gixer1 Posted August 28, 2012 Report Share Posted August 28, 2012 Folks, I am into my motorcycles and have had road bikes, Enduro bikes, Motocross and quad bikes but have never dabbled in the Trials bikes so am now looking to do so, I am looking (i think) for a 250cc model, nothing to fancy just a good machine to start on and was wondering if anyone can give any advice and point me in the right direction. I have looked at Gas Gas 250, Beta 250 Rev3, Sherco 250 - can anyone tell me what the pro's/cons of each are and what i need to be looking for other than the usual bike stuff.... also how hard are they to get a day time or standard MOT for and costs to insure and tax them fro travelling between trial areas? Regards, Gixer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flynny Posted August 28, 2012 Report Share Posted August 28, 2012 Folks, I am into my motorcycles and have had road bikes, Enduro bikes, Motocross and quad bikes but have never dabbled in the Trials bikes so am now looking to do so, I am looking (i think) for a 250cc model, nothing to fancy just a good machine to start on and was wondering if anyone can give any advice and point me in the right direction. I have looked at Gas Gas 250, Beta 250 Rev3, Sherco 250 - can anyone tell me what the pro's/cons of each are and what i need to be looking for other than the usual bike stuff.... also how hard are they to get a day time or standard MOT for and costs to insure and tax them fro travelling between trial areas? Regards, Gixer I dont know much bout bikes gixter, but my cousin has done trials for years (professionally) and he always has Gas Gas or fantics mate, ATB Flynny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wharf Rat Posted August 28, 2012 Report Share Posted August 28, 2012 Had a pukka Honda trials bike for a while. Horrible on the road. Right pig to start and you have to treat it like it is i.e. a real competition machine, cold seizing etc. As per registering, same as building a chop. Get it Q plated and the MOT standards are pre-1983 i.e. no exhaust stamps, noise as per testers discretion etc. If you go fot it, make sure you can get the plug otu without removing anything else, and consider rewinding the alternator to provide enough for lights. Had mine about 15 years ago so this be out of date advice, but good luck if you take the plunge! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver pigeon 3 Posted August 28, 2012 Report Share Posted August 28, 2012 Used to do a fair bit quite a few years ago. My dad had a gas gas and i had an ex Dougie Lampkin Beta, both cracking bikes and to be honest better machines than the riders. Never ran them on the road but would of thought they would be next to useless due to the gearing being all wrong. Only major problem i had with the Beta was a cracked frame after i binned it half way up a waterfall and it bounced end over end the 45ft back down! Good fun all the same, and probably something i would do again in the future Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gixer1 Posted August 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2012 Thanks so far folks, keep it coming! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northeastshooter Posted August 28, 2012 Report Share Posted August 28, 2012 got agasgas 250 sitting in my dads garage havnt riden it for 6years naw but cracking bikes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gixer1 Posted August 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2012 got agasgas 250 sitting in my dads garage havnt riden it for 6years naw but cracking bikes Want to sell it?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diceman Posted August 28, 2012 Report Share Posted August 28, 2012 The folks at trialscentral.com are pretty helpful. I have dabbled but the brothers in law compete to a very high standard. I know they were very keen in the Rev3s when they were current. As soon as they get a new bike (which is often) they strip them down and put their preferred bits on anyway - quick throttles, different bars, new tyres etc etc etc. so 2nd hand bikes are often non-standard. As has been said above, whatever you get will be better than you if you are starting out. I never heard a good word abouth the Honda 4 strokes though. Daylight MOT is pretty easy to cover off, tax and insurance are dirt cheap, but many don't bother to be honest. (not that I condone this, but that is the reality,and I think legal problems are rare as the law in most of thes rural areas where trials take place are pretty laid back.) There are plenty of trials with no road sections if you want to stay 100% legal, thats all I ever did, and so was never bothered with MOT/tax/insurance. Mind you, I spent most of the time in enormous pain, up to my elbows in a muddy ditch with the bike on top of me, wondering why I had bothered turning up. 4x4 trials are just as competitive but you have somewhere dry to eat your sarnies when it rains and the crashes are a lot less painful. Final word of warning - there are A LOT of nicked bikes on the market, take care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gixer1 Posted August 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 The folks at trialscentral.com are pretty helpful. I have dabbled but the brothers in law compete to a very high standard. I know they were very keen in the Rev3s when they were current. As soon as they get a new bike (which is often) they strip them down and put their preferred bits on anyway - quick throttles, different bars, new tyres etc etc etc. so 2nd hand bikes are often non-standard. As has been said above, whatever you get will be better than you if you are starting out. I never heard a good word abouth the Honda 4 strokes though. Daylight MOT is pretty easy to cover off, tax and insurance are dirt cheap, but many don't bother to be honest. (not that I condone this, but that is the reality,and I think legal problems are rare as the law in most of thes rural areas where trials take place are pretty laid back.) There are plenty of trials with no road sections if you want to stay 100% legal, thats all I ever did, and so was never bothered with MOT/tax/insurance. Mind you, I spent most of the time in enormous pain, up to my elbows in a muddy ditch with the bike on top of me, wondering why I had bothered turning up. 4x4 trials are just as competitive but you have somewhere dry to eat your sarnies when it rains and the crashes are a lot less painful. Final word of warning - there are A LOT of nicked bikes on the market, take care. Thanks Diceman! very handy info....there seems to be no ryme or reason to the pricing - i guess it goes on condition alone as 1994 bikes are similar price to 2002 but the condition can be better on the 1994 - was there that much difference in model years? they look pretty similar! Regards, Gixer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rimfireboy Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 I've got a beta rev3 road registered. You just need a speedo and horn for daytime MOT. No lights, no brake light either. Any lights on and it will fail for a daytime only ticket. I've had a few trial bikes. Beta's have the best build quality IMO. You only need 5th and 6th gear on the road as they pull like a train from tickover. And,of course, there's no weight to shift. There's a large gap between 5th and 6th on the beta. They will pull about 60 in top. You can afford to go up a tooth on the front sprocket with the 250 and 270 models. You'll find, unless you're really good, that the bikes are capable of a lot more than the rider off road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gixer1 Posted August 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 Just bought a beta 250 techno.... Hopefully it'll be a good bike... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rimfireboy Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 Just bought a beta 250 techno.... Hopefully it'll be a good bike... Yep, they're great bikes. You'll have loads of fun with that fella. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diceman Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 Just bought a beta 250 techno.... Hopefully it'll be a good bike... My last bike was a techno. Never went wrong, even though I abused it horribly. It even survived a full throttle entry into a 5ft deep river, started first kick after it was dragged out & dried off. Hope you ride yours better than I did mine! The worse you are, the fitter you have to be. I left it at the bottom of a gulley once because I couldnt ride it out and I couldn't drag it out. Was quite prepared to go home without it as I never hated a machine more than that bike at that moment. Fortunately some kind soul rode it out for me. I stuck it back in the van and retired on the spot. Sold it and used the cash to build the shed that I am sitting in now, so there was a happy ending! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gixer1 Posted August 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 My last bike was a techno. Never went wrong, even though I abused it horribly. It even survived a full throttle entry into a 5ft deep river, started first kick after it was dragged out & dried off. Hope you ride yours better than I did mine! The worse you are, the fitter you have to be. I left it at the bottom of a gulley once because I couldnt ride it out and I couldn't drag it out. Was quite prepared to go home without it as I never hated a machine more than that bike at that moment. Fortunately some kind soul rode it out for me. I stuck it back in the van and retired on the spot. Sold it and used the cash to build the shed that I am sitting in now, so there was a happy ending! I know exactly what you mean - I had an RM250 that was a mean sod of a thing, power band as wide as a pube but absolutely ferocious! It just tired you out...I'd rather ride a litre bike any day of the week compared to throwing a leg over that RM! Was kinda hoping trials might help the whole fitness thing! So far I'm hearing good things about the beta's mixed about gas gas and bad about the sherco's (weak crank apparently?) It's bought now though so hopefully the beta will serve me well! Just need to learn how to ride the bloody thing now! regards, Gixer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catweazle Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 (edited) I had an Aprilia TX311 and a Fantic, both good fun but nowhere near a modern bike. However, I used to transport them ( singly ) on a bike carrier that bolted onto the car towbar mounting. It was like a spectacle frame, much easier to reverse than a trailer and took up no space at all when taken off. I even had a TZ250 on it once with no problems. Edited August 29, 2012 by Catweazle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrwabbits Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 (edited) Was kinda hoping trials might help the whole fitness thing! Good luck with that, personally, i think after your 1st good ride/ run out, you will have found all the muscles and ligements you never knew you had Beats being sat around watching the "square god" though Edited August 29, 2012 by mrwabbits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
four-wheel-drive Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 (edited) I have never been in to road bikes but I did once fancy the idea of doing some trials riding years ago also at one time when I was young we had a lodger for a bit a young guy and he had a Dot Trials bike got it new in kit form and after every couple of meetings he would be stripping it down and rebuild it. The thing that I remember most about it was the noise that it made I think it was a 250 with strait through silencer I found some pics in the net the bike he had was like the bottom left one. http://www.dot-motorcycle-club.co.uk/gallery.htm Edited August 30, 2012 by four-wheel-drive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 I used to enjoy riding trials a few years ago but spld my bike to do the bike test. I always has gas gas but if i went back id be tempted to get a sherco or beta rev 3. Enjoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gixer1 Posted August 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 ok, has anyone ever fitted one of those bike carriers (see below) to a freelander 2??? I'm a bit worried the detachable tow bar i bought will be too far in and the bike will be touching the back bumper... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MOTOR-BIKE-RACK-MOTORCYCLE-RACK-TRIALS-MOTOCROSS-/170893792481?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item27ca1054e1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catweazle Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 ok, has anyone ever fitted one of those bike carriers (see below) to a freelander 2??? I'm a bit worried the detachable tow bar i bought will be too far in and the bike will be touching the back bumper... http://www.ebay.co.u...=item27ca1054e1 What is the detachable tow bar like ? The bike carrier bolts between the tow ball and the tow bar using long bolts. The bolted part is a box section about 18" long with two box sections welded onto the ends at 45 degrees. The "spectacles" slide into the angled boxes and secure with bolts. Mine was a safe distance from the car, but the tow bar was quite long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSPUK Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 I recon I could ride one of them - just about right seat height for me and get one foot on floor - Have fun with it dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gixer1 Posted August 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 What is the detachable tow bar like ? The bike carrier bolts between the tow ball and the tow bar using long bolts. The bolted part is a box section about 18" long with two box sections welded onto the ends at 45 degrees. The "spectacles" slide into the angled boxes and secure with bolts. Mine was a safe distance from the car, but the tow bar was quite long. Its the same as this tow bar - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Witter-Detachable-Flange-Towbar-7-Pin-Wiring-Fits-Land-Rover-Freelander-2-06-On-/230830283093?pt=UK_Car_Accessories_Touring_Travel&fits=Model%3AFreelander+2&hash=item35be8e9955 Which does have the 2 bolt flange - but i'm concerned it won't stick out enough to clear the back bumper....if not I have a Mig so it will get "modified" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catweazle Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 Its the same as this tow bar - http://www.ebay.co.u...=item35be8e9955 Which does have the 2 bolt flange - but i'm concerned it won't stick out enough to clear the back bumper....if not I have a Mig so it will get "modified" You might get away with a spacer and longer bolts, modern trials bikes are pretty light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazzab Posted August 31, 2012 Report Share Posted August 31, 2012 Any pics of the new beast mate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gixer1 Posted August 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2012 Any pics of the new beast mate? Haven't got it yet bazza as i pick it up next week but it is identical to this one - NOTE - THIS IS NOT MY BIKE - BUT IS THE SAME YEAR AND COLOURS (before anyone says "thats my bike" ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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