Good news for 2006: ISDE will be in NZ

[merv]

Read about it here on Silver Bullet http://www.silverbullet.co.nz/news.php?id=3271

Great news. Will Merriman become a Kiwi again for the event?

[Motu]

Who's Merriman? Oh...that Aussie guy who's won a few races.

It will be held in Auckland of course,all important events are held in the important city...there will be grandstands,compares and popcorn,a media event - yeah right.

[merv]

Who's Merriman? Oh...that Aussie guy who's won a few races.



He must rate in your book seeing he was once a trials rider along with his old man.

[Motu]

Yes,I remember Stefan when Warrick used to bring him along to trials sometimes,his first serious bike was a Fantic 80 that Ray Skinner used to ride in experts just to show what it was capable of.Warrick still rides,he will be up to Auckland for our next trial as it's the last in a series,if he doesn't win it,it will be close anyway.He's still a bloody good trials rider even at his age,still riding in Expert A Grade.One of the reasons I got the TLR200 was because I spent a trial riding behind him on his TLR250 and was impressed with what it could do - silly me,of course it wasn't the bike.Mind you,I suprised myself on sunday with a near win in my class,after 4 mths off a trials bike I thought I was hopeless and the guys were just joking when they said I might of won - equal on points,same cleans,but I took one more single dab.ISDE in NZ...choice!

[merv]

Now I read on Silver Bullet Stefan has wrapped up the Italian championship along with his world championship and being top rider in the ISDE as per here http://www.silver-bullet.co.nz/news.php?id=3279&PHPSESSID=b91ab8fecaac7dbc6956e0482d0714f2 They seem to have screwed up whether he was on the 250 or the 450, but either way he won.

The man is a legend in the dirt scene.

[merv]

As for TLR200's here I am on my Bro's one back in 1984.

[merv]

... and this pic includes my Missus on the TL125 in 1985.

[Motu]

What did you think of the TLR200 back then Merv? I remember Vege brought one of the first ones to a trial once,they fell off a lot but never let anyone else on it.I should do a owners report on mine about how I've coped over the last 2 years with it.After 20 yrs of 2 stroke trials bikes it's been a learning curve,the biggest problem is stalling at the very wrong time,and having to be in 1st gear nearly all the time,they stall even more in 2nd and don't have the grunt on hills to pull 2nd,but as you know,you need 2nd to pull the front up,it's really hard to pull it up in 1st.

The TLR250 is nearly identical,but so much different to ride,the extra 50cc is perfect and the internal ratios are different too,so it's able to use 2nd much better - I've ridden one,but not in a trial,next time I see one I'll try a few sections on it.

[merv]

What did you think of the TLR200 back then Merv? I remember Vege brought one of the first ones to a trial once,they fell off a lot but never let anyone else on it.I should do a owners report on mine about how I've coped over the last 2 years with it.After 20 yrs of 2 stroke trials bikes it's been a learning curve,the biggest problem is stalling at the very wrong time,and having to be in 1st gear nearly all the time,they stall even more in 2nd and don't have the grunt on hills to pull 2nd,but as you know,you need 2nd to pull the front up,it's really hard to pull it up in 1st.

The TLR250 is nearly identical,but so much different to ride,the extra 50cc is perfect and the internal ratios are different too,so it's able to use 2nd much better - I've ridden one,but not in a trial,next time I see one I'll try a few sections on it.

I don't remember exactly what year my Bro' got his TLR, but it replaced the Bultaco Sherpa T350 he had bought in '73, which was the year I took off to Uni in ChCh. I had done trials for 2 or 3 years while I was at school using a Suzuki TS185, which surprisingly was bloody good at it - good flywheel weight and torquey engine. Many of us were using Jap bikes back then as they were the bees knees when others had BSA Bantams and the like with bugger all ground clearance. Then the Spanish stuff took off and me being a poor student by then I basically quit competing in trials, but my Bro' kept doing it in Hawkes Bay. I bought an XL Honda and used that throughout my time in ChCh competing in Uni and other club events such as mini TT's but the XL was too high geared and lacked the ground clearance of the old TS185 for trials.

So my later appearances on a trials bike were only guest appearances my last competition being in 1975 on his Sherpa. The photos I put here were when me and him were just mucking around when I was visiting HB in the 80's. By then I was doing enduros on XR Hondas, but retired from all competition after the 1984 season. Been there done that by then. Now I'm just a trail/adventure/road type of person and busy enough to not do much of it that often.

I do know he had fitted a tiny front sprocket to the TLR - think it was only 11 teeth and the chain only just made it round the shaft at that rate. He sold that bike only about 5 years ago. He had the TL125 as well. The 4 strokes are a bit different and from my experience the old Bultaco 2 stroke was wonderful and the Hondas never matched that. However, I have never ridden any of the new style trials bikes for a recent comparison. The whole style of trials has changed so much since I was doing it. Imagine trying to use a trail bike these days like we did back in 70 - 73?

[denill]

[QUOTE=merv]Now I read on Silver Bullet Stefan has wrapped up the Italian championship along with his world championship and being top rider in the ISDE as per here http://www.silver-bullet.co.nz/news.php?id=3279&PHPSESSID=b91ab8fecaac7dbc6956e0482d0714f2 They seem to have screwed up whether he was on the 250 or the 450. [QUOTE]

Well spotted Merv.
Checked up with Lexy, Stefan's partner and she has just confirmed that he rode the WR450F.

BTW - Stefan has a website @ http://www.offroad-foren.de/z_merriman/index.html

BillW

[merv]

Cheers Bill.

Hey remind me what bike you were riding in trials when I met you before you got your Bultaco - was it a James?

I enjoyed those days and the exhorbitant 20c entry fees we paid then.

[denill]

Cheers Bill.

Hey remind me what bike you were riding in trials when I met you before you got your Bultaco - was it a James?

I enjoyed those days and the exhorbitant 20c entry fees we paid then.

Hey cut it out Merv. These guys have never heard of a James, let alone know someone who rode one..........

Nah, it was a little Honda SL100 modified for trials. Had to promote the brand, eh. But it was a damned good little bike too. The James was before that.