Trial is in an important moment of change. Reflecting and looking back, the evolution of the motorcycles offered by the brands followed, with exceptions, the same tune. In other words, models with important technical differences coexisted in the dealerships, but evolving in the same direction.
In 2005, with the official arrival of four-stroke engines, homogeneity was broken. The result, as of 2012, is that a four-stroke bike has accumulated 12 consecutive world titles , but its market has plummeted. The two-strokes respond better to the needs of the user due to their technical simplicity, weight/performance ratio and… price?
The escalation of prices in the sector is being dizzying. No one is surprised to see Q2 above €6,500 (see Ossa), knowing that in a year its market share price will be just over half. Without going any further, this week at Fanoutics, you could find a brand new Ossa 2011 for almost half its price: 3,900 euros. Fans have already expressed their opinions about it on our Facebook.
Injection or carburetion? At the moment the new brands, as JTG -€6,299-, they opt for the more traditional system; Ossa the only 2T representative with injection, follows progressing at a good pace, but the fan lacks solid arguments from the brand to justify the overpricing and advantages that it entails.
And among the noise of such varied alternatives, electric motors appear, almost silently. What began as a bid to open the door to children is becoming another important alternative for consumers.
Both
Scorpa -5.7
electric- and Gas
Gas -TXT 4820e-
have electric models rolling around the mountain. Oset, which until now had two small electric models, is launching one 20-inch version focused on riders up to 14 years old.
However, none of the brands confirms that with batteries and without noise the problems of access to the mountain can be solved.
In the midst of this heterogeneous scenario, models focused on excursions are back with force, such as the Randonne -125cc 4T with carburetor-, the Explorer -2T with injection- or the KTM Freeride -350cc 4T-.
To sum up, we are facing a growing market in supply, but without a common direction. In order for variety to add value and be a tool for any enthusiast to acquire the motorcycle that best suits their needs, a more direct communication between the enthusiast and the brands is required.
What direction is the Trial heading? Which bike to buy? A 4T like the world champion’s? A traditional 2T with a carburetor? Or better with injection? Maybe go for an electric motor? If my use is less sporty, should I lean into an excursion model?
We look forward to your reflections on a very interesting topic that fully affects the amateur and the technical evolution of this sector.
We have set up a
Text: David Quer @davidquerTW
