Peter Remington writes for Trials Guru:

The Bultaco Revival NOSTALGIA trial set for June 17 this year has had another boost. After 30 years in the back of his workshop, Alan ‘Sid’ Lampkin has pulled out his works Bultaco and after a couple of kicks it fired up. Sid said: “… mains were rumbling so I’ve fixed that and now it’s good to go.”

Sid’s son, James Lampkin is going to give it an airing at the event and will be raising money for Cancer Research in remembrance of the late Martin Lampkin who passed away last year.

Any body who is wishing to donate and ride under the Lampkin banner at the Nostalgia Trial should get in touch with Sid or myself.

100% of money donated will go to Cancer Care Research. Sid’s contact no is 07761 073368. Peter Remington: 01539 560695.

The Westmorland Motor Club are proud to be involved.

Trials Guru isn’t a website compiled by a just a writer, Trials Guru is compiled by a trials rider with a lot of help from his friends and likes to ride trials whenever time and opportunity arises.

Photos courtesy of Barry Pickard

John Moffat writes: Back in January, I received a note from fellow enthusiast Steve Rayner when I put out an appeal for suggestions of where to compete on my BSA C15. Steve suggested that I should try the Yorkshire Classic MCC ‘Captain’s Trial’ held on the Castle Carr Estate, near Halifax. I was intrigued, I hadn’t ever been to Halifax before, now was my chance!

I had rarely ridden down south so I set about and filled in my entry form and posted it to event secretary Barry Pickard, not realising the popularity of the event, I was delighted to be quick enough to have my entry accepted. This was after forgetting to put my cheque in with the entry so that cost me the price of two first class postage stamps!

I travelled down on the Saturday and stayed over with my friends Nigel & Jill Greenwood at Huddersfield as it was around a half hour drive to the venue and Nigel insisted that I spent the night at his house.

When we arrived at Castle Carr, I wondered what kind of place it was as we drove through the arched gate-house and along the narrow estate road to the reservoir and the start area.

All I can say is what a superb place to have a proper Pre’65 trial, sensible flowing sections and a very nice route. I caught up with Mick Grant, Eric Boocock and Robin Luscombe, plus a whole host of others I only see at Telford show or in Scotland around SSDT time.

I had entered in error on the hard route, but a quick phone call to event secretary Barry Pickard relegated me into the clubman category, as I was just out for a bit of fun and give my BSA a good airing after its winter slumbers.

The weather conditions were atrocious, but that didn’t dampen my spirits, my bike ran faultlessly although I had noticed a weep from the fuel tank as I loaded her in my van on the Friday evening, other than that, no issues. The tank is now off and away for repairs and a re-spray.

The course consisted of three laps and was a great days sport; I cannot compliment the organisers enough. Folks back home that had ridden previously said that I would love this event and sure enough, I did. To the point that I can see me going back there next year if I get my entry in on time. It’s close to a 500 miles round trip, but it was well worth the effort.

To sum up, the Captain’s Trial is what a good Pre’65 trial should be, fair sections that cater for all comers, nothing daft, a nice run out on the machine and a friendly atmosphere at the catering wagon.

I can safely say that Pre’65 is alive and well in Yorkshire!

News has reached Trials Guru that Roy Peplow, former Triumph factory rider in trials, scrambles and the ISDT has died.

R.S. Peplow was a firm choice for many British Trophy teams for the annual International Six Days Trial, always Triumph mounted. His knowledge of the event was second to none and his machines bristled with  special modifications learned from practical experience in the grueling event.

He won the 1959 Scottish Six Days Trial on his works-prepared 199cc Triumph Tiger Cub RUE 923 and was the first small capacity entrant to win the SSDT, which signaled the end of the ‘big bike’ dominance at the event.

Roy was instrumental in assisting Sammy Miller when he first went to Bultaco and accompanied Sammy for secret testing of the Spanish machine at Bulto’s ranch, ‘San Antonio’ when Miller was still contracted to Ariels.

Midlands based Peplow had a liking for Jaguar cars and was seen years after he stopped riding competitively at the SSDT in a fine example of the Brown’s Lane, Coventry built vehicles.

Trials Guru has had a long association with the annual Scottish Six Days Trial as the site owner, John Moffat has been an observer, rider, event secretary and most recently guest commentator on ‘Six Days Radio’ hosted and supported by the local radio station, ‘Nevis Radio’ based in down town Fort William.

This year, 2017 Trials Guru  website has gifted special decals to be given to all competitors and officials at the signing on formalities on Sunday, April 30th at the Ben Nevis Hotel.

Over the next few weeks, Trials Guru website will be counting down to this most famous of all motorcycle trials, which of course can trace its roots back to 1911 when the Edinburgh & District Club took over the running  of the event.

Remember the ‘Trials Guru SSDT 2017’ decals are only available to 2017 SSDT riders and officials at Fort William and will not be available otherwise, so if you are riding the SSDT this year, keep the decal safe as it is unique!

As for the radio coverage, the only main media to cover the whole event, this will be every morning commencing at 07:00 GMT until 11.00 GMT (www.nevisradio.co.uk) and will be compared by Trials Guru’s John Moffat and Nevis Radio’s John Weller and Simon Abberley.

It is hoped that a roving microphone can be used to do some interviews at the afternoon sections with riders and spectators, so keep an eye out and of course listen in to all the action as it happens during the week from ‘Parc Ferme’ to ‘Section’.

Don’t forget to have a look in at our SSDT special section on Trials Guru: HERE

Marcus Potts writes for Trials guru:

It is with sadness that we announce the passing of Eddie Dow. Those in the BSA fraternity will, perhaps, be familiar with the name, since Eddie was synonymous with the marque, both as a factory rider during the 1950s, and also for his development work for BSA through into the 1960s.

However, it was as leader of the British Army motorcycle team during the immediate post-war period that Eddie first made a name for himself, winning many medals, not only individually, but also for the squad in International and National trials events.

From this he developed a close association with BSA, and found success and fame as a works rider through the 1950s, winning the Senior Isle of Man TT in 1955 just two years after a near-fatal crash. By profession, Eddie was an engineer, having been an apprentice to Rolls Royce during the War.

He used this knowledge to good effect, working with BSA to perfect the Gold Star, and ultimately being responsible for creating the Rocket Gold Star in 1962.

He opened a motorcycle dealership specialising in BSA, and continued to use his racing experience to develop after-market parts that significantly enhanced the performance of the bikes – often supplying them back to BSA who adopted many of his ideas.

When British motorcycle manufacturing hit hard times in the late 60s, Eddie’s dealership moved to four wheels; MG, then Renault, and finally to Volkswagen. He sold the business in 1991.

Aged 67, Eddie lived out a busy and fulfilling retirement both as a keen skier, a hobby he pursued until the age of 88, gardener and irrepressible motorsport enthusiast.

He died on Friday 17th March, and is survived by his wife, Diane; daughter Franca, and grandchildren Justin, Kate and Joshua. The funeral will take place on Monday 3rd April at 12 noon at Banbury Crematorium. Family flowers only.

– Trials Guru wish to pay respects to the immediate Dow family at this time.

On March 14th 2014, Trials Guru was created on the internet and social media (facebook and twitter) so it’s a BIG Happy Birthday to us here at Trials Guru and a BIG HUGE THANK YOU to you for reading this, the premier website which showcases the sport of motorcycle trials!

• Trials Guru – The Premier Trial Sport Website for photos, articles, news and the history of motorcycle trials

  

For anyone that regularly reads ‘Classic Trial Magazine’, the finale to the story ‘Full Circle BSA’ was the delivery of the Trials Guru’s John Moffat BSA B40 to its ‘new’ owner, John F. MacGregor, the first man to lay out the course of the Pre’65 Scottish Trial in 1984 in company with the late Johnnie Graham.

The story started when Moffat was unsuccessful in obtaining an entry in the 2017 Pre’65 Scottish and this prompted him to review his collection of trials machines. The B40 was purchased from MacGregor by Moffat in 2004, MacGregor having bought it from Scarborough’s Gordon Jackson in 1999.

John MacGregor competed in Scottish trials from around 1971 to 1977 on Bultaco machinery and thereafter took an active role in course plotting for the Scottish Six Days Trial. He married Pamela, the only daughter of Ian Pollock the man who discovered many of the sections around Kinlochleven that are still used to this day.

Pollock was always referred to as ‘our man on the spot’ by the SSDT committee as he lived and worked in Kinlochleven in the Aluminium factory. MacGregor’s parents ran the small caravan site at ‘Narrach Bridge’ near Kinlochleven.

Ian Pollock is remembered by the renaming of the Lochaber club’s ‘Spring Trial’ as the ‘Ian Pollock Memorial Trial’ an event he used to organise and is still regarded as a ‘shake-down’ event in the March for those riding the SSDT in the following May.

Moffat: “I was mildly disappointed at not gaining an entry in the Pre’65 Scottish, but as I had ridden the event 23 times previously I wasn’t really too concerned as there are plenty of other events that were not on my ‘radar’ during the year. I decided that I had too many pre’65 machines, the AJS & Matchless bikes that I own are far to original to use nowadays and I had already bought the ex-Gerry Minshall BSA C15, so the B40 would have to go to a new home. The result was a nice story about my machine that almost went back to it’s builder, Gordon Jackson, but it was thwarted when I telephoned John MacGregor who jumped in and bought the bike there and then! John Hulme asked me to write the story for Classic Trial Mag and it seems to have been well received by motorcycle enthusiasts”.

…

…

Moffat continued: “To be quite honest I have to admit to becoming more interested in what we now call the ‘twinshock’ trials classes as that is what I started out on in 1974, a 250cc Bultaco. I took up Pre’65 riding at aged 34 and I had bought my very original Matchless G3C which was once owned by Cliff Clayton, the AJS works rider after he had stopped riding for the AMC factory and my late father had ridden AJS and Matchless in trials back in the day. My son David rode the very same Matchless in the 2016 Pre’65 Scottish, maybe that will be our last to ride together as father and son in the annual event. The Pre’65 Scottish has now become far removed from what it originally was designed for, as many of the machines that are now entering and being accepted by the organisers bear no resemblance to real Pre’65 bikes that I remember as a child. That is a pity really. Many enthusiasts keep asking why the Bultaco Sherpa T (Model 10) is acceptable when it wasn’t commercially available until 1965? The Pre’65 movement was created to allow old bikes to re-surface from sheds and garages, but many, like my own have gone back into museums and garages as they are no longer the tool for the job. It’s a bit like history repeating itself.”

The Inverness & District Motor Cycle Club of which Moffat is both company and general secretary created their Highland Classic 2 Day Trial initially for Scots riders who were unsuccessful in gaining a Pre’65 entry, that was 13 years ago.

Moffat: “The Highland Classic was the idea of our highly respected Club Chairman, Malcolm Smith. He felt that there should be more than one Pre’65 style event in Scotland. however because there are few Pre’65 riders in Scotland, we included twinshocks in the first two day event and the trial has now become very popular, because of its relaxed atmosphere and friendly welcome by Alvie Estate owner, Laird, Jamie Williamson. It just goes to show, if you build it properly, then people will come. I have taken up the challenge of becoming more involved in our local motor cycle club this year, so I actually have a lot less time on my hands now”.

This year, the 2017 Highland Classic is called the ‘Honda Edition’ and has attracted a bumper entry of 150 riders with six Guests including Guest of Honour, Rob Shepherd. The event takes place on June 11/12 followed on Monday 12th with a memorial road run around Loch Ness.

Moffat ended by saying: “I’m not completely leaving the Pre’65/Britshock scene behind, plans are already well advanced for the building of a Drayton framed BSA B40 as I had a spare engine and wheels left over in my store, maybe I’ll ride it or perhaps have a supported rider on it -so watch this space!”

Article made possible with the co-operation of Classic Trial Magazine – Available HERE

TRIALS GURU – the Premier Trial Sport Website for photos, articles, news and the history of motorcycle trials

MEETING – SANDRA GOMEZ

LADY IN WAITING

(Article reproduced with the kind permission of Trial Magazine UK)

Until Spain’s off-road motorcycling world champion Laia Sanz started to draw the attention of the media, female riders in trials and enduro were not really high on the radar. We then had Great Britain’s Emma Bristow join the elite to become an off-road world champion in both trials and SuperEnduro, and global interest has since escalated with the exploits of Laia in the Paris Dakar race well documented, hitting the television screens, affording her superstar status. Step by step we have another rising star from the female quarters in Spain by the name of Sandra Gomez; is she the lady in waiting? Winning the 2016 World SuperEnduro title has certainly given her one foot in the door.

Words: John Hulme with Sandra Gomez

Pictures: Trials Media – Irina Gorodniakova

Congratulations on your first world crown!

Sandra: “Thank you, I am very happy to have in my hand one of my dreams! Last year I couldn’t give 100% because I injured my ankle in the first round in Germany but finally this year I can celebrate my title. It’s been a hard season with only one event and two races. In the first race I was leading all the way but in the last lap I crashed twice and Emma Bristow passed me. In the second race I had a crash in the first corner and I thought the title was for Emma once again, but I re-started my machine and didn’t give up, I kept pushing as hard as I could and finally I passed Emma just one lap from the end. It was a crazy race and I was under pressure; I was really tired after the first race, but now I’m very proud of the result and finally the ultimate reward for my team.”

You are from a motorcycling family?

Sandra: “Yes, and my family loves the sport. My father started with cycle trials and he came fourth in the European Championship. He started with the trials motorcycle and he won some Spanish Championship events in the C class. My uncle always rode Motocross, where sometimes my father also rode. But I think the craziest person in the family is my mother. She was a city girl, she didn’t ride motorcycles but when my brother Alfredo and I started to ride she also practised and now she can follow us at the events always riding a motorcycle, I am so proud of her.”

Your brother Alfredo was successful in trials before enduro.

Sandra: “He is an incredible rider, he won the World Cup and the Junior World Championship in trials. I think he could have been a top rider in trials but sometimes your life changes. I’m very proud of him because he started from zero in Enduro and now he’s one of the best riders in the world with support from KTM and Redbull. It’s all we dreamed of when we were children!”

How did you become involved with trials?

Sandra: “I don’t remember my first time on a motorcycle, I think I was about three years old but everybody said I liked it. My parents showed me all the sports they could and I have competed in skiing, gymnastics, mountain biking, football, basketball and trials, but I loved skiing and trials more than the others. My brother started to compete in trials and I loved what my big brother was doing so I started to compete in trials and left my first choice of skiing.”

When was your first competition?

Sandra: “I had an orange 50cc Merlin passed down from my brother. I think my first trial was in a little place close to Madrid. It had some indoor sections and some outdoor and I remember exactly one section with a lot of rocks. I didn’t like that one but I saw Alfredo ride it and it looked easy, I was about six years old.”

You first rode in the Ladies’ WTC in 2007 in the Czech Republic and finished 16^th. Tell us about what you remember.

Sandra: “I was only fourteen years old but the year before I saw the girls competing in Andorra and so I asked my parents to speak with Super, who was the RFME manager of the trials team in Spain, to see if I could ride in the Ladies’ WTC. The round in the Czech Republic was on a closed private ground course which meant I did not require a driving license and so I could compete as it did not use any road work.”

Were you nervous?

Sandra: “I remember I was very nervous but I really enjoyed it. I had a machine problem before the start but the riders, minders from the RFME and Gas Gas mechanics helped me and the nerves then changed to excitement. I just missed scoring points by one mark!”

In 2008 you scored your first points in Spain.

Sandra: “Yes but it was one of the hardest years for me… I broke my knee at the start of the season and two operations were required to repair it. I couldn’t be ready for the first round in Belgium but I did two more rounds in Spain and Andorra. I was really excited after I recovered and I was able to compete again.”

By the time 2010 arrived you had moved into the top five in the WTC.

Sandra: “My training stayed the same and I moved from eighth to fifth in the World Championship. I continued training hard with my brother, competing in Spanish events in the ladies’ class, when there was one, or in the men’s classes. I always love competing against the men because the sections usually are more difficult. In 2010 I improved so much as I was travelling around Europe with the RFME team watching my brother and the other team riders. Laia Sanz was competing in the junior class and we spent some time training together in Italy where she lived, which certainly helped.”

You made your first podium visit in 2012, was it at this point you realised you wanted to push for the title?

Sandra: “Not really as I always I want to give my best in every competition. Obviously when you arrive in the top three you know you’re riding well. If you think you have arrived you will fail. You have to train even harder to achieve your goals!

If you work hard and continue pushing day by day and section by section you will know you have given your best.”

In 2013 you moved to ride the Ossa, was there a reason for this?

Sandra: “Ossa wanted a lady in the world championship and when Emma moved to Sherco I was offered the opportunity to be part of a factory team. I tested the Ossa and it was very good to ride, and so for the first time in my career I was an official ‘works’ rider.”

The Ladies’ WTC was now very competitive with Laia Sanz, Emma Bristow and Becky Cook your main rivals.

Sandra: “Laia was a very special rider but she also has a very strong mind and she beat us before the trial had started. In my opinion the level of the ladies’ world championship is changing year by year because we are all so much more competitive. Since Laia is not riding trials and moved to Enduro I think everybody is more excited because the opportunity to win is more open.”

After moving up to 3rd in 2015 you moved to Scorpa before you injured your leg and could not compete in the final rounds.

Sandra: “I was very motivated for the opening world rounds in Spain, and I was very happy how the summer training went and how the team was working but unfortunately I broke my foot. I was testing my machine on the Friday afternoon next to the paddock as always. I had a stupid crash in some rocks and the machine crushed my foot breaking two metatarsals. It was one of those moments when you feel like your dream is over.”

When did you start with SuperEnduro?

Sandra: “My brother won the 2011 Junior Trials World Championship on Montesa but at the end of the year he could not find a team to move into the ‘Pro’ class and he made the decision to move to Enduro. This was a very tough decision for the family as we were 100% trials. I continued in trials but obviously the family wasn’t as interested, but they knew I had a dream in the sport. Alfredo started competing in SuperEnduro taking in some world events and he won the Spanish Championship. He was riding very well and getting the results and Husqvarna Spain started to support him. It was a very steep learning curve but he trained all the time and never gave up. He now has a new ambition, and is very happy with his riding and enjoying life.

So it was case of following in your brother’s boots?

Sandra: “Yes he has always encouraged me and my first time in SuperEnduro was at the XGames in Barcelona. My brother received a phone call to ask if I was interested in taking part. I was but it was the same week as the Scottish Six Days Trial and so that was my choice. I did eventually compete in Barcelona and took the bronze medal. I enjoyed it so much and continued riding, going to Munich in Germany where I took bronze again before going to the USA and Los Angeles where I finished fourth.”

You have now moved to Gas Gas for the 2016 season.

Sandra: “It feels very much like I am back home again but this is the start of a new journey for Gas Gas. Everybody in the team is very motivated, focused and wants to win, but the most important part is that everybody knows we need to be a team and work hard to win. These are exciting times for Gas Gas and I am very proud to be part of the adventure.”

Before we close tell us about how you like the Scottish Six Days Trial.

Sandra: “I really love this trial. I spend six days in a motorcycling paradise riding my machine with and amongst friends. Year by year I feel much better in Fort William and how I ride my machine there. The trial is very different from the other ones but I learn so much, especially this year because I couldn’t practice much on the Gas Gas. I also love to go there because I am with my English family during the week, the Moffat Family, I feel like I am at home! Without them the week would be much harder. They are part of this event for me… My first year I enjoyed the Scottish riding with David Moffat and I remember that it was very cold weather and the sections were difficult for me. With David the most important part was to have fun and smile; that’s been my philosophy since my first year despite the tough conditions.”

Article copyright: Trial Magazine UK