Scorpa SR125-2T LongRide

I’ve always had a slightly geeky fascination with trials bikes. They’re like a nerd version of motocross: beautifully engineered, delicate machines piloted by riders of dizzying skill. And without the usual MX-style machismo and histrionics. So I pricked up my ears when reader Jorge Lopes da Silva emailed us about the reappearance of the iconic Ossa brand. And then a tip from top Australian dealer The Hell Team turned us on to the renaissance of Scorpa, complete with new, KTM-ish orange and black color schemes for 2010. So: is the trials scene back in a big way? It sure looks like it. And my favorite bike of the new wave is this two-stroke Scorpa. Simply because it’s the kind of bike I could ride. (Meaning, you can sit down on it.) Yes, it looks very gawky, but it weighs just 69 kg—or 150 lbs—which is a good 20 kg less than your typical Japanese 125 motocross screamer. The key is the LongRide designation that gets you a perfunctory seat, and a fuel tank that allows you to head off down the fire trails for a reasonable amount of time. Looks fun for a weekend blast into the woods, don’t you think?