The world spoke and Ohvale listened. This is the new—and larger—Ohvale GP-2 190 Daytona. Your Christmas list just got a lot more expensive
Photography by Karen E Ott
A touch over two years ago, I rode the Ohvale GP-0 190. The then new-to-America little rocket left me both quantifiably impressed with its potential, and equally frustrated that I couldn’t ride it for more than five laps and that my knees felt like they were going to explode.
It’s fair enough, too. The Ohvale GP-0 is designed for children, not grown men who still think they’re kids, despite the fact that some of the world’s fastest racers use these bikes as their primary form of training.
I simply didn’t have the flexibility to make good use of a GP-0, but it didn’t stop me wanting one—as it turns out, I wasn’t alone.
Ohvale thus listened to riders whine around the world and went back to the drawing board to design this beautiful GP-2 190 Daytona. Using the same four-speed, 25 horsepower, 190cc single-cylinder motor found in the GP-0 190, the $6495 GP-2 is a little bigger everywhere in the areas you need it, most notably in the 12-inch wheels wrapped in Pirelli Rosso Scooter SC tires that replace the 10-inch items on the GP-0.
The GP-2 runs the same basic architecture as the GP-0 in the steel trellis frame, which has been stretched somewhat to accommodate larger riders. Aside from the 0.5° increase in the steering head angle, from the handlebar to the seat, you’ve got 3.1 inches more; seat-to-peg gap has been increased by 2.4 inches; the peg-to-handlebar gap has been stretched a substantial 5.5 inches, and the swingarm is 0.98 inches longer and repositioned in the frame to help optimize the chain pull and the effect it has on the bike’s geometry.
These incremental increases in dimensions make the GP-2 a far more accessible machine to a wider variety of riders than the GP-0 ever could, and further helping this cause is that the rearset footpegs are adjustable up to three positions.
The GP-2 comes standard with a non-adjustable 33mm fork, although our test bike was fitted with the fully adjustable 38mm Mupo fork and shock as part of the Ohvale accessories catalog that also includes an Ӧhlins shock, tire warmers, gearing, fork springs and crash protection.
Our test bike was also fitted with the EVR slipper clutch and the excellent GPS Alfano dash. Alfano is a company that made its name in karting before moving into the bike game and the unit fitted to the GP-2 will flash up your lap times on the screen as you ride, and you can download all the information to your PC to analyze where you’re fast on the track and where you can make up time. Think of it as a smaller, easier to use version of the Ducati Data Analyzer system found on Ducati’s superbikes.
Although it looks outwardly similar to the GP-0, the GP-2’s bodywork is different via a big air scoop at the front of the fairing, while the seat and tank units have been reshaped to give the rider more freedom of movement.
That’s the number-one thing you notice when you first ride a GP-2. No longer does this bike feel like you’re the Jolly Green Giant riding a child’s tricycle, despite, well, almost doing just that.
Everything that was great about the Ohvale range is still present in the GP-2. It’s by far the best (that I know of) tool to teach a rider not just the dynamics of road racing, but also different styles. Superbikes are point-and-shoot machines, where you brake super late in a mostly straight line, get the bike on its side, turned, and upright as fast as possible to maximize the straight in front of you. Smaller bikes like supersports require more corner speed, keeping that roll speed up as they don’t have the power of a big bike to make short work of the straight.
Interestingly, the Ohvale teaches both techniques. It has only 25-ish horsepower, so keeping up corner speed is an absolute must. However, the chassis works equally well by using a point-and-shoot style, braking mega late and getting the corner over with the maximum drive. It’s a neat little trick the Ohvale engineers have probably unintentionally pulled, and again, it means the GP-2 will suit a wide range of riders.
Our Mupo suspension was stiffly sprung (sorry, I don’t know the spring rate) and would allow the GP-2 to simply devour corners. There isn’t a lot of give in terms of suspension, and like the GP-0, the GP-2 magnifies the rider’s mistakes instantly. Put your body position in the wrong spot of the chassis, and the front will chatter violently. Conversely, sit too far back and you’ll miss the apex by a week. Precision is the name of the Ohvale game, and if you want to go quick, you better learn it.
The GP-2 comes with revamped J. Juan four-piston brakes that are absolutely all the braking power you need for such a little bike. There’s good feel at the lever, and the system will teach riders how to feel what the brakes are doing instead of just smashing on the lever and hoping for the best.
This improved feel and the EVR slipper clutch mean you can rip back through the gears and not worry about the back end chattering away underneath you, as you progressively ease off the brakes in time for the next little straight. This truly is a little racing bike, not a toy, and if used correctly, will make you far sharper at the art of road racing than you could possibly imagine.
The price might be a little steep if you’re thinking this is just a junior bike, but you’re getting a ready-to-race machine that takes next to no setting up, is easy on the maintenance, and one that will impart vital drops of knowledge you can use on a big bike. Or you could just stay riding a GP-2!
Ohvale is absolutely cooking in the United States right now under Brandon Cretu’s leadership, and the GP-2 now completes the picture of the two GP-0 110 models (auto and four-speed manual), the GP-0 160 and GP-0 190. These bikes are going to bring forth a new generation of talented road racers, and now adults can comfortably get in on the fun with the GP-2. CN
VIDEO | Unboxing The Awesome Ohvale GP-2 190 Daytona
Ohvale GP-2 190 Daytona Specifications
| MSRP: | $6,495 |
| Engine: | Single-cylinder, 4-stroke |
| Cooling System: | Air |
| Displacement: | 190cc |
| Bore x stroke: | 62 x 62mm |
| Fuel system: | Keihin PE28 carburetor |
| Exhaust: | 1-1 |
| Clutch: | EVR slipper |
| Transmission: | 4-speed |
| Front suspension: | 33mm telescopic fork (Mupo 38mm fully adjustable unit tested) |
| Rear suspension: | Monoshock (Mupo fully adjustable unit tested) |
| Front brake: | Single 220mm disc; 4-piston radially mounted caliper |
| Rear brake: | Single 180mm disc; 1-piston caliper |
| Front tire: | 100/90-12 in. |
| Rear tire: | 120/80-12 in. |
| Wheelbase: | 63.3 in. |
| Seat height: | 28.5 in. |
| Fuel capacity: | 0.92 gal. |
| Weight (wet, claimed): | 259 lbs. |
Click here to read the Ohvale GP-2 190 Daytona Review in the Cycle News Digital Edition Magazine.
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