2018 Enduro GP Review.

[CDN Rick]

This is crossposted from my ADVRider thread and I'm hoping to post at least three posts on my initial impressions, teardown impressions, and first ride impressions.

I figured I'd do a quick write up on my initial impressions of this bike. So here are my inane ramblings.

Quick backstory on me. I'm a 28yr old "intermediate" offroad rider coming off a '12 GasGas EC300. I've ridden and owned a good bunch of different bikes. But only got seriously into offroad about 4-5 years back.

I've been labeled a card-carrying GasGas fanboy for a couple years now, but I'll keep the review honest. I appreciate how they take care of their customers. And now I really appreciate their bikes!

So here goes...

Last fall I was invited to take a quick spin on an '18 EC300 that was brought to North America as a magazine test bike. I assumed it wouldn't be much better than my '12, and went to the ride with no intention of being convinced to buy a new bike. It didn't take long before I was convinced otherwise.
Forget everything you knew about GasGas. All of it. Everything. This is totally different. Gone is the mismatched suspension, gone is the perimeter frame, gone is the confusing importer system, gone is the parts supply problems, gone is everything you didn't like.
GasGas isn't just "back".... They are Here!

The parts list reads like a factory edition bike even for the standard models. The entire frame, bodywork, ergo's etc are new. FMF exhaust, VFORCE4 Reedblock, Keihin carb, Magura clutch, Nissin brakes, Kayaba Suspension front and rear, NG brake disks, Excel Takasago rims, No-tool access air filter, And even more if you spring for the EnduroGP editon.

I spent way too much time deliberating if I should get a 250 or 300, and if I should go for the GP or the standard model.
Finally I had enough money saved up and decided if I was in for a penny I was in for a pound.

So I ordered a 2018 EnduroGP 250. Rumored to be one of only 12 in North America. AFAIK it's the only one in Canada!

Dealer texted me this one when it showed up

First time I've ever bought a vehicle brand new. Seeing 0km on the clock was pretty cool.

Fit and finish on the bikes is really great. Easily equal or exceeding every other major brand I've looked over, excepting maybe TM Racing. I work in marketing and sales. So customer perception of product is something I think about every day. Things that are just wrong really tick me off.

One of the coolest things I think GasGas does is to give each buyer a USB key with all the manuals for all their bikes for the year including promotional materials and hi-res photo's of the machines. Pretty cool detail. It includes all the manuals for the trials and enduro bikes on it from 2018.

I'll try posting a teardown review and first ride review as well when I get some time.

 

[CDN Rick]

Now with working pictures!!!!

 

[Halcon]

Congratulations Rick, that is a beautiful bike, I am officially jealous! I think the GP upgrade is a bargain if the pricing I saw was correct. Enjoy your new ride, I look forward to reading your reports and feed back. Thanks for sharing.

 

[3beejay3]

So Rick, Have you put any scuffs and scratches on that GP yet?

 

[SS109]

So Rick, Have you put any scuffs and scratches on that GP yet?

Yeah, where's our follow up? How do you like it compared to the 300 you had?

 

[CDN Rick]

I mentioned earlier I had never bought a brand new bike before. But, I had heard a lot about manufacturing companies being real stingy with the bearing grease. I know you aren't supposed to pack bearings 100% solid. Still, the pictures I'd seen were nearly dry as a popcorn fart. I expected no better from my favorite motorcycle builder. Industries typically are too alike to expect much difference.
I got the bike home and decided to start tearing it open to pack the bearings and check fasteners for tightness before I got it covered in mud.

Here's my teardown review. I had to work off an annoyingly low bikestand. My usual lift-table is filled with an ADV bike that's missing all its suspension. There was no moving that out of the way.. Some may say I'm spoiled.

Pulled the frame guards off and noticed a lot of grease oozing out around the main swingarm pin. Cautiously optimistic......

Lookin good!

But I was really happy to see the swingarm and linkage bearings packed very nicely with waterproof grease. It added a little more confidence that GasGas was doing things right. No cutting corners here.

Very KTMesque with the torque spec stamped in the triples. Even if these are actually an upgrade "aftermarket" triple. Nice touch.

Lots of grease here on the steering head bearings too. I didn't bother pulling them apart beyond this point for now. If the swingarm was packed as well as it was and this much was oozing out of the steering head I'm sure it's fine.

As I said earlier I work in product marketing. So I catch dumb stuff like this pretty quick. Who in the great name of all things good and right decided to make this a nyloc threaded nut on the backside of a throughbolt to hold the chain guard on!!!! Stupid design. Shoulda been a captive fastener in the mould for the guard. It's a small detail. But the details are what matter. Stupid stupid design. Thankfully it was the only bolt I found on the bike that made me shake my head. I'm not saying the guy who made this design should be fired... But he needs a stern talking to!

Got my OFTR Sticker!! All ready to go for my first ride!

After all that I'm extremely pleased with what I found. I think the "Ready to Race" tagline a certain inferior orange company is using should really be transferred to the Torrot/GasGas company. To see a bike this well put together was unexpected, even from someone like me who is a card-carrying fanboy. The pictures speak for themselves. Well done GasGas!

 

[3beejay3]

Nice write-up and pics!

There are a couple schools of thought about the chainguard bolt/nut.
Captive nuts are nice, until they aren't; ie. when they spin inside the parent material. That usually causes swearing......
The bolt/nut method GG uses avoids that problem. It may not be quite as nice to look at, but is a practical method that works.

I like the proper hex cap screws on the triples. I have Allen head bolts on my '12 & they're not the best type of fastener for that application.

 

[CDN Rick]

So Rick, Have you put any scuffs and scratches on that GP yet?

Yeah, where's our follow up? How do you like it compared to the 300 you had?

For some reason these post's didn't show up until now.. Sorry for missing them.

Yes I have taken it out a few times. It's incredible. I'll do a writeup when I have a few minutes. I like it very different than my 300.

 

[CDN Rick]

Nice write-up and pics!

There are a couple schools of thought about the chainguard bolt/nut.
Captive nuts are nice, until they aren't; ie. when they spin inside the parent material. That usually causes swearing......
The bolt/nut method GG uses avoids that problem. It may not be quite as nice to look at, but is a practical method that works.

I like the proper hex cap screws on the triples. I have Allen head bolts on my '12 & they're not the best type of fastener for that application.

Ya I've fought with captive fasteners before, so I get that. But since this is a small sub $50 part it would be easy to replace if the captive nut ever spun.
The looks part isn't what bugs me.. Its annoying to have to use a 10mm nut when I should be able to do it with just an 8mm socket. Maybe some engineer who's smarter than me knows why it's this way.. Maybe it was a bean counter decision... Either way I'm not a fan of this one.

 

[SS109]

Awesome to hear and thanks for the review! Now get out there and get us a ride review!

 

[dewenduro]

Hi!

I saw a picture.
I think the frame is cracked under the steering head bearing.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/YJF5k9mwLL8U2JNB3

Check it.

 

[john r b]

it's grease.

 

[RS1]

yes, I think it's some grease too

 

[dewenduro]

it's grease.

It's a good news!

 

[CDN Rick]

It is grease. Thanks for taking a look though!!


In less fortunate news I just left the hospital from emergency surgery on my throttle hand.... I've ridden the bike a couple times so I'm ready to write a review... But it's really hard to type one handed... May be a week or so before you get the next installment.

 

[Archibald]

Shit! Best wishes for a quick and thorough healing...

 

[RBrider]

It is grease. Thanks for taking a look though!!


In less fortunate news I just left the hospital from emergency surgery on my throttle hand.... I've ridden the bike a couple times so I'm ready to write a review... But it's really hard to type one handed... May be a week or so before you get the next installment.

Hoping for a quick recovery! And, more importantly, hope it didn't involve scratching up that new bike!

RB

 

[hadfield4wd]

It is grease. Thanks for taking a look though!!





In less fortunate news I just left the hospital from emergency surgery on my throttle hand.... I've ridden the bike a couple times so I'm ready to write a review... But it's really hard to type one handed... May be a week or so before you get the next installment.

That sucks. You know I’ll do you a favor! My friends from Guelph are coming down here tomorrow. They can bring your bike here and I’ll continue the write-ups...you know...all for the sake of helping you out.

 

[CDN Rick]

That sucks. You know I?ll do you a favor! My friends from Guelph are coming down here tomorrow. They can bring your bike here and I?ll continue the write-ups...you know...all for the sake of helping you out.

Tempting.... But I'm gonna have to pass.

 

[CDN Rick]

Shit! Best wishes for a quick and thorough healing...

Hoping for a quick recovery! And, more importantly, hope it didn't involve scratching up that new bike!

Thanks guys!

It didn't involve scratching the new bike. (Although I did scratch it some already)

I was helping my little brother load his CRF230 into a truck and my thumb slipped into a hole in the sprocket as the tire spun. Sheared my thumbnail clean off, broke the thumb bone in three pieces after the last joint, and ripped the flesh open to the point that I could see the bone fragments. It hurt right away.... I got some pretty cool pictures of it though. The doctor was a great guy and we were joking through the surgery when I wasn't screaming at him from the pain.

I'll be ok. But it will be 6-8 weeks before the bone is totally healed. When I asked the doctor about my season opener race next weekend he found me a special thumb splint and said if I could handle the pain to have fun and not crash! I'm on the 16th start minute!!