I'll let Girard tell you all about "Troy." The Enviro-Nazis are everywhere.
The things ya learn on road trips.
GG-Man drove me up to somewhere NW of Lake Conroe for the sole purpose of getting me a test ride on his '07 GG 250 (MX version).
Introductions were made as we suited up in what would turn out to be some of the most humid riding I've done since Ohio. Girard said he wanted to warm up the Gasser so he put me on his WR250F (often used for trail fixin') for the first couple of miles. I think he really wanted to make sure I was worthy of riding on his brand new '07 GasGas250 (MX version).
I enjoyed the Yammie. It was a very relaxing bike to ride. The power, while a bit lacking in the mid-range, rolled on smoothly and then hit if I needed it to in the upper revs. The suspension was shag-carpet smooth and behaved well on bumps when I was going slow to mid pace.
With several clicks to the suspension to make it a bit stiffer, I'd say it would be where I'd like it, especially for slow, techincal riding. Going faster wasn't much of a problem either and the WR tracked fairly well.
Getting speed on the WR required a big twist on the throttle. I'd have to re-grip the throttle to get an extra tug on the cable to get the engine moving. Maybe a different throttle cam is in order. It seemed like it behaved like a 4T version of a 125 2-stroke, with a little more bottom. It would chug fine in 1st and 2nd, but 3rd was a chore.
Handling on the Yammie was predictable and consistant, but a little slow. Slow to lean in and slow to turn. It got me wondering what a fantasy WR350 (OEM or kit) would feel like or maybe what the supposedly un-corked '08 WR250s would be like... or maybe a YZ250F...
Then I decided to kick start it a la a YZ. Not fun. The E-button brought it back to life.
Nice fun. But it was time for a ride on the red Euro machine.
Being dubbed GasGas-worthy by Girard, I climbed upon the Spanish Lady and found the ergos to my liking. I've read that the GG line is very friendly for we sub-six-footers. My 5'9" frame and 30" inseam were impressed with the layout. The balls of my booted foot rested comfortably on the ground. Another half-inch and I would have been flat-footed. I might have rotated the bars a bit more forward, but their position allowed for a nice, comfortable standing position.
That seat. Gawd, that
seat. A KTM is a couch by comparison. The GasGas seat is not only hard, it is in the shape of a trapezoid (a triangle with the pointy top cut off). The angles on the top of the seat nestle uncomfortably on one's nether regions. The two edges dig right ...(Edited by Moderator due to the grotesque description of a moto-wedgie)... resulting in excruciating pain when one gets too lax about one's sitting position. I would be standing as much as I could that day.
GG-Man told me that this 250 was an MX version in every sense of the word. Although he enjoys trail riding, this one was sprung and valved for the track. The flywheel weight (or lack thereof), would have this thing revving much quicker than the EC (enduro) line of Gassers, be they 250cc or 300cc.
"You mean like a KTM 250SX?" I asked?
"They wish." He cautioned, looking me over for any tell tale hint of fear as a bead of sweat anonymously trickled down the side of my head inside my helmet. The last time I rode AZNative's impressive 250SX, it was at 7,000 feet, and even then I commented that I'd like to mellow it out some. What was this Gasser MX bike going to feel like at 650 feet?
