Scottish Trial Pre-65 Feature

This year 2011 marks the 100th anniversary of the SSDTs, the famous Scottish Six Days Trial, the oldest trial event in the world and one of the most important in the annual calendar.
It is a race that is prepared in a special way, enjoyed in a special way and the memory is so special that it is never forgotten. At Trialworld we have the pleasure of being able to tell you the beautiful history of SSDTs in the “pre-65” category through a great fan that many of you will know, Javier Cruz, which tells us about his experience and funny anecdotes among the everlasting Scottish moss, the rain, the blackwaters and the rattle of valve engines.
Don’t miss the impressive photo gallery of the “Pre 65” SSDTs that Javier has prepared for us.

Text and photos: Javier Cruz
Surely the trialist is not truthful to say that it has never crossed his mind to race in the SSDT. It would not be believable to hear a trialist say that he has never dreamed of seeing himself tracing with his bike the famous areas of Caolasnacoan, Pipeline or Sleubaich in the Mamore Valley, or perhaps plough the mudflats of the moors of sacred Ben Nevis or jump the dreaded black mudflats in the vicinity of Blackwater Damm after a harsh winter of snow and rain. Surely a trial rider of a certain age will also be untruthful to say that the hoarse sound of the engine of an Ariel, Matchless, Norton or AJS does not excite him, especially if that sound is heard in Scotland.
Carlos, a brother of mine fifteen years older than me, had a Triumph Cub with which he did trials and excursions on Mount Abantos in El Escorial back in the 60s. Charles was in Scotland in the SSDT, not racing the race, although he did have the opportunity to cross the mudflats with his bike and see the areas live and chat with some of the most charismatic riders of the time such as Sammy Miller or the then young Mick Andrews.
I remember when I was a child he would tell me stories of what Scotland was like, its mountains, its lochs, its valleys and its wild nature, stories about the huge English single-cylinder bikes and their special hoarse, low sound, stories about the areas lost in the wilderness, about how the bikes avoided the wet stones and torrents of icy water, about how the exhausted riders never gave up despite all the difficulties and tried to finish the race no matter what. Stories in the end of the oldest, toughest and most famous trial in the world. Charles promised me that sooner or later he would take me to Scotland.
It was very clear to me since then that Scotland and its trial was one of the goals to achieve. My opportunity to run the SSDT came late, I was doing trials in the 70’s and early 80’s and due to various circumstances I was never able to fulfill my dream. My brother Carlos left in a car accident after an eventful life; the beginning of my working life with many trips abroad, and the time that never forgives, made both trial and Scottish dreams lose all their meaning.
 
But years later, circumstances changed. Those trialists who so many years ago were lucky enough to participate in this unique event began to dream again of their trial. The spirit of self-improvement and adventure that SSDTs have always meant ran through their veins and they deeply longed to feel again in first person what it was like to ride the Highlands on their bikes, but on their bikes of that time, on the bikes that still resonated in their memories.
 
To recover the old bikes, to spend more than six hours a day on them again in the places of that time, to compete as in the past and to give a second chance to all those who lost it in the past; This is how the Scottish Pre65 Two Days Trial was born, the classic trial with the most flavour and tradition in the world. Not because of its organization, not because of the marking of its sections, the Scottish Pre65 is the best classic trial only because of the history behind it, because of the riders who race there and especially because of the places it runs and the areas that are tackled; Exactly the same areas that were done back then and with the same bikes.
The conditions to participate in this trial are simple; be resident in a country of the European Union, be 18 years old on the day of the start of the trial, be in possession of a motorcycle driving license, have a trial license in order and an exit permit from your Federation. Anyone who fulfills these premises can theoretically fulfill their dream.
Actually, when the time comes, getting a place in this trial is not an easy thing. Year after year, the number of requests for a place doubles the number of places offered by the organization. There are only 180 places available due to the Traffic Regulations in Scotland as part of the route is by road. The organization receives an average of more than 300 applications each year. Such is the success of this trial that the organization reserves the right of admission and reserves the right to give a place to the riders it deems appropriate. Once those places have been allocated by Edinburgh & District Motor Club, the remaining places are awarded by lottery.
This raffle is carried out taking into account and trying to accommodate riders of all nationalities, the largest possible number of motorcycle brands and with participants in all the categories that convene. They always try to give everyone a chance to race there at least once.
There is only one layout of zones, the same level for a round robin, but more than eleven categories depending on the size of the bike’s displacement and its damping.
At the beginning of October, the documents to get a place in the trial are usually available on the website of the www.ssdt.org club and they reflect all the administrative and technical requirements of the motorcycles that the club establishes for your trial. Fair to some, unfair to others, the requirements are what they are and anyone who wants to run the Scottish Pre65 must stick to them, and once you sign the document you accept these conditions and accept their compliance if you get a place.
To get a seat, go to Scotland and find yourself lying up there, lost in the moors of Meall Na Chruaide because the bike has said enough is a unique experience. Not even in the worst nightmares of the trial would you want to stay lying there, surrounded by stones, mud and the occasional red deer, lying in a place where practically no one can give you a hand, where only the riders pass by and all of them tired and worried about their own bike and getting out of there without wasting too much time; I comment this from my own experience, and that is why I recommend having the bike well tuned and checked as something fundamental in the Scottish Pre65, since a breakdown in certain places can turn this trial into a real hell.
Preparing a bike that is so old is not an easy task as its reliability can be compromised at any time and without warning. That’s why it’s advisable to carry a small supply of basic tools and accessories just in case. As well as a long leash in case you have to ask someone to be towed…
In my case I like to take more or less new tires, revised spokes to avoid punctures, retighten all the nuts and bolts, new cables as well as spark plugs and freshly applied oils and check that both the engine and the forks do not have oil leaks, something really complicated on an English motorcycle. In fact, the English say of their motorcycles that if they don’t leak oil it’s because they don’t have anything left inside.
The Scots who know their stones, as well as the drivers who opt for a good classification, usually use pressures 0.4 at the front and 0.35 at the rear, although I prefer to avoid punctures and use 0.45 and 0.4 and the truth is that I have never had problems with grip on the rocks, although I have to admit that in Segovia the wet stones slip much more than in Scotland.
The cushions should be soft. Very soft, and able to swallow anything, the 30 zones that are made a day are full of stones, stones and more stones. So it’s better to have a low center of gravity on the bike. All the sections are uphill, although it is advisable to have acceptable brakes as getting down from the Pipeline is more difficult than going up it, and if you do the 7 kilometers of muddy descent from Callart Pass to the Kinlochleven road it is advisable that the bike brakes.
I remember a couple of years ago descending with all the caution in the world so as not to ram me on a light James, like this hillside of the Callart Pass It was very muddy, I remember how I was overtaken by an English rider on a heavy Matchless squeezing both brakes to the limit and how the wheels were totally nailed sliding downhill at high speed as if the bike were a sled. I can’t forget the pilot’s face, I imagine that at that moment he was praying everything he knew. He ended up taking a bath in the bed of a small roll to get to stop.
I also remember how on that same descent I saw the BSA of my friend Carlos Bosch; that it was being used by an American pilot that year; braking head-on against some rocks to stop, and I heard the subsequent curse that the rider dedicated to the brakes…
I also like to carry a small backpack with some tools and spare parts, as well as a couple of energy bars and a drink in case my strength falters. I always try to leave the backpack aside in the areas and do them without their weight on my back.
Physically I don’t do any special preparation, although I am acceptably fit for my age and I play several sports regularly. Any rider who wants to try should know that it is convenient to be in shape and have a certain background and trial level on the bike, since the sections are not easy and sections and intersections can become exhausting if you have problems in them.
I’ve already raced in Scotland eight times but it’s like a drug, it always tastes like little, you always want more. The poison of Scotland has been running through my veins for a long time, the Scottish Pre 65 is a unique and recommended experience for any trialer of a certain age who has ever dreamed of doing the mythical sections, or for any young trialist who is excited by the hoarse sound of a huge English four-stroke engine and enjoys non-stop trial in its purest form.
Javier Cruz
 
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