The missus has just bought a 2021 Epure race. We had a nice day testing it yesterday and she seems keen enough to keep it and sell her Beta. The big yes-no decision is to ride it in a trial proper rather than just on a practice ground.
We have just tried to sign up for a trial and the machine details page needs a CC and engine stroke. I remember that ACU said electric bikes can now be entered into the normal trials but the electric motor has neither a cc nor a stroke. What do other people put in? (Clearly you can make up nonsense if you want but the results will show Electric Motion 250cc or some drivel which is not really "right")
She very kindly let me ride it a little bit (and made me pay for it) and I rather like it but will stick with my TRS for the time being.
My road bike policy will add a trials bike (Third party, fire & theft) for a pound. As the trials bike is smaller cc it is lower risk.
Read the policy carefully - all of it. Some insurance will be invalid if the bike is SORN and most people just want the theft element, so pain if not covered due to something or another in small print. Anti theft device (chain and padlock for example) often needs to be fitted as well if stored in a shed.
Third party cover will not cover competitions. ACU insurance does not cover competitions - when on a trial you are your own risk - hit another rider and expect to be sued.
It might be worth contacting the event organiser if you cannot book on the platform. We have accepted some on-the-day entries recently. Provided a rider has a current ACU licence it should be possible.
I don't know anyone in our club having any problems as a rider. We have had 50+ entries recently, rather more than normal. There are still a few things to iron out on the other side - putting the events on and working out the money side, but we have no negative feedback on entries.
Buy a 125 if you are going to share. It is plenty for both of you. If you like trials and want to stick at it buy yourself something else when you are ready. The 125 has the power but needs a bit more revs to cope with a bigger rider. If your wife has never ridden a motorbike then the bigger engine will be more of a challenge.
There does seem a shortage of reasonable priced secondhand bikes in the US. Prices have gone up here as well but are starting to level out now. I hope you find something that you both enjoy.
Woody is correct - this is the normal way to get round the problem. Of course it means eventually the whole hub is worn out. It is possible to machine out the old liner and fit a new one but I would guess it is cheaper to get a new wheel (assuming you can find one of course). These sorts of engineering tasks are getting harder to find as the generation of repairers retires and modern machines are "fit a new one".
Worth checking the drum face for ovality and distortion before you shell out too much. Good luck.
... I don't think I'm alone in getting sick of being expected to use smartphone apps only available via Apple or Google Play Store to carry out tasks that didn't previously require them. ...
No you are not alone. I am the proud owner of a cheap Nokia that doesn't connect to the internet but does make phone calls if you want to ring up when out and about.
However I think the majority of people just see a mobile device as a "phone" and do not question it. It is quite hard now to avoid getting drawn into the smartphone world. Eventually you have to give in as something you want or need is really only available through this channel. Finding a PAYG service provider is almost impossible as well. Mine needs you to "top up" every 120 days which is not too bad but I now have a lot of credit that I cannot use. Enough that I am thinking if I got a smartphone I could maybe use up the credit somehow doing something on the internet. Quite what I don't know. Watching YouTube on the toilet I guess. Ah the modern world. You gotta love it.
I know it's a pain for clubs handling cash and forms out the back of a van on in the wind and rain, but taking away the facility to enter on the day is going to lose casual competitors, which is not something the sport can afford to do. These are the riders who enjoy the day out but for whom trials is not their central focus and previously would often have made the decision to attend the local club trial at the last minute. They'll miss a few entry deadlines for trials they wanted to ride on the abysmal new ACU site and get sick of it and drift away. Lose them and that's entry and club fees gone, observers gone, people introducing friends and family to the sport gone and fewer people buying bikes and equipment.
Agreed. I have a group of friends that fit this profile. I have tried to get them to ride at our club but they just do the practice ground when they feel like it. The lad is a very good rider and his dad bought him a new GasGas recently. Hid girlfriend is good as well and she would benefit from other women in the mix IMHO.
Is it not possible to pay on the day with a smartphone app?
Watching Jaime Busto on his new GasGas in the last two races, I would estimate, that this year could be a difficult one for Toni.
Canario
He only just won at Bordeaux Easter weekend. I was lucky enough to go and it was a great evening's entertainment. Poor old Toby Martyn - come on all you English go and support Toby. Spanish 1 2 3. I thought Toby rode really well and is shaping up to be a top three rider.
Trials bikes get a hard time while being ridden, but a lot of them get babied in the workshop. Filter cleaning, oil changing, new bearings, etc.... Most are probably far better cared for than the average road bike.
Fair point. I neglect my Suzuki GSX, the chain hasn't seen oil in a long time.
Mind you I haven't tried to ride over a tree trunk with it 😁
LOL. Sounds like you are having fun. Upping the budget is a good idea (sorry). Later models are generally a better buy in my view. The TRS One R is a good machine and at that age probably would last you a good long time. (Grease the chain adjusters day one)
Trials bikes get a hard life but there are some very nice ones out there riden by old farts like me that only use 4% of the ability of the bike.
Following your post, it just occurred to me. If I go for a 125 now, I could keep it whilst my son is on the 80, then hand the 125 down to him, part-exing the 80 against a 250 for me in 3-4 years time.
Aside from the obvious capacity difference, is the rest of the OEM kit on a bike generally the same between 125/250/300? The prices seem to suggest so.
The newer 125s are really good. They can be a bit aggressive as Tim points out simply because they are designed to be competitive for youth riders. Your pass it on strategy is OK. The good thing for you is being open to alternatives which means you can evaluate individual bikes as they come up rather than having your heart set on model X capacity Y Year Z. That will help you get something half decent in budget. Bear in mind a 125 will have had more stick if it is an older bike as the younger riders have pushed it harder (if they are any good of course).
The cycle parts are pretty much standard and the 125 rear shocks will accomodate heavy youth riders if they have to ☺️
As to test rides there are some places (like Inch Perfect) that offer such an option. Depends where you are in the country. Personally I think you need to ride a bike a month or two to really decide. Even then you need to have ridden lots of others in order to have a comparison. So basically you are taking a chance and as such I suggest just buy a well known and decent brand in good condition and see how you get on. Resist the temptation to spend hundreds modifiying the bike for "problems" and accept you need to just practice and ride more. If you bought wisely and paid the true value you can sell it on easily enough and try something else next year.
I wanted a 250 but could only buy a 280 - it was all that came up (going back 3-4 years). The 250s were advertised on Wednesday and sold by Friday before I could go look. Such was the market at the time. I rode the 280 for a couple of years (have a 250 now). It was far more than I needed (as is the 250 to be honest) but with care it rode OK. If you want to get any good you will need to spend time at static balance. You can do that on the lad's Oset. Engine capacity and brand are not the main issues.
You are in the same position as a new driver asking which car to buy. People like their Ford or BMW or whatever, but mostly they are talking to themselves or patting themselves on the back for having a particular car. Hey, they are all boring boring boring tin boxes. All trials bikes are exciting. You will not be dissapointed.
Been caught out before on eBay with a Firestorm that had been front ended, so was hoping to find someone selling who might have a good reputation within a club etc.
I'm not dead set on a Beta (except for the 80). I'd probably consider anything for the moment. All of them will be capable of far more than I ever will be, so it's just reliability and parts availability that is the focus I suppose.
I tend to buy from a dealer - at least you get a guarantee that way. The Beta is a UK favourite and parts easy, but the TRS seems to be the one to go for for many people (I have one). Nothing major to look out for. If you are flexible that is good - the 125cc is not to be sniffed at.
Bike prices shot up in the lockdown. In my view they will never come down to old prices (cars the same). In terms of practice/lessons you need a bike sooner than later to have the opportunity to ride and practice balance. I shared a bike with the missus at first but she hogged it so we soon ended up with two and way over my intended budget.
Nothing wrong with a Beta 80 and a 250 - those sound like a good choice to me. You should be able to pick up half decent ones at a couple of grand and three grand respectivley.
Secondhand bikes are a minefield. The main problem is often the previous owner(s) some of whom should never be let near a mechanical device. Buying a cheap (£3k) bike is a lottery. It might be fine and give good service or it might be a money pit. My wife's Beta 250 (2014) is the sort of bike in that price range. We bought it private from an eBay advert. It has been reasonably OK but the front brake was poor and I have replaced disc and master cylinder and pads. Just had the front forks set up and serviced as they were a bit poor and previously had the seals replaced. I guess we have spent another grand on it in total. You soon get to the same price as a newer machine. Our previous Beta Rev 3 had a nail in the carb to stop it overflowing. It worked OK for a while but the mechanic was a bit mystified by that "repair" when it went in for a carb clean.
Don't worry too much about dropping the bikes - they are robust. The missus snapped the rear mudguard on hers but the replacement cost is the same more or less for all model years.
I wish you luck finding a couple of good machines. You have chosen popular models and so vendors know they can charge top prices. Other people are looking for the same sort of thing too and a good bike can sell quickly. Things have settled down a bit since the peak "madness" so its not a bad time to look. Be prepared to walk away if it isn't what you want. That is the hard bit for all of us.
Sorry - thinking out loud now. It just struck me that it is possible the fuel can might be a source of contamination as they are cheap Chinese junk and the cap and O ring are probably old junk that might be a source of black material. I mix in a mixing jug but some people I am sure just put a shot of 2T in the can.
Ive just had to replace my fuel filter in my 2020 vertigo as it was blocked with black bits as the in tank hoses were breaking down needles to say ive replaced the hoses too they need to be NBR/NBR hose
Have you had the tank off and looked in there? I only ask as my old TRS carb blocked with "black bits" several times and the black bits were in the tank and could not have come from the fuel hose unless the previous owner had done something weird to get the fuel to run uphill. The last time I had it cleaned I ultrasounded it and the shop mechanic replaced the hose and threw away the filter as (in his opinion) the filters are the problem as they break down after a while.
I would have thought a 2020 bike should be made with components that are fully OK with standard fuel. I have not had much to do with Vertigo (I like the look of them).
The issue of the strange black bits in my TRS was cured by trading the bike in and buying a newer one (sorry if anyone ended up with my old one). This one has been OK and I have not changed fuel or oil or any other variables so it was almost certainly something that the previous owner had done.
I've read that grease or anti-seize should go onto the chain adjusters asap to prevent seizures.
My 2017 TRS had a bent chain adjuster that broke off as it had seized in place (I guess the previous owner had forced it). There is a drain hole under the thread that lets water out - and in. I would certainly take the opportunity to grease up the threads and the drain if you need to adjust the chain. The bolt and swinging arm are different metals so you get corrosion as a result. It is really the only poor design on the bike I have found.
I used to produce (big) reports for a living and constatntly re-typing stuff is very annoying and somewhat pointless. As a suggestion - assuming the platform does not facilitate it - can I suggest you cut and paste whatever input is routine and store it on a word document. Then you can copy and paste from the document into the dialogue boxes on the platform next time. If is a bit agricultural and offends my sense of doing things correctly, but if you need to type the same paragraph more than once it is a viable workaround.
i think there is a box for riders to "edit" their entry up to a point where you want it fixed, i've seen rider use it to change class. not sure if rider can use it to withdraw
The edit doesn't allow it but there is a "delete" option. This returns a message you cannot delete it as you have already paid. I think the edit lets you change bike or route or stuff like that.
If I am honest I cannot remember if the old system let you cancel. Must be getting old 😁
Is it possible to cancel an entry for a trial after you have entered and paid? There is no 'help' or faq that I can see. My missus has a scaphoid injury and will not be able to ride the next trial. We have both looked at the platform and cannot see this is possible. The event is by our own club so easy enough to do that route but I wondered if it would be as easy if you had booked another club's event?
Great resource. Thanks for that. I am test riding an EM Race next month. I have seen about the battery cells before and that you can buy new cells cheap but the EM battery pack is silly money. It is one of the things that puts me off as it potentially means an expensive battery replacement at some point in the future. Any way to have a DIY solution to replace cells at a reasonable price is a good step forward.
The section on Stark Varg suggests that there is a lot of potential to develop much better trials bikes in future. Price is going to be the biggest drag on things for sure.
I have a TRS 250 (RR) and the wife has a Beta 250 (Evo). I also fall into the same age group ☺️
The TRS has the better brakes and suspension but both bikes are very capable and I doubt that I would ever find the limit of either of them. My wife's bike is a bit old (2014) and so not as sharp as my TRS (2022). She is very happy with it but I have found it a bit lacking (maybe the age not the brand?) As a result I have fitted a Galfer front disc rotor and Galfer pads and replaced the front master with a braktec one (as used on the factory bikes). The front is now as good as my TRS and locks on a single finger light pull on the lever.
If she keeps the bike (she fancies an EM) I will probably upgrade the rear shock to an Ohlins (or maybe the TRP as you like it and it is a bit cheaper)
I find it slightly easier to static balance the Beta than the TRS. If the missus wants the EM I will probably trade my bike in for it and keep hers purely on cost. I like my TRS a lot but hey - its just a bike. (Did I just type that? OMG) 😁
What cc and stroke to put on the ACU entry
in EM (Electric Motion)
Posted
The s/ware shows "this is a required field" - I will try the zero option. Cheers.