Your Majesty

Yamaha TY250 Majesty,circa 1984;

MAJESTY – the subject,an acronym, a mix of the producers names

–Mick Andrews/John E Shirt:/ TY–Geddit?

John Shirt,the Gas Gas importer based in Buxton

was originally the Yamaha trials importer.

Shirty was a good Trials rider

(and of course his son John Shirt Junior-a great triallist himself)

John senior developed the Majesty

with the help of trials legend Mick Andrews.

Totally reliable,

and a steady  ride for clubmen

the TY250 was a favourite for many years.

To extend its popularity,

prior to the introduction of the monoshock TY ,

the pair modified the original TY

and sold Majesty kits

to customise a standard TY.

So easy to ride and so reliable ,

I did several enduros on a standard TY250

fitted witha modified Bultaco motocross seat

for added comfort on road sections.

The torquey,low geared motor and very light weight

paid dividends in muddy going,

often getting through boggy sections

while the modified motocrossers were diggging huge holes for themselves.

I remember doing the first Tarenig Enduro in mid Wales.

Very early in the year,

there was still snow on the tops of the hills.

Incredibly muddy and steep

I was doing alright-slow but steady;

The meeting was abandoned

as a blizzzard on the tops stopped play;

Several bikes were abandoned

and  a  few near fatal hypotherrmia  cases

made it a near run thing.

I think after that the event was held later in the year.

Heres a picture of me

leaving a very muddy section

at a winter road trial in Shropshire.

Check out the “chemical oversuit and NCB wellies!

Trials riding ,of course,requires perfect balance…………..