Starting Trials

What is Trials?

Motorcycle trials is, without doubt, the simplest and safest form of motorcycle sport in which everybody can compete. No matter your age, whether you are young or old, male or female, trials is available to all, throughout the UK.

How do Trials Work?

The aim in a trial is to ride through indicated natural “sections” which may be up hills, across banks, in streams, over rocks without putting your feet to the ground or stopping in the case of ‘no stop’ events, with the aim of losing the fewest number of marks (points). A ride through a section without touching the ground with your feet is a clean (0 marks), touch the ground once and you lose one mark, twice you lose two marks, more than twice you lose three marks and a failure by stopping (no stop), riding outside markers or falling off is the maximum penalty of five marks.

Start from just 4 Years old  

There are classes for riders of virtually any age, the youngest class being for riders from four years old on electric bikes, meaning that Trials allows children to get on earlier than in any other Motorcycle discipline.

Is it easy to get started and compete regularly?

There are many hundreds of clubs in the ACU that organise trials and it is rare that a potential competitor needs to travel for more than an hour to attend his nearest event on almost every Sunday throughout the year. Many clubs also hold series of summer evening events and also Saturday events. The minimum requirements to take part are a bike (of course), a helmet and sturdy leather boots and suitable gloves.

Is there a class for me?

Undoubtedly there will be. Clubs have very different class definitions and there is no recognised standard between events. Events are available which cater for youths, adults and riders over 40 years of age and sometimes sidecars, twin-shock and Pre 65 machines. Events will often have up to four different routes within each section so it is important to know in advance which set of section flags/markers you need to ride between for your particular class.