ChrisCH

I had a 280RR ('17) and now have a 250RR ('23). Both are not too much if you are used to powerful motorcycles. The 280 was overkill but all I could find for sale at the time. The 250 is very nice and I am really enjoying it. The big difference is the 250 is much easier to kick over and uses about half as much fuel as the 280. I have very very average skills and am still working on hopping. The bike has a nice light front and wheelies easily. There are a couple of One R riders in our club and they are all better than me. If I were starting over I think I would look at a 125 as bike 1 to be honest. We bought a Beta (shared me and the missus) The Beta is much less agressive and she used it for about 3 years before going to an EM. (I bought the 280 as she hogged the shared bike) None of the different bikes will improve your skills. However, to be honest I have found that changing bikes can help as it makes you think a bit more. Well that's my excuse for always looking at new bikes anyway 😀

I think Pierer are in bother with their push bike division - some big names have hit the skids in that market. Gasgas has a range of e-bikes something all the M/C brands seem to be keen on; Yamaha, Ducati and now Triumph with the Trekker. These must be loss making? Gasgas have been doing well in Moto 2 and I think they are pulling that team? I hope they don't pull the electric trials bike.

No issues with ours after 18 months. Only bought a new chain (cheap) so far. Front sprocket is expensive but rear one is same as other brands. Look after the battery and bike should be good for a long time. (Lots of info about Li-Ion batteries and how to care for them on the internet).

If you can pick up a decent TRS locally at a good price it is a sensible choice all round. I have a '23 250RR and it is a very nice machine and far, far more capable than I will ever be. The Tech forks are good and hop easily if the rider is up to it. Mine doesn't stall or have any vice that I am aware of. In terms of hopping about the secret is balance. If you cannot static balance you will not hop. For a short time there is a free (wheelie) course online worth a quick look at https://www.trialsprogression.com/ I find the guy very easy to understand and he breaks down the skills which makes it easier. For me the issue is you need to spend a long time between stages by which time the free offer will be over. I bought a Honda CRF 250L in Feb this year and have been trying to master wheelies on that. It is much heavier than a trials bike and also has a lowering kit on it (the missus likes that..) We did a training day with an enduro club recently and they suggested front brake to compress the forks prior to lifting the front. I have found this to be a worthwhile thing to learn (its in the free course too). The Honda is helping me with trials and the trials helps with the Honda. So please don't get too hung up on choice of bike. You can learn/practice static balance on a push bike.

Any bike will do. The rider is what makes the difference. Modern suspension is more than good enough and often the same make over different brands of bike. To improve technical skills all that is needed is to spend many hours practice. There are some good YouTube tutorials around to help, but in the end it comes down to putting the time in.

EM have signed Jeroni Fajardo. A little more info on the bike and the new model without the gearbox but new motor and battery.

Win for Haga in trial2 https://www.visordown.com/news/racing/general/gasgas-sondre-haga-make-motorcycle-history-trialgp

Thanks guys. I think I will change the bearings, they are very cheap (60042RS) and it is a task inside my limited abilities. Another one on the 'round to it' list.

Missus' 2021 epure race. I fitted a new chain and set it up like every other bike I have ever done - one finger gap between the spring adjuster and the swinging arm. Now it has a squeak - like a dry brake squeak which seems to come from the output sprocket at the motor end. We have both ridden it for a while but it is still there. Brake is fine and has not been touched, not had the back wheel out. No play in wheel bearings or gearbox output shaft as far as I can detect. I have backed the tension off a bit and the noise has gone. Squeak was in time with wheel rotations so it is somewhere or somehow related to that. My guess is a wheel bearing, but there is no play at all, sound seems to come front of chain (but I know sounds like to play tricks on you). Any one have a thought? I will change the wheel bearings as my next move but grateful for any input.

I put this in Beta as it mostly covers that brand but some feedback on other brands included. Its YT but audio only. Really interesting point about the 250cc standard versus factory models. Well worth 20 minutes of your day to listen to. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ3Cq76bWzA Interview with Ray Peters - Beta Team Manager and Trials Coach (USA)

On my MTB wheel building course we were taught to lube the thread to assemble the wheel. The explanation was that a dry thread might require different force between individual spokes to achieve the same tightness. I have no idea if that is correct or sensible - just what the person taught me. The tutor was a professional wheel builder and had worked for some of the top teams. Thinking about the issue raised by this topic it occurs to me that trials (and other spoked MC) wheels generally do not need any attention. Neither do modern machine-built MTB wheels. When I started mountain biking it was common for a shop that built a wheel to tell you to bring it back in a couple of weeks to readjust. (My course tutor said this is because the idiot that built it had not got it right at the first attempt). The wheel I built never needed adjusting and the hub broke eventually. You do not see adverts for hand-built wheels any more. I think the hypothesis that the manual has the wrong torque settings might be a good one.

Looks like the new motor/battery on the other bikes is the plan. The latest offering here on the MY2025 epure race looks like the same motor but no gears. Oddly this bike is not on the manufacturer's website. https://inchperfecttrials.co.uk/products/2025-em-epure-race-2-5kwh

Dherby are a big trials shop (https://www.dherbeymoto.com/marchand/magasin.php) with lots of bikes and kit. We used to own a place in Montpellier and broke the journey down by an overnight in Grenoble when we could just to go buy something we didn't really need. Grenoble is lovely (if a bit busy) and the drive through the mountains west to Montpellier was also very nice (big nut orchards there too). We sold up recently in Montpellier as the Taxe Fonc and Hab got to nearly two grand and it was just too much, especially as we had not been able to get back during the lockdown. I'm looking Normandy area now as there is (cheaper) land there. Never been to Matchams though I drive past it often. Our trials club do a once a year event at Rogershill near Dorchester. We are based in Horton. Thanks for the feedback on the importing. I will have to work out the cost/benefit but I think the missus will require the Ducati to follow her at any cost. From what I have read you need insurance to ride in trials competitions and so the bike has to have a Carte Gris. We might bring the Electric Motion as a toy for our own land but it would be nice to ride it at the local club. (ACL Breal are near-ish to our target area)

Thanks for that. We plan to set out a trials practice area if we can buy something with a bit of land. I have read on other forums there is a lot of hassle bringing a bike in. The problem seems to be you need a Controle Technique but as bikes are exempt no one can test a bike. I think they are talking about introducing the CT for motorbikes so maybe ironically it will make it easier. Otherwise we will sell the bikes here and buy again when we get there. Neither of our trials bikes are registered so no Carte Gris either. The missus will shoot people if she can't import her Ducati. Have you been to Dherby? Worth a visit if you are that way. I wish we had a big shop like that in the south of England.

Salut. Welcome to the forum. We looked at Moto88 a year or so back but it is closed in the winter (we were visiting at xmas). I don't know much about the Sherco - if you want quiet get an Electric Motion. Dherby have a few in stock but they are not cheap. I hope to retire to France next year if Mme Le Pen lets me in.