Gas Gas Pro 125
By TMX Archives on 18th Nov 10
The 125cc model, from any manufacturer, used to be the one you spent the least time on. Frankly, they werent very good and sales were minimal so no-one was really interested.
What a difference these days! Ever since the 'youth' riders - up-to-17 years of age - were restricted to 125cc engines, absolutely everyone along the chain has been galvanised. The factories have done an absolutely incredible job on their 125cc offerings over the past few years, Gas Gas right up there with the best, and to be absolutely honest the 125 is definitely not 'just' suitable for the youth market.
The Gas Gas 125 PRO is most definitely an option for an adult rider. I rode the 125 first and I reckon that the new rear-end is a massive improvement. That goes for all the models of course. It feels so much more sturdy and you can easily get hold of something to lift the bike around when you get stuck - like I do in the Scott!
It's a matter of taste, I know, but personally I love the look as well with the exposed chassis - a piece of clever design. It looks strong, which is good, and you can actually feel the difference in the frame width, it definitely adds to the feel and the stability. It is a genuine practical improvement.
The word for the 125 is 'light'. Absolutely everything about it is light, starting with kicking the motor into life which hardly requires a kick. The 125 is just so easy to ride. It feels light as a feather, all the controls barely require any effort and is just fun to ride.
Hawks Nest is, if you don't know, a steep, rocky hillside near Buxton with twists and turns and rock steps. Nothing could be easier than flicking the 125 around in such conditions.
The Gasser has a reputation for awesome revs and this remains true for 2011. It sings like a turbine at the top-end, but it also has bottom and mid-range power. I was blipping round in bottom, second and third and I probably weigh 14-stone - think of the power to weight advantage of a Youth rider probably half that weight.
The clutch is light and obviously gets a fair bit of stick on a 125, but it just soaks up the punishment.
As you'd expect, the suspension is set-up fairly soft and bouncy, just what the kids want. You don't have to ride it like a spring, it steers beautifully, but we know what kids are like!
If you haven't ridden a modern 125cc trials bike you would be amazed at what it can do. You can even get away with stuff that you never would on a bigger-engined model!
I was riding across a nasty adverse-cambered rock which was crumbly, like riding across ball bearings but the 125 just shot across, easier than when I tried the same on the other models.
If you are a youth rider you'll want one. If you are an adult you should really just forget the capacity and just have a test ride on one. You'll be amazed.
Specification:
Gas Gas, 2011 model: 125 PRO/ 250 PRO/ 280 PRO/ 300 PRO
ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, single-cylinder two-stroke with direct crankcase reed-vale induction
Capacity: 124.8cc/ 247.7cc/ 272.2cc/ 294.1cc
Bore x Stroke: 54 x 54.5mm/ 72.5 x 60mm/ 76 x 60mm/ 79 x 60mm
Induction: 26mm Dell'Orto carburettor
Ignition: CDI Digital Magnetic Flywheel
Gear Selector: Gas Gas patented coaxial selector
Clutch: 1/3 diaphragm discs with adjustable hydraulic actuation (Gas Gas patented)
Gear Box: Six-speed with GG 4/6 technology
Transmission: Roller chain
Lubrication: 2% Fuel/ oil pre-mix
CHASSIS
Type: Chrom-Molybdenum tubular design with aluminium swinging arm
SUSPENSION
Front: 40mm adjustable Marzocchi telehydraulic aluminium fork. 177mm travel
Rear: Sachs hydraulic mono-shock with adjustable rebound and spring preload. 164mm wheel travel
BRAKES
Front: 185mm disc with four-piston calliper
Rear: 150mm disc with two-piston calliper
WHEELS
Front: Light Morad aluminium rim with 2.75 x 21" Michelin tyre
Rear: Morad ribbed rim with 4.00 x 18" tubeless Michelin tyre
ANCILLARIES
Kick Start: Forged aluminium
Brake Pedal: Forged aluminium with retractable tip
Exhaust Pipe: S3 titanium header pipe, aluminium middle-box and repackable silencer
DIMENSIONS
Overall Length: 2,045mm
Wheelbase: 1,340mm
Seat Height: 660mm
Fuel Capacity: 2.5 litres
Dry Weight: 66kg/ 67kg/ 67kg/ 67kg
