125 Or 250?

[trapezeartist]

I'm coming back to trials after a short break (44 years), so I have to consider myself a total novice. One piece of advice I was given was to go for a 125 bike as it would be sufficient power but not enough to bite me. I have a little bit of a reservation about this. Is a 250 really going to be that unfriendly (I'm well aware of the need to avoid a 280/290/300)? I weigh about 80kg in riding gear, so rather more than the average youth rider that the 125s are aimed at, I would have thought. So as well as having to drag around a bit of extra weight, is a 125 going to be too lightly sprung for me?

[doc_d]

I think the 250 is mild enough to start with and gives you room to grow. I started with a Gas Gas 250. I don't think it was that snappy. Just start with a slow throttle and you should be fine. When you're ready for a little snappier power move to the normal throttle. The Gas Gas (and other's I'm sure) also have a two position ignition switch for wet / dry. If you run it in the wet position it retards the timing and makes it even a littlle milder.

Doc

[billyt]

Your question can't be answered with any real sense of real world application until you state where you live.....

 

 

[jonnyc21]

For reference my wife has an 08 Gas Gas TXT Pro 125 and I have an 07 Montesa 4RT (250), we got her bike first and spent my first 6 months on her bike and being the same 80kg you are that little 125 got me first place at every event I went to tell we got me my bike and I jumped a class to make it more challenging. 

 

Over all I like the 250 better for my size but the 125 was a great bike and I would still be happy riding it today if the wife hadn't ended up liking trials and we stayed with just the one bike. 

 

So to sum it up, ether will do fine. Its all about getting on one and rinding them both before making the call if you can.  At your size a 250 that is setup well on jetting with good settings on the bars and lever ajustments would be a great bike.  As sujested a slow throttle tube maybe a good idea but might not be needed as you have past experience.  Good luck.  

 

[totty79]

There's not much difference in capability, at least not with the Beta's that I've ridden, it's just different characteristics. I'd go for whichever you can find in the right condition at the right price.

[trapezeartist]

Your question can't be answered with any real sense of real world application until you state where you live.....

 

Portishead, so I can easily get to the Cotswolds, Somerset or Exmoor.

 

Thanks especially to oni nou and doc_d for allaying any fears about a 250 trying to kill me. I think that's the way I'll be going, especially as there are more 250s for sale so it makes it easier to find the right one.

 

What year did Gas Gas start fitting the two-map ignition? That sounds very useful, but I have already logged the thought that I may just retard the static ignition a bit if I find things a bit fiery at first.

[greychapel]

I ride a 200 beta, lovely bike, rides like a 125 with a bit in reserve!

 

[totty79]

It's also worth noting that not all 250s are the same, for example there's quite an engine character difference between a 2012 250 gas gas and a 2012 250 Beta - the Beta is very soft due to low compression and a flywheel weight.

 

Personally when I started (and now if I was changing bikes) I'd have gone with the many Beta 200 recommendations, but they don't seem to come up for sale often.

[trapezeartist]

It's also worth noting that not all 250s are the same, for example there's quite an engine character difference between a 2012 250 gas gas and a 2012 250 Beta - the Beta is very soft due to low compression and a flywheel weight.

 

Personally when I started (and now if I was changing bikes) I'd have gone with the many Beta 200 recommendations, but they don't seem to come up for sale often.

 

It's very confusing about which make and which year are the user-friendly engines and which are the fire-breathers. I'm starting to accumulate a few notes now whenever I find a comment. Trouble is, there is cinflicting information at times.

 

I definitely take the point about the 200, and when you're dithering between a 125 or a 250, 200 seems a good compromise. I don't think I've seen even one advertised though, since I've been looking around.

[jonnyc21]

On the map switch, my wife's 08 125 seems to make a difference at the higher RPMs but the newer ones seem that be more pronounced at lower RPMs but I still felt it wasn't a big change unless middle of the RPMs at least. My 2 cents.

[totty79]

after capacity most differences are just compression and flywheel weight so at least you can change it if you later feel like you've made the wrong choice.

[turbofurball]

For what it's worth I'm new to trials (been on trail and road bikes for 28 years).

 

I picked up a cheap and well used '04 Gasgas 125 a couple of months ago, and for the forseeable future the bike won't be the weakest link in the chain!  I definitely want to switch to electric in the future though.