About

Who is ixion?...

Ixion is affiliated to Motorcycling New Zealand, our governing body. This means that we comply with all the rules and regulations from MNZ, and have procedures to cover both accident insurance and liability issues.

All riders at one of our events signs a liability disclaimer before they are allowed to compete.

All spectators are reminded that they are only allowed on the property at the land owner’s discretion and that they are there at their own risk (this is specifically signposted at the entrance to the venue).

what is moto trials?...

Moto trials or "Observed Moto Trials" Unlike most other forms of motorcycle sport, MotoTrials is not racing. It is simply you and your bike pitted against the terrain. MotoTrials is a sport of balance, skill and concentration. One at a time, competitors will ride over an obstacle course of boulders, streams, hill climbs, logs, drop offs, and nearly anything else they can find.

the bikes...

Trials (specific) bikes are specially made high-tech machines. Very light (~70kg), low seat height and lots of power. They are usually single cylinder, liquid cooled engines, ranging from 50cc to 300cc capacity. They have lots of ground clearance and suspension travel. Hydraulic disc brakes - front and rear. Tyres are super soft compound, and run tyre pressures of about 4-6 psi. They are very similar to the bikes ridden by world champion riders such as Toni Bou. Modern trials bikes are mostly manufactured in Europe by makes such as Gas Gas, Beta, Scorpa, Montesa, Sherco, TRS, Jotagas and vertigo. Honda and Yamaha also manufacture modern trials bikes.

the sections...

A section is typically a taped out area of natural terrain, incorporating obstacles such as rocks, creeks, mud, tree stumps, etc. Different colour markers within the section determine the passage through the section ("line") a particular graded rider must take. For example an A grade rider will ride between red markers, Intermediate grade follow yellow markers and Clubman grade follow blue markers. Social riders do not need to follow any markers, and can choose any line through the section. The higher the grade, the more difficult the line.

scoring...

A rider "earns" one point each time he/she puts a foot down (a "dab"). After three points in any one section the rider may continue to dab or stop without incurring any more points. If the rider falls off or stalls the bike with their feet on the ground or if the bike moves backwards they are given five points (a "five"). At the end of each lap the section scores are totaled to give a lap score, and when the rider completes the designated number of laps a total score is tallied. The rider with the lowest score is the winner. A typical course consists of 8 - 15 sections spread over an area of varied terrain, with riders completing 3 or 4 laps.