Step on the Gas

Published: 15th November 2007

Author: Carl Tiley

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 the bodywork in a big way on the 2007 range, it has turned its attentions to updating and improving the aesthetics of the range once again, but the attention has primarily been focused on the engine department for the 2008 range of EC two-strokes and the FSR450 four-stroke models, all aimed at keeping Gas Gas machines at the front of Enduro field.

Four-stroke is the future and, to that end, the often over-looked FSR450 machine arrives in 2008 virtually a brand-new motorcycle.

The fuel-injected thumper had a reputation of being 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 Gas has thrown everything at the FSR and it features a new frame that reduces overall weight by 1kg whilst increasing stiffness by 18% for starters.

On top of this, the bike receives a newly designed cylinder and head, and new camshaft, all aimed at improving power output and long-term durability of the motor. Added to this is a reinforced clutch unit, the electronic fuel-injection system now running completely free of the battery, a complete new wiring system and 12% bigger capacity fuel tank. The seat is also taller and 28mm wider, as it is on all of the 2008 models, and a new digital speedo unit, and new head lamp, handguard and front fender designs finish the bike off and give it a more aggressive appearance.

Not wanting to neglect its core two-stroke market though, Gas Gas has also invested significant time into the four-bike EC models with particular attention being paid to the smaller capacity EC125 and EC200 models.

All four bikes, like the FSR450, receive the new headlamp, front fender, handguard, speedo, and seat combo, while newly designed front pipes also benefit all bikes along with new crankshaft bearings for improved reliability, but it is the two tiddlers that receive all the attention in the engine department.

In order to remain competitive in a class populated with some exceptional 125cc machines, the EC125 has thus been fitted with a new cylinder, designed to produce increased bottom-end power and reliability, while its slightly bigger brother the EC200 receives a new cylinder head.

With all these changes made to the Gas Gas range for 2008, T+MX needed a test rider with experience of the recent EC model ranges who could provide a good assessment of how the 2008 machines shape-up.

Step forward regular T+MX News enduro test rider Carl Tiley, a man who has conducted the T+MX Gas Gas test for the past couple of years and certainly knows the finer points of pushing an enduro bike to its limits.

We met up with Tiley and Gas Gas UK’s John Shirt Junior at WOR Events venue Tyn Twyll Wood, near Llanfyllin, to put the machines through their paces, where we did things alittle differently.

Not only did Tiley give the bikes a good thrashing, but we also timed him around the Tyn Twyll loop to see whether 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 a noticeable improvement to the overall power output of the bike, especially on the top-end.

It’s still a torquey little unit and will pull taller gears and short-shift if you want to ride the bike like that or in real tight, technical going , in fact it does it as well as any 125cc enduro bike I’ve ridden, but the real fun is had in the mid-range upwards when the power delivery really cracks open. I don’t think any 125 on the market pulls as long as the EC125 does now, I couldn’t believe it.

Getting the bike into third gear on an open bit of fire-road on the course and opening it up, I was so surprised at just how 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 so don’t be afraid to rev it or change gear too soon because it will just keep on revving and going places, and the harder you ride it the better it feels.

Pull the gears long, keep the momentum up and everything flowing and this bike will reward you. My only complaint would be that, in the tighter sections or when you do have to hit the brakes hard, the tiny standard 48 tooth rear sprocket is too small and you do have to use the clutch a bit more than I think you should to really 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’t think the top-end would suffer in the slightest.

On the topic of the clutch it worked superbly all day, as you would expect nowadays, as did the gearbox, although I did find selecting neutral a bit of chore. This I will accredit to the bike literally having just been run-in though.

In terms of the chassis and handling, what I’m about 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 ride quality of a steel frame and unsurprisingly the chassis gives you lots of feel through to the tyres which allows you to get the most out of them and you can let them fall away from their grip without worrying if it’s all going to get gathered back in again. As a result, the handling is very light indeed and the bike tracks superbly .

The front and rear suspension take everything that’s thrown at them and the brakes are very well behaved right up until 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 means the bike is pinned pretty much permanently, and while the bike is impressively beefier than the 125 in this area, it’s not the way to ride the bike to get the best out of it.

For average speed, average fitness riders, it is great though, providing the balance between the useable low-end torque of 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 off when you open it up making for a good all rounder that will suit a lot of 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 onto this you are instantly alerted to its absolute power, and you can immediately see why this bike is such a popular seller with all kinds of 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 easy to ride.

The 250 loves to rev, and boy does it do just that, but it is also very smooth in its power delivery and incredibly tractable. So, while its power is undoubtedly very strong indeed, it is put to the ground in a way that makes aggressive riding and attacking the track come very naturally, and for higher level riders this is major boon.

This isn’t to say that it is a bike that clubman types will struggle with though because it is equally adept at pulling taller gears and chugging along, which is obviously a good thing in tighter going also. It really does do everything very well in the engine department and I would not hesitate in saying that the EC250 is one of the best enduro motors out there.

With the extra grunt and speed from the motor, you can really appreciate how good the chassis and suspension are across the range too. The frame is very, very forgiving indeed, especially given the very rocky, choppy terrain we were riding on, and you get superb feedback through the tyres and frame at all times which is very confidence inspiring. I never once felt like I couldn’t tell what the bike was going to do. This of course results in razor sharp handling and good stability at speed, particularly as the suspension is set-up very well indeed for enduro riding.

All in all, the EC250 is superb Enduro machine right across the board. Its engine is fabulous, the chassis is superb and 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 the roar and grunt of the extra 50cc really shows. It has just that bit more power everywhere and it flat out hauls when you really get it on the boil and I realised very quickly the difference in the speed you carry between the EC250 and EC300 is actually quite significant and how much faster the bends come up. It’s fair to say I had a couple of close calls, particularly on one steep downhill right hander without a run off!

Having said that, I love this motor, I think it may have been made in Enduro engine heaven. It’s grunty, torquey and tremendously fast, what’s not to love?

I said earlier I would repeat myself and once again the bike was very well set-up and handled very much like the EC250, although perhaps not as easy to boss around due to the extra grunt. The suspension and brakes were very impressive though as my close calls really gave the a good testing. Time: 7.13

FSR4500

Well, what can I say? Gas Gas has totally transformed this bike from a bit of a lump into thoroughbred racer. The difference is amazing.

The motor is much better, the chassis and handling is significantly improved, and the whole package adds up to great four-stroke Enduro machine.

It is fair to say that the test track may have favoured the big powerful four-banger but having said that I just loved playing on it. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea but four-stroke fans should really take a look at it.

The chassis is night and day different to the old FSR and now the bike is very well behaved and nimble on the going, even when climbing steep hills covered in loose, shaly stones like the test venue was, and it was very stable at high speeds and in turns. It now actually feels like a bike that you are riding and controlling, not just going where the engine dictates.

And on the subject of the engine, it was fantastic. The power is abundant and more than you will ever need, but it is very easy to use and is equally at home chugging along at trail speeds or being pushed hard. It does suit being short-shifted and ridden in the meat of the power and torque bands rather being revved to death though, which will be appealing to clubman level riders in particular, and if the wheel started to spin all you needed to do is shift-up into taller gear and let the chassis gather everything back in. It is a bike that’s really flatters riders.

I absolutely loved the FSR450, so much so that I’m smiling as I write this. Having said all this though, I would like to try it out in different

conditions to see if it as equally impressive in real snotty going or tight woods work. It’s definitely a bike you should be taking a good look at though now.