presence in this area. Last year British Eventing were informed of the individuals who were empowered to organise horse events on behalf of the TRF. In addition, volunteers have come forward who are willing to act as regional coordinators and we are looking for more. Please get in touch with equestrian@trf.org.uk if you would like to get involved.
Road-book Enduro Tours in France DATES FOR 2019
4/5/6 November
Dordogne
DATES FOR 2020
22/23/24 April 13/14/15 May 27/28/29 May 10/11/12 June 2/3/4 Sept 23/24/25 Sept 21/22/23 Oct 4/5/6 Nov 18/19/20 Nov
Dordogne Pyrenees Issoire Lozerien Bis Issoire Pyrenees Massif du Morvan Dordogne Normandie
TRF Raffle The TRF Raffle was a big success last year, generating around £7000 in revenue and engaging non trail bike owners. Having proved the concept, we now need a project manager to take this programme forward, liaising with suppliers, choosing the bikes and arranging a regular programme of raffles.
All trips are priced at £560 (payable to ABTA bonded and ATOL protected UK travel agency S&N Pickford). Price includes 3 days riding, 2 nights half-board accommodation, loan of road book and road book reader, support vehicle and driver, an opener and sweeper and a classy T-shirt. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like any further information.
Chris Evans, Sport Adventure Tel: 0033 662 487190 chris.evans@sport-adventure.com www.sport-adventure.com
TECHNICAL REPORT Technical Director John Vannuffel updates us on the TRF’s core business – preserving the green road network in England and Wales I AM PLEASED to report that the vast majority of the green road network continues to be used by responsible trail riders without attracting contention. In the small minority of counties that have experienced issues affecting responsible trail riding during 2019, only a
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few of the counties’ green roads are threatened. On the exceptional occasions where issues arise, the majority are dealt with effectively without resorting to absolute bans on motorcycle access. Where absolute bans have been used, the majority
have proven to be over-restrictive, unsuccessful and unjustified – the extremely limited benefit tends to be confined to securing the ideological goals of those with a peculiar hatred of trail riding. The TRF has achieved much by compromise and collaborative working to address the genuine concerns of those adversely affected by negative effects associated with public and private motor vehicle access. A constant in concerns raised about motorcycling is noise pollution. We are fortunate that Parliament has chosen to adopt EU regulations in respect of motorcycle noise. We are less fortunate in that a minority of riders choose to use exhaust silencers that are illegal – such activity contravenes the TRF’s Code of Conduct. It is not enough to have an MoT to be sure that an exhaust is legal and that the TRF Code of Conduct is respected. Unfortunately, the MoT regulations were modified in recent years to allow an MoT to be obtained with an illegal exhaust that is excessively loud. The TRF will be issuing guidance to assist trail riders and others to check the legality of exhausts.
dispute that the TRO legislation allows for authorities to make irrational TROs using unfair process. They need only keep the irrationality below the dizzying heights of a legal test known as ‘Wednesbury’, where irrationality is permitted so long as it is not so irrational that no other right-thinking authority would countenance it. As one might imagine, this hopelessly inadequate safeguard readily explains why the public interest suffers from
many unjust TROs both on green roads and black. The Court found that a procedural failing had occurred in the TRO process and that the failing was unfair to the TRF. But the Court has a discretion as to whether or not to overturn the TRO where there is such a failing. Hampshire County Council was fortunate to have a sympathetic judge who exercised his discretion allowing the TRO to stand.
Warnford TRO The TRF’s appeal regarding the Warnford TRO case was not granted by the Court of Appeal. The case was partially successful as it returned a more favourable finding than the first instance ruling. Further, it is now beyond
Autumn 2019 Trail 09
Stonehenge Tunnel Highways England has applied for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to build a tunnel under Stonehenge. As part of that DCO, extinguishment of access to byways is being sought. The TRF engaged Counsel to oppose the DCO insofar as it is detrimental to motorcycle access to the byways. The TRF has attended three hearings to date, with Counsel representing the TRF at those hearings. The TRF’s position has been to remain neutral regarding the tunnel, seeking to ensure that the peripheral issue of the byways does not sink the whole project. Highways England chooses to maintain a position that exposes the entire project to the risk of a successful TRF legal challenge, for the sake of its desire to prohibit trail riding on a 400m section of the overground A303 that links two byways. Highways England’s own evidence supports an estimate of around one motorcycle per day on average using that 400m link. Wiltshire Council has maintained an objective approach to its position that is consistent with it satisfying legal duties – a position of accommodating trail riding on the byways and 400m link road.
A ground of the TRF’s challenge was that Council officers had chosen to withhold the Chief of Police’s consultation response from the decision maker. The Chief of Police’s response was conducive to the grounds of the TRF’s objection, arguing that the TRO would fail to deliver the desired outcome of addressing illegal MPV use. In place of that representation, Council officers reported that the TRO proposal had the full support of the local police, relying on a representation made by the village police officer. Both the first instance judge and the Appeal Court found this to be wrong. The Courts cannot consider evidence of post-decision consequences when deciding as to the merits of a case. The Courts found that the Chief of Police’s representation was “muddle- headed”. However, the events following the TRO demonstrate that the Chief of Police was most correct. The TRO immediately failed to address illegal MPV use and the village police officer has not effectively enforced the TRO. Indeed, the village police officer failed to prevent the near immediate destruction and removal of the TRO signs. The TRF has serious concerns as to the institutional failings that allowed for the irrational TRO to be made using unfair process, notwithstanding that the Court did not find in the TRF’s favour. That is not proof of rationality and fairness – it is only proof of keeping the irrationality within the envelope of Wednesbury and of the Council getting
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very lucky with the Courts’ exercise of discretion in respect of procedural failings. There are also serious issues of public confidence to be addressed in respect of the part played by local police in this matter. There is an understandable concern amongst TRF members that the village police officer has supported the bullying of responsible trail riders. Heaven Hill Road Hampshire County Council manages its green road network via two departments: Highways, which manages UCRs, and Countryside, which manages BOATs. The public receives a better service from Countryside than it does from Highways. One can readily demonstrate the difference in performance by referring to TRF litigation in recent years. Heaven Hill Road is a UCR that was subject to claims from an occupier in respect of alleged illegal behaviour by motorists. But no evidence of this has ever been brought
forward by the Council. Despite the seeming lack of evidence to substantiate claims made by the occupier, Hampshire County Council’s Highways Department granted the occupier a licence to obstruct the road – which is unlawful. The Council then proceeded to pursue a stopping-up order to extinguish public highway rights on the road – which was successfully challenged by the TRF. During those Court proceedings, the Council conceded that the obstruction was unlawful and that it was duty bound to remove it. Following six months of continued unlawful obstruction after the TRF’s success in the Court, the Council had not taken any action to remove the obstruction. The TRF reluctantly commenced the initial stages of a further legal challenge to ensure that the Council satisfied its duty to remove the obstruction. We are presently at the stage of trying to resolve this matter out of Court.
TRF VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TRF Raffle The TRF raffle brought in £7k in revenue to the TRF. We are looking for a member to manage the raffle programme – possibly up to 2 per year. TRF 50th Anniversary Project Manager The TRF 50th Anniversary will not pass unmarked. We are looking for a member to manage the programme of events. TRF ABR Festival 2020 Volunteers The TRF will be involved in managing the riding for 4500 riders. We need: Ride Leaders, Marshals, Stand Volunteers and Catering Staff. Volunteers will of course have a free pass and free refreshments. Register at www.trf.org.uk/abr Contact: mario@trf.org.uk or call 07721 480000
Photo: R. Schedl
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MEMBERSHIP REPORT It will be a hard act to follow but the post of TRF Membership Secretary is up for grabs. Have you got what it takes?
Group Returns The time of year is approaching for Groups to make an annual Group return – mainly covering contact information. Sharon will be sending round requests for information in October, which according to our bylaws must be completed by end of the year. As per last year we introduced a Google sheet, meaning if a Group secretary has a google account
Sharon is leaving us Sharon Connor TRF Membership Secretary is standing down at the end of 2019. In thanking her for her contribution, we asked her why she is leaving. Thank you for your kind words, I really enjoy working with the TRF and the board of directors but work commitments outside of the TRF combined with the growing membership numbers mean I cannot spend the time I would like to ensure the board, members and groups get the service and support that they deserve. So earlier this year I made the hard decision to stand down. My involvement with the TRF began in September 2014 when my husband, Ian, a keen biker, spotted Mario’s request for a membership secretary on social media. I think his plan was that if I was busy involved on the admin side I wouldn’t notice him being out and about on his bike so much! The membership numbers were about
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they can simply update any information and officers who have changed, rather than sending a whole new form.
Membership platform With the change in Membership Secretary it is now time to look at the membership operation and our membership infrastructure. We are looking for volunteers
3200 at that point and now stand at almost 5500. The camaraderie and the passion the members have for the TRF will be my stand out memory. With so many different personalities come many differing points of view and I think the board of directors have such a challenging task trying to take on board these viewpoints whilst keeping to the ethos of the TRF. The TRF has such an important role in keeping access open as well as educating users to be considerate and respectful to the environment and other road users. I have had many phone conversations with members, generally because they need help with joining or renewing membership. This often ends with a long discussion about their bike and its performance and shortcomings – for someone who doesn’t ride and, prior to my involvement with the TRF, thought KTM was an airline, I think I could now hold my own in any discussion about the merit of different bikes for the green road! I think the group committees deserve a huge thank you from me, they do so much work, all in their own time, to promote the TRF and welcome new members and they are always so quick and helpful to provide me with information when I contact them – they are the true ambassadors for the TRF.
particularly with a BPR (Business Process Re-engineering) and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) experience to help in the area. Building an eective national Trail Riding Community will be the hallmark of the next generation systems and we’re looking for volunteers who are able to help in this area.
TRF Membership Volunteers We are looking for a new volunteer Membership Secretary and Membership systems project manager. Contact mario@trf.org.uk or call 07721 480000
Thank you Carla, and the rest of the Directors for your support and also Ade, our ICT expert, who has been brilliant in helping with the various IT programmes we use to keep the TRF running!
www.cambrianway.com Tel: 01550 750274 email: info@cambrianway.com
Kind regards. Sharon Connor
To advertise in Trail magazine contact: Charlie Harris T: 07768 855019 E: charlie@trf.org.uk or visit www.trf.org.uk/trade
Simon Gaze and the crew at Horizons HUBB UK
SUMMER SHOWS This summer brought around a major shift in the way the TRF has operated at Summer Shows FOLLOWING THE SUCCESS of previous years, the TRF attended two major non-riding events, Countryfile Live at Blenheim and also at Castle Howard. For this year the Blenheim event offered catering to visitors as well as volunteers which engaged more people with the TRF’s messages of conservation and responsible riding. Following a change in strategy we are now looking at more riding and marshalling based summer events and the major success by far
Leading the rideouts at the ABR Festival
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was the riding offered at the adventure shows. Herefordshire TRF has managed the riding at the Horizons HUBB UK event for the past few years, with Simon Gaze setting a high standard for ride leader management and Spot GPS tracking of groups out on a ride. Gavin Seiler continues to do Garmin GPS workshops at this event and a whole team of other TRF volunteers are involved in pushing out the TRF’s message. Manuela Beis has led the organisation of Oxford TRF’s presence at the Overland show and she tells us about it – see opposite. By far the biggest presence was at the 2500-person ABR event at Ragley Hall. This event has changed the way that the industry regards external motorcycle shows, viewing them as an opportunity to involve the public in a participatory way by offering riding experiences. Hopefully gone for ever are the traditional motorcycle shows where all visitors can do is buy fast food and get drunk. The TRF played a major role at the event with responsibility for organising riding on green roads and marshalling the four-mile Adventure Trail. Again, see the report elsewhere in this issue.
Overland Event For the fourth year running and with 17 volunteers, the Oxford Group (wo)manned a TRF stand again and offered several popular ride-outs at this year’s Event THE GATHERING, FROM 30 August to 1 September, was as ever, dedicated to all forms of motorcycle travel, welcomed around 700 guests from all over the world. Its purpose is to inspire anyone thinking of heading off on their bike, whether in a couple of weeks or a couple of years. There were presentations from authors and travellers such as Ted Simon, Sam Manicom and Steph Jeavons, music and food, test rides on lots of new bikes, a bike show of machines that have completed all kinds of marathon journeys, motorcycle travel films, a remarkably expansive bar, workshops on everything from puncture repair and bike crating to saving lives, slow riding competitions, plenty of exhibitors and trade stands. The atmosphere is very relaxed, and everyone is invited to share experiences or ask questions. The TRF is a valuable part of the Overland Event, as it is also important to represent adventures a bit closer to home than the Cape of Good Hope. Our aim is to show the participants the beautiful surroundings of the
venue from a different angle, by taking them on and off the tarmac through Oxfordshire and the neighbouring counties. Apart from exploring the countryside, we want riders to gain more confidence if they come to the end of a metalled road on their travels and have to continue on unpaved tracks. And, of course, we are there to promote our favourite pastime, educate the mainly road bikers about trail riding, and encourage them to join the TRF. Although the lanes around Oxford are not exactly trailie-friendly, with miles of ruts, mud and chalk, we always try to pick routes suitable for bigger bikes and make sure that everyone is comfortable with the pace and the challenge. The huge grin on the riders’ faces on their return from the trails, and the interest in our stand from the participants in general, showed us that our effort this year was a great success once again. Manuela Beis Oxford TRF Further information can be found at www.overlandevent.com
LVTRF Chairman Graeme Collins and one of the leading fund raisers Drewe Noble at the supporters event hosted by Thames Valley Air Ambulance to say thank you to the many people who raised money for them. They even arranged a call out for the helicopter just as we were setting up for some shots!
AT THE BEGINNING OF 2019 Loddon Vale Trail Riders Fellowship committee agreed to run an event to promote the TRF’s green road conservation and responsible trail riding education work within the local area by organising an event to raise money for the Thames Valley Air Ambulance. An organisation that undertakes incredible work while receiving no government or lottery funding, relying solely on public donations. Grant Williamson was appointed as event manager and plans were made to ensure relevant procedures were in place to ensure that the Lod Way Round event was run smoothly and safely. Our hosts for the day were Loddon Brewery who kindly provided a BBQ in the evening with the landowner Coppid Farm Enterprises allowing those who wanted to take the opportunity to fully enjoy the hospitality of the brewery a field to camp in after the evening festivities. With wet weather plans in place one thing we had not anticipated was one of the hottest days of the year with temperatures reaching 33 degrees. Over 40 riders set off from the brewery across six groups to enjoy routes that took in the lanes of Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Surrey, and Hampshire with the most adventurous covering almost 200 miles on the day. We were able to secure a number of local sponsors including 3Bs Motorcycle holidays, BikeSeal, Hatfields Honda, Endurotyres.com, MX Racetime, Premier Bikes, Super MX and TriCounties Motorcycles all of whom provided prizes for the raffle which contributed almost £500 to the overall total.
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There were also prizes of a 12-month subscription to Adventure Bike Rider awarded to the top three fund raisers – Grant Ely, Drewe Noble and Andy Bryant. Being our first event of this nature, we had set a modest target of £1500, so were amazed and delighted when the members embraced the event to raise an incredible £5445 once Gift Aid was included. So, for those of you who thought the TRF could not organise a p@ss up in a brewery Loddon Vale group just proved you wrong! For more information contact: Graeme Collins, Loddon Vale TRF chairman@lvtrf.co.uk – 07967 802525
Alongside the helicopter TVAA have four Emergency vehicles and a number of highly trained pilots, doctors, and paramedics enable them to carry out their incredible work. Dr Chloe Spence is pictured with LVTRF Chairman Graeme Collins and leading fund raisers Drewe Noble and Grant Ely.
Photographs: David Warren
The Lod Way Round
The Emergency Services Show THE EMERGENCY SERVICES SHOW is a two-day event, held this year on 18-19 September at the NEC, Birmingham, bringing together all disciplines from the emergency services sector to discover innovative technologies and operational solutions, share their experiences and unite in their collaborative approach to public safety. The exhibition is in its 14th year and features over 450 exhibiting companies including leading names in vehicles and fleet, communications, technology, medical and fire-fighting equipment, search and rescue, extrication, water rescue, first response, protective clothing and uniforms, public safety, vehicle equipment, training, community safety and station facilities. Last year it attracted a record 8300 visitors. Who goes? By attending, the TRF meet with Police including British Transport Police and MOD, Fire and Rescue Service, Ambulance Service
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Voluntary sector including British Red Cross, St John Ambulance, Mountain Rescue, Cave Rescue, NSARDA, RNLI, independent lifeboat organisations, Lowland Rescue teams, Community First Responders and many more. Also present were representatives from the Home Office and ESN, Civil Contingencies Secretariat, Resilience Direct and Ordnance Survey. Utilities such as water, telecoms, gas and electricity. Government Departments such as local authority emergency planning officers, Highways England and the Environment Agency. Buyers from these organisations visit the show to source new equipment and find solutions to operational problems. The TRF’s message The Collaboration Zone within The Emergency Services Show is in an area of the Show dedicated to networking and
shared expertise. Here attendees can meet with over 80 end-user organisations who take stands to highlight their skills and services to show visitors. Exhibitors include emergency services, government departments, leading charities and NGOs. Voluntary groups including the TRF all offer crucial support to the emergency services. Building on work initiated by TRF Director and serving senior Police Officer Stewart Bosworth, TRF RoR Officer and NHS Manager Tony Ferrari, the strategy and benefits of Emergency Services working with the TRF have been summarised by Graeme Collins, TRF Marketing Executive and Chair of LVTRF into the following areas for further discussion;
Rider Education Operations Promoting lawful and responsible riding to reduce nuisance and illegal riding. Search and Rescue Support Enabling large area search and rescue operations. Rural and Community Support Reducing user conflict and supporting local communities and councils. A white paper written by Tony is also available which gives more details of the use of trail and dual-purpose motorcycles in disaster scenarios.
Contact marketing @trf.org.uk
Motorcycle Live The TRF will return to Motorcycle Live, 16-24 November at the NEC Birmingham. Robin Hickin and West Mids TRF have agreed again this year to manage our attendance at the UK’s largest bike show and they are looking for groups to fill days at the show. Dates currently available are 17th, 18th and 19th and possibly the 23rd. If you want to volunteer as a local group for this event and sell the benefits of TRF membership and get free entry into the show, please contact robin.h@trf.org.uk. Dates will be allocated on a first come basis so an early response will help you to secure the date of your choice.
Green Road Watch scheme launched to tackle anti-social motorcycling in Doncaster On FRIDAy 13 September South yorkshire Police in partnership with Doncaster Council launched a new trial scheme to tackle anti-social motorcyclists in the borough. The Green Road Watch scheme is the result of extensive partnership work between officers from our Operational Support Unit, the local authority and the Trail Riders Fellowship (TRF) and was sparked by concerns about misuse of green roads and off-road riding in the Doncaster area. Roads Policing Sergeant Matt Duffy says it’s a positive move: “We have been aware of problems with motorcycles and quad bikes being ridden irresponsibly in parts of Doncaster for a while now and our off-road bike team have been working hard to tackle the issue. However, we know there is more that we need to do to get a grip on the problem and this new scheme is part of that.
“We have recruited ten community volunteers as wardens who will provide a high visibility presence in the areas where we have reports of ASB related to off-road bikes and quads. The wardens will be patrolling, advising people about rights of access and reporting incidents to the council and the police. They will, in essence, be the eyes and ears of the authorities, thereby increasing the chances of being reported when riding illegally. “It’s as much about engagement and education as helping us with enforcement. The wardens will be talking to people about the TRF code of conduct and how to identify legal routes so all users of these areas can do so safely, legally and with respect and courtesy. ”
Police & Training
The ‘Green Road Watch scheme’ aims to support local and national park authorities in reducing illegal and anti-social use of motorcycles on green roads, rights of way and other land not forming parts of a road. Inspector Craig Clifton from the force’s Operational Support Unit says: “It’s easy to underestimate the impact anti-social behaviour involving motorcycles has on the community, but as part of our action so far we haven’t just seized bikes, but also drugs and weapons. On top of this you have the environmental impact for residents and businesses, including our local farmers.” Anyone who would like to report anti-social or illegal use of off-road bikes is asked to contact their local neighbourhood team. A full list of these can be found on our website.
Stewart Bosworth, TRF Director for Police & Training, said at the launch: “The TRF are proud to be working with South yorkshire Police (SyP), who we believe are the largest dual-purpose motorcycle unit in the country. For Doncaster Council and SyP to pioneer this resource-extending approach shows innovation and commitment to working with responsible civilian resources to solve long-standing problems in our community.” For more information see: www.trf.org.uk/police SYP: Kirsty.Latham@southyorks.pnn.police.uk TRF: Police@trf.org.uk or stewart.b@trf.org.uk
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1 Cornwall TRF Contact: Martin Goddard | admin@cornwalltrf.org.uk | 07787522674 | http://www.cornwalltrf.org.uk Meeting details: 3rd Thursday of the month, 8pm at The Hawkins Arms, Zelah, TR4 9HU 2 Devon TRF Contact: John Heal | johnheal@blueyonder.co.uk | 01626 832413 http://www.trfdevon.org.uk/ Meeting details: 2nd Tuesday of the month, 7:30pm at The Dolphin Hotel, Station Road, Dolphin Square, Bovey Tracey, TQ13 9AL 3 Somerset TRF Contact: Josh Cook | keeperjhc@hotmail.co.uk | 07590 281296 http://www.somerset-trf.org.uk Meeting details: 1st Thursday of the month, 7:30pm, at The Maypole, Thurloxton, Taunton, TA2 8RF 4 Dorset TRF Contact: John Williamson | wjwilliamson@btinternet.com | 01929 553640 | http://dorset-trf.org.uk/ | http://www.facebook.com/groups/1655657811402165 Meeting details: 1st Tuesday of the month, 8pm at The Royal Oak Hotel, Bere Regis, BH20 7HQ 5 Isle of Wight TRF Contact: Andy Hawkins | 01462 811654 Meeting details: 1st Wednesday of the month, 8pm at The Eight Bells Inn, Carisbrooke, Newport, PO30 1NR 6 Southern TRF Contact: Ben Plummer | twine007@me.com | 07769652656 | http://www.southern-trf.org.uk/ Meeting details: 3rd Thursday of the month, 8pm at Southampton & District MCC, Cranbury Centre, Cranbury Road, Eastleigh, SO50 5HT 7 Central Bristol TRF Contact: Darth Speede | hello@centralbristoltrf.co.ukv | 07766090190 http://www.facebook.com/cbtrf/ Meeting details: 3rd Tuesday of the month, 8pm at the Nova Scotia Hotel, 1 Nova Scotia Place, Hotwells, Bristol, BS1 6XJ 8 Bristol TRF Contact: Glen Summers | mail@trfbristol.org.uk | 01454 619246 | http://www.trfbristol.org.uk/ Meeting details: 4th Monday of the month, 8pm at The Bull, 333 Crews Hole Road, Bristol BS5 8BQ 9 Wiltshire TRF Contact: Jim Cairndu | trf.wiltshire@gmail.com | 07840 352996 | http://www.wiltshiretrf.co.uk | http://www.facebook.com/groups/WiltshireTRF | http://www.facebook.com/wiltshiretrf/?fref=ts Meeting details: 1st Tuesday of the month, 8pm at The Pilot, Bowerill, Melksham, Wiltshire SN12 6TA 10 Loddon Vale TRF Contact: Graeme Collins | chairman@lvtrf.co.uk | 07967 802525 committee@lvtrf.org.uk | Meeting details: 2nd Tuesday of the month, 8pm, The Swan, Basingstoke Road, Three Mile Cross, Reading, RG7 1AT 11 Sussex TRF Contact: Andy Wardrobe | sussex@trf.org.uk | 07414 529298 http://www.sussextrf.org.uk Meeting details: last Thursday of the month, 8pm at Ashington Village Hall, Mill Lane, Ashington, RH20 3BX
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For the latest details go to: trail.trf.org.uk/groups/
12 Kent TRF Contact: Steve Neville | sneville@blueyonder.co.uk | 07887 478552 http://www.kentishtrf.org.uk Meeting details: Last Wednesday of the month, from 7.30pm, Eynsford Riverside Club, Riverside, Eynsford, Dartford DA4 0AE 13 South London & Surrey TRF Contact: Tony Rowlands | grouprep@surreytrf.org.uk | 07772 333328 http://www.surreytrf.org.uk/ Meeting details: 4th Tuesday of the month at 8:30pm, Ripley British Legion, 25 Rose Lane, Ripley, GU23 6NE 14 Oxford TRF Contact: Martin Welch | chairman@oxford.org.uk | http://www.oxfordtrf.org.uk/ Meeting details: 3rd Thursday of the month at 8pm @ The Original Swan, Oxford Road, Cowley, OX4 2LF 15 Gloucestershire TRF Contact: James Osborne | hello@trfglos.org | 01531 822728 Meeting details: 1st wednesday of the month, 8pm at the Wagon Works Club, Tuffley Avenue, Gloucester, GL1 5NS 16 Hertfordshire TRF Contact: Mark Brown / join@hertstrf.org.uk | 07958 506066 | http://www.hertstrf.org.uk/ http://www.facebook.com/groups/HertsTRF/ Meeting details: 2nd Wednesday of the month at 7pm, different venues around London and North Home Counties Schedule on Facebook or contact local rep 17 Essex TRF Contact: Graham Coker | 07789 922537 graham@cokerg.freeserve.co.uk Meeting details: 1st Wednesday of the month, 8pm at The White Horse 2 Church Street, Witham, CM8 2JL 18 Suffolk TRF Contact: Colin Poutney | vraptor@ntlworld.com | 07981 116310 Meeting details: First Monday of the month, 8pm at The Three Kings, Fornham All Saints, Bury St Edmunds, IP28 6LA 19 Norfolk TRF Contact: Rupert Trigg / info@norfolktrf.org.uk | 07899 918276 | http://www.norfolktrf.org.uk | http://www.facebook.com/groups/norfolktrf/ Meeting details: 2nd Wednesday of the month, 7:30pm at The White Horse, Trowse, Norwich, NR14 8ST 20 Cambridge TRF Contact: Andy Lonnen | 07753820520 | newmembers@cambstrf.org.uk http://www.facebook.com/TRF-Cambridgeshire-624123620992268/ | http://www.cambstrf.org.uk/ Meeting details: 3rd Thursday of the month, 8pm at St Ives Outdoor Leisure Centre, California Road, St Ives, PE27 6SJ 21 West Anglia TRF Contact: Geoff Groom | ggroom@btinternet.com | 07929 275465 Meeting details: 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month, 8:30pm the Scott Bader Social Club, 122 High Street, opp Parish Church, Wollaston, Wellingborough, NN29 7RJ 22 West Midlands TRF Contact: Steve Whetton | enquiries@westmidlandstrf.co.uk | 01527 451089 / http://www.westmidlandstrf.co.uk Meeting details: 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month, 8pm at Wilmcote Sports and Social Club, 16 Aston Cantlow Road, Wilmcote, Stratford upon Avon, CV37 9XX 23 Worcestershire TRF Contact: David Walters | davidwalters101@hotmail.co.uk | 07767 204730 Meeting details: 1st Tuesday of the month, 7:30pm at The White Hart Fernhill Heath, WR3 8RP 24 Herefordshire TRF Contact: Graham Hutton | graham.hutton671@btinternet.com | 07581023924 Meeting details: 1st Tuesday of the month, 8 pm at the New Inn, Fownhope, Herefordshire, HR1 4PE 25 Mid Wales TRF Contact: Marianne Walford | 01686 430522 marianne@trailrides-wales.com | http://www.facebook.com/groups/354419968236284/ Meeting details: Last Thursday of the month except December, no fixed venue. 26 South Wales TRF Contact: Christian James | christian@swtrf.org.uk | 01446 410073 Meeting details: 1st Thursday of the month at 8pm at the Ty Nant Inn, Nr Radyr, Morganstown, CF15 8LB
27 South West Wales TRF Contact: Rob Williams | rwmotobiker@aol.com | 07974 102372 Meeting details: Last Thursday of the month, 7pm at Hagans Café and Fish & Chip Shop, 2 Pensarn Road, Pensarn, Carmarthen, SA31 2BS 28 Shropshire TRF Contact: Mike Price | alwynmike@hotmail.com | 07718902682 Meeting details: 3rd Thursday of the month, 7.30pm the Acton Arms, Morville, WV16 4RJ 29 East Midlands TRF Contact: Lee Jordan | lee@jordaninstall.co.uk | http://emtrf.co.uk/ Meeting details: 2nd Wednesday of the month, 8pmthe Clock Warehouse, London Road, Shardlow, Derby, DE72 2GL 30 Lincolnshire TRF Contact: Nev Cooke | cookie60@btinternet.com | 07845 067047 | http://www.facebook.com/groups/253106844849995/ Meeting details: 1st Thursday of the month, 8pm Woodys, Woodland Waters, Willoughby Road, Ancaster, Grantham, NG32 3RT 31 Peak District TRF Contact: Alan Gilmore | a.gilmore_home@outlook.com | 07807818542 Meeting details: 1st Thursday of the month, 8pm the Fisherman‘s Rest Belper, DE56 2JF 32 High Peak & Potteries TRF Contact: Russ Unwin | russ.u@hotmail.com | 07968 770629 Meeting details: 2nd Thursday of the month, 8pm The Black Horse, Endon, Stoke-on-Trent, ST9 9BA 33 Derbyshire & South Yorkshire TRF Contact: Bob Morley | bobmorleycbs@gmail.com | https://www.facebook.com/SOUTHYORKSHIRETRF/ Meeting details: 2nd Tuesday of the month, 8pm the Dusty Miller, Sheffield Road, Barlborough, S43 4TW 34 North Wales TRF Contact: Neil “Timpo“ Thompson | timpo@bikerider.com | 07980 555874 / http://www.facebook.com/NorthWalesTRF/ Meeting details: 1st Wednesday of the month, 8pm The Burntwood Pub, 26 Burntwood Road, Buckley, CH7 3EN 35 Manchester TRF Contact: Phil Kinder | philmancunian@googlemail.com | 07809647293 http://www.facebook.com/groups/13477365684/ Meeting details: 4th Monday of the month, 8:30pm at The Sycamore Inn, 4 Stamford Square, Ashton under Lyne, OL6 6QX 36 Lancashire TRF Contact: Keith Westley | keith.westley@outlook.com | 01704 893215 http://www.facebook.com/TRFLancashire/ Meeting details: 1st Tuesday of the month, 8pm The Rigbye Arms 2 Whittle Lane, High Moor, Wrightinton, WN6 9QB 37 West Yorkshire TRF Contact: Tim McEnhill | info@wytrf.org.uk | http://www.wytrf.org.uk Meeting details: 1st Thursday of the month, 7:30pm Cue Garden, Stadium Mills, Stadium Road, Bradford, BD6 1BJ 38 East Yorkshire TRF Contact: Julian Mamo | julian.mamo1@googlemail.com | 07583694431 http://www.facebook.com/groups/959312044201559/ Meeting details: 2nd Tuesday of the month, 7:30pm the Bay Horse Inn, 75 Market Place, Market Weighton, York, YO43 3AN 39 Ribble Valley TRF Contact: Paul Stewart or Gary Barker | admin@ribblevalleytrf.org | 07791 934041 or 07711 064574 / http://www.ribblevalleytrf.org Meeting details: 1st Tuesday of the month, bi-monthly, at 8.00pm commencing 5th June 2018 Contact rep for full details. The Petre Arms, Whalley Road, Blackburn, BB6 8AN 40 Teesside & North Yorkshire TRF Contact: Leo Crone | leocronektm1190r@outlook.com | 01325 463815 http://www.facebook.com/groups/teessidenorthyorkshiretrf Meeting details: 3rd Wednesday of the month, 7:30pm The Lord Nelson, 40-41 St James Green, Thirsk, YO7 1AQ 41 Cumbria & Craven TRF Contact: Nigel Summers nigel_summers@sky.com | 07891 403992 http://www.facebook.com/groups/1631280750485319/ Meeting details: 2nd Tuesday of the month, 7:30pm the Cross Keys Inn Milnethorpe, LA7 7AB 42 TyneWear Teesdale Contact: Paul Smith | smip694@aol.com | 07980 144446 Meeting details: 4th Tuesday of the month, 7:30pm The Golden Jubilee Pub, Yarm, TS15 9XN 43 Northumbria TRF Contact: Greg Villalobos | ride@northumbriatrf.org.uk | http://www.northumbriatrf.org.uk/ Meeting details: 1st Wednesday of the month, 7:30pm, Petros Restaurant, Spa Well Road, Winlaton Mill, Blaydon on Tyne NE21 6RT
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Jewel in the Crown Its motor definitely sparkles, it’s set in a beautiful frame and acquiring one will make a healthy dent in the wallet. Surely a jewel in anyone’s book. We put Husqvarna’s TE150i to work. As this is a members’ magazine, we’ve altered the traditional test format to let more members give their views Pics by: Husqvarna & Rick Kemp
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For vArIouS rEASonS, two-stroke motors for off-road use have been out of favour for some years but fuel-injection technology has allowed the two-stroke to pass more stringent emissions testing and to overcome some end-user short comings in the process. Gone are the days of mix in the tank twostroke fuel and all the vagaries of mechanical protection that went with that, not to mention carrying bottles of oil around everywhere. The TE150i has separate oil and fuel tanks, both with low-level light indicators on the digital dash, and the mix is handled by the injection process. As we’ve said, the TE150i isn’t cheap to buy but it should be much cheaper to maintain than the highly strung four-stroke equivalent, where piston life is counted in hours. Safe to say, the two-stroke is back.
The Tech Stuff
To keep the overall weight to a minimum, the crankcases on the TE 150i engine feature a thin-wall design. To centralise mass, the shaft arrangements are precisely positioned to harness rotating masses at the ideal centre of gravity, while improved sealing is taken care of by the reed block that features optimised carbon-fibre reed petals. The TE 150i features an innovative power valve design, which allows the 143.9cc engine to deliver controllable power throughout rev range. The piston crown profile is designed to match the contour of the combustion chamber, which helps deliver enhanced performance. Also, the injectors deliver the fuel straight into the transfer port, resulting in optimum fuel atomisation which, in turn, promotes more efficient combustion leading to better fuel consumption and improved emissions. The injection system uses a 39mm throttle body to regulate the amount of air entering the engine via a butterfly, operated by dual throttle cables. The two-stroke oil is mixed with the air via an electric pump and enters the engine to perform its lubrication task. A throttle position sensor (TPS) relays airflow data to the electronic control unit (ECu), which then calculates the amount of oil and fuel delivered to the engine. A bypass circuit It’s a handsome beast, sharing it’s good looks with the 250 and 300i
Compression and rebound are adjusted from the fork tops
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d on the Mode switch is situate e digital Th ht: Rig . bar right to read y eas is h das
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Oil filler is on the he adstock in front of the petrol cap. The EC U decides how much goes in the mo tor. No more premix here...
regulates the idling speed and cold starting. The ECu additionally translates all the sensor information to compensate for temperature and altitude, allowing the bike to be ridden anywhere in the world without having to get the spanners out. While we’re in the electronics department, there’s a two-position ignition map switch. Position 1 delivers ’standard’ characteristics and full power while position 2 (11 on the switch body) provides a ‘softer’ power delivery for low-grip conditions; modes can be switched ‘on the fly’. The TE150i comes with electric start and lightweight Li-Ion battery, which is not only compact but also delivers superior cold cranking amperage, less important on a two-stroke but good to have with all the ancillary electronics. The Husqvarna chassis design is legendary and this version in chrome-moly steel is crafted using laser-cut, robot-welded, hydroformed tubes, before being powder-coated in Husky blue. The rear sub-frame is a two-piece carbon composite construction. WP suspension is featured at both ends. At the front end is the Xplor 48 fork, produced
allowing 300mm of wheel travel. The linkage progression is borrowed from the MX range for better higher speed control. Working with the suspension is the exquisite Magura braking system and GSK wave discs, 260mm front and 220mm rear. Even the lever adjusters are pro-race specification.
The Fun Stuff
specifically for competition use. Both legs are sprung but the damping is split, with compression damping in the left leg and rebound damping in the right. Adjustment is via clickers (30 clicks) on the top of each fork leg. For 2020, the standard preload adjusters allow for easier adjustment without the use of tools. The fork’s updated mid-valve piston delivers more consistent damping, while a new additional setting allows the fork to operate higher in the stroke for improved rider feedback and bottoming resistance. The rear end is suspended by WP’s Xact shock,
Be in no doubt, this small-capacity enduro machine is the real deal. You can tell it’s a competition machine just by looking for the ignition key – there isn’t one. Instead you just hit the start button and everything bursts into life – the motor, the digital dash, the lights, the rider. To look at, the TE150i isn’t particularly exciting. The flat white bodywork is bland and the squared off mudguards, handguards and headlight holder are definitely a case of function over form but functionality is what a competition bike is all about. There are no awkward bits, nothing gets in the way, there are no ‘I wish they hadn’t done thats’. So how does it perform on the trails and who might it appeal to? Trail had an open session with Herts TrF to try and find out.
Philip Lee Harvey Normal ride: Yamaha WR 450 and various trials bikes Experience: Riding since the age of 7 “When I first saw the TE150i I was surprised how tall it looked. I imagined a 150 would be aimed at smaller, lighter riders but when you’re on it it’s incredibly forgiving. When you first start it up, it sounds a bit like a mosquito. It’s got that classic two-stroke whine to it and I love that sound – it’s the immediate sound of fun. It’s got a very light clutch, a one finger job, which is just as well as you’re going to be changing gear a lot. It’s a bit like a 16-year-old on a moped – first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and then hold it. “As far as capability off-road goes, it’s brilliant, as you would expect from Husqvarna. It’s got a whole lot of technology in it and, like I’ve said, it’s incredibly forgiving. If you didn’t have much ability off-road you’d still be able to enjoy yourself, it won’t spit you off. You feel like you’re riding the bike rather than just holding on to it. That said, given that it’s over 125cc, you won’t see one wearing L-plates, so that and its price tag rules it out as a novice bike for all but the most privileged. “on the road you’d very quickly want another gear, particularly if you were going any distance. on the trails it’s very usable and it has an amazing amount of grip – it’s quite difficult to put into a slide even if you wanted to. It’s the kind of bike that if you lived near a trail and you could ride all day I would say it’s a perfect bike. It’s lightweight, hopefully reliable, though the seat is a little on the hard side.
“I’d like to see what it would be like in a technical, trials type situation, as the first gear is very low and the clutch so light. In an enduro I expect you’d be doing a lot of gear changing but I think it would be a great bike to learn to ride enduro on. You’re never out of control, there’s no nasty power band, you’re not going to get scared by it.” PLH in action...
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Charlie’s 1970 ‘On Any Sunday’ Husky
Charlie Harris Normal ride: Kawasaki KDX 220 Experience: Trials, motocross and enduro at international level (retired) “okay, I’m a bit long in the tooth now but I’ve served my time and some of it was with Husqvarna. This bike was a total revelation and capable of competing at the highest level. It’s beautifully proportioned with excellent steering and superb suspension. Because I’m a bit short in the leg, at times I found it difficult to get my foot down when I needed to. The brakes are equally impressive being very strong but without grabbing, which is great. The gearbox is slick with six speeds, all very close. “next to the throttle on the handlebar is the ignition mode switch. This allows you to ride the bike tamely, and when required, like on a special test where you need that extra zip, you just flick the switch and it takes off. “The electric start, and the convenience and performance of the fuel injection, just
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makes it such an easy bike to ride. If it was mine I’d see if I could lower the seat height without upsetting the handling. If I was an ISDE or international rider, these days I would opt for something like the Husky TE150i as it’s light and easy to steer, it will slide, you can pick the front wheel up and its really good over the rough stuff. If you’re going fast, and the rear suspension isn’t right, it will kick you up the backside. “I loved the fact that is has separate oil and petrol tanks, so you can’t put in the wrong amount of oil in the heat of a hurried refuelling stop. There is a slight puff of smoke on start up but after that it’s clean as a whistle. “I am very impressed with the TE150i. The riding position feels good with the right seat/ handlebar/footrest relationship. Again, if it was mine, I’d experiment with the gearing but that’s about all. “If I was a lot younger, you wouldn’t have to pay me too much to ride the little Husky as I think that the winnings would more than make up for it.”
Conclusion WE THouGHT THAT the Husqvarna might have had a broad appeal to include people of different abilities as well as the more dedicated rider. The mode switch isn’t magic, it depends on how you ride as to which mode will suit you in what conditions. one thing though, for fast road work it has to be mode1 otherwise you’re continually on and off the pipe which makes for a jerky uncomfortable ride. Yes you can switch modes as you ride along, no problem. I saw 125km/h on the display and it wasn’t finished
yet so it’s more than capable of keeping up with A-road traffic. I suspect that, despite the clever electronics, fuel consumption will doubtless suffer at these speeds. I would say that the target end user for the TE150i would be someone with enough disposable income who is looking for a machine that will cope with anything, be easy to ride and will always be better than they are. or a serious enduro rider prepared to run with larger capacity bikes in the same class. In other words a large proportion of TrF members. Rick Kemp
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Husqvarna TE150i SPECiFiCATionS Displacement: Motor: Bore x Stroke: Starter: Transmission: Clutch:
Frame: Rear suspension: Suspension travel: ring of it. Didn’t livery and the corne “Loved the power de d not enough an g sin nfu n – too co like the modes butto ve would be ati ern modes. An alt difference between the buy the Husky as it’s an uld e it for the KTM 125EXC. I wo but I would mainly us ad -ro off e bik ed 17 ing az am Joshua Costa-Sa, ag motocross.”
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Front brake: Rear brake: Chain: Steering head angle: Ground clearance: Seat height: Tank capacity: Weight:
143.99 cm³ Single cylinder, 2-stroke FI 58mm x 54.5mm Electric 6-speed Wet, DDS multi-disc clutch, Magura hydraulics Double-cradle-type 25CrMo4 steel WP shock absorber with linkage (Front)300 mm (rear)300 mm 260mm disc 220mm disc X-ring 5/8 x 1/4” 63.5 ° 360 mm 950 mm (approx.)8.5 l (without fuel) 99.6 kg
The creators of the Metisse, Rickman brothers Derek and Don, posing with bike builder Chelsea Bee’s stunning road-going Steve McQueen replica, the Rickman Metisse Wasp...
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Mighty Metisse Autumn 2019 Trail 39
Our scribe for this feature may not be a TRF member but he has given his time and knowledge to the cause. Mike Jackson is something of a two-wheel legend, having been a top-flight, off-road competitor in his youth and a British motorcycle industry stalwart later on. Who better to comment on Metisse’s off-road machines than a rider who finished the 1971 Barstow to Vagas desert event in 14th place (from a field of 3,200) and in the following year’s Elsinore GP came 8th in the 250 class and 5th in the 500 class out of 1,000 starters
exception of the 1955 season with Royal Enfield, and despite consistently beating every British ‘works’ factory rider, not a single home manufacturer offered any support. It was this attitude, plus the brothers’ inherent ability to produce an MX machine superior to the stock products from AMC, Ariel, BSA, and Triumph, that triggered the first Metisse, in 1958, utilising a Tiger 100 engine in a Gold Star frame, fitted with Norton forks and BSA hubs. Their results (sur Metisse) were even more impressive than on the BSA DBD34s they’d raced for the previous three years. Ultimately, of course, they produced their own hubs, forks, and even BSA cylinder conversions – primarily for motocross and road racing. But the core business was always the production of light, strong, fine-handling frames; initially for the 500cc MX, then for 250s. Eventually they entered the road race and street bike arenas, concentrating in the latter category on state of the art chassis for a multitude of Japanese ‘fours’. It should also be added that in the early 1970s they made
AT FIRST GLANCE New Milton (pop. 26,000), an orderly community on the Hants & Dorset border, does not appear a hot-bed of motorcycling. If, however, one follows the brown signs out of town to Bashley Cross Roads, on the edge of the New Forest, you arrive at the Sammy Miller Museum…where, in late June, Sam himself hosted yet another atmospheric gathering of specialist machines, which included a dozen or more classic trail bikes. Entitled the First Annual Metisse Enthusiast Reunion, a dry day ensured that some hundreds of discerning riders, former competitors, and current Metisse owners spent a memorable day either bench-racing, or kicking the tyres of the 70 or so eponymous bikes on display for judging. First, though, a brief two-wheel history of New Milton, for it was here [some 70 years ago] that Don and Derek Rickman began making their mark at national and international level in the fiercely competitive Scrambles (now called MX) world. Disregarding their countless successes, and with the sole
The award-winning Steve McQueen replica Metisse built by TRF member Chelsea Bee “Looking back over the last year, I realise building this bike, and dedicating myself to nine months of evenings and weekends in the workshop, was truly the best decision I ever made. I have begun to understand all those articles in magazines about committed enthusiasts who devote a large part of their lives to reviving wonderful ageing machines. “The bike project has brought much more than just a fabulous bike into my life. With my Dad’s guidance I have learnt so much and I have met so many likeminded passionate people. Building this bike was just the beginning, so much has happened since it burst into life (second kick) last June and there is so much more to come.”
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some thousands of highway-legal 125s and 250s for the USA market, fitted respectively with engines from Zundapp and Montesa. Both models, needless to say, were ultra neat, with no less than five 125cc Zundapp-Metisses issued to the British Vase and Trophy Teams for the 1973 ISDT, held in the US. From what had thus begun as a conventional dealership with agencies, albeit with an abnormally large workshop ‘out the back’, and following a huge demand from the competition world after the impact of those first two Metisses, the Rickman bros rapidly evolved into full-time manufacturing, duly relocating to a nearby trading estate. At it’s peak in the early 1970s, in excess of 100 personnel were employed, so it was a double bonus to see so many attending this first Reunion.
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Before recording the presence of a dozen or more trail-spec Metisses, it’s worth noting that the factory’s original production programme encompassed four basic chassis: i) the Mk III, into which mainly Matchless singles and Triumph twins were used for Scrambles; ii) the Petite, for Bultaco and other lightweight power plants, iii) the Mk IV, suitable for B44 BSAs and similar, as well as the 5TA unit Triumph; and iv) the CR, specifically for the street performance market ,i.e. Honda and Kawasaki ‘multis’. The initials CR stand for Competition Replica, for it was a modified version of this frame into which the AMC 7R and G50 motors had been so successfully installed during the mid-1960s. Hands up, those readers – like me – who incorrectly assumed CR meant Café Racer? During five enjoyably hectic hours, during which your scribe assisted with the judging, no less than 11 different engines were spotted in four different types of Metisse chassis, begging the question how many frame makers can boast that sort of spread? And, within the 70-odd bikes lined up, there was a handful of ‘Green Lane Legals’, mostly unitTriumphs with silencers, lights, and the appropriate tyres. Out of all the trail-model Metisses on parade no two were the same, though most had started life as Mk III MX-ers. Whilst no one doubts Don and Derek’s visionary thinking [half a century ago] they were clearly as surprised as they were pleased to witness this trail-bike trend, happy in the knowledge that the riders concerned are unlikely to encounter any problems in the handling department. With so little time available on the day, regrettably, none of the individual Metisses can be described here in detail; suffice it to say they sat well with their peers, and there will undoubtedly be far more next year!
Don & Derek Rickman: The Metisse Story Published by Metisse Motorcycles Ltd www.metisse-motorcycles.com
Doing the
Pics by: Paul Blezard & James Higgs
Land’s on End Trial a Royal Enfield Himalayan...
Battered Old Dog Paul ‘Blez’ Blezard rides an ancient event and a brand new route in the West Country on a nearly new trail bike from India
Widemouth Bay, very early in the morning!
I’d only ridden the Himalayan 20 miles in total before I left home in south-west London for a last-minute dash down the M3 to the start at Popham Airfield, near Basingstoke, on Good Friday. I didn’t have time to refuel, as advised, so started the long ride down to the West Country with 80 miles less than a tankful. I needn’t have worried though – the Enfield soon proved to be one of the most economical motorcycles I have ever ridden, of any capacity. Georgina Mason, sec retary of the Land’s End Trial on her Serow at the Popham start
ie Williams and their Stephen Urell and Jul tfit, waiting for the ou sp Wa d ere Aprilia-pow the breakfast stop at t tes ise no
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FOr THE LAnD’s EnD TrIAL I managed to obtain one of the new royal Enfield Himalayans but didn’t get the bike until the last minute, so there was no time to change the tyres from the road-oriented Pirelli MT60s, fitted as standard. From previous experience I knew the Pirellis were fine on firm ground, but pretty useless on anything slippery. (Excuse no.1!) On the plus side, life was made easier by being part of a three-man team put together by my Wilts TrF sparring partner James Higgs, who would be riding as my official non-scoring videographer on his Honda CrF250L. James had persuaded Andrew sillence (no. 44) to accompany us as navigator on his Husky 300, so I didn’t have to worry about putting a rolling road book together – I could just follow him.
BLEZ & THE MOTOR CYCLING CLUB I DID My first MCC events back in the early 1980s on my twin-shock Honda Xr500: I road-raced it at silverstone in the autumn of 1982, then fitted trials tyres and did the Exeter Trial in January 1983 and the Land’s End at Easter. Fast forward to Easter 1996: I blagged a Honda press fleet Transalp XLV600 on which to do the Land’s End Trial back-to-back with the Cambrian rally in Wales – a full-on 1,000 mile weekend of many tarmac miles mixed with some serious off-road competition, for which the Welsh Trail riders Association gave me a special award. I repeated the double-event feat in 1997 on a KTM 620 in the company of my Irish friend Phil Gunn, founder of the rallies of Discovery, but it was made less arduous than the year before by the fact that a mate of Phil’s gave us a lift in a van from Land’s End to Llandovery, instead of riding all that way on the bikes. Our Land’s End Trial was somewhat spoilt by the fact that the scrutineers ruled our tyres to be out of order right from the start and so excluded us from the results, although the ride itself was very enjoyable. since I was riding the KTM in bog-standard road trim, I was somewhat miffed, and had a bit of a rant about the tyre regs – I’m pleased to say that they were modified not long after. I’d thought about doing the Land’s End many times since, but somehow never got around to it. so when Georgina Mason, the MCC’s Pr person (and TrF stalwart) kindly invited me to do this year’s event as a guest rider, I was very pleased to accept. now read on…
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The first 100 miles to the first compulsory stop at Bridgewater rugby club are on tarmac, but scenic, and we stopped briefly to get some action shots, together with a picturesque image of Glastonbury Tor as the sun went down. In the scrutineering tent, however, I was dismayed to discover that, in the opinion of the chief scrutineer, the MT60s could not be considered road tyres. In fact he said that no-one had officially ridden on road tyres for about 15 years. The scrutineer’s decision was a bit of a blow because the Himalayan’s strange capacity of 411cc just put it into the sub-450cc ‘lightweight’ class, despite its hefty 192kg, which meant more tricky stops and restarts halfway up the sections. (Excuse no. 2!) The late night ride from Bridgewater to Minehead, Porlock and the first Observed section (Os) at Felon’s Oak was very enjoyable as the A39 was virtually empty of traffic. Andrew led the way at a lively
Blue Hills 1 & 2. It’s a much steeper and tougher climb than it looks from here!
Blez and the fuel-sipp ing Himalayan at Barbrook with ex BM W tech honcho Howard Godolphin. XT Yam outfit behind
pace and I revelled in the Himalayan’s excellent handling, even with the tyres now let down to 20psi as a compromise pressure between tarmac and trail. Just before we got to Os1 at Felon’s Oak, we caught up with another group of bikes, which included two of the biggest in the event: the BMW r1200Gs ridden by Chris northover and the KTM 990 ridden by richard Griffin. They both ‘cleaned’ it, whereas my attempt was useless, due to a disastrous stop and restart. naturally, I blamed the tyres! We got to the Barbrook petrol station around midnight. After the debacle of the first section, it was a relief to clean the econd, Beggar’s roost, and the third, riverton, which was long and loose. I was right on the limit of traction and balance but just managed to keep things in shape. Os4, sutcombe, was frustrating, spoiled by pedestrian spectators (at 4am!) walking downhill through the section and screwing up my stop and restart. However, it was great
to have hot tea and a bun at the top of the hill, thanks to the locals who stay up all night for our benefit. Os5, Hackmarsh, was a real challenge, with lots of loose boulders everywhere, so very satisfying to clean. It was still dark as we approached Os6, Darracott, but there was quite a long hold-up as we waited (from night into day) for London motorcycle dealer and excellent rally
Derek Walter getting in some feet-up action on his Serow on the Crackington section!
A brace of trikes at the breakfast stop. The Reliant Rialto stormed up all the sections. The Tuk Tuk did not!
Giles Ernsting getting his Rickman Metisse 650 filled after the Sutcombe section, in the middle of the night
Paddy Tyson and Chris Cook after an attempt at Crackington in the MCC’s Land’s End Trial
Lars Mossberg from Sweden on his KLR 650
rider George Dennison, and his two teenage sons, to be towed up the hill in his VW Polo by tractor. Darracott was one of my favourite sections of the whole event for which the Himalayan’s soft power was perfect, but an otherwise good ride was spoiled again by my stop and restart, and my newly arthritic hips, which prevent me from ‘paddling’ properly. (Excuse no. 3!) Debacle at Devilish Crackington The climb at Crackington is always, and notoriously, ‘doctored’ by the local farmers for their entertainment. This year, on the Himalayan, it seemed much more slippery at the bottom than in previous years and I came to grief within the first 100 yards. The Pirellis were slipping all over the place and offered almost no traction at all on the muddy surface. I was very glad of help from the marshals to pick the bike up. It was disappointing to have to turn around and ride back down a section for the first time in my life – but it was definitely a wise move. Unfortunately the directions from the marshal at the bottom were … inadequate. As I tried to work out which way to turn I was relieved when Paddy Tyson of Overland magazine and his friend Clive Cook caught me up, having also failed Crackington. Paddy was actually hampered by the self-same gripless MT60s on the sWM he was riding. James filmed many others failing Crackington in spectacular fashion, as you can see on his video. It was a relief to make it to the breakfast stop at Wilsey Down and a pleasure to chat to people I hadn’t seen for over 20 years. Os8, Warleggan, was annoying because I could and should have cleaned it, but I just wasn’t going quite fast enough; it got so lumpy and bumpy that I just ground to a halt – and had to do my own impromptu stop and restart in the wrong place. There are a couple of Observed Tests (OT1 and 2), which consist of riding in a circle between three pairs of cones, and stopping at a fourth, against the clock. The time factor acts as a tie-breaker for all those who clean every observed section – of which there are usually quite a few. On the first, I concentrated on doing it right and not dabbing or
stalling – and set one of the slowest times in the trial. The ABs actually came on for the first time when I stopped across the line – there were probably very few other bikes in the event with anti-lock brakes even fitted, let alone in operation. The second was similarly slow, steady and uneventful. In Os9, Laneskin, I took it slow and steady but with just enough momentum to keep things going, despite the wheels spinning in the damp patches. Andrew did it at twice the speed on his Husky 300, complete with a spectacular wheelie. I regard Os10, Hoskin Hill, as ‘a moral clean’ because, once again, it was only the stop and restart where I had problems, due to the MT60s. Os11, Bishop’s Wood, was a really enjoyable section, like a lovely trail ride through the woods. For once, I did a proper stop and restart and overcame the big slab of rock that followed straight afterwards, and was rewarded with another ‘clean’. Hurrah! Blue Hills Mine, near st Agnes, is the most famous climb in the Land’s End Trial. It’s a very rocky track at a scenic spot on the north Cornish coast, and attracts hundreds of spectators. The Motor Cycling Club actually bought the land to ensure that no-one could ever stop them from using it. The first part of Blue Hills (Os 12) is the shortest section in the trial by far, but the restart makes it trickier than it looks and I was pleased to clean it. I knew Blue Hills 2 (Os 13) would be a challenge, and so it proved. There are now two stops. The first one, about halfway up, is not an official ‘stop and restart’ but for safety, to ensure that the top half of the hill is clear. I thought it was going to be my second real ‘fail’ of the day when I tried to restart. The rear wheel was spinning and sending me sideways, but I just managed to stop tipping over, found some grip and got going. It was still a very difficult climb and I found myself roaring like a madman as I willed the Himalayan to keep moving. Then I saw the official stop and restart right on the corner of the 90-degree turn. After all the trouble I’d had halfway up, I really thought I might not be able to restart, so I thought “sod it, I’m just going to keep going”. I then took an almighty ‘dab’ on the final corner! The last section, Old
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stoney, Os14, is a straight-line climb, but still a good challenge. The last time I did the Land’s End Trial, it still ended at Land’s End itself, so it was a bit of a surprise this time to finish in Hayle, 20 or so miles short, but no less of a relief to arrive with bike and body still in one piece. I haven’t enjoyed a beer so much for a long time and it was good to chat with other competitors, particularly the three guys who came all the way from sweden to take part. It was also a relief not to have to then ride or drive all the way to Wales, in order to compete in the Cambrian rally the following day, as I did in 1996 and ‘97. However, James Higgs had arranged a gentler challenge for Easter Day… Easter Day on the Great Western Trail After a good meal and a night in a hotel, James, Andrew and I, along with Georgina Mason and her partner Ian, spent Easter Day riding 60 miles along the northern section of the Great Western Trail (GWT) in Cornwall, which is a new route that James himself had devised, and wanted us to try out (see next issue). We joined the GWT just over a mile from Hayle and were soon riding past a classic old Cornish tin mine chimney at a place with the extraordinary name of Goon Gumpas. Half an hour later we were treated to stunning views of the north Cornish coast as we rode the West Cliff trail above Porthtowan. We stopped for a breather and some photos before riding through the town and climbing up the old Towan road, which looks more like a narrow winding footpath. At the top of the hill there’s a step up to a tarmac road, which brought Georgina to a halt on her serow as she tried to go left of it. I attempted to attack the step full on but the Himalayan came to a shuddering stop as the front bash plate came up hard against it. I couldn’t help smiling at the fact that the solidly built Enfield had coped with all the boulders in the Land’s End Trial, but had been stopped dead by an innocuous-looking step. so I can confirm what nathan Millward said of the Himalayan in the summer issue: “Ground clearance is a limiting factor on the trails”. At times like that, it’s good not to be travelling alone.
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We retraced a bit of the Land’s End route south of st Agnes before heading east and on to a byway that ended at Healeys Cornish Cyder Farm at Penhallow. The next trail was a scenic descent down a wooded gulley to Penwartha. It wasn’t difficult, but I somehow contrived to lose the front and drop the Enfield, necessitating a rather undignified ‘dismount’. The bike wasn’t completely horizontal but the other four were all ahead of me, now out of sight. As if in answer to a silent prayer, a jogger hove into view within seconds and willingly agreed to my plea for assistance. result! Thank you God, and jogger. However, when I got back on the bike I was dismayed to discover that the gear lever was now vertical. It still changed gear alright, which was puzzling, but being vertical made it awkward. Fortunately, the others had stopped to wait for me a few hundred yards further on, just after a stream crossing. Andrew whipped out his spanners and within about a minute the gear linkage was shipshape again, with no harm done. Brilliant! The GWT took us over the A39 near st Columb and north-east towards Bodmin via Withiel, with some great views along the way. We passed one of the Lappa Valley narrow gauge steam railway stations, Benny Halt, and crossed the Camel Trail that runs along another old railway line. I was amused by a sign telling cars to give way to the pedestrians and bicycles. Our last trail of the day was scarlett’s Well road, which was a picturesque winding track full of spring bluebells. Then we headed into Bodmin for fuel. The friendly chap behind the counter at the petrol station turned out to be from India and a royal Enfield owner to boot. His own steed was one of the ubiquitous Bullets, but he knew about the Himalayan and came out to have a look at mine. The fuel pump revealed that the Himalayan had sipped only 7.11 litres of juice in the past 127.2 miles (half of which was used finishing the last 67 miles of the Land’s End the day before). I make that 81mpg. not bad! We decided it was time for a Cornish cream tea and rode the handful of miles to the café in Cardinham Woods, east of Bodmin, near
Blez on the Himalayan at the Perranporth checkpoint
Videographer and cameraman James Higgs at Hoskyns
Buggy No.199 on the Blue Hills section
the Laneskin section that we’d ridden in the Land’s End Trial. James and I also took the opportunity to make a ‘walkaround’ video about the Himalayan which, after all I’d been through with it, I had grown to like a lot. We’d done our last trail for the day, but most of us still had a long way to go. nevertheless, we took the scenic route into Devon via the A390 to Tavistock and Dartmoor rather than the heavily trafficked A30 or A38. James, being James, was keen to do some more trails while I was keen to get further down the road before dark, so he and I went our separate ways on the edge of Dartmoor. It had been a thoroughly enjoyable weekend on a thoroughly enjoyable motorcycle, with excellent company. Credit where credit is due: Man of the match: Chris northover BMW r1200Gs – cleaned every section. Woman of the match: Emma Wall (+ rob Meredith) 747cc Austin 7 – cleaned every section in their pre-war four-wheeler on Dunlop K70 motorcycle tyres. Favourite unlikely vehicle: reliant rialto ‘Plastic Pig’ 3-wheeler no. 588. Big thanks to: Georgina Mason, Ian Thompson and all the other hardworking volunteers of the MCC who make their great events possible. James Higgs and Andrew sillence for photography, navigation, spannering and
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Chris Northover on a BMW R1200GS at the Felon’s Oak observed section
tolerance beyond the call of duty. And last, but by no means least, Vikas Gautam and Mark spiller of MotoGB for the loan of the royal Enfield Himalayan. Link to James Higgs’s video of the Himalayan in the Land’s End: www.youtube.com/channel/UCg_BlvFPkQy4T8vprMtCesw Link to James Higgs’s video of Blez’s thoughts on the bike after also doing the GWT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT9nnk QOHzy
THE ROYAL ENFIELD 411cc HIMALAYAN On PAPEr, THE Himalayan’s specification is underwhelming: only a claimed 23.9bhp to haul a 192kg lump of metal, plastic, glass and rubber. But it’s fuel-injected, the single piston is really well balanced, the brakes work fine and the sturdy chassis (with monoshock rear end) provides excellent road holding; so in practice, it’s a really pleasant machine to ride, particularly if you’re riding easy trails and scenic back roads. It would make an ideal MCC machine with nothing more than a change of tyres to something like Continental TKC Twinduros. In fact, when I stopped at an Enfield dealer near reading on my way back home to London they showed me a Himalayan that was going out brand new, shod with TKCs, as the customer’s preference. (They also adjusted the rear suspension, which I had tried to do but failed – thanks to Motorcycle Trading of silchester.) The Himalayan doesn’t really need any more power, although if you gave it a 50cc overbore to 461cc it would be in the MCC’s Class C, competing against machines of more comparable weight, rather than lightweight serow 225s and featherweight BetaAlp 200s. I’ve already suggested to the importers, MotoGB, that they should produce a bigbore MCC special, fitted with TKCs as standard! I’ve also suggested to the MCC that it would be good
to have a ‘straight out of the showroom’ class, for bikes like the Himalayan that come fitted as standard with Pirelli MT60s or similarly street-oriented tyres, and allow them to ride through the toughest stops and restarts (as I remember doing on the Transalp). I actually went on to do the yorkshire rally of Discovery on the Himalayan a couple of weeks later but that’s another story… And I’m hoping to do an MCC event on an electric motorcycle some time soon.
Fully equipped Himala yan, complete with Lextek pipe
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A Century of Competition The Motor Cycling Club has organised over 100 years of motorsport and Keith Johnston, TRF life member and Joint Clerk of the Course for the 2020 Exeter Trial, sets out a special invitation for TRF members ThE MOTOR CYCLInG CLuB’S three annual classic trials are arguably, one of the best kept secrets in motorcycle sport. There are countless opportunities to experience adventure on a motorcycle but few, in the uK, that match the feeling of reaching the top of Simms hill in early January to the applause of spectators, or the first sight of Blue hills in Cornwall next to an azure sea on a warm spring day, or the beauty of Derbyshire in its full autumn colours. All these experiences are now being made more accessible to TRF members through an invitation from the MCC. In the Edwardian England of 1904, roads were still the province of the horse and cart – travel of any distance was by train. Motor vehicles were few and still a novelty believed by many to be no more than a rich person’s toy. So it was a brave decision by the fledgling Motor Cycling Club to inaugurate a
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competition which involved motor cycles (two words – as at that time there was not even a commonly accepted name for a bicycle with an engine) travelling from London to Edinburgh in a limited time. Yet 46 hardy souls, from the original entry of 70, set out from the GPO Building in London on the evening of 20 May following a ceremonial club supper and headed northwards, while officials boarded the midnight express to the Scottish capital to meet them on arrival. Despite adventures, most checked in at the nine route controls and 21 completed the trip within the allotted time schedule to qualify for a gold medal, which incidentally, has ever since been the MCC`s award for a faultless performance. The 1904 trial was a motoring landmark. It was evidence that such an event was not only possible but also provided enjoyable competition for the riders and a useful
chance for manufacturers of machines and components to prove and improve their products. It so captured the imagination that it was repeated the following year and in 1906 was extended to include London – Edinburgh and back inside 48 hours. The Edinburgh Trial has been run every year since, barring two world wars and an outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease, all the way to the present day, probably making it the longest established motor sporting event in the world. The Motor Cycling Club offers three main long distance trials each year: the Exeter Trial takes place in early January and the Lands End at Easter. Both trials start from a choice of Cirencester, Popham or Okehampton, with a touring assembly on the Exeter to haynes Motor Museum, from where the main trial starts. The Exeter trial is approximately 230 miles long in total and the Lands End, 350 miles. The Edinburgh Trial (our third and oldest event), starts in Tamworth in early October and finishes after some 180 miles, south of Buxton. Each trial offers up to 15 Observed Sections (OS) on permissive rights of way and timed special tests. The sections are no more difficult than a TRF member might encounter on an everyday trail ride. What is different, however, is that some might have a stop and re-start and approximately half will be ridden at night. These two elements, plus navigation by route book, make our trials quite special and unique. What is also unique about MCC trials is that participants compete against the club not against each other, although there are class awards. This means that every competitor starts with an equal chance of securing a coveted gold medal for a faultless performance. Each of the three trials also offers an O class alternative with a shorter overall distance and less challenging sections than the main trial. In addition, a recent innovation is the alternative of a tarmac-only Classic Road Trial incorporating time controls and suited to all road-going vehicles. More information about the special challenge of MCC trials, the choice of machine and preparation required can be
Extends an invitation to members of the TRF to enter the 91st Exeter Trial being held on Friday 3rd – Saturday 4th January 2020 Starting from Popham, Okehampton and Cirencester, from 19:30 onwards, all competitors in classes A-F converge on the Haynes Motor Museum in Somerset, where class O and R competitors will join them. The main trial commences at Midnight after a one hour break and includes up to 15 observed sections and 2 special timed tests, over a further 150 miles, finishing at the Toorak Hotel, Torquay from 13.00 onwards. Preferential rates are available for hotel rooms and an optional Club supper on Saturday 4th January. The following classes are being offered for motorcyclists; Class A – Single or Multi Cylinder Solo Motorcycles manufactured before 1.1.1970, (Engine and Frame) and Enfield Bullets manufactured in India Class B – Single or Multi Cylinder Motorcycles up to 450cc Class C – Single or Multi Cylinder Motorcycles over 450cc and 411cc Enfield Himalayans Class D - Motorcycles with Touring or Trials Side-cars, (Scooter Side-car outfits are not eligible) Class F – Adventure Motorcycles manufactured from 1980 onwards, with more than one cylinder and an engine capacity above 470cc Class O – Open to any motorcycle on less challenging sections Class R – Tarmac only route, suitable for any road going motorcycle, involving time controls ENTRIES OPEN on 8th October and close on the 11th November 2019, although entries may be accepted up until 11th December at a higher cost. The limit on participants is 400; solo motorcycles, three wheelers and cars. Entries may be made through the ACU online entry system for TRF members. Further information regarding the trial regulations is published on the Motorcycling Club website and on both the TRF and MCC Facebook pages.
Any enquiries should be directed in the first instance to the Trial Secretary: Dave Sapp dave@sappfamily.co.uk Volunteer marshals are always needed to help run our events and observe sections. If you would be interested in supporting us please contact Ian Thompson exetermarshals@themotorcyclingclub.org.uk
found at https://www.themotorcyclingclub. org.uk/guide-for-first-time-motorcyclists/. help and advice is also available from fellow TRF members, who have experience of MCC trials. The Motor Cycling Club extends an invitation to the members of a range of motor and motorcycle clubs to enter its three main trials. In 2020 this invitation is being
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extended to members of the Trail Riders Fellowship, on a pilot basis. This means that TRF members, holding an ACu trials competition licence, are eligible to enter the Exeter, Lands End and Edinburgh Trials at a basic cost of £80 per event. Entry details and full regulations will be advertised in Trail [see the accompanying advertisement for the 2020 Exeter Trial] and entry can be secured either through the ACu online system or through the Trial Secretary. Elsewhere in this edition of Trail, Paul Blezard describes his experiences of riding an Enfield himalayan on standard road tyres in the 2019 MCC Lands End Trial. The Enfield himalayan is proving to be an extremely popular dual sport motorcycle with over 1,200 units sold in the uK to date. We particularly want to encourage the use of himalayans in our events. The Clerks of the Course have taken notice of Paul’s experience and have decided to allow for 2020 a
Come to where the action is... Come to Catalonia!
On trails...
dedicated class, with significantly fewer restarts and a more appropriate route. Also for 2020, the Motor Cycling Club will also be introducing, on a trial basis, an Adventure Bike Class for motorcycles manufactured from 1980 onwards, with more than one cylinder and an engine capacity above 470cc. We hope that the availability of this class will prove attractive to the riders of BMW twins, KTM twins, Triumph triples, honda’s CB500X and Africa Twin, Yamaha 700 Tenere etc. The route and section requirement for this Adventure Bike Class will be tailored to provide an appropriate challenge. In the early 21st century, the three Motor Cycling Club’s long distance trials provide a genuine opportunity to experience a uK adventure on two and three wheels. The Motor Cycling Club is pleased to extend an invitation to TRF members to join us in this adventure.
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Nice Trainers Responsible riding remains high on the agenda for the TRF. Mario Costa-Sa talks to 90-One Rider Training
The issue of riders riding o-road motorcycles unlawfully remains a concern for the TRF that will not go away. We feel it can no longer be ignored and disowned, and have looked at initiatives to address the problem including education and working with the Police on
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enforcement. As an individual, TRF member Trevor Lord has done more than most to progress such initiatives through the setting up of his motorcycle education and training business 90-One, based around Northamptonshire.
CBT Basic Training and Direct Access Despite the improvements in staged access for riders, we still don’t seem to have solved the issue of young rider training. Trevor mentions that there are very few 125cc owners progressing to take their test. Apart from parental constraints, there is little incentive for a 16 to 19-year-old to take a full driving test as it gives them no additional entitlement other than to carry a pillion passenger and ride on motorways. Riding on a CBT certiďŹ cate and then taking a full test at 19 seems to be the preferred option of young riders, and that needs to be better addressed in future.
Did You Know? Pizza Hut requires its delivery riders to do a second day of training after CBT, otherwise no job. If Pizza Hut cares enough about its pizzas to require its riders to do two days’ training before setting them free on the roads, should we not require similar care for our kids?
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Training for Kids As well as oering formal routes to provisional licence holders doing CBT and Direct Access, 90-One encourages kids to get involved with formal training. The ďŹ rst time they attend, they spend an hour on a moped;
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the second time, they are on a 125cc. The third and subsequent visits could be on a starter MX bike, such as the Suzuki DRZ 125 or Honda CRF100. 90-One specialises in teaching motor vehicle studies in schools up to GCSE level. This includes special schools and excluded pupils. Riding motorbikes encourages them to attend school.
Training covers practical elements, classes on the Highway Code, case studies on crashes, motor vehicle (MV) law and the consequences of MV offences. MV and the Environment is also covered as well as MV Mathematics, where 90-One teaches a traditional subject by stealth. Dealing with Motorcycle Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Wellingborough Council, the Police and social services have recognised 90-One’s success with young riders and refer people already involved, or at risk of being involved, in motorcycle crime and anti-social behaviour to a course. A three-way partnership between 90-One, the Police and schools leads to extra Saturday morning theory sessions, with a motocross session afterwards, which leads to an educational qualification. In a Northamptonshire village, where individuals were referred to 90-One by the Police, recorded crime involving young people on motorcycles went down by 90% in 10-12 weeks across the duration of the course. Every police officer involved in this area has been enthusiastic about the programme. With initiatives in Northampton, Warwickshire and Bedfordshire, work with the Forestry Commission – on whose land bikes are regularly illegally ridden – has become a key area for 90-One.
90-One Highlights Warwickshire County Council awarded 90-One a road safety contract with five levels of support, from help for misbehaving kids to advanced motorcycle training, all free of charge to the rider. Twice a recipient of the Prince Michael of Kent Road Safety Award, 90-One training has been assessed as a constituent part of schools rated by Ofsted as outstanding.
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About the Boss Trevor has been involved in motorsport since the age of 16. Whether racing karts or bikes, 90-One was his racing number. He became involved in the motor
trade through dealing in cars and spares in Europe and then moved on to a teaching career in mathematics. A position as Education Officer at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu enabled him to combine his passion for motorcycles with his teaching career. Trevor then transferred to the British Motor Museum in Gaydon to head up its education department, delivering formal education and programmes to schools. The success of this outgrew the museum, so in 2002 he set up 90-One. He offers education with a balanced view, the positive side as well as the risks and dangers of misuse. 90-One Resources 7 instructors 6 scooters – 50cc (there are currently no 50cc trail bikes) 6 125cc learning bikes, three of which are Honda XR 125s 2 Honda CBF500s, a CBF600 and a Deauville 4 Ducati Monster 696s for direct access Wellingborough Council has given access to
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flood defence land, with change of use from illegal to permissive for off-road tracks, free of charge to 90-One. 90-One organises Summer activities, when young people are often bored, through the local authority and currently a scheme is running in Milton Keynes. Who Pays? The cost of the course comes out of school budgets at around £70 for two hours. School groups cost £150 for two hours with no limit to the number of kids.
TRF Young Rider CBT Training Contacts: Northampton – http://www.90-one.com/ West London & Dorking – http://www.offthekerbmct.co.uk/ Herts TRF – Marinho Rebelo 07753 100408 or Steve Ives 07957 838768 East Midlands TRF – Lee Jordan 07974 728745
Entry Level In praise of Kawasaki’s KLX125 YOu MAY HAVE noticed that a Kawasaki KLX 125 was used for the article on CBT training. This is a recent addition to the Herts TRF fleet following an opportunity to purchase it from Herts TRF member John Dynes, a skilled engineer who had this for his son. Herts TRF is always looking to take on useful and interesting bikes with the aim of increasing diversity in our membership, and introducing young members and lady riders to trail riding. Elsewhere in the magazine you will see the test on the Husqvarna TE150. However, that is a full-on competition machine with a price tag to match, slightly north of £8,000, putting it far beyond the reach of the new and young riders’ pocket and, in most cases, their ability. We would in time like to gain the funds to get
a Fantic 125, currently available for £4,899. Previously a low-cost 125 bike of choice for around £1,500 was the Honda XLR125. Time, however, has moved on and the
On a recent trip up to Scotland, a Kawasaki KLX125 fitted neatly into a Mercedes A class hatchback by removing its front wheel!
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Hondas are some 11 to 14 years old and are proving increasingly difficult to find in good condition and suitable for loan. Of course, many new riders will choose to buy used and John’s Kawasaki KLX 125 for sensible money seemed to be a good option for a dual-purpose trail bike. So what’s special about this bike compared to, say, the Honda XLR125? Well, the KLX is more compact in the frame. I would suggest it is around 80% the size of an XLR125, making it particularly suitable for the vertically-challenged rider including younger adults and lady riders. When seated, a 5ft 8in rider will have both feet on the ground, and the seat should not need to be lowered for riders of even 5ft 4in depending on their inside leg length. Being more compact it’s an exceptionally light and manoeuvrable bike whereas the Honda feels significantly heavier to manoeuvre on the ground. Where the Kawasaki really scores is in terms of modern conveniences. It has fuel injection, a digital display, sensible electronics on the controls, yet still has all the simplicity of the of earlier bikes, which should lead to good reliability and ease of maintenance in the future. As expected, it has a front disc brake and in addition – somewhat unusually for an older bike – it has a complementary rear disc.
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The compact size of the KLX 125 lends itself to some unusual advantages. On a recent trip up to Scotland, instead of taking a trailer or van, by removing the bike’s front wheel it fitted straight into the back of a Mercedes A class hatchback allowing for a much more secure and speedy journey. When MoT-ing the bike which, in this case, flew straight through, a credit to its previous owner, the MoT tester, an experienced track-day warrior, commented that if more people rode bikes like this for a couple of years before moving on to bigger bikes there would be significantly fewer accidents. Overall, we were impressed by the Kawasaki KLX125 in its loan and training bike role as it is less likely than some to put its rider at risk. If you have any other bikes that you feel are particularly suitable for beginners, or have used a Fantic 125 for training, please let us know.
Kawasaki KLX 125 Year introduced 2010 Annual road tax: Max power: Max torque: Top speed: Fuel consumption: Tank range: Engine size: Engine type:
Frame type: Fuel capacity: Seat height: Bike weight: Front brake: Rear brake: Front tyre size: Rear tyre size:
£20 10 bhp 7.38 ft-lb 62mph 75mpg 115 miles 125cc Air-cooled 2v OHC single. Five gears, wet clutch. Chain drive Steel perimeter 7 litres 830mm 113kg 240mm disc, twin- piston caliper 190mm disc, single-piston caliper 70/100-19 90/100-16
Events
Autumn/Winter 2019
SEPT 28 The Hadrian Adventure Weekend 2019 SEPT 28 Meet the TRF at the International Dirt Bike Show Stafford OCT 1 TRF Trip to Portugal Top2Bottom Tour Portugal OCT 4 TRF Trip to Isle of Man Isle of Man OCT 5 The Edinburgh Trial Sheffield OCT 5 The 95th MCC Edinburgh Trial (LDT) Derbyshire Tamworth
OCT 6 Somerset TRF Exmoor Forest Ride Day Watchet OCT 9 TRF Trail Ride Guide Theory Training Harpenden OCT 11 Top Of The Wolds Explorer - Teesside & North Yorkshire TRF Scarborough OCT 18 TRF at Weston Beach Race 18 Oct · Weston-super-Mare OCT 19 TRF ACU Clerk of Course event training Midlands
NOV 15 Deadline for Winter Trail - Dec 2019 London NOV 16 TRF at Motorcycle Live Birmingham DEC 7 Mid Wales Santa run Machynlleth DEC 27 Adventure Trail Riding The Mud Run Herts, Essex & Cambs Herts Essex Cambs TRF DEC 29 The Great Christmas Escape 2019 Andover JUN 18, 2020 TRF at Horizons HUBB Chisinau, Moldova
NOV 8 Adventure Trail Riding Thetford Forest & Hunstanton Brandon For latest information check www.trail.trf.org.uk/events/
$PɈʫʖQɒ 7Uʋɵɗ 5LʏʖQɒ +ɼʙLGʋ\ɡ ʖɚ 6Sʋʖɚ
3 nights only £350 per person,- NON-RIDING NON-RIDING PARTNERS PARTNERSCOME Andalusiais a magical Andalusia magical setting setting for a Dirt Bike Holiday Holiday in in Spain Spain and and our villa villa couldn’t couldn’t be better placed. Nestling between olive groves and the Andalusian mountains (and just 40 minutes from Malaga) our stylishly, decorated country house has everything you need as a base for your holiday, extensive secluded gardens, excellent facilities, a full English breakfast before your off-road ride and a fabulous pool to help you relax after it. Expert advice and tuition is available to make Group Discounts your experience even more enjoyable (our for 3+ riders! guides have 30 years off-road motorbike experience between them). All riding gear and equipment is supplied at no extra cost. When it comes to dirt bike riding, Spain really has it all. You will ride awesome mountain passes, dense forest trails and stop for coffee in traditional whitewashed villages that seem frozen in time. There are over 1000 miles of trails to iÝ« Ài] > v Û>ÀÞ } ` vwVÕ Ì ið / i ` ÀÌ L i Ì ÕÀà are arranged based on the riders abilities. Expect to be thrilled before arriving at the local village for some well earned R&R in the evening.
Villanueva del Trabuco, Malaga, Spain, 29313 UK: 01442 234233 Bookings: 07453 260841 E: dirtbikeholidays@yahoo.com
www.dirtbikeholidays.com
Airport transfers/pick-ups/ drop-offs can be arranged
ABR’s bike tester Julian Challis leads the pack as the gates to the ABR Festival open
The 2019 Aventure Bike Rider Festival was a roaring success. These photos tell the story of that wonderful weekend in July, first seen in the Sept/Oct issue of ABR magazine On THE WEEkEnd of 12-14 July 2019, we (the ABR) welcomed 2,000 adventure motorcycling enthusiasts to the stunning grounds of Ragley Hall, Warwickshire. It was the second annual Adventure Bike Rider Festival, but the first in which we’d gone all out with a grade-a venue and visitor numbers over 500. It took months of planning and preparation, but from the moment the first riders arrived at 9am on that Friday morning, to the last guests leaving on Sunday night, we had a fantastic time. Judging by the many smiles and overwhelmingly positive feedback we’ve received, it sounds like those who came did as well. The whole weekend wouldn’t have been
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possible without the support of our headline sponsors, Bridgestone and their Battlax Adventurecross AX41 tyres, and our partners, TomTom, REV’IT!, Brittany Ferries, Bennetts, and Muc-Off . Across the three days of the festival, there was so much going on that it was impossible to get bored. Big names from the world of adventure motorcycling, including Elspeth Beard, Billy Ward and Simon and Lisa Thomas, took to the Great Hall to talk about their epic journeys, an on-site adventure trail and adventure park allowed riders to give their bikes a go in the dirt, trade stands from some of the best brands in the industry offered bargains and useful kit, and all of the
Riders in the campsite Adventure Rider Training’s Jim Hill gets some air on the adventure trail
All this riding works up an appetite
The Bog of Doom
The four-mile-long adventure trail around Ragley Hall
Nothing beats a weekend riding bikes with your Dad Legends of adventure motorcycling Elspeth Beard and Sam Manicom
Fierce concentration during the slow bike race
major motorcycle manufacturers were there with their test fleets of adventure bikes, offering test rides both on and off road. Yamaha even launched the Tenere 700 to the public here! Evenings were celebrated with live music on the REV’IT! Stage and cheap beer at the Bridgestone bar (£3 for a pint at a festival, can you believe it?), and I don’t think we’ve ever seen a dance floor at a bike festival as full as it was on Saturday night when everyone was bopping to the soul-filled sounds of the Official Receivers. The 2019 Adventure Bike Rider Festival was one of the best weekends we at Adventure Bike Rider magazine have ever had. Of course, we put in the hard work to make it happen, but it would have been pretty dull if it was just us sat in a field by ourselves, and it was you guys who made it the resounding success that it was! So, we want to extend a
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As the sun went down the marquee was the hub of entertainment
huge thank you to those who came, and also to every single exhibitor and manufacturer who supported the festival, you made 2019 very special. For those who didn’t come, you missed out, but don’t worry, tickets are on sale for 2020 now! Head to www.bit.ly/ABRfest2020 where Early Bird tickets are on sale for £49 for the weekend (usually £89).
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
Beginners’
Luck
South West Wales TRF is a relatively new group. We have grown to more than 50 members in 18 months and have managed to provide at least one official TRF ride out every month so far. We have been assisted by some very able and competent group members, who give up their time to encourage and support everyone that joins us. Mo Rapley recounts a Newbies’ training weekend 72 Trail Autumn 2019
instructors and sweepers. Our format for Saturday was a morning session with cones and low-speed technical advice followed by a short trail ride after a pub lunch in the Black Lion in Abergorlech. We arranged to meet up in the car park at the start of the ‘Brechfa Mountain Bike Trails’ at 10 am. Mike and Anita had booked a lovely cottage for the two nights in Capel Dewi and the SATNAV decided to take them a scenic way to our meeting point. The weather was a little damp first thing on Saturday but could have been much more seasonally ‘Welsh’. By the afternoon the sun had come out and the trails were lovely and dry to ride. There were just a few shallow puddles to watch out for. Rob took us all to a quiet flat area in the forest and set out a dozen or so cones. The more able riders left us for roughly 45 minutes and did a couple of circuits of some of the more technical routes. We spent this time practising our low-speed control, balance and tight turns. The discovery of what the back brake was good for, led to a dramatic increase in ability and confidence
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SOMe OF OuR members are total beginners, some have returned to biking after a number of years, and some are regular entrants in trials, rallies and enduros. We are a very mixed group. We are blessed in Carmarthen with the Brechfa Forest and numerous green lanes. We can utilise the lanes in various directions to make a variety of loops, building in detours for the more tricky ones, so that we cater for all abilities and make our ride-outs as inclusive as possible. Some of the regular routes spread across to Llandovery, up to Lampeter and even touch the Cambrian Mountains. Following on from our ‘inclusive’ approach to new members it was suggested that we arrange a Novice and Beginners Training Weekend which we held on 3-4 August 2019. We decided to open it out to other groups and had three of the places taken up by Mike and Anita from Devon and Stewart from Oxford. Sarah, Andy, Steve B and Paul from our group made up the rest of our Saturday attendees with Rob, Rohan, Iwan, Richard and Steve L taking up the roles of leaders,
that was reflected in the trail riding that followed. We had a mix of bikes between us all: Steve B, Paul and Andy – Honda CRF250L; Rob – KTM 250 Freeride; Sarah and me – KTM 250f Freeride; Richard – Beta 200; Anita – Beta X-Trainer; Mike – Honda CRF450X; Steve L – Husqvarna 250; Iwan – KTM eXC250F; Rohan – KTM 350 Freeride. Stewart joined us in Abergorlech during our lunch stop having collected his new GasGas Ranger the day before and travelled up from Oxford that morning. It was apparent as soon as he arrived that something wasn’t quite right with the way the bike was running. It turned out to be a missing air filter. Steve L had brought his van with a few spares, so a ‘modified’ Beta X-Trainer air filter was successfully fitted and we were able to get back out after lunch. Towards the end of the day we headed to ‘Dunlop’ hill to allow riders to attempt something a little bit more challenging. Some only went down, some decided to go back up again too, and some came around to meet us at the bottom via the road.
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Sunday’s format was a trail ride with hints and tips along the way for individuals in an informal and coaching way. Stewart had stayed the night in the Ivy Bush hotel in Carmarthen town, where they had kindly provided secure storage for his bike and trailer on the Saturday night. I collected him on our way down to the meeting point, which for Sunday was in the retail area of Pensarn in Carmarthen. Alan (Yamaha Serow), Tim (Honda CRF250X), Heather (TM300) and Huw (Yamaha WR450) joined us for our Sunday ride.
We set up a ‘buddy’ system to ensure an experienced rider looked after the more novice riders. This ensured that our novices were supported the whole day and always had someone with them ‘just in case’. We also operated the drop-off system at every junction, so that no one had to ride outside of their comfort zone, and the ‘2nd man’ closing all gates rule ensured that all the gates that had been closed when we arrived at any lane were left in the same way. We ended the morning’s riding with another challenging hill in Conwil. The novices among us watched the experienced riders slip and slide both down and up the trail, which consists of rock and slate slabs, gullies and moss covered bits in-between. Steve B and Paul decided to go straight home from here, while the rest of us headed back in to town for lunch. We said our farewells to Anita, Mike and Stewart after lunch as they all needed to head down the M4 and we set off towards Paxton’s Tower and Whitemill. We would like to extend a big ‘Thank You!’ to everyone for joining us. Your enthusiasm and participation helped to make the
weekend a success and the feedback has been so positive that we plan to run something similar again. If we do not manage to organise it for later this year, then we will do so for early next year. Keep an eye on our Facebook events page and the main TRF site for details.
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Dales Delight Nick Grant ponders the proverbial – how to get your leg over when you are a person of average dimensions. A question brought into focus at the Dales Discovery Weekend, also featuring ‘Carry on Showering’…
A recent survey, done 10 years ago, set out to determine the size, weight, and other dimensions of the average man and woman. Turns out that I was spot-on average, or the Standard Man against whom all others were measured. This pleased me, as I had never been something before. Blessed now with this notoriety, and status, it occurred to me that when bike manufacturers produce a bike, who on earth are they building it for? Certainly not Standard Man. This year’s Dales Delight Discovery Weekend adventure highlighted the fact that virtually everyone was significantly taller than me. Somewhere, perhaps in the next field, there must be a whole load of shorter people, representing the other half of the male population, on considerably smaller bikes. I had a look, and there wasn’t. Go figure. I think bike manufacturers are missing a trick only selling to over-sized people. They should always offer, as a no cost option, lowering kits to fit the bike to the rider. I mean how hard can it be? Ok, Ok, get off your low horse... The Event This year’s Teesside and North Yorkshire Dales Discovery Weekend was, as ever, brilliantly well organised by the usual group of stalwart enthusiasts. I am ashamed to admit that I am also probably the average TRF member too, as I pay my dues, and then turn up to all of the main events, scare myself, then go home. Sorry. Still, my annual membership fees and surplus funds from these weekends do go towards the “Fighting Funds” keeping lanes open… So thank you to – Me. Normally the TRF organisers book a good weather slot for both days, but this year they had decided to have one rainy day, and one
fabulous clear blue-sky day, just to mix it up a bit. Like my sky diving, and sun bathing, I prefer it if it is dry ’n’ sunny. Persistent rain, slippery rocks and trails do not tickle my fun box. With diminished stature, I struggle to dab in an emergency, so I gave the Saturday a miss. Sunday, however, was a beautiful crisp, clear day. Perfect. Easy Company As usual, I opted for the Easy Rider group, this year led by cool, calm, and collected Al. An easy going man, with lots of experience, he reminded us that this is not a racing weekend, and that enjoyment of the trails was the objective. And then proceeded at a perfect pace giving me and the rest of the group a fabulous day out. There were actual moments, whilst stood up on the pegs, cruising along a high ridge, with epic views, in all directions, when I was saying out loud in my helmet, “Wow it doesn’t get any better than this”. Some may say, “That’s a shame, you need to get out more”. But I felt just so content in that moment. Members of our group included Neal, Phil, John and Bob. Neal and Phil were buddies, though not in the biblical sense, and were the designated KTM Boys of our group. It is mandatory that every group has a KTM rider,
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or two, in order to keep up the standards of us Standard Riders. Both chaps work in the aero industry as you could tell, as they were just flying along. Old Friends I was delighted to meet up again with Bob (‘King of the Mountain’). I had previously incorrectly reported that Bob was 82 years old. Because of my dyslexia I had misheard him – he was in fact 27. Bob is from Great Yarmouth, Devon, and I just love to hear him speak with his soft ‘Jethro’ accent. (See YouTube). Such a great man, and just the sort of rider the TRF should be proud to have. Bob is now running a Honda CRF250, same as mine, and was keen to see what mods I had made to reduce the height of the bike to a more Standard Man size. It’s great to chat to fellow riders of the same machine. And then there was John, my bro- in-law and Best(only)Mate (his beautiful wife told me to say that), whose tinkering skills are the polar opposite of mine. He has managed to keep his old nail of a 30-year-old XR250 still alive! It has new wheels, tyres, suspension, piston, block, mud guards, compressor, stator, frame, seat, electrics, but he insists “it’s still the original one”. In 2,000 years, future archaeologists will
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dig him up, and he will be found as a skeleton, still kicking the thing over. At what point do you give up – etc etc. Oh, forget it. We have biked together for more than 30 years, starting out, as I guess most of us old gits did, blasting around disused pit heaps and getting chased by the Feds. You don’t seem to be able to do this anymore. Funny thing is, on the rare occasions when I do see kids doing the very same thing, I am like “look at them Oiks,” and have to hold myself back from calling the Feds myself... Oh dear, I must be getting old.
Riding Skills My riding skills reached their zenith (probably) when I was six. Having just removed my stabilisers I had set off, down our street, and even at this tender age, the inner chimp in me took over, I got up to full speed for the first left hander, past No.9. You probably don’t know which one I mean, but I remember seeing a golf ball sized stone right in my path in the middle of the turn. Waking up in a bright white room, with people in white coats looking down at me, I thought “My God, I am dead, I’ve gone to Heaven”. Sadly, this wasn’t the case. Hello South Shields General. I had been knocked out for several hours, and my parents did appear to be concerned, and by the bump on my head, and especially the bleeding from my mouth, fearing I had sustained a brain injury as well as internal ones. This blood turned out to be chocolate from my last Mars Bar, I must have been munching
whilst I flew through the air... And the brain injury? Well, the jury is still out on that one. Ha Ha Ha, Oh how my Mam laughed... My ride-outs have to be fun, fabulous, and with just the right amount of menace to stretch you and keep your full attention. There were several distinct ‘Moments’ I call them, when I wasn’t sure who was in charge, Me, the Bike, or God. One such ‘Moment’ was caused by the simple act of checking where Bob was behind me. Turning my whole body to look over my shoulder to see the great man, I managed to turn the bike right onto the lip of this trail berm and I could easily have gone off either way. Its ‘Moments’ like this, with my bottom twitching like a rabbit’s nose, you know you are alive, but not for how much longer, and just for a second, you forget about work. Thank goodness for Tena Man Pads. Oh, you spanner. Lesson learnt.
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Practice Bob was now one of the officials for this event as he was our Tail End Charlie, or sweeper. Having got to the top of a very tricky, very rocky hill climb, I realised Bob was nowhere to be seen behind me. I parked up and jogged back down the hill to find Bob taking the opportunity to test his pick-up bike strength, and hill start procedure. For my benefit. So both of us practised lifting the bike, and I practised my pushing-up-the-hill technique, whilst shouting encouragement, “give it plenty of welly”. And chewing on grit. It’s all about the teamwork and support we give each other. The great thing about these weekend ride-outs is that you know that it doesn’t matter how good or Average you are, everyone looks after and helps each other. The rides are adapted accordingly, as the last thing the TRF wants is to frighten you witless so that you never return. As long as this is the case, then in the words of Arnie, “I’ll be back.”
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Back at Base Camp It’s not just the riding that’s fun. Back at the campsite there is plenty to amuse yourself with, and for me it was the showers. The entire shower room was not much bigger than your traditional red GPO telephone box, so just getting in the room sufficiently far to close the door behind you meant standing in the actual shower cubicle. Even for me, ‘Standard Man’, smaller than everyone else. I wondered how the fully grown-ups would achieve this? Having stripped and readied myself for the shower, I realised that it was a fixed shower head, and a push button ignition type. Dilemma. The initial blast is sure to be freezing with no possibility of directing the spray to one side.
Normally I can be quite inventive about getting around things like this, but nope, there was no alternative. I should have to stand outside the cubicle with the door slightly open, lean in and hit the fun button, and let it get warm. All of my worst fears crystallised in a second. Not only was it bloody freezing, the spray completely filled the entire cubicle with the widest spray area I have ever seen. With the door stuck in this semi open position, and freezing water spraying in my face, I quickly stepped to one side, but then it completely soaked half my clothes – which were hanging up behind me. I had no alternative. I would have to get in the cubicle fully and close the door behind me. It was like jumping into the North Sea with just your budgie stranglers on. I was suffering ’Skin Shock’ I think it’s called, when you start gasping for air. I was hyperventilating, and looked like a goldfish at feeding time. The longest 30 seconds later, the warmth finally came through. But my calamity was not over yet. Finally getting out of the shower, I opened the door to grab my towel off the hanger, which promptly turned upside down, and deposited the other half of my remaining dry clothes in the puddle I had prepared earlier. There was only one screw holding the hook to one side. And just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, all the lights went out – I thought I had gone blind. I was starting to think this was some kind of a wind up and was being filmed for a bizarre Jeremy Beadle out-take show. (Dead now. Sad) With soaked clothes in hand, and struggling to open the main door, in the pitch blackness, I waved (what turned out to be) my underpants in the corridor to try and set off the ceiling light detector, but all they were attracting were flies. With typical predictability the detector was around the corner above the entry door, and why
wouldn’t it be for goodness sake. Aargh. So naked, and flapping my kegs in the air, I stepped further into the corridor, and then the lights finally came on. I thought all I need now is for some poor sod to come into the toilets, witness this spectacle and call the police, at which point the door to my cubicle would lock behind me. Fortunately, this didn’t happen. So with much amusement I squelched back to my van, clothed, and dripping wet, to get dry. It’s not just about the riding. It is an Event - full of unforgettable memories. See you at the next one…
camera, oblivious of The boys smile for the background... the in ld chi the levitating
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E-NDURO KTM’s E Partner
Freeride? Only if you can find someone else’s outdoor socket. kTM’s official E-park partner in dorset is E-nduRO part of the E-sCapE group. Trail was invited to participate in the launch experience. Rick Kemp reports Okay, hands up, I’d never ridden an electrically powered motorcycle, let alone a kTM Freeride-E, prior to arriving at Rogers hill Raceway in early July. no problem, that’s what E-nduRO caters for as well as road riders and experienced off-road riders. neil Berry is the facility’s manager, he’s an ex-MX racer, aCu coach and an electric evangelist when it comes to off-road motorcycles. E-nduRO prides itself on being able to take a complete novice and, by the end of the day, get that person doing laps round the enduro course. as neil
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explains, this is easier to do with an electric bike as they are perceived as being less threatening than their combustion-engined counterparts. There’s no starting procedure, no gear changing to stress over, just twist and go.
Being an experienced black and green roads rider was no great help either. not only is there no gear lever, there’s nothing on the other side either, the rear brake lever is on the handlebar, cycle style. The first time you try coming to an abrupt halt and instinctively pull the ‘clutch’ in the result is a 180 backend slide. Looks good but not exactly what you had in mind. neil tales you round the manoeuvring course explaining what effect shifting weight on the footrests has on the steering and other off-road tutorials. When he deems that you’re ready, you progress to the practise course where you follow neil round to familiarise yourself with berm turns, gentle jumps and whoops. you then stop for an ‘any questions’ session before being let loose on the full course. It’s then that I fully appreciated the benefit of silence, no engines idling, no having to shout because there’s ten bikes wazzing round the enduro course. The only real noise is the ‘thump’ of bikes landing off jumps and a
Neil Berry, the man himself
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bit of transmission noise if you’re close enough. The lunch break provided time for the riders and bikes to be re-charged, or for practical reasons, in the case of the bikes a battery swap. The Freerides have have different power settings and obviously the more power you opt for the shorter it lasts. I went for the ‘soft’ setting not to save charge but to save rider. With the instant ‘throttle’ response you get with electric power, a twitch of the wrist due to rough terrain can result in an unwanted wheelie and it can all become quite tiring – unless, of course you’re highly-skilled like neil, in which case you can fly along only touching terra firma to maintain forward motion. The full enduro course mixes natural going, including woodland, with artificial elements providing more technical aspects. E-nduRO really does cater for all abilities and sizes too. The Freeride has a minimum height of 5ft 6ins and for younger or shorter riders, specially modified OsET24 bikes are available. I had a hugely enjoyable day and, so it would appear, do many others. neil says that
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they also take corporate bookings at the circuit (hen parties?). It’s a great place to go to and try before you buy. Or if, like me, you want to see what this spark lark is all about but there is a very serious side. We are constantly being told that electric is the future, it may well be but range is still the main issue (kTM has considered battery leasing which reduces the purchase price and allows for another battery to be fitted when the original inevitably fails). Electric power is perfect for closed trials events both in terms of motor characteristics and longevity. perhaps the biggest advantage is the most obvious – lack of noise. More events allowed because no one will complain and you can see e-parks springing up all over the place even in urban locations. The elephant in the room is, of course, how is all this extra electricity going to be generated and will it be eco-friendly? But we won’t go there just now. In the mean time it’s
all credit to kTM and E-nRuRO for producing a first-class entertainment venue which could do a lot to change the public perception of off-road motorcycling. Contact: neil Berry on 07491 389898, bookings@e-nduro.co.uk
Knox Urbane Pro Armoured Shirt £189.99 SRP www.planet-knox.com I’d GOT my Knox Urbane Pro in the first really hot spell we had earlier in the year and the ’no jacket required’ swing tag was just what I wanted to see. As soon as I had a clear half day I was on the trail in my black and grey Urbane Pro and almost matching Acerbis Adventure trousers, and I felt pretty good. There’s a small leap of faith involved – does this, comfortable, lightweight garment offer the same or better accident protection as my conventional jacket with five-piece protection? Initially it feels too good to be true. described by Knox as “a lightweight, armoured shirt that is CE approved as a standalone Class-A garment,” CE-approved abrasion resistance is built in, meaning “an outer shell is no longer necessary unless you want to wear one.” The Urbane Pro shirt does have five-piece removable armour built in but because the abrasion-resistant and breathable mesh is close fitting and flexible, with thumb loops at the cuffs, it allows greater freedom of movement while the armour is kept in the right places. Exactly what’s needed when trail riding, it’s almost like being in another dimension, to make an exaggerated point. This armoured shirt is designed to be worn on its own and as such comes with a zipped breast pocket for carrying bank cards, licence and so on. At the back there is a zipped, fullwidth pocket for phone, fags and a clean pair of drawers. What more do you need for a weekend away? I have used the Urbane Pro with just a T-shirt underneath for a five-hour motorway trip on my Honda CBF1000 with an ambient temperature in the 30s. It felt cool and flexible. I have used it on the trail with my TRF shirt over the top riding the Husky TE150i featured in this issue as well as my CCm 230.
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Come the winter I can remove the armour from my Adventure jacket, which will give me the options of additional warmth and water proofing. I haven’t slept in it yet but if you’re wild camping out on the TET I’m sure it’d be up to the job. Neither have I crashed wearing the Urbane Pro, but I know a man who has. A colleague, who was helping evaluate the afore mentioned Husky, skilfully managed to part company with it by rolling off the back and landing on his head (don’t ask). Apart from suffering whiplash, he had a scrape on the outside of his right wrist and was asked by a nurse if he was wearing protective clothing. “Good job,” she said, “otherwise it could’ve gone further up your arm and been a lot worse”. Okay, this might not count as an official endorsement from the NHS but still speaks volumes for the Urbane Pro as protective equipment. Once you get used to the freedom it offers, going back to more conventional armour isn’t really an option – I’m converted. I’ll keep you informed from a longer-term perspective. Rick Kemp
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Group Savings Everyone knows that the best place to buy your consumables is your local motorcycle dealer. If we don’t support them, they won’t be around when we need them ThE TRF hAS a web page devoted to supporting the motorcycle trade, and how it can use the TRF, free of charge, to promote itself to a growing and profitable marketplace. In addition, as members of the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA), the TRF spends several days of volunteer time with the motorcycle trade, giving it our views on how to increase sales and grow the motorcycle economy. There are some who are not so fortunate as to have a local friendly dealer, which is where local TRF Groups have filled a gap by providing consumables such as oil and tyres. Are we getting what we pay for? One of the areas that mystifies many motorcyclists is why a motorcycle oil is two to three times the price of a car oil for the
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same brand and viscosity. Yes, m/c oil has no friction modifiers, but surely that should mean it is cheaper, not twice the price. Sheer resistance is also quoted as a reason for the higher price of motorcycle oil. An interesting Motorcycle Consumer News article (https://www.ducatimeccanica.com/oil.html), citing data from John C. Woolum PhD, Professor of Physics at California State University, Los Angeles, from 1994, is worth a read for those interested. A summary of his data states: “From this data, then, there is no validity to the constantly-used argument that motorcyclespecific oils provide superior lubrication to automotive oils when used in a motorcycle. If the viscosity drop is the only criterion, then there is certainly no reason to spend the extra money on oil specifically designed
for motorcycles. There does, however, appear to be a legitimate argument for using synthetic and synthetic-blend oils over the petroleum-based products.” The US Motorcycle Consumer News article, which also looked at counter opinions to Woolum’s work, stated: “We can find no substantive evidence that using a highquality, name-brand automotive oil in an average street motorcycle is in any way harmful or less effective in providing proper lubrication and protection than using the more expensive, motorcycle-specific oils.” The article does mention street bikes, and refers to BMW, Yamaha and honda. It doesn’t mention the friction modifier present in car oil, and for that reason many less demanding owners may prefer to stick with a dedicated motorcycle oil of the correct grade, semi or fully synthetic where appropriate, and may consider dropping the focus on oil brands and changing oil and filters regularly. however, if a motorcycle manufacturer recommends a certain oil specification and change intervals for that model, complicity can’t be wrong. There may also be warranty issues arising from not sticking to the prescribed lubricant. Economies of scale and the cost of additives do have a bearing on price. The cost of crude oil base is negligible in the great scheme of things. Sheer resistant additives are costly and are not necessary in engines which use a separate lubricant for the engine and gearbox. All unit construction motorcycle engines use the same lubricant for both engine and gearbox. Given the power output of modern high-performance motorcycle engines, and the relatively small physical size of the gearbox components due to space and weight constraints, the sheer forces on the lubricant are extreme. Small steps to saving the planet One issue with current consumables is single-use packaging and plastics. After petrol and perhaps tyres, oil is possibly the highest volume consumable and probably rates as the highest example of single-use plastic packaging – particularly if bought in one-litre bottles.
Recently, the TRF as an organisation has taken steps to reduce plastic waste through changing to recyclable paper wrappers for Trail and avoiding disposable plastic at events. A local dispensing option – re-filling from a local 20-litre barrel – could reduce plastic packaging too. Member benefits TRF membership puts TRF member benefits first. Without charge to the motorcycle trade, we promote their offers and members’ discounts on oils and other consumables through https://trail.trf.org.uk/members/benefits/, and many articles in Trail magazine support the trade without charge, where it is clearly in the TRF’s and members’ interests. Some Groups, such as Somerset, have taken member benefits a step further and now run their own club shop, where they buy tyres and other consumables in volume and sell them on to members at a discount. The bottom line to TRF members So what could the cost of unbranded motorcycle oil and filters be to TRF members? The TRF approached a leading European OEM oil manufacturer that supplies oil to some of the largest companies, and asked them for pricing. Castrol Power 1 semi synthetic 10W/40, used in many hondas, is £40 for four litres off the shelf from halfords and £30 online. This represents £7 to £10 per litre. The OEM equivalent to the TRF is £3/litre for 10W/40 semi-synthetic motorcycle oil. For a KTM taking 15W/50 or 10W/60 the choice of brands at over £10/litre is bewildering, with some popular brands costing £20/litre. The OEM equivalent to the TRF is £5/litre for 15W/50 and £5.20 for 10W60 motorcycle specific oil. Car oils are also available. Semi-synth 10W/40 car oil is only £1.50/litre and 5W/30 varies from £1.50 to £6 dependent on the engine. You can find more information on members’ discounts and make a Group enquiry on oil at https://trail.trf.org.uk/members/benefits/
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following businesses are offering Friends of the TRF The discounts to TRF members 58% Discount Suzuki GB bikes.suzuki.co.uk/owners/acu-licence-holders/ On parts for ACU licence holders 38% Discount John Banks Renault on Traffic Vans 25% Discount EBC Brakes Direct www.ebcbrakesdirect.com Brake and clutch components 20% Discount CCM Spares www.sparesccm.com The place for CCM owners quote membership number Custom Lids www.customlids.co.uk Discounts available on all motorcycle clothing Flexiplates visit: www.flexiplates.co.uk Quote code TRF15 Herbert & Ellison Discount on seat refurbishment www.herbertellisonupholstery.co.uk/ 15% Discount Cotswold Outdoor www.cotswoldoutdoor.com Cycle Surgery www.cyclesurgery.com Gear 4 Motorcycles www.gear4motorcycles.co.uk WM Moto (Carlisle) www.wmmoto.co.uk Available on parts and selected clothing Adventure Spec Motoz low-impact trail tyres www.adventure-spec.com Memory Maps www.memory-map.co.uk J&S Oxford www.jsaccessories.co.uk
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Bikestop www.bikestop Off-road clothing discount MotoKing www.motoking.co.uk Viewranger www.viewranger.com Discount on digital maps code: TRF2017 10% Discount Rally Raid Products www.rally-raidproducts.co.uk Discount available on all custom Rally parts Midwest Racing www.midwestracing.co.uk Available on parts, accessories and clothing Premier Bikes www.premierbikes.com KTM franchise with discount applying to parts and clothing Endurotek www.endurotek.co.uk Parts and accessories Manchester Xtreme www.manchesterxtreme.com Please quote your TRF membership number PC Advanced Motorcycle Training http://www.cbtanddas.co.uk Bolt Bikes www.boltbikes.co.uk Gerbing www.gerbing.eu Discount code is TRF10 EDZ www.edzdirect.com Base-layer clothing Discount code is TRFC_10 Bike Revival www.bike-revival.co.uk Shock Absorber specialist J&S Oxford www.jsaccessories.co.uk MX Zone www.mxzone.co.uk IAM www.iamroadsmart.com
Rewire Security Tracking, cameras, CCTV, alarms www.rewiresecurity.co.uk Dirtbikebitz Bike parts, riding gear and helmets www.dirtbikebitz.com Opie Oils & Service Parts https://www.opieoils.co.uk// Nomad ADV Lightweight travel & rally gear www.nomad-adv.com Fowlers of Bristol http://www.fowlers.co.uk Smith & Allen Lubricants https://www.smithandallan.com Transylvania Trails http://www.transylvaniatrails.com Bikefix Discount on servicing and repairs www.facebook.com/Bikefixyeovil Dirtbike Express https://www.dirtbikexpress.co.uk Fraser’s of Gloucester 5% on spare parts www.frasersmotorcycles.co.uk Various Discounts Centre Trail, France www.centre-trail.com 15 Euro cash back on booking Enduro Tyres www.endurotyres.com Special rates Trail Rides Wales www.trailrides-wales.com Free guides for members on selected days Bike Seal bikeseal.co.uk Catalan Adventure 10% off accommodation and 50% off bike hire
Check the website for up to date information on discounts offered www.trail.trf.org.uk/members/benefits/
FOR THE TRAIL • • • • • • • • •
Arrow Exhaust System CNC Triple Clamps 43mm Olle` Forks 250 4T EFI Motor Mitas Tyres RRP: £4899 50mm Lowering Kit Available Progressive Drop Link Suspension 104 Kg – Lightweight Cro-mo Steel Frame
FOR THE LEARNER • 41mm Forks • Mitas Tyres • 2 Specifications - Casa or Performance • Exhaust System; - Casa by Arrow - Performance by Big One • 125cc 4T Yamaha Motor • 50mm Lowering Kit Available • Progressive Drop Link Suspension • 96Kg – Lightweight Cro-Mo Steel Frame • Triple Clamps; Casa CNC – Performance Alloy • RRP: Casa £4899 / Performance £4399 • L Plate Legal. Can Be Ridden on AM Licence with CBT 50cc 2T Version Available RRP from £3399 Get more details, find dealers see the full model range at:
fanticmotoruk.com