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ADV VideosA Wacky Coast-To-Coast Adventure on Trials Bikes

A Wacky Coast-To-Coast Adventure on Trials Bikes

Try crossing a country with no seat, .8 gallon fuel tank and 30 mph top speed.

Published on 05.11.2015

There’s no doubt that innovative technologies have helped to power adventure riding to new horizons by creating a complete package that includes a modern suspension, state-of-the-art engine, long distance tank and a seat made for comfort.

But what happens when you challenge the orthodoxy, and opt for a motorcycle singularly unsuited to long distance touring; a trials bike? According to the antics of two Englishmen on a coast-to-coast crossing of northern England, it becomes an unforgettable stand-up adventure, astride a Montessa Cota 315.

For extra spice, the trip from Whitley Bay on the North Sea to Morecambe Bay on the Irish Sea is undertaken during winter. True to form, a snowfall during the overnight stop makes progress a lot more slippery the next morning.


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Montessa 315 trials bike

Not that the seasonal preference makes a difference to the challenges of putting a trials bike through some unfamiliar paces. Designed to hop, skip and jump over tricky obstacles, the 250 cc single is not made for distances longer than the length of a trials course. Similarly, the top speed of 30 mph (50 km/h) and a .8 gallon (3 liter) tank, makes for a slow journey with numerous fuel stops, while luggage is strapped to the handlebars. And then there’s the stand-up riding position, at least for the architect of this mad-cap adventure on his standard Montessa, while his riding buddy opts for a seat and larger tank on his Beta.

They may be covering a relatively small distance, but are exploring some spectacular tracks and trails through the rugged English countryside, thanks to the go-anywhere Montessa and Beta trials bikes. With it comes an intimate appreciation of a trials bike’s unique characteristics that, in the hands of a skilled rider, make for one heck of an off-road adventure.

This is a smile-on-the-dial kind of trip, one cannot but grin at the fun-loving wackiness of it. Above all, they show that an adventure is what one makes of it, even standing up.

Author: Derek Alberts
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