The Auto-Cycle Union, the primary motorcycle sport organising body in the UK (FIM recognised) has decided to mount an experimentary trials championship series for 2020.

In essence it is a reversion to the stop permitted rules for the predominantly English and Welsh based series.

This is an attempt to inject new life into a series which has been commented upon as being sparsely contested over the past few years.

Details are as follows (Source ACU website: http://www.acu.org.uk )

* New marking system named “ACU Trial GB” (British Trials Championship) which will include a one-minute time allowance for each section to be traversed.

* Competitors may stop, go sideways or reverse without penalty. Going backwards whilst footing will incur a five-mark penalty.

* The ACU Trial 125 Class will be open to any rider over the age of 14, but riders between the age of 14 to 16 will require permission from the ACU to compete.

* Assistants will be allowed in the ACU Trial GB Class only.

* Competitors for the ACU Trial GB and ACU Trial 2 Classes will be asked to Register at the start of the year to be allocated a permanent number.

* The top six from the 2019 ACU Trial 2 Class will not be permitted to move down a class for 2020.

* An additional one Championship Point will be awarded to the best performance on observation on each lap of the Trial to all four classes.

* There will be the option for a third route for the ACU Trial 2 Class, with separate coloured markers.

* The Series Manager will visit each Organiser in advance of each round and discuss section layout with each Clerk of the Course and advise that protocol for section layout be much the same as 2019, with emphasis that the Expert route cater for the majority of  the entry.

* Riders need to carefully consider which class they will compete in during the season as moving down a class during the season will mean the rider will not score points in the new class. It is recognised that the ACU Trial GB Class is likely to be smaller than in 2019.

Series Manager, Brian Higgins commented, “We actually had more organisers wanting to run a round of the championship this year and some were disappointed. However, the aim is to introduce some new venues into the series, and I am sure the ones left out will be offered a round in future years.

Dates and venues released are:

Saturday March 7^th Hookwood, Surrey; Sunday April 5^th Neath, South Wales; Sunday June 14^th Harrogate, Yorkshire; Saturday June 27^th Bovey Tracey, Devon; Sunday June 28^th Tavistock, Devon; Sunday 26^th July Scarborough, Yorkshire; Saturday August 15^th Llanbedr, Wales; Sunday August 16^th Llandiloes. Wales;  Sunday 27^th September (Reserve Date).