New to trials and am about to buy my first bike. I have done some research aon previous post but had a question I could not find an answer to. I see the benefits of buying a larger engine size for the learning cuvre and growing into your bike. What are the downside of buying a smaller cc bike. i am 175 and am looking into a gg 200. It is in my price range Around 2500.
Thanks for any info you guys may have. I have been enjoying lookin at your pics and photos in the furom! Gets me more and more ready to buy a trails bike.
thanks again

175 pounds that is
thanksa

I ride a 250 so i'm guessing. Just a bit less zap for big obstacles, which you don't need to worry about until you get up a few grades. They're real popular for learners, novice trials riders and Clubman. I've heard they are less sensitive to throttle inputs so will wheelspin less, making it easier on the slippery stuff.

Smaller engine will have a softer power. Only issue I see for you is your location, when you start to climb in elevation you will be surprised at your power loss. To ride trials and just getting started, you will be fine. If you plan much time trail riding at higher elevations, I would look for a larger engine.

200 is perfect size. Not sure about the gasgas as it is based on the 125.
Motor size is overated! I was with juniors riding 125s this past weekend and they did huge obstacles, including hill climbs with relative ease. Yz1992 and I (270 and 250)were revving our bikes and getting a run at the same obstacles, where as these guys started at the bottom or even with their front wheel on the face and used little motor.

Ahem... 272 cc's ;)

Look up some pictures of what Pat Smage does on a 125, and from what I've seen, he isn't a tiny guy... For someone of fair size though, going all the way down to a 125 would be excessive unless you are completely focused on flatout improvment. A 200 sounds good though. They are relativelly hard to come by, so if you can get a decent one for that price, I would say go with it. :thumbsup:

I started on a 280 because I had no idea what I was getting into, and I have had a pretty hard time trying to ween myself off just relying on the motor to get up stuff.

At 175 pounds and just starting out AND at that price, I'd say it's a perfect buy. If it's a 200 Pro, look into a flywheel weight for it so that it doesn't die on you until you learn better throttle and clutch control.

The 200 Pro Gas Gas is really 175cc. The bigger motors develop a strong pull at any RPM. The 200 and 125 are not able to recover from the lower RPMs under a heavy load unless you slip the clutch to get the revs up, but when you get the revs up, they perform a little more like an MX engine... plenty of Horse power, just not as much low end torque as the bigger bore bikes.

thanks everyone, I am have not quite decided yet! just because I live at 10000 feet and have had trouble with smaller displacement engines. Any other ideas to find bike besides furoms/ motosoup/ cycletrader/ exchange
thanks
again

In the thread below this one titled: "One more trials bike... My Gas Gas 280 Pro" Kristi from Oregon has a really good condition 2004 Gas Gas 280 for $3200 last time I checked.

I have some photos of it but they don't show the bike well. It's blue with a red rear fender.

I'd hate to see her sell it but she has fallen on hard economic times and I'm afraid that all of her bikes are at risk.

You could possibly meet her half way in Idaho or Utah if you like the bike. If anyone needs her attention, I can possibly get her phone number and / or other contact information.

:prof: lewissport has a few 200,s,ive been trying to get ahold of that girl my buddy is interested in her 280 can you get her e-mail for me or e-mail me pics to bish47@hughes.net thanks.

2PLY said:

I'd say the size depends upon what you're after with the bike too.

If you're knocking on 50 like me and have no intention of doing anything more than riding in the occasional trials event just for fun and spend most of your time on the bike playing and riding technical stuff you'd never dream of trying on a regular dirt bike - then I'd say go with the larger size motor.

Like previous posters have mentioned, if you ride at altitude much, the larger displacement bikes still have more power left.

My 300 has plenty of torque and I've been amazed at how much I can lug the bike and still have it recover and pick up speed - even in 5th gear.

Craigslist always has some trials bikes for sale. There are 5 right now in the Denver listing. Both 200's are in Colorado Springs. I recently bough a Sherco off Craigslist and met some nice people in the process.