RYP trials school

[Boom Boom]

So how many DAMN riders will I see at the school this weekend?
Very much looking forward to it

[J&J]

We'll be spectators Sat afternoon

[motojunky]

I'll be there.

[Longboardr]

I'm on da list

[Firebolter]

I'll be there! Just so you guys know, it rained ALOT last night, so it's probably gonna be muddy some!

See you guys tomorrow morning ~0800

Sign up starts 0800 and class starts at 0900

[Boom Boom]

I'll be there! Just so you guys know, it rained ALOT last night, so it's probably gonna be muddy some!
See you guys tomorrow morning ~0800

Sign up starts 0800 and class starts at 0900

PERFECT I just washed my bike....

Sounds like us guys with extra traction around our mid section might have the advantage.

[Boom Boom]

Ryan done a great job of trying to make us better riders, just wish it could have been a little hotter out
Nice getting a little time to hang with Moto-J, hopefully with some of his new found skills he will want to come give D-6 trials a go

[Firebolter]

That was good fun. Amazing how good that guy is and the things he can do. Splattin' that 5 foot wall was pretty impressive. Wheelie up and over a 4 foot rock, hold the wheelie down the other side and onto the field, shift up in gears while keeping the wheelie, go down the field while wheelie-ing the whole time and then turn in the wheelie, come back down the field and go up and over another obstacle om the back wheel. Good stuff.

[motojunky]

Man that was fun! I learned a lot and had a lot of fun hanging with everyone.

After foolishly stating on Friday night that my bike has been stone reliable for 3 years, it sprung a coolant leak after lunch on Saturday (lower radiator hose). The host of the school, Dan Barrick of Maryland Mototrial, immediately offered to let me ride one of his 2012 Shercos. It was a real hardship riding a bike 10 years newer and 15 pounds lighter than mine but I was able to find the inner strength to persevere. Not only that, but while I was riding his new bike, Dan ran to the auto parts store and found a length of hose for me to use to rig a repair Saturday evening. After sorting the bike out, I took a swim in the pool and then stuffed myself at the cookout. I could get used to this kind of riding!

The new Sherco was great but I was a little leery not wanting to damage a new bike. I don't adapt to new bikes very quickly but after about an hour or so I started to feel pretty comfortable on it. Major differences were: tons more power, delivered MUCH more quickly; very "active" feel (hoppy and bouncy); better balance and traction - I was able to do a couple of things right away that would challenge me on my Scorpa. Other than the motor, none of the differences felt terribly dramatic - it was just a better overall package as you would expect with 10 years of development. I don't know that it would mean a whole lot fewer points at my current skill level but I do think a new bike would allow me to progress faster and further. A dangerous seed may have been planted.

Day 1 was mainly basics - some of which I can do OK but getting to see correct form demonstrated made it clear that I have plenty of bad habits to unlearn. There was plenty of stuff on day 1 that I couldn't do and I hope to learn that stuff the right way the first time having seen it done right first.

Day 2 was a little more advanced with a lot of time spent going over logs/rocks/tires/etc. various ways. The grand finale was the brand new splatter wall that Dan and friends built specifically for this class. For me, the highlight of the class was a toss up between finally grasping the Jap Zap and doing a real live Splatter.

The Jap Zap technique involves placing the front wheel on an obstacle and then carrying the rear to the top of the obstacle - not touching on the way up. I've managed to pull off a handful of decent ones when trying at home, but I wasn't getting the lift I wanted and was only getting even minimal success a very small percentage of the time. Yesterday I was able to get the lift I wanted and was able to do it probably 85% of my tries. A huge step forward for me.

The Splatter is essentially using a small rock/root/etc. for a kicker (ramp) and throwing yourself at a wall. The objective is to hit with the front end high enough for the skidplate to clear and then having the impact of the rear bring the front end back down to earth in a controlled manner. Ryan says it's not a very technical maneuver but rather just requires balls. He's spot on with that. My first few attempts I was wussing out and not applying enough power and/or not fully popping the clutch. When I finally sacked up, it really was easy. My confidence was high and I was considering moving up to the next higher wall but Ryan called it a day. I can't say for sure that I was going to try, but it's probably good that he called it. It was nice going home injury free.

If you've considered the class but haven't followed through, I can't recommend it highly enough. It works for all skill levels. I watched Ryan tune his instruction to the most advanced and most green members of the course without missing a beat. He never made anyone feel like they weren't any good or that they shouldn't have been there.

[Boom Boom]

That was good fun. Amazing how good that guy is and the things he can do. Splattin' that 5 foot wall was pretty impressive. Wheelie up and over a 4 foot rock, hold the wheelie down the other side and onto the field, shift up in gears while keeping the wheelie, go down the field while wheelie-ing the whole time and then turn in the wheelie, come back down the field and go up and over another obstacle om the back wheel. Good stuff.

Bill, the heat must have been getting to you....that was me doing the 4' rock and wheelie thing