I bumped into a guy from work who was half thinking of picking himself up a trials bike, and I tried to persuade him to go for a new Gasgas TXT. The 2023 models had just been released during the summer of 2022, and there was €1000 off the 2022 models and nearly €2000 off the still new (but old stock) 2021 model bikes.
My convincing argument that he was never going to get another deal as good didn’t persuade him . . . but it persuaded me. I told myself that I’d sell the Beta Evo250 and sure, that would cover half the price of the upgrade if I went for a 21 model. It wouldn’t. It didn’t. But who’s side are you on anyway. I bought the new TXT300. Here she is on her first outing. Going gentle.
I didn’t notice much of a difference going from the 10 year old Evo 250 onto the brand spanking new TXT300. Everything was a bit tighter, plusher, better brakes, lighter clutch etc. But when I got back on the Beta.. oh man what a difference. Half an hour earlier the Beta was lovely. But getting back on the Evo after a few laps on the TXT and the differences were much more obvious. There’s just no substitute for new.
This is also why we shouldn’t take turns of our friends’ new bikes. It’s a recipie for (financial) disaster.