The annual two-day Manx International Classic on the Isle of Man, planned for September 2020 has been cancelled. In a statement issued by the organising Manx Trials Club, the committee was faced with an organisational issue and decided to cancel the event due to riders having to arrange ferry and accommodation to get to an island which currenmtly has closed its borders.

The statement read:

“The Manx International Classic Trial Committee regret to announce that this years event scheduled to be held on 5th & 6th September has been cancelled due to the Covid-19 virus. Our committee are all bitterly disappointed as I am sure you are but it is the only option available to us. We have delayed making the decision until now in the hope that we would reach a point where we could be confident that the current restrictions on travel, mass gatherings and the like would be lifted by September and the event could run safely. However we have now reached the point where we would need to ramp up the organising activity, and we appreciate that visiting riders need the opportunity to transfer/cancel travel and accommodation arrangements, so the decision to cancel was taken. With the information available to us at this time the following main issues exist:-

The Auto-Cycle Union has issued a joint statement with the AMCA regarding the current state of motorcycle sport in the UK following an ACU board meeting held virtually on 12th May, with a phased return after 4th July when Step Three of the UK Government Covid-19 plan is initiated, but this is under constant review.

In order to reflect the differences in devolved administrations, there will be no British Championship Enduro, Motocross, Trials or Speedway events to take place until travel restrictions between England; Scotland; Wales; Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man have been lifted and other factors considered, in line with Government guidance.

The full statement can be read HERE

The ACU, the officially recognised motorcycle sport governing body of the FIM have cancelled all permitted events until 31st May 2020. This will be continually reviewed moving forward. The organisation has already cancelled the Isle of Man TT Races in June.

The statement issued 24 March 2020 by ACU central office reads:

Covid-19 Update

In light of recent developments in the COVID-19 crisis, and following the address to the nation by the Prime Minister on the evening of 23rd March, the Auto-Cycle Union has today extended its suspension of all organising permits for motorcycle events until at least 31st May but will be constantly reviewed.

This move provides clear guidance to event organisers, clubs, venues, competitors, officials of the role that the Auto-Cycle Union must play in supporting the broader UK public health agenda.

The two main motorcycling governing bodies, the ACU and for Scotland, the Scottish ACU have both announced statements covering the current Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

The Scottish ACU stole a march on their English counterparts by being first to cancel all motorcycle events on 16th March until at least 31st May, with the ACU a day later, cancelling all events until 30th April 2020.

This means that the annual Scottish Six Days and Isle of Man TT races are now cancelled with no chance of them being run until 2021.

The governing bodies really had no choice, due to the global clamping down of transport, travelling, working arrangements, it was inevitable that there would be casualties for world-wide motorcycle sport.

The statement from the ACU

The Spanish motorcycle sport federation RFME (Real Federacion Motociclista Espanola – Royal Spanish Motorcycle Federation) has taken the unprecedented step of advising member organisations and affiliated motorcycle clubs to instruct their members to leave their bikes in the garage and don’t even ride for practice during the Coronavirus Pandemic.

These steps have been taken as Spain’s hospitals are struggling to cope with the admissions of patients with the Covid-19 virus which has spread at an alarming rate throughout Spain in the last few weeks.

It won’t be a popular directive with riders, but it does put the sport in a position of being seen to be very responsible when so many lives are at risk. Motorsport comes with risks and even trials riding has risks attached and this is not a good time to sustain an avoidable injury. The federation is urging riders to stay safe during the crisis and not ride at all.

At a time when emergency services are stretched to the limit, it calls for a measured approach with a coherent plan of action, the RFME have done this using social media to publicise their advice.

They are quoted as saying on facebook:

“Once declared the state of alarm we cannot overload the health system with a possible accident completely avoidable, the best thing is that we park our bikes for a few days stay at home. Which doesn’t mean we park our hobby, that’s why during these days we are going to make you some recommendations to make the quarantine more bearable, on two “virtual” wheels.”

This is also seen as a defensive or protective course of action taken by the national motorcycling governing body, as it is believed that Spanish Emergency Powers Legislation classify sporting injuries as an act of negligence, without appropriate insurance cover, if sustained during a period when emergency powers are in place and carry significant penalties.

1979 World Trials Champion, Bernie Schreiber has launched his new website to the trials world!

Brought up in Los Angeles, USA, Bernie now lives in Switzerland enjoying life and a rekindled interest in the sport that made him famous, having been the only American to take a World Trials title and a Scottish Six Days win, as well as numerous American trials titles.

A true ambassador for the feet up sport, he was best known as a factory rider for Bultaco, followed by Italjet, SWM, Fantic and Yamaha, in a career that started as a youth rider through to adult-hood.

He moved to live in Europe to gain worthwhile experience that he would never have gained staying Stateside. His World Trials victory was achieved at the age of 20, the youngest rider to take the coveted title for the Spanish Bultaco brand.

His new website is a committment to the sport of trials and will be enhanced as time allows.

Trials Guru is proud to be directly associated with Bernie Schreiber’s website and featured as a ‘partner’ in the venture.

Web hosting is provided by Heath Brindley of R2WRacing, another associate of Trials Guru.

Go directly to Bernie’s website: HERE

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).

Anyone with any interesting Sprite motorcycles that fancy having them on display at the Telford Off-Road show on February 15/16 2020, should contact Stephen Hipkin on: ste2hip@gmail.com

The following announcement was released by the committee of the Richmond Motor Club (Yorkshire) Ltd (RMC) today, Wednesday 7th August, 2019.

“As many of you will have seen, our local area was hit by flash flooding last week, resulting in devastating damage to many homes, businesses, vehicles and roads and saw livestock and pets swept away. Fortunately no-one lost their lives, although some had near escapes.
The community is pulling together in a fantastic way and there are many offers of support and assistance.
RMC held a meeting last night to discuss how we could help as a club. We are organising a working party on Saturday, 17th August 2019 to help with the clear up in the Reeth area, clearing stone and debris and putting up walls where possible.
Scott Trial secretary and farmer, Ken Wallis said: “Anybody who can help, please meet in Reeth at the Woodward where the Reeth 3 Day starts from at 9.30am to help with a working party.”
Please wear suitable clothing such as boots and gloves and if you can bring shovels, brushes etc that would be much appreciated. If you can’t help hands on, but can help with refreshments for workers, please let us know.
We have already had enquiries from the trialing fraternity asking if we are collecting donations, so the club is setting up a fund raising page.
The Richmond club itself has also pledged to donate £7,500 into this fund, which will be passed on to community funds/organisations in order to support those most affected and also to the Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team, whose rescue services at the height of the floods and ongoing support has proved invaluable to the community.”

This is a very generous effort by the RMC to alleviate the suffering caused by the floods in the Reeth area. It is of course an area where many trials are held annually.