Bike Tests

El fabricante francés Scorpa ofrece en su gama 2008 tres modelos de trial bien diferenciados. Los tres intentan hacer lo mismo de tres maneras distintas: la conocida SY250 de dos tiempos, la radical SY250F de cuatro tiempos y la tranquila SY200F de cuatro tiempos. El probador de T+MX WOODY HOLE pasó un desapacible día en los Lagos con el importador de la marca Nigel Birkett para hacernos llegar sus impresiones de cada modelo. El editor JD “hizo trampa” y sacó unas cuantas fotos estáticas una tarde soleada en la que el tiempo acompañaba más… Woody nos cuenta la historia…

Sherco tiene una interesante, completa y estilizada gama de modelos para 2008. En dos tiempos hay versiones 125, 250 y 290, completándose la gama con una 320 cuatro tiempos totalmente comparable a la 290.

Published: 13th November 2008

GAS GAS has all the bases covered when it comes to off-road comp bikes. Last month T+MX brought you the first UK test of the Gerona firm’s two-stroke enduro models. And what a line-up that was with EXC125, 200, 250 and 300 variations, i.e. a model for everyone. And the situation is exactly the same on the trials front with Gas Gas again weighing-in with four models for absolute maximum market penetration. All models are based on the very same platform with the new-for-’09 lightweight chassis housing the various capacity variations of the miniscule engine that outwardly looks like the Gas Gas engineers forgot to install most of the parts. They are of course all present and correct, it is just that they have been condensed into an incredibly compact package.

Published: 06th November 2008

Aprilia let our tester Johnno White loose on their new MXV450 Motocrosser – he liked it so much, he didn’t want to give it back...

Published: 23rd October 2008

GAS-GAS races into the 2009 season with a quartet of EC-designated Enduro two-strokes that hit the off-road target plumb centre every time. The small but ultra-enthusiastic Gerona-based outfit has all the bases covered with snappy EC125/200/250 and 300 models and each is sufficiently different to their siblings, yet totally capable in their own way, to genuinely offer something for everyone. If you can’t find a model to suit your style here then we don’t think it exists!

Published: 09th October 2008

The all-new 2009 CRF450R is just that – all-new – but are all the changes worthwhile and is the new open class Honda really a must-have MX1 missile?

Published: 11th September 2008

NEW from the ground up and radically different to all other four-stroke enduro bikes, Husaberg’s new FE 450 and FE 570 models are ready to challenge the way we think enduro bikes should be built...

Published: 14th August 2008

HUSQVARNA has a mighty range of Enduro models for 2009. JONTY EDMUNDS was invited to the Italian factory’s official European launch last week and here he gives his thoughts on the three two-strokes: WR125/ WR250 and WR300 plus the four four-strokes: TE250/ TE310/ TE450 and TE510. Read on...

Published: 29th July 2008

Beta, al igual que sus rivales españoles Sherco y GasGas, ofrece una gama completa de motos de trial para el año 2008. A las reconocidas Rev3 de 2T (125/200/250/270) hay que añadir este año la cuatro tiempos REV4T que ya empezó a producirse de forma limitada en el 2007 pero que este año se fabrica igual que el resto de los modelos.

Published: 21st July 2008

La prueba dinámica de los modelos de trial de GasGas siempre es algo que uno espera con ganas. La gama de modelos de la factoría gerundense, en total 5 (125-200-250-280-300), pone a nuestro probador WOODY HOLE en un auténtico dilema, ya que cada modelo tiene sus propias cualidades.

Published: 02nd July 2008

AFTER four successive years of radical re-development and re-invention that has seen brand new motorcycles debuted every year, every single machine in its comprehensive SX motocross range rebuilt from the ground up, and firmly placed the company at the very fore-front of modern off-road technology, refinement rather than further radical departure has been the name of the game for Austrian giant KTM on it’s 2009 year motocross machines.

Published: 11th June 2008

AFTER years in the wilderness CCM is back. Anyone who has followed the off-road press for the past year will have no doubt been keeping a close eye on the re-emergence of the famous British manufacturers attempts to break back into the world of top-flight motocross racing with its new hand-built CMX450 and CMX250 racers with some interest. Never afraid to eschew conventional approaches to bike building, CCM has pioneered a headline grabbing chassis design on these new machines, opting to draft in experts from the motoring industry to design an extremely lightweight and state of the art bonded aluminium frame that forms the centre-piece of the two motorcycles, and around which it has built a series of truly one-off, custom factory motorcycles that have turned heads and set pulses racing across the UK and Europe this season. But what are these limited factory racers like to ride? T+MX was given exclusive access to the CMX250 machines ridden by Kristian Whatley and Richie Worrall recently at Mallory Park to bring the first ever test of the smaller of the two CCM racers. Longstanding T+MX tester Johnno White was in the hot seat so, over to Johnno...

Published: 09th April 2008

AT the end of November T+MX News chief motocross tester Johnno White was among a select group of riders invited to test the all-new Suzuki RM-Z450 at the famous Valkenswaard GP circuit in Holland. Although he came away hugely impressed with the ground-breakng new fuel-injected machine, Johnno was only able to run two short 20 minute test runs on the bike and gather just a brief impression of the bike. Very keen to really put the bike through it’s paces properly and fully discover what an EFI shod machine was capable of T+MX was right on the case to organise a full test of the RM-Z450 on UK soil whilst at the Stoneleigh Dirt Bike Show.

Published: 05th March 2008

FRENCH manufacturer Scorpa offers three very distinctive trials models for 2008, all of which attempt to do the same thing in very different ways – the established SY250 two-stroke, the radical SY250F four-stroke and the gentle SY200F four-stroke. T+MX tester WOODY HOLE braved a grim day in the Lakes with importer Nigel Birkett in order to bring you the flavour of each model. Editor JD ‘cheated’ and nipped out one sunny afternoon to grab the static pics... Woody tells the tale...

Published: 19th December 2007

Although world championship glory eluded Josh Coppins this season, the Rinaldi Yamaha team’s YZ 450FM once again proved itself as the winningest bike in the MX1 world championship.

Published: 05th December 2007

THE Italian Beta factory, like its Spanish rivals Sherco and Gas Gas, offers a full and comprehensive range of trials models as we motor into 2008, the well-established REV3 two-strokes (125/200/250/270) PLUS a four-stroke 250cc REV 4T, which, while it was available last year following a limited production run, is now in full-scale production and ALL models are ready to rock now.

Published: 30th November 2007

Feast your eyes on the all-new Suzuki RM-Z450

Published: 15th November 2007

IT has been only nine months since T+MX swung a leg over the 2007 range of Gas Gas enduro machines at Nantmawr Quarry for our annual test of the Gerona based manufacturer’s woods weaponry, from which we came away very impressed with the range, you may remember but, in that interim period, the Gas Gas R&D department has been burning the midnight oil to ring in some serious changes to its 2008 models.

Published: 02nd November 2007

SHERCO has an interesting and wide-ranging streamlined line-up of models for 2008. The two-strokes comprise 125, 250 and 290 versions, complemented by the uprated 320 4T - which can actually and interestingly be compared to the 290 stroker.

Published: 18th October 2007

THE annual Gas Gas trials test is always one to look forward to. The sheer range of models from the Gerona-based factory, FIVE in total comprising 125-200-250-280-300, is almost bewildering and gives tester WOODY HOLE a real dilemma, as each and every model has its own virtues...