Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

There's a place near Ballarat that does lessons and I was wondering if anyone had tried it and whether it improves road riding. Looks fun!

fooled around with an old Montessa

I tried it once about 30 years ago as a mate at the time was right into it.... I discovered I have the balance of a one legged drunkard and struggled badly. I spent more time on my ass than I did on the bike, so I didn't bother having a second go..

smithy5 wrote:I tried it once about 30 years ago as a mate at the time was right into it.... I discovered I have the balance of a one legged drunkard and struggled badly. I spent more time on my ass than I did on the bike, so I didn't bother having a second go..

+1...not in organised comps though.

Mate had a bultaco that could climb walls. In those days the course was pretty tame just steep banks, logs etc.

Of course using a DT175 was not the way to go.

May improve balance but as most activity is low speed not too sure if the skills would improve road riding.

Talk to "Stace" he has done one or two trials

Parramatta City MCC - 1977 Club Trial. 3rd. Good fun ... give it a try .....

Yes, I owned a TY250 Yamaha for a couple of years back then. There was a construction site just up the road from my place and I spent hours and hours there fooling around on the TY. It was a sensational bike, making even a rank amateur rider like me look very good. You should definitely try it. Not only does it improve balance and bike control, it is also excellent for fitness; I used to come home dripping in perspiration!

There have been a few good roadracers that have come from a trials background, Sammy Miller being the obvious one. Mick Grant was also a top class trials rider, I saw an interview with him years ago where he said that the balance, throttle control and feel for grip was all transferable to his road racing. If memory serves me right Rob McElnea was also an A grade trials rider before he went road racing.
As fezzick says, it is also very good for fitness without as high a probability of injury that you get from motocross.

One of the best off road sports around, I had a TY250 about 15 yrs ago...great fun & exhausting...I reckon if I tried it these days I would need a M.I.C.A unit on standby

Wish I did when I was younger & more agile, imagine being able to do this:

dilligaf wrote:There's a place near Ballarat that does lessons and I was wondering if anyone had tried it and whether it improves road riding. Looks fun!

A few of us have looked into that place , would be a great day out . They have pretty late model bikes too .

robracer wrote:Wish I did when I was younger & more agile, imagine being able to do this:

Wouldn't of happened back then.... It's all relative to the times... back in our day tick tacks on a skate board were awesome Look what they are doing today

smithy5 wrote:

robracer wrote:Wish I did when I was younger & more agile, imagine being able to do this:

Wouldn't of happened back then.... It's all relative to the times... back in our day tick tacks on a skate board were awesome Look what they are doing today

To a degree that's true, but find some videos of Dave Pinkerton and Mick Andrews and you might be surprised.