ROCK HOPPER

I’m a huge fan of trials and hard enduro ace Tim Coleman. Very few riders are as gifted when it comes to the two disciplines and his skills on a bike really have to be seen to be believed. These days, as well as competing, Tim performs stunt shows and hosts a variety of riding clinics both here and overseas, covering off lightweight enduro bikes, large-capacity adventure bikes and trials bikes.

Sherco Australia used Tim’s Trials clinic as the stage to launch two models from its 2022 trials range, giving me the opportunity to not only sample the machinery, but to also get a feel for the type of event Tim runs and if any of those insane skills of his can actually be passed on.

My bike for the day was Sherco’s new Trial 300 ST Factory. And while the day was originally supposed to take place at the brilliant Pacific Park trials facility, it’s been hit hard by the floods, so instead it was held at David Wilson’s Bilpin Moto Park in the Blue Mountains.

Despite looking and performing like no other genre of motorcycle, the skills required to operate a trials bike can be related to all other types of riding. The old saying