page 3 The best Jordi Tarres Interview ever - June 2012
Jordi is a very welcoming man and we shake hands and he leads the way into his home where he makes us all coffee. It is now that I remember that I have many questions to ask, so I turn on my voice recorder and start
RT – I have so many questions Jordi
Jordi – Ok ,no problem. I make special coffee with ice, we take in summer, I show you.
RT - Are you still involved in SPEA?
Jordi - Yes, Paxau, Paxau is my friend the sponsor. He is a very good friend.
RT - What do your parents do for work, are they still alive
Jordi - My father is retired and my mother has died
RT -What does your father do for work.
Jordi - Now he is retired. Before he drive truck. Some years ago he work in the forest and take out the trees from the forest and after he is full time with the truck
RT - I hear that your mother was the post mistress
Jordi -Yes, my mother was the post woman in Rellinars, some years ago
RT - When you started riding the cyclo trials did your mother and father take you to events, did they drive you there
Jordi - At the start they don’t want to help as my father like to stay here at the weekends and my mother also have many things to make. After i finish school, I want to go to competition. My brother or some friends take me to competitions. After my mother start coming to competition with me and she enjoy this because she makes new friends and every weekend we go with the friends. After she like and she bring me to the competitions
Rt - Did you have weekend jobs. As a boy did you work to earn the money for the cycle or did mum and dad say here is bike, here is bike.
Jordi - No, when I was very young my father and mother are not so rich, normal. I want a motorcycle but they say no, because I am not a good student.
RT - You play at school and mess around?
Jordi - No, because I like, I am not interested and I do not like a lot at school. All I think about is the motorcycle and they say to me you make good student and you can have a bike. This was not possible and after the primary exams at school I start working making houses.
Rt - How old were you?
Jordi - 14, I finish school. You are obligated to stay at school until 14. After it is better for me as I win some money and I buy my first motorcycle and start training and after some time I sell my bike. This is the first and the last one as I sell only one bike.
Rt - Who was your motorcycle hero as a boy. I know there is a famous poster of you looking at the top trials stars, but who was your hero as a boy? In England everyones hero was Jordi Tarres, you know
Jordi - I have no hero. I live in a very small town, we have no TV and we have no journal, you know and I don’t know many things about motorcycle competition. I know because my brother make trial with his friends. My idol is my brother because that is what I see, not Eddy Lejuene or Vesterenan. After a while I know a little bit, you know here is very small town and we have no journal and no information. Me, I think I am the best in the world on the bicycle
Rt - Did you go practicing down by the factory down at the bottom with the water wheel.
Jordi - Yes, yes, many times, all the time, when I finish work I go and ride, I practise.
RT – I have so many questions Jordi
Jordi – Ok ,no problem. I make special coffee with ice, we take in summer, I show you.
RT - Are you still involved in SPEA?
Jordi - Yes, Paxau, Paxau is my friend the sponsor. He is a very good friend.
RT - What do your parents do for work, are they still alive
Jordi - My father is retired and my mother has died
RT -What does your father do for work.
Jordi - Now he is retired. Before he drive truck. Some years ago he work in the forest and take out the trees from the forest and after he is full time with the truck
RT - I hear that your mother was the post mistress
Jordi -Yes, my mother was the post woman in Rellinars, some years ago
RT - When you started riding the cyclo trials did your mother and father take you to events, did they drive you there
Jordi - At the start they don’t want to help as my father like to stay here at the weekends and my mother also have many things to make. After i finish school, I want to go to competition. My brother or some friends take me to competitions. After my mother start coming to competition with me and she enjoy this because she makes new friends and every weekend we go with the friends. After she like and she bring me to the competitions
Rt - Did you have weekend jobs. As a boy did you work to earn the money for the cycle or did mum and dad say here is bike, here is bike.
Jordi - No, when I was very young my father and mother are not so rich, normal. I want a motorcycle but they say no, because I am not a good student.
RT - You play at school and mess around?
Jordi - No, because I like, I am not interested and I do not like a lot at school. All I think about is the motorcycle and they say to me you make good student and you can have a bike. This was not possible and after the primary exams at school I start working making houses.
Rt - How old were you?
Jordi - 14, I finish school. You are obligated to stay at school until 14. After it is better for me as I win some money and I buy my first motorcycle and start training and after some time I sell my bike. This is the first and the last one as I sell only one bike.
Rt - Who was your motorcycle hero as a boy. I know there is a famous poster of you looking at the top trials stars, but who was your hero as a boy? In England everyones hero was Jordi Tarres, you know
Jordi - I have no hero. I live in a very small town, we have no TV and we have no journal, you know and I don’t know many things about motorcycle competition. I know because my brother make trial with his friends. My idol is my brother because that is what I see, not Eddy Lejuene or Vesterenan. After a while I know a little bit, you know here is very small town and we have no journal and no information. Me, I think I am the best in the world on the bicycle
Rt - Did you go practicing down by the factory down at the bottom with the water wheel.
Jordi - Yes, yes, many times, all the time, when I finish work I go and ride, I practise.
2 other PHOTOS OF THIS AREA
HERE IS THE VIDEO OF JORDI PRACTICING AT THE SAME PLACE BACK IN 1987
Rt - How long were you building the houses
Jordi - I make one year and I am training also and making some competition and after Antonio Trueba is the Beta competition manager and he want to be the importer of the Beta. He knows me because my brother came to buy things from his shop. My brother has trial bike and he go there to buy parts. My brother say to Antonio, my brother he is very good on the bicycle. Please look him and see you if can help. One Saturday I go to the shop and I make some exhibition and Antonio Trueba say go to some competition and I put some stickers on my bike and I earn a little bit. I am very happy because Trueba make it possible
RT- How old were you
Jordi - I think about 14 or 15 years. I start with Trueba on the bicycle. Many people say , what I know is good for the Trial. The best at the moment was Andrew Cordina. After he go with Montesa. He was a good champion in the trial. Trueba say, please you buy a motorcycle, I make very good price and I take a bike from trueba. I do take a motorcycle out before this. It was my brothers. I take this out when he go to the discotech. I say come on, come on go.
RT- What was the bike he had
Jordi -A montesa 349. Trueba say to me, I have very good motorcycle for you. He sell me, I pay him part of this money every month
RT-What bike was that
Jordi - It was a white Montesa 349
Jordi - Trueba make special preparation for the bike. He change a little the swinging arm and the frame. Me, I go the competition with this bike
RT - How old was your brother when you were 14
Jordi - My brother is 4 years more.
JT-When you go to the trial were you winning straight away and beating him
Jordi - Yes. He saw my level when I go on military service for 1 year when he was 19 years. When he come back after I year I am riding better than him.
RT-You were hopping your bicycle. When you go to the motorcycle were you confident to use these tricks in motorcycle competition?
Jordi - I was very young and I don’t think about this. It was easy. I just ride how it is easy for me. I enjoy it and riding the motorcycle this way. It is my style, it is not me thinking I want to make tricks. I was very young and this was my style. In the beginning everybody say “No make difficult, no move the bike”. Many people say “You have to make trial normal”, but no I think what I want. In the first competition I make mistakes, but when I get confident with the new style for me it is easy, because it is my style.
RT- Did you ever look at the sections and think “Oh my God, I am scared “. Where you ever scared in the sections?
Jordi - Yeah yeah, yeah. I am not afraid. When I was very young I look at the sections and think they are very difficult. We prepare for this. With training, it makes you better. When you are there you are confident but all the time you know the danger is there, because if you don’t know this you crash.
Some times people say to me this is very dangerous because you have to go very fast, but you have to think a lot about what you do and the body position and what you have to do.
RT- Antonio Truba helped you and then Pedro Oll helped you?
Jordi - Yes, Pedro is living is the same city as Trueba in Abreda, it is about 20 kilometre from here. They were born in the same city. Pedro Oll is working for Beta. He is working on the production of the bike and riding and sometimes he work in the shop preparing his bike. He gets the bike from Italy and prepares the bike in the shop. Sometimes when I go there Saturday he look at me and he say it is Tarres, he is riding very good on bicycle. Some times of motorcycle we go training and he can see I ride at a very good level and I am very young with good possibilities and he decide to help me.
RT- How old was Pedro Olle
Jordi - He was 10 years older than me. Pedro was like father to me from 16 or 17 years. We start to make some competition and some training. When I see him working, he say please come with me, I help you, come to Italy to see the factory and many Italians who will give you help. Pedro say I know your future, I don’t understand why no one help you yet. This is the early days. The first possibility to ride the rounds was with Olle because he have money to go, so I go with him. He help me on the Beta. After I go with him I have good results and after this Beta help me loads. Pedro is a very good friend to me, he is like my father. It is not only about the help he agave me in the competitions, the most important for me is that he teach me about life. It wasn’t about telling me which gear to put the bike in. He tells me what to do in life when i was 17, 18 years. It was very difficult and for me Pedro is the best, he teach me, what it takes, about life
RT-How did he do that ? Did you live with him
Jordi - I live with him many time when we go to Italy and when we go to the competitions together, a long time together and he say to me many things about. For me the best thing about him, was that he was a very good person
RT- Was there ever a time when you were playing and messing about and not taking things seriously and Pedro had to say Jordi stop or were you always the good student
Jordi - Yes. For me he was a special person. He was my mirror. I make myself just like him
RT- How did you cope with national service, the Army?
Jordi -For me this was the worst time in my life cos I want to be champion and training and go to the competitions and when I just get the possibility to do this it is time to go to military service. We talk of me going to special military, not normal because I have to train, but I am unlucky sometimes and sometimes lucky. When I start military after one month we have to make training in the army and then we have to go to the destination. I make normal training and after Iwas supposed to go to Barcelona, but I have to go to special military area for sportsmen but the papers are lost and I end up 200 km from here normal military. When I arrive there they ask me to complete a form asking me what I want to do within the military. I want to trial, I want competition, I want trial. I thought no one would read it. After a few days I am working there and someone come to me please Jordi Tarres, the captain wants to talk to you. I was worried what I do. I think I had made a mistake. I go to see the captain and he looks at my papers and ask me what I want. I tell him that I wait for the papers to go to Barcelona to train. I start military in December and this is when we prepare for the seasons. I want to train and I am here making nothing. The man say, you go home and when the papers arrive I call you. I go home and for 2 months and I train a lot. After this I have to go to the military in the morning, but I am very lucky. After the 2 months I go back and I do very special military not normal
RT- What did you do
Jordi - At 9am I go there to train in sports ground for many be one or 2 hours and then go home. Very easy. I then go with the motorcycle federation for 3 rounds for one month. They help me
RT- In 1988 your results were not as good. Why was this
Jordi - It is because in 87 I start and not sure I might win as I am number 4 in the world and it is very hard to be 1st and after the 1st round I am disqualified for being out of time.
RT- This was when Gallach won on the Mecatecno?
Jordi -Yes, yes, yes I think only Michaud finish. It was very bad, no point in one round, but I start riding without pressure and I’m riding very good. My bike is very good I think, the TR34, is very good at this moment. I was riding very well and I win also one round before. After I win this year there are a lot of interviews and is much time for celebration in Spain. I am training less and we change the bike, we are working with new bike and it’s very bad. It was the TR35. We make some different things in the factory and the bike is not so good
RT-Why, what was not good with the bike
Jordi -Because they change the suspension, they change the engine and the exhaust. There is much more power but difficult for when it is slippery. Also on this year I start to test the new prototype. I start and say I want this, but the bike is not finished. I failed the 2 rounds in England and Ireland. I make very bad results for me, because it is slippery and too much power. After I go to factory and say I want the new bike it is good motivation for me and beta say ok, we bring bike, but it is very prototype, not finish. It was really for the next year. I say, I want, I want, I want and after I get this bike is very smooth and much better and me have very good motivation. We then go to different tyes of competition because for me England and Ireland are very difficult because of all the mud and the riders Steve Saunders and Lejeuene ride much better. After we start in Italy I win and get very confident with the bike and everything and the decision was the best for me.
RT-Beta was in Italy and you are in Rellinars, how did you develop the bike .
Jordi - I went many times to Italy to make tests and sometimes they come here and make some tests but the problem is because we make 2 bikes. We work on the TR 35 and we work on the prototype which is very different and there is a lot of confusion for me I think
RT-How many prototype betas did you have each year?
Jordi - Me, all the time I ride with one bike only because I am very fussy as when I change to another bike it doesn’t feel good and all the time I ride with one year. I change parts, but the bike is one. Many be the frame, some part of the engine. In the Scottish we broken the engine because we never try before and there is no protection for the radiator and all the mud go in. It is a very good place for testing the bike and it needs to be a strong bike. On the first day I remember it raining a lot for many hours and the rivers get bigger. We have problems with the bike getting to warm. I don’t know what happened as I had never seen it before
RT-At this time in your life were you a good mechanic?
Jordi - Me, no .
RT-Are you a good mechanic now?
Jordi - I don’t think I am a very good mechanic but I am very interested in the mechanics of the bike and I go inside for a ong time and I know about the mechanics. Maybe not about welding aluminium or opening the shocks, not many riders do this. When I am driver I am all the time very switched on to the bike. I think about the bike also.”Oh, the suspension is no good and I need this today or tomorrow”. I want solution fast. For a long time I work a lot with the bikes and that I think is a big part of my success of not only winning one time or two, because every year I work a lot with the bike to know to find the best way, because you know sometimes each year there are problems with new bikes and everybody knows this. When you are rider, you have to win and you cannot have problems you have to see before the trial. If a part breaks for someone, it is a proplem, but they do not loose the money like me and the world championship and I spend a lot of time before the season to prepare the bike and I am then sure what we have is ok. It is very hard, because when you are on the top it is easier to go down than up. When bike is very shit, it is easy to come down, but when you are on the best level it is very difficult and sometimes when you work it go down
RT - In England for the Scottish and the world rounds, it was sometimes very cold. How did you cope with the cold?
Jordi - I don’t like cold!. I love now much less as well, as i have problem with my back. When it is cold I am very bad. It is not so good
RT-How did you damage your back?
Jordi - I think it is genetic. I think also that I make many trial and make many jumps and working a lot with the body and it is more easy to damage.
RT- On your Beta zero, you had the beta TR34 silencer on the back. Every one else rode with the coloured silencer and you had the aluminium silencer. Why was this.
Jordi - Because, I have very big problem in 88 because of this. In 87 I win World Championship and we make new model and make very new exhaust, very small in the middle. This bike, when I ride did not have much power and we ride for half a season and I am not happy with the bike. After we cut the exhaust in the middle and see the tube is too small and it is made of aluminium. Normal it is steel with the holes. You know this was a bad exhaust for me and after we change it. We only see this after half the season. After we see, we change. We do not want anyone to see the problem. We make some part of the exhaust like the 87 inside. After we make this I start to get very good results and it is when I arrive at the end of the competition. Michaud win from me is the World Champion. It takes many things to win the World Championship. If the bike has some problems, personal ,there is a lot of pressure. When you are riding you think everything is ok, but after you finish you review the day and think, I had this problem and think it was impossible to win with the problems you have had
RT-Did you ever watch the videos of yourself to try and learn how to do things better
Jordi - Not a lot
RT-When you change from Beta to Gas Gas, what other bikes did you try. I hear that you try the Merlin
Jordi - Yes, Merlin want to take me and also Fantic and pay a lot of money, but I don’t like the bike cause it is very big and very heavy. I didn’t test it. I know it its important for the win to have a good bike, the best. I know that the men from Merlin tell me to come, come to them, and also Aprilia ask me to come, but bike I do not like. It was very very big. They say we make new bike for you but I say “no no” .
RT-Did you ride the Fantic to try ,
Jordi -Yes
RT-Did you ever ride the Mecatecno Skywalker Dragonfly.
Jordi - Sometimes I think, the same model as Gallach.
RT-So you go with GasGas because it is the best bike
Jordi - I go with GasGas because when I am with beta for the last 2 years I had big problem with the bike.
RT-You have 4 World Championships with beta
Jordi - In 89 and 90 not possible. In 91 I start to have problems with the engine. I am not so happy and me push a lot. I don’t like. I go a lot of time to Italy and money and after a problem with the people there started, because they are not getting a solution. After 92, I have a lot of problem with the bikes
RT- What sorts of problems?
Jordi - I think the problem was the overheating of the engine. Before we go fast in the section, but after the evolution of the trial everytime we go slow in the section, stop, push with the front wheel and engine is much hotter and we need to work with the radiator, water pump and everything. I dont like the engine. We have problems, the carburation was not good. In 91I win but I am not happy with the bike. This no one knows - - In 92 I see the factory not have confidence in me.
RT-You didn’t have confidence with the engine
Jordi - I want to continue with Beta but I arrive there and I see and think that Beta do not think that I win anymore, really! Me I win 4 Championships and nobody win 4, riders with 3 only. A lot of people say it is impossble to win more and they lose confidence with me. I see this and I decide I want to work with new people at the end of 92. At the end of 92 I see the factory and they say nothing good about me. I think about GasGas and think it is better for me as the factory is in Spain and is good motivation for me to win with Spanish bike and having them nearer to me. The bike is not bad, it will need change, but it is good motivation and that is why I change
RT- In the video showing on the 92 World Championship you say “ I see the crowds, I not have as many supporters ”. I can see your motivation going down slightly ...
Jordi - Yes, I think this
RT-Your one piece suits are very famous, whose idea was this, Garibaldi, or yours ?
Jordi - No, this arrived from Lejuene. Me I look at many things about Lejeuene for me he was the most professional then. It was very professional working with Honda. He start working with one peice, difference, not lycra. After I don’t like normal pants they come down at the rear. I think it is good for the sponsors and good image. We make prototypes of this and it is very strange because it is different material, but there is good mobility and good image. It is good when the body is 20 years old. Not good for now.
RT- You always looked immaculate, your bike looked immaculate. Was that new plastics for every event. How many boots did you wear. We know when you put new boots on they hurt.
Jordi - I remember maybe I change by boots in one year 10 times. We test some day before. You know when we are young there are no problems and it is ok. Then pain was no problem, I didn’t think about it. After when I am older I think about the pain but at 20 years I think it is ok
RT - And how old were you when you thought I could make some money from trials
Jordi - When I start I don’t think about money because I like a love just the motorcycle trial. I would see the official riders when I was young and think he take the bike free but for me this was impossible. For me this is a great motivation. I dream that one day I be the special rider but first moment I think it is a good job was at the Scottish Six Days Trial in 87 because many years ago to with the trial is very big thing and important. Many top riders come from the factory and they pay good bonus for good results. The first time I got there I win the 6 days and I win 2 million and a half pesetas. I was very happy you know, 84, 85, 86 me not make much money, just make useful living. In 87 I start to win some money .
RT - You look very similar to your brother. There was a rumor in England that in the Scottish Six Days Trial, Francesc ride on the road for you as it was cold .
Jordi - That is not true, I want to explain. One thning that is very important is that I like the sport and I like to be fair and no cheat. I want to win in a sportman like way all the time
RT- Are you still in contact with Michaud, Miglio, Avahala, Cerberto, Do you every speak to them.
Jordi - Yes, not call. I see them at the trial. Michaud is with the federation, Avhala is an importer, Cherberto is also an importer. I see Miglio at the trial
RT-Were you shocked to hear about the passing of Bosis?
Jordi - Yes a lot of shock because 10 days before he died he stay here with me and test my bike and also I sometimes go to Morocco and do enduro. I say to him, you come with me and he says yes. I called him the weekend before he died to see if he come. The same day an Italian friend send me message saying “diego has died”. In fact, I called him from the bar were I was as I did not think it was true because it is very strange, it is very hard for me.
RT-In spain they call you 'El Rey', what did you think about this
Jordi - Yes, because I am the first rider to win trial from Spain and I had very good success. The first one is very important. The king is the biggest compliment I could get.
RT-At that time you must have been so confident. You must have been unbeatable
Jordi - I never think about this. I am very negative. My mentality is very negative. I never think that everything is easy. All the time I think I am good rider but it is difficult. I think this in the section always. I never think I am the best.
RT-Who was the most difficult rider that you ride against?
Jordi - Yes, for me Michaud. This is where I fight more hard as it is when I arrive and I am very young. He is very hard in the head. Not the best motorcycle rider, but very intelligent and with a different system. I am young with nothing in the head but a good level. He is less on the bike but more in the head. Because after with I push with Colmer it is very hard because I am more older and I know its the last moments of my possibilities. It is very hard because you know about this and think about this a lot. For me the strongest rider is Michaud. After I have Bosis, Miglio and Avhala but I don’t see him very consistent. I know his level.
RT -Were your engines stripped down and taken to pieces after each trial?
Jordi - No, If you have a good engine it would not be stripped
RT - How many bikes did you use in a year
Jordi - For a long time the same. I have a special relationship with the bike, like I say before. The exhaust, I ride with one exhaust for one year because it is special that I like and I don’t want to change.
RT- When you changed the bikes from one year to another did you take the same engine with you
Jordi - Sometimes yes, I used old pieces normally because I knew them
Jordi - I make one year and I am training also and making some competition and after Antonio Trueba is the Beta competition manager and he want to be the importer of the Beta. He knows me because my brother came to buy things from his shop. My brother has trial bike and he go there to buy parts. My brother say to Antonio, my brother he is very good on the bicycle. Please look him and see you if can help. One Saturday I go to the shop and I make some exhibition and Antonio Trueba say go to some competition and I put some stickers on my bike and I earn a little bit. I am very happy because Trueba make it possible
RT- How old were you
Jordi - I think about 14 or 15 years. I start with Trueba on the bicycle. Many people say , what I know is good for the Trial. The best at the moment was Andrew Cordina. After he go with Montesa. He was a good champion in the trial. Trueba say, please you buy a motorcycle, I make very good price and I take a bike from trueba. I do take a motorcycle out before this. It was my brothers. I take this out when he go to the discotech. I say come on, come on go.
RT- What was the bike he had
Jordi -A montesa 349. Trueba say to me, I have very good motorcycle for you. He sell me, I pay him part of this money every month
RT-What bike was that
Jordi - It was a white Montesa 349
Jordi - Trueba make special preparation for the bike. He change a little the swinging arm and the frame. Me, I go the competition with this bike
RT - How old was your brother when you were 14
Jordi - My brother is 4 years more.
JT-When you go to the trial were you winning straight away and beating him
Jordi - Yes. He saw my level when I go on military service for 1 year when he was 19 years. When he come back after I year I am riding better than him.
RT-You were hopping your bicycle. When you go to the motorcycle were you confident to use these tricks in motorcycle competition?
Jordi - I was very young and I don’t think about this. It was easy. I just ride how it is easy for me. I enjoy it and riding the motorcycle this way. It is my style, it is not me thinking I want to make tricks. I was very young and this was my style. In the beginning everybody say “No make difficult, no move the bike”. Many people say “You have to make trial normal”, but no I think what I want. In the first competition I make mistakes, but when I get confident with the new style for me it is easy, because it is my style.
RT- Did you ever look at the sections and think “Oh my God, I am scared “. Where you ever scared in the sections?
Jordi - Yeah yeah, yeah. I am not afraid. When I was very young I look at the sections and think they are very difficult. We prepare for this. With training, it makes you better. When you are there you are confident but all the time you know the danger is there, because if you don’t know this you crash.
Some times people say to me this is very dangerous because you have to go very fast, but you have to think a lot about what you do and the body position and what you have to do.
RT- Antonio Truba helped you and then Pedro Oll helped you?
Jordi - Yes, Pedro is living is the same city as Trueba in Abreda, it is about 20 kilometre from here. They were born in the same city. Pedro Oll is working for Beta. He is working on the production of the bike and riding and sometimes he work in the shop preparing his bike. He gets the bike from Italy and prepares the bike in the shop. Sometimes when I go there Saturday he look at me and he say it is Tarres, he is riding very good on bicycle. Some times of motorcycle we go training and he can see I ride at a very good level and I am very young with good possibilities and he decide to help me.
RT- How old was Pedro Olle
Jordi - He was 10 years older than me. Pedro was like father to me from 16 or 17 years. We start to make some competition and some training. When I see him working, he say please come with me, I help you, come to Italy to see the factory and many Italians who will give you help. Pedro say I know your future, I don’t understand why no one help you yet. This is the early days. The first possibility to ride the rounds was with Olle because he have money to go, so I go with him. He help me on the Beta. After I go with him I have good results and after this Beta help me loads. Pedro is a very good friend to me, he is like my father. It is not only about the help he agave me in the competitions, the most important for me is that he teach me about life. It wasn’t about telling me which gear to put the bike in. He tells me what to do in life when i was 17, 18 years. It was very difficult and for me Pedro is the best, he teach me, what it takes, about life
RT-How did he do that ? Did you live with him
Jordi - I live with him many time when we go to Italy and when we go to the competitions together, a long time together and he say to me many things about. For me the best thing about him, was that he was a very good person
RT- Was there ever a time when you were playing and messing about and not taking things seriously and Pedro had to say Jordi stop or were you always the good student
Jordi - Yes. For me he was a special person. He was my mirror. I make myself just like him
RT- How did you cope with national service, the Army?
Jordi -For me this was the worst time in my life cos I want to be champion and training and go to the competitions and when I just get the possibility to do this it is time to go to military service. We talk of me going to special military, not normal because I have to train, but I am unlucky sometimes and sometimes lucky. When I start military after one month we have to make training in the army and then we have to go to the destination. I make normal training and after Iwas supposed to go to Barcelona, but I have to go to special military area for sportsmen but the papers are lost and I end up 200 km from here normal military. When I arrive there they ask me to complete a form asking me what I want to do within the military. I want to trial, I want competition, I want trial. I thought no one would read it. After a few days I am working there and someone come to me please Jordi Tarres, the captain wants to talk to you. I was worried what I do. I think I had made a mistake. I go to see the captain and he looks at my papers and ask me what I want. I tell him that I wait for the papers to go to Barcelona to train. I start military in December and this is when we prepare for the seasons. I want to train and I am here making nothing. The man say, you go home and when the papers arrive I call you. I go home and for 2 months and I train a lot. After this I have to go to the military in the morning, but I am very lucky. After the 2 months I go back and I do very special military not normal
RT- What did you do
Jordi - At 9am I go there to train in sports ground for many be one or 2 hours and then go home. Very easy. I then go with the motorcycle federation for 3 rounds for one month. They help me
RT- In 1988 your results were not as good. Why was this
Jordi - It is because in 87 I start and not sure I might win as I am number 4 in the world and it is very hard to be 1st and after the 1st round I am disqualified for being out of time.
RT- This was when Gallach won on the Mecatecno?
Jordi -Yes, yes, yes I think only Michaud finish. It was very bad, no point in one round, but I start riding without pressure and I’m riding very good. My bike is very good I think, the TR34, is very good at this moment. I was riding very well and I win also one round before. After I win this year there are a lot of interviews and is much time for celebration in Spain. I am training less and we change the bike, we are working with new bike and it’s very bad. It was the TR35. We make some different things in the factory and the bike is not so good
RT-Why, what was not good with the bike
Jordi -Because they change the suspension, they change the engine and the exhaust. There is much more power but difficult for when it is slippery. Also on this year I start to test the new prototype. I start and say I want this, but the bike is not finished. I failed the 2 rounds in England and Ireland. I make very bad results for me, because it is slippery and too much power. After I go to factory and say I want the new bike it is good motivation for me and beta say ok, we bring bike, but it is very prototype, not finish. It was really for the next year. I say, I want, I want, I want and after I get this bike is very smooth and much better and me have very good motivation. We then go to different tyes of competition because for me England and Ireland are very difficult because of all the mud and the riders Steve Saunders and Lejeuene ride much better. After we start in Italy I win and get very confident with the bike and everything and the decision was the best for me.
RT-Beta was in Italy and you are in Rellinars, how did you develop the bike .
Jordi - I went many times to Italy to make tests and sometimes they come here and make some tests but the problem is because we make 2 bikes. We work on the TR 35 and we work on the prototype which is very different and there is a lot of confusion for me I think
RT-How many prototype betas did you have each year?
Jordi - Me, all the time I ride with one bike only because I am very fussy as when I change to another bike it doesn’t feel good and all the time I ride with one year. I change parts, but the bike is one. Many be the frame, some part of the engine. In the Scottish we broken the engine because we never try before and there is no protection for the radiator and all the mud go in. It is a very good place for testing the bike and it needs to be a strong bike. On the first day I remember it raining a lot for many hours and the rivers get bigger. We have problems with the bike getting to warm. I don’t know what happened as I had never seen it before
RT-At this time in your life were you a good mechanic?
Jordi - Me, no .
RT-Are you a good mechanic now?
Jordi - I don’t think I am a very good mechanic but I am very interested in the mechanics of the bike and I go inside for a ong time and I know about the mechanics. Maybe not about welding aluminium or opening the shocks, not many riders do this. When I am driver I am all the time very switched on to the bike. I think about the bike also.”Oh, the suspension is no good and I need this today or tomorrow”. I want solution fast. For a long time I work a lot with the bikes and that I think is a big part of my success of not only winning one time or two, because every year I work a lot with the bike to know to find the best way, because you know sometimes each year there are problems with new bikes and everybody knows this. When you are rider, you have to win and you cannot have problems you have to see before the trial. If a part breaks for someone, it is a proplem, but they do not loose the money like me and the world championship and I spend a lot of time before the season to prepare the bike and I am then sure what we have is ok. It is very hard, because when you are on the top it is easier to go down than up. When bike is very shit, it is easy to come down, but when you are on the best level it is very difficult and sometimes when you work it go down
RT - In England for the Scottish and the world rounds, it was sometimes very cold. How did you cope with the cold?
Jordi - I don’t like cold!. I love now much less as well, as i have problem with my back. When it is cold I am very bad. It is not so good
RT-How did you damage your back?
Jordi - I think it is genetic. I think also that I make many trial and make many jumps and working a lot with the body and it is more easy to damage.
RT- On your Beta zero, you had the beta TR34 silencer on the back. Every one else rode with the coloured silencer and you had the aluminium silencer. Why was this.
Jordi - Because, I have very big problem in 88 because of this. In 87 I win World Championship and we make new model and make very new exhaust, very small in the middle. This bike, when I ride did not have much power and we ride for half a season and I am not happy with the bike. After we cut the exhaust in the middle and see the tube is too small and it is made of aluminium. Normal it is steel with the holes. You know this was a bad exhaust for me and after we change it. We only see this after half the season. After we see, we change. We do not want anyone to see the problem. We make some part of the exhaust like the 87 inside. After we make this I start to get very good results and it is when I arrive at the end of the competition. Michaud win from me is the World Champion. It takes many things to win the World Championship. If the bike has some problems, personal ,there is a lot of pressure. When you are riding you think everything is ok, but after you finish you review the day and think, I had this problem and think it was impossible to win with the problems you have had
RT-Did you ever watch the videos of yourself to try and learn how to do things better
Jordi - Not a lot
RT-When you change from Beta to Gas Gas, what other bikes did you try. I hear that you try the Merlin
Jordi - Yes, Merlin want to take me and also Fantic and pay a lot of money, but I don’t like the bike cause it is very big and very heavy. I didn’t test it. I know it its important for the win to have a good bike, the best. I know that the men from Merlin tell me to come, come to them, and also Aprilia ask me to come, but bike I do not like. It was very very big. They say we make new bike for you but I say “no no” .
RT-Did you ride the Fantic to try ,
Jordi -Yes
RT-Did you ever ride the Mecatecno Skywalker Dragonfly.
Jordi - Sometimes I think, the same model as Gallach.
RT-So you go with GasGas because it is the best bike
Jordi - I go with GasGas because when I am with beta for the last 2 years I had big problem with the bike.
RT-You have 4 World Championships with beta
Jordi - In 89 and 90 not possible. In 91 I start to have problems with the engine. I am not so happy and me push a lot. I don’t like. I go a lot of time to Italy and money and after a problem with the people there started, because they are not getting a solution. After 92, I have a lot of problem with the bikes
RT- What sorts of problems?
Jordi - I think the problem was the overheating of the engine. Before we go fast in the section, but after the evolution of the trial everytime we go slow in the section, stop, push with the front wheel and engine is much hotter and we need to work with the radiator, water pump and everything. I dont like the engine. We have problems, the carburation was not good. In 91I win but I am not happy with the bike. This no one knows - - In 92 I see the factory not have confidence in me.
RT-You didn’t have confidence with the engine
Jordi - I want to continue with Beta but I arrive there and I see and think that Beta do not think that I win anymore, really! Me I win 4 Championships and nobody win 4, riders with 3 only. A lot of people say it is impossble to win more and they lose confidence with me. I see this and I decide I want to work with new people at the end of 92. At the end of 92 I see the factory and they say nothing good about me. I think about GasGas and think it is better for me as the factory is in Spain and is good motivation for me to win with Spanish bike and having them nearer to me. The bike is not bad, it will need change, but it is good motivation and that is why I change
RT- In the video showing on the 92 World Championship you say “ I see the crowds, I not have as many supporters ”. I can see your motivation going down slightly ...
Jordi - Yes, I think this
RT-Your one piece suits are very famous, whose idea was this, Garibaldi, or yours ?
Jordi - No, this arrived from Lejuene. Me I look at many things about Lejeuene for me he was the most professional then. It was very professional working with Honda. He start working with one peice, difference, not lycra. After I don’t like normal pants they come down at the rear. I think it is good for the sponsors and good image. We make prototypes of this and it is very strange because it is different material, but there is good mobility and good image. It is good when the body is 20 years old. Not good for now.
RT- You always looked immaculate, your bike looked immaculate. Was that new plastics for every event. How many boots did you wear. We know when you put new boots on they hurt.
Jordi - I remember maybe I change by boots in one year 10 times. We test some day before. You know when we are young there are no problems and it is ok. Then pain was no problem, I didn’t think about it. After when I am older I think about the pain but at 20 years I think it is ok
RT - And how old were you when you thought I could make some money from trials
Jordi - When I start I don’t think about money because I like a love just the motorcycle trial. I would see the official riders when I was young and think he take the bike free but for me this was impossible. For me this is a great motivation. I dream that one day I be the special rider but first moment I think it is a good job was at the Scottish Six Days Trial in 87 because many years ago to with the trial is very big thing and important. Many top riders come from the factory and they pay good bonus for good results. The first time I got there I win the 6 days and I win 2 million and a half pesetas. I was very happy you know, 84, 85, 86 me not make much money, just make useful living. In 87 I start to win some money .
RT - You look very similar to your brother. There was a rumor in England that in the Scottish Six Days Trial, Francesc ride on the road for you as it was cold .
Jordi - That is not true, I want to explain. One thning that is very important is that I like the sport and I like to be fair and no cheat. I want to win in a sportman like way all the time
RT- Are you still in contact with Michaud, Miglio, Avahala, Cerberto, Do you every speak to them.
Jordi - Yes, not call. I see them at the trial. Michaud is with the federation, Avhala is an importer, Cherberto is also an importer. I see Miglio at the trial
RT-Were you shocked to hear about the passing of Bosis?
Jordi - Yes a lot of shock because 10 days before he died he stay here with me and test my bike and also I sometimes go to Morocco and do enduro. I say to him, you come with me and he says yes. I called him the weekend before he died to see if he come. The same day an Italian friend send me message saying “diego has died”. In fact, I called him from the bar were I was as I did not think it was true because it is very strange, it is very hard for me.
RT-In spain they call you 'El Rey', what did you think about this
Jordi - Yes, because I am the first rider to win trial from Spain and I had very good success. The first one is very important. The king is the biggest compliment I could get.
RT-At that time you must have been so confident. You must have been unbeatable
Jordi - I never think about this. I am very negative. My mentality is very negative. I never think that everything is easy. All the time I think I am good rider but it is difficult. I think this in the section always. I never think I am the best.
RT-Who was the most difficult rider that you ride against?
Jordi - Yes, for me Michaud. This is where I fight more hard as it is when I arrive and I am very young. He is very hard in the head. Not the best motorcycle rider, but very intelligent and with a different system. I am young with nothing in the head but a good level. He is less on the bike but more in the head. Because after with I push with Colmer it is very hard because I am more older and I know its the last moments of my possibilities. It is very hard because you know about this and think about this a lot. For me the strongest rider is Michaud. After I have Bosis, Miglio and Avhala but I don’t see him very consistent. I know his level.
RT -Were your engines stripped down and taken to pieces after each trial?
Jordi - No, If you have a good engine it would not be stripped
RT - How many bikes did you use in a year
Jordi - For a long time the same. I have a special relationship with the bike, like I say before. The exhaust, I ride with one exhaust for one year because it is special that I like and I don’t want to change.
RT- When you changed the bikes from one year to another did you take the same engine with you
Jordi - Sometimes yes, I used old pieces normally because I knew them