The British firm Oset, which has specialized to date in the development of Electrically powered children’s motorcycles, broadens its horizons this year with the inclusion in its range of a large-wheel trial model, thus making the pleasant practice of “non-stop” without noise available to children and adults.
And truly, at the controls of the 24.0, the sensations experienced by both the big child of let’s say 13-14 years old and the adult are very, very pleasant. The comfortable and wide footrests provide sensational support, something that doesn’t happen in countless countries. Children’s motorbikes, while the handlebars, of perfect shape and height, and the levers fit very well in the hands, providing a comfortable position and a real “feeling” of total control over the bike. The set, moreover, is narrow and extraordinarily light, hovering around an incredible but certain 45 kilos that result in exceptional handling. Suffice it to say that a 125 trial car with a combustion engine weighs up to almost 30 kilos more…
If we add to this the dazzling motor response that we have access to just by acting on the corresponding regulation potentiometers, we will conclude that what we have between our legs is a real push-up, agile and quick reactions, in which we will never lack fun.
The 24.0 employs a more vigorous motor than its small-wheel siblings, made in Taiwan, and with 48 V and 1,400 W as its calling card. The regulation we’ve been talking about? Simple, accessible, and tremendously decisive: we remove a simple rubber cover by hand and in plain sight, those three potentiometers – power, immediacy of response and speed – are lined up on the false fuel tank, occupying the space of just one.
With the adjustments taken to their minimum degree, we will obtain the docility and slowness of response required by the most inexperienced of pilots, while rage, the vigorous initial thrust characteristic of electric propulsion, will be found just around the corner, once we have opened “the three taps” without hesitation.
BRAKES “BY HAND”
It must also be said that, countless advantages aside, the electric trial proposed by Oset is not the
trial
we practice with a petrol motorcycle. Here there are no magical touches of throttle that free us from this or that difficulty and the obstacles are approached, in many cases, with a different philosophy: that of throwing the bike sufficiently in front of the obstacle in question, to overcome it by taking advantage of inertia.
On the other hand, the fact that the rear brake is applied not with the right foot but with the left hand, also requires a minimum of acclimatization on the part of the rider, who at first will miss that support, when trying to balance, provided by the presence of a pedal under the foot.
This peculiar configuration of two brake levers is added to many other details more typical of a bicycle than of a motorcycle with which Oset splashes this model and among which are the RST fork –with easy adjustment of compression and rebound on the right bar-, the DNM CPR damper-2 – double adjustment, also in this case, for preload and compression, and the complete Sram brake assemblies – with 180 mm diameter discs. The suspensions, by the way, very soft, help to make good use of the effect of the extension, while the brakes stand out for their progressiveness and power.
To conclude, it should be noted that 24.0 Racing Two different versions are marketed at the same price – 4,499 euros: one Junior, with a 3.50 x 17 rear tyre, more focused on kids who want trial trials, and another, the 24.0 Racing Simply, with a 19 drive wheel, which will be better piloted by those who have already left their adolescence well behind and weigh, ideally, between 60 and 90 kilos. In both cases, the Spanish importer offers the option of mounting, at a small surcharge, batteries of more amperes, protected, moreover, by aluminum cases.
Text and photos: Carlos Larreta
PILOT’S OPINION: TOMMY VERNEY
We have already expressed our own opinion on the 24.0, but we also wanted to reflect what a young rider -twelve years old- who has been riding trial bikes since he was three years old, although only electrically powered trial bikes, thought of it! “Petrol bikes make a lot of noise, I don’t like them,” says Tommy, who adds: “The best thing about electric motorcycles is just that. That you ride anywhere and no one says anything to you, because you don’t bother. Any 24.0 glitches? Well, the kickstand, which leaves the bike too vertical. As for the range, no problem. With my weight of 35 kilos and the 25 amp battery, I have been able to ride for more than four hours straight. In addition, the response of the 24.0 is more progressive than that of the 20.0 and, by having the larger wheel, you overcome any obstacle better.”
We have already expressed our own opinion on the 24.0, but we also wanted to reflect what a young rider -twelve years old- who has been riding trial bikes since he was three years old, although only electrically powered trial bikes, thought of it! “Petrol bikes make a lot of noise, I don’t like them,” says Tommy, who adds: “The best thing about electric motorcycles is just that. That you ride anywhere and no one says anything to you, because you don’t bother. Any 24.0 glitches? Well, the kickstand, which leaves the bike too vertical. As for the range, no problem. With my weight of 35 kilos and the 25 amp battery, I have been able to ride for more than four hours straight. In addition, the response of the 24.0 is more progressive than that of the 20.0 and, by having the larger wheel, you overcome any obstacle better.”
