The trial machine:At first glance, trial motorcycles are hardly recognizable as ready-to-ride
Recognizing motorcycles. They don't have a seat and are limited to the bare necessities to save weight. Today's trial motorcycle weighs less than eighty kilos, but has 250 cc and a maximum of 20 hp. It has front and rear disc brakes, very good and individually adjustable suspension and damping, a very low center of gravity, wide handlebars and a very large steering angle. You try to keep the weight of a trial bike as low as possible, but it is exposed to enormous loads and has to withstand them. So it's a middle ground between weight. Finding stability. The engine is a single cylinder, two stroke engine. It is water cooled because in trials you ride so slowly that air cooling would not cool the engine enough. You fill up with a gasoline-oil mixture when driving a trial, and in a ratio of 1:75 to 1:50, because with more oil, the engine would soot and oily. However, there is no engine damage despite this mixture, because it is very often driven only in the idle speed range. But this also means that if you have crashed your bike and the throttle has hit the ground in full throttle position, you have to hurry or you will get an engine failure because the engine can't withstand a longer full throttle position. To save weight, a trial machine has a kickstarter, so it doesn't need a starter and a battery. The gear ratio is chosen very small in order to be able to adapt the speed optimally to the circumstances. The motorcycles usually have six gears. The small gear ratio means you can still start in fourth gear. The first three gears are for the sections, the rest for the stretches in between. In order to bring the power now optimally on the underground a Trialmotorrad has special tires, which in addition still with very small air pressure (0.2 bar), this increases the traction again. Because you work with the coupling practically all the time, it is hydraulically operated, which has several advantages over a cable coupling. Firstly, it is much smoother and secondly, it does not change its pressure point whether it is hot or cold.
Trial riding is always done standing up, this allows better control of the motorcycle in any situation. The whole geometry is designed. This can be easily seen in the position of the handlebars, the position of the footpegs, the gears and the brakes. The tank of a trial motorcycle is very small, only two to three liters, more is not needed for 4 to 5 hours riding time.
The special thing about trials bikes is that the machine plays only a small role in success. It depends more on the ability and skill of the rider than on the motorcycle. The machines cost new between four and five thousand euros and even the world's best still ride these series machines. Many riding techniques were created only because the machine technology allowed it. In the past, the suspension elements were still so bad that certain techniques were not possible at all. How z.B. 1970-1975 when Mick Andrews moved the front wheel for the first time, in order to reach a difficult place in a section most. Over the years, techniques were added such as balancing, hopping, jumping turns and finally jumping, which was first practiced around 1992. In 1998, the DMSB (Deutscher Motor Sport Bund) introduced the "non-stop rule". This prohibits rolling back, stopping and bouncing with the motorcycle. This rule was introduced in order to maintain the attraction for the spectator, because it was almost only hopping and "parking". It became slightly boring for spectators because a rider would often stand at one point in the section for several minutes and do nothing else. This rule maintains the flow of the ride in the section. In 2005, after long discussions, this rule was defused again, now standing and moving is allowed again, only backwards is not allowed.
What clothing is needed?
The clothing is for safety when riding trials. The helmet, boots, gloves and a long-sleeved shirt are mandatory. Furthermore, everyone wears special trousers, which are also made of heat-resistant material, so that you do not burn your legs on the very hot exhaust.
Helmet The helmet is a jet helmet, which means that it has no visor and does not go over the mouth and chin, where it is open. This serves to give the driver a greater overview of the terrain. The helmet should be as light as possible, so that it does not interfere.
Gloves The gloves are made of very thin material so that you can still feel the grip properly, thus you have the motorcycle better under control.
Pants The pants and shirts must guarantee the greatest possible freedom of movement. The pants have reinforcements in the right places so that they do not break and protect the leg.
Boot The boots are calf-high, are usually made of leather and have a firm, yet flexible sole, which makes it possible to keep the motorcycle still optimally under control. The sole must be soft enough to still be sensitive in the foot, otherwise you can't operate the brake properly. The boot holds the foot so it doesn't bend over and protects it from rocks or your own motorcycle.