malibudon

What century are you posting from?

I see where Suzuki and KTM, as well as the organizers are coming from. If we started an Indoor Trials Series with big support from Montesa, Sherco, etc., and enduro guys on enduro bikes came in and started finishing on the podium, you can be sure the obstacles would be adjusted accordingly. It's a new sport and new concept. It will take a while to get the wrinkles out. If I were them, I'd court both. I'd have weight limits in a class (say 225 pounds) which would eliminate trials bikes, and then have an unlimited class. So, you'd have, basically, a trials bike class and enduro bike classes. They might as well get 4x4 ATVs out there.

I'm with sirhc...I'd check the valve clearance. If that's correct and the problem persists, a leakdown test is in order, as a valve may not be sealing when it is seated.

It all depends on who is in charge of the design and manufacturing of the product, and how carefully he's willing to monitor that manufacturing. The Chinese, under proper supervision, are capable of successfully producing high-tech products. Your are right about the ATVs, however, those are Chinese-designed and Chinese-built with nothing other than a low-price in mind. In those cases, they are successful--the product has a low price. I am skeptical about the Xispa, but I wouldn't count them out until I see a production bike. Having said that, if it's too close to an existing model by another brand, then I wouldn't buy it out of principal. But, if it's based on an abandoned model by a brand, I'd be a bit less concerned.

Got this in the mail a short time ago... Through a thorough process of research and development, Sherco has become a World Class Brand Sherco only guarantees the products it produces By means of the mass media, Sherco has become aware of the launch of a trials motorcycle that is practically identical to one that has been designed, tested, manufactured and marketed exclusively by Sherco. We are positive that the motor, the chassis and accessories of this motorcycle are identical to the Sherco motorcycle. This is not a mere coincidence, but rather a choice to take advantage of the extensive Research and Development done by Sherco. We also believe that they are intentionally trying to cause confusion in the marketplace among the fans of the sport. Sherco has invested many years in the development of the trials motorcycle in order to offer our clients the very best products that are constantly evolving. Sherco has NOTHING to do with the promotion of this new motorcycle which is being manufactured in China. In some areas it is being promoted as though it were a second Sherco brand with the clear intention of causing confusion and doubts. For this reason Sherco is making public that we have had nothing to do with this copy and that we never authorized its production. Sherco is at this time preparing the appropriate legal actions to require the company in question to respect the rights of Sherco and discontinue the production of this product. Furthermore we will insist that Sherco will not be responsible for the operation of the motorcycles of this brand, nor will we be responsible for any warranty repairs or defects associated with this or any other brand. The objective of Sherco is to offer its clients and all the users of our motorcycles the best product available with the very best quality. Sherco products have been proven in the highest levels of international competitions and continue to be developed through an ongoing research and development program. The result is an innovative high quality product that has earned us a well deserved high level of international prestige. Currently the Sherco Catalog is very extensive with six trials models and several moped models in both enduro and SuperMotard versions. There are two full size Enduro models with corresponding SuperMotard models. But the Sherco evolution continues to forge ahead; in 2008 we expect to see the final establishment of the Sherco 3.2 4T Trials model after some years of transition. The sports successes in 2007 at the hands of Graham Jarvis, Christophe Braund and Dani Oliveras in prestigious events in Great Britain, France and Spain have shown that Sherco has come of age and have achieved international recognition.

A 28 will lower the air flow velocity, which will probably have a negative effect at low rpm (exactly where you likely run your motor most often). You will be able to flow more of the air/fuel mixture, but only if the porting is designed to handle it.

I installed a Jitsie air filter and removed the flame guard on my '07 4RT. I didn't notice even the slightest difference. hannon, when was the last time your uncle cleaned the air filter?

Well, that may be a concern with Sherco. Honda? Much less of a concern. My Toyota T-100 4x4 had 275,000 miles on it with no EFI-related maintenance. Wanna guess how many hours of use that was and compare that to hours of use on a trials bike? And, I'll bring it up again. Anyone want to dump their electronic ignition for points in the pursuit of "simplicity" and "reliability"? And what about those fancy hydraulics (clutch, brakes, suspension)?

I would guess that trials bikes aren't going to be long for Endurocross...they're too good! However, it might be some nice money-making cross-training for trials riders. Congratulations all around.

Nice report. Great to see that the new carb is getting the job done.

Don't confuse "cold and drizzly" with "Manchester rain"!

If water resistance is important, it's difficult to beat the Sidi Discovery boots. It's a fantastic piece of footwear.

From Wikipedia: Compared to piston engines, the time available for fuel to be injected into a ****el engine is significantly shorter, due to the way the three chambers rotate. The fuel-air mixture cannot be pre-stored as there is no intake valve. This means that to get good performance out of a ****el engine, more complicated fuel injection technologies are required than for regular four-stroke engines. This difference in intake times also causes ****el engines to be more susceptible to pressure loss at low RPM compared to regular piston engines.

Each engine was set to its appropriate idle speed. And, again, it happened to me on both the '05 and the '07, and I saw it happen to another rider on the '07. It's no big deal...it behaved as you'd expect from a carbureted 320cc four-stroke dirt bike.

There was an old Nike missile base for sale in my neighborhood. I looked into buying it--a spectacular property with a truly historic past--but I didn't move fast enough. And, yeah, I was going to convert the launch center and silos into living quarters. It would have been amazing...gotta move faster next time. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nike_missile

Exactly, so why bring that straw man up? No one is talking about doing that. The fact is, when I cracked the throttle from idle on the Sherco 4T to go up a small step, it coughed and died. That doesn't happen on my 4RT. There are plenty of good things that can be said for the Sherco 4T, but its carb is not one of them.

Yep...finding a "list price" is a challenge. BTW, 4000 Euros = 5656.59 USD right now.

It won't.

Well, there is an exception for bikes ridden by teenagers!

Well, they might be able to get you in the ballpark if you told them how much you weigh, what level you ride at and some idea of your riding style.

Just to be clear, I cracked open the throttle to get up a small step (less than two feet). It wasn't about whacking it wide open. You're right. No one I know does that and it would be a pointless test. The other rider I saw have the same experience was going up a taller step, but he was not turning the throttle any more (and probably less) than half-open. This isn't a problem endemic to Shercos. It's endemic to four-strokes with standard carburetors.

My money's on Tom's Products.

We're somewhat on the same page here, as you've abandoned the concept that a new top-of-the-line bike is no better than a 10-year-old bike. The attributes of current bikes give us more confidence than what is offered by a 10-year-old technology. And, while most of us (unwisely) crave the lightest and most powerful, I don't fall into that trap. When it came time to replace my 315R, I bought a Gas Gas 200 and a Beta Rev-3 200 before settling on the '07 4RT (I wasn't convinced by the '05). And, certainly, the 4RT is neither the lightest nor the most powerful. I considered the Scorpa SY200F, but just didn't feel that the cost of the bike was justified due to the antiquated motor. Others can disagree, and my wife (a novice rider who has inherited by 315R) may well end up with an SY125F. She used to love her TL125 and the SY125F is, I think, about what the TL would be today had it never stopped production.

People who have ridden both the hydraulic 2WD Yamaha and the mechanical AWD Christini motorcycles seem to clearly prefer the Christini approach. I've only ridden the Christini, and it was truly a revelation. Would it be an advantage in trails? I'm not sure. Is it an advantage for trail riding? Absolutely! http://www.christini.com