Gas Gas Trials
By TMX Archives on 14th Mar 06
With a five-bike range running from the youth-friendly 125 up to the super-grunt of the 300, Gas Gas have got something for everyone for '06...
Cosmetically, this year the new Gassers haven't changed a great deal. The graphics are pretty plain and simple and look quite classy whether you go for the smaller capacity yellow models or the bigger red or blue machines (note - the 300's only available in red). For me they're the best looking bikes on the market.
Looking at the bikes there doesn't appear to be a great deal of difference from last year - they've just tweaked bits here and there. All five bikes in the range - that's 125, 200, 250, 280 and 300 - use the same AJP brakes, four-pot on the front and two-pot on the back, which work very well.
The main difference (okay, apart from the capacities) is that the two smaller models have steel front forks and the three bigger ones have aluminium forks. Obviously, the aluminium forks are a bit lighter but both types do the business without any problems at all.
One of the biggest plus points for me with the Gassers is just how easy they are to work on. For instance, if you want to get to the airbox it's just one screw out and if you want to take the airbox off it's a case of undoing four screws and then unhooking it from the back of the carb. Like I say, very easy to work on and very well designed.
All the kids are having to use 125s now and this has got to be a good thing as it will make them better riders in the long run. It means they have to really work the bike to get up big steps rather than just relying on the extra power you get with a larger capacity. And it appears that Gas Gas have worked hard on their '06 125 to really appeal to the younger riders.
The Gasser is one of the best-selling 125s on the market - the kids certainly seem to find the look of the bike appealing and it's also one of the lightest. Starting in first gear it's clear just how much bottom-end power this bike's got - I'm 12-and-a-half stone and it pulls me with no problems. One of the best things about the 125 is how cleanly it revs all the way through the range. And when you want to get it singing on the top-end it will rev its arse off and fire up virtually anything.
Go up through the gears and it still pulls along. Second's fine although in third it starts to struggle a little bit with someone my weight but certainly with a little schoolboy on board it will fly up most stuff. The 125 and 200 have the Sachs rear shock which works really well combined with the Marzocchi front forks - the suspension absorbs everything without springing you off anything.
The 200 is always a sort of an in-between kind of bike which people seem to be a little bit scared to try because they reckon it won't have enough power to get up some of the bigger stuff. But the truth is that lots of riders would benefit from riding this size of bike. It carried me around quite happily and has the power to get up stuff but it doesn't try and pull out of your hands and doesn't spin out. It's the perfect machine for beginners or maybe an older clubman rider. It's a great little bike - more people should ride it.
The 250 comes in either red or blue and looks very classy. Brakes are the same as on the 125 and 200 and work incredibly well. Little touches like the back brake lever that's easy to get a toe on while still being tucked away show that Gas Gas have put a lot of thought into their bikes. They also come with the oversized bars as standard which are a great touch.
With the 250 we're moving up into the territory of A Class riders and probably most clubman riders as well. It's not too aggressive but there's plenty of power for some of the bigger sections. If you're not 100 per cent confident in firing up the big stuff this is definitely the bike in the Gas Gas range for you.
It has the new fully adjustable aluminium front forks which are meant to be a little bit lighter and work a little bit better plus the Ohlins rear shock which works incredibly well. Going through the power range it's like the rest of the Gassers and revs very cleanly all the way through which I'm very impressed with. Another quality it shares with the rest of the '06 Gassers is that you can get yourself into trouble and, with the bikes being so light, it's easier to pull yourself out.
The 280cc Gasser is possibly the top of the range bike for the big boys who ride the British championship and perhaps the trials rider with the larger frame (I think the word you're looking for is fat - SL]. This thing is a weapon and in the wrong hands you can do more harm than good so you've got to be a good rider. It's got the same suspension as the 250 and is very well made.
The Gassers still use a linkage system at the back which, although involving a bit more maintenance, for me works every bit as well as bikes without a rear linkage.
The 300 I think is mainly aimed at older riders who just want something with plenty of grunt. It has got a lot of power - and you'd think it would be more powerful than the 280 off the bottom - but it seems to be a little bit more docile. You could just jump on this, put it in a higher gear and plod along using the bottom-end power. But in the wrong hands if you rev it too much you could get yourself into a lot of trouble.
Mapped out
Intelligent ignition
Contrary to popular belief (yes, you Lawless) the little switch on the throttle side of the bars with the sunshine and raincloud symbols doesn't turn the headlight on or off. It's actually the ignition map switch which alters the way the power comes in - wait for it Einstein - in wet or dry conditions.
To make the most of this clever little feature you have to be fully committed as it only works when you've got it on full chat. So if you're hammering up a slippery climb and it's on wet mode it doesn't deliver the power quite as quickly as it would on dry mode which, in theory, should stop you spinning to a halt. Or, if you're the editor of DBR, help you see where you're going!
Along for the ride
A feet-up feast
Words by Lawless
While Clarky had the serious task of testing the Gassers, I seized the chance of a sneaky day out of the office and came along - quite literally - for the ride (plus the traditional on-expenses Little Chef slap-up breakfast).
"Have a go on this kid," grinned Shirty Jnr, thrusting the handlebars of the 200 in my direction. "You'll like it, it's yellow - just like a Majesty!"
And he was right on two scores - it is yellow like a Majesty and I did like it. A lot! According to Clarky and Shirty the 200 isn't exactly the most popular capacity for trials bikes - it kind of falls into the no-man's land between the obligatory 125 for nippers and the more macho 250cc-upwards school of thinking.
Tipping the scales at 15 stone (plus an Olympic breakfast), I'm not exactly the target audience for the 200 but after a bit of trial and error I found the right gear for the parts of Hawk's Nest I dared venture into and was amazed at just how strong the motor pulls. Tons of bottom-end meant that it had enough ooomph on the grippy rocks to get me up and over stuff I'd never have thought possible.
That said, once Clarky had finished with the 250 and I got a chance to swing my leg across it that's where I stayed for the rest of the day. The extra snap you get with the additional 75cc (72.4cc to be precise) makes a big difference when you're built like the pork product-munching pro that I am - although it's all good n' usable power rather than an arm-stretching hit.
It had the responsive bottom-end punch needed to get the front wheel up and then carry my cargo (two sausages, a pair of eggs, a couple of rashers of bacon, beans, mushrooms, fried potatoes, hash browns and black pudding plus two rounds of toast) over some fair-sized steps and on one particularly snotty third gear climb it found grip all the way to the top.
A big thanks to Shirty Jnr for providing the bikes, Rob Fairburn at Feridax for the Airoh helmet and super-comfy (and waterproof) Sidi boots, the gang at BOR for the XC-Ting trials kit and the short-order cook at Adlington Little Chef for the rider fuel!
Specs
TXT 125 PRO
Capacity: 124.8cc
Bore and stroke: 54mm x 54.5mm
Front suspension: 40mm Marzocchi
Rear suspension: Sachs
Front brake: 185mm disc
Rear brake: 150mm disc
Carburettor: Dell'Orto PHBL26BS
Gearbox: Six-speed
Wheelbase: 1330mm
Dry weight: 68kg
Retail price: £3,117.74
TXT 200 PRO
Capacity: 175.3cc
Bore and stroke: 64mm x 54.5mm
Front suspension: 40mm Marzocchi
Rear suspension: Sachs
Front brake: 185mm disc
Rear brake: 150mm disc
Carburettor: Dell'Orto PHBL26BS
Gearbox: Six-speed
Wheelbase: 1330mm
Dry weight: 68kg
Retail price: £3,205.95
TXT 250 PRO
Capacity: 247.7cc
Bore and stroke: 72.5mm x 60mm
Front suspension: 40mm Marzocchi
Rear suspension: Ohlins
Front brake: 185mm disc
Rear brake: 150mm disc
Carburettor: Dell'Orto PHBL26BS
Gearbox: Six-speed
Wheelbase: 1330mm
Dry weight: 68kg
Retail price: £3,529.39
TXT 280 PRO
Capacity: 272.2cc
Bore and stroke: 76mm x 60mm
Front suspension: 40mm Marzocchi
Rear suspension: Ohlins
Front brake: 185mm disc
Rear brake: 150mm disc
Carburettor: Dell'Orto PHBL26BS
Gearbox: Six-speed
Wheelbase: 1330mm
Dry weight: 68kg
Retail price: £3,588.20
TXT 300 PRO
Capacity: 294.1cc
Bore and stroke: 79mm x 60mm
Front suspension: 40mm Marzocchi
Rear suspension: Ohlins
Front brake: 185mm disc
Rear brake: 150mm disc
Carburettor: Dell'Orto PHBL26BS
Gearbox: Six-speed
Wheelbase: 1330mm
Dry weight: 68kg
Retail price: £3,617.61
Looking at the bikes there doesn't appear to be a great deal of difference from last year - they've just tweaked bits here and there. All five bikes in the range - that's 125, 200, 250, 280 and 300 - use the same AJP brakes, four-pot on the front and two-pot on the back, which work very well.
The main difference (okay, apart from the capacities) is that the two smaller models have steel front forks and the three bigger ones have aluminium forks. Obviously, the aluminium forks are a bit lighter but both types do the business without any problems at all.
One of the biggest plus points for me with the Gassers is just how easy they are to work on. For instance, if you want to get to the airbox it's just one screw out and if you want to take the airbox off it's a case of undoing four screws and then unhooking it from the back of the carb. Like I say, very easy to work on and very well designed.
All the kids are having to use 125s now and this has got to be a good thing as it will make them better riders in the long run. It means they have to really work the bike to get up big steps rather than just relying on the extra power you get with a larger capacity. And it appears that Gas Gas have worked hard on their '06 125 to really appeal to the younger riders.
The Gasser is one of the best-selling 125s on the market - the kids certainly seem to find the look of the bike appealing and it's also one of the lightest. Starting in first gear it's clear just how much bottom-end power this bike's got - I'm 12-and-a-half stone and it pulls me with no problems. One of the best things about the 125 is how cleanly it revs all the way through the range. And when you want to get it singing on the top-end it will rev its arse off and fire up virtually anything.
Go up through the gears and it still pulls along. Second's fine although in third it starts to struggle a little bit with someone my weight but certainly with a little schoolboy on board it will fly up most stuff. The 125 and 200 have the Sachs rear shock which works really well combined with the Marzocchi front forks - the suspension absorbs everything without springing you off anything.
The 200 is always a sort of an in-between kind of bike which people seem to be a little bit scared to try because they reckon it won't have enough power to get up some of the bigger stuff. But the truth is that lots of riders would benefit from riding this size of bike. It carried me around quite happily and has the power to get up stuff but it doesn't try and pull out of your hands and doesn't spin out. It's the perfect machine for beginners or maybe an older clubman rider. It's a great little bike - more people should ride it.
The 250 comes in either red or blue and looks very classy. Brakes are the same as on the 125 and 200 and work incredibly well. Little touches like the back brake lever that's easy to get a toe on while still being tucked away show that Gas Gas have put a lot of thought into their bikes. They also come with the oversized bars as standard which are a great touch.
With the 250 we're moving up into the territory of A Class riders and probably most clubman riders as well. It's not too aggressive but there's plenty of power for some of the bigger sections. If you're not 100 per cent confident in firing up the big stuff this is definitely the bike in the Gas Gas range for you.
It has the new fully adjustable aluminium front forks which are meant to be a little bit lighter and work a little bit better plus the Ohlins rear shock which works incredibly well. Going through the power range it's like the rest of the Gassers and revs very cleanly all the way through which I'm very impressed with. Another quality it shares with the rest of the '06 Gassers is that you can get yourself into trouble and, with the bikes being so light, it's easier to pull yourself out.
The 280cc Gasser is possibly the top of the range bike for the big boys who ride the British championship and perhaps the trials rider with the larger frame (I think the word you're looking for is fat - SL]. This thing is a weapon and in the wrong hands you can do more harm than good so you've got to be a good rider. It's got the same suspension as the 250 and is very well made.
The Gassers still use a linkage system at the back which, although involving a bit more maintenance, for me works every bit as well as bikes without a rear linkage.
The 300 I think is mainly aimed at older riders who just want something with plenty of grunt. It has got a lot of power - and you'd think it would be more powerful than the 280 off the bottom - but it seems to be a little bit more docile. You could just jump on this, put it in a higher gear and plod along using the bottom-end power. But in the wrong hands if you rev it too much you could get yourself into a lot of trouble.
Mapped out
Intelligent ignition
Contrary to popular belief (yes, you Lawless) the little switch on the throttle side of the bars with the sunshine and raincloud symbols doesn't turn the headlight on or off. It's actually the ignition map switch which alters the way the power comes in - wait for it Einstein - in wet or dry conditions.
To make the most of this clever little feature you have to be fully committed as it only works when you've got it on full chat. So if you're hammering up a slippery climb and it's on wet mode it doesn't deliver the power quite as quickly as it would on dry mode which, in theory, should stop you spinning to a halt. Or, if you're the editor of DBR, help you see where you're going!
Along for the ride
A feet-up feast
Words by Lawless
While Clarky had the serious task of testing the Gassers, I seized the chance of a sneaky day out of the office and came along - quite literally - for the ride (plus the traditional on-expenses Little Chef slap-up breakfast).
"Have a go on this kid," grinned Shirty Jnr, thrusting the handlebars of the 200 in my direction. "You'll like it, it's yellow - just like a Majesty!"
And he was right on two scores - it is yellow like a Majesty and I did like it. A lot! According to Clarky and Shirty the 200 isn't exactly the most popular capacity for trials bikes - it kind of falls into the no-man's land between the obligatory 125 for nippers and the more macho 250cc-upwards school of thinking.
Tipping the scales at 15 stone (plus an Olympic breakfast), I'm not exactly the target audience for the 200 but after a bit of trial and error I found the right gear for the parts of Hawk's Nest I dared venture into and was amazed at just how strong the motor pulls. Tons of bottom-end meant that it had enough ooomph on the grippy rocks to get me up and over stuff I'd never have thought possible.
That said, once Clarky had finished with the 250 and I got a chance to swing my leg across it that's where I stayed for the rest of the day. The extra snap you get with the additional 75cc (72.4cc to be precise) makes a big difference when you're built like the pork product-munching pro that I am - although it's all good n' usable power rather than an arm-stretching hit.
It had the responsive bottom-end punch needed to get the front wheel up and then carry my cargo (two sausages, a pair of eggs, a couple of rashers of bacon, beans, mushrooms, fried potatoes, hash browns and black pudding plus two rounds of toast) over some fair-sized steps and on one particularly snotty third gear climb it found grip all the way to the top.
A big thanks to Shirty Jnr for providing the bikes, Rob Fairburn at Feridax for the Airoh helmet and super-comfy (and waterproof) Sidi boots, the gang at BOR for the XC-Ting trials kit and the short-order cook at Adlington Little Chef for the rider fuel!
Specs
TXT 125 PRO
Capacity: 124.8cc
Bore and stroke: 54mm x 54.5mm
Front suspension: 40mm Marzocchi
Rear suspension: Sachs
Front brake: 185mm disc
Rear brake: 150mm disc
Carburettor: Dell'Orto PHBL26BS
Gearbox: Six-speed
Wheelbase: 1330mm
Dry weight: 68kg
Retail price: £3,117.74
TXT 200 PRO
Capacity: 175.3cc
Bore and stroke: 64mm x 54.5mm
Front suspension: 40mm Marzocchi
Rear suspension: Sachs
Front brake: 185mm disc
Rear brake: 150mm disc
Carburettor: Dell'Orto PHBL26BS
Gearbox: Six-speed
Wheelbase: 1330mm
Dry weight: 68kg
Retail price: £3,205.95
TXT 250 PRO
Capacity: 247.7cc
Bore and stroke: 72.5mm x 60mm
Front suspension: 40mm Marzocchi
Rear suspension: Ohlins
Front brake: 185mm disc
Rear brake: 150mm disc
Carburettor: Dell'Orto PHBL26BS
Gearbox: Six-speed
Wheelbase: 1330mm
Dry weight: 68kg
Retail price: £3,529.39
TXT 280 PRO
Capacity: 272.2cc
Bore and stroke: 76mm x 60mm
Front suspension: 40mm Marzocchi
Rear suspension: Ohlins
Front brake: 185mm disc
Rear brake: 150mm disc
Carburettor: Dell'Orto PHBL26BS
Gearbox: Six-speed
Wheelbase: 1330mm
Dry weight: 68kg
Retail price: £3,588.20
TXT 300 PRO
Capacity: 294.1cc
Bore and stroke: 79mm x 60mm
Front suspension: 40mm Marzocchi
Rear suspension: Ohlins
Front brake: 185mm disc
Rear brake: 150mm disc
Carburettor: Dell'Orto PHBL26BS
Gearbox: Six-speed
Wheelbase: 1330mm
Dry weight: 68kg
Retail price: £3,617.61
Words by Dan Clark Photos by Sutty
14 March 2006
Specification: