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Old 09-11-2017, 02:07 PM
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Default 2018 Review from some guy no-one knows.

Test riding a 2018 Gasser 300 was a fantastic way to spend my morning!

When a dealer calls you up and says he has a magazine test bike ready and wants you to come and ride it before the magazine shows up, you put down your beer and go freakin ride it!

The bike is just sooooo smooth. So perfect. Observing it on the showroom floor beside a TM300 the build quality was not quite on par but considerably better than most manufactures. Sitting on it outside you immediately notice how narrow it feels. I thought my '12 Gasser was narrow. And it is. But this is a whole new kinda feel. Electric and kick start is great and both work very well. The vibrations are noticeably less than the older model, nearly non-existent actually. The carb was definitely jetted rich which kinda surprised me. Its an easy enough fix and has to be done for most bikes since we all live at varying elevations.
The seat is really grippy and feels like high quality fabric that would be hard to rip.
The stock skidplate is sufficient for most riders and I would see no need to change it out.
Really all it needs from the factory is a set of wrap-around handguards and its good to go.

KYB suspension right out of the box felt really good. I weigh in at about 180 and I'm 5'11. About an Intermediate level racer. It soaked up small bumps and puddles very nicely and cornering felt really solid. Hopping a few small logs I was super impressed and even when I set myself up on a set that was wheelbase apart the bike just complied with every direction. I did struggle a little with the clutch but mainly because it had a different friction point than my '12. I would not need to do anything with the suspension other than fiddle with clickers. Its more than just great right out of the box.

All in I'd say GasGas is back!! Well done Rod and everyone in the company! Your hard work has definitely paid off.

I was really skeptical that the new machine could be that much better than my '12, and thought I wouldn't be interested in paying for an upgrade but I was wrong.
As soon as my house sells I think I'll be picking up a new bike.



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  #2  
Old 09-12-2017, 12:32 AM
swazi_matt swazi_matt is offline
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True dirt biker dedication ... selling your house to buy a new bike #mykindofhero lol

The general consensus is that tarrot have addressed all the niggles of previous gassers but has anyone had a look at the owners manual? On previous bikes it needed to be deciphered by this forum. Does the new manual at least have proper jetting specs to assist with elevation corrections?
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Old 09-12-2017, 05:07 AM
PFD023 PFD023 is offline
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The oil sight glass looks like it might actually work....my 12' is absolutely useless (with my eyes).
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Old 09-12-2017, 06:44 AM
Wimpy525 Wimpy525 is offline
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I saw the 18 in person and looks really good. Check out Matto Cycles Facebook page he has some good photos that he took while putting one together.
https://www.facebook.com/matto.cycle...2%3A1505216542
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Old 09-12-2017, 08:59 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by swazi_matt View Post
True dirt biker dedication ... selling your house to buy a new bike #mykindofhero lol

The general consensus is that tarrot have addressed all the niggles of previous gassers but has anyone had a look at the owners manual? On previous bikes it needed to be deciphered by this forum. Does the new manual at least have proper jetting specs to assist with elevation corrections?
I didn't check the manual or ask about it. There are a few guys on here who are riding the 18's already. I'd ask one of them. Otherwise most good dealers can help with that. I trust Brett from Bonjoes implicitly. He and his son race in NEPG and come to Canada for Offroad Ontario. A dealer who actually races is a good enough resume for me.


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Originally Posted by PFD023 View Post
The oil sight glass looks like it might actually work....my 12' is absolutely useless (with my eyes).
The new sight glass is great. Kinda hard to describe but they put a piece of slotted aluminum a few millimeters behind the glass making it really easy to see the height and colour. A lot better than the '12.
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Old 09-12-2017, 10:56 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by swazi_matt View Post
True dirt biker dedication ... selling your house to buy a new bike #mykindofhero lol

The general consensus is that tarrot have addressed all the niggles of previous gassers but has anyone had a look at the owners manual? On previous bikes it needed to be deciphered by this forum. Does the new manual at least have proper jetting specs to assist with elevation corrections?
The manual looks very good and can be found here :

http://www.gasgasmotos.es/us/manuals.html

Jetting is listed on page 60. it looks very well written in terms of altitude compensation, etc. .

To answer your question on "proper jetting specs" - I guess "change is hard" as the stock needle is still listed as a N1EF.

Looking at it in a positive light - If someone likes how the bike runs with that jetting - there is most definitely room for improvement.

jeff
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Old 09-12-2017, 02:25 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by webmaster View Post
The manual looks very good and can be found here :

http://www.gasgasmotos.es/us/manuals.html

Jetting is listed on page 60. it looks very well written in terms of altitude compensation, etc. .

To answer your question on "proper jetting specs" - I guess "change is hard" as the stock needle is still listed as a N1EF.

Looking at it in a positive light - If someone likes how the bike runs with that jetting - there is most definitely room for improvement.

jeff

Kinda funny eh... I'm far from knowing most of what there is to know about jetting but I always get a laugh listening to bikes running and warming up at our local races. The number of riders that would benefit from jetting is just crazy.

I really enjoyed riding the new bike but it was definitely noticeable how far out the jetting was. It took far too long to "clear its throat" after some tight woods stuff.
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Old 09-12-2017, 05:33 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by StubbornDutchman View Post
Kinda funny eh... I'm far from knowing most of what there is to know about jetting but I always get a laugh listening to bikes running and warming up at our local races. The number of riders that would benefit from jetting is just crazy.

I really enjoyed riding the new bike but it was definitely noticeable how far out the jetting was. It took far too long to "clear its throat" after some tight woods stuff.
That "clearing of it's throat" brings back memories - when it "clears out" it will come on in a very non-linear way. To the uneducated - it might make the bike feel faster because it kind of "hits" when it clears out. I remember a dealer here calling it "the lurch"....

Hopefully, the dealer can send the magazine a new needle and some jets to install...

jeff
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Old 09-12-2017, 06:30 PM
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Originally Posted by webmaster View Post
That "clearing of it's throat" brings back memories - when it "clears out" it will come on in a very non-linear way. To the uneducated - it might make the bike feel faster because it kind of "hits" when it clears out. I remember a dealer here calling it "the lurch"....

Hopefully, the dealer can send the magazine a new needle and some jets to install...

jeff
I was told it will be rejetted before any more rides happen.
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  #10  
Old 09-13-2017, 12:07 AM
swazi_matt swazi_matt is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by StubbornDutchman View Post
I didn't check the manual or ask about it. There are a few guys on here who are riding the 18's already. I'd ask one of them. Otherwise most good dealers can help with that. I trust Brett from Bonjoes implicitly. He and his son race in NEPG and come to Canada for Offroad Ontario. A dealer who actually races is a good enough resume for me.
I can't talk to those guys yet ... just toooo tooo jealous lol
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