Seat mounting bolt '19 EC300
 

Hello fellow gassers!
Am I the only one who thinks that the design engineers in Spain were having a heavy party just before they sit down and sketched the design of the plastic side panels? I'm riding for almost 25 years now and never had so much troubles removing/fitting the side panels as I have on my brand new (2019) Gas Gas EC 300. And that's not the only thing, just read on.

The most irritating is the "missing hole" for the seat bolt on the right side panel.

Here is what I'm talking about:
In order to completely remove the right side panel, you have to first remove the seat.
In order to remove the seat, you need to remove the right side panel to get to the seat mounting bolt! But the right side panel is screwed with one screw under the seat! Head XXII!

Here few pictures:
This is the left side panel removed and I'm pointing at the left seat mounting bolt.
http://www.gasgasrider.org/forum/att...1&d=1576355113

To remove the Right panel you need to unscrew two bolts on a side and one is covered under the seat. So you only unscrew the two, then you need to firmly push the side panel downwards to get access to the second seat bolt.
Like this:
http://www.gasgasrider.org/forum/att...1&d=1576355260

Then you unscrew the seat bolt (I have already lost the original one lol :eek::D ) And then you finally can get to the third screw to remove the side panel.
http://www.gasgasrider.org/forum/att...1&d=1576355465
this one
http://www.gasgasrider.org/forum/att...1&d=1576355465

Am I the only one thinking that there should have been an access hole somewhere where my finger is pointing in order to seamlessly access the bolts needed to remove the seat?
http://www.gasgasrider.org/forum/att...1&d=1576355465

I have also ordered a polisport set of plastic guards for the swing arm, and they too do not fit very well. THe cut for the rear brake hose holder on the swingarm is shifted back about 10cm! Might be a Polisport problem, not adapting to the "newest design" of the 2019 GasGas... :-/ Who knows?
I'll try to upload an image later as I reached max amount already :eek:

Why I'm posting this?
Except for the fact that it is a bit of a pain to get the panel removed, and the swing arm protectors don't fit, I have also ordered a new set of springs for my front and rear suspension from K-Tech. Springs supposedly made for GasGasEC300 2019, but the new rear shock spring is a few millimeters bigger in the inner diameter than the one I have originally fitted on the bike and what is even odder that the spring is conical! Original has some 59mil at the bottom end and some 62mil at the top end. Where the K-tech had some 64mil at the bottom and even more at the top.
I don't know if they made something like they did with Honda CRF (and many other brands) that they made an EU version and a US version of the bike, so perhaps some minor differences?

So, my question is :confused: (finally! :o )
Can some of you, proud owners of the GasGasEC300 2019, take out and measure the original rear shock spring for me?
Because of the side panel "issue" and the difference in springs, I'm wondering where the issue is? If it was a mistake at the K-tech shop side and they have sent something different, or I have something not quite right fitted on my bike as "original" or perhaps from different model, or year or country spec? And I mean the swing arm, side panels and the springs(whole rear shock?)

Thanks everyone for their measurements and if you can't measure, feel free to express your opinion on this.
This is my first brand new bike from a shop, until now I always rode used bikes where these issues were very common and I was expecting this, but I'm curious why this happened on a brand new bike where everything should be original from factory.

Thanks!

Here is the swing arm protector not fitting... :confused:
http://www.gasgasrider.org/forum/att...1&d=1576357848

Re the seat bolt:
I just have the airbox access panel bolt installed only, seems to be working fine on it's own.

Re the swingarm guard:
Mine fit just fine on the 18' ec300. I'll get some pictures today for comparison.

HTH

My 2018 only has the one bolt for the seat, on the air box side.

Some people have added the extra bolt on the exhaust side. An access hole is then drilled in the side cover.

You can delete the bolt on the top right side cover (by battery), this would allow the side cover to be removed while the seat is on.

Here's my 18's swingarm guard

Yes! That's how it should fit. Yours is '18 right? I'm wondering if mine was from a "Friday's last shift" or it's some new "technical improvement" for 2019 model :-/
But thanks for the pictures

I know, but I don't want to do that, because it looks kinda flimsy and I'm afraid of loosing that side panel with my riding "style" very quickly :D
https://youtu.be/xdOoIjItGgI

Yep only LHS bolt required. Mine only came with one.

Bahahaha....... I love that video SparrowCZ! I agree completely on removal of the seat! I?ve got a 2009 ec250 that is one easy screw removal to get under the seat. I also just upgraded to a 2019 EC300, funny you bring this up as I felt the same way! I do like your idea of punching a hole through the plastic on the right side to gain access to that hidden bolt. Will look into that tomorrow. Thanks for the good laugh man!

My 18 only had the bolt on the lh side. From what I have seen that is how it is supposed to be. The seat also hooks under the sub frame so it is secure. I do see the post on the right hand side for the bolt but havent felt the need to use it.