ChrisCH

Je suis ta père, Luc

I would buy the 250. For a start it is the factory option which has better parts fitted. Second unless you are really very good the extra power is wasted, you simply don't have the ability to use it. I have recently bought a 250 Evo for my wife and it is very good. It is an older bike than the 2017 and not the factory option. It is slightly less powerful than my TRS but the main difference is it is just an older bike and a bit worn out. Upgrading to a 2017 factory would be nice and give her a bike that would last for years. Her problem would be that I would want it and try to use it all the time. ?

Hmmm. There is a truth many don't see - you only ever really compete with yourself. If being "better" than someone else is important to you you are pretty sad. It is always easy to find people less talented if you try and just as easy to find people more talented. My club is friendly and helpful to newer riders like me and not about winning - at least for the majority. We have a few good riders that take it seriously and ride other venues and want to win - good luck to them. They are friendly and helpful too on the whole. I love green lanes but the missus has no interest (working on it). The club meeting is a cheap and easy way to get to ride my bike for a few hours and the organised route gives me a marker as to how well I am progressing in my skills rather than any "competitive" element. You get to watch other people and learn and also to see that you are not so bad, nor so good. We all have a good laugh and it is a pleasant way to spend time. I very much enjoy riding the trials bike, just as I enjoy my road bike. The trials meeting is a cheap and easy way to spend time on my bike. If I ever work out what all the little flags are and how the scoring works I might try to get something called a "clean" (I think that's what they call it). Meantime I am having a hoot riding a bike.

We visited the shop on the way down to the coast last year. It is huge and a very lovely place if you like trials bikes and everything that goes with them. The missus wanted to try on some ladies' pants and virtually no one in the UK holds stock in female sizes. We stayed overnight in Grenoble and drove through the mountains the next morning. Totally stunning. I am trying to find an excuse to go again this year. Must be something we need?

Do you know what size spoke it is? I am sure you should be able to get them easily somewhere without shipping them in from the UK. Is this the one? https://www.dherbeymoto.com/marchand/piece_detachee_p2.php?num_rubrique=4&num_type=134&num_produit=3712&page=piece&num_rub=4&type_recherche=moto Click down to see what it fits. 1998 Techno 125/250. Under two Euro. How's your French? I find these guys to be very helpful and knowledgable. Or just order off the W3

BVM have two (250) for sale now. I bought mine from John Lee and they had three (280) to choose from. I wanted a Beta for the missus and found it much harder to source as everyone wants them, they come up for sale but sell quickly. I bought the 280 as I couldn't get a 250 at the time and couldn't afford the one 250 that was up for sale. It was a bit challenging at first (Rev 3 250 before) but I like it now and don't have any issue with the power. To be fair the missus' Beta starts a lot easier.

No idea about speedway but the dealers near us do classic trials stuff and have that size tyre. It's available online if you want one. https://www.feked.com/ensign-19-rear-trials-tyre-350x19-100-100-19.html

I have read this with interest as this topic is always something worth understanding. Surely the best way forward with classic tanks would be to build a metal tank then use fibreglass to get the final shape in order to accurately reproduce the original look of the bike? Modern fuel tanks are plastic and seem to be able to cope with modern fuels. Old bikes had metal tanks and there was only a short while when other materials were experimented with. The faff and expense of ethanol free fuels like Aspen is surely greater than the cost of fabricating a new tank from metal then coating it?

I've never ridden a four stroke trials bike so no idea. I can only give you my first impressions as someone like you that has had dirt bikes in the past (and lots of road bikes). I bought the TRS 280 as it was all that was available when looking. If you are used to a dirt bike I don't think it is too much at all. The biggest thing for trials is the clutch and the throttle and getting smooth power to the ground with slipping the clutch. Personally I don't find the power too much and I doubt you would either if you have similar background to me. Lots of people talk about the bike being too much and there are lots of things you can do, but the real secret is learn to ride better. Just remember to slow down - trials is slow and control, not about power and revs. I don't think I have got above one third throttle on my TRS yet. A 250 two stroke is probably the best selling and most popular bike there is and the TRS is a nice bike if it is in your budget. The Beta 250 is very good also. A 300cc is probably a bit much to start on.

You will outgrow the 125 quickly, the TRS probably never.

UK law does not allow you to take away liability for personal injury by notice. So any sign saying you do x,y or z at your own risk can only be applied to equipment loss. Liability is a nightmare as much of the law is case law and revolves round things like "reasonability" which has no real meaning. It is made much worse by the no win no fee ambulance chasers that now earn millions out of people's misfortune. Generally it becomes a battle between the insurance company and the lawyers (should be "lawyers" really). if you - like the OP - are waiting for a change in the law then don't - if they change it it will get worse.

Salve! I am new (October last year) also but so far. Had old Beta Rev 3 - several fork seals, strip and repair carburettor. Now have Beta Evo (2014) for wife also fork seals so far. My bike 2017 TRS - no repairs. We ride about once a week. You need to change the gearbox oil much more often than road bike engine oil, but it is easy and not very expensive. I don't know about prices in Italy but in England it is probably better to buy a newer bike than an old one, the older bikes seem to need more work than the price difference. My TRS was only about 1,400 Euro more than the Beta but is much better mechanically. (Both are nice bikes)

I don't know the details but at our last club meeting I was told the ACU fees have gone up (our entry fee has not). I would think any return of money to the riders is therefore less likely now if I am honest.

If anyone is interested X Trial have recently added a Rennes trial for Nov 23rd. Not too far if you get a ferry from Portsmouth. Ticket sales open Sept 1st.

Can you show me - it is taking me too long ?

People really are weird aren't they? Why would you watch snooker? Or some fat bloke throwing darts? They are not all that interesting if you play them (good excuse for a beer though). Bou throwing a bike up a two metre vertical block of stone then bouncing on the back wheel? Somehow that is boring? There's no hope for the non motorcycling part of humanity.

At club level maybe. However the indoor X-Trial is certainly worth watching. Many years ago I took a friend to watch at Sheffield. She tagged along with us blokes but I think was anticipating a boring evening (we had to reciprocate and watch Rocky Horror Show a while later - now you want to talk about boring) Her boyfriend liked motorbikes but she had no interest at all. After looking at the obstacles trying to figure it out she asked. "from there to there"? "really"? She sat open mouthed through the whole thing. A great evening was had by all. If you could just get people to go in the first place. (I did pay for the tickets on that occasion)

If it were a certificate or something that costs less than a quid it might be nice for some people - doesn't have to be for "winning" could be for best presented pre65 bike for example. I can see the attraction of such a thing. If you are going to give cash for the best score then I agree with you - the entry fee has to go up to provide the winnings. Either way it is more admin and work for the people that administer meetings and from what I can see they have enough to do already. Our club is certainly over reliant on one person's enthusiasm to sort out meetings (at which he doesn't ride). Also people get funny when money is involved. Even a fiver/tenner and there will be arguments and disagreements. You will also have to have observers as it will become difficult to trust people on the sort of self scoring that we do routinely. People would be much less likely to "cheat" for a certificate or rosette. (I think)

Cool - good to hear you are enjoying it. I really must make the effort to try one. I think the OEM price of shocks is probably not that big a deal and if you buy enough I doubt there is much to choose price wise. The rear shock on my TRS is nice but you would need to be a much much better rider really to get to the point were it is an issue. As a useless noobie it is pointless to me, but reassuring that I know it is good bit of kit. (The missus '14 Evo is fine as well) I can see the braktec front caliper is the same mounting so I can upgrade the front easily and the new rear master cylinders are also braktec. Is the rear caliper the old one? It seems to be the weak point (reading posts on here it seems that way to me). I have yet to do anything with it but it is soft and spongy compared to the TRS. Front not so bad. I will get new pads and a full bleed done at some point, just wondering if it makes sense to bite the bullet and just replace? Missus is fine with it all for the time being. Thanks for the feedback. Interesting.

It would be easy to offer a prize if that were without (any real) monetary value I guess, but if not we are back to some sort of sponsorship or increased entry fees to cover the prize money (fishing contest model). A rosette and a certificate perhaps? Do people want that?

The purpose of sponsorship is to make money for the sponsor. The fishing contest prizes mean more entrants so more people paying for boat space, more bait sales and so on. Since most trials are run by clubs who make very little if anything from entry fees and have limited capacity for numbers of entrants trials is not an obvious place to spend marketing budget. Sponsorship for a big event that brings in spectators like the cancelled Anglesey event is a better bet if you are looking to get companies to part with their profits. I think it is a shame we cannot attract enough people to come and watch stuff like that. Also why only Sheffield for the indoor trials? Can we not attract enough people to other venues?

Fair point. My experiences of crappy old Japanese road bikes is influencing my thinking. I guess a good chrome coating is a different beast. The OP asked about modern coatings and there certainly are places that can do that procedure you just need to be a bit more specific in the search engine. I am surprised that no one has made a stock replacement for the Paioli items given how many must be out there. Tarozzi make them for nearly every road bike.

I would look at a coating other than chrome as it chips. Most OE trials forks are something like Titanium Nitride. This is available if you look, there are places in the UK that do it just search specifically for that. https://www.brooksuspension.co.uk/stanchions-inner-tubes-titanium-nitride-coating/ That W3 shows the price at £200. (Pr) Whether that is a better option than new forks is hard to say - they might charge you extra on top of that to fill in the pits. Lots of secondhand Evo forks about. The 38mm Paioli were ubiquitous until they went bust. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sherco-Trials-Bike-38mm-Paioli-Forks-Beta-Montesa-Gas-Gas/254330194703?hash=item3b3742cb0f:g:6WQAAOSwGVRdU53p If you are going to have to shell out big time then you are getting close to replacement with the new Tech forks - maybe a grand with the new yoke. Depends on the rest of the bike I guess and if you intend to keep it or change it in a year or two. Whatever you spend on it you will not get it back in the sales price. If you keep it for yourself then what you spend is for you so it doesn't matter. Well that's how I look at this kind of repair anyway.

I started last October and I have found the videos on You Tube to be helpful. There are a number of sources but the channel "Learn to ride trials" has some good stuff. The key thing is balance and you need to master that - I am still working on it but much improved. If you want to balance you need to spend time practising balance. I have the bike at work and try to get fifteen minutes in most days - engine off and just stand on the bike. I have just now cracked full lock turns so it is paying off.

Would fuel injection be a game changer? I am not sure that it is a massive (commercial) advantage if I am honest. Having just got a half decent secondhand Evo for the missus I am wondering whether we should both have the same bike (easier for spares etc) and if so both go to TRS or Beta. I would like to try the "factory" Beta to compare to my TRS. The big difference between the two bikes I have is the brakes. The old Grimeca stuff on the Beta is nothing like the braktec on the TRS. But the Beta is an older bike and it is possible it is just worn out by comparison. The TRS suspension is better too, more crisp nicer feel, but that too might be just the older and more worn out bike. If I were head honcho at Beta I would look at whether sourcing improved components might not be a better marketing strategy than engine development. A more complex engine with fuel injection might be a really big deal to some top end riders but my first thought is the increased cost of routine top end rebuild. The current Beta is a longstanding machine with massive spares back up and a world of secondhand stuff to choose from. It would let me have two matching bikes and a spare engine to renovate and rotate so you are never without two working machines for example.