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Bernie Schreiber

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Bernie Schreiber
Schreiber on a Bultaco Sherpa in 1976
NationalityUnited States American
Born (1959-01-20) January 20, 1959 (age 65)
Los Angeles, California, United States
Current teamRetired
Websitehttps://www.bernieschreiber.com

Bernard Schreiber (born January 20, 1959), is an American former international motorcycle trials rider. He became the only American to win the FIM Trial World Championship in 1979. Schreiber is also four-time winner of the NATC Trials Championship, winning the title in 1978, 1982, 1983 and 1987. In 2000 he was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame and, in 2020 he was named an FIM Legend.[1][2]

Biography

[edit]

Born in Los Angeles, California, Schreiber started competing in trials at the age of 10 in 1969. Within a few years he had established himself as a top contender in Southern California and began competing in the FIM Trial World Championship in 1977 at 17 years of age.[3] In 1978 he won the US national title and finished third in the World Trials Championship behind defending champion Yrjo Vesterinen and Martin Lampkin, racking up victories in France, Spain, the United States and Italy in the process.[4]

Schreiber made history in 1979 when he became the first American to win the World Trials Championship. After a slow start to the season Schreiber put together four wins and three additional podiums out of the last eight rounds to take the title.[5][6] A midseason switch from Bultaco to Italjet during 1980 helped Schreiber end the season on a high, winning the last four rounds, but not quite enough to retain the title finishing second behind Swede Ulf Karlsson.

A mixed season followed in 1981 and prompted a switch to SWM for 1982. Only missing the podium twice all 1982 saw him again runner up, this time to emerging Belgian talent Eddy Lejeune. 1982 also marked Schreiber's only victory at the prestigious Scottish Six Days Trial, coming from behind to overtake Lejeune on the last day of the competition.[7] His good riding paid dividends in the US Nationals with Schreiber taking back-to-back national championship titles in 1982 and 1983. Schreiber and Lejeune battled for the world title over the next couple of years with Lejeune edging out the American both years. After returning to the US national championship, Schreiber took his fourth and final US title in 1987 riding a Fantic.

National Trials Championship Career

[edit]
Year Class Machine Rd
1
Rd
2
Rd
3
Rd
4
Rd
5
Rd
6
Rd
7
Rd
8
Rd
9
Rd
10
Points Pos Notes
1980 United Kingdom British Championship Bultaco STD
10
COL
7
CLE
-
LOM
-
MIT
-
ALL
-
RED
-
TRA
-
PRE
-
WEL
-
5 17th
1982 United States NATC Champ SWM FL
-
CA
1
MT
1
MT
1
RI
1
MA
1
NY
-
TN
-
75 1st NATC US National Champion
1983 United States NATC Champ SWM TX
1
TX
1
TX
1
CA
-
AZ
-
PN
-
MI
1
IL
1
75 1st NATC US National Champion

International Trials Championship Career

[edit]

[8]

Year Class Machine Rd
1
Rd
2
Rd
3
Rd
4
Rd
5
Rd
6
Rd
7
Rd
8
Rd
9
Rd
10
Rd
11
Rd
12
Points Pos Notes
1977 FIM World Championship Bultaco IRL
-
GBR
-
BEL
5
SPA
3
FRA
5
GER
2
USA
-
CAN
7
SWE
8
FIN
6
CZE
8
SUI
7
53 7th
1978 FIM World Championship Bultaco IRL
9
GBR
8
BEL
-
FRA
1
SPA
1
GER
2
USA
1
ITA
1
AUT
2
SWE
3
FIN
6
CZE
2
116 3rd
1979 FIM World Championship Bultaco IRL
-
GBR
7
BEL
6
NED
4
SPA
1
FRA
2
CAN
3
USA
1
ITA
2
SWE
1
FIN
7
CZE
1
115 1st FIM World Champion
1980 FIM World Championship Bultaco / Italjet IRL
4
GBR
8
BEL
5
SPA
1
AUT
7
FRA
1
SUI
-
GER
-
ITA
1
FIN
1
SWE
1
CZE
1
111 2nd
1981 FIM World Championship Italjet SPA
3
BEL
8
IRL
-
GBR
-
FRA
4
ITA
3
AUT
6
USA
8
FIN
5
SWE
3
CZE
2
GER
-
66 6th
1982 FIM World Championship SWM SPA
2
BEL
2
GBR
1
ITA
2
FRA
3
GER
2
AUT
3
CAN
1
USA
3
FIN
10
SWE
4
POL
3
127 2nd
1983 FIM World Championship SWM SPA
1
BEL
4
GBR
3
IRL
2
USA
6
FRA
2
AUT
2
ITA
4
SUI
3
FIN
5
SWE
1
GER
3
123 2nd
1984 FIM World Championship SWM SPA
3
BEL
8
GBR
1
IRL
4
FRA
4
GER
1
USA
10
CAN
6
AUT
6
ITA
5
FIN
4
SWE
4
152 3rd
1986 FIM World Championship Yamaha BEL
-
GBR
8
IRL
11
SPA
8
FRA
9
USA
8
CAN
12
GER
9
AUT
11
ITA
12
SWE
5
FIN
8
75 7th
1987 FIM World Championship Fantic SPA
8
BEL
-
GBR
-
IRL
-
GER
-
FRA
-
USA
13
AUT
-
ITA
-
CZE
-
SUI
-
SWE
-
11 20th

Honors

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  • US NATC Trials Champion 1978, 1982, 1983, 1987
  • FIM Trials World Champion 1979
  • Scottish Six Day Trial Winner 1982

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Bernie Schreiber". AMA. Retrieved January 23, 2015.
  2. ^ "FIM Legends". fim-live.com. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  3. ^ Ward, Frank, ed. (1978). MCN Yearbook 1977/78. Patrick Stephens Limited. pp. 101–114. ISBN 0-85059-285-2.
  4. ^ Ward, Frank, ed. (1979). MCN Yearbook 1978/79. Macdonald & Jane's Publishers Limited. pp. 97–112. ISBN 0354-09057-7.
  5. ^ Ward, Frank, ed. (1980). MCN Yearbook 1980. Macdonald & Jane's Publishers Limited. pp. 97–110. ISBN 0-362-02009-4.
  6. ^ "FIM World Championship". trialonline.org. Archived from the original on June 9, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
  7. ^ Flippin, Jeannie (September 1982). Bernie Scoots In The Scottish. Retrieved March 7, 2015. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  8. ^ "FIM Trials Championships". trialonline.org. Archived from the original on June 9, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2015.