A Hard question to ask.. but its been on my mind

[FFRDave]

[SIZE="5"]First, I want to say that I love my Gas gasses.


Now for the hard question.

Did I say I love my Gassers ?? Ok Here goes... Why do I have to buy a LTR PV cover, and carb jet kit? Why do I need to improve on the bike by buying real chain guards? Why do I have to modify my kickstand retraction spring? Why do I have to have the squishband adjusted with every bike?

The real question is... Why doesnt Gas gas just engineer a bigger PV cover and make it a stock componet of the machine? Why dont they just change the pivot point of the kickstand? Why dont the people at Gas gas experiment with jet needles until they get something that does what the LTR needle does? Why not make the heads with a tighter squishband clearences?

Another thing that I am wondering about (which may answer my question) is do other manufacturers bikes have to get similar (or different) mods just to become acceptable. A case in point is that the stock pipe and silencer from my Honda CR 250 has been hanging in my garage brand new since I bought the bike in 99. The suspension has been totaly replaced by Race Tech componets. Still, I have never bought a larger PV cover for my Honda or had to modify the squishband. Does KTM have a whole list of instantly desirable upgrades?

I dont really mind the upgrades I have to add, but it has been something I have wondered. I am glad we have RBD and LTR and the rest. These aftermarket people who inovate new improvements to an already superior machine are a great help to we who want just a little more. I think that this websight and Smackover have really raised the awairness of what could really be done to these bikes.

[roostafish]

Think of it this way. You won't have to get your suspension fixed. KTM, you will, plus the jet kit, for more money mind you. Oh, and that squish band mod is a good idea for any brand.

My first GG, a 200, got the squish mod, plus an INCH taken out of the pipe, plus the flywheel lightened and timing advanced. It was a HOT potato. It was too 125 like though, and I put a stock pipe back on it, and a stock flywheel. It ran strong like that. I think sometimes we go too far. It had no PV cover, and I figured out the jetting with no help. These things are great, but bottom line is, they're luxuries.

[HydroDog]

If you think owning a GG is a hard question, you shoud have tried owning a 01 Husaberg.
Most of the things you listed are just add ons. They are not needed for reliabilty just for different taste in performance. As for the jetting I would also sell my bikes running a little rich if I was the manufacturer. I would rather have my customers rejet for where they live than have them die from running lean.
The kickstands though are a euro standard which sucks. Just ask any Ducati owner who's bike has fallen over.

[TooFastTim]

The sidestand thing is deliberate and is required by EU regulations. Dunno 'bout the US.

[Nick]

Not evryone changes the things you did. Dont need the PV cover, jetting is easy, the chain guide works so why change it, never changed the squish either and our results at the races say it works as is.

[GMP]

The PV cover is a very subtle change. Its a very minor tuning tweak not a fix for a factory flaw.

The squish mod is applicable to all 2-stroke bikes. The clearances are large to deal with questionable fuel in different parts of the world. Same with jetting.

The chainguide is OK, better than other OEM guides that bend and do not return. The LTR part is unique and a good idea if your regularly hammering through rocks and hitting it on a regular basis.

[barkeater]

Originally Posted by Nick

Not evryone changes the things you did. Dont need the PV cover, jetting is easy, the chain guide works so why change it, never changed the squish either and our results at the races say it works as is.

I agree.

None of those upgrades are "required", they are "desired". Out of the crate, there is nothing wrong with a stock Gas Gas and it will run circles around most other off-road bikes.

I think 4-5 years ago the factory took more input from the field. Now they are more focused on keeping up production, so R&D has suffered a bit.

The US market saw a lot of on the fly development to it's models under Gas Gas North America and saw little or none under Gas Gas Motors of America and Dixie. I think that is about to change with the current import team.

That said, besides KTM and BMW, Gas Gas probably has the quickest, most agile R&D in the off-road industry. They also have the smallest purse out of the three.

When we get distribution stabilized in the US, I think we'll see some wild develpments on the GG race front that should transfer over to the stock bikes again.