Normally at this point, the writer would postulate several theories, put forward arguments for and against certain aspects, while drawing the reader to their conclusions – after which everyone would think the writer was fabulously knowledgeable and experienced.
As I said, that’s generally what would happen, so, let’s cut straight to it instead and say there’s no such thing as the ideal ISDT motorcycle… there, how’s that?
The focus of the ISDT has changed considerably since its launch in 1913 when a six-day trial was proposed which would build on the success of the already popular ACU Six Day Trial.
The difference being an international element, plus the stipulation machines must be production or production orientated. This last bit allowed for some slight modifications in specification.
In truth, the very early events would be little different from riding on the roads and by-ways used by everyone, so manufacturers would be able to showcase their machines and crow about how they stood up to the elements. The other side of such things is the buying and reading public would see which machines actually stood up to the conditions in the event.
Don’t forget, despite Nottingham’s Radcliffe Road having the distinction of being the world’s first tarmac highway in 1902, this type of road surface was still not common in 1913. A macadam surface would be more common but still not an easy surface to ride on and any public showcase where a maker could claim their machine survived better than the others, had to be good.
In those far off days, motorcycles were starting to have the attributes we’re familiar with, but were still flimsy contraptions and woe betide any owner who left home without a few rudimentary tools, as even the ride toa successful ISDT, or ISDE if you’re a modernist, machine needs to be one of those which are ‘easy to work on.’ This fact has remained relevant in 107 years of the event and is where the legend of four-minute tyre swaps and such things started.
