i'm new to trials , having not ridden in about 15 years .
i asked an experienced trials rider , riding shercos in the expert class / nationals etc .
he advised to get a 200 (hard to find) or a 250 (he'd even used one in expert competitions). so thats what i did
excellent bike !! totally standard was was SOOOO easy on me when i first got on it .
since then i went "sub aqua" when practising , and ended up with the wrong plug in just to get it running (6 instead of 5)......
WOW !!! this thing has suddenly got a whole lot snappier !!!
i now have no doubt that a 250 is enough for a good rider competing at the top level .
i think the 290 syndrome is a vicious circle of people ignorantly thinking that its the best bike in sherco range so it must be the best bike for them . and when people look for a second hand sherco there are lots of 290's out there so that is another decider .
with hindsight , i'd have been happy on a 125 , knowing that any modern 125 has more tricks up its sleeve that i will never even know are there , never mind the balls or skill to try them !!!
now its time to upgrade and i'm thinking of a cabby . this is a 290 but that is not my choice .
if they made a 250 caby i would buy that !!!
i'm sure caby could ride a 250 as good as he does a 290 , but thats a different story ...........