2015 marks the thirtieth anniversary of Jordi Tarrés’ debut in the Trial World Championship, where he would be active as a rider for twelve years. During that time he won seven world titles, although what really set him apart as a rider was his ability to reinvent Trial as a sport. Since 1997 we have seen him as sporting director and, more recently, as the father of the development of two trial bikes: Jotagas and TRS.
Due to his trajectory, knowledge of the sector and how decisive his figure is for this sport, we have sat down with Jordi Tarrés in an exclusive interview to talk about his latest and most ambitious project: TRS.
TRS is a brand of Trial motorcycles that has presented in mid-2015 its first project,
TRS One
, which is expected to enter production by the end of this year. In addition, the team captained by Jordi Tarrés has just added Adam Raga to its ranks, the only rider who in recent seasons has been able to regularly overshadow the magnificent Toni Bou.
We have talked about all this and much more with Tarrés himself in the interview that you can read below:
INTERVIEW WITH JORDI TARRÉS – 26 SEPTEMBER
TRIALWORLD: How did the TRS project come about?
JORDI TARRÉS: TRS was born because during my stay in Jotagas we wanted to finish the job. Initially, we were looking at the possibility of recovering Jotagas because an investment had been made with several partners, but we discarded it because the name had been burned quite a bit and after doing the numbers it was better for us to start again from scratch.
With TRS I started working on a prototype of a motorcycle with some ideas I had and when I had it in my hands I realized that I had something special and that ended up driving us.
It has been a very motivating project because from the beginning we have controlled all the phases a lot, from the design, through the engineering, suppliers, factory…
TW: What is TRS going to bring to the Trial market? How are we fans going to benefit?
JT: As in all markets, there are always different visions. We are clear that there is a fairly large gap for a bike that has great performance, a lot of reliability and good finishes. Right now, from my point of view, there are motorcycles with very good finishes and quality, but they don’t give you so much performance, either because of age, weight…
The fact of having started with a project from scratch allows you to make a very small engine, with very current technology, but without overdoing it, although obviously we are also thinking about injection, but it implies much more development, cost and that you may not go to the market from the first moment with the features that the user expects.
What have we looked for? A competitive price, performance, reliability and finishes of what is expected from a modern motorcycle. We have also tried to make sure that everything is in its place and provides a great feeling. I can assure you that we have not skimped on anything when it comes to creating a quality and reliable product.
The TRS isn’t a futuristic bike, it’s a modern bike.
TW: You’ve been a key figure in the evolution of riding styles in Trial. Interestingly, the average fan identifies more with your style than riding most of the time on one wheel like the “top” does. How can a bike be made capable of satisfying two such different audiences?
JT: We are very clear that the bike must be designed for the amateur who has a medium-low level, but we also know that we can take advantage of the highest level. We want it to be an easy, docile, effective bike and then with four small modifications you can be racing in the World Championship.
How is this achieved? Starting from a good base, with soft and progressive suspensions, as well as a very manageable chassis. The TRS is not designed with Raga in mind, but with the customer in mind. Professional riders are a showcase, but I can tell you that if an amateur were to take his bike he would find himself overwhelmed and uncomfortable.
TW: About technology. We have a market where 4-stroke and 2-stroke engines, carburetors and injection coexist. Is there really a more effective combination? What do you think about the injection?
JT: Injection is the future. Among other things because, theoretically, it will allow you to inject in a more precise way the amount of gasoline you inject in each rev. It is also true that until everything is very well controlled, the caburador is giving us better performance, price and ease of maintenance.
At the moment, and until proven otherwise, carburetor bikes, such as TRS, Gas Gas, Beta, Sherco, Scorpa and Jotagas, for me are giving better performance than bikes with the Ossa. Vertigo I don’t know yet because it’s a prototype. As soon as we see that the injection provides the features we are looking for and the price is affordable, we will incorporate it. In the meantime, it doesn’t make sense.
TW: What expectations do you have for TRS?
JT: We see ourselves capable of doing a good job, we have a lot of experience, we are professionals, we have resources and our job is to consolidate everything I am talking about so that the client perceives us that way. Until some time passes and people gain confidence in us, there will be a period. A brand is more than a motorcycle, it is the service, the warranty, the spare parts, the image that we project of seriousness. Our goal is to provide a great service beyond the moment of the sale of the product.
TW: The signing of Raga is a big boost for the team. In Jotagas the entry into competition was more prudent with the signing of Pol Tarrés, while now you have in the ranks the rider with the most aspirations of surpassing Toni Bou. Does this add extra pressure to the project?
JT: For us, having Raga is very positive. It wasn’t in our plans, as it depended on Gas Gas’ situation. Now it allows us to have a very important customer-facing showcase. Although people may think that it is a very different bike to the production one, the reality is that it only incorporates a few modifications and has already raced satisfactorily in the Trial of Nations.
Without a doubt, having a rider who demands the maximum from a factory is good to assess in terms of reliability and development. It’s always easier to get your hands on a more advanced development and cap it for the stock bike, than not to have it at all.
TW: Adam Raga is putting a lot of pressure on Toni Bou and is actually winning races in the Trial World Championship. Does TRS have the weapons to make Adam Raga World Champion?
JT: These are big words. We all know that Bou is an incredible rider in great form. Adam is the rider who has put up the most face on him, and he has done it always riding the same bike, with many years of problems of all kinds, with a bad economic situation…
This new situation with a professional, reliable team and new features on the bike tells us that it will be up to the task. Just by watching him in training you can see that he is doing the same areas as with the Gas Gas and even some better. I don’t know if it’s motivation or because the bike really offers him that extra he needs. That’s why we’re here, in the Spanish Championship, to keep working. The bike is not 100% finished, but I am very comfortable with the reliability of the bike.
TW: What advice would you give to someone who wants to get started in Trial?
JT: Let him give it a try. We have gone through very bad times, when I started I also suffered a moment of crisis with brands and participation. There have always been cycles and why not now there may be a new impetus with the arrival of more fans. If we are getting more access to the mountains, together with the fact that people move to have schools or promote regional competitions, my advice is to go for it. Trial is a brutal sport.
Photos: courtesy of Marc Forn Farrés. Portfolio: www.flickr.com/photos/mforn
