Javier Cruz
As we are all aware, there are some wonderful characters in the world of motorcycling and on my adventure of publishing trials magazines, I feel privileged to have come into contact with some of these people. I cannot actually pinpoint when I first came across Javier Cruz, I am sure the relationship goes back further than I can remember, but I am pretty confident it came about as we both share the same passion – motorcycle trials… Over the years he has become a strong supporter of the magazines, bringing many moments from Spanish trials machines and its riders to life but as with many of our friends, who is Javier Cruz? We thought it was about time to have a chat with this wonderful man from Madrid with the infectious smile and warm welcome.
First and foremost how did you become a motorcyclist?
My first memories about motorcycles and trials come from the 1960´s. My brother Carlos owned a Triumph Daytona and also a trials Triumph ‘Tiger’ Cub he used for leisure riding. Trials as a sport were starting in central Spain. ‘La sierra’ is how we locally call the mountains of the area where a dirt bike paradise was. My family had a house in the mountains in El Escorial and my uncle bought four Montesa’s for my cousins that were for us all to use; Cota 25, 49, 74 and 123. These machines planted the trials seed in my body… I gave my father countless headaches asking for a trials machine of my own. He played golf and when I was 13 he challenged me to beat him on a golf course; the award for me; a trials motorcycle if I could beat him in less than one year. I did not need to wait, after a couple of months practicing golf I got a brand new Montesa Cota 123 of my own.
How did you become interested in motorcycle trials?
The late sixties and seventies in Spain were a golden age for all off-road motorcycle sports. Scrambles, enduros and the most amazing trial events ever were organised. The ISDT at El Escorial in 1970 helped many young boys like me to fall in love with off-road motorcycle sport. In those days you could only ride trials legally with a driving licence and with your first driving licence you were limited to a 125cc until you were 16. So that was the main reason that there were more illegal trials in those days than events run by the federation. Every weekend literally hundreds of off-road motorcycles ridden by boys gathered to display, practice and compete in illegal events all over the mountains. When I was 16 I got my licence and started competing in the federation´s events. I can still remember my first trial in Robledo, a little village in wonderful scenery close to where my friend Rafa Vázquez has his famous Vázquez Racing shop nowadays.
Growing up around the time of the rise of the Spanish motorcycle industry must have been exciting
In the seventies in the area I lived the Spanish motorcycles monopolised. In trials you could only see Ossa, Montesa and Bultaco. We all bought the two magazines that informed us about off-road motorcycling, Motociclismo and Solo Moto. Mick Andrews was a hero in Spain and owning a Spanish trials motorcycle was the best dream that any child could have. In September 1978 I was lucky enough to be supported by Madrid´s Bultaco dealer, Cauca. I borrowed a 198 model as soon as I could legally ride a 250cc and later one of the first brand new 199A models with which I won a Junior Championship that was very well known in central Spain. The first different machine we had competing in Spanish trials was as late as 1980 when I rode an SWM in Madrid and it left us with our mouths wide open. Soon the light and ‘handy’ Fantic 200 started to be a popular model in our trials. Unknowingly, with the arrival of these Italian bikes the beginning of the end of the golden age of the Spanish motorcycle industry had also arrived.
When you left school what did you want to do?
When I left school I rode trials motorcycles almost every day and my head was full of the epic adventures I could read in the magazines about Vesterinen, Lampkin, Andrews… riding the WTC and the SSDT. I lost my opportunity to ride in the SSDT as my mother gave me an ultimatum to choose either motorcycles or university. Obviously she won and since then I have spent so many years designing and building mainly hospitals and also less complicated buildings like hotels, although it has always be in my mind the idea of somehow to quit and live closer to the trials world. Maybe the time for that is close now.
Do you have any other hobbies away from motorcycles?
Nature and cooking have been very important in my life too. I travelled to Kenya to work very early after finishing university where I made some strong friendships and I am still a partner in a safari company and a fully certified member of the professional safari guides association. Cooking and wine is something very close to my character. I was a partner also in a wine and food company and learned all the secrets of cooking in Cordon Bleu. The wine business gave me the opportunity of giving back something to trials by sponsoring some events both in Spain and the UK. For some years ‘Wines from Spain’ sponsored the prestigious Pre-65 Scottish.
After the difficult years of motorcycle trials manufacturing in Spain did you ever believe that the manufacturers would come back?
I still can´t believe it. The industry in Spain is actually something that without the direct support of local politicians and taxes is an impossible business. Talking strictly about business and not about the final products, Gas Gas, Jotagas, Ossa and TRS depend so much on the political parties and in Spain things can change very quickly. What Vertigo is doing with the support of Manel Jane is absolutely a dream and an example of how things should be done. Montesa, in my opinion, is a different story. The mighty Honda is the owner of the name Montesa. This brand name and the trials competition team is well supported by Miquel Cirera and are the only remains of the old brand as most of the machine is engineered and built outside Spain.
When did you start to compete in Pre-65 and Classic Trials?
I was away from trials competitions for ten years only riding occasionally. Around 2000 the classic trials competitions started in central Spain and along with some old friends I started competing again. Since then I have ridden many times, not just in Spain but also in England, Scotland, France, Belgium, Italy and Germany.
Have you many trials machines?
Actually only six, although the number can vary quite quickly! Some years ago in 2008 I owned a collection of 37 trials machines but being an engineer I could not stand the idea of having them fully restored so I started to sell them. I decided to keep just the motorcycles I enjoyed and admired most back in the 1970´s so I kept three Bultacos; 198, 199 and 199A models and three Montesa models; Cota 247 Mk2; MkIV and an Ulf Karlsson Replica.
What is the attraction to the Pre-65 Scottish?
Scotland was a dream I always had in my mind so in 2004 I bought a BSA B40 and in 2005 at last I made my first pilgrimage to the Pre-65. I loved the event as soon as I arrived at the start because of its people,
scenery and sections. My target as a newcomer was to finish and to enjoy every part of the route and every section of the event. But that year it rained a lot and my BSA was not an ideal machine so the fight against the conditions was very difficult for me. In 2005 my idol from my younger days, Mick Andrews, won the event with 15 marks lost in an absolutely amazing ride over the wet moors and flooded sections. Later that year I got a phone call from Mick Andrews, he told me about the centenary of Douglas motorcycles in 2006 and that he was going to use one of those ‘boxer’ model monsters in Scotland. “A friend of mine is going to use my James in Scotland next year” Mick told me. I asked, “Who is the lucky guy”? His short answer was, “you”. So 2006 was the year when Scotland fulfilled my dreams. No rain and a machine that worked properly and was owned by Mick Andrews…
You have also formed a strong friendship with Scotland’s John Moffat, the ‘Trials Guru’
John Moffat is certainly a good friend of mine. I have never seen such passion for trials in any other person in our small world. Curiously, when we first met we were both arguing with each other, although I don´t know why but even then I had clear vision that this person was going to be my friend in the future. It was at the Pipeline sections on Friday 29th April 2006 where riders were queuing to start their climb of the legendry hazard. When I walked up to inspect the section there was a small Japanese guy riding a Honda 90cc in the middle of the queue. Some minutes later when I walked down the section things were even worse, more riders were there and the Japanese rider was even further back than where I had left him. I joined a very disorderly queue and I could feel something poking in between my ribs, the elbow of a big brute on a Matchless. I was told to wait my turn by, unknown to me, Mr John Moffat! Suddenly this talk stopped and I could now hear this man asking, “306AKV registration, no that’s Mick Andrews machine, where did you get it”? “In the car park” I replied, “the best machine I could find there”. After the trial we continued our conversation about trials, a conversation that is still continuing ten years on.
Do the Spanish riders enjoy Classic Trial Magazine?
We really enjoy the magazine, knowing about other countries events and reading about motorcycle restorations and preparations or about any other issue related with our sport. Thanks to CTM and especially John Hulme for editing such an interesting magazine that keeps us in touch with classic trials all over the world. When I came to meet John Hulme for the first time it was ‘The Guru’ who introduced us and quickly we were engaged in a long trials conversation while having a beer at the Telford Classic Show the night before the show opened. The passion for the sport and the machines was so strong at our table that we consumed a nice number of beers very late into the night…