frenchmike Posted December 1, 2010 Report Share Posted December 1, 2010 Hi all, I'm a newbe , I live in Brittay France, I'm 66 years old, and thinking of taking up trialing again after lay off of 35 years, I had a freak accident while doing a trial in at Lewes quary near Briton sussex, when my throttle jammed open and I fell 150 feet into the quary, as you can imagine this some what put me off the sport, but I now feel ready to try again and have the land to practice on . so I would like some help to choose a cheapish bike, to try to start learing again, nothing to big, as im only 5ft4" and 10stone , so if there is anyone out there that could help me I would be greatly appreciated. oh yes and I'm a forum virgin so be kind to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1oldbanjo Posted December 1, 2010 Report Share Posted December 1, 2010 (edited) From another "older guy" that is new to trials.....welcome. Well......things have changed a lot in 35 years. I live in the USA and only started riding trials a few years ago. I rode Motocross and Scrambles in my youth and stopped when I went to college, and I didn't own a bike for 35 years. I bought a Suzuki RL250 to ride around the farm a few years ago. I did not want a loud and fast race bike at this point in my life and I figured a trials bike with a seat would suit me best and I bought the vintage Suzuki as I was familiar with the brand and new how to work on it. After I had the Suzuki a year I started to get interested in a modern trials bike and bought a used 2004 Sherco 290. I found that the 2 stroke motor was not well suited to riding around my woods at slow speed for hours - and I later sold it and bought a 2009 Sherco 320 that has a 4 stroke engine. The 4 stroke engine suits my riding style much better and I am having a lot of fun. I am getting much better at balance and I can cross logs up to about 3 feet.......no "splatters" or "Jap Zaps" at this point in my life....I am working on hopping the front and rear to allow for better sharp turns. You need to go out and find some locals or a dealer that will let you ride a few bikes and find out what style of bike you want. Do you want to ride vintage style trials - or would a modern bike be better suited to your needs? The modern bikes are incredibly agile and will go places that my RL250 wont go. The Suzuki feels very heavy and cumbersome compared to the Sherco - and when you get stuck the Sherco is much lighter and easier to handle. The seat on the Suzuki is nice when on long smooth rides - but I have found that I can ride the Sherco for 6 hours in an outing and I never really notice that I have been standing up almost non stop (my wrists are what seems to get tired). Good luck in your search. Dave Edited December 1, 2010 by 1oldbanjo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dame_dabaphobic Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 Hello Daddy No escape now! xXx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchmike Posted January 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 Bugger, I didn't expect that one, better get that old man of yours to get another job then . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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