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New Models
BIKES: 2011 OSSA TR280i First Ride
OSSA is back in the motorcycle game with its new TR280i trials bike. We spend a day with the fuel-injected two-stroke and get reacquainted with the brand.
OSSA designed a fuel-injected, reversed cylinder two-stroke to give the TR280i a unique engine and chassis configuration. (Photo: MotorcycleUSA.com)
Most dirt bike riders will at least recognize the OSSA name as a historic brand. The original Spanish company played a part in the golden era of off-road motorcycling, and it produced street bikes as well, but what many don’t know is that the name has been resurrected. As a new company, OSSA emerged in modern times with a unique trials bike. The 2011 TR280i was engineered from the ground up with certain design features that are unlike anything else on the market.
One of MotoUSA’s regular test riders is also a closet trials buff. We enlisted Tod Sciacqua's help to get a taste of the new bike. OSSA tapped Josep Serra to be the project manager and lead engineer on the TR280i. Serra has a history with GasGas and Scorpa, which just happen to be two brands that our tester has experience with. He owns a Scorpa SY250 and there was a GasGas TXT Pro 300 on hand during our ride day which helped serve as a comparison.
The cylinder is tilted rearward as well as reversed. The purpose of this is to allow room for the fuel injection - yes, FI on a two-stroke – fuel tank, radiator and airbox to be placed at the front of the bike, rather than the top and behind the engine as is the traditional arrangement. A 0.8-gallon fuel cell is placed where the radiator would normally be with the airbox stacked behind it and feeding down into the fuel delivery system. A fan-assisted radiator is behind that, which OSSA claims keeps it free from mud and better able to cool the engine. The powerplant is very compact with a small bottom end that uses a single-piece crankcase with the crankshaft located on the left side and transmission gears on the right. Bore and stroke are 76 x 60mm which makes for a 272cc displacement.
"Sometimes the injection system has been put in the same place as the carburetor would have gone, with the fuel tank at the top of the bike, without considering the option of finding a new position for it,” said Serra. The EFI system is made my Kokusan and is battery-less.
In terms of performance, the injected two-stroke has immediate throttle response and is on par with other bikes of similar displacement. Our test rider had no problems modulating the power output. A six-speed transmission and chain drive takes it to the rear wheel and a hydraulic clutch manages delivery.
“The motor feels smooth and has an easy power delivery, more like my Scorpa 250cc two-stroke. It doesn’t have the violent power of the GasGas,” says long-time trials rider Sciacqua. “If you want to be an expert- or pro-level trials rider I’d rather have that snap to get from gap-to-gap or rock-to-rock. For a beginner or novice trials rider it’s perfect. It’s easy to ride, throttle response is spot on and there’s never a hiccup. ”
Visit MotorcycleUSA.com for the rest of this article.
One of MotoUSA’s regular test riders is also a closet trials buff. We enlisted Tod Sciacqua's help to get a taste of the new bike. OSSA tapped Josep Serra to be the project manager and lead engineer on the TR280i. Serra has a history with GasGas and Scorpa, which just happen to be two brands that our tester has experience with. He owns a Scorpa SY250 and there was a GasGas TXT Pro 300 on hand during our ride day which helped serve as a comparison.
The cylinder is tilted rearward as well as reversed. The purpose of this is to allow room for the fuel injection - yes, FI on a two-stroke – fuel tank, radiator and airbox to be placed at the front of the bike, rather than the top and behind the engine as is the traditional arrangement. A 0.8-gallon fuel cell is placed where the radiator would normally be with the airbox stacked behind it and feeding down into the fuel delivery system. A fan-assisted radiator is behind that, which OSSA claims keeps it free from mud and better able to cool the engine. The powerplant is very compact with a small bottom end that uses a single-piece crankcase with the crankshaft located on the left side and transmission gears on the right. Bore and stroke are 76 x 60mm which makes for a 272cc displacement.
"Sometimes the injection system has been put in the same place as the carburetor would have gone, with the fuel tank at the top of the bike, without considering the option of finding a new position for it,” said Serra. The EFI system is made my Kokusan and is battery-less.
In terms of performance, the injected two-stroke has immediate throttle response and is on par with other bikes of similar displacement. Our test rider had no problems modulating the power output. A six-speed transmission and chain drive takes it to the rear wheel and a hydraulic clutch manages delivery.
“The motor feels smooth and has an easy power delivery, more like my Scorpa 250cc two-stroke. It doesn’t have the violent power of the GasGas,” says long-time trials rider Sciacqua. “If you want to be an expert- or pro-level trials rider I’d rather have that snap to get from gap-to-gap or rock-to-rock. For a beginner or novice trials rider it’s perfect. It’s easy to ride, throttle response is spot on and there’s never a hiccup. ”
Visit MotorcycleUSA.com for the rest of this article.
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