On Test - TRS One
By John Dickinson on 24th Feb 16
TRS is the latest trials manufacturing venture by Catalan trials legend Jordi Tarres. The first project Jordi was involved with, Jotagas (JoTa Jordi Tarres) lost its original impetus for various political reasons and the fact is Jordi exited the venture relatively quickly.
TRS is the latest trials manufacturing venture by Catalan trials legend Jordi Tarres. The first project Jordi was involved with, Jotagas (JoTa – Jordi Tarres) lost its original impetus for various political reasons and the fact is Jordi exited the venture relatively quickly.
With lessons learnt, the seven times World Champion then embarked on the TRS venture, keeping the project relatively low-key, concentrating on ensuring everything was rock solid on the business front and taking his time with development to ensure that the TRS machine, when unveiled to the world, would be absolutely right first time.
And to get straight to the point there's no doubt that Jordi has played a blinder as the TRS is very impressive on all fronts.
Adam Raga gave the machine its public debut in the Trial des Nations when he switched from his ‘private' Gas Gas at the end of the 2015 World Championship season and immediately helped the Spanish squad blitz the TdN.
For British fans though, the Sheffield Indoor trial at the beginning of January was the big day as Adam took the fight to undisputed World No.1 Toni Bou on the factory Repsol Montesa. The TRS looked good, very neatly put together, a basically simple design and it sounded very quiet, smooth and torquey.
Adam rode it in the mid-range, not screaming on the top end and all-in -all it was a very impressive British debut as far as we were concerned.
And now, the factory has just started to roll on the production front and British importer Steve Saunders, who has been involved with the project since mid 2013, being a long-time friend of Jordi, has taken delivery of his first two models which have gone straight to his supported riders Ross Danby and Becky Cook.
Both bikes are 300cc as this is the first model into production, but will be followed by 250 and 280 versions.
TMX was keen to get straight into a TRS test so Steve arranged for himself, both bikes and both riders to meet-up at Back Cowm Quarry, Whitworth.
The only downside was we picked the worst day of the week with incessant rain and a bitterly cold wind which saw frozen fingers (at the very least) all round within 10 minutes of braving life outside the vans!
Woody Hole was back as chief test pilot, armed with a fully run-in new hip joint which he tested while becoming Mountain Bike Enduro Series World Masters Champ 2015.
Woody said: "First impressions on looking over the bike is that the model is very neat, very well finished and on the showroom front, very attractive.
"There are some superb design features like the footrest hangers and rear wheel adjusters.
"Just take a look at the detail and you will see what I mean.”
Tip the bike on its side and you can see how neat and simple the rear suspension linkage is.
And there are no bits and pieces stuck on the side anywhere, the external electrics are all tucked away.
There just seems like there's a lot of room around the engine and Ross told us that it really was an easy machine to work on as he had had a session with the spanners just to see how it all worked.
The basic running gear, like most bikes, is all tried and tested stuff which is, as you all know, very efficient and does the job.
Woody continued: "I found it a very easy bike to ride straight from the off.
"It felt very comfortable AND after not riding trials for quite a spell, as soon as I got on to the bike it felt really nice and planted which made it fun to ride.”
On the suspension front, TRS is using Tech 3 front forks which are possibly the best out there for trials bikes and on the rear of the bike the shock was an Olle R16V unit controlling the neat swinging arm via a linkage.
"It seemed well suited to the bike and did everything I asked of it. The suspension felt very plush and lively as well so you could easily hop the wheel around and do all your little tricks,” said Woody.
"The engine fires up easily with a really quiet exhaust note. "I expected the 300 to be really aggressive but it isn't, the delivery is super smooth.
"I had noticed Raga's bike sounded very torquey at Sheffield and the production machine is just like that.
"There's no efi, just a bog standard 26mm Dellorto and the engine ran as clean as a whistle for the two hours we stuck it out.
"It was a heavy, wet day, yet I never once had to rev the motor to clean it out which was quite a surprise. "It is a super smooth motor as well.
"Whether it was chuffing over on tickover or revving hard there was none of the annoying vibration that can lead to rattling levers or footpegs, it really was turbine smooth.”
Steve pointed out that the Hidria twin-spark ignition has got to be a big part of how clean the motor runs and then told us that the ignition cover actually contains an outrigger bearing to ensure that there is no whip or bend whatsoever in the crank, no matter how hard it is revving.
"So, the engine was really nice with strong, smooth power and a great feel which made the bike really enjoyable to ride with very little vibrations,” said Woody.
"The clutch was very easy to use, with a nice light feel when riding and I gave the five speed gearbox a good workout. As expected the first three gears are pretty close together for use in the sections with a jump to fourth and a bigger one to fifth.
"The only gripe I came up with was the gearshift seemed quite stiff, although this was a brand new bike and this could well improve with use.
"Having said that there was no problem engaging gears and once in they were in with no jumping out so I'm guessing the shafts are simply machined on the tight side.
"Yet I used fourth on one of the massive Back Cowm climbs and it pulled it up fine, showing just what a torquey motor this really is.
"Yes, it was better in third, but fourth didn't kill the motor. On standard gearing bottom is a very useable gear, although many riders now prefer second or third.
"With so much torque on tap it is up to you.
"It certainly wasn't a tiring bike to ride; normally 300s leave me with my arms aching after a session but this was pretty easy on the body.
"Overall, both on the engineering and riding fronts I was very, very impressed, the TRS is a great all-round package, especially for the very first model. It should get even more interesting when the 250/280 models are available to complete the full range.”
The trials world is slightly manic at the moment with currently an unlikely eight manufacturers (including the re-born Gas Gas) with their hats in the ring and potentially 10 if Ossa makes its promised return.
And it is split into several camps with some favouring conservative design while others - like Ossa and Vertigo - have opted to push the envelope and give technology full reign. TRS has opted for traditional design but taken to the max with lots of clever detail and quality first and foremost.
The chassis is basically a twin-spar design, but in aluminium not chrom moly steel.
The ally forgings and accompanying welds are as perfect as you will get and the basic frame is a piece of art.
It is also light and very strong and to prove that point Adam Raga's bike – which features a bog stock chassis – is periodically pulled apart and the frame sent back to the jig to see if there has been any movement. Not so much as a millimetre.
For chassis detail, check-out the footrest hangers, a clever piece of design in that, even if the bolts come loose, the hanger still can't go anywhere as it is located with a peg.
Then there's the swinging arm and rear wheel spindle adjustment. No snail cams here, but positive bolt and locknut adjusters tucked right out of harm's way in recesses that are spacious enough to get your spanners in!
The basic design of the motor is much like the majority, a reed-valve, liquid cooled two-stroke with a five-speed transmission, hydraulically operated three plate diaphragm clutch and a mechanically driven water pump.
There's a simple 26mm Dellorto carb, a conventional exhaust and the latest twin-spark ignition from Hidria. The piece of design that sets it apart is the outrigger crankshaft bearing in the ignition cover.
The majority of cycle parts are the pick of what's available, 39mm Tech forks are as good as it gets and the Olle R16V rear shock is quality and operates through a simple and easily accessible linkage.
Brakes, rims, etc are industry standards – Braktec, Galfer, Morad - and do exactly what is expected, oh, and you get Michelin tyres.
Back to detail, the fuel tank is ‘plastic' but doesn't just jam in between the top rails, it sits on three rubber bushes so doesn't touch the frame so no chance of any vibration. This is the kind of detail that runs right through the TRS and which so impresses.
Don't have to take our word for it, first chance you get go find one - and inspect it as closely as you like.
MANY thanks to John of Cowm Leisure for allowing us access to the fantastic trials practice area at short notice. There's something for riders of all abilities from raw beginner to World Championship style sections. If you are within any kind of range of Rochdale it is a practise area second to none for rocks and climbs.
