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Long Rides In Big Mountains


greg watts
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Hi all

I'm close to buying a trials bike to use for local trail riding and playing about - and I might do the odd trial from time to time too.

I live in the Frech Alps and have been tooling about on my DRZ400. It's fine on the jeep tracks, but all around me are amazing looking 'goat' tracks and areas to 'play' which the DRZ is just way to big and heavy for. So, cue the trials bike.

The last trials bike I had was a twin shock TY175 back in the early 80's when I was riding class C. I was just wondering what sort of fuel range I might get out of a modern (say 1998 onwards) bike? I'm only planning to spend around 12 to 15 hundred quid, so buying a Scorpa Long Ride for example, is out of the equation. Therefore I wondered what solutions might exist for setting a bike up with a longer fuel range. Can you get large capacity tanks for 6 or 8 year old Gas Gas, Beta's, Montesa etc?

Just wondering what solutions there are and for what models. I guess the easy answer is to carry a few Sigg bottles in a rucksack, but seeing as I'll be trail riding and playing way more than competing, then ideally I want to find a better solution than that.

Any pointers would be well recieved.

Also, if anyone knows of trials clubs in the Haute Savoie region of France, I'd be interested to hear about that. - Not been able to find much on the web so far.

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for all the replies that will come your way about long range tanks for the gas gas etc (at almost 200quid) and the number plate type of tank that are extremely hard to find you've probably hit on the best solution a couple of sigg bottles in the rucksack cheap easily available has other uses downside riding with a couple of litres of falmable liquid strapped to your back..

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If 1500 is your max I would hold on for a bit and save to around 2000. You should get a good Long Ride for that. You may pick one up for 1500 but I suspect the bike will be a bit tatty. There's a big tank available for the Mont 315's too.

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I dont have any ideas about bikes that you could get for that but i know you can get a small container that looks like the number board on your bike, and you simple cable tie it to the front where the board normaly would be and then youve got some fuel if you run out :icon_rendeer:

Theyre on the forums somewhere il have a look :blink:

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I dont have any ideas about bikes that you could get for that but i know you can get a small container that looks like the number board on your bike, and you simple cable tie it to the front where the board normaly would be and then youve got some fuel if you run out :icon_rendeer:

Theyre on the forums somewhere il have a look :blink:

Thanks for that. I've seen those advertised on an American website for about 70 USD. Could work, although I'm hoping to have a working set of lights on the bike, so that kind of scuppers that one for me.

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Well you could always have the fuel tank on the board and then use mountain biker lights? these could be attached to your helmet/bars so could easily still work :icon_rendeer:

Thats an idea. Although it seems most people out here in France leave their light kits in place on their trials bikes anyway, so I think the majority of 2nd hand bikes will come with lights. Been looking on French ebay and small ads. Seems the Beta Rev 3's are the best value. I don't mind too much what I buy as they'll all be a massive amount better than the machines I rode in the 80's and will no doubt be way better than my ability to ride.

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Seems the Beta Rev 3's are the best value. I don't mind too much what I buy as they'll all be a massive amount better than the machines I rode in the 80's and will no doubt be way better than my ability to ride.

Can't change the tank on that! The tank behind the lights/number board only holds a very small amount anyway, more for an emergency then general riding. Why do you want lights? They're crap on a trials bike and are no use for lighting anything!

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Seems the Beta Rev 3's are the best value. I don't mind too much what I buy as they'll all be a massive amount better than the machines I rode in the 80's and will no doubt be way better than my ability to ride.

Can't change the tank on that! The tank behind the lights/number board only holds a very small amount anyway, more for an emergency then general riding. Why do you want lights? They're crap on a trials bike and are no use for lighting anything!

Lights was just in case I get caught out at dusk and for riding on murky days in the autumn. More about a bit of safety on the short road sections than for actually seeing anything.

So, only tank chagers seem to me the mont and the scorpas from what I see. I think I might be able to squeeze onto a SY250 and even if it's not got the long ride kit I could buy one at a later date. I think it's less than 500 Euros. Still a lot more cash than a rucksack and some sigg bottles though! :icon_rendeer:

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I checked my gas mileage a few weeks ago on a trail ride in the mountains over here (Sierra Nevadas), I received about 25 miles per half gallon. This is on an '02 sy250 scorpa with a long ride tank. I had a '91 or so Fantic 305, and the mileage was about the same.

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What about something like this:

fuelbag.jpg

I use the bag & toolbelt when riding the mountians in BC/Alberta.

Not sure about shipping but you can email Dave & ask him.

p.s. I have no affiliation with Outlaw Trials, just use the products & like great service. :icon_rendeer:

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I've had good results from the Acerbis 3l and 5l tanks that attach to the forks. You can also get a siphon kit for them that attaches to to the main tank's breather. I don't bother with the siphon kit but keep a short length of hosepipe in my backpack and use that to siphon from the header tank to the main tank.

I contacted Greta at Acerbis in Italy to find the local importer (greta.m@acerbis.it). The price is about 60euro.

The photo shows the 3l tank.

For me, trials bikes are the answer in the mountains, I highly recommend one.

post-4007-1167972594.jpg

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