Kraut Cup Trial 2012

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As the only two theme-attired bozos at the trial, a formal photo was requested and carefully posed as you can see by the near perfect alignment of our helmet spikes. That's me with my 1st-in-class trophy and Jim with his lunch. Jim is a fount of knowledge on the model of motorcycle I ride and you'll hear me refer to that in the short video.

My trousers were clean at the start of the event. A lot of effort was used in getting them that dirty, not to mention the effort in getting this ancient bod back up after a few of my signature 'garage sale' bodyplants, including one after a section when I pulled up to the scorer and put my foot out on the downhill side and ended up sprawled full length in the road. Oh tres embarrassique!, but I believe in putting on a good show. Heh.

Also in the video you can see my new Bell Shorty helmet. What a difference! Lighter and airier and my Active-i eyeglasses/vidcam will fit under it, although I didn't try the camera this time.

Mrs. G got almost as much exercise getting the video clips as I did riding the event and I thank her for it. She hasn't managed to catch me going ass over teakettle yet and I thank her for that too. Enjoy.



Observed Trials is a game of thinking in inches and I will illustrate that with a little story. It's hard to describe a section in words, but I'll try.

My first section of the trial, the first of my trials season in fact, was maybe eighty feet long, with a swoopy downhill S-turn and then a decreasing-width straight shot until a 90° left turn not much wider than my tires with a rounded dome of rock sticking up maybe two feet out of the earth on the left side and a big patch of three-foot-tall straight shoots of something growing on the other.

I couldn't get the bike to make the turn around the rock for the life of me and went about a bike length straight into the weeds. I think I threw my first bodyplant of the day in an attempt to not go any farther. It worked. The scorer helped me extract the machine, scored me the max 5 points and told me I needed to declutch for the turn next time.

He was right. The next loop, I whipped in the clutch lever a coupla feet before the turn. Almost made it this time. I went about three feet farther before I nosed gently into the weeds. Wrassled the bike out by myself this time. The scorer said, and I swear these are his words, "I hate ta say this, but that was better than last time". I could not but agree. Heh.

The third loop, I pulled in the clutch ten feet before the turn and as I coasted into it I put my left foot on the dome of rock and pivoted around the turn. The bike still wanted to visit the weeds but I didn't let it this time. I was so far off balance I rode the last few feet to the end of the section with my left leg stuck straight out to the side. It was dicey but I made it and gladly took my one point for putting my foot down. Loads better than my face.

Negotiating that one little turn more or less successfully was my biggest personal victory of the day. It's little things like that that make the game worth playing.

A very good day, lotsa fun riding and talking loud and telling lies with some awfully good people. That's what motorcycling is all about.

Next up will be the AHRMA Donner Summit Trial in two weeks. My 25-year-old bike will be one of the newer machines at that one and I'll probably have to ride a "Modern Bike" class. Stay tuned.