crunch Posted May 21, 2009 Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 im looking at buying a trials bike. i used to ride bike trials a lot a few years ago and some motorcycle trials. i now live in Canada with lots of amazing places to ride. so im looking for a new bike. unfortunately there are no shops local to me with any bikes in stock, so whatever i buy will be sent to me. i can get a gas gas txt pro 290, sherco 2t 290 or a beta evo 2t 290 all for the same price. $8000 CAD. but which one? ive heard the gas gas is great but needs lots of maintenance. some people say Beta's are better made than sherco.. others lover shercos.. im looking for reliability, and a good bike that i can take up into the mountains and ride a lot. what do you guys recommend? im about 90kg so i think the 290 will be the right power for me.. just out of interest what power do the 290 2 Stroke engines put out these days? thanks for any advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy Posted May 22, 2009 Report Share Posted May 22, 2009 OK here goes I am gonna try to stick with facts. Sherco 290 is actually 272cc with 5 speed gearbox Gas Gas 280 is 272cc with 6 speed gearbox Beta Evo 290 is 290cc with 5 speed gearbox? Now I will go with personal experience and opinion. I have a 2000 Sherco 2.9 I really like it but I hear it is a totally different animal than the 2007-2009 models. Sherco has Plastic fuel tank Gas Gas 280 OK I really have no experience with one of these but the 300's are more popular. Gasser has metal tank. Beta Evo 290 has a harder clutch pull than the others, and The rider I know with one has complained the gas tank capacity is a bit low. (many fill ups) Also the fuel tank is a welded in part of the frame, makes motor and radiator maintenance a little more difficult. In the short test ride I had on his Beta it felt well balanced the power was very nice and predictable, had very good low end (just a little throttle and it would torque it's way up) At higher revs would jump to the moon. ALL bikes require maintenance, the amount usually is directly proportional to how much you beat the hell out of it. All 3 of those models have linkage rear suspension so lubing that on a regular basis is a must. Hope that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lineaway Posted May 22, 2009 Report Share Posted May 22, 2009 You left out a few variables on what you are looking for. Skill level, mechanical appitude,(since you are a long way from a dealer). And are you going to compete or have long days just having fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
copemech Posted May 22, 2009 Report Share Posted May 22, 2009 I have to tell you that unless you are fat like ZIPPY, the 250cc bikes are much more pleasureable to ride, of any brand, and still have plenty of power. All the bikes you mention can be violently powerful! Think twice ! Unless you are, or intend to be quite good, the bigger bikes can defeat your pleasure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crunch Posted May 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2009 sorry, to clarify i meant the 300 gas gas, not 280. and i understand the new Beta 290 are 6 speed. from what ive read the tank capacity doesnt seem to be much variation. sherco 2.9l, beta 2.6l.. i can work on the bike myself. i do all my own car maintenance etc so that shouldnt be an issue. ive got a nice big heated garage to work in too.. i will do some events, but there are only 6 or so a year close to me, and most are still a fair distance away so id maybe do 2 trials per year. so it will mostly be days riding in the mountains etc. skill level will be low. mostly did bike trials with just the odd motorcycle trial in the past. but its been a few years since i last rode seriously. and i know a lot of people say get the smaller engine bikes unless you are very good. but im at high altitude (1200+m just in my house) and obviously the mountains are even higher. and as it will be mainly for trail type riding in the hills i think the power will be fine as i wont be doing tight sections in events that often. thanks for the pointers guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crasher Posted May 22, 2009 Report Share Posted May 22, 2009 hello chap, i have to agree with copemech, i don't know much about the evo but the sherco and gasser will be too much of a handful for a novice rider, way to much power, best stick to a 250 or even a 200, these are far more user friendly and still have plenty of power for us mere mortals, just take a look at what the juniors get up to on 125's, anyway best of luck and happy riding Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crunch Posted May 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2009 (edited) hello chap, i have to agree with copemech, i don't know much about the evo but the sherco and gasser will be too much of a handful for a novice rider, way to much power, best stick to a 250 or even a 200, these are far more user friendly and still have plenty of power for us mere mortals, just take a look at what the juniors get up to on 125's, anyway best of luck and happy riding do you really think so? ive ridden 280's in the past with no problem when i was still in the UK. im quite a big guy. and as i said the altitude will be a factor here, it saps power from engines due to the thinner air. and the only complaint people seem to have with the more powerful bikes is when in tight sections the power can be a bit much. but i wont be doing much of that, more powering across natural terrain in the mountains.. a 250 would be the same price if you guys all think the 290/300's are too much.. also, how unreliable are the gas gas bikes? that would of been my first choice because when i was last involved in trials they were great. i dont mind doing maintenance, but i dont want to have to spend major money on parts all the time after each ride. trials bikes in my view have always been super reliable, certainly compared to MX bikes. but are gas gas just too lightweight and easy to break? Edited May 22, 2009 by crunch 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hrc1 Posted May 22, 2009 Report Share Posted May 22, 2009 I've had 5 Beta's & now 3 Gassers. Gas Gas need no more maintenance than any other bike. Also just as reliable as anything else - I've a 6 year old GG Pampera that's done 90 events & never let me down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crunch Posted May 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2009 I've had 5 Beta's & now 3 Gassers.Gas Gas need no more maintenance than any other bike. Also just as reliable as anything else - I've a 6 year old GG Pampera that's done 90 events & never let me down. thank you. but are they the new 2009 gas gas? because i have heard they are great bikes. but their super light weight and high power makes them a bit fragile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crasher Posted May 22, 2009 Report Share Posted May 22, 2009 i've got 5 gassers in the garage ranging from 2004-2007 and the only bad point i would say is the gearboxes tend to be a bit fragile, i've heard of a few radiator problems with the 2009 models (sides cracking, but there is probably a mod to stop this) otherwise they're probably no worse than the other makes, also heard the new evo's frames are a bit suspect, someone i know has had to have a new frame as his has cracked, i think whatever you buy if you look after it properly (regular oil changes etc.) it will serve you well and give you hours of fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
totalshell Posted May 22, 2009 Report Share Posted May 22, 2009 90kg.. lightweight!!! i'm 100k and my 250 beta has never run out of steam , my cub rarely flusters so 250 is more than adequate. As for which to choose go to the ssdt site and see how many riders rode each brand. the hardest/ best 300 riders in the world will know better than anyone which bike is best for 80 - 110 miles a day for a full week and competant in knee deep water and happy to scale the hardest sections possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sherpa325 Posted May 24, 2009 Report Share Posted May 24, 2009 Hi I currently own an 09 300 and without a doubt the best bike I have ever owned. The bike is a big improvement over the previous models, lighter, more stable and an incredibly powerful motor. I have ridden a beta evo 300 and the motor was very smooth but did not make the outright power of the gasser, the suspension was plush the bike felt light and was a big improvement over the rev3, but i still prefer the gasgas. This is the 3rd pro I have owned 05 300, 07 280, and the 09 300. All of the bikes have been ultra reliable with no real problems with any of them. I ride at least one full day each week all year round. If the motor is too powerful they are easy to detune- slow throttle[black tube] head spacer[lowers compression] and flywheel weight as well as lowering the gearing[one tooth less on the front sprocket] All these are available through your gasgas dealer. Cheers greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dab Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 crunch, have you considered a 4 stroke bike? I can recommend the EVO 4T 300. It has a lot of power and does extremely well in mountainous terrain. A friend of mine has the 2009 Montesa Repsol edition and takes it into the mountains once a week. He is also extremely satisfied... Cheers, dab Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benbeta23 Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 crunch,A friend of mine has the 2009 Montesa Repsol edition and takes it into the mountains once a week. He is also extremely satisfied... Cheers, dab So he should be for the money Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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