Backwards The Way Forwards?

[dadof2]

I watched MotoGP on Sunday and guess what? the increase in minimum weight limit meant that the teams had switched back to steel exhausts from titanium, saving £5000 a time. Did anyone notice? did it spoil the race? Not one bit.

I was talking to a bloke at a trial few weeks back and his lad was unable to ride that day = bent his disc the previous week and had been quoted over £90 for a replacement which he could not afford. I remember when I was motocrossing, the discs on my maico were only about 3 mm thick and full of slots. bent both front and rear in mud ruts at one meeting. How much better it would have been had they been 4.5mm thick like Hondas, they hardly ever got bent.

There is something economists call price elasticity of demand, basically the lower the price the more you sell, so although restricting design of trials bike is not the only answer to boosting the sport it would make a useful contribution.

Cheers

[zippy]

. I remember when I was motocrossing, the discs on my maico were only about 3 mm thick and full of slots. bent both front and rear in mud ruts at one meeting. How much better it would have been had they been 4.5mm thick like Hondas, they hardly ever got bent.

Maybe you should have bought the Honda then....... and had more reliable parts.

Same thing goes in trials, some brands seem to have more reliable parts than others. can't have super light and super reliable. buy the bike that fits what you want super reliable or super performance.

[breagh]

As a fellow trials rider pointed out on another forum recently,"The average trials rider is about 2 stone overweight,so what difference does a saving of a few grammes make"

As we British,and you Americanites don't make any trials bikes we,re not in a strong position to criticise makers.

My concern is that we lose riders because of reliability issues and high depreciation and spares prices.

i'm not keen on going back to girder forks yet,however a very realistic minimum weight for bikes would get my vote.

[b40rt]

can't have super light and super reliable. buy the bike that fits what you want super reliable or super performance.

Why would you want super performance that wasn't reliable ?

[bilc0]

As a fellow trials rider pointed out on another forum recently,"The average trials rider is about 2 stone overweight.

Hahaha,

A pregnant match stick.

[0007]

Why would you want super performance that wasn't reliable ?

I have heard it worded like this "Light, strong, inexpensive, you can pick 2 but can't have all 3"

[b40rt]

I have heard it worded like this "Light, strong, inexpensive, you can pick 2 but can't have all 3"

Ok, I'le reword that, what's super about unreliable ?

[zippy]

Why would you want super performance that wasn't reliable ?

let me put it in an analogy.

Tank = performance and reliable but heavy as Fook! performs at it's designed task perfectly for many years.

Formula 1 car = Performance and light weight but reliable for a little while. Performs great at it's designed task but requires much maintenance, up keep and engine rebuilds after only a few uses.

Both types of Trials bikes are offered at this time

Montesa and Scorpa = Tank

GasGas, Sherco = Formula 1

I do not have an opinion yet on Ossa, JTG, Xispa or Greeves.

I did not include Beta because I just don't like them. (must be a personality flaw I have)

Spare parts in a niche market will always be over priced. (and from what I have heard MotoX spares ain't much cheaper and are replaced more often. I.E. engine rebuilds) Also if you are trying to ride above your skill level you will naturally break more parts, so either get used to the fact you will pay for more parts to be a better rider or set aside the ego and ride a class down and just have fun. Also quit worrying so much about how the plastics look and just zip tye the things back together and go wrap it around another tree.

It is immaterial whether or not the average rider will be able to use the bike to it's full potential, what matters is trying to provide a product that the Majority wants to purchase and find a happy middle ground for both sides of the coin. Can't please everyone.

Yes there are things I like about my GasGas and things I don't. When the things I don't like outweigh the things I do like then I will look for a new bike that fits what I find to be important at that time.

we have differing opinions and that's OK we don't have to agree. And I suspect neither one of us will have any individual direct influence on the trials motorcycle manufacturers decisions on what to build or what materials to use.

So I will enjoy my seatless, lightweight, easy clutch, excellent braking and powerful motored bike.

[rob214]

i only replace what i break, i break when i fall. i fall when i try something above my normal skill comfort zone. breaking stuff is part of off road riding. when i raced mx bikes i replace stuff every week. mainly clutch plates and piston rings, just normal maintenance parts for going fast. i rode my beta for 6 years and only replaced the hand grips and 1 set of tires and the front master cylinder. i fell on my 2013 sherco and bent the front fork brace, it's just part of life when we ride. also when i was young my dad made me buy my own parts which meant i needed a job to get parts and gas. theres a lesson to be learned here, "wanna play, then you have to pay" sounds like dad maybe doing the right thing?

trials is still the cheapest motorsport around.

rob

[dadof2]

# 47 - why I had a maico. My first serios motocrosser was a maico, it was reliable, fast and I liked it very much. However along came the watercooled Hondas that left it for dead up the start straight, so the maico was replaced with a Honda. Honda was good but I never felt completely at home. I was then offered a new watercooled maico at a brilliant price along with a seasons deal for oil and tyres at trade prices. Maico went well at first then gradually fell to pieces and parts became unavailable as factory went bust.

Hondas were not perfect either, front discs could crack (excess slotting?) and the clutch cases corroded as do those on Betas.

Cheers

[shyted]

Hey Dedof2 ,how's tricks ?

The thing i find strange in all of this , Honda are the only Jap manufacturer still in trials . The Euro bike scene has left them for dead . You can hardly call Beta ,GasGas and them high volume producers . Could that be because the Jap's cant sell us the same mass produced stuff year on year , re striped up , a bike for every one cheapish , with back shocks that cost £4.50 to mass produce .

Said it before and here it is again . I marvel at the thinking gone into my Gasgas . The touch of finesse exercised on everything . It look's like a factory bike and good quality .

Thing is , my personal view only and i'm choosy , i can see the appeal of older bikes , i like them . In the state you buy them these day's and for the price , trusting the ability of others , knowing what you've got , well not for me . Are they still competitive and satisfy their owners , without doubt , probably down to their owners ability . So what is happening on the trials scene ?

No media coverage is one . Don't do it ,no no no don't say it ! you know don't you ! Who will say those two words first ?

[dadof2]

Tricks are pretty good, just been out practicing for 3rd time since Sunday night. We call it practicing but its more like a social gathering with a bit of fell riding and a few sections thrown in. there were 7 of us ranging from 12 to 55 years old on bikes ranging from a TYZ to a week old 250 gasser.

From the highest point we were at we could see the areas where some of the best trials in Britain are held including, Richmond BTC, Scott, Reeth 3 Day ,Lakes 2 day, Nord View, Allan trophy and the white rose.

Yes a very nice if a bit warm evening.

Cheers

[shyted]

i too would enjoy what you are telling every one about . Glad to see those that can are making use of their means .

Local authority here as in lots of places see to it that all those places we had are now unavailable by putting cycle tracks in that people use every pancake Saturday and a big sign saying motor cycles keep off .

Ted

[dadof2]

We are very lucky but it would only take a bit of use be people from outside the area to overuse it and problems would start

I have seen the no motorcycle signs near the beach at Thornton, Clevelys, St annes and Southport so I know what you are up against I also know of lads in the north east who get caught up in the police action against stolen bikes being ridden on common / waste ground.

Is the Preston docklands MX practice track still going?. Maybe they could get a few lorry loads of boulders and logs to make some trials sections?

Cheers

[craigh88]

Preston docks now has an endurocross track you can use trials bikes on, looks good but it's not in sections as such, it's a lap (obviously being an endurocross track). Would be good if they set up a proper trials area though.