bigsaint Posted March 21, 2005 Report Share Posted March 21, 2005 (edited) Hey guys, just found your site. I'm real close to picking up a Gas Gas 280 or 300 pro from a local dealer but I have a few questions. First off I normally ride my Ktm 250SX in the woods and MX track days. Works great on the track, real rough in the woods around here as they are filled with steep rocky hill climbs and tight technical riding. I'm thinking that the trials bike would be great for my single track stuff. My main concern is how well the bike will perform when I hit the open fire roads. I fully realize the bikes are not built for speed but where do they top out at in 6th gear ? Fuel consumption. How far can I go on less than 1 gallon of fuel ? I saw on another site a aux. tank which mounts to the forks ( Hebo ?). Even with that I am at only 4.0l. I'm 42 now and having been riding off road since age 7. At one time I had a 1974 Honda TL125, kinda wish I kept that bike. Last year I saw a Gas Gas trials bike and was amazed at how far they have come since my Honda. Thanks in advance for any suggestions. I think the bike is going to be a blast in the rocks. Should improve my skills all around. I have trails within walking distance from my house that I avoid with the KTM due to their degree of difficulty. The trials bike should fit in nicely. Scott W. Edited March 21, 2005 by Bigsaint Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuessenhigh Posted March 21, 2005 Report Share Posted March 21, 2005 bigsaint...I echo HondaRS advice I would strongly reccomend looking at the Scorpa OR MAYBE a MOnt, since they seem pretty bullet proof too...and it is easier to find a long range tank for the MOnt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenkinsm Posted March 21, 2005 Report Share Posted March 21, 2005 Yeh but long rides look *hi* Plus the yamaha engines aren't all they're cracked up to be. Would agree though that a Pro would not be suited. They dont like road work and due to the minimilistic engineering it wont last. Beta's are a great bet, good to ride, good on the roads, well made and if you did decide to ride a few trials it would be more than adequate for anything your likely to try. Hope this is of some help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaylael Posted March 21, 2005 Report Share Posted March 21, 2005 There is a very civilized and politically correct undertone being offered here. Heed the warnings or you will suffer the horrible fate of many others who have gone before you. If you are bound and detemined to get a GG try and find one of the regular models with the bigger engine not the teeny tiny "pro" which is a mechanical nightmare for trail use. Don't say we didn't warn you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ateb Posted March 21, 2005 Report Share Posted March 21, 2005 I see you are from Vernon nj. Several of us ride in northwest NJ. All of us are 40 ish. Abilities range from novice to expert. E-mail me and come ride with us. SAMORRY@worldnet.att.net Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Villie Posted March 21, 2005 Report Share Posted March 21, 2005 Yeh, i would recomend the long ride or mont, not the pro. I do quite a bit of road work and trailing on mine inbetween riding areas and it can be a nightmare, although for the tech ridin... its the dogs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigsaint Posted March 21, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2005 Thanks for the advice guys, I really appreciate your opinion and expertise. ateb, sent you a email. Okay, extended rides are out for a pro. How about simply pushing it down to my favorite washed out rock filled trail and staying low and slow in the tight technical stuff ? I'm talking about rides that I never leave first gear when I use the 250SX. That type of riding is suited for the pro ? Also, curious as to why the pro has 6 speeds. When you use all those gears in the tight stuff ? Sorry for all the questions. Looks like I have alot to learn. Thanks again ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigel dabster Posted March 21, 2005 Report Share Posted March 21, 2005 I think what we are all saying is that a MX bike is not suited to riding flat out for hours on the freeway and similarily a trials bike is not designed to go fast on trails. It will do it but not last that long. The pro is designed to ride sections not trails, the six gears are to enable a faster speed so you can compete in road trials or trials that have a fair distance between sections. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jam Posted March 21, 2005 Report Share Posted March 21, 2005 For your type of riding I'd stick with an enduro, NOT a Trials bike, but if you can afford both, make sure you use a trials bike for what it's made for, then a 250 or a 280 Pro is the best. Gassers are by far the best,-------------- Test one first, both are different. Try a Pampera? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftypiggy Posted March 21, 2005 Report Share Posted March 21, 2005 I think the statement that 'Gassers are by far the best' is completely biased as I would STRONGLY disagree that they are. I would personally say that Scorpa and Beta make very good quality bikes, but I'm not saying they're the best.... I would advise you going to a shop to test them out, the shops usually have somewhere with a bit of space to try the bikes out so then you can open the bike up and see what you reckon, also I would closely look at the build quality because for what you want its got to withstand a hammering on road as well as off road. Just my thoughts, Lloyd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjwhite Posted March 21, 2005 Report Share Posted March 21, 2005 I think the statement that 'Gassers are by far the best' is completely biased as I would STRONGLY disagree that they are. I would personally say that Scorpa and Beta make very good quality bikes, but I'm not saying they're the best.... i have to dissagree there. i have had all the various bikes in my short past and every time i have returned to gas gas, i am currently on a 4rt and i think that they are great if you know how to ride them (and how to ride full stop) but in the end i can see that i will return to gas gas. so from a totally unbiased point of view i would say gassers are the best for trials, the scorpa long ride would probably be well suited for your intended type of riding however the montesa 4rt is also just as good if not better, especially for someone with an interest in enduro. personally i would say the montesa 4rt or if you are looking for a new bike why not wait to see what the sherco 3.2 four stroke is like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigsaint Posted March 22, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2005 Okay, thanks again. I don't want a 4 stroke enduro right now so I'll keep my 250SX for the fast stuff and decide on which Gas Gas for the rocks, keeping it just for that purpose alone. No, which is better... red, silver or blue ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtt Posted March 22, 2005 Report Share Posted March 22, 2005 Scott, as you can clearly see trials riders are easily as "brand loyal" (in fact much more in my experience) as enduro and MX guys As a long time MXer and Enduro rider I can tell you that you will find a marked improvement in your "big bike" riding after spending some time on a trials bike. I strongly recommend them for cross training...as well as general all round fun. You can do some light trail riding on a trials bike...no they are not best suited to this, but are tolerable on short runs. They will flatten the most technical sections you can imagine. On the brand thing...all are great. There's not a bad one in the lot. Don't worry about the "seat" deal, as I think you now understand (not that you didn't already know this) that your not going to be doing a Baja run on these things Just like with Enduros and MXers there is always someone running down "the other guys", but coincidentally most of the biggest talkers are just that and have never owned the bike in question to start with. Take that for what it's worth...seeing the only "real" Pro owner posting so far has nothing but positive comments. Go for it! I can assure you, you will NOT regret it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin j Posted March 22, 2005 Report Share Posted March 22, 2005 to me the answer is obvious: go meet up with the guy from NJ and ride several different bikes, and get some basic tips on riding the trials bikes. Then when you are sufficiently addicted, use the ktm as trade in on a new trials bike, ride in your backyard every evening, and join the trials group! k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigsaint Posted March 22, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2005 Thanks JTT, great info . I like the Hanson brother ava pic ! In fact, I use the same ava pic on the ZX-12r.org forum I help moderate . Kevin, I received a email from ateb and plan on calling him tomorrow. Small world, he rides in a town only 30 minutes from me. Sell the Katoom , that can't happen, gotta get my 2 stroke powerband fix every now and then !!! I have the money set aside for the trials bike purchase, just need to decide which Gas Gas. I have a dealer very close that will special order when I decide, assuming they are available. Next question... right now I am leaning towards the 280 Pro, don't really see the need for the 300. My dealer said he mostly sells the 200 Pro. Is it a safe assumption that the lower I go in displacement the less Tq I will have or is it different with the trials bikes ? Going on my MX 2 stroke experience alone, the 125's have very little bottom end while the 200-250's do alot better. Not sure if the same holds true with the trials bikes ??? If size matters I am 6'1 and 180 lbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.