Jump to content

Fun but capable bike for average rider


 Share

Recommended Posts

What bike do people recommend for improving  technical skills such as hopping/blips etc for a very average rider? I've heard folk say TRS is the best for these techniques but is this a compromise on stability/forgiveness during sections where the likes of Beta are regarded as the most solid? Any opinions welcome. Thanks

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Any bike will do.  The rider is what makes the difference.  Modern suspension is more than good enough and often the same make over different brands of bike.

To improve technical skills all that is needed is to spend many hours practice.  There are some good YouTube tutorials around to help, but in the end it comes down to putting the time in.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

If youre wanting to focus solely on hopping then id say maybe stay away from a 4rt as they are heavier, but they still arent impossible to hop

Edited by faussy
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 
11 hours ago, Rosscorob said:

What bike do people recommend for improving  technical skills such as hopping/blips etc for a very average rider? I've heard folk say TRS is the best for these techniques but is this a compromise on stability/forgiveness during sections where the likes of Beta are regarded as the most solid? Any opinions welcome. Thanks

It says 'Ride to the next level' right on the TRS saddle 👍  must be so 😄

Personally I find Beta 2T and TRS both exhibit more lively suspension compared to Montesa which rides very planted and the 4T engines don't like to be blipped, they respond to smooth throttle and clutch control is where you get the leap.  Kickstart on the wrong side makes Beta 2T a problem for me, so TRS is what I ride now.  The TRS 300 is a blast to ride spirited, even has electric start, the Montesa 4RT 300 is the absolute best bike for winter riding on studded tires because of the engines power band and that planted suspension.

Beta castings and plastics imo have never been up to par with the Honda or TRS materials.  

add: I just read an add saying Beta is doing a major rear suspension change on the latest model, but imo that could complicate parts replacement.

Edited by lemur
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 
Posted (edited)

I was considering the beta or trs but have read on a few posts now that the TRS is known for stalling? I think they fixed their awkward air filter fixing a few years ago so that would be another thing less to worry about. The left kick on the beta doesn't bother me so much but I thought a beta factory may be a good option for the higher spec components? There is a 2021 and another 2023 TRS for sale locally and a further TRS gold e start. I'm very undecided.  Gas gas was also another consideration. 

Edited by Rosscorob
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

They all stall if the idle is set too low. Personally I like to buy them in pairs, makes trouble-shooting service much easier and you are never down because something busted and needs to be ordered before you can ride.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 
 

If you can pick up a decent TRS locally at a good price it is a sensible choice all round.  I have a '23 250RR and it is a very nice machine and far, far more capable than I will ever be.  The Tech forks are good and hop easily if the rider is up to it.  Mine doesn't stall or have any vice that I am aware of.

In terms of hopping about the secret is balance.  If you cannot static balance you will not hop.  For a short time there is a free (wheelie) course online worth a quick look at https://www.trialsprogression.com/  I find the guy very easy to understand and he breaks down the skills which makes it easier.  For me the issue is you need to spend a long time between stages by which time the free offer will be over.

I bought a Honda CRF 250L in Feb this year and have been trying to master wheelies on that.  It is much heavier than a trials bike and also has a lowering kit on it (the missus likes that..)  We did a training day with an enduro club recently and they suggested front brake to compress the forks prior to lifting the front.  I have found this to be a worthwhile thing to learn (its in the free course too).

The Honda is helping me with trials and the trials helps with the Honda.  So please don't get too hung up on choice of bike.  You can learn/practice static balance on a push bike.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 
22 hours ago, Rosscorob said:

What bike do people recommend for improving  technical skills such as hopping/blips etc for a very average rider? I've heard folk say TRS is the best for these techniques but is this a compromise on stability/forgiveness during sections where the likes of Beta are regarded as the most solid? Any opinions welcome. Thanks

@Rosscorob I would say that to improve your technical skills it is less important which make of bike you choose  and more important to set up the  bikes suspension and brakes to make it as easy as possible to execute the  technical skills you wish to have. here are some ways to help any bike.

1 bleed your brakes hydraulic system well and make sure the levers  are adjusted both front brake and rear brake well to your liking so that you can apply them easily , make sure there is no sloppy movement in the levers ie shim them at the pins so they do not move up and down/ sideways too much  where they pivot .

2 use only GALFER RED TRIAL TOP brake pads as they brake straight out of the packet no bedding in needed . You MUST take care not to contaminate your brake pads and discs if you want them to work properly without any irritating squealing etc , When you fit pads do not touch the braking surface with anything not your fingers or rags  nothing at all , do not spray them with brake cleaner either. I have always had perfect results washing the discs and pads with neat washing up liquid and scrubbing them with a nail brush very hard then rinsing with scolding hot water before drying off with paper kitchen towel. 

3 align your brake calipers well so that the discs pass through the centre of them with an equal gap at each side of the disc , do this by filing the mounting points flat at the fork and swing arm carriers for perfect positioning then use shims if needed to correct the alignment . This means your pistons can retract equally leaving your disc able to spin freely with no drag and the braking will be applied  evenly on the disc surface , obviously check the disc for warping and replace if it has run out after checking the mounting points on the hub are not causing a problem, Fit new disc spacers on  floating discs if they are worn and sloppy. Make sure bolts are tight .

4 The Shock needs to be adjusted to give you firmness on the compression stroke and softness on the rebound stroke , it goes without saying that all linkage bearings at the swing arm must be perfect with almost zero noticeable play if you want the system to work well , also If you want to hop the rear easily do not have a large amount of sag set , You need to have some but not the large amounts that are usually recommended I have mine set with about 4cm measured at rest and pull up on  the rear mudguard to see the sag. The front fork needs to be set to operate exactly the same speed of movement in compression and rebound as the rear of the bike ,this is easy to test by standing on the bike and hopping the whole bike sideways both right and to the left if it is out of unison it will be obvious by feeling the difference through the bikes movement. With all these settings optimised any bike will help you to achieve good results whatever technique you are practising . when you work on your bike take the wheels off and cover the brake callipers discs with plastic bags to fend off silicon polishes and any lubricants that you are spraying around/ applying .

5 Make sure the tyre pressures are helping you ,  more pressure will give more bounce than low pressure as it does in an inflated  football , also a lighter tyre like a Michelin  X light will be easier to get off the ground in a static hop situation , by that I mean not flicking the clutch lever out and giving a little touch of throttle to turn the rear wheel as you are hopping to help lift the rear of the bike using gyroscopic effect to pull the rear up , This is a good technique to help overcome the extra weight of heavier bikes such as a Montesa 4RT along  with good suspension settings to make it easier to move the bike around . The position you have your rear wheel set in the swinging arm will also affect the ride of the bike ,  in dry conditions shorten the chain to shorten the wheelbase and in wet conditions lengthen the chain to move the wheel more to the rear to increase the wheelbase. Then test to get a feeling for what helps you to get the best  results when using different techniques. 

6 Changing gearing using differing sizes of sprocket at the gearbox and rear wheel  will also affect the way you are able to execute techniques no matter which make of bike you are using. 

I hope this is of some use to you ,  all the best Alan.

Edited by Tr1AL
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

@Rosscorob    I forgot to mention handle bar position forwards in the clamps makes quite a difference when executing modern trials techniques. Experimentation is the obvious way to find your ideal setting for techniques.

Edited by Tr1AL
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

×
  • Create New...