Motorcycle Trials, also termed Observed Trials, is a non-speed event on specialized motorcycles. The sport is most popular in the UK, Catalonia (Spain), and Japan although there are active participants all around the world.
Trial motorcycles are distinctive in that they are extremely lightweight, lack seats (they're designed to be ridden standing up) and have short suspension travel relative to a motocross or enduro motorcycle.
Events are divided into sections where the competitor rides through series of obstacles while attempting to avoid touching the ground with their feet. In many local observed trials events, the sections are divided into separate courses to accommodate the different skill level of riders.
In each section the competitor is scored by an observer (hence the sport's name) who counts how many times the competitor touches the ground with the foot (or any other part of the body). Each time a competitor touches the ground with a foot (commonly called "dabs" or "prods"), the penalty is one point.
The possible scores in each section consist of 0, 1, 2, 3, or 5. If a competitor makes his or her way through the section without touching the ground with a foot, a score of 0 (called "cleaning the section") is earned. If he or she touches the ground only once, the score of 1 is earned. If he or she touches down twice, the score of 2 is earned. If he or she touches the ground three times or more, the score of 3 is earned, as long as the section is completed without stalling the motor, dismounting, going out of bounds or going backward. If the competitor fails to complete the section a score of 5 is earned. The winner is the competitor with the least points at the end of the event. Some events are also timed with penalty points assessed to late riders.
There are both indoor and outdoor championships with British competitor Dougie Lampkin notable for winning seven world outdoor titles in the 1990s and 2000s. Previous observed trials greats include Northern Ireland's Sammy Miller (1960s), Finland's Yrjo Vesterinen (1970s), Spain's Jordi Tarres (1980s and '90s). The current indoor and outdoor world champion is Toni Bou from Spain although competition is fierce with fellow Spaniards Adam Raga, Albert Cabestany and Jeroni Farjado, Takahisa Fujinami from Japan and Britons James Dabill (from Leeds) and SDMC's own Michael Brown all capable of winning on their day.
In addition to the world championship, there are several other major "classic" events, such as the Scottish Six-Day Trial (SSDT) held every year around the Fort William area of Scotland and the tough Scott Trial in North Yorkshire which in unique in being scored on both speed and observation. Countries worldwide all have their own national championship series.
Current major manufacturers of trials bikes include GasGas and Sherco from Spain, Montesa Honda (Spanish-Japanese), Italy's Beta and France's Scorpa (using Japanese Yamaha engines). There are also numerous smaller manufacturers specialising in specific types of bike, especially in the "classic" and twin-shock branches of the sport. Some notable "others" include legendary marque Ossa who recently launched a radical new fuel-injected 2-stroke machine and Oset who produce a range of electric bikes for kids.
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