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6 Exclusive - A detailed career interview with the 1980 world trials  champion Ulf karlson

I know some riders have large inside warehouses to practice in, did you ever have this facility?

No no no, not at this time.

Do you have brothers and sisters?

I have 2 sisters

Are they older or younger than you?

One is older and one is younger

So what did your parents think about you getting involved with the motorcycles?

I think they were very happy because my father was dying at the time. When I am starting with trials in 1970, my father was very ill with cancer, in 1970 he was only 50 years old, young man. I have to make a big effort myself to practice and continuing with the trial without my father. I was 18 at this time.

There are many children who have a father behind them to encourage them and push them, but your father could not help you, so how did this work for you?

I think I had a very big interest for trials, it was trials 24 hours everyday and it was a friend of mine who had a Sprite motorcycle with a 125 cc sachs engine. He took his driving licence at 16 years which you can do here in Sweden. When you are 16 you can get a licence for a 125 so I tried this bike of my friends and I was very good and it was better than all of the others. When I was 18, I buy new Montesa from the importer in Sweden.
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Exclusive - A detailed career interview with the 1980 world trials champion Ulf karlson
The name of this man was Kenneth Leare, he was the importer. I buy a new bike and I win all of the trials here in one year, this is when I was 18 years old and when I was just a junior. Then the importer give me a special surprise for the next year. The importer then gave me some sponsorship to help me get up to the senior class and then in the first year, I was perhaps in the top 4 or the top five in the highest class on this Montesa. I always ride Montesa, all of the time.
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Exclusive - A detailed career interview with the 1980 world trials champion Ulf karlson
I have a lot of questions down here as a guide because I don't know whether you talk much and I need some questions to get you going but if you wish to talk then go ahead.

No, I don't like to talk

No, he doesn't like to talk hahaha

I am quiet.

I have interviewed some older guys and some younger guys and I find that when you ask the older guys questions sometimes they tell you to stop and they say that they will tell you their story.
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Exclusive - A detailed career interview with the 1980 world trials champion Ulf karlson
He is a Swedish guy

What does that mean?

If you compare me to Pedro Pi, if you started talking he go go go go go and never stop hahahaha, but I am from Sweden and it doesn't happen over here.
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Exclusive - A detailed career interview with the 1980 world trials champion Ulf karlson
So the first guy to actually see you and think this guy is good and I will help him is the Montesa Importer?
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Yes yes, he saw me when I was on the sprite and helped me to get a Montesa and into the world of Montesa.
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Exclusive - A detailed career interview with the 1980 world trials champion Ulf karlson
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