The OSSA TR (TRial) was a trial motorcycle model manufactured by OSSA between 1977 and 1985. Over the course of its commercial life, three versions were produced with the following general characteristics: an air-cooled single-cylinder two-stroke engine, available in two displacements (initially 244cc and 310cc and, since 1980, 230cc and 302cc), double-cradle frame, drum brakes and conventional fork shock absorbers front and rear.
A characteristic feature of all versions was their unmistakable aesthetics and especially the adoption of a striking color, to the point that the bike was popularly known more by its color than by its commercial name (from the initial TR 77, known as OSSA Green, to the famous OSSA Yellow, the name with which the TR 80 has gone down in history, Not forgetting the later orange and red versions.
During the 1979 season, Mick Andrews and his teammate Albert Juvanteny tested two prototypes of what would become the TR 80 in competition, prototypes that did not go unnoticed due to their yellow color.
Meanwhile, the engineer Mario Borrás was in charge of completing the design and development of the new OSSA TR80 350, which was presented in autumn 1979 at the Paris Motor Show, obtaining a good reception thanks to its exceptional design.
The bike was marketed from 1980 in the displacements of 350 (yellow) and 250 (orange) In order to compete with options, OSSA then signed the best Catalan rider of the time, Toni Gorgot, with whom he obtained numerous sporting successes and managed to make the sales of the TR 80 skyrocket enormously (almost 5,000 units were produced). This version of the TR80 started a new “saga” of OSSA trial motorcycles, completely renewing the concept that the brand had been applying since the first MAR and then briefly followed by the TR 77. The new TR 80, known to all as the yellow one because of its striking all-over yellow colour (chassis, tank, filter covers, shock absorbers, mudguards and handlebars), represented an absolute renewal, not only in terms of aesthetics and chassis, now with a detachable multi-tubular frame, but also the engine. This one, based on the brand’s large enduro models, now consisted of a five-fin cylinder, radially finned cylinder head and a ’27 Amal carburetor, along with a scarf exhaust pipe and two mufflers. Its design was called “beautiful, exceptional and innovative” and, among other improvements, the chassis offered the record for ground clearance.
The displacement of the 350 version was 303cc and not 350 as indicated in the commercial brochures (with a short stroke of 65 x 77 in diameter). As for the 250, it is cubic 230 cc with a short stroke (60 x 70 in diameter) and was released in 1980 with the same yellow color as the 350, becoming orange since 1981. It has been said that it was lighter than the 350.
The OSSA TR achieved numerous international successes in the hands of top riders, including the two Spanish Trial Championships in 1980 and 1981 won by Toni Gorgot. In 1980, OSSA also starred in an unusual double to achieve, together with Albert Juvanteny, the state runner-up and three Dutch championships (1980 to 1982, all three won by Peter Van Enckevort).
As for the drivers who stood out the most with this model, apart from the already mentioned Andrews, Juvanteny, Gorgot and Van Enckevort, we must remember the Catalans Kiku Payá, Joaquim Abad and the Italian Renato Chiaberto. Of all of them, it was undoubtedly Gorgot who achieved the greatest successes, since with the TR 80 he won the only two Spanish championships that the brand achieved throughout its history.
OSSA TR 80 DATA SHEET
Text and documentation: Víctor Martín “Bonaigua”
THE OSSA TR80 BRANDO. BY ASIER ZURBANO
Before I get into it, I’d like to explain why I ended up riding this bike. It all started when I was about five years old. In my house there were two motorcycles, a yellow Ossa tr-80 and a Montesa Cota 349 from 1980. By the time I had the use of reason, the montesa was missing parts because they had been lent to a friend (I took the key to the garage and without being seen I was going to get on the bike and climb on top of the starter leg to dream that I could ride with it, that would never happen because one of the parts I didn’t have was the carburetor).
The Ossa was the one that started and worked, but without a rear silencer, it made much more noise than a gp bike. Every Friday in autumn and spring I would sit waiting for my uncle to come back from work and go with the Ossa to the mountains. We both rode on the same cloud but with different purposes, he was going to see tracks of wild boars and I was going to feed my passion for motorcycles.
Asier junto a Marta, su prometida y quien regaló a Asier la TR 80
La Ossa TR 80 que ocupa estas páginas forma parte de un regalo muy especial
I can tell a thousand and one anecdotes, because I remember them as if no time had passed. I’ll share one along these lines; Being small, his feet rested on the engine area, one on the cylinder head fins and the other on the end of the exhaust scarf. One of the many Fridays, one of the many shoes that I burned on that bike was not a slight melt of rubber, but reached my foot and my uncle grabbed me by the armpits and put my feet in a raft. There they were forcibly refrigerated.
It wasn’t until I was 16 that I got my first trial bike, this one was already modern. Through Fernando Echazarra, who has several classic bikes, I started to enter the world of classic trial, but I never bought any. I wanted to restore the Ossa that as a child not only took me to the mountains, but also transported me out of the world. After meeting Víctor, the father of Marta (my partner), I entered the classical world. He left me a Fantic 300 and I began to enjoy the areas with my family, motorcycle, friends and a classic atmosphere.
In my first participation in the SSDT 2015, I proposed to Marta and she with a yes opened the door to the Ossa that we commented on in this report. I gave her the engagement ring and she gave me the watch, a super Casio waterprof so that in Scotland I would be on time every day, which was the case except on Tuesday when if 6 more minutes had passed I would have been out of the race.
Not content with her Casio, father and daughter managed to give me that motorcycle that stole my sleep as a child. They didn’t settle for a stock Ossa, no, they went for an Ossa restored and prepared by Secció R that was for sale by a Catalan trialist who was a regular at classic trials.
Asier Zurbano a los mandos de la Ossa TR 80 en un trial de clásicas
La Ossa TR 80 ofrece un sonido dulce y gran respuesta a bajo régimen
After the return of the Scottish, the following week we participated in the two days of classic trial in All: there Marta first gave me the Ossa license plate. I didn’t know what it was, I didn’t understand anything at all. I was still in Scotland and there they were all waiting for me to discover the yellow jewel. Yes, there it was, on a trestle behind the van. That gave me goosebumps and like a good Basque I endured the emotion, but in truth, the surprise was so great that it was the body that did not react and not me that endured the emotion.
The premiere was in the two days of Ripoll, the sensations were very strange. Again, I had just ridden a Fantic 300. As soon as he started the engine of this Ossa he was totally perplexed by the soft, metallic and round sound it emitted. Once on the bike, the position on top is very high. I could say that on the bike you have a bird’s eye view of the surroundings. The first few meters of the interzone let me see a quiet and easy to handle bike that when you have a climb the engine pushes in low revs very full, with energy.
The second step was to enter the zones, there was little resemblance in that Ossa with whom I became friends a few minutes ago. He was still docile and smooth, but he didn’t have that ease of riding that he transmitted to me at the beginning. Every turn you have to hold on to the handlebars because, if you lose concentration or strength, the steering tends to close quickly. It doesn’t always happen when I turn, but it does happen in tight or forced turns that situation occurs. When the body position is ideal, the bike can turn rolling on the ground in very little space, the turns I get with this bike are the tightest I have done without lifting the front wheel (with the Fantic it was my most used resource, turning by lifting the front wheel).
As for the suspensions, the set-up was perfect, I didn’t touch anything. The suspensions allow the bike to roll on the ground for as long as possible. With such a high riding position, good shock absorbers are needed so that every rolling motion is absorbed and you don’t lose your balance constantly.
Now let’s go to the heart of the bike, to its engine, it pushes a lot at low revs and it’s not an engine that stretches much. With the sweet sound it has, it allows me to roll feeling every piston and the feeling of control is brutal. Personally, I like to make the passage through the area as slow as possible and with this bike I achieve that. The bike takes me without problems and I don’t notice a lack of power at all. The problem comes when I open the throttle, the response of the engine is somewhat lazy. Now what happens is that my body is getting ahead of the response of the engine. The engine pushes very hard and having the body badly positioned, makes me have to fight with the bike not to cut off the gas and reposition myself. But I can’t complain about a lack of power.
When I leave one foot in the zone, it’s very difficult for it to be just that foot that penalizes. The weight of the bike becomes noticeable and 80% of the time that first foot is accompanied by a second and even a third. That’s where I get with the bike, seeing difficult areas that you can take out at 0 or 1 (with the Fantic) and with this bike today I’m unable to improve from 3.
After the anger comes the calm and this happens when I remember those afternoons that as a child seemed to me eternal, waiting to go out with the motorcycle to the mountains. And now I can enjoy the areas with her. I know that soon it won’t be a fight against the bike but it will be a fight with the bike and being able to achieve impossible zeros.
Here I leave you a little bit of my story, now when you see me passing through the areas you will see that dreamy child.
This version of the TR80 started a new “saga” of OSSA trial motorcycles, completely renewing the concept that the brand had been applying since the first MAR and then briefly followed by the TR 77. The new TR 80, known to all as the yellow one because of its striking all-over yellow colour (chassis, tank, filter covers, shock absorbers, mudguards and handlebars), represented an absolute renewal, not only in terms of aesthetics and chassis, now with a detachable multi-tubular frame, but also the engine. This one, based on the brand’s large enduro models, now consisted of a five-fin cylinder, radially finned cylinder head and a ’27 Amal carburetor, along with a scarf exhaust pipe and two mufflers. Its design was called “beautiful, exceptional and innovative” and, among other improvements, the chassis offered the record for ground clearance.
