Looking at trials bikes

The Mecatecno Dragon fly is just 131 pounds. Easier to ride than the gas bikes. Local expert did amazingly challenging stuff on my Dragon Fly.

Bought a trials bike almost 20 years ago to try and make myself a better dirt bike rider (MX and offroad), and quickly discovered that I love trials even more than dirt bikes. Find the closest local trials club and ride with them. There’s a big difference between buying a trials bike and riding it around by yourself, vs riding with other folks who already have it figured out. No matter what your skill level currently is, trials is a big learning curve in the beginning (for example, watch the videos of Bloss and Oldenburg riding trials bikes at the Beta dealer meeting).  Trials folks are truly some of the nicest people on two wheels, and always willing to help new riders. Most everyone will tell you to get a 300 two stroke, but very few people on the planet actually need one… and most would do much better on something smaller if they’d give it an honest chance. I’ve ridden all the electric bikes, I have yet to find one that works as well as a gas bike. 

Do it!

I love my trails bike, but I have the opposite problem. I’ll rarely choose it over riding my off-road bikes out my back door. 

It will definitely scratch the itch though, and it’s a lot cheaper. I don’t think I’ve done anything other than change the oil to my trails bike in 3 years.

Great for you! #nonmoto

Keep scrolling then hall monitor 

Trials is great but be patient or it can be very frustrating. Take lots of deep relaxing breaths. And don't forget you can hurt yourself. The speeds may be slower but the penalty is just as bad as any other type of riding. I got more scrapes and bruises than any other way.

Trials is a blast.  I got my first trials bike last summer and have been having a great time.  That being said, it is also super humbling.  I went from 40A offroad to near the bottom of the heap at trials.   I would suggest grabbing a used bike from Marketplace etc..  A decent bike usually runs $3-4K.  If you like it, you can sell and upgrade. If you don't, you can just sell it.  

Getting in touch with the local trial club also isn't a bad idea.  Out here in Southern CA, the trials community is small but good.  So far, everyone has been welcoming and super helpful.  There are a couple of main spots to practice and small groups go to each on the weekends.  The better riders have been great about teaching technique and showing me lines appropriate for my class.

I saw Kaplan was selling GasGas trials bikes at a discount. 

I quoted you so I could give another thumbs up, so 👍.

I started riding trials for the convenience because I can ride right from my garage. It's super fun.  I still ride moto and harescrambles, but if I had to go exclusively to trials I wouldn't be sad.  
 

EABFODAH!

Knew a guy who had both a YZ450F, and a brand new Skorpa trials bike. 

He would tell himself he is going to do trials,  then head for the famed, hallowed ground that is Croom in Brooksville Florida. He would climb one, maybe two hills, then proceed to spend the rest of the day trail (not trials...TRAIL) riding the Skorpa like it was a KDX200, all around Croom. Standing, obviously.  

You haven't scratched your head harder than you will when a guy comes buy you in whoops , on a trials bike, in the woods, snicked up into whatever the tall gear is on those things, hauling ass (for a trials bike)

I'm saying I think it's difficult for a moto guy to do anything BUT moto, regardless of what bike he buys. 

Beta just did a complete redesign on their trails bike. 

A lot of great takes in this thread.

After growing up moto, I've ridden trials on and off for 25 years.

The best advice I am reading is to go to an event.
Just riding around can get boring and doesn't represent what trials REALLY is.
Like moto, you jump for show and corner for dough.

Once the ribbons go up and points count, it changes everything. Trying to get around a "simple" corner can be SO TOUGH!
Comradery and all day riding.
Its like a day of golf with your buddies, but on a bike.  You want to be the best, but you also enjoy cheering on you competitors when they have a great ride.

Me.
I'm racing moto this Saturday and trials on Sunday!

I raced MX when I was younger and broke my back when I was 12 then did trials for a few years until I started riding big bikes again.

Its really fun and recommend finding your local trials club and doing a meet its insanely low stress and a very easy to learn format you spend most of the time hanging out with the guys in your group looking at sections and talking. 

I will say if you are looking to do some play riding the most fun terrain is like big ditches and valleys where you can kind of ride up and down and across steep stuff, the rocks and logs are fun but get boring quickly. 

I love my GasGas TXT300! 

I bought it from a very good rider, and he required a set up very different to me. So I got a low compression head and a slow turn Domino throttle and it transformed it for the better for my ability. I should have bought a 200 rather than a 300 tbh.. 

Going to trials really takes me back to my earliest days of off-road motorcycling- it’s simply mucking around on bikes in the woods with my mates. Awesome! 

The social aspect of trials is great. The bikes are so quiet, and with open face helmets you can just trash talk each other all day long. 

Having a trials bike in your lineup is a great addition. Not only is it fun, it's safer and after all, you're only getting older.

FYI … when buying a trials bike, buy 2 so your buddies can put around with you. I bought 1 then 2 weeks later bought another from the same guy selling them so friends could plunk around too. 

this. Trials is so much more fun with buds imo. It’s like being a kid on bmx bikes in the skate park. endless challenges. rooting for each other to clean something tricky. 

I've got a GG 280 Trials bike and it's fun. Like one person posted patients is key. I still need my 300 for most rides in the woods. Maybe when I grow up.