South Africa Motorcycle Trials: Sport growing rapidly despite challenges

World
Europe

02:12

Motorcycle Trials are still mostly unknown in South Africa and its often taken up as a Sunday morning hobby. There are a few riders who compete professionally, but they have to go overseas to places like the U.S. or Europe to compete. CGTN's Julie Scheier explains how this timed event can go into another gear in the country.

Unlike other motorcycle sports, trials are not about speed. It's about perseverance and skilled handling. (But it's enough to get your blood pumping). Riders maneuver their motorbikes around a tough obstacle course with very little margin for error. Bruce Le Riche is one of South Africa's top riders.

BRUCE LE RICHE SOUTH AFRICAN MOTORCYCLIST "You've gotta be, do more with the body than what the bike actually provides. So we don't rely on speed, pace or anything to carry us over rocks. So, it's more of a finesse kind of sport, not just ramming the bike through and trying to get through as quick as possible."

The aim is simple, the competitor with the least points wins. Riders must keep their feet on the bike at all times. Only the tyres can make contact with the track or they risk accumulating penalty points.

BRUCE LE RICHE SOUTH AFRICAN MOTORCYCLIST "Here you've got 10 sections, and for nationals, we'll have 12 or 15, so it's set sections around a mountain, four laps around them and then inside each competition, you'll have four different levels. And it doesn't go on age, it goes on skill level."

The daredevil sport is garnering more interest among South Africans.

PIETER JAMNECK "You need to balance. You need to think. You need to go slowly and anticipate, and know what you're doing, and have control over the bike."

KENNY THACKWRAY "You've got different classes. You can go from relatively easy to really hard. So, if you look at the masters, that's very hard, and it takes a lot of dedication and time."

ALISON SIMPSON "So, my dad got me into it. He's been riding for 35 years. And when I was about 12, I wanted a bike. My brother was riding. I wanted a bike. I wanted a bike, and then he finally got me one. And I just love the sport."

JULIE SCHEIER JOHANNESBURG "Sadly, there's very little focus on these trials, in Africa, which makes it difficult for riders like Le Riche to benchmark themselves and compete internationally. JS CGTN, JHB, SA."