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SSDT

SSDT Radio 2018

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Nevis Radio coverage at SSDT ‘18

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Nevis Radio’s John Weller will be joined by Guest Presenter, Trials Guru’s John Moffat for the Outside Broadcast of SSDT ’18 at Fort William – Photo: John Hulme/Trial Magazine UK

Nevis Radio, the station local to Fort William and Lochaber will once again be broadcasting live from the event’s parc ferme from Monday 7th May until Saturday 12th May.

The outside broadcast team this year will consist of John ‘Big John’ Weller; Simon Abberley and guest presenter, Trials Guru’s John Moffat. As well as radio broadcasting, the station will be ‘on air’ with live video streaming and additional recorded coverage during the day when ‘The Moffster’ will be out at sections with the Nevis Radio ‘roving mic’.

The daily broadcasts will commence at 07:00 – 11:00 on 96.6 102.3 & 102.4 MHz.

The sponsors of the programme this year will be once again Michelin Tyres and Trial Magazine UK.

Simon Abberley, Nevis Radio’s Business Development & Sustainability Manager said: “Nevis Radio would like to thank Michelin and Trial Magazine UK for their continued support after over seven years of sponsorship. As a registered charity, every penny we get counts towards our continued service and helps us broadcast across Lochaber.

In recent years we have expanded into the world of live video streaming on the internet. Without the support from Michelin and Trial Magazine UK we wouldn’t have had the funds available to offer this service.

Being mostly volunteer based with one staff member involved, it takes a great deal of resource to achieve our Scottish Six Days Trial coverage, but every year we are driven by the feedback we get and always try and push a little harder the next time round it’s a way of evolving and improving what we do to the best we can.”

SSDT

BETA SSDT TIPS

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Beta importer, John Lampkin with wife Caroline at the SSDT

John Lampkin, the Beta Motorcycles UK importer has a reputation, a good one for customer service!

Here is the 2018 Scottish Six Days Trial Beta Preparation Guide for riders entered in the annual event.

If you are entered on a Beta in this year’s SSDT then remember to register with Beta-UK before the event in good time!

Download the Beta guide:

2018 SSDT Beta Preparation Guide

SSDT

SSDT 2018 – Official Programme

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The Edinburgh & District MC Ltd Community Fund was set up in 2011 to help local Lochaber good causes

The 2018 Scottish Six Days Trial (7-12 May) official programme has a fresh new look!

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The front cover of the 2018 Official Programme of the SSDT – cover photo by Eric Kitchen

 

The programme will be available on sale from Tuesday 24th April from the following outlets:

BP – Road to the Isles Filling Station, North Road, Fort William, PH33 6TQ

Esso Filling Station, North Road, Fort William, PH33 6TQ

Gleaner Filling Stations, Fort William PH33 6SU & Invergarry PH35 4HL

WH Smith, The Parade, Fort William PH33 6EU

The Granite House, High Street, Fort William, PH33 6AD

Marshall & Pearson, 35 High Street, Fort William, PH33 6HD

Co-op, Ballachulish, PH49 4JS

Co-op, Kinlochleven, PH50 4RW

Co-op, Corpach, PH33 7JG

Claymore Filling Station, A82, Glencoe, PH49 4HP

Pre’65 Trial – Merchandise stall

Spar, Spean Bridge PH34 4EP

Trials UK shop in the Parc Ferme during the week

There will also be an opportunity to purchase from ‘The Hub’ area in the parc ferme area on Weigh In Sunday, 6th May.

The official programme price is £4.00, the proceeds of which support the Edinburgh & District Motor Club Ltd ‘Community Fund’, which contributes to local good causes in the Lochaber area.

You can purchase a copy by post at £5.50 – HERE

This year the programme page numbers have been increased and it will continue to have the ‘pull-out’ additional competitor list, sponsored by Acklams Beta of Harrogate, which is handy for putting in a pocket when spectating out on the hill.

The 92 paged 2018 official programme gives all the daily routes with spectator suggestions and competitor’s early days, now located towards the back of the programme making this information easier to find. It also has more articles than before.

SSDT

SSDT 2018 – Montesa Support

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Mickey Oates Motorcycles will be in attendance again at this year’s SSDT.
This will be our 5th year supporting  the world renowned event.
We offer a full spares  back up from our van, carrying all the essential parts for your Montesa, should you require anything.
We work with the Spanish Factory technicians whom with their vast knowledge of these bikes will tend to your every need.
If you would like to take advantage of this service, please contact us no later than Friday the 27th of April to register.
This must be done before you arrive in Fort William.
Simply email : sales@mickeyoates.com or phone 0141 332 7374
We will require :
Name, Address, Email, Telephone Number & Credit or Debit Card details
See you all in May
Regards
All the Team @ Mickey Oates Motorcycles

 

Obituaries

Walter Dalton

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Walter with his wife Mable at their Weardale home – Photo: Alan Pennington, Stanhope

Trials Guru reports the passing of Weardale stalwart Walter Dalton, one of the North East’s best known trials characters.
Walter was employed by Portland Blue Circle Cement at their Weardale plant at Eastgate and was a regular competitor across the border in Scottish trials which also included the Loch Lomond Two-Day and Scottish Six Days events, plus the Pre’65 Scottish.

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Walter, Montesa Cota mounted in 1969

In later years he took up riding Pre’65 trials on a 500 Ariel and supported Spain’s Carlos Casas on a 200cc Triumph Cub for many years in the Pre’65 Scottish.

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Walter Dalton on an AJS in the 1980s

Dalton competed in many Scottish Six Days Trials back as far as the late 1960s. He rode both Bultaco and Montesa machinery.

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Walter Dalton, Triumph Cub mounted around early 1960s

In 1984, Walter entered the SSDT and the Pre’65 Scottish on a Reg May built ‘RM Special’, this machine was actually road registered as such. The machine was a BSA B40 motor in a much modified Bultaco Sherpa frame, with Alpina front wheel and Pursang rear wheel and a modified 340 Sherpa alloy tank and specially fabricated oil tank. The machine was not strictly Pre’65 but the organisers were less strict in those days.

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Walter Dalton in 2007 – Photo: John Hulme/Trial Magazine

Trials Guru extends sincere condolences to the Dalton family.

Trials News

Yamaha Returns to Trials

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The Yamaha TY-E – Photo: Yamaha Motor Company

Images: Akihiko Hattori & Yamaha Motor Company

Yamaha Motor Company have re-entered the World trials arena by confirming that they will contest the 2018 FIM ‘Trial-E’ class with the announcement of their ‘TY-E’ model. The machine will be ridden by the factory rider Kenichi Kuroyama.

Kuroyama, is an eleven-time national champion of Japan. He rode for eleven years in the World championships and achieved four world title rounds and scored twenty-five podium positions.

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The revolutionary Yamaha TY-E – Photo: Yamaha Motor Company

The re-entry of Yamaha onto the world stage is significant and to be electric powered, even more so.

The question now must be asked, will the mighty Honda concern make inroads to electric-trials with their own electric powered machine?

Images courtesy of Akihiko Hattori, taken at the Tokyo Show, March 2018:

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Youtube watch:

Book Launch

DOUGIE LAMPKIN – TRIALS AND ERROR

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Trials & Error

Published by Simon & Schuster
17 May 2018 ǀ Hardback ǀ £20.00
A COMPELLING AUTOBIOGRAPHY FROM THE TWELVE TIMES WORLD CHAMPION OF TRIALS

When Dougie Lampkin was born, his father Martin had placed a motorcycle next to his cot before he returned from hospital – if anyone can say that they were destined for a career in motor biking it was him.

So far, nine members of the Lampkin family have competed at a high level of the sport, but it was Dougie who set new standards, winning seven consecutive outdoor world titles and five indoor world titles, earning him the MBE at the age of twenty-five.

Off-road motorcycling continues to grow in popularity, with more than 100,000 people taking part in the UK alone, and millions more following online or on television. In this superb memoir, Lampkin brings the excitement of his sport vividly to life.

He also shares the behind-the-scenes drama behind some of his most famous Red Bull challenges – such as the day he took his trials bike for a ride through Red Bull’s Formula One factory, with Christian Horner looking on in sheer amazement as he rode his bike over a multi-million-pound F1 car, leaving it without a scratch.

To date, some 10 million people have watched this episode on YouTube.
Trials and Error is a brilliant book that goes beyond the story behind trial biking, and the journey to becoming world champion – it is also a love letter to his family and community, to whom Dougie attributes his many successes.

About the author:

Dougie Lampkin MBE was born in Yorkshire in 1976 into a motor biking dynasty and became a professional trials and endurocross rider, winning five consecutive World Indoor titles (1997-2001) and seven consecutive World Outdoor championships (1997-2003). Since retiring from competition, he has worked with Red Bull on a series of high-profile events.

Trials News

Battle of Burwash

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Article: Ian Coulter

Image: Bexleyheath & DMCC

Organised by the Bexleyheath & District Motor Cycle Club, the ‘Battle of Burwash’ trial has been running for around seven years. It’s been named after the Battle off Hastings (1066) as it’s only down the road from the famous battle.  

Held on 2nd and 3rd June, it’s run on a brilliant piece of ground over seventy acres of streams, rocks and high banks, which makes a challenge for all abilities.  

Run over two days starting on the Saturday at noon with four laps of eight sections with results and awards that same afternoon.  

Sunday is three laps of thirteen sections, which are different from the Saturday, the results being compiled that night and up on Motorbiketrials.com by Monday morning.  

Camping is available with plenty of room for campers, caravans and tents. Easy access via concrete path so no getting stuck problems. There will be toilets and fresh water available on site. Event postcode TN218XA. Camping available from the Thursday afternoon.

 

People

Donald Buchan from Perth

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Fifteen minutes with former Scottish trials rider – Donald Buchan.

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By far the most unusual machine in the 1968 SSDT was the 50cc Sachs powered Heldun ridden by Perth & District clubman, Donald Buchan. He finished in 119th position and a second class award on 508 marks lost – Photo: Ian Robertson, Midlothian

Interviewed by Grandson, Callum Buchan

Photos: Buchan Family; Ian Robertson

Special thanks to the Classic Racing 50cc Club UK for link to their article on Heldun.
Where and when were you born?:

I was born on the 1st of February 1940 in Perth, Scotland.

What is the family history in relation to motorcycles and can you tell us about Jimmy Buchan’s achievements in racing?:

My father, Jack, rode in the TT, the Scottish Six Days and the International Six Days. My brother Jimmy was in my father’s sidecar for the International Six Days at sixteen years of age in 1951 in Italy!

Jimmy rode the Isle of Man for the first time in 1954 and won the Clubmans TT in 1955 riding a BSA Gold Star. Then in 1956 he won the Manx Grand Prix double riding a Manx Norton.

Tell us about the retail motorcycle business you owned in Perth?:

‘Buchan Motorcycles’ was opened in 1960 by my father on Rannoch Road, Perth. In 1972 I took over the business, not because my father had decided to pack it in, retire and play golf all day, but because he felt you’re never too old to travel and got on his bike.

He planned on going from the foot of Argentina to the tip of Alaska. Off he went on his bike with insufficient cash banking on his charisma to be his currency and his iconic tam o’ shanter to explore the other side of the world.

Unfortunately, having reached as far as Mexico, he took ill before making it to the U.S and couldn’t complete his journey.

By the mid 1970s I opened a branch of the business in Forfar and in the next decade another in Perth Town Centre.

As you sold Bultaco and Montesa, did you deal directly with Comerfords and Montala Motors/Jim Sandiford?:

Yes, I dealt with all them directly and also dealt with Greeves Motorcycles, Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki directly.

You rode a 50cc Heldun (mistake in SSDT programme saying 60cc Heldun) in 1968. Tell us about the Heldun and how did the SSDT ride come to pass?:

Having spoken to the Heldun representative at the 1967 Motorcycle Show, chatting about trials, they suggested I visit the factory at Birmingham for a test ride. This lead to me being offered a bike for the SSDT for the following year. The Heldun was powered by a Sachs engine.

In 1968 SSDT I completed the SSDT which is mentioned in this article http://www.classic50racingclub.co.uk/the-heldun-marque.html  (they made a mistake in calling me John instead of Donald!)

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The official ISDT souvenir badge given to riders and officials in 1969

You rode the ISDT in 1969. Tell us about the bike you rode on? None of the Scots finished in 1969, not even Ernie Page, what put you out of the event?:

I rode on a Greeves, it was a Comerfords International Six Days model, 250cc, part of the British Vase B team. I was hit by an Italian rider, I think on day two and fractured my ribs causing my premature departure from the event.

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Donald Buchan’s 1969 British Vase B Team badge from his Barbour Jacket

How many times did you ride in the SSDT?:

I think it was five or six times.

Any favourite events in trials in Scotland?:

Any Scottish champion trial, none in particular. I competed in the length and breadth of Scotland, from Rogart to Ayrshire. Riding various bikes from the aforementioned Heldun to Triumph 500cc.

Were you a member of Scotland’s oldest motorcycle club the Perth and District Motor Club?:

Yes, I was a member from the late 1950s until the late 70s.

Did you organise any events?:

Yes, I was the trials convenor for a few years of the Perth & District MC.

Did you scramble or road race at any time?:

Yes, I road raced on a 50cc in Errol 1958 and at Beveridge Park, Kirkcaldy in the early 60s. I took part in various organised scrambles and hill climbs.

 

Many thanks to Donald and his family for putting this interview together.

The article on Heldun, linked to in this article is the copyright of the Classic Racing 50cc Club UK.

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Other ‘Great Scots’ in the series: HERE