It is with great sadness that Trials Guru announces the passing of Bill Wilkinson, the last British trials rider to win the Scottish Six Days Trial on a British built machine, the 250cc Greeves Anglian, WWC169F in 1969.

Bill was a true Yorkshire character, who called a ‘spade a spade’ and wasn’t afraid to say so! He was quick-witted and enjoyed the company of like-minded individuals. Bill was a proud Englishman and even prouder Yorkshireman. He rode for the Greeves factory from 1960 until 1971, when he switched to ride for OSSA Moto UK under the ownership of Peter Fletcher. When he rode for the Greeves factory, he never had a written contract, it was done by the shake of a hand, because Bill’s word was his bond.

Bill Wilkinson will be sorely missed in the world of trials, he was a national, British Experts, Scott Trial and SSDT winner. Our sincere condolences go to his brother Mick, sister Shirley, his wife Pearl and his son, Andrew and daughter, Michelle and the extended Wilkinson family. (Photos courtesy of Jean Caillou, France)

John Moffat of Trials Guru added: “Bill Wilkinson was a superstar of trials when I was a schoolboy, a man that I looked up to along with his peers of the late 1960s. Little did I know then that I would become a firm friend in later years. I got to know him by speaking with him at his stall in the Parc Ferme at the SSDT in the late 1980s. He knew my late father well and always spoke highly of him. Over the years, our paths crossed many times and in 2015 I invited him to be the Guest of Honour at the tenth edition of the Highland Classic Two Day Trial, which he happily accepted and what a great time we had. He was simply superb. I had the honour of interviewing Bill on stage at many functions and also on Nevis Radio at the SSDT in Fort William. Bill will leave a huge hole in the sport of trials that cannot be filled. He was one in a million“.

Bill Wilkinson’s funeral is on Monday 28th July 2025 at 1pm at Skipton Crematorium, Waltonwrays Cemetery, Carleton Rd, Skipton BD23 3BT. Thereafter a ‘Bun Fight’ at the Rolls Royce Social Club in Barnoldswick. All welcome, trials attire and colourful clothes to celebrate the colourful fella that he was.

Bill Wilkinson – 21/06/1941 – 4/07/2025

Wilkinsons of Kettlewell article: HERE

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Lane Leavitt, former Bultaco factory trials rider who passed away on May 16th aged 74 years.

Lane was AMA trials champion on three occasions and was a world championship contender, who competed against the Lampkins, Rathmell, Schreiber and Whaley. He switched to Montesa, when the Bultaco company hit financial trouble in 1979.

His achievements were: three times US National Champion; five times California Champion; twice Oregon Champion; he rode in the SSDT four times; USA ISDE Team Member; AMA Sportsman of the Year and inducted to the Trials Hall of Fame of the AMA in 2006.

Lane wrote a book on observed trials with photojournalist Len Weed entitled ‘Motor Cycle Trials – Techniques and Training’.

He married his teenage sweet-heart, Debbie Evans, herself a well known trials rider and stunt performer. Lane set up his business with Debbie, called Leavittation Inc., based at Santa Clarita, California, which arranged stunt work for the movie industry. He turned to professional stunt performing in 1980 on the ‘Fall Guy’ TV series.

1979 World Trials Champion, Bernie Schreiber wrote on learning about Lane Leavitt’s passing: “A unique individual in his own way, but a true friend who always brought his honest opinions on all topics. He was innovative, passionate and constantly in search of a better motorcycle, better trials events and better results. His opinions on trials events, motorcycles and riders development were direct and honest. He enjoyed pushing the envelope in Trials and all facets of his stunt work in an industry he loved so much.“

Trials Guru sends sincere condolences to Debbie and the Leavitt family at this difficult time. The trials community of the USA have lost not only a champion, but an enthusiast of the sport.

Lane Leavitt – 10 November 1950 – 16 May 2025

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of George Arthur Greenland. George was attending a trial in Belgium with his family and passed away in his sleep.

He was an accomplished trials rider, sidecar driver in trials and enduro and organiser of the Enduro Du Super Mare. He developed the Wasp 1,000 twin cylinder racing engine with Robin Rhind-Tutt.

John Moffat of Trials Guru said: “I got to know George Greenland through competing in the Pre65 Scottish Trial at Kinlochleven back in the mid 1990s. I interviewed him quite a few times at the presentation of awards. He was such a knowledgeable and friendly gentleman. He once fetched a Honda RTL engine back from Belgium for me and refused to take anything for his trouble, he said: ‘I was going there anyway and it’s only a little engine’. It was a great honour and priviledge to be able to tell George’s story on Trials Guru website. He was a ‘one-off’ character who will be sorely missed in the trials world, and I mean world, at events in Europe and the annual get together at Telford show. George Greenland was truly a Trial Legend.”

We send our sincere condolences to the extended Greenland family.

George A. Greenland’s funeral and celebration of his life will be at The Stones Hotel, High Post, Salisbury, SP4 6AT on Friday May 30th, 2025 at 11.30.

You can read part of George’s story on Trials Guru HERE:

Don Howlett, former director of Comerford’s Ltd of Thames Ditton, the Bultaco importers and multi-franchise motorcycle dealers has passed away, aged 91 years of age.

Howlett was a major player in the importation to the UK of the Spanish brand of off-road motorcycles from 1972 until 1984.

Don was a keen scrambles rider and also rode in trials. He competed in the 1963 Scottish Six Days on a Greeves. Comerford’s motto was ‘Ride them on Sunday, sell them on Monday’ which reflected the sporting involvement by most of the employees.

After the demise of Comerfords as a motorcycle and car dealer, he formed ‘CI Sport’ with Stuart Miller, this business was the importation division of Comerfords, originally called Comerfords International, hence the ‘CI’.

Don Howlett had been ill for some time, his funeral took place on Tuesday 3rd December at St. John’s Church, Old Malden, Kingston Upon Thames.

He leaves a widow Chris, son Paul and daughter, Louise.

It is with sadness that we intimate the passing of Scottish trials and scrambles rider, Robert ‘Bob’ Ashenhurst.

Bob was a well known rider in the late 1950s and through the 1960s who rode a variety of machines which included BSA Gold Star, Greeves in scrambles and an Ariel HT5 in trials. The Ariel was registered NWS405 and had belonged to multiple Scottish scrambles champion, George Hodge from Abington when new and ridden by Hodge in the 1955 SSDT.

Bob’s first scrambles event was at Crichton Castle, Gorebridge in the late 1950s.

Ashenhurst was a member of the Edinburgh Southern MC which ran many scrambles and trials events in Scotland. Bob usually wore his ‘Southern’ crash helmet which was a mid blue colour with white wings, many riders of the club used these helmets in the early to mid 1960s.

Ashenhurst’s scrambling contemporaries were: The Sandercombe brothers, Cliff and Robin; Ernie Page; Melville Hume; the Allan brothers, Jim, Robbie and Vic; George Hodge; Jimmy Stuart; Jackie Campbell; Johnny Davies; Bert Jamieson; Willie Edwards; Bob Eyers; George and Iain Shearer, to name but a few.

Bob worked for many years at Edinburgh Airport, known then as ‘Turnhouse’ and also had a small holding croft at Mannerston, near Linlithgow. His local track was ‘Hillhouse’ just outside the town of Linlithgow in West Lothian.

For many years, Bob was usually accompanied by his younger sister, June who acted as his ‘mechanic’ at scrambles across Scotland. June married John Malcolm who rode in trials and scrambles with the Lanarkshire MCC and had two trials riding sons, Graham and Sandy, both encouraged at a very early age to take up trials. In later years, Bob would be seen at the SSDT and the Pre65 Scottish trials spectating, maintaining a close interest in the sport long after he stopped competing himself. He was also a guiding influence when his nephew Graham’s son took up motocross and Graham took up Supermoto.

Bob took part in the 2021 T. Arnott Moffat Memorial road run at Inverness on his Honda WR400, having known SACU Secretary, Arnott Moffat all his racing career.

Bob Ashenhurst died on Friday, 23rd August 2024, aged 87 years and was a life-long motorcycle enthusiast who competed against the best in Scotland and occasionally beat them all. Some of the riders called him ‘Bert’, but he was universally liked and more to the point highly respected as a competitive motorcyclist by all who knew him.

Bob Ashenhurst’s funeral will take place on Wednesday, 11th September at Falkirk Crematorium at 10.45am.

It is with great sadness that we have learned that former Triumph factory scrambles, ISDT and trials star, John Giles has passed away aged 93 years on 11th September 2023.

The news was relayed by telephone by close friend, Gordon Jackson who now lives in France.

John Giles, know to many of his friends as ‘Gilo’ competed in many International Six Days Trials when supported by the Triumph factory, his last being the 1970 event at El Escorial, Madrid when he rode one of the UK dealer sponsored Cheney Triumphs. John’s first ISDT was 1952 at Bad Aussee in Austria on a factory prepared 500cc Triumph TR5 Trophy.

Giles was regarded as an ‘all-rounder’ the label given to sporting motorcyclists who took part and excelled in more than one discipline, John was a force to be reckoned with in scrambles, trials and ISDT events.

John wasn’t a firm favourite of the 199cc Triumph Cub that was enevitably issued to works supported riders, prefering the twin cylinder 350cc trials machines.

Considering that John Giles had sight in only one eye, he had a remarkable career in motorcycle sport. He overcame the disability and was a determined and forceful rider in scrambles and the ISDT, but also had the ‘gentle touch’ when it came to reliability trials, representing the Triumph manufacturer many times at the annual Scottish Six Days Trial.

Said Gordon Jackson: “John and I first met in 1948 and have remained close friends ever since, even although we rode for rival factories, we travelled thousands of miles together to national trials and the ISDT when I rode for AJS and John rode for Triumphs. We had the utmost respect for one another and we had some real fun times.”

John Giles’ funeral arrangements are: Tunbridge Wells Crematorium on Monday 23rd October 2023 at 10.45am. Then the wake afterwards is at The High Rocks, Tunbridge Wells.

Tim Pritchard of Westbury Motorcycles in Bristol has sadly passed away at the age of 93 after a short illness.

Tim built a very large business in the off road world in the 60s and 70s and was probably the largest trials and scrambles supplier in the country at that time, when he shipped bikes to all parts of the country and had a very busy comp shop at Westbury on Trym.

He sponsored many up and coming riders. Tim leaves a widow Margaret, three sons, a daughter and step-daughter.

Tim Pritchard’s funeral will take place on Wednesday, 20th September at 11.45am at Rowberrow Church, near Churchill, Somerset (1/2 mile off the A38).