I think my heart paused for a lil bit when i saw this baby. Especially when i read the weight .... 74 Kg.
Impressive machine, innovative engine and chassis, not to mention it's lack of weight. Looks versatile enough to trail ride while still retaining the edge of a full blown trials machine. Sad to say my trials experience is limited to trail riding a TY-350 that I owned briefly until a coworker who actually rode trials offered me double what I paid for it. However, even that limited exposure left me with an appreciation for the breed and I can only imagine what the new machines must be like. My guess would be nothing like the old TY. Currently my lightest machine is a KTM-530. So from this perspective, I pose a question to those of you who have or had trials bikes in your stable. How are they outside of dedicated trials competition, for example as a trail bike for technical terrain? Your comments on the Explorer would be appreciated as well.
There are many on here with more experience than I, but here are my two cents: You are correct, the new trials are quite different from you old TY, but they have a lot of similarities as well. Current trials bikes weigh in around 142-150 lbs (100 lbs less than your 530), use hydraulic clutches, water-cooled engines, electric fans, no seats, and very small gas tanks. The main thing that people don't realize is just how different the riding position is on a trials bike. Even if you added a seat to a trials bike, it would be a completely different riding experience from a regular MX/Enduro bike. Pair that with a torquey engine with tons of low-end and low gearing, and the difference is even more drastic. While there are many similarities, riding a trials bike on trails feels more like a different genre/sport than a regular dirt bike. It's tough to explain. Techniques and riding position is so different. I can't emphasize that enough. The pegs are so rearward and low that most of your weight is on the rear tire. If you're used to shifting your weight towards the tank and sliding the rear end around corners, the trials bike is the exact opposite. With all your weight on the back, a high-traction tire, and a torquey motor, you're not going to spin the rear wheel. It's going to grip like crazy. You'll most likely end up lifting the front wheel. The suspension on a trials bike is quite different as well. It's super soft (even softer than a mountain bike), and they only have about 6" of travel. This lends itself VERY well to trials riding, and even technical trail riding, but once again, it requires a different riding technique. Whoops will cause you to bottom out and will be very tough to ride on a trials bike. You end up using your legs as added suspension, and obstacles you would normally just gas through now require careful speed, line placement, and technique decisions. Having said all that, I love riding my trials bike on technical trails. It's flat out boring on fire roads, and even the most technical trails become very easy, but I enjoy it. My favorite part about riding a trials bike on a trail is the pace. I see a lot more of nature, and I enjoy the surroundings more. It's a more relaxed ride, rather than blasting through stuff as fast as I dare. My local trials scene is extremely friendly, and they all try to help each other out. The worst part about riding a trials bike on trails is finding other people with trials bikes to ride with you. Your friends on the big bikes won't want to wait up for you, and you'll just be bored on the trails they like anyway. If you have a friend or two who has a trials bike, it'll make it that much more fun. If you're the only guy around with a trials bike, you'll get bored fast because you won't have anyone to ride with. You'll tell yourself that you'll just hang with your regular riding buddies, but it gets old fast. You'll only have a range of 30 miles before you have to fill the tank (unless you have an OSSA Explorer), and your pace will be much slower than theirs. The lack of a seat really isn't a big deal on the trials bikes. The riding position is so comofortable that I don't feel like I need to sit down much. I would still rather trail-ride an explorer than my current gasgas because of the seat, but a lack of a seat isn't a deal-breaker. Hope that helps.
Sixstringsteve, your two cents worth is appreciated. As someone who hasn't had the opportunity to ride a newer trials bike that is the type of insight I was looking for. From what I've been able to glean, the Explorer seems to address two if not three of the issues you mention. Extended range tank, a seat, and one reference mentioned slightly stiffer suspension. From my limited vantage point, even with those adaptations the Explorer still looks to be a competent trials machine, at least for the novice level trials rider. Hopefully more trials riders will chime in here. I'm looking for an ultra lightweight and smaller machine to ride technical single track while learning and practicing proper trials technique. If that goes as planned and I get hooked, I may even start attending local trials events to see what the novice runs look like (if they have any). I have been looking at used machines and gleaning the postings on ADV to learn more about what's out there. The problem is I never leave a used machine alone. It's always a strip to the bare frame and start over proposition for me. Case in point, I have more in my 2001 KLR than the purchase price of the Explorer. (That's not a slam on the KLR, it's a keeper!) The OSSA Explorer as cliché as it sounds, looks to fit the bill right out of the box. The lack of detailed reviews and OSSA's financial stability (as Sting32 mentioned) are issues that may clear up in time. The TR280i that the Explorer is based on seems to be well received so far. More thoughts?
Hopefully more people will chime in here, I'm definitely not the expert in the room. I completely agree. The extended range tank and the seat would help a lot. I'd guess that you'll still be able to do beginner trials with it as well. Eventually the seat, tank, and extra weight of the light kit will hold you back, but it doesn't sound like you plan on competing heavily in trials, so you should be fine. It'd definitely be a fine starter trials bike. It'd be really cool if they offered an aftermarket seat/tank for trials that would slim it down for competitions. But even as is, it should be a ton of fun for a beginner trials rider. I don't think there's a better bike on the market that meets your expectations for that. It's ultra lightweight. The only other option would be a beta rev 3 or 4 with a long range kit, or a montesa with a long range kit. This OSSA will make the gnarliest singletrack a piece of cake. While I can't speak for the financial stability of the company, that engine is one of the hottest things out in the trials game right now. A fuel-injected 2stroke is hot. If I could afford it, I'd pick up an Explorer without a second thought, they seem like just what I want.
I have a problem with people making comments like these without first hand knowledge or proof. The problem is that these rumors are started by other brands to prevent a new company like Ossa from getting off to a good start. Sting32 if you have any proof to back up your comments please post it, otherwise take it down. Trials doesn't need rumormongers.
That said, the first 3 pics in this thread are indeed renderings. The pics themselves are the proof. And, he is the one who linked to actual pics. Dave
Boy if those are "renderings" they are damn good ones... sure hope they can come through with those bikes... Very clever.... A long way from the bikes of the 70's BlueStrada Ossa Pioneer Plonker Stiletto
The pre-production Explorers are on their way to all of the importing countries for DOT homologation purposes.
I was thinking the same thing. Similar in purpose to a TL Honda or Kawasaki Sherpa but much lighter, better suspension, cutting edge chassis and the simplicity of a two stroke with freedom from valve, cam and timing chain issues. Based on (actually a version of the TR280i) so the capabilities that only a trials bike can offer should remain in tact. Add the possibility of it being road legal, and an additional 5.6 lit. / 1.47 gal. fuel capacity and you get the convenience of being able to ride between areas or anywhere else for that matter. Not a bad compromise for an additional weight penalty of 7 kg. / 15.4 lbs. over the TR280i, for a total package of only 74 kg. / 163 lb. "advertised weight". I've got to applaud OSSA's effort here. It seems they may have produced the ultimate flyweight dual sport. The 32 inch saddle height may also have some appeal. KnowFear - please keep us appraised of your purchasing experience.
X2. That picture really shows just how capable it'll be for trials. They are definitely on to something with this bike. my enthusiasm just doubled based on that picture alone.
The bike is already on sale in Spain. I've ordered mine :) I think that it will be best 5000€ investment in a toy. I can't wait to "estrenarla" next week-end. A photo of the first batch ready to ship :)
