Trials Guru is the Premier Trial Sport Website for photos, articles, and the history of motorcycle trials world-wide.

Trials Guru is ‘THE’ Trials Academy!

This is where you can study the sport’s history and more!

Trials Guru is a non-commercial, not for profit website, which is operated without any financial gain for its operators whatsoever.

What is ‘Trials Guru’?

• Trials Guru is completely free to use … free unlimited access … no subscriptions to pay … just go ahead and enjoy trial history photos, articles and information, where you want, when you want.
  
• We want readers to treat the website like an ‘academy’, a place to indulge in private study and learn about the sport. It is not instructional, but informative, you can use it any time you wish and there is no charge.
• It is operated by trials enthusiasts for trials enthusiasts!
• We do not claim to be the biggest or best trials only website in the universe, you decide how good we are. The content is growing all the time.
• We are committed to recording the history of our sport as much as is possible in a reliable manner, for instance the Scottish Six Days and Scott Trial special sections, which list the winners year by year and some interesting and some long forgotten facts about these world famous events.
  

Trials Guru Contributors:

‘Sections’ on Trials Guru:

History preserved … Publications:

“The past is a different country, they do things differently there”

Motorcycle Competition: Scotland is a superb semi-hardback book by John Moffat which covers the history of Motorcycle Competition in Scotland from 1975 – 2005. (ISBN: 978-0-9927596-1-2). The foreword was written by eight times TT winner, Jim Moodie. Full details of price, how and where to buy copies of Motorcycle Sport Scotland 1975-2005 : Here

Who is behind Trials Guru?

‘Trials Guru’ was created by Scotsman, John Moffat, a trials enthusiast for over 50 years. It was an idea that dates back to 2003, but only came to fruition in March of 2014 when Trials Guru was set up online.

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Family involvement:

John Moffat’s family have been involved with motorcycle trial sport since 1949, but the connection with motorcycles dates back to the early 1920s with William Moffat of Innerleithen, Peeblesshire, Scotland. He was a baker by trade in the family business of Thomas Moffat, Baker & Confectioner, eldest of the brothers, William owned a Douglas and an H.R.D. His two brothers, also bakers, James and Thomas Arnott also had road going machines.

William did his courting on his Douglas. His son also Thomas ‘Arnott’ had his first introduction to motorcycle sport in 1932 when the late great Jimmie Guthrie, the Norton factory road racer from Hawick used to make use of the public roads in the Scottish Borders for practice for the annual Isle of Man TT races.

Young Arnott was wakened one morning very early by his father and told to get dressed and come down to the ‘Pend’ or alleyway to the bake-house in the centre of Innerleithen.

Young Moffat wasn’t disappointed, before long a motorcycle came into view, travelling at racing speed, seconds later the rider flew past through the town, without slowing for the bends. It was only a glimpse, but the sight of Guthrie at full chat was enough to inspire Arnott to want a motorcycle.

To say that Guthrie was his hero is probably an understatement, the name ‘Guthrie’ is still spoken in hushed and revered terms to this day, such was the man’s stature.

In 2017 T. Arnott Moffat’s memory was preserved when a motorcycle road run was created in the Scottish highlands. Read about it on the page: T. Arnott Moffat Memorial Highland Road Run

Or on facebook: T. Arnott Moffat Facebook page

Feedback:

Photographs and their copyright:

• We respect the copyright of all our photographers who give us access to their work free of charge.
• Please do not breach copyright laws by taking images from this website for use elsewhere. Permission has been sought and granted from the copyright owners for the use of images on Trials Guru.
• We are indebted to our photographers for their continued support of this venture.
• Please be aware: All photographs displayed on Trials Guru are not held in any archive by the website operator other than to be able to display the photographs, as the images are the legal intellectual property of the photographer only.
• We do not sell any images used on Trials Guru.
• Because this website is privately funded, we do not buy or pay for photographs that are used on this website.

YOUTH SPORT:

• We do not cover youth trials on this website.
• There is a good reason for this as there are child protection regulations and certain restrictions on publishing photographs of children on websites, only if express permission is granted.
• We made the decision not to publish any photos of competitors under the age of 16 years. Competitors over the age of 16 are classed as adults.
• We will only publish images of people under 16 years of age if it is related to an article on a particular competitor’s history, if appropriate and with their permission to do so.

Trials Guru’s Scrapbook …

Trials Guru, some interviews and meeting colourful characters from the sport of motorcycling – it’s not all trials: 

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History/Timeline:

• Trials Guru began in early 2014, first on facebook, created by John Moffat originally as a bit of fun and hobby to post some photos and articles, as a ‘spin-off’ from the facebook page of the same name. A website media was explored, using the same name.
• Having knowledge of the internet and websites, a friend from the sport of trials, Heath Brindley (R2W Trials from Bristol) set up the Trials Guru website for John Moffat using the tried and tested ‘WordPress’ platform.
• Within a matter of weeks Trials Guru on both facebook and on the internet grew rapidly.
• Trials Guru aim is to preserve information and record the history of the sport for future generations.
• John Moffat has been involved in the sport for over 50 years as a club member, official and competitor, he has a wide base of friends in the sport the world over.
• All articles are usually written by John Moffat, but we have other contributers and they will be referred to at the start of the article. If you have a trials story to tell, contact Trials Guru via the ‘Contact’ facility. We are happy for you to write it, we check it over and then publish it on an appropriate section of the website.

This book, written by John Moffat: ‘Scotland’s Rich Mixture – Memories of Scottish Motor Cycle Sport 1945-1975‘ covers Scottish trials, scrambles, grass track and road racing, and describes the people, clubs and riders of that era.

Available: Here

It was produced in a limited quantity of 1,000 copies back in March 2005. Whilst it is now out of print, you may still be able to obtain a new copy by following the link below to The website of The Magazine Man, operated and owned by Chris Ashley in Stoke on Trent. This book was published by the no longer trading ‘Ariel Publishing’, the late Brian Ashley of The Magazine Man, is the official distributor of the book and funded the initial print run of 1,000 copies.

Ferry Brouwer, Yamaha Race Technician and former Arai helmet importer Europe: “This is a very interesting book, one which every Scottish enthusiast should have”.

Please Note: No part of the book ‘Scotland’s Rich Mixture’ described above, is reproduced in part or otherwise on this website.

To obtain a copy, follow this link: The Magazine Man link

John Moffat, sometimes referred to as ‘The Moffster’; is also guest presenter on Nevis Radio, Fort William during the Scottish Six Days week in early May. Trials Guru has personal connections in the sport worldwide.

Facebook and Twitter:

From time to time links are placed on ‘facebook’ and ‘twitter’ social media merely to alert readers of new material.

• You can join in on the Trials Guru Facebook page by clicking ..  HERE

• Follow Trials Guru on twitter HERE

What is a ‘Guru’? :

The Legal stuff:

DISCLAIMER and COPYRIGHT:

• © – While extreme care has been taken to ensure that the information contained on this website is accurate, the operators of this website cannot accept any liability for loss, damage or injury howsoever caused by any errors in, or omissions from, any information given on this website.
• Opinions expressed in any articles published from contributors are not necessarily those of the website operators.
• All the material including photographs on this web-site is copyright, the intellectual property of John Moffat and is marked – © Trials Guru/Moffat Racing – John Moffat – unless otherwise stated with credit given to the individual photographer(s) or contributor(s). Any copyright material is published with the intention of fair use and not for commercial purposes or generation of income or profit.
  
• All images and text that are the property of ‘motorcycle manufacturer(s)’ displayed on Trials Guru are the property of those credited, they are used in good faith and taken from publicity material that has been issued to the general public, either directly by, or agents of, the motorcycle manufacturer(s).
• All photographs on this website are protected by the law of copyright and may not be copied or reproduced without the copyholder’s permission. The images displayed on Trials Guru are the intellectual property of the photographer(s) and may not be used elsewhere without the express permission of the copyright holder(s).
• Please note: Trials Guru does not use any ‘collective pseudonym archive title’ for photographs taken by other persons. The only images credited as ‘Trials Guru Archive’ are specifically those images which are the intellectual legal property of John Moffat and/or his immediate family members only and are stored accordingly.
• All images which are the intellectual legal property of the individual photographer(s), who contribute to Trials Guru, are credited on an individual basis to that photographer(s) either on the image(s) or in the caption(s) below the image.
• No part of this website may be used without the express permission of the copyright holder(s)/author(s). The content of this website is intended for private study and not for any commercial enterprise.
• All written content on this website is copyright of: Trials Guru / Moffat Racing – and is the intellectual property of John Moffat – © 2024 (All Rights Reserved).

Trials Guru – Privacy Statement/GDPR:

Trials Guru website is based in the United Kingdom. Its purpose is to record information about the sport of motorcycle trials for posterity. It is a non-commercial venture.

We do not collect or maintain records of any personal data or process personal data whatsoever in any format, electronic or otherwise. This web facility does not identify users, contributors or photographic owners other than the owner’s name and where agreed, their general domicile excluding address or postal codes. Photographs displayed are the intellectual property of the photographer named in the captions. There are ‘contact point’ features which enable the user to ask questions and make general enquiries to the website operator. We do not collect, retain or store users’ personal information, including e-mail addresses, for any purpose. When replying, e-mail addresses supplied by the enquirer are deleted after use and are not passed on to any other data processor or person. No data is collected for statistical purposes other than those provided by the host website platform provider. No individual user is identified.

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