22 minute read
SPORT
LEVEN VALLEY TWO-DAY TRIAL SAM’S SUPER SCOTLAND
EN VALLEY L TWO-DAY TR I A L
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2022
Scotland in September; what a beautiful thought for any motorcycle trials enthusiast! This was my road trip destination as I headed north for the 2022 Leven Valley Two-Day Trial, organised by the Kinlochleven & District Motor Cycle Club over the weekend of the 24th and 25th of the month. The words on the programme cover: ‘An Alternative Scottish’, referring to the Scottish Six Days Trial as this area of outstanding beauty around Kinlochleven has hosted motorcycle trials since the early 1900s. Attracting a full house of 250 riders to compete over the two days, it was a super ride from Sheffield-based Sam Clarke (Bultaco), who completed the two days and 55 sections with his feet firmly on the footrests to record a clean, no-mark-loss victory.
Second Best Performance: Andy Hipwell (Honda)
The organising Kinlochleven & District MCC is not a new club — originally founded in the 1930s as the Kinlochleven & District Light Car & Motor
Cycle Club. It enjoyed a few successful years before World War II’s outbreak, bringing it to a premature close. The club was revived in the years following the war, and various events were regularly held in the village, but the club was finally wound down in the 1980s.
Reformed in 2017, the club is now affiliated with the Scottish ACU and, thanks to the suitability of Kinlochleven and nearby Glencoe as two great venues, it has witnessed a growing demand for more events in the area, which the enthusiastic club has duly delivered. Attracting motorcycle trials riders to this area to compete has never been a problem; the sections themselves may not look too demanding, but it is the challenge of the surrounding terrain linking them together that tests both the riders and the machines. So in 2018, the idea of a new event, titled the Leven Valley Two-Day Trial, came to life, supported by a hearty group of local motorcycle enthusiasts. They could provide their knowledge of the surrounding area to bring the event to life, and, as they say, the rest is history.
GUESTS OF HONOUR
The 2022 event had two guests of honour. The first was the three-time FIM World Trials Champion for Bultaco from 1976–1978, Yrjo Vesterinen, who was also celebrating his win in the 1982 ACU British Trials Championship – 40 years ago, would you believe? He reminded me that he had also won the 1980 Scottish Six Days Trial, albeit on a Montesa.
He would be joined by his good friend, Charles Coutard from France, who was riding one of the many Bultacos that Vesterinen has in his collection. Coutard had a superb trials career, riding for Bultaco, SWM and Montesa before a return to Bultaco. He was the French national champion from 1971 through to 1977 on Bultaco before winning it one final year on an SWM in 1979; he also has four FIM world round wins to his name. Despite celebrating his 70th birthday in November, he is still a more than competent rider, as many will have witnessed in Scotland.
Run as an entirely off-road competition, and such is its reputation, the event is gaining in popularity. The entry included many Spanish riders, including the father-and-son team of Joan and Nils Comas. They are part of the successful team that organises the Costa Brava Two-Day Trial in November in Spain.
Restricted to air-cooled twin-shock machinery, the event assembled a wide selection of machines at the start. They ranged from the original to the highly modified Pre-65 machines from before the invasion of the Spanish manufacturers before the Italian and Japanese two- and four-stroke machinery joined the sport.
Third Best Performance: David Coughlan (Triumph)
Best Twin-Shock up to 201cc: Lewis Byron (Honda)
Chris Garlick (BSA)
DAY ONE: 30 SECTIONS
We all know that the weather in this mountainous area can be very unpredictable. Still, as it happened, despite the arrival of Autumn, day one was blessed by perfect riding conditions as the sun came out, albeit interrupted by the occasional light shower.
After the start in Kinlochleven, riders would take in some sections local to the start before heading out to the hills to take in some spectacular views and sections. These would include iconic Scottish Six Days Trial sections such as Letir bo Fionn, Switch Back and Black Water before arriving at the steep rocky climb at Pipeline.
The ride up to sections eight and nine at Leac na Fare is quite gentle before the challenging moorcrossing over towards the Black Water dam before dropping down to Pipeline and finishing at the Aluminium Works back in Kinlochleven.
The day had been quite a difficult one on the moor crossings, and the sections had taken many marks, including the rocky climb that is Pipeline. Located at the side of the vast pipes which take water down into Kinlochleven, it is far steeper than it looks and a clean is a tick in the book for anyone who achieves a feetup climb. It was just one section that would be used in 2022, starting just below the halfway point of the hill.
Having to withdraw his entry due to a knee injury, it was the very experienced Glen Scholey as an observer, enjoying giving something back to the sport in his role with the pencil. Having previously cleaned the section on many occasions, he had to use all his experience to control the hill and mark it accordingly. Of course, every rider wants to pick the perfect line, but such is the keenness that sometimes they can get in the way of the other riders, and this was the case with John Maxfield. A very competent rider in his own right, he was ‘baulked’ on two occasions, and, quite rightly, the observer awarded him re-runs before, much to everyone’s delight. Finally, John executed the perfect clean on his third attempt on his BSA Bantam to huge applause.
Low scores were the order of the day with no less than four riders with no marks lost recorded: Sam Clarke (Bultaco), David Coughlan (Triumph), Chris Garlick (BSA) and Spanish rider Diego Urreta (Fantic).
Philip Wiffen (Fantic)
Andrew Payne (Fantic)
DAY TWO: 25 SECTIONS
As can happen in the Highlands, the weather came in on day two, and with it, the riders began to lose marks. With early sections at the Kennels and Mamore Lodge, the riders then headed out onto the Mamore Road and to the furthest part of the course on the second day, Callart Falls — a regular section used to the present day in the Scottish Six Days Trial.
The ride to and from Callart on the sodden moors proved quite challenging, as I was to find out as I rode to them to take pictures on my Montesa 4Ride! Once again, the moors tired the riders as the rain came down. However, the sections were all very rideable, even for the early numbers on the predominantly rocky going up the many rivers this stunning area has in abundance. One man on his Bultaco, Sam Clarke, stayed calm and collected knowing that one slip or one mark could deny him the win. However, it was not going to happen and, as it turned out, he was the only rider with no marks lost at the close of the day.
The fight for second position included no fewer than six riders on one mark; the rider’s age would govern the tie-breaker. The oldest of the bunch was Andy Hipwell (Honda), followed by David Coughlan, Lewis Byron (Honda), Diego Urreta, Chris Garlick (BSA) and Philip Wiffen (Fantic). It was just as close behind these top six with another 29 riders, all with single-figure scores.
As the vehicles moved out of Kinlochleven after the trial and the evening awards celebration took place, one thing was for sure; everyone had enjoyed a super weekend of trials riding. Roll on 2023.
Best Brit-Shock up to 201cc: Calum Murphy (BSA)
TRIAL LUBRICATION JUST REACHED A WHOLE NEW STANDARD
Scott Cameron (Fantic)
Best Ossa: Manel Campoy ESP Best Youth Rider: Harry Bowyer (Triumph)
Top Three: Leven Valley Two-Day with Yrjo Vesterinen (left) and Charles Coutard (right)
2022 LEVEN TWO-DAY TRIAL
BEST PERFORMANCE: Sam Clarke (Bultaco) 0 SECOND BEST PERFORMANCE: Andy Hipwell (Honda) 1 THIRD BEST PERFORMANCE: David Coughlan (Triumph) 1 BEST BRIT-SHOCK UP TO 201CC: Calum Murphy (BSA) 2 BEST BRIT-SHOCK OVER 201CC: David Coughlan (Triumph) 1 BEST TWIN-SHOCK UP TO 201CC: Lewis Byron (Honda) 1 BEST TWIN-SHOCK OVER 201CC: Sam Clarke (Bultaco) 0 BEST LADY RIDER: Maria Feliu (Fantic-ESP) 108 BEST HONDA: Andy Hipwell (Honda) 1 BEST DRAYTON: David Coughlan (Triumph) 1 BEST OSSA: Manel Campoy ESP 22 BEST BULTACO: Sam Clarke (Bultaco) 0 BEST SCOTTISH ACU RIDER WHO HAS NOT WON ANY OTHER AWARD: Neil Dawson (Fantic) BEST YOUTH RIDER: Harry Bowyer (Triumph) 4 BEST ACU RIDER: Sam Clarke (Bultaco) 0 BEST FOREIGN RIDER: David Coughlan (Triumph) 1
LEVEN VALLEY TWO-DAY TRIAL WINNERS 2018–2022
2018: John Charlton (Triumph) 0 2019: Steve Robson (Montesa) 0 2020: No Event – Covid-19 2021: Neil Dawson (Fantic) 0 2022: Sam Clarke (Bultaco) 0
ROCKSHOCKS CHAMPIONSHIP SUPER SHOCK SERIES
As a stand-alone British Trials Championship, the Rockshocks series continues to deliver quality events at various venues. Since its inception in 2014, the championship has travelled the length and breadth of the country, and the 2022 series was no different. The ten-round championship took in the following venues: Breakheart, Dursley; Parkwood, Bradford; Kirton Off Road Centre, Gainsborough; Vale of Towy, Carmarthenshire; Whitegate Farm, Holmfirth; The Baa, Consett; Wye Valley, Herefordshire; Central Wales Auto Club, Powys; Sedbergh DMC before concluding in the north of the country at Fell Green, Cumbria. Despite a troubled year of high fuel costs, the riders kept entering, keeping the championship very competitive. Each event continues to provide an Expert and Clubmen class with a choice of three classes on each route.
Words: Trials Media Mike Rapley Rockshocks Championship
Pictures: Trials Media
James Postlethwaite (Yamaha)
Will Tolson (Fantic)
BOOTLE TRIAL
Riders from all parts of the country descended on Fell Green, Bootle in Cumbria on the last Sunday of October for the tenth and final round of the 2022 Rockshocks Classic Trials Championship.
In a howling gale with rain drifting horizontally across the exposed Bootle Fell, 74 riders started the two-lap 20-section course, predominately based on the high fells which, on a clear day, overlook the Isle of Man across the Irish Sea.
Fantics are the popular choice in the Twin-Shock category, with TLR Hondas also well represented. In the British Bike Class, various themes on BSA Bantams are the favourite, with a few Triumph Cubs and the occasional BSA four-stroke making an appearance. Those riding the Air-cooled Monoshock class generally favour Yamaha TY 250s with the occasional early Beta and Gas Gas seen in action.
The series has developed considerably over the past decades and has now reached a situation where just about any motorcycle pre-water-cooling and single shock has found a class where the competition is equal, at least with machinery, if not riding ability.
A CHALLENGING LOCATION
The finishing scores for most of the class winners and top riders in previous rounds have tended to be in the single-figure area, but that was never going to be the case when the series landed at the final Bootle club round of the series. The Fell Green venue, which has been used for trials for well over 45 years, by its very nature, is a challenging location. Add in torrential weather, as was the case on Halloween Eve this year, and the carefully planned sections by local Pre-65 rider Joel Gowan (he of the joint top spot in the Scottish Pre-65 Trial) changed considerably.
Finishing, wet, bedraggled and looking much the worse for wear, of the 46 riders who completed the two laps of 20 sections, the top men over the two routes were from either end of the UK. Local Expert James Postlethwaite (Yamaha) topped the TwinShock Expert route, and Devonian Martin Gilbert (BSA) claimed the Clubman course overall win in the British Bike category. Gilbert, riding his Bantam in the British Bike class, was able to claim the lowest score of the day with 14 marks lost on the Clubmen route, whilst Expert course rider Postlethwaite, on his dad’s TY 175 Yamaha, needed the loss of 23 marks before he arrived at the finish.
The closest to toppling Gilbert from the win was Jake Gowan, brother of Joel, who had set out the trial. Jake rode his brother’s four-stroke BSA to great effect, and only an unexpected five prevented him from matching the Devon rider’s excellent score of just 14 marks.
In second place behind Gilbert on the Clubman course, it was James Williams (Honda) who won the Twin-Shock class from Chris Tolson (Fantic), whilst Mark Jenkinson (Yamaha), on 31 marks, headed the Clubman course Air-cooled Mono-shock category.
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Richard Allen (Montesa) Steve Bisby (Yamaha)
WET WET WET
Nobody was able to challenge Postlethwaite on the Expert route, with overall series winner William Tolson the nearest, losing 30, also on a Twin-shock. Then came Chris Garlick (BSA) on 33, who was the best British Bike Expert course rider by three marks from Masham butcher Paul Dennis (Triumph).
Richard Allen (Montesa), a long-time supporter of this series in its various incarnations, headed the Air-cooled Mono-shocks from Steve Bisby (Yamaha), the only two finishers in the wet conditions. However, whilst Fell Green is arguably one of the most challenging Rockshock rounds, the trial proved to be an even more significant challenge due to the horrendous weather on the day, with torrential rain falling for much of the event. Many of the sections were in streams which rose considerably as the day progressed, becoming white-water cascades at higher terrain levels. The weather proved to be the main handicap during the day, with over two dozen riders calling it a day due to machine failures and the inclement weather as the 10-round series came to its conclusion.
EXPERT RESULTS
AIR-COOLED MONO: 1: Richard Allen (Montesa) 35; 2: Steve Bisby (Yamaha) 81. TWIN-SHOCK: 1: James Postlethwaite (Yamaha) 23; 2: Will Tolson (Fantic) 30; 3: Neil Sharp (Honda) 36; 4: Andrew Payne (Fantic) 36; 5: Stuart Gaskell (Fantic) 36. BRITISH BIKES: 1: Chris Garlick (BSA) 33; 2: Paul Dennis (Triumph) 36.
CLUBMEN RESULTS
AIR-COOLED MONO: 1: Mark Jenkinson (Yamaha) 31; 2: Steve Williams (Honda) 34; 3: Keith Burgess (Yamaha) 40; 4: Peter Blowers (Montesa) 50; 5: Mike Jones (Gas Gas) 59. TWIN-SHOCK: 1: James Williams (Honda) 17; 2: Chris Tolson (Fantic) 30; 3: Martin Jackson 30; 4: Dave Wardell (Fantic) 31; 5:
Michael Platts (Honda) 33.
BRITISH BIKES: 1: Martin Gilbert (BSA) 14; 2: Jake Gowan (BSA) 19; 3: Darren Walker (BSA) 25; 4: Ian Myers (Triumph) 31; 5: Mick
Grant (BSA) 41.
To keep travelling costs to a minimum at the season’s end, the final championship points total is the sum of the best seven scores. The three lowest scores are dropped, which includes non-scoring rounds. Spread over the year, from late February until late October, the enthusiastic series coordinators Gerry and Fredina Minshall try to ensure the rounds are planned so that the travelling distance is not too excessive. This year they kept them all within 180 miles or so of the centre of the country, ensuring that each round has attracted enough riders for it to be viable to the organising club. Early rounds attracted well over 120 riders, and every round has managed to offer more than 70 riders for some great action, with a total of 251 riders scoring championship points over the 2022 season.
EXPERT
AIR-COOLED MONO 24 POINTS SCORERS 1: Chris Garlick (Gas Gas) 131; 2: Kevin Ellis (Yamaha) 82; 3: Peter Morris (Yamaha) 74; 4: Peter Ruscoe (Gas Gas) 66; 5: Roman Kyrnyckyj (Honda) 63; 6: Steve Bisby (Yamaha) 47; 7: Tony Gush (Beta) 46; 8: Richard Allen (Gori/Montesa) 40; 9: Andrew Paxton (Fantic) 32; 10: Ben Millichap (Honda) 21.
TWIN-SHOCK 45 POINTS SCORERS: 1: Miles Jones (Honda) 127; 2: Will Tolson (Fantic) 121; 3: Philip Baxter (SWM) 95; 4: James Noble (Fantic) 88; 5: Richard Webster (Fantic) 84; 6: Scott Cameron (Fantic) 40; 7: Paul Jackson (Honda) 35; 8: Thomas Jackson (Fantic) 33; 9: Chris Greenwood (Honda) 21; 10: Simon Hartley 21.
BRITISH BIKES 15 POINTS SCORERS: 1: Liam Robinson (Greeves) 121; 2: Paul Dennis (Triumph) 64; 3: Carl Batty (James) 54; 4: Chris Chell (BSA) 43; 5: Ian Pedeby (BSA) 37; 6: Chris Garlick (BSA) 37; 7: Robin Luscombe (Triumph) 33; 8: Matt Chambers (Triumph) 32; 9: Martin Stanistreet (Villiers) 31; 9: George Emmott (Triumph) 21; 10: Rob Bowyer (Triumph) 21.
CLUBMEN
AIR-COOLED MONO 43 POINTS SCORERS: 1: Ian Cheetham (Yamaha) 112; 2: Mike Jones (Gas Gas) 102; 3: Keith Burgess (Yamaha) 102; 4: Peter Blowers (Mecatecno) 85; 5: Russ Walker (Honda) 81; 6: Robin Foulkes (Honda) 66; 7: Jon Probitts (Fantic) 63; 8: John Long (Honda) 48; 9: Martyn Wilmore (Yamaha) 40; 10: Peter Atkinson (Gas Gas) 38.
TWIN-SHOCK 67 POINTS SCORERS: 1: Michael Platts (Honda) 127; 2: Chris Tolson (Fantic) 107; 3: Rob Faulkner (Yamaha) 86; 4: Dave Wood (Bultaco) 75; 5: Andrew Walters (Honda) 60; 6: James Williams (Honda) 54; 7: Stephen Walters (Fantic) 52; 8: Andrew Dawson 41; 9: Mark Barrow (Honda) 40; 10: Nigel Eagleton 35.
BRITISH BIKES 57 POINTS SCORERS: 1: Martin Gilbert (BSA) 129; 2: Chris Myers (Triumph) 116; 3: Tony Martin (Triumph) 103; 4: Darren Walker (BSA) 100; 5: Ian Myers (Triumph) 78; 6: Mick Grant (BSA) 53; 7: Nigel Greenwood (BSA) 52; 8: Bryan Bayes (BSA) 44; 9: Neil Hebdon (Triumph) 35; 10: Simon Chell (Triumph) 30.
Jake Gowan (BSA)
James Williams (Honda)
Peter Blowers (Montesa)
Chris Tolson (Fantic)
2023
If you fancy having a ride in one of the rounds in 2023, the organisers ask you to ensure that you enter the correct class; the rules can be found below, but please keep your eyes open for any changes that could have been applied.
CLASS ONE: This class is open to all air-cooled
mono-shock machines that were in production
before 2000. It also includes any air-cooled mono-shock converted to a twin-shock; as such, motorcycles cannot run against genuine twin-shocks. Eligibility: the motorcycles should maintain the original silhouette as of the date of manufacture.
Acceptable modifications are the option to run tubeless tyres, make minor modifications to the frame, and a choice of carburettors. Unacceptable modifications are disc brake conversions unless already fitted. Fork stanchions must not exceed 36 mm Ø. *Late model Fantic Coach and Clubman were produced with 40mm Ø forks; therefore, these are acceptable on these machines. Unfortunately, they cannot be retrofitted to earlier models*.
CLASS TWO: This class is open to twin-shock machines manufactured up to 1986. Acceptable modifications are the option to run tubeless rims, to make minor modifications to the frame, a choice of carburettors, and cycle parts can be changed as long as they are from the same period. In addition, the steering head angle can be moved, and the swinging arm length altered. The position of the footrest can also be moved.
Unacceptable modifications are modified monoshock trials machines converted to twin-shocks. Air-cooled mono-shock engines. Disc brake conversions. Fork stanchions must not exceed 36 mm Ø. *Note SWM jumbos fitted with the original 38mm forks are acceptable*.
CLASS THREE: This class is open to Pre-75 British motorcycles. Replica frames or modified originals are allowed, as are billet yokes and hubs and forks with modern internals. This is the format followed by most classic clubs countrywide, and there seems little point in changing that for this series. Acceptable modifications are tubeless rims, and there is no restriction on carburettors. Unacceptable modifications are disc brakes, and front forks exceeding 35mm Ø.
Mike Jones (Gas Gas)
The series restarts in 2023 and the provisional dates and venues are below.
March 12th, Congleton & DMC April 7th, Huddersfield MCC May 20th, Sedbergh MC May 21st, Westmorland MC June 17th, Devonport MCC June 18th, West of England MCC July 1st, TBC July 2nd, Yeadon Guiseley & DMC August 6th, Cumberland County MCC September 17th, Oswestry MC October 29th, Central Wales Auto Club
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