Ready for something new? Dipping a foot into the daunting world of trials riding, even at the competitive level, is a worthy experience.
Photos by Mark Kariya and James Adams
When you think of trials riding, what comes to mind? Toni Bou’s Instagram videos? Geoff Aaron’s Red Bull trials demonstrations? The physics-defying acrobatics at the elite levels might be enough to make you dismiss the very idea of even attempting to ride a trials bike, but a look at the ground floor of this highly specialized sport is bound to offer a different perspective. After all, not everyone who rides motocross needs to be Haiden Deegan, and you don’t need to be a whiz in a onesie to dive into the trials world.
No matter what kind of motorcycle riding you do, the basic elements are at its core: balance, throttle and brake control, clutch finesse, strength, coordination and endurance. When you strip away the speed factor, these fundamentals are what remain. Challenging these skills at the foundational level will not only help keep you sharp but can sharpen your abilities and elevate your game in just about any type of two-wheel activity.
This wasn’t the exact sales pitch I received from Beta USA when I was invited to a Beta-hosted Try Trials event, but after spending a season with the Beta EVO Factory 200, it’s the conclusion I can now share with you. I can also say that there is a whole new flavor of off-road fun that can open up to you as soon as you’re ready to try something new.
The Right Approach
Now, if you’ve ever ridden a trials bike, it might have gone something like your first time riding a motorcycle—someone told you to hop on, gas, brake, you know the drill. You might have found it awkward and uncomfortable, confused as to what this seatless contraption is supposed to do so well. Hopping on a trials bike and twisting the throttle isn’t quite the full experience. You can give someone a sailboat, or golf clubs, but without learning the proper way to approach the sport, odds are they’re not going to have a very favorable experience the first time out.
Fortunately for me, my Try Trials plan was well thought out and not a matter of simply hopping on the 200cc two-stroke for a long-term test and hoping for the best. My proper approach to the sport involved getting me set up on the bike and riding it for the first time with experienced trials competitors to learn some proper techniques and maneuvers. From there, I would go on to challenge my skills (or lack thereof) in an actual trials competition.
Even though I knew I was good hands as I drove up to meet Chris and Cole Cullins in Perris, California, to find my new red toy, there was plenty of doubt whizzing through my head: “Am I too old for this? Am I going to hurt myself? I can’t even wheelie a regular bike, what makes me think I can do this?” I’m well into my fourth decade now, and the rigors of motocross are wearing on me more and more. I’ll admit the thought has entered my mind to just settle into ADV riding and call it a career. That’s how the evolution goes, right? The bikes get bigger and heavier with age. So, what was I doing going backwards in this process? Isn’t this like trying to take up gymnastics?
Day One
I was relieved when my first lesson aboard the Beta EVO Factory 200 involved both wheels on the ground. What many people don’t realize from watching trials is that it is about more than wheelying over rocks. It’s about tight turns, controlled maneuvering on the ground. Sure, you noticed how that trials pro splattered his way over that giant boulder, but keep watching, and you’ll see him (or her) set the front wheel down already set up the tight turn right after it.
Our first drill was a figure-eight. Simple enough, until Chris moved the rocks. “Now turn here, and stay inside these rocks,” he said. Imagine trying to do figure-eights in a single-car garage. Then try it in your living room.
It didn’t even seem like a reasonable ask until I watched Cole whipping his Beta 300 around in turns so tight the rear wheel was hardly even rotating. With some time, coaching and concentration, I found myself cranking through turns tighter and tighter, then linking turns together. Next, it was time to start practicing wheelies, then moving on to the famous double-blip, up and over some boulders. Before I knew it, we were wheelying up and over boulders, setting the front wheel down into the tight turn and riding it out.
Wow, did I just do that?
We were off to a good start, and from there, it was a lot of practice. At times, frustrating because I felt like I had forgotten everything the Cullins’ had taught me. But patience, focus and step-by-step drills always seemed to bring it back.
Life with a trials bike is a lot of fun and, by the way, if you ever want to attract attention, bring a trials bike with you to the motocross track. At Fox Raceway in Southern California, people were gathering around, asking questions, pointing, chatting about what they knew, or thought they knew about trials riding. One thing is for sure—every single person who swings a leg over a trials bike will leave with a smile.
Learning to ride a trials bike involves a little bit of “unlearning” how to ride a motocross bike. Knees out, keep it loose, lean to the outside of the turn. And keep your damn feet on the pegs! Of course there’s no seat, footpegs are about a foot behind where you feel they should be, and the shifter is about a mile in front of the footpeg. Body positioning is very different, and running a moto-helmet might not have been the best idea. You need to raise your head up at a higher angle, which is easier to do in a trials helmet. A lot of counter-intuitive body language adds to the mental challenge of learning to ride trials, which I came to find out, is the key to mastering a trials bike.
Competition
And it eventually came—race day. Only trials competition isn’t exactly a “race,” but it’s sometimes easier to say race than competition. We know what you mean. Either way, we decided to sign up for a nearby event, the Jared Malmquist Tribute Trial at Chocolate Mountain Ranch. After two decades of riding, traveling, racing and testing motorcycles, this was a first for me. Since trials competitions are structured around a series of tests done one at a time, we figured that my boyfriend could come along and also compete aboard the Beta. We brought along my KX250X to ride between tests and switched off riding the Beta in the special tests, a fun way for us both to compete. The only challenge was dragging my boyfriend away from the motocross track for the weekend. It was also challenging to not be annoyed at how immediately talented he was at this.
At a motocross or off-road event, you’ll typically find four levels: beginner, novice, intermediate and expert. (Perhaps also pro.) At a trials event, you’ll find a much wider span of classes: novice, sportsman, intermediate, clubman, advanced, expert, open and pro. These classes each have a designated line through the special test, so you’re bound to find a comfortable place to fit at a trials competition, even if you want to keep wheels on the ground the whole time (which I may or may not have done).
It took a little while to learn the ropes of a trials competition, but we came to find out that it’s a super enjoyable, very chill vibe, like half trail-riding and half competing. And 100% full of heckling your buddies as you take on the special sections one at a time. I may be a novice competitor, but I’m at least a clubman-level heckler.
The great moto-photographer Mark Kariya (aka Kato) joined us, and we were aboard a Beta trials bike. Together, we had a day to remember at Chocolate Mountain Ranch. Perfect conditions, factory Betas, great test sections and fresh single-track linking them all together, we bumbled our way through the Jared Malmquist Tribute Trial, round three of the SCTA 2024-25 MotoTrials Championship Series. We cheered each other on, of course; we laughed at each other and also picked up skills as the day wore on. Even Kato, whose background is actually in trials, don’t you know, felt more at home in the saddle by the end of the day. We found ourselves learning the ropes on loop one and getting comfortable with the flow. Balance, control, clutch finesse and coordination started feeling sharper on loop two. What was a three on loop one was a zero on loop two. Strength and endurance came into play on loop three, where my proud zero became a five. I was surprisingly wiped out by the end of the day. It’s not bar-banging intensity of motocross or GP racing, but the mental focus it requires is a different level of intensity that is nearly as trying. Remembering the sections, memorizing my lines, staying calm, not getting flustered or trying to rush through the sections became increasingly difficult. Beyond the double-blips and the counter-intuitive body language, the mental game is what a trials bike will help you sharpen. This is golf on two wheels.
At the end of our three loops, we found ourselves crunching the numbers in the same way apparently all trials rider do: “Ah man, if only I had cleaned this one section, or if only I had gotten through that one turn without dabbing, I could have won my class instead of ending up third…” Coulda, shoulda, woulda.
Better improve my focus next time.
A Season Reflection
My season with a trials bike was a unique experience, and I can honestly say it wasn’t what I was expecting. The sport itself, and especially the MotoTrials community, is extremely welcoming, and grateful to help out new participants. From the extreme trials videos you’ve seen on social media, it may appear to be an exclusive and cliquey community, but the MotoTrials crowd was thrilled to have us bungling newbies at their event. There’s a place for everyone, and while it’s always incredible to watch the wizards at work, especially in person, there’s a lot more to this unique subset of off-road motorcycling than the pinnacle athletes.
For people with a small piece of property, or limited access to wide open riding areas, a trials bike can be a very fun way to get your throttle twisting fix. You can ride for hours just within a few acres, sharpening your skills, testing yourself and finding abilities in places you didn’t know you had. Whether or not you indulge in the sport itself or use it as a training tool for other forms of motorcycle riding, you can find a lot of fun in the trials world, so if and when you ever do get the chance, I encourage you to Try Trials. CN
Click here to read the Trying Trials Story in the Cycle News Digital Edition Magazine.
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