Vertigo presents the fourth edition of the Vertical, part of the brand’s 2021 range. A new model that maintains the personality of its predecessors, but with the added value of experience and the optimization of its performance, both in the chassis and in its mechanics.
Before getting into the nitty-gritty, it’s interesting to review the DNA of Vertigo Motors in order to better understand the particularities and personality of its motorcycles. Two concepts have always been present in the brand’s values: experience and passion.
This passion is what drove Vertigo to create a bike conceptually very different from what the market offered (and still offers), picking up the baton from Ossa to develop to another level a component as delicate as the electronic injection in a two-stroke engine. And the experience, which is provided by both his professional team and his godfather, Dougie Lampkin, who has always contributed to the evolution and development of the brand’s models.
WHAT’S NEW IN VERTIGO VERTICAL 2021?
The Vertical range has been in the catalogue since 2018 and the brand regularly launches three different versions for the season (Vertical, Vertical R and Vertical Lampkin), so improvements are introduced progressively during the season.
What has happened to the Vertical 2021? First, the aesthetics, by popular demand, are once again dominated by the brand’s characteristic green color. And accordingly, the bushings and cylinder head are also green. The suspensions continue to be entrusted to Tech and Reiger, with nuances in the settings.
Continuing with its mechanics, in addition to the aforementioned cylinder head, we have new parameters in the configuration of the engine maps. Work has also been done on the injection to have a more progressive response and, finally, on the tightness of the filter-body assembly, incorporating a new intake nozzle.
UNDERSTANDING VERTICAL VERTIGO
Studying the new
Vertigo Vertical 2021
in detail, you realize that you can breathe maturity and experience. As a result, the general finishes of the bike and the quality of its materials are very high. Everything is thought out to the millimeter with the aim of achieving a balanced bike, with a well-centered center of gravity and precise mass distribution.
CYCLE PART
The tubular frame is a visual spectacle. It gives a glimpse of the fuel tank, completely centered on the bike and with the access hatch in the lowest part of its body.
On the left side we see part of its electronics, the ignition cover and the water duct tubes, which unlike the Vertical R2, does not equip the intercooler as standard that helps lower the temperature of the engine. On the right side, we highlight its exhaust manifold, now made of stainless steel.
As a clarification, the body of all Verticals receive the air filter box at the front, where the fuel tank is usually located. A gearbox that already in its predecessor, the Vertical R2, has been modified to increase its capacity and make the engine breathe better.
At the rear, as a subframe, we have its characteristic exhaust system, integrated into the body of the bike itself. A solution that, at the mercy of the evolutions that the official riders are testing, could have its days numbered and be modified in the next Vertical R3.
DRIVING POSITION
The driving position is also very characteristic. Hard work was done here in 2019 to achieve greater homogeneity between the bike-rider set. For this reason, we see extensions on both sides of the chassis that, as protection, allow the support of the legs against the bike to be identical on both sides. This gives you more safety and stability, as you feel the bike more and dynamically you are more integrated with the bike.
When you get behind the controls of the Vertigo Vertical 2021, the first feeling it gives you is stability. Everything is very settled, in place, so it’s easy to balance out and, as we’ll see later, gain traction. It is a paradigm shift compared to its more direct rivals, such as Sherco, GasGas or TRRS, which a priori feel more agile and narrow. Instead, closer to what a Beta or Montesa can be. And that’s as far as it goes, because we haven’t started or weighed the bike yet. Basically, it’s a matter of concept.
Start-up is very simple. There is no gas tap or choke. Kick and some gas (our unit had the idle somewhat low) to get the piston to work. Their sound is very characteristic. We would say unique. Since it has the intake on the front of the bike, you hear much more how it breathes, giving it personality. In a way, it reminds us of the Ossa TRi that was manufactured between 2011 and 2015, which also incorporated the filter in front position and injection feeding.
2T MECHANICAL WITH INJECTION MOULDING
Indeed, the fact of incorporating an injection system to power the two-stroke engine is one of the main hallmarks of the Vertigo Vertical. Theoretically, injection brings more technology, less maintenance, and greater precision when there are changing conditions; either climatic or altitude.
On the other hand, it requires more work for engineers in terms of set-up. And consequently, less wiggle room for the customer to make adjustments. Hence, electronic management is more important in a Vertigo or a Montesa than in the rest of the brands.
In any case, the evolution of Vertigo has tended towards simplification. If we look back, the first Camo carried up to six different maps, something that was seen to be not operational. Now, rain and dry maps, as usual. Looking ahead to 2021, the new maps provide the Vertical with a more linear and homogeneous response, with an extraordinarily low regime.
AT THE CONTROLS OF THE VERTIGO VERTICAL 2021
The first thing that strikes us about the 2021 Vertical is that the decoration is very racing. If in 2020 the standard model was more sober and elegant, in this new range there is a sportier inspiration closer to the R. On the one hand, as we said, the bright green frame is back, and we think it’s a success.
The bodywork receives stickers where green predominates along with green graphics, with the most present branding on both sides of the frame.
We have already told you what its driving position is like. It’s time to engage the speed and head to the zones. Precisely we see that this is a point that can be improved, since in the test unit the gearbox seemed to us to be somewhat hard, although correct in the travel of the lever.
“THE THREE TIMES”
As a curiosity, one of the Trialworld instructors calls the Vertigo: “the three-stroke”. By this definition, he means that for him it represents the middle ground between Q2 and Q4. And in several respects, he’s right. One of the great advantages that this bike has is the ability to traction, so it performs fantastically in terrain with little traction, water and mud.
This is helped by the driving position we mentioned earlier, and also by the response of its engine in the low rev range. He acts decisively on the first stroke of gas, but at the same time with nobility. Translated into zone, it equates to efficiency and control in the most technical parts, especially with turns.
FIRM TREAD
Dynamically it’s a bike that likes to roll. Its weight, which we have not verified on the scales, but is advertised below 70 kilos, is within the parameters of its competitors. Dynamically, however, it’s not a particularly agile bike for stationary movements, especially from behind. We do find the front end more playful to make changes. For us, all this translates into effectiveness for the rider who does zones dynamically and comfort for excursion lovers thanks to its traction.
In terms of suspensions, it is entrusted to the benchmark set in the market. Aluminium Tech fork in combination with the double-track Reiger shock. Lots of set-up possibilities to customise the response based on the needs of the rider and the terrain. The same goes for brakes, where it equips the best of Braktec.
MORE LOW-END THRUST
We have already mentioned that its engine has very good bass. Perhaps this is the most interesting thing about its mechanics, as you can drive it taking advantage of its good torque even in higher gears, without having to be too attentive to the gearbox. The purr of the air filter at the front gives it a quirky, subtle sound to every throttle hit, less rough than its two-stroke rivals. Over the mid and high rev range, the Vertigo scales progressively and quickly. Good stretchability and power.
To look for points of improvement, we noticed certain general vibrations of the bike when working at high revs; In addition, the fan is running practically permanently when you are in the zone, something you get used to, but it leaves evidence of the high temperature at which this mechanic normally works.
The exhaust system, as we said, is completely integrated under the rear fender, taking advantage of the natural place of the filter box. This protects it very well from shocks and gives a spectacular aesthetic, but also quite a lot of warmth to this part of the bike, so if you are one of those who, from time to time, like to sit, here you will be well heated.
SUMMARIZING IN THREE PARAGRAPHS
Experience is a degree, and at Vertigo they are proving it. You can tell they’ve worked hard with the launch of the Vertical and fixed the critical points we saw in the Camo and Ice Hell.
As rectifying is for the wise, the current line responds extraordinarily to the needs of the market, providing a motorcycle with great personality, different from the rest, with technology, good finishes and good reliability. The fact that its virtues are good torque, traction and stability, even above agility, might sound like a point of improvement, but for us it is a strong point of the bike.
Adaptation to this bike is much slower than with any other carbureted 2T. Don’t pretend to feel at home within 30 minutes of getting on. The Vertigo has to be understood from beginning to end. The sound of its mechanics is different, the sound of the admission as well; Its low and rearward driving position makes it very comfortable on the ground. As we said, it asks you to be driven dynamically, with inertia, enjoying its traction and poise. If you intend to do an agile ride, with a lot of change, it will probably demand more physically from you than other bikes.
In short, being constructive, it is a great value to have a brand like Vertigo in the market, providing a completely different point of view from what we are used to and enriching the possibilities for all fans.
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