Probably, many of you have found the Trial bike that best suits your riding, tastes and needs; The less fortunate, at the very least, will be clear about which model of all those offered on the market would be their better half. But I’m sure that everyone, or almost everyone, has built the ideal bike in your mind, because not all of them have the same strengths and the technical solutions are usually quite different from each other.
If you’ve ever ridden a Montesa Cota 315R or 4RT, you’ll agree with me that among its strengths is the suspension scheme. The competition is working with more and more emphasis in this section, but it will be difficult to surpass the bar set six years ago by Montesa with the launch of the Cota 4RT. Without going any further, Gas Gas continues to work every year with Öhlins to add value to its “Racing” version, while for the standard version it works with Sachs. Sherco maintains its reliance on Ollé to cushion its rear end, while Beta is also loyal to Paioli, although since the birth of the EVO saga it abandoned the system without linkages.
So that you can better assess the objective of this test, we can tell you that, without giving specific names, the best riders in the world trust this shock absorber and equip it on their bikes, regardless of the brand they ride. There are those who bet on Showa in both trains and others who prioritize the rear, but in general it is an improvement highly valued by the “top” drivers. It is true that with the arrival of Ossa and its revolutionary Öhlins TTX shock absorber – the only modern shock absorber to be equipped with an independent tank – things are more even, but today Showa shines in the world of Trial with its own light.
The main drawback of this component lies in its adaptation to each model in question and the high cost that it entails for an amateur, although there are those who see it as an investment that they will take advantage of in the successive models they acquire. To give you an idea , both the Showa shock absorber and the Öhlins by Ossa account for approximately 15% of the total cost of the bike, that is, close to a thousand euros.
In this report prepared by our friend Roberto Arenas, you can see how the installation process and the subsequent dynamic test have been. The entire process has been carried out on a Gas Gas TXT Pro Raga 2010. We leave you with the complete test that our collaborator has prepared for the readers of TRIALWORLD.
Text: Roberto Arenas “Arenitas” & DQ / Photos: Roberto Arenas & DQ / Action: Chema Quer
On several occasions, both in his time with specialized paper magazines and in
TRIALWORLD,
I have collaborated with my good friend David Quer to offer comparisons and give you data that will help you choose what best suits your tastes and/or needs.
Without a doubt, the trial is One of my passions, for 18 years I have been practicing this wonderful sport and experimenting with countless mechanical combinations to have a motorcycle related to my goals, such as the GG monster that we prepare with the T3 trial and off-road equipment, by Argés, with which we got such good reviews.
Well, let’s cut to the chase. I wanted to make a report as close and honest as possible, giving my opinion about the Showa shock absorber that I have mounted on my Gas Gas TXT 300 “Raga” 2010. As you know, this bike comes from a Sachs that, to be honest, works quite well and that does not have to be replaced, but as it happens in all of life, there is always something better. In the auxiliary industry we can find the well-known Öhlins, which I have also been able to evaluate first-hand and whose performance is really good, in addition to the Showa that occupies these lines; A real pata negra.
The prices offered by the market, for example for a Gas Gas, are approximately as follows: Sachs around €250, Öhlins €450 and Showa for €895.
You may wonder if it’s really worth investing €895 in a Showa for the GG. At the end of the report I promise to answer this question, but first let’s see how to acquire it, assemble it and test it in the field.
There are several points of sale in the market where you can get the Showa, but I definitely recommend the website of our good friend and best person Pep Banyeres, mechanic and official backpacker of Takahisa Fujinami’s Montesa Honda team.
Before I decided to buy the Showa, we talked on the phone. He already knew that I had previously had a 4RT prepared, but its high weight and not adapting to my type of Trial, made me opt for the Gas Gas. However, I was left with a bad taste in my mouth when I got rid of that amazing suspension. So, I thought I’d put a Showa a la Raga to get an explosive, light bike with the Showa that I liked. I asked Pep about the operation and assembly of the showa at the GG, I made the order and in two days I was home.
Assembly is simple; You just have to take into account some steps that I explain below and that you should not overlook.
First of all, with the purchase of the shock absorber comes some bushings. Don’t forget to order them together with the Showa, they are necessary for assembly to anchor it well on the chassis and suspension linkages.
The position of the shock absorber is as follows: the adjustment wheel goes up for easy access. The shock has a valve that must be on the left, above the linkages, it is prepared so that at no time does it touch them. In addition, this shock absorber is lowered with a cut in the lung in a specific way so that it frees the passage with the swingarm, another aspect that you should pay attention to for its assembly.
Once assembled, all that remains is to adjust it. You have the possibility to choose between twelve positions to give more or less bounce with the roulette wheel. So, if we open it completely, it will bounce more and we will feel loose; If, on the other hand, we squeeze it, it will go much slower. Personally, I wear it quite loosely.
In addition, as with all shock absorbers, we can regulate their hardness with the spring by giving more or less pressure to it by simply turning the toothed washers. By squeezing them we give more compression to the spring and it gains in hardness, while if we do the opposite we will get spring effect; it will be softer.
: After assembly, we go on to
test and experiment in the field with the
operation of the vehicle. I advise you to dedicate an afternoon to regulate your suspensions, you will appreciate it in the long run. With the help of tools depending on your weight, preferences and type of trial you are going to do.
Once regulated, a priori and after having previously had the Sachs and Öhlins noted that the Showa gives the bike more traction; The bike is much more seated and all the gestures are made with greater precision, although it is true that it weighs, verified, almost Half a kilo more than the standard shock absorber. The good thing is that this weight falls on a fairly neutral point and there are no major differences in terms of mass distribution.
When it comes to making strong steps, the bike takes off with great ease and propels the obstacle with precision, offering an absolutely impeccable reception and rebound. The bike becomes precise, intuitive and on strong impacts, where the previous shock absorber sounded somewhat ugly, the Showa is much sweeter. In the precise areas the improvement is also noticeable, especially in terms of precision.
Where perhaps the damper’s good work can be most noticeable is in the strong receptions and big jumps. Here both the rider and the bike suffer much less, as it gently absorbs and maintains with an impeccable attitude the trajectory chosen by the rider; The bike receives right where you decide. When it comes to moving and if we have chosen to leave the wheel very open, when sinking the suspension and making turns the bike moves very well.
In general terms, there is a significant change in every way with respect to the standard Sachs, but nevertheless there is not so much difference with respect to the Öhlins, which also works very well.
Answering the initial question:
is it worth the investment?
Honestly for our level of fans, not really. With the standard shock the bike works really well, but if you have the amount you want to treat yourself and have a good shock absorber, buy an Öhlins and if you want to have the best shock absorber today in trial without a doubt a Showa. However, you are invited to try it in Toledo.
Overall rating
The least
– Excessive price.
– Higher weight than the original.
The most
– Multiple regulations.
– More traction
– More rebound and shock absorption.
– More poise and stability.
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