The ONE Show - TRS One 250 Test
By John Dickinson on 25th Nov 16
TRS, as most of you know, is the trials bike manufacturing venture by the legendary seven-times Trial World Champion Jordi Tarres who along with three business partners set out to produce a family of top-quality, competitive trials bikes.
And from their Barcelona Province base at Sant Fruitos del Bages they are now well on the way to delivering just that having recently added 250 and 280 production versions to the 300 One model that they launched with earlier this year.
As the No.1 factory rider Adam Raga did his job to brilliant effect in 2015 finishing a convincing second to the all-but unbeatable Toni Bou in both the X-Trial and Trial World Championship.
With production now well established, and the odd early problem now sorted, TRS is clearly ready to surge forward in 2017 with its planned expansion of the model range.
It will firstly include an eagerly-awaited top of the range Raga Racing version, due in January, followed later in the year by an exciting power-valve equipped 125.
So, having established that things are really happening now for TRS and having tested the 300 early in the year at an unbelievably wet and cold Back Cown Quarry, it was time to get out on the TRS ONE 250.
Northern TRS dealer Sandiford Off-Road had this one organised and Martin Sandiford kept us well away from the mist-shrouded and snow covered (probably) heights of Back Cowm and in the lowlands not a million miles from his Burnley emporium.
Martin rides a 250 TRS himself and knows all about them while we had roped-in North west trials legend Andrew Cripps and Richmond Clubman Paul Haigh to give us an Expert and a Clubman view.
Crippsy has ridden everything there is to ride over the years and currently campaigns a 300TRS, while Paul was coming off a 250 Montesa 4RT which was always going to be chalk and cheese when paired with the TRS.
The weather had been wet, wet, wet on the run-up to the test and while we amazingly hit a (nearly) dry window the going on both the rocks and the grass was super slippery. It was wicked just walking the venue so you can see the bike got a real test in the worst going you would encounter.
Martin has ridden both 300 and 250 and it shouldnt surprise you when he says that he rides the 250, because the power is much softer than the big un.
Not just softer but the power is dead linear, with the bonus that it doesnt just fade away when it hits the upper revs.
The bike on test was absolutely out of the box standard, Britains TRS importer Steve Saunders happy for Martin to supply a dead-standard bike.
Crippsy first of all confirmed that he finds the 300 quite a handful and this from a lad who can really ride a bike.
So while he wasnt surprised at the softer power he was amazed at how competent it was and how easily it found grip in what really were testing conditions.
Both riders started out using bottom gear and all agreed that bottom was a really long gear that you could creep along, riding from rock to rock, or just open it up to clear a tricky exit.
But it was also possible to use a higher gear and make it pull. Andy ended up using second gear more, although he admitted he didnt need to, it was more force of habit after using second on his 300 in order to take the edge off.
Paul was happy in bottom gear and Martin chipped in that he rode the Lakes Two Day (he was top 10 on Saturday from 180 starters in the Clubman class) and rode virtually exclusively in bottom gear. All present loved the riding position placing the rider in a natural central position for no-nonsense control.
The TRS uses standard available ancillary components like Tech forks, an R16V rear shock, readily available brake components etc, and these all work exactly the same on the TRS as on everything else on the market.
But what impressed Andy and especially Paul was the sure-footed steering.
Paul admitted that he found the lightweight just 65kg TRS a totally different ball-game to his 4RT and reckoned it would take a fair bit of practice to feel totally confident.
But what he really enthused about was the steering, saying that you just turned the bars and the TRS went exactly where you intended.
Martin explained that usually when you get a nice-steering bike it is not set-up for flicking and tweaking, yet the TRS can be hopped and bopped with the best of them, yet retains sure-footed handling.
Crippsy proved the full potential of the bike by scaling some really impressive rockery with a magic display of riding, while Paul concentratedon the Clubman-style climbing streams and rocky hazards. Both agreed that it is really good at finding grip as the power builds so smoothly, that there is never any sudden surge which leads to a break in traction. Less really is more.
The bottom line is that everyone present was mighty impressed with the 250.
Yes, we expected it to be Clubman-friendly, which it is in spades; the surprise being just how capable it was at the top end of things.
Andrew confirmed that it was so much easier to ride than the potent 300, which really is a bike for experts only.
The power is so controllable on the 250, it just builds and builds but never hits in hard so it grips so much better.
And it doesnt run out of steam at the top like some 250s do.
Martin summed up: I just dont see why you need a 300, this 250 is just so good for tackling everything bar a full British Championship section and how many people ride those?
