No offence taken.
Let me start by saying I'm not bagging on GG, and I'd buy another one. For me, I wanted a new bike now and GG was not in production. Beta and Sherco have upped the game in the enduro world (for those of us who won't go to the orange brands) so GG needs to do the same to be competitive. I think the new management knows this too. I'm excited to see what they have for 2017 and beyond.
What do I see as current GG shortcomings:
- The newer GGs are heavy. And some of that weight is in bad places, like the battery above the air filter. The Sherco battery is below the filter, so more airbox volume and lower cg.
- The GG e-start is an afterthought. The 15's are reported to be better, but it's still just a bolt on. With Sherco and Beta the starter is built into the sump. Again, lower cg and it works better.
- Suspension components. The older Sachs stuff required a re-valve to be ride-able, and some replacement parts are non-existent. The Zokes forks have known quality issues. The Reiger shock is said to be good, but it's a foreign piece of kit on this side of the pond. The Sherco comes with WP suspension. The fork is OC, but it's valved for the masses and works well for most when correctly sprung. WP sells a cone valve kit if you want to go that route. Parts and service for WP stuff is readily available.
-Brakes. The Brembo units on the Sherco are head and shoulders better than the dated Nissin stuff on the Gassers.
-Swingarm. The GG piece is an old boat anchor. From what I can tell, Beta, Sherco and KTM source their much lighter swingarms from the same place.
-Quality control and fit and finish. GG is getting better, but they still have a long way to go. When compared to a new Beta, Sherco or KTM, a Gasser is pretty rough. Has anybody ever got the airboot to easily and neatly align with the carb? What a dose it is trying to get that sealed up properly on the GG. My GG came with several stripped bolts from the factory. Not sure how that gets out the door.
Another poster above stated that the Sherco power delivery is not smooth and linear like the GG. I don't know what bike he rode, but that is not my experience. The Sherco spools up a bit quicker than the GG (not as quick as the OB though) and pulls harder on top, but I don't see it as not smooth or linear. Check out the vid to see for yourself:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BH63k8HCgc
As a bonus, the Sherco has an electronic powervalve and the map switch controls both ignition timing and opening of the pv. It makes a huge difference. If you want ridiculously soft, smooth power, just go to the soft map.