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250 vs 300 / standard vs factory


leosantanalg
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Hello all. 

looking for and input from someone familiar with the differences. 

Here is my dilemma : I currently own a 2017 Gas gas contact 250 that I bought brand new and am looking to upgrade to a (undisclosed manufacture)  factory 300. lets not get into the brand argument or personal preferences and just assume all brands are suitable for my riding style. 

I was told by one specific dealer that I should not by a 300cc. that it would be too much power for me , let alone a factory edition.

here is where I stand: I m a 38 y.o. guy in very good athletic shape 6'2"  235lbs (115Kg) . I have been riding trials for 4 months only but there is a  catch. I use to be a BMX rider for over 10 years (most likely advanced level). so my progression seems to be faster than normal. here is a little summary of the skills I have accomplished.

I can carry on wheelies (sitting or standing) for pretty much as long as I want in 3rd gear up. I can carry on in 2nd or first gear for many yards

use of front brake and rear wheel hop are coming along. I can carry on stopies for 5 -7 yards or so. hop the rear wheel without engine.

Double blip and Jab Zap successfully 100% of the time on obstacles up to 3 feet. Splats are ok if I have a flat surface to land the bike after. I still can not do a stationary Zap.

Balance in most surfaces and with front wheel against objects (tress/ rocks etc...)

have not figured out flip turns.  70 to 90 degree Floater turns on incline 50% successful.  90 degree pivot turn against tree 1 out of 4 tries.

I can front wheel hop about 15 times of so but did not figure out how to move the bike as I do. only in the same spot 

that should be plenty of info!!  I think 300cc would make easier for some skills like zaps and splatters but I have never ridden one. and I m not completely sure what is the difference between factory vs standard, other than lighter parts.  Would I be making a mistake buying a 300 factory?   Thanks all  

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1 hour ago, leosantanalg said:

 Would I be making a mistake buying a 300 factory?   Thanks all  

Unless you are riding expert level trials, you won't need a 300...fact. Any modern 250 will do as much as any 300 short of high 3rd gear revs up huge steps, sorry just my opinion, and I have a 300.

It's fashionable to have a 300 over a 250, makes you look more manly, but I'd put money on you being able to do pretty much any trial you enter on a 250, so just buy what you want, what you will get with a factory model is better suspension. 

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As the saying goes what people need and what people want are often not the same thing if a standard 250 was good enough for James Lampkin in this years scottish ,not forgetting he has been runner up in the past, why wouldnt a 250 be good enough for you?  But if you want the pleasure of riding the best bike money can buy regardless go for the factory every time!

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I used to ride expert level before an injury which prevented me riding for nineteen years.  Since returning to trials I have tried 7 different bikes {x2 a year} some of which were 250's, and albeit older and very unfit the one I have felt the comfiest on and actually rode the easiest and most effectively was a Factory Beta 300.  I preferred the look of other bikes more - don't know why - and wanted to favour other brands but the truth is my next change will probably be another factory 300 Beta.  Other than the slightly sluggish rear brake they have everything IMO.

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8 hours ago, leosantanalg said:

...I think 300cc would make easier for some skills like zaps and splatters but I have never ridden one...

And that, I'm afraid, is the crucial point. Until you do, you won't know. Best you can hope for is someone else telling you where to lay down several thousand pounds, without knowing in your own head, and that's without taking into account the differences between makes. You might, for example, prefer a 300 Beta over a 250, but find a 250 much more suitable than a 300 if you try a TRS (or whatever).

Sorry if this is unhelpful, and it's true all the current bikes are great and cabby's point about 250s is a good one, but making the decision based on riding one yourself is always the way to finding the right answer for you.

Edited by cleanorbust
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Love my 250 Factory Beta, I'm 6'4", 225 LBs. I've had a number of 300s, always end up powering them down with an extra base gasket and a flywheel weight. Decided on a 250 for the slippery off cambers would be the better choice. I all ways felt that the 300s pushed me around and would sometimes get away from me. With the 250 i feel i'm the boss and can push it a bit more. Did really like the new 2017 Beta 300ss, and may have bought one if i hadn't all ready ordered the Factory 250. I also have a 2016 300 4T. You can never have to many bikes!

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As they say, each to their own. I came back to Trials just over 2 years ago after 40 years off bikes all together. My son bought a Sherco 290 for me to try out and it was a steep learning curve on a modern bike after the 70s bikes. I bought a 2013 Jotagas 300 and loved it (still got it), then a 2009 Gas Gas Raga 300 which I also loved, but it had been stood for 2 years and eventually had loads of problems. I then bought a 2016 Sherco 300 which took a little while (3 sections) to get used to the snappy throttle response and then I was hooked. Love it. ALL my bikes have fast action throttles. It's what I always wanted back in the 70s. As mentioned earlier, each to their own. Tom Minta rode a 125 in the SSDT and look where he finished. Emma Bristow rides a Sherco 300. BTW. I am 74 this year. I have tested the 2017 Beta 4t & 300 2t. Love the build quality but missed the snappy throttle response. Tested the 2017 Gas Gas 300 and found it rode like an old worn out bike but good response from the throttle. Tested the 2017 Scorpa 300 and found it to be the same as my Sherco but with better access to the Spark Plug. One thing I don't like on my Sherco is getting the Plug cap back on, not enough clearance to the tank, Tested the Vertigo Ice Hell 250 & 300. Love the balance of both but found the 250 lacking power as did the 300 when on Mode 1 setting. But on Mode 4 it comes alive to what I like & need with my arthritic hands. Your choice.

Forgot to mention. The Raga & the Ice Hell comes with MUCH better suspension. You can tell the difference in the way it feels.

Edited by johnsandywhite
Forgot to mention
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Thanks for that, very interesting, particularly your comments on Jotagas. Everyone who's reported on riding one seems to love them as a clubman friendly, well made bike but nobody seems to be buying them new.

Could I ask where you got your test rides? (Dealer?). 

Sorry this has drifted a bit from the original question.

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I went to the Beta, Gas Gas & EM test with John Lampkin & John Shirt jnr at Inch Perfect. The Scorpa was with Nigel Birkett & Andy Metcalfe at Low North Park Scarborough Trials area for the Scorpa test and at Cloburn with Nick from Vertigo on the Ice Hell. The Jotagas I bought in Spain because I had read good reports about it. The only complaint I have of the Jotagas is the gear change shaft has snapped twice due to hitting rocks. The later models had an upgrade for this. The importer is Vince at Haven Trialsport at Laceby. The latest models are not the same. Not tested the TRS or the Montesa/Honda yet.

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Make it very simple, dont listen to anybody and their opinions, If you want a 300 get it!!! Just like asking whats the best bike for you. There will be one bike that just feels right for you, as for displacement, Ride the different sizes and make your own decisions. Nobody else is going to ride your bike for you so let yourself be the judge

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just sold my old 2009  beta evo 250 and bought a beta evo 2014 300 factory and love it, i find it easier to ride than my old bike, power seems so much more smother.

I'm a novice rider, only done a hand full of trials, best thing to do is try and get a shot on one before you buy.

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Human nature is that some people feel the need to convince others to do and buy things they do, maybe it's a comfort thing.  When I have wanted to know about bikes I've not tried I found it helpful to contrast the info against things I had experience of.   I think it's wrong to assume the engine cc is an absolute game changer.  I don't want to put one brand before others because one mans poison is another mans meat as the saying goes but in the context of the original thread I can honestly say that the factory 300 I had was easier to ride than the previous 250 of a different brand. 

Some manufacturers engineer a totally different performance profile into their brand which is a characteristic of that bike, like I said I found the 300 I cited easier to ride than the previous one which was a 250.  Our brain adapts to its surroundings.  Rather than making the cc the defining criteria be open to try different makes that produce different results.  I was pleasantly surprised by the bigger bike and I'm a poor rider.

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