The possibilities that children have today to get started in the world of motorcycles are truly impressive. Technological advances and the growing involvement of brands in offering a quality product tailored to the needs of each age group is favoring the dynamism of this segment.
Torrot is a brand that has always existed, but its current activity and mission is completely innovative. Its name has sounded strong in recent months for being the brand that has acquired Gas Gas and the one responsible for the fortunately resumption of production of the Trial and Enduro models. In addition, we are sure that the Torrot – Gas
Gas
binomial will give us great surprises in the not too distant future. Some have the technology, others the experience. Two excellent foundations on which an innovative and disruptive project could be built to reinvent the concept of the offroad motorcycle.
TORROT T10 AND T12 TO LEARN AT TRIALWORLD SCHOOL
Building motorcycles doesn’t automatically generate demand. At Trialworld, through our
Trial School
, we have been offering specific training for boys and girls in the Community of Madrid for half a dozen years, where we also have the pleasure of receiving monthly visits from participants from other provinces. The opportunity to learn and practice the trial technique in a fun, legalized format and on supervised courses with different courses is a unique opportunity to delve into this fantastic sport.
The alliance with Torrot also allows us to make available to new participants two large models equipped with great technology and easily configurable features depending on the experience of the rider and the needs of the terrain to evolve satisfactorily in their
trial technique
.
For this reason, from now on at
Trialworld School
–
see calendar
– you will always be able to find the two new electric Trial models manufactured by Torrot, the T10 and the T12, which can be tested during our trial course days.
TORROT T10 AND T12 ELECTRIC TRIAL BIKES
Torrot has always been a brand with two wheels. Founded in 1948 by Don Luis Iriondo, we can say that it has lived through two major stages: the first, from its origins to the 90s, mainly focused on bicycles and mopeds, and secondly, the new journey that began in 2011.
The new era of Torrot is marked by innovation, technology and a commitment to electric propulsion. The only off-road models that the Spanish brand sells are children’s. What’s more, there are two large versions, called 10 and 12, which can be found in the T (Trial), E (Enduro) and S (Supermotard) finishes.
TORROT T1O
The first step by age is the Torrot T10 and is designed for niñ@s from 3 years of age and is valid until 6 or 7 years of age. It is a
trial bike
that has been designed with safety and the technology necessary to allow progressive learning.
The virtue of its electric motor is that its power can be adjusted from 350w to 1,050w and the parameters are easily programmed through software that can be downloaded from the brand’s own website. Additionally, the bike has a switch behind the headlight holder that allows you to lower the previously programmed power to 50%. That is, if we have programmed the bike to give a maximum of 50% of its power, activating this switch would drop to 25%. In this way, learning can be adapted to the needs and experience of the pilot.
A positive fact is that this Torrot is equipped with lithium batteries, allowing there to be no performance drops during use.
Regarding the equipment of the chassis part, the suspension is entrusted to the Italian brand EBR and the brakes are disc brakes on both axles. The final weight of the set is 22 kilos.
The recommended price for the electric Torrot T10 is €1,391
TORROT T12
The second Trial model offered by Torrot is designed to continue learning the T10, that is, from 6 or 7 years old until approximately 9 years old.
Compared to its little sister, the motor is more powerful and offers an adjustable power ranging from 600w to 1500w. The suspensions have more travel and the weight of the whole in this case is 30 kilos.
Otherwise, it shares the aesthetics and technical solutions of the Torrot T10.
The recommended price for the electric Torrot T12 is €2,021
AT THE CONTROLS. BY SANTI RUIZ JARQUE
At the controls Álvaro and Nacho Ruiz Yeves, two brothers of 7 and 4 years old who, despite their young age, already have 4 and 2 years of experience respectively, so they were immediately able to take advantage of the motorcycles and draw some conclusions.
The small of our frames looks like it was tailor-made for Nacho, having a riding position that allows him to stand up easily, for which the stability of the bike also helps a lot, which at all times remains with controlled steering and easy to handle in slow and small radius turns, among other things thanks to the geometry of the small blue chassis, which gives it this docility.
At the time of the test, the engine was configured with the software at 50% of its total power, which made it very manageable in this section as well and powerful enough for small climbs and obstacles. Considering that electric motorcycles have a rougher throttle feel than combustion motorcycles, the T10 seems to be quite docile when it comes to delivering power, even if the throttle response is not adjustable as in other competing motorcycles.
The suspensions were correct, at least in the type of terrain of the test, which did not demand much since they were flat and rocky areas with great grip. The rear has a very hard feel, bouncy and little controlled, and in areas of low traction it is noticeable.
The brakes are powerful and dosable, and finally they are equipped with a lever that can be adjusted in distance to the handlebars, which allows it to be adapted to Nachete’s little hands.
Another thing to be very grateful for parents are the tires signed by Torrot on both bikes, which have a hard enough carcass to be able to put very little pressure on them and thus guarantee grip without having to repair punctures by pinching constantly.
Nacho was able to be totally autonomous when starting or stopping the bike, since it is easy and intuitive with its on/off controls and power regulation, within the reach of the little ones, but not the kickstand that is too hard to be operated by a child.
The T12 is more of a bike, clearly better on its little sister in all areas. Álvaro, who was older, was able to enjoy trials, pushing it to the limit. Accustomed to these areas, it didn’t cost him anything to adapt to Torrot’s bike and ride them safely.
The bike is even firmer thanks to its chassis and chassis. It has a longer wheelbase, and its larger wheel diameter and steering feed give it the stability needed for the demands of the small rider. It is easy in turns and dosable in its power delivery just like its little sister. Its engine is much more powerful and develops more speed, which allows you to make large obstacles without any problem.
The suspensions are clearly better, absorb the terrain and are not bouncy at all, which is what is interesting at this age, so the receptions of jumps and descents of steps are not a problem for this bike. The fork is very stiff, different from all the competition, as it is a “motorcycle” fork and not adapted from the bicycle industry. This causes it to be heavier, but with more aplomb and that by having a hydraulic spring suspension system and not air like the rest, it has a more sensitive touch. The shock absorber is better than its little sister, and Alvaro has no traction issues at any point. The wheelies and inverts were constant and easy to perform at all times and in all situations, thus tackling small steps of small height without problem.
The brakes are the same as on the T10, adjustable and powerful, although this bike weighs more, the child also applies more force to the cam and has full control of braking.
In conclusion, the T12 and T10 are manageable, fun bikes capable of real trials, maybe there are other more radical models, but these bikes are easy, safe and made their testers enjoy what they like the most with a constant smile.
Photos: Santi Ruiz Jarque
Action drivers: Nacho Ruiz Yeves and Alvaro Ruiz Yeves
Acknowledgements: David Palacios (Torrot)
