7 replies to this topic

[Tom2010]

Hi, I've ridden enduro for a couple of years and then had to sell my beloved ktm when I went to uni, now I'm home for summer and after a nearly 2 year break I fancy a cheap trials bike just to play on. preferably want to spend as little as possible (up to 600) so I realise this limits it a lot but seen a couple of (already sold) bikes about. Just wondering if any of you lot know of any. preferably in yorkshire as well!

Cheers

[jonnybmac]

You have to take into consideration that paying that sort of money wont get you much, in terms of newness and reliability. your better off forking out that little bit more and getting something half decent that has a bigger chance of it not braking, although no promices that it wont.

[GrahamJayzee]

Hi Tom,

As many people will have advised, it's hard to avoid junk at this price point. The trouble is supply and demand. There are many people looking for an apparent bargain and so more people are interested in cheap bikes than expensive ones. As a result, the price gets pushed past the worth. Often you'll pay £600 for £400-worth of bike as where you may well pay £1000 for £1500-worth of bike. Skov (on here) is a case in point; he has just acquired an extremely tidy 04 gasgas 250 for just £950. Apart from £70 to fix the water pump, it's ready to trial.

That brings in another point; Try to buy a bike from someone that rides trials. The bike will be used and probably looked after as poor maintenance is reflected in scores. Bikes sold as having been ridden 'just for fun' often have very hard lives. In a trial the bike is often running for just a few minutes before getting a rest; going around a field it could be hours!

It IS possible to pay less though, but bear in mind that you may need £250 in your back pocket to get the bike straight (wheel bearings, suspension bushes, fork seal, chain/ sprox and if you trial, definitely tyres), you may again be better spending a bit more in the first place. I paid £725 for my 01 REv3 knowing this and got it ready to trial for £900.

If you are interested, skov has his 315R for sale at the minute; drop me a pm and I'll put you in touch.

Graham

[Tom2010]

cheers, thats sort of what I expected! I don't mind having to sort a few issues with the bike, and I can get any bearings for free so stuff like that isn't an issue. I may up my budget a little though, is it worth going to some local trials or will most bikes there be newer more expensive ones?

[Thedbf]

I'm brand new to the game also fella, and the advice I got was the same as you were given in the last post, by a bike from someone at a trial. Exactly what the fella said, a bike doing trials is hardly getting any punishment at all, well unless you're buying mine that is cause I'm crap, but seriously, what ever you do, if a seller says...just used for fun round the local field, what he really means is thrashed to death, wheelied every place etc etc, walk away...HTH but it certainly helped me

[jonnybmac]

I payed 1,500 for mine and I've thrashed it already. I dont really care for the damages my bike takes, I'm learning at the deep end so I'd rather have a few dents and scratches than be a girl worrying over the bike too much.

2 clutch levers, 1 brake lever, new handle bars, new chain, sprokets, rear bushes, swing arm bushes, mudguard are just a few of the damages I've incurred

Edited by jonnybmac, 03 June 2010 - 09:48 PM.

[Thedbf]

jonnybmac, on Jun 3 2010, 10:47 PM, said:

I payed 1,500 for mine and I've thrashed it already. I dont really care for the damages my bike takes, I'm learning at the deep end so I'd rather have a few dents and scratches than be a girl worrying over the bike too much.

2 clutch levers, 1 brake lever, new handle bars, new chain, sprokets, rear bushes, swing arm bushes, mudguard are just a few of the damages I've incurred

New handle bars

[jonnybmac]

tree = bent