Rock Star
ROCK STAR
Scorpa builds a new kind of trials bike. Why should you care?
RYAN DUDEK
IF IT HAS A MOTOR AND TWO wheels, put me on it; that’s my philosophy. So when a friend called and said he was working with Scorpa, a French company that builds trials bikes, and invited me to ride some of their new models in Moab, Utah, I didn’t think twice about going; in my mind, I was already there. No problem.
Well, one problem, maybe: I had never before ridden a trials bike. I was clueless about what I was getting myself into.
As it turned out, what I got myself into was two fantastic days of riding and learning. The featured bike at this intro was the Scorpa SY-175F, which apparently was tailor-made just for me-and for every other beginning trials rider.
At first, the Scorpa seemed kind of awkward. As is the case with any trials bike, its riding position is unlike that of a normal motorcycle and not even close to anything I have ever ridden. Hey, it doesn’t even have a seat. At least mine didn’t; it was the Racing model, intended for actual trials competition. Photographer Jeff Allen rode a similar model, the TY-S125F Long Ride, which not only has a seat but also is equipped with blinkers, headlight and taillight for legal street use in Europe-but not in the States. A quick handlebar adjustment let me adapt more easily to the SY-175F’s weird ergonomics, and within half an hour, I felt right at home jumping off rocks, scaling hills and learning new skills.
Scorpa (www. try als shop.com) obtains the engines for its trialers from Yamaha, and the SY is powered by the same motor used in the TT-R125 (a CW Ten Best Playbike two years running). The Scorpa displaces 143cc, though, via a big-bore
kit that steps up the piston diameter from 54 to 58mm; the TT-R’s stock, 54mm stroke remains. The engine is hung in a rugged steel frame fitted with a 36mm Paioli-built fork and single rear shock.
Unlike the TT-R125, which comes with electric starting, the Scorpa is a kick-only
machine. Trials bikes need to be as light and compact as possible for max maneuverability, so all the extra hardware (battery, starter
motor, wiring, etc.) required to provide The Button is considered excess baggage; besides, one easy kick is all it takes to light off the Scorpa.
The SY-175F suited me well as I learned some basic trials techniques like the Roll-up and Zap. In English, the Roll-up is when you simply roll up and over rocks; the Zap is a skill in which you hit the front tire up on an obstacle and then bring the rear tire up to the same spot. I never did perfect the Splatter, a maneuver likened to jumping a supercross triple: You lunge into a steep rock face, hitting rear wheel first before slapping the front onto the rock, then your momentum carries you over the top. Simple, right?
Not really, especially not on a solid rock trail or next to the edge of an 1800-foothigh Utah cliff.
As it is, the trail names around Moab are scary enough. We started on one called Hell’s Revenge and ended on Poison Spider. Those weren’t real confidence builders, though the Scorpa was. The little four-stroke made it easy for me to view the scenery around Moab and the terrain that leads to the Grand Canyon. But when it came to tricks, I stuck to simple stuff like hopping up smaller boulders while the good guys did nose wheelies mere inches away from a sheer plunge.
All in all, this two-day ride was one of the most enjoyable motorcycle events I’ve ever experienced, unlike anything else I had ever done on two wheels. I never imagined this kind of low-speed riding could be so much fun and so easywell, “easy” in the sense of putting around. Conquering big obstacles, now that’s a different story. But it’s what makes trials exciting, for spectators as well as participants. The really good riders are amazing to watch. (That’s Scorpa factory ace Ben Delamote in the photos.)
Moab’s spectacular scenery also helped make this an adventure of a lifetime for me. The sights in some places were so overwhelming that I often felt tiny and insignificant. But I only had to hop back on the 175 to regain a larger-than-life feeling while riding across what seemed to be the very top of the world.
Though Scorpa has incorporated Racing into the 175’s designation, there is nothing very racy about it. It’s a great learner bike or, as one of our regular testers, “Big Air” Tod Sciacqua, called it, “A good girls’ bike, perfect for my wife.” I’m no girl, thank you very much, but I truly enjoyed the SY-175F anyway. Not just because it has two wheels and an engine; because it’s a great little bike. □
