I started trial riding,at 10 years old in the 80's,B class rider all riding Yamaha Ty175. Friday morning,was up early,it was Trials and Motorcross news day,was at newsagents to pick a copy up. I rode for Rochdale and District,motorcycle Club. We all rode same bikes,i was down to rider's capability... What great times they were... Miss them days,trials is not the same now..
1970 SSDT was my first time and I helped, observing, time controls etc went up with Eddie Cordle who rode. In 1971 I went with Mike Murkin and watched. Back helping again in 1972 and 1973 I took a high viz jacket with me so the riders would know where the observer was amongst the large crowd must have been the first person to do that. Appeared in the films that Shell did and to this day I have the programmes. Great event and nice people.
Bootiful. Flat caps, goggles, glasses, Montesas and maybe even Huskvarnas (could be wrong there as not sure they made trials bikes then - just saw a red and silver tank).
Interesting film right at the end of Sammys international carreer but still right on top although he lost the British championship to young Gordon Farley that year. Great shots of the one and only Don Smith on the Montesa Stag he created i wonder what happened to that would be a coveted machine today , also the clockwork mice Suzukis and Gaunt jawa 90 that Mr Venables was not impressed with , great days.
superb old footage.. i only just notice sammy miller and all the others dont touch the clutch or brake when they are in the section..... after riding modern (which have not really changed for 25 years) i find this unusual... but.... i have lost interest in the modern trials bikes and bought a 349 montesa... i will certainly be trying this no clutch style.... but not in silly tight sections they include nowdays
Its called forward motion thats been lost from modern trials unfortunately and what has brought about crasy trick riding more akin to cyclo trial circus riding.
Fantastic footage! & so clear as well. Great footage of Sammy Miller. Who was number 81? Was he on a B105 Suzuki powered special? Thanks for uploading this gem.
The bike is an Alta Suzuki could be Kieth Taylor the designer riding but no doubt somewhere will know more. Alta were motorcycles produced from 1969 to 1970. •1969 The Alta motorcycles were trials machines built in Wales. They were developed following conversion work on road Suzuki machines. A Suzuki 118cc two-stroke engine was used on the Alta. The motorcycle had a dual-range gearbox to supplement the the three-speed one, so that it offered both high and low sets of ratios. The machine had a light-alloy monocoque frame. •1970 The frame became tubular. Significant increases in costs brought the production of Alta to an end as the motorcycles would have priced themselves out of the market.
