In mid 2024, Trials Guru website began to distribute the now world famous ‘VIP’ red cap to people in the sport of trial. These were very well received and not available to purchase. In short the bright red ‘VIP‘ caps were a unique promotion, to celebrate the first ten years of this website!

We also set up a special page on here for photos of those who were lucky enough to receive a cap, this also has gone viral online – The VIP Club, VIPs were created across the globe amongst trial enthusiasts.

Then we had commissioned ten white caps, individually numbered, called ‘VIP Trial Winners‘ and these were sent to selected individuals who had special merit.

Now we are commencing sending out a light grey cap, called the ‘VIP – Trial Legends‘ specially commissioned and in very limited quantity.

The time is right to begin to announce these ‘VIP Trial Legends’ across the globe and through time, add them to the list on our ‘VIP Club‘.

Here is the list of Trials Guru – ‘Trial Legends’:

Jeff V. Smith MBE – Winner of the 1955 SSDT, holder of eight Gold ISDT medals and two times 1964-65 World Motocross Champion.

Arthur J. Lampkin – Born in Kent in 1938, but raised and resided in Silsden, Yorkshire since 1941, the eldest of the three Lampkin brothers who were at the top level of the Off-Road motorcycle sport from the 1950s to the 1980s. Arthur was a factory BSA and Cotton rider, Scottish Six Days Trial and Scott Trial winner and TV scrambles star. A.J. Lampkin was also a podium finisher in the European Motocross and World Motocross championships.

Dave Thorpe – Former Triumph, Ossa, Bultaco and Yamaha trials rider. Winner of the first round of the inaugural World Trials Championship in 1975.

Jon Stoodley – From Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA, a life-long motorcycling enthusiast and trials rider. A clever engineer and engine builder and tuner.

Toshiki ‘Toshi’ Nishiyama – From Tokyo, Japan. The first Japanese rider to compete in the SSDT (1971) former ISDT rider.

Oriol Puig Bultó – Development rider, team manager, trials, motocross and enduro rider for Bultaco Motorcycles and FIM official.

Pere Pi Parera – Spanish offroad motorcycle pioneer, motocross rider 1960-66 and development rider for Permanyer SA, on the Montesa Cota project from 1966-71. Father of top cycle trial rider Ot Pi.

James Dabill – Junior World Trials Champion in 2005 and the European Champion in 2006. His other achievements include winning the Scottish Six Days Trial three times and the Scott Trial four times. He has been the British Trials Champion eight times.

Nigel Birkett – Well known in the trials world, from Cumbria in North West England, he was a former Suzuki, Montesa, Kawasaki, Fantic and Yamaha development rider, who also rode an Ossa in 1974. He is the current importer of Scorpa motorcycles at his Broughton-In-Furness base.

Nick Jefferies – Of the world famous Jefferies dynasty of Allan, Tony and David, Nick was a great all rounder, one minute racing a full factory Honda GP machine or on their factory trials RTLs. Nick Jefferies was capable of winning a trial or the TT or the Manx GP. He is of course a TRIALS GURU – Trial Legend!

From the world of sidecar trials, but also an accomplished solo rider, Adrian Clarke from Sheffield is a Trials Guru – Trial Legend! (Photo: Mike Rapley)

Mick Wilkinson – Former James, Greeves and Ossa rider, sidecar driver and ISDT Trophy Team member from Kettlewell, Upper Wharfedale, Yorkshire is a Trials Guru – Trial Legend.

Bill Wilkinson – The last man to win the Scottish Six Days Trial on a British built machine, Greeves, 1969 – Former Greeves and Ossa works rider who won the British Experts and Scott Trials, Bill is a Trials Guru – Trial Legend.

Rob Shepherd – Former Montesa and Honda factory rider, who was British Champion, four top ten positions in the World Trials Championships and a Scott Trial winner, this Yorkshire farmer is indeed a Trials Guru – Trial Legend.

Richard Sunter, former Kawasaki and Montesa rider from Healaugh, North Yorkshire is a Trials Guru – Trial Legend. Sunter was one of those riders who competed with the very best of that era, which included the Lampkins, Rathmell, Hemingway, Edwards, Andrews, Shepherd and just about anyone else who made up the who’s who of trials in the days when British riders were the force to be reckoned with in European and then World class events.

Christian Rayer – French National Trials Champion, Montesa and Yamaha development rider is a Trials Guru – Trial Legend.

More ‘Trial Legends’ to be announced shortly!