The Kia Motors UK sponsored National Twinshock Series of trials for 2017 moves ahead at great pace, with the announcement of the dates for the now popular series of events for twinshock and air-cooled mono-shock machines.
The 2017 dates are as follows:
February, 26th – Congleton MCC
March, 26th – Castleside Trials Club at Stanhope
April, 23rd – Nene Valley MCC at Geddington
May, 14th – Scunthorpe MCC at Alkborough
June, 18th – Vale of Towy MCC
July, 16th – Wye Valley MCC
September, 17th – Aqueduct MCC at Foel
October, 1st – Spen Valley MCC at Tong
October, 22nd – Central Wales Auto MCC at Knighton
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Seven times TT winner, Mick Grant on his BSA Bantam at the Knighton round in 2016 – Photo: Lorna Brackenridge, Falkirk
The series organisers will have a stand at the Classic Dirt Bike Show at Telford, Shropshire on February 18/19th where they will have more information and a booklet explaining the series available.
Richard Allen (Honda) at the final Knighton round in 2016 – Photo: Lorna Brakenridge, Falkirk
Commissioned and created specially for Trials Guru by ‘Joe Baker Design’, this new logo will be used on our website, facebook and twitter social media developments. This will give Trials Guru a new look.
Nothing changes, we are still dedicated to the sport of trials and running free of any charges or subscriptions. We may even use the new design on some free promotional material and advertisements in the motorcycle sport press during the coming season.
We will start using the new image immediately.
The Trials Guru logo and brand is the intellectual property of Trials Guru/Moffat Racing and should not be used without the express permission of the owner.
PETER MITCHELL – a Scottish Trials Character – 1942 – 2011.
Peter Mitchell – 1942-2011
Words: John Moffat, Isobel & Duncan Mitchell
Photos: Eric Kitchen; Jimmy Young, Armadale; Iain Lawrie, Kinlochleven; Colin Bullock/CJB Photographic, Solihull; Anthony MacMillan, Fort William*; Richi Foss, Inverness; Mitchell Family Archive.
Peter Mitchell having a cautionary dab on his 250 Suzuki at a Forfar event around 1980. Photo: Jimmy Young
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One of Scottish trials best-known characters was Peter Mitchell. Born in the granite city of Aberdeen on 20th July 1942, he was the youngest of six children with four sisters and one brother, also a trials rider.
Peter Mitchell on elder brother Colin’s 16c AJS at Skatie Shore in 1962
Elder brother Colin competed in the SSDT and many events having been demobbed from his national service in 1959 and purchased a new 350 AJS 16C from Comerfords at Thames Ditton, a machine that Peter would ride on occasion.
Elder brother, Colin Mitchell seen here on his Beamish Suzuki in 1979
Peter attended school in Aberdeen, firstly at Mile End primary school and then Stonehaven’s Feteresso and Mackie Academies. Married to Isobel, they had four children, Duncan, Derek, Stuart and daughter, Alison. His nephews were Alan and Richard, Colin’s two sons.
Peter’s elder brother Colin seen here in 1979 with his Beamish Suzuki. Colin was a car body repair specialist and rode many events together with Peter Mitchell.
Isobel recalls: “Peter started scrambling as a member of Bon Accord MCC at the age of sixteen at a meeting at Findon near Aberdeen. Although I did not know him at the time, I used to go along to the scrambles to watch the racing, but never thought that on the 28th of December 1966, I would be married to him”.
Peter Mitchell scrambled a BSA Gold Star at one time, but a bad crash put him out of scrambling and he decided to concentrate his motorcycle efforts into trials, like his elder brother Colin.
Peter on his BSA Gold Star scrambler – Photo courtesy: Mrs Isobel Mitchell
Young Mitchell worked in various jobs as a builder, digger driver, lorry driver and with a demolition company. At the weekends he also worked at his brother Colin’s garage, where he would dismantle cars for parts reclamation and sales, this was before the advent of large vehicle dismantlers such as Overton Dismantlers. The beyond use parts were sent away to the scrap yards for crushing. Dismantling work was always done on a Saturday when his four sons were also involved, by donning their boiler suits to work at removing parts from the cars. Lunch times involved a trip to the Cammachmore public house where pie, beans and chips and a few pints were called for, while the children got a game of pool and a soft drink.
The camaraderie of Scottish trials is shown in this photo of Peter Mitchell at the 1988 SSDT start. If you look closely to the left, the man reaching forward with his hand to his face is Jimmy (J.D.) Morton of Sorn, Ayrshire – shouting ‘words of encouragement’ to Peter as he is piped away!
Son Duncan Mitchell, also a trials rider: “We used to get to drive the cars around the fields until they broke down, crashed them, or ran out of fuel, then we used Uncle Colin’s Land Rover to recover them, syphon the petrol from the cars so we could all use our bikes to race about the fields next door”.
Duncan Mitchell now rides Peter’s 350cc BSA B40, which he called his ‘secret weapon’ when it was first built. Duncan believes in keeping his Father’s memory alive in Pre’65 events, seen here at the Highland Classic on Alvie Estate, near Aviemore – Photo: Iain Lawrie, Kinlochleven
Peter was also a supervisor at George McGowan civil construction, operated by the brother to Rodger McGowan, who ran the Aberdeen bike shop ‘McGowan Motor Cycles’. After McGowan closed his company, Peter was made redundant and started out as self-employed, setting up a building company simply called Peter Mitchell Builders. He had the assistance from all his children on weekends and summer holidays to assist with any jobs they could undertake.
Duncan: “I remember this one time we built a wall and set the coping stones on it, then put the scratch coating on it all in one long day, Dad then said to me ‘great job let’s wash out the mixer’. He said to me to put some stones in the drum to knock off the mortar from it, so that is what I did, this was a ‘tow behind’ mixer so you can imagine where the stones came from, the wheel chocks! Well it took off down the hill and went clean through the wall, I’ve never ran so fast”.
Mind on the job in hand, Peter Mitchell (Beamish Suzuki) at the 1980 Aberfeldy Two-Day Trial – Photo: Jimmy Young
In 1998 Peter had a heart attack and was forced to give up his company. After he had some rest and was finished all the bikes in the garage he got a job with Ready Mixed Concrete (RMC Group) at Durris Quarry where he was in charge of the batching plant. He had a good easier job there and had a shed there where he could tinker with his bikes, also had a folding seat that he could sit outside when he was not too busy.
In 1982, Peter Mitchell rode and finished with this 238cc Bultaco in the Scottish Six Days.
Recycling:
Duncan Mitchell: “When the RMC company closed the Durris plant, Dad then got a job working driving skip lorries for a living, he was in his element here as many a good thing was discovered in a skip was what he told me. Many a tool and other things used to come home”.
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1988 Scottish Six Days with Peter taking a hefty dab and advertising the ‘YAMSCOT’ support as he gets the TY250R Yamaha up the big step at ‘Witches Burn’
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Eyes front and concentrating hard, 1993 Scottish Six Days on the TY250R Yamaha – Photo: Colin Bullock/CJB Photographic, Solihull
Family Man:
Peter was a real family man; he was Grandfather to Nicole and Callum, Katy and Iona, and father-in-law to Fiona, Pauline, Willie & Jill. He was also a Step Grandfather to Leanne, Darren and Liam with Great grandchildren, Tony and Sol. Son Stuart was not captivated by motorcycles, preferring football and golf as his sports.
Family man! Peter on his 1969 Bultaco M.27 Sherpa with his children Duncan, Derek and Alison.
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Family was important to Peter Mitchell, seen here with son Duncan, daughter-in-law Jill, and wife Isobel at the finish of another SSDT for Duncan on the TYZ Yamaha.
Derek did both trials and motocross and also car rallying, autocross and hill climbs. He also took part at the Alford Museum popular moped race on a Yamaha DT50 and won this several times including the first year it was organised. Derek worked at Shirlaws Motorcycles for many years.
Waving a precautionary right foot, Peter Mitchell was a regular competitor at the Loch Lomond ‘Dan Stewart Memorial’ 2 Day Trial, seen here at the 1980 event on his 250cc Yamaha TY ‘Yamscot’ – Photo: Jimmy Young, Armadale
Alison was also a trials rider and rode for many years and only gave up competing to have a family and start a new business. Duncan Mitchell still rides trials most weekends, with the moped racing at Alford in September. He also assists the Bon Accord club whenever possible, the SSDT, Loch Lomond Two Day and at club trials. He was also the Bon Accord trials and enduro convener for a number of years and also set up the 2 Day events at Ballindalloch, where the barn dances were epic many a good weekend spent there.
Scottish Six Days in 1989 with Peter Mitchell on a Fantic 305 on Ben Nevis.
Peter Mitchell played Football for a local team in Cove Bay, until he got struck with the ball and punctured his lung. He was also an officer in the Boys Brigade 1st Cove Juniors.
Never one for sitting polishing his machines, Peter weighs in his well used 240 Fantic for the 1984 Scottish Six Days Trial
Peter was a member of the Bon Accord MCC for over 50 years, and other various clubs through Scotland and England from Rogart in the north of Scotland to Somerset in the south of England. He took part in scrambles, grass track racing, trials, enduro and also stock car racing.
Music:
Peter loved country music and also loved to go to the speedway racing, especially Cradley Heath when on holidays in the south. Peters motto in life was “Love me, love my bike – have bike will travel” and so the whole family joined in for many happy and enjoyable years, trekking up and down the country and making lots of friends along the way.
John Dickinson, formerly Editor of T&MX News: “I was minding my own business one day at home when I looked out of my window and suddenly there was Peter Mitchell and family walking outside my house, he had called into Kendal on holiday, knowing I lived there and began searching for me just to say hello”.
Hard riding Peter on his BSA B40 on Cameron Hill in the 2009 Pre’65 Scottish – Photo: Iain Lawrie, Kinlochleven
Duncan: “In 2009 we had a great holiday, we flew to Birmingham, hired a car and went to Cardiff to the world speed way cup and also visited the Sammy Miller Museum which was a place my Dad wanted to visit for a long time. We then watched the speedway racing at Eastbourne and then on to a meeting at Wolverhampton before handing back the hired car with over 1,000 miles on it”. “We had a great holiday, but little did we know what laid ahead of us. Sadly in the following April, Dad was diagnosed with cancer the week before we were heading up to Fort William. He rode the Pre-65 trial at Kinlochleven, but sadly this would be his last. He loved the area and loved the events there, after a long battle, he passed away on the 13th February 2011”.
Peter Mitchell enjoys a post event chat (and beer!) at the Scottish Six Days with (from left): Rab Paterson, Derek Mitchell, Peter, Duncan Mitchell and Alan Johnston.
Trials Guru’s John Moffat: “I was extremely privileged to be invited by the Mitchell family to speak at Peter’s funeral in 2011. I had known of Peter and his brother Colin before I started riding trials in 1974. Peter was a great character, he always greeted you with a broad smile and was always keen to chat about the sport whenever he met you. Never a shrinking violet, he was a hard rider, but had a heart of gold. The kind of guy that you could rely upon”.
No time to look at the scenery in 1984, Peter Mitchell tackles Laggan Locks in the morning sunshine of the Tuesday, 8th May on his 240cc Fantic.
Peter took part in many events and won many trophies over the years. He was Best up to 250cc in the SSDT, best Scottish rider in the Pre’65, Best over 350cc in the Pre’65 trial. Peter had ridden the Pre-65, then the SSDT, followed by the Lochaber Invaders trial which was the equivalent to nine one-day trials on the trot.
Duncan: “He was proud to show me the way around the hills of the SSDT course, not many people get the chance to do things like this with their fathers. I was so proud to have known this man for the time I did, I have so many experiences and great fun with him. He was to me a great man, missed by us all”. Peter also was one of a few that rode all of the Loch Lomond Dan Stewart Two-Day Trial up to the events’ 25 years celebration. It is believed that it was Ian Abbot and Peter were the only two to have ridden them all.
He annually rode the Forfar & Perth & District Club’s Aberfeldy Two-Day trial and along with a few others received a long-time rider award, this was a special motorcycle trophy made by a local artist, constructed from spark plugs, gears and bolts. In 2008, Peter received a life time achievers award for services to motorcycle sport from the Scottish ACU.
When undergoing treatment for cancer, Peter had numerous chemotherapy sessions but he still managed to ride the Scottish AMCA Over-40 series and finished the season by winning the championship. Sadly, he died while he was a reigning champion and never got the chance to defend this title.
Peter Mitchell’s career highlights:
Pre 65 Scottish: 1989-2010
Started the event as number 1 in 1994
Best finish was 4th overall in 1995
SSDT: 1978-1997
Started the trial as number 1 in 1998.
Getting his time-card from the official guest starter in the 1988 Scottish Six Days, Peter on his Yamaha TY250R at the start in Fort William, issued with number 1 – Photo: Anthony MacMillan, Fort William*
Peter rode for the Aberdeen based Yamscot team in 1978 won the ‘Eigg Cup’ for best performance on a motorcycle under 250cc, riding a TY 175 Yamaha, he rode with Jock Fraser and John Winthrop.
Peter Mitchell in his first SSDT in 1978 on the TY175 Yamaha on Blackwater
Peter rode a variety of machines in the SSDT, Yamaha TY 175, TY 250, Beamish Suzuki, Bultaco, Fantic, Yamaha TY 250R Mono, TYZ, Gas Gas, and completed his last SSDT on a TYZ model Yamaha.
A fantastic shot of Peter Mitchell on his Yamaha TYZ climbing ‘Garbh Bheinn’ in the 1997 Scottish Six Days Trial, watched by Richmond clubmen, John Fraser and Andrew Kearton – Photo: Worldwide copyright – ERIC KITCHEN – (all rights reserved).
In 1994 Peter was in the winning team which were awarded the ‘Jackie Williamson’ trophy for the best Scottish team with Duncan Mitchell and Neil McGregor for the Bon Accord club, this was the first time the trophy was presented.
Grimacing with the effort of concentration in the 1998 Scottish Six Days, Peter Mitchell on the 250 Gas Gas at Piper’s Burn.
On the lighter side, Peter raced in the ‘Team Kwackersaki’ for McGowan Motorcycles with son Duncan from 1991 -1995 where they won the Scottish moped racing crown on several occasions.
Peter enjoys a pint and some grub after a hard day on the bike!
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Peter Mitchell Memorial Trophy:
The Peter Mitchell Memorial Trophy, the trophy which was made by Inverness artisan, Richi Foss, the base was made by Peter’s eldest son Stuart.
After his death, Isobel Mitchell approached the Inverness based welder/fabricator and artisan, Richi Foss to commission a special trophy in Peter’s memory. It was to be presented to the Edinburgh & District Motor Club Pre’65 committee for the oldest finisher award at the annual Pre’65 Scottish Trial.
Foss undertook the commission and the first winner was none other than seven times TT winner, Mick Grant. Foss was delighted to hear that news, being a motorcyclist himself.
If you look at the Peter Mitchell trophy you will see that the rider is climbing his machine over a large granite out-crop, this is significant, as it represents the granite from Peter’s homeland of Aberdeen and also that he was always regarded as a ‘hard rider’.
Being an artisan, Foss contacted a ‘person’ who knew Peter Mitchell well and questioned him closely about Peter’s life and his career as a trials rider. Foss took all this information he had gleaned from the fellow enthusiast and thought about it long and hard before forming his ideas as to how the trophy would look. He also studied some photos of Mitchell in action, noticing that he rarely rode with a crash helmet with a peak fitted for example.
Foss wanted to capture the ‘spirit’ of Peter Mitchell in the finished article. This he achieved and the trophy was greeted with great pleasure by the Mitchell family when it was handed over to them by its’ creator.
Richi Foss has achieved the impossible when you realise that the wheels carry no visible spokes as they are spinning too fast for the eye to see, thus giving the piece the impression of ‘motion’.
The specially commissioned trophy for the oldest finisher in the Pre’65 Scottish Trial in memory of Peter Mitchell. Made by the Inverness artisan, Richi Foss of Foss Fabrication and Welding
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The Peter Mitchell trophy rear view – Photo: Richi Foss
Trials Guru is indebted to the Mitchell family for their assistance in compiling this tribute to a true character and sportsman of Scottish motorcycle trials.
* Alistair MacMillan / West Highland News Agency, Fort William (with permission of current copyright holder: Anthony MacMillan, Fort William – All rights reserved)
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The Yamscot Team in the 1985 SSDT – from left: Peter Mitchell; Alan Fender and the late Ian Fender who lost his life in a road accident during the 1991 event.
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Article copyright: Trials Guru/Moffat Racing 2016
Photographs and their copyright:
We respect the copyright of 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, as the images are the legal intellectual property of the photographer only.
We do not sell any images used on Trials Guru, if you wish to purchase a copy, we can put you in touch with the relevant photographer.
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If you want to know more about Scottish Motorcycle Sport from 1975 – 2005 click … HERE
Twin-shock Expert class winner 2016 – Richard Allen (Honda) at the final Knighton round – Photo: Lorna Brakenridge, Falkirk
Photos: Lorna Brakenridge, Falkirk.
Roger Kenyon on behalf of the Kia Twinshock series organisers writes:
With well over 1,000 entries spread over the nine rounds, the 2016 Kia Twin-shock series draws to a close. In its third season, it has gone from strength to strength, becoming one of the ‘must do’ competitions for owners of both twin-shock and air-cooled machines in the UK. Over twenty-eight different makes of machines took part throughout the season, ranging from virtually standard machines to some really tricked out specials.
The opening event of the year was hosted by the Congleton & DMCC at Mow Cop in March and the final event was at Knighton in October, organised by the Central Wales Auto Club. During the series, the championship visited, Cumbria, Gloucestershire, North Yorkshire, Scottish borders and Denbighshire. Next year’s competition will be visiting some new venues to keep the series fresh.
The popular format of no road work, two laps of twenty sections, with a lap of at least two miles gave the organising clubs plenty of scope. All the events proved to be both challenging and enjoyable in some of the best terrain in the country.
The organisers of the championship would like to thank everyone involved for making the series possible. This includes landowners, members of host clubs, observers, riders, and everyone who has contributed in any way to the smooth running of the series including Kia Motors for their continued support as main sponsors.
The class winners will be presented with their trophies at the Telford Classic Dirt Bike Show on February 18/19, 2017.
2016 Kia Twinshock & Air-cooled Monoshock Series Winners:
Air-cooled Mono Expert – Colin Ward
Air-cooled Mono Clubman – Colin Ward Jr
Pre 78/Historic Spanish Expert – Gary Younghusband
Pre 78/Historic Spanish Clubman – Gary Hawkins
Twin-shock Expert – Richard Allen
Twin-shock Clubman – Dave Wardell
Brit-shock Expert – Mark Stokes
Brit-shock Clubman – Peter Edwards
Seven times TT winner Mick Grant on his BSA Bantam at the Knighton round – Photo: Lorna Brackenridge, Falkirk
Rob Edwards (Montesa) seen here on Pipeline in the 1981 Scottish Six Days Trial – Photo: Iain Lawrie, Kinlochlven
In the latest edition of Classic Dirt Bike – CDB (Winter 2016, Issue 41) is an article penned by Trials Guru’s John Moffat entitled: An Hour with… Rob Edwards.
Moffat met up with Rob at the Centenary Scott Trial and over a cup of tea in the refreshment pavilion, Rob recounted highlights of his sporting career as a professional trials rider and brand ambassador for Montesa Motorcycles.
The article features fantastic action photographs taken from the Nick Nicholls Collection at Mortons Archive in Hornchurch, the owners of the CDB title.
Guest of Honour Mick Andrews receiving a momento at the Nostalgia event in 2013 from ace photographer, Eric Kitchen who has assisted Trials Guru with specific photos from the start
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Jimmy Young who has his own archive on Trials Guru, captured at a Kelvin Hall Arena trial in the 1970s.
Since we started Trials Guru on the web followed by a facebook page, we have been able to display the work of photographers across the globe.
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Without the photographers, we would only be able to record trials history in words alone and as we all know, a photo tells a thousand words.
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Iain Lawrie from Kinlochleven, an enthusiast of trials since the early 1970s.
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So, to all our photographers, a huge thank you from Trials Guru and its readers!
Trials Guru is the brainchild of John Moffat, aided by friends across the globe to bring you this website. Photo: Trials Guru/Moffat Racing
It is hard to believe that Trials Guru began almost three years ago. In March 2014 we launched onto the world wide web with some very minimal snapshots of riders some well known and some not so well known.
Initially it was a place to view some older trials photos from the personal archives of creator, John Moffat aided by friend Heath Brindley who was instrumental in getting Moffat’s idea which was thought up some years previously and which was turned down flat by another established trials website when the idea was first muted.
Brindley still helps from time to time to keep the website working properly.
50 years of Scott wins separate these two riders! Alan Lampkin (BSA) on the left won in 1966, James Dabill (Vertigo) winner 2016 – Alan Lampkin is a regular visitor to Trials Guru both here and on facebook! – Photo: John Hulme/Trial Magazine UK – 2016
What has happened in the intervening three years is just amazing. We have attracted many photographers, both professional and amatuer to exhibit their work here on a website that costs the viewer not one penny or cent to dip into when the urge arises.
It is amazing how many former factory riders actually regularly visit these pages, you the reader are in very esteemed company when you flick through Trials Guru!
Trials Guru is exceptionally grateful to the many photographers who have given permission and still continue to allow the use of their images to tell the history of trials on these pages.
We continue to respect the work and the copyright of our photographers, please do the same.
We hope that we continue to bring you good stuff from the sport because we are trials enthusiasts bringing information, articles, news and photographs of our amazing sport – free!
Our pages are rapidly becoming THE first call by people wanting to find out more about trials and its history, for that is what we are recording, the history of our sport, its people, its events and its achievements. In fact Trials Guru is trials sports’ encyclopaedia, all done with the assistance of like minded enthusiasts.
Moffat: “My late father always said that history is important, we can see where we have come from. He also said that if it was so important then it should be written down for posterity. This is why I wanted to start Trials Guru some years ago or something similar to it. By good fortune I had got to know Heath Brindley of R2WTrials, whom I trust and he said that everything was possible, so off he went and Trials Guru was set up, the rest, as they say, is history. We are recording the history of the sport, but also we are constantly looking to the future”.
Moffat: “My late father always said that history is important, we can see where we have come from. He also said that if it was so important then it should be written down for posterity” – 1975 Loch Lomond Dan Stewart 2 Day Trial. From Left: Chris Clarke, Dave Rowland and T. Arnott Moffat. – Photo taken by John Clarke, Sheffield.
Trials Guru does not and will not charge you the reader or our advertisers one penny or cent to use this website.
We hope that you will continue to support Trials Guru for years to come as it is simply – Dedicated to the Sport.
Tommy Sandham who wrote many motorcycle trials books has been in touch recently and informed us that the last three copies of his world famous book, Four Stroke Finale – The Honda Trials Story have been sold to purchasers in Germany!
He said that there are no plans to print any more, having printed a further 100 copies, the very last copies were dispatched to German buyers with an interest in the Honda brand.
Original first editions were changing hands on online auction sites in excess of £100 a copy at one time.
Written in conjunction with Trials and Motocross News staffman, John Dickinson, Sandham also worked at the Morecombe based paper in the late 1970s and into the 1980s.
Sandham was fortunate to test Rob Shepherd’s factory Honda RTL305 along with fellow staffman, Mike Rapley.
Tommy assisted Trials Guru to compile the Honda Trials special section HERE
Honda (UK) has doubled the size of its specialist Montesa dealer network and appointed a new Off-Road Sales Manager to further support continued growth in the UK’s trial bike market.
Five new dealers have recently been awarded a Montesa franchise, extending the network across the UK to ten. Each franchisee has been selected due to its specialist knowledge and experience in off-road motorcycles, and is exclusively able to sell the revered Honda Montesa models loved by high-adrenaline two-wheel enthusiasts.
In a further move to focus more on the off-road market, Honda (UK) has also this month confirmed the appointment of new Off-Road Sales Manager, Graham Foster-Vigors, charged with supporting and developing the Honda and Montesa network. Working within Honda’s UK motorcycle business in various customer and dealer-facing roles since 2007, Graham also has experience in competing in and management of two-wheel motorsport including Enduro and MX. In his new role, Graham will be the principal contact for wholesale and retail performance for Honda and Montesa, as well as overseeing Off-Road Racing, Off-Road Experience Centres and events, such as the Dirt Bike Show, to deliver the best possible promotion for the two brands.
Nick Campolucci, Head of Motorcycles for Honda (UK) comments: “The Honda and Montesa brands are heavyweights in trial biking, and with the sector currently experiencing such strong growth we are in an ideal position to capitalise on this and continue to delight customers with the very best products and technologies from both stables. The expansion of the specialist Montesa franchise network underlines our ongoing commitment to offering our off-road customers the very best in advice, service and expertise; while the appointment of Graham to look after our dealers and keep a dedicated eye on our racing and other promotional activities ties our whole offering together very nicely.”
The five new dealers recently awarded the Montesa franchise are as follows:
Thunder Road Motorcycles, Hempsted, Gloucester
Colwyn Bay Motorcycles, Clwyd
Derbyshire Off Road Centre, Buxton
Kestrel Honda, Coventry
Marsh MX, Merthyr Tydfill
Honda (UK) currently markets four models bearing the revered Montesa badge – the Montesa Cota 4RT260, 4RT Factory Race Replica and 300RR, and the Montesa 4RIDE.
Each model is manufactured exclusively for worldwide distribution at the Montesa Honda facility, in Santa Perpetua de Mogoda, Barcelona.
The Montesa Honda Cota 4RT began a revolution in trial biking on its introduction in 2006, bringing the environmental benefits of four-stroke technology, along with strong power and torque, to a world previously dominated by two-stroke. The 260 model carries a reputation for performance, quality and proven reliability, while the Factory Race Replica offers the more demanding customer the exclusiveness of its superior equipment and the look of the race bike. Such is the reputation of the Cota 4RT, that of the last 17 Trial World Championships won by the Montesa team, the last nine were all achieved on this model.
Moving up the performance scale, the Montesa Cota 300RR (‘Race Ready’) is an exclusive and unique race-oriented machine which builds on the success of the 4RT models but with a focus on increased power and reduced weight to meet the needs of the most demanding racers, particularly those competing against two-stroke models.
Making up the Honda Montesa range is the most recent addition, the 4RIDE. This versatile off-roader, aimed at the ‘pure adventure’ seeker, is light yet strong, powerful yet manageable, and comfortable and easy to handle. Along with strong Dunlop tyres for plenty of grip, the front axle is light and agile with strong suspension to deal with the most uneven and demanding terrain.
For further information on the Honda Montesa off-road motorcycle range please visit www.honda.co.uk/motorcycles.
The Premier Trial Website – Recording the History of the Sport 'Established 2014'
TRIALS GURU - DEDICATED TO TRIAL 