It'sagasgasgas...
IT'SAGASGASGAS...
RIDES 2K3
Giving the people (and dealers) what they want
JIMMY LEWIS
WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING MOTORCYCLES, GAS GAS IS a lot like Burger King. "Have it your way," the saying goes, and that's just what Gas Gas execs did at their annual dealer meeting late last year. When shop owners said they could sell more 250 EC enduro bikes if they came set up specifically for the American market, Gas Gas responded with the bike you see here.
What the dealers wanted was, "An EC that rips your arms out." So that's what the Spanish bike-maker made. They took the
250 and got rid of all the street-legal hardware that comes standard in Europe-switchgear, brake-light wiring and tumsignal paraphernalia. All it took to pipe up the motor was the motocross ignition curve and a lighter flywheel. Being an EC, it still has a lighting coil for illumination. An FMF Fatty pipe and spark-arrestor-equipped muffler come standard now. Tires are Michelin S12s, replacing the Comp Enduros of the standard EC. New for 2003 across the line are restyled sidepanels, and all Gas Gas models can be ordered with a 46mm Öhlins fork, a $600 jump from the standard 43mm WP unit.
We rode one of the first 250 EC “Dealer Editions” to hit the States, down in Florida-and if you’ve ever ridden there, the Sunshine State’s topography is one of the reasons dealers spec’ed such a hard-hitting powerband. Sand, sir, and there isn’t much point in pussy-footing around in the stuff with tractable power and smooth low-end torque. You need boost, and it needs to hit like a ton of bricks, just like the Gas Gas does. This is a motor that will run with any CR, YZ, KX or RM, but as explosive as it is, it remains linear, like a motocross bike with flywheel weight-which, in reality, is just what the Gas Gas is.
In the suspension department, the EC is set up just right, soft enough to be plush in the roots and rocks, but stiff enough to handle whoop-de-doos. It actually tackled a motocross track better than expected, mostly due to its light feel and the suspension’s great bottoming resistance. Stability is first-rate, more like a Kawasaki KX than anything else.
Most other items on the bike are typical Euro enduro, meaning a smallish, 2.2-gallon gas tank that’s narrow between the knees. Nice touch, the clear plastic’s markings so you can monitor fuel level, even if it is in liters. The chromeplated perimeter-style frame has extra “bash bars” on its lowers to protect the cases. Complementing the thin fuel tank, the seat is nice and flat, and the radiators stay out of the way-this is an easy bike to move around on. No quirky characteristics that have in the past been typical of Euro-bikes; along with KTM, Gas Gas now has that Universal Dirtbike feel.
Some things stand out in a good way, though. The hydraulic clutch, for instance. Coming from a trials background, the GG guys understand smooth, controllable action. Also good is the six-speed wide-ratio transmission, a gear for every occasion, fast or slow. Oh, don’t want a 250? They come in 125, 200 and 300cc sizes, as well. And, at $6095, the Gas Gas 250 EC DE is even priced right. Make sure your dealer orders at least two-one for him, one for you.
