2009 The presentation of the first “XL” Trial bike manufactured by XIspa, the X 250R, coincided with the last round of the 2009 Outdoor World Championship, in Sant Juliá de Loire (Andorra) and raised great expectations for its aesthetics and concept.
The chassis, made of oval section tubes of chrome-molybdenum steel 25CRM04, is painted in matt black and has been modified to the height of the steering tube compared to the first prototype to improve the steering angle.
The finishes of the welds are not particularly good, although the overall appearance is optimal. The aluminium swingarm maintains the same tone: correct in shapes, just right in finishes. The headlight plate is practically identical to the one fitted to the extinct Beta Rev3, but with grilles at the bottom of both sides.
The overall aesthetics of the bike are very nice. It’s elegant and the color contrast is perfect. The plastics pass in quality, although we cannot contrast how they will be old or how scratches will affect the delicate matte black.
Regarding the engine, the The version tested corresponds to a two-stroke engine that cubes 249.7 cc. –It is also manufactured in 124 cc. and 273 cc.-. It is powered by a 28mm Oko carburetor. – it bears a strong aesthetic resemblance to the Keihin – and is fitted with carbon fibre intake blades as standard. The The six-disc clutch is completed by a small-tank AJP hydraulic pump. In the electrical system we find an ignition signed by Kokusan and a CDI manufactured specifically by Xispa.
The exhaust is quite eye-catching. You can see how the collector is long and very high, with a very steep curve. In this way, it is possible to gain travel and transfer a good response to the engine at low revs. The silencer, on the other hand, does remind us a lot of that of the Sherco, although in this case it is wrapped by an attractive protector made of carbon fiber.
The suspensions are signed by Xispa itself as far as the front axle is concerned , whose fork mounts 40 mm bars, and by Paioli the rear monoshock without linkages. The manufacturer announces that the Xispa X250R will be marketed in two versions: one with Euro3 homologation -4,150 euros- and one without it -3,700 euros-.
The second version, in addition to the obvious differences inherent in homologation, is fitted with Dunlop tyres – Michelin is the only trial manufacturer whose tyres are homologated.
Text: David Quer
