ambassadors
Sherco superstar Emma Bristow has won her eighth world trials championship. Emma races in the FIM Women’s Trial World Championship, also known as the TrialGP Women, for the French bike maker. As she prepares for the upcoming Scott Trial in the UK, we caught up with her to find out how it feels to win another world championship – and if she needs to buy a bigger trophy cabinet.
Emma, eight world championships in nine years is a pretty special achievement. How does it feel to have won your latest world championship?
Yeah, it’s unbelievable. Obviously the first one was special. Since then, it was just like, step by step, year after year and you don't realise that they rack up like they do. Then all of a sudden, I've won eight. I’m really proud. None of the years have felt easy to be honest. It's never easy to win. There so many factors along the way: am I feeling good? Is the bike right for the conditions, etc? This year, I won six out of the eight races. I'm really happy actually. Eight is more than I ever dreamed of. What I enjoy most is coming home and putting the medal on the side. I've got eight there now.
Have all your world championships been on a Sherco?
Yes, I’ve done 10 seasons with Sherco now. And I've got another year’s contract with them for next year. It's really exciting because I've got a completely new bike for 2023, so I'm looking forward to that as it's almost like having a new challenge. I’ve got an amazing relationship with quite a few people in the team.
What is about Sherco bikes that contribute to your success?
I think it's more to do with the people behind the bike. I've got a really good backup in the UK. I also get on really well with the mechanics in Spain. They understand that if I want something changed, it’s because it will make it better, and they trust me. Having a team where you can feel relaxed, but also motivated, is important. They don't make me feel stressed and let me get on with what I need to do. They understand that what I'm doing is the best thing for me and they trust me that I'll do the right thing.
You mention your new Sherco bike. Have you tried it already?
There was only a couple in the UK at that time. I'd never ridden it before. So I had to jump on it and make a promotional video. The most important thing is that it's nearly five kilos lighter than the old bikes. That’s a massive change. It's also fuel injected now instead of carb, and has a new engine. New everything really. It's a really, really exciting project to be a part of and I'm really looking forward to getting my bike soon. I'm looking forward to a new challenge.
You're going to be riding that bike from the beginning of the 2023 season?
Yes, so I’ll start training on it soon. As I said, it's quite a bit different to the old bike, although that was tried, tested, developed, and it was a really good bike, too. It's just nice to have a new push forward for the brand. It's a really exciting time to be part of Sherco and I feel lucky. Obviously, there's a lot of interest in the bike, so it's nice to be part of something that everyone's looking at and excited about. Everyone will be looking at results and seeing if they want to buy one. From what I've from what I've seen and felt with the bike so far, it’s a massive improvement and it's definitely going be one of the top ones to buy.
Motul is an important partner for you and also Sherco. How does its products help you succeed?
I've been using Motul for two years now and I wouldn't use anything else. With the new bike, there's no carbs so I won’t be able to use the carb cleaner [laughs]. But I've got so many favourite products and I’m so happy to be using the products. Motul is a really trusted brand that's been tested and tested and tested. Like with the two strokes, because the oil is so high quality, we can use a little bit less and it keeps the bikes revving clean. You’ve also got the maintenance products, such as the chain lube and grease. I regrease my linkage every time I go riding. It’s nice to have a full range of products that do everything you need. I really recommend the two stroke and gearbox oil. It's important to have a good feeling with the clutch because that's where all your feeling comes from. I've noticed that since using the Motul gearbox oil, I've got a really good feeling with the clutch, and I know when it's going to bite and what exactly it's going to do. I think that's really important. In the past, I've used different gearbox oils, and some of them can make the clutch drag.
All these small details end up making a big difference?
I'm my own mechanic in the UK, I do all my mechanics, so I know first-hand how to use the products and I always want to turn up to the event with a well prepped machine. I think that that gives you head start before you even begin.
