Page 13 Jason Finn - Trials Freestyler - Exclusive Interview
What are the tricks you are most proud of?
The 23 person bunny hop. This world record still stands today. The montesa’s 315's have got a big clutch basket where the Gasgas have a much smaller one. We had spacers behind the springs on the montesa.
The 23 person bunny hop. This world record still stands today. The montesa’s 315's have got a big clutch basket where the Gasgas have a much smaller one. We had spacers behind the springs on the montesa.
Jason Finn - Trials Freestyler - Exclusive Interview
Jason Finn - Trials Freestyler - Exclusive Interview
In this bunny hop trick I had to use 5th gear instead of 4th to break the record and modify the clutch to make it grab better in higher gears. I already had the 21 person bunny hop and knew the clutch badly needed modification to grab in 5th. The plan is to charge towards the 23 people laying down in 5th gear. You need 50 miles per hour, but you cannot be flat out because about 30-40 feet before the 1st person you start to commit yourself. You then jump down and compress the suspension.
Jason Finn - Trials Freestyler - Exclusive Interview
As this is compressed you are about 20 feet from the 1st person. Then you need that extra bit of gas. If you were flat out you haven’t got anything left. You need another thrust of power. You are just off top end, compress the suspension. You have the clutch in and are revving the bike flat out. As you jump up you dump the clutch and this launches you up. It’s not nice. It’s alright for me as I’ve always got a soft landing, but it’s the others on the floor who will get it. It’s a very long way. 23 people down side by side is a very, very, long way. Longer than you’d imagine.
Jason Finn - Trials Freestyler - Exclusive Interview
My mates would be the first and would be the last 2 people and he would raise his foot up on the end of the line up as I approach so that I could judge the distance. I did this jump in 2003. I would like to thank Caroline and Martin at Sandifords for the 11 years they sponsored me, the bikes were bullet proof!!
Jason Finn - Trials Freestyler - Exclusive Interview
Jason Finn - Trials Freestyler - Exclusive Interview
Have they ever gone horribly wrong?
No, touch wood. A bad thing happened related to this……..Another guy started bunny hopping people, but he did it with a little ramp before them. I got a phone call one day from a mate asking if I was alright. I said that of course I was alright. He asked me if the show at the weekend went well and I said yes. He said “thank god it’s not you then, someone has bunny hopped someone and killed the bloke at the end of the line and everyone is thinking it’s you”. It was a motocross bloke. As he approached the line of people laying down he changed up a gear and it slipped gear and went into a false neutral. The bike came down on its side and hits the bloke on the head and ends up killing him. All the shows after this for the next few months were “Jason, you’re not bunny hopping anyone” with all the health and safety. All right I said. 6 months later “Jason how many people do you want to lie down and jump”. I’ve jumped Richard Hammond, Johnny Herbert, Eddie the Eagle, and loads of other people. I’m sure health and safety wont’ allow it today.
Did you ever think about taking your own trials show abroad?
I had enough to do over here without wanting to go abroad. Although I have performed all over the World, I tried to keep the majority in the UK. While I was in Hong Kong, one hotel we stayed at had a tunnel from the hotel into the actual arena of the stadium. At the end of the shows there was the after party I remember going to one huge apartment and going out onto the balcony with loads of other people. The view at night over Hong Kong was amazing. It was lit up. The skyscrapers disappeared up through the clouds, I thought “I’m here”. They paid me stupid money for this, life was about luck.
When and why did you stop doing shows?
It was in 2010. I stopped because I was sick and tired of being on the road all of the time. In hotels and travelling. The last 4 years were all about the money. The passion had gone, my riding wasn’t there anymore. I only miss the money, but it has paid for a lot I still have.
No, touch wood. A bad thing happened related to this……..Another guy started bunny hopping people, but he did it with a little ramp before them. I got a phone call one day from a mate asking if I was alright. I said that of course I was alright. He asked me if the show at the weekend went well and I said yes. He said “thank god it’s not you then, someone has bunny hopped someone and killed the bloke at the end of the line and everyone is thinking it’s you”. It was a motocross bloke. As he approached the line of people laying down he changed up a gear and it slipped gear and went into a false neutral. The bike came down on its side and hits the bloke on the head and ends up killing him. All the shows after this for the next few months were “Jason, you’re not bunny hopping anyone” with all the health and safety. All right I said. 6 months later “Jason how many people do you want to lie down and jump”. I’ve jumped Richard Hammond, Johnny Herbert, Eddie the Eagle, and loads of other people. I’m sure health and safety wont’ allow it today.
Did you ever think about taking your own trials show abroad?
I had enough to do over here without wanting to go abroad. Although I have performed all over the World, I tried to keep the majority in the UK. While I was in Hong Kong, one hotel we stayed at had a tunnel from the hotel into the actual arena of the stadium. At the end of the shows there was the after party I remember going to one huge apartment and going out onto the balcony with loads of other people. The view at night over Hong Kong was amazing. It was lit up. The skyscrapers disappeared up through the clouds, I thought “I’m here”. They paid me stupid money for this, life was about luck.
When and why did you stop doing shows?
It was in 2010. I stopped because I was sick and tired of being on the road all of the time. In hotels and travelling. The last 4 years were all about the money. The passion had gone, my riding wasn’t there anymore. I only miss the money, but it has paid for a lot I still have.
Jason Finn - Trials Freestyler - Exclusive Interview