Kit Palmer | March 6, 2024
Trials riding is one of motorcycling’s most specialized sports. Hillclimbing, ice racing and speedway racing might be even more specialized than trials, but at least trials riding is far more accessible to the public. Trials bikes are affordable and easy to ride, and you can ride them year-round and almost anywhere. Probably best of all, though, you don’t need much space to have to have a good time on them. They are quiet, too, so you can even bop around the backyard and your neighbors probably won’t even know it. Mine never did. I used to do it all the time!
Trials riding looks easy but it’s not. It’s indeed hard, but in a very fun kind of way.
Photos by Kit Palmer
Trials riding is funny because it looks so easy and it is, yet it’s not. How could that be? You’re going so slow! Well, trust me, it is hard to do—at least well—slow or not. But that’s what is so great about trials riding. Sure, it’s difficult to master, but since “speed” is not a big part of trials, the chances of getting hurt while you’re learning are slim. Plus, just the fact that trials is difficult makes it that much more fun, especially if you enjoy challenging yourself. Several motocross and off-road stars have credited trials riding with some of their success.
The general goal of trials riding is simple—don’t put your foot down. If your foot does touch the ground, that’s called a dab, and the rider with the fewest number of dabs at the end of the day is the winner. Of course, there is more to the sport than that, but that’s the gist of it. If you have naturally good balance, then you’re off to a great start when it comes to trials.
Trials riding is hugely popular in Europe, not so much in the U.S., but it does have a small but strong following here. Why trials isn’t so popular here is somewhat baffling because trials riding is so much fun and Americans love to have fun. Maybe it’s because most Americans haven’t had the opportunity to try it; if they had, they’d be hooked. Or perhaps people get intimidated by all the YouTube videos of world-class trials riders, like Toni Bou, doing mind-boggling stunts on trials bikes. Just know that you don’t have to do what they do to have fun on a trials bike.
Challenging yourself and your friends with a group of buddies on trials bikes is… well, it doesn’t really get a whole lot more fun.
Even motorcyclists like us in the media don’t do a lot of, or any, trials riding and, we admit, probably don’t promote the sport as much as we should. That’s why the folks at Beta have for the last few years been hosting its “Try Trials Day” for the members of the media to remind us just how great the sport of trials is and that we need to get the word out. It also gives Beta a chance to showcase its line of trials bikes, all 13 of them! From 80cc to 300cc. Beta has a trialer for everyone.
The first half of Try Trials Day is just to get everyone reacquainted with the finer art of trials riding and then, after lunch, the real fun begins—the Press Challenge. This year, the Beta crew laid out five sections (run twice), and teams of two from each media outlet battled it out for awards but, most importantly, bragging rights. Team Cycle News, made up of co-owners Sean Finley and Jesse Ziegler, was a sure bet to win, right? Luckily, no bets were made because Team Dirt Bike came well-prepared with a pair of ringers: three-time AMA Trials National Champion Lane Leavitt, and his wife, trials legend Debbie Evans. Not surprisingly, Team DB went 1-2 (they had two teams), smoking everyone. Next year, I say, some sort of handicap system needs to be considered. How about an automatic five dabs for every championship on one’s resume? Oh, this could get interesting.
Many motocrossers and off-road racers use trials to sharpen their riding skills. It’s also a fun way to challenge yourself.
The bottom line, however, is that everyone had a great time and that was Beta’s point.
“If you’re not okay with being humbled or are scared of seeing what your skills really are, trials riding isn’t for you,” Ziegler said. “The beat-down by Dirt Bike magazine’s talent (and, yes, others) might seem like it stings, but riding trials and ‘competing’ is so fun, it’s worth the shame of defeat. Nothing shines a light on my riding inadequacies like a trials bike, but nothing is more fun to try and master, either. Try Trials is a great name for this event—everyone really should try trials, especially if you want to have fun while becoming a better motorcycle rider.” CN
