Pampera knowledge - In Search Of....

Hey guys. I've been bitten by the trials bug recently and have picked up a Cota 314 and Reflex. I'm looking at the Pampera for a trail/trial bike.....something that would hold up to a moderate trail pace and my 6' 2" and 240 pound girth.

I'm not really hung up on model year or displacement.

I know that bikes run a tad small and I can live with that. Here's some of the questions I have:

1. Can you still find parts relatively easily?
2. How is the bike for moderate trail pace?
3. I'm looking at a 96 Pampera 370 that is for sale in the FM. Any specific knowledge on this one?
4. What kind of fuel range can I expect dorking around at a 7/10ths pace?
5. Anyone know of one for sale near Virginia? Seems like they are rare birds.

Thanks guys, I've done as much searching and reading as possible but am hoping for just a tad more for my decision. Thanks for putting up with my questions.

Lee

I think the 97 is still the old trials-based model. I have an (I think) '94 250.

It is a pretty small bike and you will at least need some bar risers. I am 6' and the stock risers are way to small for me for trail riding. The suspension is very soft and may by overwhelmed by you.

It's a great concept as they are technically street legal and come with lights and passenger foot pegs. I have mine in Croatia to use it on vacations and be able to take the GF to the beach as well. Riding on the street is no fun at all, though. Last time, I rode into a narrow, long, unlit tunnel and nearly shit myself because I saw practically nothing. Come home before dark.

Parts availability depends on your local GasGas importer. I got replacement electronics within a week. Plastics are unobtainable, AFAIK, but I saw one with plastics from a modern dirtbike once. There's an Yahoo group with some information.

Range is not very good. GasGas claims tank capacity of I think 9 liters, I wasn't able to get more than 6.5 liters in there. When you put it in reserve, you'd better be in shouting distance of home or you won't make it.

I strapped a 1.5 liter can with pre-mix to the rear rack to be able to get home.

The "instruments" consist of a bicycle computer which is mostly broken. There is no key or lock, I wired a hidden kill switch under the plastics.

This is an extremely capable offroad bike for slow work, the 250 pulls like crazy and has lots of torque. My right knee is shot since I was surprised by a stand-up wheelie, downhill, in fourth gear. Not easy to kickstart. Fast riding and jumps are probably not a good idea, I think there's a thread about a broken frame somewhere here (in Thumpers?) by someone who rode an enduro race on a Pamp.

Awesome little bike if you are aware of the shortcomings.

Oh, and they are not red. They are pink.

The 96/97 Pampera is my favorite Pampera. I have ridden all three of the 2t versions, and kept only my 96. The original version uses the best quality components of the three (aluminum swingarm, tubeless rear wheel). Gas Gas Trials models in general aren't known for high quality.
Parts availibility shouldn't be a problem, although some parts may have to come from Europe (which is no big deal these days).
You will need a custom rear shock to make that bike work for you probably fork springs also.
Fuel range will be in the 40s (mpg US) and reserve is a cruel joke, once you hit reserve you probably won't get much farther than you can see.
After 14 years I still love my Pampera. I have a standing order for a T Ride, thats the only thing that could get me to part with my Pampera.

the red one is a 96
the bike that came into being as a lunch brake joke at the factury
it is the GS-top welded onto a bone stock JT chassis

the silver one is the 98
already beautyfied and street tuned
has a batterie, geared longer, cheaper components ...
370 = 320, they all are based on the 320 trials engine

the blue one is 2000-on
kinda low-seat KDX
has nohting to do with the real Pampera, the red one

btw I used to have the 2nd 250 in Germany, Christian Pfeiffer had the first one available
had a 98 250 with 320 plastics because I do not like red
and I do have a like new 96 320 in my basement, ~15 hours engine runtime

parts are no problem at all, call Jim at RisingSunImports

Thanks guys for the major education...appreciate it! Keep 'em coming!

I wish I could find one closer to VA. If anyone has one or knows of one for sale give me a pm. Thanks.

Some cool pics of that TY80 would be a nifty post on "The Compleat TY80 Thread".......

The original Pamperas are not easy to come by. There were relatively few imported into the U.S. and of course some have succumbed over the years. I have a line of people who say they want to buy mine.
If the one you are looking at is advertised and in decent shape it's probably allready gone.

is Atlanta closer to VA?
I will not miss the Pampera
have to many other toys and not enough room

no such thing
was introduced at the bike show in Milano December 95

bone stock 95 JT aka contact suspension

hae? man or mouse?
an elderly house wife with an idea of what she's doing can start the 250 as well as the 370
if you try to 4-stroke-kick or use muscle instead of brains ... oh well

I actually did harescramble my pit bike when the race bike blew the rings at tech inspection
broke off a useless passenger peg mount crashing into a deep rut
other than that - zero problems
other than jumping will be different, you will have to do the work and not just plunge your behind onto the seat and let the suspension do the work, remember, in her heart she is a trials bike

btw she is not pink, when she was new and not UV-bleached she was dayglow red

fiep
defender of the 96 PP
shove the 98and on

Anyone have a video of the 370 in action?

Hey everyone,

Just an update that I did end up getting a 96 Pampera and having it shipped from Washington to Virginia. The bike is in excellent condition. Thank you to everyone for the crash course in Pampera's. I really appreciate it.

One thing I'm going to have to change (if I can) are the springs and the seat height. I've contacted Rising Sun but have not heard back yet.

If anyone has a line on some stiffer springs and seat foam/cover, etc. I would appreciate it. Thanks.

Congratulations
As far as I know suspension components will have to be custom. The rear shock is pretty wimpy anyway. I'd wait on modifying the seat. It really is a stand up bike that you can occasionally sit on. If the pegs haven't been relocated yet that will make a big difference.

Thanks lamotovita. On the pegs...are there aftermarket pegs or does someone make a home brew to get them in a different spot? I can't find much at all.

Most I've seen reweld the stock peg mounts farther back on the bolted on bracket. Of course you could make new brackets and bolt them on in the same place. The stock footpeg mounts are quite long to position the pegs forward on the bike, but they are bolted to relatively thin frame material which bends rather easily.
I used my Pampera for Trials competition for a few years and I wanted my pegs as low and rearward as possible so I welded brackets directly to the frame.
Weld on brackets are readily available (although I made my own) but I know of no Pampera specific aftermarket options.

You guys warned of the light springs and boy were you right.

Does anyone know of a good shop that will do custom spring work? My main concern is the rear. At 240 I'm really sacking that one out bad. I know the bike is basically a trials sled but I need just a tad more spring for trail days. Thanks for any leads.

There is an ADVer who had a custom shock made for her Pampera. I'll point her to this thread.

Thanks, MotoJunkie


Works Performance made a custom shock for my Pampera. It is adjustable and it is worlds better than the stock unit which I broke. It wasn't cheap, $634 with tax and shipping.



I also modded the forks with RaceTech cartridge emulators. They work better for trail work now, but the equipment is limited front and rear, for sure. You can pretty much forget about modding the seat because if you're doing it right your butt will hardly ever be on it. Your legs are an integral part of the suspension when riding trails on a Pampera

The problem with making the suspension work better is that you are now able to outride the limits of the frame and everything else. If you don't believe me, ask MotoJunkie, as he was a witness to my aforementioned broken frame




WoodsChick

Thanks guys and gals. I understand the nature of the bike now. I'm jacking the clapped out seat up for my SHORT stints down the road. At 6' 2" I'm just a tad bound up on it.

LT racing did some suspension work on later Pamperas. I'm not sure if he ever worked on the early ones.
I don't think the stock shock is adequate to control a heavier spring.