Step on the Gas
By TMX Archives on 15th Nov 07
IT has been only nine months since T+MX swung a leg over the 2007 range of Gas Gas enduro machines at Nantmawr Quarry for our annual test of the Gerona based manufacturer's woods weaponry, from which we came away very impressed with the range, you may remember but, in that interim period, the Gas Gas R&D department has been burning the midnight oil to ring in some serious changes to its 2008 models.
After the Spanish team went to work on thebodywork in a big way on the 2007 range, it has turned its attentionsto updating and improving the aesthetics of the range once again, butthe attention has primarily been focused on the engine department forthe 2008 range of EC two-strokes and the FSR450 four-stroke models, allaimed at keeping Gas Gas machines at the front of Enduro field.
Four-stroke is the future and, to that end, theoften over-looked FSR450 machine arrives in 2008 virtually a brand-newmotorcycle.
The fuel-injected thumper had a reputation ofbeing a bit of a heavy, under-powered lump in the past. No longer.Recognising the need to have a top-line thumper in its ranks, Gas Gashas thrown everything at the FSR and it features a new frame thatreduces overall weight by 1kg whilst increasing stiffness by 18% forstarters.
On top of this, the bike receives a newly designedcylinder and head, and new camshaft, all aimed at improving poweroutput and long-term durability of the motor. Added to this is areinforced clutch unit, the electronic fuel-injection system nowrunning completely free of the battery, a complete new wiring systemand 12% bigger capacity fuel tank. The seat is also taller and 28mmwider, as it is on all of the 2008 models, and a new digital speedounit, and new head lamp, handguard and front fender designs finish thebike off and give it a more aggressive appearance.
Not wanting to neglect its core two-stroke market though, Gas Gas has also invested significanttime into the four-bike EC models with particular attention being paidto the smaller capacity EC125 and EC200 models.
All four bikes, like the FSR450, receive the newheadlamp, front fender, handguard, speedo, and seat combo, while newlydesigned front pipes also benefit all bikes along with new crankshaftbearings for improved reliability, but it is the two tiddlers thatreceive all the attention in the engine department.
In order to remain competitive in a classpopulated with some exceptional 125cc machines, the EC125 has thus beenfitted with a new cylinder, designed to produce increased bottom-endpower and reliability, while its slightly bigger brother the EC200receives a new cylinder head.
With all these changes made to the Gas Gas rangefor 2008, T+MX needed a test rider with experience of the recent ECmodel ranges who could provide a good assessment of how the 2008machines shape-up.
Step forward regular T+MX News enduro test riderCarl Tiley, a man who has conducted the T+MX Gas Gas test for the pastcouple of years and certainly knows the finer points of pushing anenduro bike to its limits.
We met up with Tiley and Gas Gas UK's John ShirtJunior at WOR Events venue Tyn Twyll Wood, near Llanfyllin, to put themachines through their paces, where we did things alittle differently.
Not only did Tiley give the bikes a goodthrashing, but we also timed him around the Tyn Twyll loop to seewhether his impressions of the bikes were reflected in his lap times.It made for an interesting day.
EC125
This little bike is so impressive and the new cylinder has made anoticeable improvement to the overall power output of the bike,especially on the top-end.
It's still a torquey little unit and will pulltaller gears and short-shift if you want to ride the bike like that orin real tight, technical going , in fact it does it as well as any125cc enduro bike I've ridden, but the real fun is had in the mid-rangeupwards when the power delivery really cracks open. I don't think any125 on the market pulls as long as the EC125 does now, I couldn'tbelieve it.
Getting the bike into third gear on an open bit offire-road on the course and opening it up, I was so surprised at justhow long the bike revved-out.
The throttle response is crisp, clean and instantaneous and I kept thinking any minute now it's going to drop-off' but it
didn't. This bike lives to have its neck wrung sodon't be afraid to rev it or change gear too soon because it will justkeep on revving and going places, and the harder you ride it the betterit feels.
Pull the gears long, keep the momentum up andeverything flowing and this bike will reward you. My only complaintwould be that, in the tighter sections or when you do have to hit thebrakes hard, the tiny standard 48 tooth rear sprocket is too small andyou do have to use the clutch a bit more than I think you should toreally keep the engine on song. With a 50 or 51 tooth sprocket fitted,the bike would pick-up just that bit easier and to be honest I don'tthink the top-end would suffer in the slightest.
On the topic of the clutch it worked superbly allday, as you would expect nowadays, as did the gearbox, although I didfind selecting neutral a bit of chore. This I will accredit to the bikeliterally having just been run-in though.
In terms of the chassis and handling, what I'mabout to say I will repeat on every bike in the range. The chassis,suspension and brakes are all fantastic!
There is still a lot to be said for the ridequality of a steel frame and unsurprisingly the chassis gives you lotsof feel through to the tyres which allows you to get the most out ofthem and you can let them fall away from their grip without worrying ifit's all going to get gathered back in again. As a result, the handlingis very light indeed and the bike tracks superbly .
The front and rear suspension take everythingthat's thrown at them and the brakes are very well behaved right upuntil you lock them up. Time: 7.14
EC200
This is a good little bike for clubman level riders undoubtedly, but I'm not sure if I'm really the type of rider it's aimed at.
My style of riding and the level I ride at meansthe bike is pinned pretty much permanently, and while the bike isimpressively beefier than the 125 in this area, it's not the way toride the bike to get the best out of it.
For average speed, average fitness riders, it isgreat though, providing the balance between the useable low-end torqueof a 250 and the free-revving easily controllable top-end of the 125.It's nice and smooth off the bottom-end but won't rip your arms offwhen you open it up making for a good all rounder that will suit a lotof people.
All the ergonomics are the same: brakes, chassis,suspension. It has a bit more grunt for pulling, not women though,unfortunately. Time: 7.18
EC250
Here we go. When you jump off the other two bikes and straight ontothis you are instantly alerted to its absolute power, and you canimmediately see why this bike is such a popular seller with all kindsof riders. This bike would probably be really at home on an MX test,but it also performs exceptionally well in the woods and is very easyto ride.
The 250 loves to rev, and boy does it do justthat, but it is also very smooth in its power delivery and incrediblytractable. So, while its power is undoubtedly very strong indeed, it isput to the ground in a way that makes aggressive riding and attackingthe track come very naturally, and for higher level riders this ismajor boon.
This isn't to say that it is a bike that clubmantypes will struggle with though because it is equally adept at pullingtaller gears and chugging along, which is obviously a good thing intighter going also. It really does do everything very well in theengine department and I would not hesitate in saying that the EC250 isone of the best enduro motors out there.
With the extra grunt and speed from the motor, youcan really appreciate how good the chassis and suspension are acrossthe range too. The frame is very, very forgiving indeed, especiallygiven the very rocky, choppy terrain we were riding on, and you getsuperb feedback through the tyres and frame at all times which is veryconfidence inspiring. I never once felt like I couldn't tell what thebike was going to do. This of course results in razor sharp handlingand good stability at speed, particularly as the suspension is set-upvery well indeed for enduro riding.
All in all, the EC250 is superb Enduro machineright across the board. Its engine is fabulous, the chassis is superband was a real joy to play with. Time: 7.13
EC300
The EC300 is very much a similar machine as the 250 in general but theroar and grunt of the extra 50cc really shows. It has just that bitmore power everywhere and it flat out hauls when you really get it onthe boil and I realised very quickly the difference in the speed youcarry between the EC250 and EC300 is actually quite significant and howmuch faster the bends come up. It's fair to say I had a couple of closecalls, particularly on one steep downhill right hander without a runoff!
Having said that, I love this motor, I think itmay have been made in Enduro engine heaven. It's grunty, torquey andtremendously fast, what's not to love?
I said earlier I would repeat myself and onceagain the bike was very well set-up and handled very much like theEC250, although perhaps not as easy to boss around due to the extragrunt. The suspension and brakes were very impressive though as myclose calls really gave the a good testing. Time: 7.13
FSR4500
Well, what can I say? Gas Gas has totally transformed this bike from abit of a lump into thoroughbred racer. The difference is amazing.
The motor is much better, the chassis and handlingis significantly improved, and the whole package adds up to greatfour-stroke Enduro machine.
It is fair to say that the test track may havefavoured the big powerful four-banger but having said that I just lovedplaying on it. It may not be everyone's cup of tea but four-stroke fansshould really take a look at it.
The chassis is night and day different to the oldFSR and now the bike is very well behaved and nimble on the going, evenwhen climbing steep hills covered in loose, shaly stones like the testvenue was, and it was very stable at high speeds and in turns. It nowactually feels like a bike that you are riding and controlling, notjust going where the engine dictates.
And on the subject of the engine, it wasfantastic. The power is abundant and more than you will ever need, butit is very easy to use and is equally at home chugging along at trailspeeds or being pushed hard. It does suit being short-shifted andridden in the meat of the power and torque bands rather being revved todeath though, which will be appealing to clubman level riders inparticular, and if the wheel started to spin all you needed to do isshift-up into taller gear and let the chassis gather everything backin. It is a bike that's really flatters riders.
I absolutely loved the FSR450, so much so that I'msmiling as I write this. Having said all this though, I would like totry it out in different
conditions to see if it as equally impressive inreal snotty going or tight woods work. It's definitely a bike youshould be taking a good look at though now.
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