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An Exclusive Interview with 1981 World Trials Champion Gilles Burgat
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An Exclusive Interview with 1981 World Trials Champion Gilles Burgat
So much of sport is confidence isn't it?
Yes yes for sure that's why I won in 1981, because I had a lot of confidence.
You think you were as fit as Eddie at the time?. He was was re knowned as being super fit and very athletic?
Yes, I think he was doing a lot of gymnastics, I know he was walking the beam and also working on the bar and on the rings, maybe going over and over and spinning on the bars, maybe he was just so strong at least. Dominique was travelling everywhere with him, he got married very young I think, when he was 20. I remember Dominique, Eddy, Eric, both parents, the mechanic, computer Charlie and more ha ha ha. I think there were about 15 people who came here.
Yes yes for sure that's why I won in 1981, because I had a lot of confidence.
You think you were as fit as Eddie at the time?. He was was re knowned as being super fit and very athletic?
Yes, I think he was doing a lot of gymnastics, I know he was walking the beam and also working on the bar and on the rings, maybe going over and over and spinning on the bars, maybe he was just so strong at least. Dominique was travelling everywhere with him, he got married very young I think, when he was 20. I remember Dominique, Eddy, Eric, both parents, the mechanic, computer Charlie and more ha ha ha. I think there were about 15 people who came here.
Did they stay in hotel or in your house?
I think most of them stayed in hotel, Eddy stayed in the house with me at my parents place but not all of the family.
I think most of them stayed in hotel, Eddy stayed in the house with me at my parents place but not all of the family.
So what happened at the end of 1981 when you made the move to Fantic?
Well at this time I knew the company SWM was not going very well, it had a big strike in the company and they were moving the company to South of Italy. SWM had a big track there and they were having lots of problems and I think they made, I don't know for sure, but I I think they made a big mistake with some mopeds that they invested a lot of money in a big new factory and the sales of these mopeds was not what they were expecting and something like this, so I heard the company was not going so well and Fantic asked me to come and try the motorcycle and just to see what I thought of it. What a motorcycle, we have been looking at, I would see Jaime Subira, the sections and his motorcycle seems to be doing pretty well, so I went there and they gave me a good contract and I said ok I'm going to go for it, they also convince me at this time that SWM was going very bad ha ha ha and I remember at this time that Agrati told me that if I am World Champion with SWM maybe they will stay in business for one more year but I said I will be gone and in the end he was right because the company SWM folder the year after.
Well at this time I knew the company SWM was not going very well, it had a big strike in the company and they were moving the company to South of Italy. SWM had a big track there and they were having lots of problems and I think they made, I don't know for sure, but I I think they made a big mistake with some mopeds that they invested a lot of money in a big new factory and the sales of these mopeds was not what they were expecting and something like this, so I heard the company was not going so well and Fantic asked me to come and try the motorcycle and just to see what I thought of it. What a motorcycle, we have been looking at, I would see Jaime Subira, the sections and his motorcycle seems to be doing pretty well, so I went there and they gave me a good contract and I said ok I'm going to go for it, they also convince me at this time that SWM was going very bad ha ha ha and I remember at this time that Agrati told me that if I am World Champion with SWM maybe they will stay in business for one more year but I said I will be gone and in the end he was right because the company SWM folder the year after.
An Exclusive Interview with 1981 World Trials Champion Gilles Burgat
Before that visit to the factory to see the Fantic, have you ever ridden a Fantic before?
No. I went to the company in the summer of 1981 before I was World Champion and I tried the bike there and I really liked it.
You think it was a better bike than your SWM?
I don't think so no. I think from the sport and the performance point of view, I would have been better on the SWM but I didn't know this at the time. I was confident that I had a good bike but at the beginning the Fantic was for the style of sections I was riding it was not as good as he swm.
No. I went to the company in the summer of 1981 before I was World Champion and I tried the bike there and I really liked it.
You think it was a better bike than your SWM?
I don't think so no. I think from the sport and the performance point of view, I would have been better on the SWM but I didn't know this at the time. I was confident that I had a good bike but at the beginning the Fantic was for the style of sections I was riding it was not as good as he swm.
An Exclusive Interview with 1981 World Trials Champion Gilles Burgat
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An Exclusive Interview with 1981 World Trials Champion Gilles Burgat
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He was very nice at the beginning but it was like a businessman. SWM was more like a family but Agrati was more like a businessman but he was a passionate businessman for sure about trial and he was going to every race and looking. And very passionate about trial and business. The only thing I regret about SWM is when I got injured a couple of years later Fantic cut my contract in to. They said to me that you were going to make this amount of money but now you're only going to make half of it Hahaha and also we are going to get another rider to replace you.
An Exclusive Interview with 1981 World Trials Champion Gilles Burgat
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An Exclusive Interview with 1981 World Trials Champion Gilles Burgat
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But this is maybe normal you say yeah it was a businessman and of course I broke my arm two weeks before the beginning of the season. This all happened at the end of 1983 because at this time I broke my arm in the Solo Moto Indoor Trial at Barcelona. I have a bad crash and it caused my and injury.
What happened?
What happened?