I'm not so much a trials rider, did that 35 years ago but now I'm 61 and more into trails. I love trail-riding actually. I was wondering if any other trials-bike riders are trail-riders? I'm on the Central Coast of California so the Pozo/Los Padres Forest is the closest (legal) riding. I'm also looking into some trails in the Big Sur area and am definitely going to the Kern River/Kern Plateau area this spring! Love to hear from any of you trail-riders on trials bikes, it could be a cool thread where we could exchange ideas on bike set-up, areas, anything related! Here's my new Gas Gas 280 at the end of the Swinging Bridge trail in Yosemite near our cabin.
I spend far more time trail riding than I do trials riding. But I ride one of my trail bikes when I do and just ride the Trials bike for competitions. The dabs are free on the Trails, or even just on the rocks.
lamotovita, what bike do you trail-ride on? What trials bike do you compete on? Nice photo, by the way!
Our local terrain suits a trials bike for a trail bike on Vancouver island ..the quiet exhaust and tires that don't do much damage let us ride the local mountains without upsetting local hikers and mountain bikers. A hero aux tank gives good range , and with the terrain we ride by the time fuels done ,we are usually too.
The bike in the photo is a TTR230 Yamaha that I carry on the back of my RV, I'm in AZ right now so It's all I have. I also have an XR250 and a Gas Gas Pampera. The Honda is usually my first choice, but for the extreme stuff (which is almost always off of designated trails) I use the Gas Gas. For competition I have a Montesa 4RT and a Bultaco Sherpa T. I have competed on the TTR in AZ, (I prefer competing on a trail bike to trailriding a Trials bike). To get to the spot in the photo I ride 10 miles of blacktop, then 5 miles of dirt roads, then 5 miles of sandwash (all of which would really suck on a Trials bike). All of my trail bikes have quiet exhausts and at least one Trials tire, and license plates.
Sprinter 27, I also like the very quiet exhaust of a trials bike. I would really like an electric but their range is too limited for my needs. I often ride on shared-use trails/areas so quiet and unobtrusive footprint (trials tires/low pressure) are both important elements of considerate sharing and continued access to these areas! I extend my range with two (1 1/2 gallons each) Primus fuel bottles I carry in my Camelbak, that way, when my bike runs out of fuel, I've got more than enough for the return trip. I've considered an optional seat but so far, standing is fine.
I brought my 2007 Beta 270 just for trail riding - my trail bike (06 wr450) was getting a bit heavy in some of the tight slop we ride in. I put rubber mounted rox risers on the bars which raise the bars 50mm (less back/arm strain and maybe a bit less control) and kills the hi rev buzz that the beta has on transport sections. I've also put hand guards on as I was sick of having trees engage the brake or clutch for me The Scorpa is my sons bike <img src=http://webcoda.com/images/bike/trials-bikes.jpg> We carry a 2.25 liter bottle of coke filled with extra gas. My energy always runs out before the gas does My son and another friend have both recently brought trials bikes to trail ride as alternatives to their normal trail bikes and we are all having a ball. I'm surprised that standing all day isnt much more tiring than the standing/sitting all day on trail bikes
Mark S, cool, looks like you and your son are tooled-up! What kind/brand of hand-guards are you using? Are they easy to install? Do you have any close-up shots of them? How do you/your son, like the Scorpa? What's the engine size and what's the weight of it? (thinking of a smaller bike for my wife) How do you guys carry the gas bottle and whatever else you bring on trips? Oh yeah, do you have any close-up shots of the handlebar risers? Thanks, Will
We aren't in CA but my wife, daughter and I are just getting into trials riding, and will also be trail riding our trials bikes. To start with I will setup the bikes much like I am seeing here with a light set of hand guards and a simple way to carry extra fuel. As I get better with trials riding if I start to compete I may get a second trials bike for just that, however I am not sure. As for bikes, wife has a Gas Gas TXT 125 and loves it, don't have one for the my daughter or I yet as we are still checking out our options. I suspect I will get an 80 for my daughter, and looking at a Gas Gas TXT 250/280 or maybe a 4RT for myself. Best of luck to you! when I get our bikes and have them all setup I will post up pictures and a description of our setups.
Rode about 26 miles behind my buddy Kim on his Husaberg 570 and his son, Killian on his Suzuki. It was a workout and my lower back and legs are really sore! I started out molasses slow and worked my way up to: "Geez, where is he!?" slow by the end of the day. Kim and Killian were great and waited at each junction to make sure I didn't get lost. Here we are taking a break Here's a shot of the Sierra Nevada range (on the horizon) covered in snow, it's not clouds-just a crummy phone photo Another shot of Kim on his Husaberg and my Gas Gas 280 My left foot slipped off the peg while landing a big (for me) air and I nailed my shin right below my knee pads and just above my Garne boot-top, it's looking like a lemon was implanted and it's kinda sore! My legs are like noodles and my lower back is really tired/sore but if I keep this up, I'll either end up dead or in really, really good shape! Next Saturday, my brother and I are going to the Lake Isabella/Kern River area to spend Saturday working on the Dutch Flat Trail with the Stewards of the Sequoia www.stewardsofthesequoia.org and riding some of the superb single track trails on Sunday. John just picked up an '86 Yamaha TY 250 today so he and I can go trail riding together, can't wait!
There are a few good trails in the Sierra east of Sacramento that are perfect for a trials bike - http://www.flickr.com/photos/drkayak/sets/72157632071376126/show/
What sprocket set up is good for trails? I think the previous owner increased the rear. He had to add a link to the chain and the rear sprocket now dips below the shark fin guard. Anyone know stock gearing on an '04 GasGas 280?
the gearing has bounced between 11/41 and 11/42 for several years - not sure what 2004 was - probably varied a bit. There are alot of different opinions on gearing - but I would say most novices &Intermediates drop the CS to a 10T. Better riders prefer the stock setup. (In general - can depend on terrain)
I am also on Vancouver island and regularly ride my Sherco 290 on trail rides. I carry one or two 1L fuel bottles in my camelback (same as above pic) depending on the length of the ride. For the gnarly terrain we have the trials bikes are perfect and even for short sprints on logging roads in between trails the Sherco goes plenty fast and has more than enough high speed gearing (stock). I am looking to trade in the Sherco for a Gas Gas simply for the extra TRIALS gear (My Sherco is only 5 speed and the GGs are 6).... the GG ratios are TRIALS 1,2,3,4 and commuting gears 5,6... the Sherco is TRIALS 1,2,3 and commuting gears are 4,5... the GG 6th and Sherco 5th are comparable (from what I have compared with a buddy's bike) so the extra gear is really 4th as the last trials gear. I have found that on the less gnarly sections of trail the sherco is either lugging 4th or revving the piss out of 3rd... the big gap between 3rd and 4th is what bugs me and why I want a GG (it would be a better trail riding bike). I do compete in observed trials on the Sherco (and like it) but I don't think I will lose anything trials related by going with a GG. PS: Sprinter27.... VMC?
Bent Boot, I still found myself using the clutch a lot Saturday. I was either wound-out in (trials) 4th or lugging in (trail) 5th trying to keep up with the Husaberg and Suzuki trail bikes. I did notice that I was jumping water bars at the end of the day in 5th and even surprised my host/guide when he turned around at one of the junctions to see how far back I was and I was right there, behind him. That only happened once all day, but it felt good. I used 4th a lot that day, especially on the super steep hills we encountered and I actually needed 3rd on one...don't ask how I know... You'll like the Gas Gas, I sure do! Dr Kayak, awesome photos! Thanks for making me drool all over myself, looks like an awesome place...
I have a friend with a Beta 300 fourstroke and a (beta?)80cc trials bike. Both are outfitted with seats. The 80 actually has an autoclutch. He has done some other minor kods to increase the trail on both bikes. Ive ridden both of them and highly enjoyed them. I would like todo something similar when I have some extra money. My wife liked playing on the 80 too. He is an older guy (69-70?), and says these bikes are easier to ride then his other enduro/dualsport bikes.
This sounds a lot like my Beta. On easy trail 3rd is too slow and 4th will bottom the suspenssion (too fast). I mostly stay in 3rd and just call it "fast enough" when it starts to rev out. But, I ride solo and don't try to keep up with enduro bikes. I have a KTM 450 for going fast. I plan to upgrade to a Beta Rev3 to get the long range seat/gas tank which is not available for the Techno. or get a KTM Free Ride and quit trail riding on my trials. I have been warned to stay away from GasGas as they are not as durable as a Beta. GasGas are great comp bikes, super light, but the light weight comes at a cost of durability. The different gearing on a GasGas is a new consideration... thanks for the info.
I have heard the same thing about the GG bikes (not as durable because all effort has gone into light weight, etc.) But from what I have seen/felt from riding with A LOT of GG bikes (I am one of the 10% in the area who don't ride GG for trials since there is a good GG dealer in town) is that the more modern (.... say 2005 and newer) GG bikes are just as reliable and durable as the beta/sherco bikes of the same vintage. I have a few friends with GG trials bikes and I have helped them with maintenance and witnessed a good number of crashes/bails/drops and I can't see any significant difference in durability between my sherco and these GGs (all friend's bikes are 2005 or newer). though I am hardly an expert mechanic or an expert rider and I have only been riding trials for 2 years, but I haven't seen any reason to doubt the newer Gassers... I will be trading soon and I am sure I will crash regularly enough to figure this out for sure in short order.
This bike is now sporting carbide spike tires along with an auto clutch. Makes the owner happy so that is all that matters. Had a huge grin on his face as he was chugging up snow and ice covered hills that a standard trials bike could only dream of climbing.
