jwalsh

Thanks. My memory bad on the TRS I've been so focused on this bike. I've been eying the Dragonfly a lot recently too. I agree with the possible fork turn-around being a bad idea on so many levels but that trailing axle is nice to imagine.

I said it was a non-trials bike. Am I being chewed for how quickly I posted details about the bike ? My post is about how to maximize success with tight turns through technique. This particular bike is offered as an example of one that does not sufficiently lend itself to it. Whatever bike, my questions are the same. On paper, the Explorer encourages experimenting like I am doing. It is easy to get trials "seating" and footpeg positioning. The Explorer wheelbase is amost exactly the same as my TRS - just under 53". The fork trail is only 1/2" more. It is easy to get trials "seating" and footpeg positioning. Other parameters are on the wrong side but not radically so (fork travel is only 0.2" longer). USD forks are used on real Trials too - Like the EVO and TRS One. They are more rigid and tend to give less unsprung weight, but their design does contribute to my problem in that the fat uppers will touch the frame sooner (and mounting a low fender is difficult). Yeah, it was not designed for trials but there are things we do for the fun of it and I got to play with electrical for half the cost and still ride in trials (like my putting on real trials tires and engineering a lanyard button. I still haven't figured out the mandatory spark arrestor ). Where the design mostly departs is fork lock. We don't typically get specs for that but The Explorer is obviously deficient there. It's OK my friends here focused a bit on what I can do with the bike instead of with me. In many cases they gave me courage to try things I have not yet done - like lowering the front by slipping the forks. Expert suggestions from experts and many thanks.

Yes - 2024. I ride 2-3 hours at trials pace at an event or tough trail riding. My ten bars drop to 8. Seems to still have full power at end of it. You might know it has 3 modes, turtle, rabbit, and rocket. I only use turtle. It has so much toque/acceleration there I don't need more. Claimed range is: Casual Mode: 50-100 miles Medium Mode: 30-60 miles Rocket Mode: Short 10-second power burst

So, with maximizing the bike's turning, don't want to go 21" and have not tried sliding the forks (they are already 1/4" from encountering the bars). Been thinking of trying a riser and see what happens. Other mods? Trials tires with sponge-balls in rear (torque overpowers the 3.5 tire) and no room for a 4.0, homemade seat pad, lanyard kill button, "get home" switch if kill button or key fails/gets lost, switch to disable the power-off from the left lever (switch between simulated clutching and rear brake only). In-process of engineering a 2-position throttle stop for "tick over". Other oddball stuff. What fun making burlap purse from a pig's ear. Eventually getting an Electric Motion but I have such great trail distance with this battery. .

Great stuff. Thanks!

Thanks for the responses, Konrad and lemur. I have ridden trials for 65 years but my skills stagnated about half of that ago. I have had several this or that trials bikes in the garage continuously, including state of the art (like a new TRS last year). No, this is not any of those nor the Reflex. It is a modified non-trials electric and the geometry has been put as close to ideal as possible without cutting and welding. But that leaves insufficient fork lock, wrong trail, etc. It's not bad and fun as all get out to try to ride it through the easier sections. So, I need to compensate for the bike's shortcomings with technique. You gave me some good stuff to try and to think about. Thank you!

My self-modified trials special has insufficient fork lock. I have ground off the fork stops until the fork legs almost touch the frame. The bike is supposed to have 45 degrees but it doesn't - close but not quite. Probably not the best fork trail for trials either. So, doing full lock turns, a requirement our local trials masters love to require, is difficult. I am working on decreasing the turning radius by leaning into it with my substantial butt as counterbalance. I am told to not dip my shoulder (which one?) and to look at where I want to go (over my shoulder?). There is no way I can move the front or rear around - I only have 'both tires planted' skills. Floater turn? Don't make me (or the observers) laugh. I have been doing this for many decades and, like many of my generation, am baffled by the skills that have evolved. Nonetheless, I would appreciate any tips or coaching. Footpeg weighting? Throttle control (the front tire wants to push)? Front/rear weighting?

When I first started riding trials in the stone age, I would set the idle stop on my Greeves for no-idle - the slide allowed to bottom out with minimum cable slack. I did it that way all through the years, 2s 4s and including TLR Reflexes. One reason was it acted as a crash kill mechanism. It also taught the right hand to 'feel' for the slowest tick-over when desired and allow no-gas retardation on the downslopes. Now I have a modern model, the TRRS 250, and it is set up by my dealer with an idle. I rode it that way in the past club event and it seemed to work fine. Is that how everyone is doing it now? I was thinking of practicing with it both ways but it would be good to hear informed opinions. I am posing this question on my club's Facebook page too.

Thank you! I see two procedures offered and between them I think I get it now.

Does anyone have a procedure for adjusting the compression release cable? I understand the engine must be rotated a certain position and then the cable adjusted for a certain measurement somewhere. Any clarification would be great. Once it is properly adjusted, perhaps some advice on the best way to kick it over.