Trial Magazine Forum

It was a welcome text message from our new trials test rider Phil Disney during last week with the news he had seen the new Sherco powered Scorpa trials machine in action at a French trial he was riding in. A quick call back to him revealed it was the real deal and so my next question was, “can you blag a test ride or maybe send me a picture” the test ride never happened but the picture did arrive. The picture was good but did not really give away to much information so my next port of call was my French business colleague Charles Benhamou who was the originator of Trial Magazine in France way back in 2002. He came back to me after a few phone calls to tell me it was not possible to test it as it was the last “shake down” of the machine before the it would begin to roll off the production line so that was the end of that.

The week before I had attended the French world championship trial (see talk trials no 13) where I had bumped into the new Scorpa boss Marc Tessier. Marc is very easy to talk to and a genuine trials enthusiast and to see him at the trial was no surprise as he has ridden both the Scottish Six Days trial and the Scott so respect there. I asked him about the new Scorpa project and he assured me that the new machines were actually on the production line and been build as we spoke so maybe we can expect to see them hit the UK shores in the next two – three weeks.

Last week I also had the privilege to be invited to the new Ossa factory in Spain where the company had invited selected journalists and media from around the world to view the new production facilities and most importantly the new machine. As I was on dead-line with issue 22 of Trial Magazine, it was finished late on Tuesday night; I was disappointed that I could not attend. This was not a major problem as my Trial Magazine colleague in Spain Ramon Salles would be attending so we can expect good coverage for the next issue of the magazine, issue 23. We also believe the Ossa will be launched at this coming week-ends Italian world round to for you fortunate people who will be attending the event make sure you are on your toes for the exclusive first pictures of the new production machine. For me I have two questions for the Ossa factory. My first one is who will ride the machine in the world championships in 2011 and secondly and most importantly who will ride it in the UK, all I can say at the moment is watch this space!!

As I am sure most of you are aware Trial Magazine runs in four different countries and languages France, Spain, Great Britain and Italy. Just to give you a brief insight into the magazine it was originated like I have already stated by the Benhamou family in France in 2002, Philip Benhamou and his son Charles gave us the original issue and yes I remember buying it at the Classic Bike Show at Stafford, be it in French text I was very impressed. They obviously wanted to expand the magazine which led to Spanish version from the avid trials fan Ramon Salles in 2005. Then in 2006 I met up with Charles at the British world round at Hawkstone Park where we shook hands on a deal to bring the magazine to the UK market and in January 2007 issue one arrived. In 2008 Roberta Zoli would give us Trial Magazine in Italy to complete the package.

This week-end is the White Brothers of Darlington sponsored Reeth Three Day trial in North Yorkshire. This is a fantastic social event not just for the riders but for any trials fan. Get your-selves up there and into the marquee on Friday and Saturday night for possibly the best trials social nights of the year.