Welcome to
Ripon Motor Club

Latest News

Happy New Year everyone.

We are looking forward to seeing you all in 2025 at our trials.  Acklams Beta and Riverside Quarry have kindly agreed to sponsor our 2 Club Series again this year:

Acklams Beta Summer Series with dedicated Small Wheels Trials at every trial.

Riverside Quarry Easy and Beginner Series which is ideal for complete beginners, riders of all ages, small wheels or those of you that just fancy an easy ride out with your mates.

Unfortunately, we had to cancel the Youth Presentation and Christmas Party due to personal reasons.  We will hopefully be holding this in January/February, so please keep an eye on Facebook/ emails for updates.

We will hopefully be holding an Adult & Older Youth Presentation incorporating a Landowners dinner in late January/early February but again, we will keep you posted on Facebook and by email.

Ripon Motor Club was founded in 1909 and is a small, friendly Trials Club catering for all ages and abilities.  We are affiliated to the Yorkshire Centre of the ACU.

To ride our trials you will need to be a current member of the club and also a member of the ACU.

A Brief History of our Club

Tom Ellis was a stalwart member of the Ripon Motorcycle Club along with his wife Mary, who did much of the paperwork associated with Tom’s interests.  He first discovered motorbikes in 1940 with a 150cc Francis Barnet.  However, the war and the Royal Navy intervened until 1945 when a 350cc Panther was purchased to compete in trials, an interest of his brother Jack.  The Panther didn’t last long and was replaced with a new 500cc Matchless.  Tom soon started to have some good results on this bike and was occasionally included in the works team.

Unfortunately, Tom’s brother Jack passed away at a trial and Tom decided to organise a trial in his name, The Jack Leslie Ellis Memorial Trial, which continues today.

Tom continued to ride and had success in the 1947 Scottish Six Day (SSDT) with a 10th place and an 8th place in 1948.  He was also 2nd in the British Experts Trial which was no mean achievement.  A Royal Enfield was obtained for a ride in the 1950 Welsh ISDT but mechanical failure caused a retirement and a subsequent works BSA ride was negotiate

Tom became a valued rider in the team and competed at the highest level, ISDT medals representing Great Britain and gaining many awards in trials at home and abroad.  The Scott Trial was a regular and favourite ride and he collected 12 Silver Spoons in 14 rides.  Joint 7th was his highest total, which again is no mean feat for any trials rider!  Tom also enjoyed the SSDT and was seen in the company of Arthur Lampkin at the Pre-65, apparently the journey to Fort William in Arthur’s Porsche was something of an adrenaline rush for him!

In 1956 Tom retired to Ripon where he opened a motorcycle shop and became active in the Club.  He also became interested in the sport of car trials and tests, driving with great verve and commitment, as he always did.  He observed in many trials but will be remembered by the riders at his favourite section, on the Fleetham’s farm down by the bridge.  Sadly he will not have seen it in its new rebuilt form, but it will still be “Tom’s Bridge”.