author: DAVID QUER
Co-founder of Trialworld. Instructor at Trialworld School. More than 20 years as a trial expert in specialized motor media.
In a market with more than forty different options between 2-stroke, 4-stroke and electric propulsion mechanics, getting your purchase decision right requires knowledge and a lot of thought. The other option is to let yourself be guided by the seduction of shapes and colors, but that crush has a short expiration date.
Join us on this journey about three exciting models and find out who your better half can be.
How was this comparison set up? We’ve taken a representative model of each mechanic and, luckily, we’ve been able to test them in different areas and terrains over a period of six months.
Why six months? It is the period of time that has passed since we bought an electric motorcycle (Electric Motion EPure Race 2021) and it began to share a garage with the TRRS and the Montesa in this comparison (they are also our motorcycles).
So the result of this report is based on long hours of training with pilots of various levels and an in-depth study of each of them.
DEBUNKING MYTHS ABOUT TRIAL BIKES
As it is practically impossible for you to test all the bikes before deciding to buy (and it is not worth your friend to lend you half an hour a similar model from three years ago), we, who do it with each year and model, are going to unravel some widespread myths in “post-workout” beers.
MYTHS 2-STROKE TRIAL BIKES
– They break very easily. FALSE. That statement should be qualified, since what 2-stroke motorcycles really require is more maintenance than a 4T or electric motorcycle to preserve their performance.
– They have more power. FALSE. Really in terms of absolute power there are no big differences, since even the electric one is close to 20hp in terms of comparative power. If we choose equivalent displacements, we see that the differences are more in the torque, the way power is delivered and the behavior in the high rev range. Up there, the 2T is the most powerful.
– They are lighter. TRUE. The engine of a 2-stroke motorcycle is lighter than a 4-stroke, but things are more equal with the electric one. In fact, the electric motor is lighter, but the battery weighs 11 kilos and that weighs down the whole. To be fair, we should assess the weight of the thermal thruster with full tanks, since the battery weighs the same when charged or discharged.
– They are more sensitive to changes in altitude and temperature. TRUE. There are nuances here too. For example, among the 2T only Vertigo bets on electronic injection; This involves the incorporation of sensors and automatic adjustment elements. The rest of the 2-strokes, with carburetion, require a more manual operation to adjust the air-fuel richness, playing with chewing gum, cylinder head compression and other elements. In the case of the 4-strokes, specifically in the Cota 4RT this adjustment is automatic. As for electricity, external agents have no direct influence at all.
MYTHS 4-STROKE TRIAL BIKES.
– They are heavier. TRUE. As we said, the weight of the propeller is greater and that is something that is difficult to compensate with the rest of the elements of the chassis part. It is also true that we have only two representatives in this group: Montesa Cota and Beta EVO. None of them manage to lower the scale from 75 kg in running order, when their 2-stroke rivals start to touch 71 kg also in running order. In the case of the Electric Motion, its weight is 73kg (in this case already in running order).
– They are easier to maintain. FALSE. It’s one thing to have lower maintenance (no carburetor) and very high reliability; and it’s quite another that, when you have to get your hands on them, the operation is simpler. Quite the opposite. We find valves, more electronics, more precision. In the case of the Electric Motion it is mechanical maintenance is null and void.
– They have more traction. TRUE. If we compare it to a 2-stroke motorcycle, the traction capacity is much higher. This is due both to how its power and torque are delivered, but also to the balanced chassis of the Cota 4RT. However, the bike that has the most traction, by far, is the electric one.
MYTHS ABOUT ELECTRIC TRIAL MOTORCYCLES
– Autonomy is low. FALSE. In the case of an Electric Motion, with a full battery charge (2.5 hours) you can enjoy the equivalent of 1.5 tanks of a 4T or 2T motorcycle. That’s about three hours of moving wheels. The nuance is that it all depends on our driving; The higher the speed, the more interzone intensity, or the more power maps, the more fuel consumption can be.
– You can ride freely in the field. FALSE. Electric motorcycles are regulated in the same way as an explosion vehicle for road traffic purposes. Of course, the fact that you don’t make noise allows you to go more unnoticed, and therefore it is more difficult to attract the attention of walkers or authorities. Also, the “ECO effect” means that driving in the mountains with an electric vehicle is better seen and outside the regulations these authorities could have more permissibility.
– It’s the future of Trial. TRUE. We must assume that the restrictions of European regulations are going to make it increasingly difficult for heat engines to coexist in our environment. Right now the Electric Motion comfortably exceeds EURO5, while the rest of the brands are working hard to exceed the emissions limit. And that will become more complicated in 2024 with the entry of the second part of this regulation. Therefore, it is very likely that in ten years the trial landscape will be full of electric motorcycles.
Differences Trial 2T vs 4T vs Electric
The personality of each bike is not only determined by the type of mechanics it equips, but dozens of other aspects are involved. However, we are going to break down the most important differences in the following comparative table (taking our protagonists as a reference, although in the case of the 2T we also include particularities of the Vertigo):
2-STROKE ENGINE
- More Explosive Response
- Electric or standard start
- 5-6 speed gearbox
- Carburetor power - injection
- Liquid Cooling
- 2 Power Maps
- Battery life: 2.5 hours on the move
- Transmission oil: 350cc
4-STROKE ENGINE
- More torque
- Standard Boot
- 5-speed gearbox
- Injection feeding
- Liquid Cooling
- 2 Power Maps
- Battery life: 2 hours on the move
- Transmission oil: 520cc
ELECTRIC MOTOR
- More traction
- Electric start
- Automatic Switching
- Power supply 1.8Kw battery
- 3 Power Maps
- Battery life: 3 hours on the move
- Transmission oil: 250cc
3 Key Questions to Ask for the Perfect Mechanic
1) What kind of use am I going to give it?
It’s fundamental. If our pretensions are more sporty, 2-stroke motorcycles are more seductive. They have great agility, they are small, explosive, fast, intuitive… And that can be a disadvantage for a profile looking for more stability, poise or torque.
It’s true that 4-stroke bikes have evolved considerably. Already in 2016 with the arrival of the Cota 300RR, the displacement increased, the engine braking effect was mitigated and weight was reduced. Records that allow it to stand up to the 2-strokes, although with a very accentuated personality in terms of traction, mechanical reliability, regularity and poise.
And what about electric ones? Utilities such as EPure cover practically the entire spectrum above. If you’re looking for a simple road bike, it offers unrivalled traction and torque. As it does not have a gearbox and the clutch is a complementary element (you can never use it), it makes the work much easier for the less experienced and those looking for a practical motorcycle: start button and roll. As for its performance in areas, it has many advantages, such as electronics, which allow the power map to be adapted to each circumstance. We also highlight the immediacy of their response. What can be improved is that in areas where you need to run a lot, for example long ramps, or steep steps, the useful engine runs out a little sooner. It’s a matter of changing the chip.
2) WHAT KIND OF TERRAIN ARE YOU GOING TO RIDE ON?
This is another important element, although it is not the most decisive. The reality is that depending on whether the climate is wetter or drier; whether there is more or less rock; if we drive in areas where rivers or land predominate; or if we are facing drastic changes in altitude.
While they are all capable of performing perfectly in any habitat, there are mechanics that are better suited to the environment.
Two-stroke engines gain an advantage in tighter, rougher environments, mainly stone. Revving agility and elasticity are perfect for intuitive riding. In places with less grip they need more experienced hands to be efficient in terms of traction, especially the “three hundred”. And as for climatic variations, they are more sensitive and may require carburetion or thermodynamic tuning to maintain their performance in a linear way.
The four-stroke bike is not so quick to react and this is positive to achieve a homogeneous riding between bike and rider when the technical level is not very high. In rugged areas you have to help it much more than a two-stroke. It is driven more by inertia than by energetic gas strokes. The most important thing is to know how to manage the power well in the low and medium rev range, because at the top you will find stretched, but not more useful power. As for the settings, the Cota adapts to climatic variations thanks to the different sensors of its electronics.
The electric motor offers a middle ground between the previous two thanks to the large difference in behavior between its maps. If you choose green, which delivers 80% of the useful torque of the bike, you will find an extraordinary grip, without surprises, because no matter how much gas you give, the engine does not overtake you. And here’s a key factor: the gearbox is automatic. You don’t have to think about the ride, just the driving. What I’m telling you is the perfect context for bass grip. When the terrain is rougher, the bike changes completely with the blue and red maps, where it already offers 100% of the torque. In this case, there is no need for any type of adjustment or “setting” according to the weather or altitude.
3) MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE LIFE PROJECTION
It’s unromantic to think about buying a new bike and at the same time consider when you’re going to sell it, but it’s another important point for the operation. There are those who like to change motorcycles every season, others every two or three, and of course those who conceive the purchase of the motorcycle almost as a marriage.
Two-stroke motorcycles are the ones that require the most maintenance and also the ones that suffer the most from the passage of time. It is likely that, as they are sportier bikes, by extension the use is also more demanding.
It’s like love when you’re thirty. It requires intensive dedication, but that’s also enjoyable. The positive part is that this maintenance is really simple at an amateur level: air filter every outlet, oil every 15 or 20 hours of use, carburetor every two or three outlets and little else.
The four beats is like love at forty. You may be tempted by those in your thirties, or think that you are so comfortable and identified, that your idyll is for the long haul. You don’t think there’s a set expiry date. Here maintenance is more like air filter and oils (for every two transmission changes, one engine change). Its mechanical reliability, not simplicity, is a very good point.
Electrics are like that girlfriend in her twenties, or fifties. If you see that there is harmony, you can share your whole life with her because she will make it easy for you. You know that mechanical maintenance is non-existent, that the battery has 2,000 payload cycles with an 80% remnant and high reliability. Of course, that is paid and the range of electric motorcycles is comparatively more expensive than its rivals.
Test with a TrialGP rider
A special test requires a special context. While it’s true that the entire Trialworld team is familiar with all the mechanics, this time we wanted to invite a top external rider. And that’s when the opportunity arises to have Oriol Noguera, ex-TrialGP rider for four seasons and currently backpacker in Trial2 with David Avendaño.
Oriol is the current owner of a 2021 TRRS One RR, but with no official link to the brand. Previously, he was the main driver for Jotagas in the World Championship. Montesa also played with Team MRW, so he knows the Montesa Cota 4RT and its possibilities perfectly. What he didn’t have so much control over was the Electric Motion, as he had never been at the controls of this bike before.
FIRST FEELING WITH THE ELECTRIC MOTOR
As a good rider, we see that as he picks up the Electric Motion he tries to get a feeling riding the EPure as he would with his bike.
First mistake. The electric motor requires about 5 or 6 hours of adaptation to start getting the most out of it. Why? First of all, this bike has an automatic gearbox. You don’t have to think about speeds. And there’s an explanation. The engine is capable of delivering as much torque, that it does not need a torque multiplier, as is the gearbox. This makes it easier to adapt and have possibilities, as the response is always completely predictable; Removing the gearbox is one less element that you can go wrong with.
Second mistake. How to use the clutch on the electric motorcycle. Of course, the bike is always started, you don’t need to modulate the clutch to ride, or to start; You might never use it. In fact, the EPure Lite and Sport models do not come with a mechanical clutch as standard. Well, here Oriol tended to use the clutch with the same philosophy as in the combustion engine; A classic mistake. The EPure Race is a bike that invites you to focus on riding, forgetting about gears and clutch. You will use the clutch when you need it: double steps, strong starts, very technical obstacles… But you won’t need it for 90% of the areas. And is this bad? No, quite the opposite. The less you touch it, the more grip, linearity of response and efficiency.
On the other hand, the way in which electronic gas is accelerated and modulated is also different. It’s not a matter of revving and firing the clutch. Here you ride more, you take advantage of the engine from below and you have to look for the work in the middle rev zone. Where it needs to improve the most is in those areas where speed is required; To understand me correctly, those that you would do in third gear with the explosion gear.
The Best | ELECTRIC
- Three Power Maps
- Traction Capacity
- Simpler and more efficient piloting
- Very low maintenance
- Long autonomy
To improve | ELECTRIC
- Impossibility of refuelling in the mountains
- Less top speed on big throws
- Longer adaptation period
- High price
TRIAL WITH 2T VS 4T ENGINE
What a pleasure it is to drive a 2-stroke! That explosiveness from low revs, that agility, the sound when it revs, the smell of combustion with oil mixture…
Trial by nature is two-stroke. Well, purists will tell us that it all started with the 4T and that since 2007 they have dominated the World Cup. Yes, but the 70s, 80s, 90s and even the middle of the first decade of the 2000s disappeared. And that’s when what we understand as modern trial was conceived.
The key to the 2T is that you know how to choose the right displacement. You don’t need a “three hundred” for the sake of it, since so much torque will make you more imprecise if you don’t have the technique or physical strength. We are one of those who think that 80% of 2-stroke enthusiasts should ride a 250cc or 280cc.
The Best | 2T Engine
- Explosiveness and agility in response
- Electric Start Options
- Various displacements to choose from
- Competition performance with virtually no modifications
THE WORST | 2T Engine
- Variability of set-up
- More frequent maintenance
- Shorter component life VS mechanical 4T or electrical.
PERFORMANCE IN Q4
As we said before, the 4T is a more homogeneous bike in response; It is driven taking advantage of inertia and the great for engine.
It is a mechanic that, in the case of the Cota, is perfect for dynamic areas in the “non-stop” style where the extra weight is less penalized, which in turn provides a greater balance towards poise than agility.
A point very much in its favor, reliability (not mechanical simplicity) and manufacturing qualities. And, if you’ll allow me, the best of them all, of the entire Montesa Cota 4RT range, the best of them all is the standard 260 model.
The Best | 4T Engine
- Torque and low revs
- Traction Capacity
- Consistency in the response to climate change
- Less frequent maintenance
- Wide price ranges
The Worst | 4T Engine
- Mechanical accessibility
- It's expensive to increase the standard performance
- Engine Block Weight
- High revs poorer in power
- Somewhat limited autonomy
- Not available with electric start
