I speak with little authority! But permit me to speak, because I need to speak volumes to the masses!
To those that are wanting to go beyond single trail and dip a toe into the savage waters of the W.A. Hard Enduro Series: if you can hear me, hear this!
It is, quite simply, the most forgiving of bikes for the most unforgiving of all the dirt bike racing disciplines.
For as long as I can remember, so many have sung the praises of this bike. But the harmonies have always been somewhat muted by the background noise - the suspension is too soft, the vibration (earlier models) is annoying, the bike is unstable at speed.
OK, I get it! No bike is perfect. But I am not the type of rider that is really going to know the difference and, if you are still reading this article, neither are you.
What you and I both want is a bike that inspires confidence to the point of inciting insanity. A bike on which you feel like you are ready, willing and able to do stuff. You want a bike that you are confident to throw at challenges, without having to spare a thought for the possible deleterious consequences that may never come.
THIS is that bike.
I had the 300 Factory and there was nothing that that bike could not do! But there was not much I could do on that bike consistently. And that was a problem. The bike scared me and because of that I made mistakes; frequently.
A small burp or fart before a splat and the bike went orbital. There was no in-between. It was either on or it was off. More often than not, I was off, and it was on its side in the scrub.
The X Trainer is not at all like that.
The low-down torque and predictable/progressive power allows you to make some mistakes for which it is more than ready to forgive you for.
How can I validate that statement? By riding the same obstacle over and over and over again.
Starting with a log hop at only axle height, to get a feel for the bike, I found it easy to sort out the approach speed and clutch control. From there it was just a matter of stepping up with a couple of double blips on higher parts of the same log. Traction on take-off was the same, making the comparisons even easier.
It wasn't long before the clean 'splats' were coming on the highest end of the log and also at the undercut end, where a balls up on the clutch would mean burying the front under the log and sucking face with the front mudguard.
Sure, there are smaller capacity bikes that are smaller in overall size and weight: the brilliant KTM150 for example. This is a great bike with plenty of poke. But the KTM150 will only elevate your confidence so far, until you realise you have to ride it faster at obstacles to achieve the same result.
And when you have to go at an obstacle that much harder, the consequences of getting it wrong are that much worse.
The X Trainer, however, will chug like a slug along the nastiest goat track at a pace where, if you must, you can paddle along without even riding the clutch. That is some low-down and downright useful grunt to go!
When you are having a riding experience like the one I had on the X Trainer, you feel like there is nothing you are not willing to take on.
Add some quality training to your X Trainer purchase and there is nothing you will not conquer.
Subject to the limitations imposed by DFES (which are so very essential for us all to adhere to), EBWA will be doing private sessions by appointment through the summer. They will then start back with regular group sessions in March, 2024.
I guarantee this is money well spent!
I had ridden an X Trainer before on open single trail, but there was no way in the world I could have comprehended the capacity of the bike, and my ability to ride it, had I not had time on the bike at EBWA.
Jason has also put together an incredible longer term training package with 90 min Friday afternoon training sessions, for those that are familistically challenged on the weekends.
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