2014 Test Ride Video footage
 

Check it out.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=R868susdjWI

is that hill at 4;29 really that tuff?
I know the camera can deceive but .....

looks like knobs with 25psi and no momentum doesn't work.....must be the bike....need a bored out ktm...

5;12 crash says get a quad....

Yeah, I got a chuckle when he couldn't get up the hill.

Hello,
I'm Andreagasgas92...
Unfortunately, on the day of the test the EC 300 had a new mousse on the rear wheel, so in the stones had no traction.
However, the trail at 4:29 is very hard ! (in the video it seems very easy).

Greetings from italy !

Andrea

P.S. sorry for my bad english....

Welcome.

Looked slippery for sure.

Andrea,

Welcome on board !

What's your opinion on the 14' 300 you tested ?

The ol' stiff Mousse got you....

Camera angles never tell the whole story.

What year bike did you ride at Romaniacs? That is your Youtube footage from Romaniacs I see all the time right?

So I would assume the suspension was probably stiff and not broke in on the Test bike?

I'm curious to hear your opinion on the 14'.

Hills always look easier on video. There is a local hill that is almost vertical with only a bike's length run up. I watched some friends try to climb it on video and they all failed and I joked I could climb it on a pedal bike. I have since seen that hill an I had to eat crow as I couldn't make it up either LOL. But it didn't look nearly as steep/difficult in video as it was in person.

That is too true. These wide angle cameras have a real knack at both smoothing out the ground, as well as eliminating any angles of the hill.

While its also easy to sit back and have a laugh at someone struggling up what appears to be a slight incline, the conditions can have a lot to do with it and it can be somewhat difficult to see what the traction is like.

For example, a hill here that is usually quite easy and fun, but takes some commitment and throttle to climb became unpassable last ride simply due to being slick and wet. Typically I'd attack it in 2nd gear on the pipe. Doing so just kept the wheel spinning until the momentum ran out. Clicked up to 3rd to try and carry more momentum and dull the spin, but the same thing would happen. More speed helped, but still, no one made it up that day. 2/3rds was about the best attempt. Once stopped there was no going anywhere but sliding back down with the bike.

The guy, Andrea, has done Romaniacs. So I know he can handle his bike. The conditions looked sketchy, especially on a test bike with stiff Mousse and suspension. He was moving good considering the situation.

I know I'm glad there is no video of my last ride. Everyone would be laughing at me and my hill climbing escapades.