Well, I sold my 2014 Explorer last week.  I really have liked that bike- LOTS. It has been pretty darn good, with the linkage the weak spot for how I was using it. If they had a more robust linkage with real bearings, I think it would be a LOT better.  No engine problems at all, just a broken return spring for the gearbox.

  I had no plans to sell, I even bought a Beta 4T to ride so I would not put so many hours on it.  But most of my buddies ride enduro bikes, so after getting a Beta Xtrainer, I found I just wasn’t riding the Beta 4T trials much.  So I sold it.  

Someone was interested in the OSSA- and I decided  to give electric a go.  Electric-Motion has a model with a real clutch now, so I ordered a version with that.  That may work out well for the type of use I’ll likely do know with having the XTrainer.  I really needed to sell a couple of bikes to pull it off- and figured it was time to try something new.

I will sure miss the OSSA, what a wonderful bike.  I would sure like one just a bit more robust for trail riding- oh and fix that phony fuel cap!

I still work on the OSSAs, so I’ll still be around.

Edited June 30, 20206 yr by lotus54

On 6/10/2020 at 8:14 AM, lotus54 said:

Well, I sold my 2014 Explorer last week.  I really have liked that bike- LOTS. It has been pretty darn good, with the linkage the weak spot for how I was using it. If they had a more robust linkage with real bearings, I think it would be a LOT better.  No engine problems at all, just a broken return spring for the gearbox.

  I had no plans to sell, I even bought a Beta 4T to ride so I would not put so many hours on it.  But most of my buddies ride enduro bikes, so after getting a Beta Xtrainer, I found I just wasn’t riding the Beta 4T trials much.  So I sold it.  

Someone was interested in the OSSA- and I decided  to give electric a go.  Electric-Motion has a model with a real clutch now, so I ordered a version with that.  That may work out well for the type of use I’ll likely do know with having the XTrainer.  I really needed to sell a couple of bikes to pull it off- and figured it was time to try something new.

I will sure miss the OSSA, what a wonderful bike.  I would sure like one just a bit more robust for trail riding- oh and fix that phony fuel cap!

I still work on the OSSAs, so I’ll still be around.

Hi Mark. Did you get your Electric Motion Escape R yet? I’ve had my eye on the Escape for a while now. We now have a local EM dealer too. He only has the original Escape available as a demo. I’m interested in the power and rideability improvements with the R model. Would love to hear your opinion. Thanks!

No, I have not gotten it.  

BUT it is reportedly crated and enroute now- so hope to get it by the first part of October.  There were delays and I was hoping to have it before now.  But the bonus is I got a ‘standard’ model with 21 upgrades, not a ‘one off’ Clutch model Escape that I originally ordered. 

As soon as I get it I’ll be doing some videos on it with how I like it.  Not likely to do any trial competitions until after the first of the year (I rarely do them now), but should get lots of tight trail riding in.

Thanks Mark! Excited to see/hear your reviews on it. I can imagine that it is very capable and fun for tight woods riding but I’m more interested in seeing how it manages very technical terrain/obstacles that usually requires clutch work as well as how it does on steep hill climbs. 

1 hour ago, Viper808 said:

Thanks Mark! Excited to see/hear your reviews on it. I can imagine that it is very capable and fun for tight woods riding but I’m more interested in seeing how it manages very technical terrain/obstacles that usually requires clutch work as well as how it does on steep hill climbs. 

I ride that sort of stuff all the time.  Much is very slow, tight lots of obstacles.  Like 1/2MPH type speeds.  Lots of steep hills- although almost all are the very tight, twisty type- NOT the loose, high speed type.