All magnificent mountain motorcycles are in the end stepped forward or replaced, and the time has come for the Orbea Occam. I recently spent some days pedaling the up-to-date bike thru the Spanish Pyrenees, alongside the Orbea layout team, and I even have some stoke to proportion on that underneath. But, first, permit’s examine among the adjustments they made. The preceding Occam took two distinct bureaucracies. The long-travel Occam AM changed into a 27.5″ all-mountain motorcycle, 150mm of the journey, the front and rear, 425mm chainstays, and a 66.5° head tube angle.
The Occam TR changed into a shorter journey 29er or 27.Five+ motorcycle, with 120mm of the rear tour and a 130mm fork, 67.5° headtube angle, and 435mm chainstays. Both bikes used Orbea’s UFO flexing seat stay suspension gadget in the region of a rear pivot, which saved weight and simplified the squish a piece. Enter the redesigned Occam. It is one bike, with 29″ hoops, a non-compulsory Fox 34 140mm or Fox 36 150mm fork, and 140mm of classic Horst-hyperlink suspension out again, replacing the UFO flex gadget. There are no turn chips or wheel length alternatives to fuss over. Instead, this sparkling Occam is constructed around elements that Orbea’s engineers understand will paintings pleasant for modern path riding, leaving riders to attention on the amusing.
Before sag, the motorcycle has a 66° head tube perspective, seventy-seven ° seat tube angle, 450mm reach on a size medium, and 440mm chainstays. A few years lower back, these had been the measurements of a right enduro race bike, and now we will have all of that capability in a tidy trail package.
140-150mm front suspension, 140mm rear
Frame weight: 2.3kg size medium, without the shock
Monocoque carbon frame creation, or high polished alloy
Threaded external BB
180mm put up mount rear brake
New Orbea brand dropper put up in 125mm, 150mm, or 170mm lengths
Redesigned derailleur hanger may be swapped without gear
Metric shock with 240mm stroke, coil like-minded
My first date with the redefined Occam consisted of a few tight and technical go back and forth laps above the secluded Pyrenees village of Nocito. I dialed within the suspension, adjusted the cockpit, and normally turn out to be familiar with the motorcycle at the same time as our publications from Basque MTB shared their preferred routes.
With the identical 450mm attain size as my personal whip, the motorcycle felt acquainted and secure early on. The hugely adjustable dampers on Fox’s 36 fork and DPX2 shock made the setup a pleasant system. The Occam’s seat tube is brief, with a stretched insertion space to drop the post into the seat tube. So I oughtn’t to slam the 150mm publish all the manner to the collar, regardless of my shorter 30″ inseam.
The svelt Occam felt like a nimble, enduro-geared up device at the rocky Pyrenees tracks. Balanced reach and chainstay measurements supply the motorbike with the confidence-inspiring stance I needed for the demanding trails we rode. Several of the primary day’s descents blanketed hairpin switchbacks, and the 4-piston XT brakes and 180mm front rotor made the mandatory nose press turns possible. Despite the smoother spots that our photographer observed, most of the paths around Nocito are of the slower technical range, wherein a well-balanced motorcycle can make the difference between glide and dabs.
The Occam is a top-notch whip for “creating a drift.” For our second day of testing at the Occam, Orbea took a healthful bet that the herd of dust-newshounds all holds a fairly high stage of health. Fortunately, all and sundry in our crew had pedaled throughout the iciness months. We rode for over 45 kilometers among the villages of Nocito to Boltaña, gaining 1,350m of elevation and dropping 1,900m at some point of the day. The air changed into a comfy 25° Celsius, and with the picture stops, we loved over six hours among villages.
