The Dirt Bike That Predicted The Future... 15 Years Ago! - Ossa TRI280 (Explorer)

Ossa is an interesting case. A case where the engineering was spot on. Where they innovated. They built things that even KTM hadn't figured out 15 years ago. But unfortunately, as most stories, this one has a slightly bitter end...

Special thanks to @enduro-nuts for lending us this bike and allowing to tell its story! Check out their tours through Transylvania!

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[joseantoniomartinezdiehl]

Allow me to make a correction: Indeed Manuel Giro was the founder of the company OSSA (Orpheo Sincronic Sociedad Anónima) which initially manufactured cinematography projectors and later motorcycles.
Francisco Xavier Bulto was never a partner of Manuel Giro nor had anything to do with Ossa since he was a partner of Pere Permanyer who was the founder of Montesa, another of the great Spanish motorcycle companies. Francisco Bulto was an engineer and partner in Montesa and separated from the partnership with Permanyer to found the company Bultaco.

[andi-a]

Great video. Great bike. Great memories (with the seat and enduro kit). This Ossa Explorer 280 is even street legal, with sozius. ❤

[MakinMovies]

I still have my 2015 Ossa 300... it's fantastic and way ahead of its time.

[Cloud-rpev]

Really ... that's too bad. I remember OSSA bikes in the 1970s. That bike looked fantastic!!

[TwoHemiViewer]

I love OSSA I bought a new 250 explorer and the a six day replica and then another explorer. Yep love them.

[Branfre]

I'm owning a 2013 TR 280i since 2018.
But Xiu RDI's patent on two wheels is it's own enemie, too: The gear box tends to break down, if you don't shift with caution. Spare parts in general are getting harder to be found nowadays, used parts in general and especially gear boxes are like hens teeth. The rear linkeage can be smashed in rocky terrain without additional protection and the linkeage itself needs constant cleaning and lubing, caused by the fitted open plain bearing bushings.
If the bike stalls the ECU sometimes forces you to kick endless times until it will restart- something that TPI owner without battery also have to endure.
And the clutch is waaay harder to pull than on other bikes.

All in all the bikes superior handling and throttle response are amazing. VERTIGO followed OSSA in 2015 with it's own attempt on a lightweight trials bike with ECU.

Side note: In 2022 a german female trials champion gave me the advice I should sell my OSSA as long as it's still running... Their reputation for reliability is not very good and my bike is a proof for this. But I still keep it next to my Enduro bikes. The TR 280i was always one of my dream bikes and still is- even now with all this hardships.

Thank you sooo much for shedding some light on this amazing brand and bike. I love your channel and dedication.

You could do a video about Jim Palau-Ribes PURSANG 450i or about JOTAGAS Enduro bike attempt. Haven't heard any news about it since 2020...

[kostasjezuz]

I remembered of their existence and was searching about their Enduro bike a few days ago, funny how you just made a video about them! I f I remember correctly, the Enduro had as well the tilted-back cylinder, fuelling front/exhaust rear, injected 2-stroke engine. I mean that is a no-brainer, every motorcycle should have fuelling on the front of the cylinder, exhaust at the back etc...

[doncarlo]

I remember the 0ssa of the 70‘ … it‘s a shame, that it is gone, again … but very interesting bike after all …

[PNW_Trials_Adventures]

I always thought those Ossas were cool bikes. I really liked the Explorer. I ended up with a TRS XTrack, which is probably the closest thing to the Explorer, except for maybe the Montesa 4Ride.

[ayyylmao]

One of the biggest dissapointments was that the Ossa enduro never saw production. It truly looked like it was the future of 2 strokes.

[RaphaelPais]

Such a cool bike, found a few for sale this year, but the fear of zero spare parts availability kept me away....

[scottreynolds]

Love os
ossa have 70 stiletto 69 pioneer 72 yankee

[richardsimpson]

The Explorer would fall to bits at the slightest provocation: known to unlucky owners as the Exploder

[lenser.competition]

I've got a of these Ossa injection bikes. I love them, but they do have their problems.. Gearboxes made of cheese, and starting them when hot, they can be KTM (Kick Ten Minutes). A big problem was they didn't go hard into competition, which is one of the key ways that Trials bikes are sold, they "win on sunday, sell on Monday" is important in the Trials market. But also, it's an old man's sport.. and old men aren't big on revolution, or change. It took a long time before the idea of injection became acceptable. Vertigo picked up where Ossa left off, making a more "conventional version of the same basic idea..

[didgeriedont]

I still have my 2013 ossa, try getting parts though

[MrKdr]

if you looked into when ktm had fuel injected 2T development you would see it was 10yrs before it came to market because of the board of directors.

[richardkent]

I recall them Ossas to be somewhat problematic with gearboxes failing

[orange]

The trials bike was simply amazing and it really did perform better than anything else and proved Honda technicians wrong that said it was not possible to get a 2 stroke fuel injected bike working well, well in case of trials bikes they where wrong because this motor was so sweet

[giannischena]

Gear-box issues ! not a minor problem. I am on the third gear-box.

[OvidiuBarac]

What do you know about Ossa Enduro 300i? That I think if it was produced it would have destroyed all the competition.