Pros:
6 gear tranny is on the money
Great Ergo's
Strong motor, but still needs some fine tuning
48 Zokes may be just right
Shock...good
Quick and Easy to change the needle and spark plug
Cons:
Renthal Twinwalls won't work with my EE handgaurds
Sidi Crossfire boots snag on side panels and kickstarter
Difficult to adjust fork compression if handlebars are moved forward
Clutch cable will likely get damaged if running traditional handgaurds
No slack in throttle cable...Zero play when adjusted to the max
Choke on handlebars
The Owner?s Manual is pretty weak
I?ve been on KTM's for a few years now: 1998 200exc, 2003 450exc, 2004 250exc, 2007 250xcw, 2007 250xcf, 2011 350sxf, 2009 250xcw (current). Along the way I also owned the following bikes (not counting a few vintage ones): 1998 WR400F, 2001 RMX 400?, 2008 BETA 400RR. My favorite bikes thus far are my current 2009 250xcw and the 2004 250exc. Both of those bikes had revalved suspension that worked/work great, and were/are very dependable bikes, so I guess most of my comparisons will be in regards to the 2009 250xcw that had $1,200 worth of suspension work and is set up very well.
First of all, the Gas Gas seems to fit my body size like a glove. One of the reasons that I bought this bike without ever riding a GG before is because of the shorter seat height, and all of the comments about it feeling smaller. Even so, I am surprised at how much smaller it feels than my 2009 250xcw. It almost felt like the same difference between the 250xcw and the 350sxf. It just feels right.
Engine: I've just finished breaking the engine in, and I need to play with jetting more before I make a final determination. So far it feels strong, but not quite as strong as my 250xcw with 52T sprocket and SX head. I could really tell it when torqueing it up a hill. The GG seems to come off the pipe easier at low throttle openings, and required more clutching on certain hills. However, I haven't played with the jetting much and I've only rode it in the rain mode so far. I think I will be able to improve it some, but I don't know if it will ever be quite on par with the KTM?? The hills are the only place that I noticed it being weaker, but then again I have been fine tuning the KTM for 2.5 years. Strangely, enough the GG has a racier feel than the KTM, and that was completely unexpected.
Suspension: It may be too early to say since I only have about 3 hours on the bike, but I am really liking the 48 Zokes. I haven't felt the need to change a clicker yet. On the other hand, I've had to slow down the rebound on the shock and back off the compression a little. It's really too early to mess with it too much since it is still getting broken in. I will say that I really like the way the front and rear handle G-outs, and big hits. This may very well be the best stock suspension I've ever had, but I'm not sure that it is on par with my totally reworked 2009 250xcw. Time will tell.
Mishaps: The handlebar mounted choke already caused me problems. The cable must have got caught on something and was stuck open. I didn't realize what was going on until I fouled two plugs. After adjusting the jetting, and having no improvement it dawned on me what happened. I think it's going to have to go!
Well that's enough for now. I can't wait to ride again and make a few more adjustments.
Bottom line is I think I made a good choice buying the Gas Gas, and I think it will be a great bike.
