Hall of Fame Trialss

Al Perrett - Class of 2018

Vada — Fri, 25 Jan 2019 18:33:21 +0000

Al Perrett - Class of 2018 Vada Fri, 01/25/2019 - 13:33

From the day that Al was offered a ride on a 250 BSA, he was hooked

From the day that someone offered Al Perrett a ride on a 250 BSA, he was hooked. He was only 14 but thought that motorcycles were awesome. Motorcycles however, would have to wait as his love of skiing got in the way. He competed from the age of 16 until he was 22, even trying out for the Olympics in 1961.

Al tried working at various jobs but was not enthused and his brother suggested he go into the motorcycle business. In 1966, he borrowed $4000 from the bank, bought five little Suzukis and opened a small shop in Richmond. It didn’t take long before he moved to larger quarters selling Yamahas. Money was tight but Al bought out Tyne Side Repairs, a long-time established dealership. This purchase saved his bacon as he had truck loads of parts for sale and was soon able to pay off the bank as well as Deeleys for the Yamahas. He was even able to move to a larger location.

Al purchased a Montessa and started motocross racing at Totem Raceway in Aldergrove. MX was OK but Al’s preference was cross country and he raced the Ashcroft cross country event numerous times, coming close but never winning.

In 1972, Al sold his Yamaha shop and moved to Kamloops starting Kamloops Honda. Now he was able to compete more and won his first cross country race.

Dan Amor talked Al into going to the Six Days Trials in Italy in 1974. All he had was an XL350 which he put aluminum bars on, Koni shocks and a Snuff-or-not muffler. He made it to day 5 but crashed, landing in the hospital for a couple of days. Al thought this was such a great event that he continued to race the ISDT over the next decade. At the Isle of Man in 1975, he earned a Bronze medal and a Silver in Austria in 1975. He entered the 1977 Czech event and the 1980 one in France but broke down both times and did not finish. Day 5 must have been his unlucky number as his DNF’s and crash all happened on that day.

Al was so impressed with the ISDT events that he organized two-day qualifier events in Kamloops and encouraged a lot of the local riders to go to the 6 days. He also did a lot of trail work with many dedicated riders and organized many races over the years.

In 1973 and 1975, Al was offered a Harley-Davidson franchise and turned it down. In 1977, Don James made him an offer he couldn’t refuse – 6 prepaid Harleys, no interest, pay when you sell them and ship them back collect if it doesn’t work out. This was one of Al’s best business decisions.

In 1986, a disastrous fire destroyed the business. Robyn Muglich, a longtime employee and Shirley Perrett worked tirelessly with Al without pay, to salvage as much as they could. Things worked out and the business slowly grew and thrived again.

Kamloops Harley-Davidson was the sponsor for the Harley Owners Group from 1988 to 2016. This chapter raised $850,000 for Muscular Dystrophy. Their poker runs have been amazing with one event raffling off ten Harleys. Over the years, the dealership donated many gifts as well as cash to local charities. These donations as well as the HOG events helped to support and benefit the community.

In 1990, Al rode his first Baja 1000 and finished! He was hooked! He has competed in 17 Baja races with different team mates over the years winning class 50 and 60 numerous times. His last race was in 2012. Al grew to love the Baja and eventually bought some property and built a small house there where he spends his winters.

In 2003, Al wanted to start a small ride for close friends and family at Sun Peaks. It is called “Round the Peaks” and has been an annual event ever since.

Many riders have been inspired and encouraged by Al over the years which he didn’t realize until lately when people started to express this to him.

Al is very proud that he survived 50 years in the motorcycle business through some very tough times. According to Malcolm Hunter, “His customer service is legendary and has been the cornerstone of his success from the start.” The business grew from 2-4 people and had 28 employees when he sold to Barnes Harley-Davidson in 2016.

Al is grateful he could follow his passion for motorcycles as a career.

Dave Rhodes - Class of 2018

Vada — Fri, 25 Jan 2019 19:51:28 +0000

Dave Rhodes - Class of 2018 Vada Fri, 01/25/2019 - 14:51

Dave got the first TY250 out of the crate and was the first to loop one over backwards

Dave Rhodes was welcomed to Canada in March 3, 1965 by 20 Below Zero Temperatures and a typical Southern Alberta Winter. Dave was accompanied by wife Barb and a babe–in-arms and exclaimed, “What have I done!!!” On the plus side, a new beginning was waiting at a graphics company in Calgary.

Dave got the bike-bug early, just 15 years old and had become a keen trials enthusiast and accomplished rider. In Calgary, he discovered a different situation: Walt Healy Motorcycles and the Calgary Motorcycle Club. Healys had long been an Indian icon and the Calgary Motorcycle Club dabbled in road rides, hill climbs and scrambles.

The DT1 changed dirt bike world, Walt Healy became a prolific Yamaha dealer and Dave Rhodes was to take the Calgary Motorcycle Club in a new direction. Trials was now the real game with Bultacos, Montesas and the odd Ossa.

Year round events appeared on the calendar. Not only did Dave organize and lay out events, he was a keen competitor topping the Expert Class often. Dave was a recognized force first on Bultaco, then Montesa, and back to Bultaco. In 1971, Dave began the import of “Special Trials Parts” from Sammy Miller in England who was the trials phenom in the 60s.

At the same time, with his photographic and journo background from the U.K., Dave was reporting on Alberta events for “Canadian Motorcycling,” later Cycle CMA. Dave also wrote for the new tabloid CYCLE Canada.

Dave became sales rep for Yamaha across Western Canada. This coincided with intro of the Yamaha TY250 Trials. Dave got the first one out of the crate and became the first to loop a new TY over backwards. The bonus in 1974 was meeting Mick Andrews and organizing a trials demo at Calgarys’ Blackfoot Motorcycle Park. Dave and Mick became lifelong friends.

In 1975, The FIM put observed trials into World Championship status. Two events were scheduled in North America. The first was in Calgary organized by the Calgary Motorcycle Club at the Bragg Creek venue. Dave Rhodes was the Clerk of the Course and had laid out 40 sections over a 70 mile loop!! All the big names were there including Vesterinen, little known at the time. They were introduced to muskeg and bear repellent! The balance of the entry were Canucks and American hopefuls. The day was a success with Vesty taking the win with 41 points and discovering the bear repellent was actually bug spray.

Trials world went to the background for Dave with intro of the Yamaha IT Enduro bikes. He was full on promoting, riding, and competing. He was riding 100 mile plus Cross Country courses in the Bragg Creek, Ghost, and Waiporous areas. Dave, with his trials background, excelled in XC Racing. In 1976, former World MC Champ, Jeff Smith, was at the famous Moose Mountain Cross Country race in Alberta. He finished 2^nd overall while Dave finished 6^th out of 172 starters, mounted on the all new Yamaha IT 400.

Yamaha corporate executives were highly impressed with Dave Rhodes writing $100,000 plus orders on napkins in the back corner of Cafés. Next for Dave, it was to Wales and the 1983 version of the ISDE. Dave was manager for the Yamaha Team. Canada’s Silver Vase Team placed second overall. The Team and Dave garnered the Watling Trophy for most improved performance.

Dave & family left Airdrie, Alberta in 1981 for the sunny Okanagan and Vernon, BC. Dave left Yamaha in 1984. In 1987, Dave started OUTLaw Accessories. He also initiated the Kelowna Trials Club and brought trials to the Okanagan Valley.

For Dave, there was new light on the horizon when he received a call from Don Clark, Mountain Motorcycles in Coquitlam. Clark wanted OUTLaw to market the bikes, parts and accessories from Okanagan east through Western Canada. Dave now became trials specific as OUTLaw TRIALSport. During three decades, Dave and OUTLaw have supported, encouraged, trained, and sponsored observed trials and trials riders from Section Start to Section End and are still as active as ever through World Trials Canada.

Dave Rhodes and his ageless passion and enthusiasm is getting up in years but Dave is always keen on the sport, the riders, the chat, the friendship, the camaraderie, and of course next years’ bikes…

Zdeno Syrovy - Class of 2013

admin — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 16:25:11 +0000

Zdeno Syrovy - Class of 2013 admin Wed, 10/25/2017 - 12:25

Making a name for himself in Canada

Zdeno Syrovy burst into the headlines in Canada in 1969, a new force in motocross who had just recently arrived from his birthplace in what was then Czechoslovakia. “I landed in Toronto with four dollars in my pocket,” he once told an interviewer. “I didn’t know anyone and didn’t speak any English.” Over the next six months he attended language school and washed dishes for a dollar an hour. He was only 21 years old but already an experienced motorcyclist, motocross racer and army veteran.

It was natural that his first motorcycle at age 15 was a Czech-made Jawa, a little 50 cc machine bought by his father. On it he won the Czech championship for the 50 cc class in 1962. Young Zdeno also racked up three hefty speeding fines and his father responded by selling the machine. A year later, Zdeno met a fellow Czech named John Sasman who raced motorcycles. The two hit it off and spent two years racing and building motorcycles together, which is where Zdeno really learned his craft. During this time, competing in 50 cc, 250 cc and 500 cc classes, he racked up 39 firsts, 17 second and 9 third place finishes.

At age 18 he received a call-up notice from the Czech army, though in his case it meant not parade drills and digging trenches but 24 months on the race track. His racing program had official sanction because in those days manufacturing motocross bikes was an important industry and in competition events national pride was at stake. Zdeno placed ninth overall in the expert class national championship in 1968, a momentous year in his home country.

It was a time when Czechoslovakia was starting to throw off the yoke of post-war Russian domination and the Prague Spring of 1968 was marked by political turmoil, ultimately crushed by Soviet tanks. There was a wave of emigration and once out of the army, Zdeno applied for landed immigrant status in Canada. Within a month he was on his way to a new life in a strange country.

It didn’t take long before Zdeno began making a name for himself in Canada. His previous experience gave him a head start but he had obstacles to overcome. Lack of a motorcycle was one, but in his first visit to a race as a spectator he met two-time world champion Bill Nilsson, who was helping to establish the Husqvarna brand in Canada. Zdeno presented his credentials and Nilsson offered a tryout at the next race weekend in Barrie. Zdeno proved to be on the pace with the Swedish champion and was offered a ride on a 250 cc Husky.

Back in Peterborough at the next race Zdeno won the junior class but within two weeks was bumped to expert, in which he placed second. He was on his way. Later that summer he travelled to Edmonton for the Canadian championships in which he emerged the winner in 250 cc expert. It almost didn’t happen as on Sunday morning his engine seized in practice. He was able to borrow another competitor’s bike and although it was missing second gear, Zdeno secured the national championship.

He then rode under the Canadian flag at an international race in Denmark, placing fourth before going to West Germany to compete in the International Six Days Trial. There his luck ran out as the motorcycle arrived a day late and he was forced into a spectator role. He returned home and rode on the Canadian team against the Americans in the international challenge series at Copetown, Ont. which the Canadians won. Zdeno counts that and the national championship as his biggest thrills.

For 1970 he was sponsored by the CZ importer on 250 and 360 cc machines. At the open class championship race in Barrie he won and was awarded the trophy, but three hours later it was taken away. The race had 18 starters but only five finishers, and the CMA rule book dictated that there had to be six for the results to be official.

Zdeno the racer began making way for Zdeno the businessman. He started as partner in a motorcycle shop in Parry Sound, Ont. Wanting to work in a larger market, he sold his share and moved to Guelph, Ont., to become successful as a franchised dealer for Honda. His racing career wound down as the business expanded, eventually handling Honda and Suzuki and employing as many as 24 staff. He relocated to Kitchener in 1984, where Zdeno Cycle is still located, and in 1987 passed ownership of the business to his sister Jerry Repas, who continues to operate the used bike, salvage and accessories business. Sponsorship of promising young racers is still a priority for the shop today.