Houston: The Legend of "Troy R. Huff"

[AZRickD]

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?

 

[AZRickD]

I fired it up and we headed out. Things were happening a little fast for my taste and for the shakey hands of Girard as he snapped this shot.

It took a mile or two but I was able to come to terms with the bike. Loads of scary power, and I could only wonder what would happen when I found the hit. But there was no hit. It just kept producing power in a fairly linear way. Good for me.

Still, there was a lot of power to deal with. The first sections were all curvy flat track in first and second gear. I tamed the bike by riding in 2nd gear most of the time until I got accustomed. I thought that it would have difficulty pulling 2nd gear but the combination of the powerful motor, elevation, and the perfectly spaced six-speed tranny -- all was fine... even third gear was pulling well out of slow corners.

Part of the difference is that GG-Man put on a 52T rear sprocket which (I think) is 4 teeth bigger. It seemed perfect to me, from a pure ratio standpoint. But the power of the bike had me spinning the tire through the sand so much that I wondered if I could have ample control of this MX bike on a rocky hill climb.

Unfortunately, there would be no enduro 300 Gasser for me to test ride (the owner of that fine machine couldn't make it out of bed), so for now, I can only contemplate the behavior of a mellow CDI and a heavier flywheel (although the 275 modded bike I rode detailed below might give me a hint).

The 250MX bike did have the switchable CDI map on the bars, but I rode most of the time with it in "Rain" mode instead of "Sun" mode. I didn't notice the difference between the two settings and really didn't expect to since I rarely got a chance to take the bike through the entire rev range.

While I was figuring out the power issues I was having an interesting time with the handling. I assumed that it would turn as fast as a KTM200 (which turned too fast for me). In actuality, it turned somewhere in between the 200 and the '07 250SX/XC that I rode. Which was just perfect for me. I'm thinking that the lower seat height played a part in that as it allowed me to lean it in with more control.

As fast as it turned, I would have expected it to be unstable at speed, and/or wobbling through roots and rocks. On the contrary, it was paradoxically very stable and planted. When I began to get comfortable with the throttle I found some sections where I could go fast for three or four seconds over whoops (small and medium) as well as roots. Of course, with the MX suspension, the faster I went, the more it liked it. The interesting thing was that I felt no sensation of the back end shifting left and right. It felt railed over some challenging terrain. The closest I've come to that sensation was on an '07 Honda CRF450X (which still felt big and clunky) as well as AZNat's and Derik Staley's KTM250s. But the GasGas was better. I saw one nasty section coming ahead and I stopped, dialed down the Scotts steering dampener and took off. Straight and true with no deflections.

Here is the only straight section on the entire 20-mile loop. So starved for speed are these Houston riders that they fondly call this section "The Tramway."

I managed 4th gear:

During part of the ride, Girard was riding behind me, and although I didn't notice it, he decided the shock needed the compression reduced a tad and the rebound slowed. He was satisfied with that. I didn't care one way or the other.

I also noticed that my riding position on this bike was more aggressive than I've been on other bikes. I thought it was the frame layout, but Gerard pointed to the Pivot Pegs I had unknowingly been suspended upon. They only rotate about 15 degrees or so, but it made all the difference. When I was leaning forward, I wasn't on the edge of the pegs, I was on the pegs. The pegs felt larger than they were. Confidence inspiring.

The rear brake pedal had the same feeling. It felt as if it were the size of a half-dollar. I always found it with no fuss. Curious, I finally looked down to see why it felt the way it did. Nothing jumped out at me, but for some reason it worked well.

I also got to hop on the WEC version of the bike owned by Mister Boomhauer. This beauty had a 300 bottom end and a 250 top end with some sort of other mods that equated to a 275-ish bike. This bike *did* have enduro suspension and an engine that was perhaps somewhere in between a 250 and a 300, but I didn't ask what kind of porting or CDI it had. That bike rode well too, albiet somewhat differently in the behavior of the motor, jetting, and throttle. Everything else, down to the Pivot Pegs were the same.

At the end of the ride, I found myself drenched in sweat that can only be created by riding a dirt bike through twenty miles of turn course in 80% humidity next to a lake. I was completely soaked. I was more soaked than when we rode in the rain in Flagstaff. I was so soaked, that when I changed into my shorts to go eat pizza and drink beer, the waitress couldn't stop looking at my crotch. Turns out that the sweat from my undies had soaked through my shorts which made it look like I'd pottied myself.

Rick

 

[tm_enduro]

I also got to hop on the WEC version of the bike owned by Mister Boomhauer. This beauty had a 300 bottom end and a 250 top end with some sort of other mods that equated to a 275-ish bike. Rick

Very interesting, another stroked 250. KTM riders have been known to do this as well.

 

[GMP]

So you gonna buy one?? Distributor problem is fixed now.

 

[Boomhauer]

So you gonna buy one?? Distributor problem is fixed now.

Great write up Rick.

Damn Glenn right to the point eh?

 

[AZRickD]

So you gonna buy one?? Distributor problem is fixed now.

Yep. Summer 2008.

That'll position me for used or in-stock '07s, as well as '08s, and with a vantage point to peek into what's being offered for 2009.

Heck, what would I do if KTM comes out with a six-speed, fuel-injected, Ohlins-suspended 300XC-W with bigger radiators and a functional gas cap? Huh?

Seriously, what am I likely to find out there in the Gas Gas marketplace eight months from now?

Rick

 

[Boomhauer]

Yep. Summer 2008.

That'll position me for used or in-stock '07s, as well as '08s, and with a vantage point to peek into what's being offered for 2009.

Heck, what would I do if KTM comes out with a six-speed, fuel-injected, Ohlins-suspended 300XC-W with bigger radiators and a functional gas cap? Huh?

Seriously, what am I likely to find out there in the Gas Gas marketplace eight months from now?

Rick

Rick,
You will find plenty of bikes at that time. Some dealers might have "Left over" 07's. Or you might find a great deal on a used one. I will assure you that you will find one.

Anyway thanks for the pizza! Oh yeah and just think Rick it was a "Cooler" day than a day in August. Come back next August and we will ride the Balloon Loop.

Hmmm...... nothing in that ride report about taking a "Soil Sample" though?

Boom

 

[gasgasman]

EXCELLENT WRITE UP RICK!

We all had a blast.

It's amazing how dirt riders from different parts of the country can get together and have a good time.

Thanks for the pizza and the offer for beer( I don't drink BTW.)

Sorry for the blurry pic. You were going way to fast.

 

[Bandit9]

80% humidity????? What did a cool front come through? LOL! We get all giddy when the humidity drop below 90%. You would die in August.

Speaking of, this weekend is going to be awesome weather wise. Breezy Hill is going to get the crap rode out of it.

Rick,
Just buy a bike already. You are going to suffer from "Paralysis by Overanalysis"

 

[AZRickD]

Well excuuuuuse me for living in a desert. 10% RH is typical for most months except for July and August when it gets up to 60%. Remember: "It's a dry heat."

Hmmm...... nothing in that ride report about taking a "Soil Sample" though?

Boom

Boomer, see Pic #4 above where my finger shows the number of soil samples I took on Sunday. That it happened to be on *your* bike with you as witness only magnifies my shame.

Bandit said Rick,
Just buy a bike already. You are going to suffer from "Paralysis by Overanalysis"

Worry not, Dear Bandit. The quest is over. All I need is the dirt bike market stars to align reasonably well next summer.

Thanks to TRH for their hospitality.

Now, which one of you is going to tell the story of "Troy R. Huff?"

Rick
"Is that rotting shrimp I smell?"

 

[gasgasman]

tell the story of "Troy R. Huff?"

Rick
"Is that rotting shrimp I smell?"

That story does NOT need to go on print. It will cause some major ramifications in the off-road world.

 

[AZRickD]

But it's a classic story of love, betrayal, and revenge.

 

[gasgasman]

OK. The story will be told at the Last Man Standing race in December, by the suspect involved.

 

[dmstarr]

So rick, I see you said the quest is over, but you aslo said "if KTM..." whihc we all know is not gonna happen. How much better was the gasser (boomhauer's bike in particular) than yout KTM experiences?
Did the test ride make you more or less confident in a decision to buy a gasser? I think I speak from all of us on the fence when I say thank you for the candid report!

 

[Boomhauer]

So rick, I see you said the quest is over, but you aslo said "if KTM..." whihc we all know is not gonna happen. How much better was the gasser (boomhauer's bike in particular) than yout KTM experiences?
Did the test ride make you more or less confident in a decision to buy a gasser? I think I speak from all of us on the fence when I say thank you for the candid report!

I don't think it would be fair to compare my bike to a 250 or even a 300 just because it is really neither. Plus this bike was a full factory race bike and has many little things that you would not find on a dealer bought bike. JMO

Boom

 

[AZRickD]

How much better was the gasser (boomhauer's bike in particular) than yout KTM experiences?

While Boomer's bike exhibited the odd aroma of last week's bean burritos, it behaved nicely.

Did the test ride make you more or less confident in a decision to buy a gasser?

It makes me quite confident in a Gas Gas purchase for a few, very critical reasons. Keep in mind that I only started riding (after a twenty-year layoff) last summer, so my needs are different from the owners of these bikes, one of which was a MC250 in full MX power, and the other was an unknown quantity -- neither of which could be rightly guaranteed to be very EC-like.

When I test rode the Honda and Yammie 4Ts, and the KTM 2t and 4Ts, I looked for things that felt odd (am I riding the bike or is the bike riding me?). The Honda CRF450X/R were sweet in the suspension department but didn't turn fast enough for me and I don't like 4Ts.

The 2004 to 2006 KTMs showed gradual improvement, but they were no better than my KX-forked KDX in the boinger department (rear end). The 2007 was vastly improved but still not as good as the Gasser. 2008 Katooms are said to be better than the '07s but I've not gotten a chance to ride the few that are in Phoenix, and I doubt that I'll get the same 20-miles from local Phoenix riders that G-Man and Boomer would bestow me, an Internet stranger.

1) The ergos fit me nearly perfectly.
a) I'll ride while standing more confidently
b) The lower seat will do wonders for my stability in turns
c) The lower seat will save me from tip-overs when stalled off-camber

2) The bike tracked straight and true through sections worthy of testing. Better than anything, perhaps even the Honda (which felt like a horse).

This despite both bikes being valved taughter than I would prefer (though I began to get used to it.

3) The bike turned the way I wanted it to. That is, when I pointed it somehwhere, it went that way at the rate that I had intuitively selected. That does not mean that it steered fast, but still slow enough for someone of my C-minus skills. I mean that it was easy to control. It could turn way faster if I had wanted it to, but I didn't. The KTM 200 that I rode was too skittish. Small inputs meant quick turns. It was twitchy and I couldn't modulate it well -- part of the problem was that I was so busy trying to keep the Katoom 200 up in the revs were it produced enough torque that I was all too often behind the bike. A good rider wouldn't have had the problem, but I'm not a good rider, and I don't like to ride on the pipe.

4) Speaking of on-the-pipe, let's talk about the motor. I had wondered if that MX-based MC250 would require me to be on the pipe, say, like a KTM 250SX. It didn't. I know this because I'm naturally a short-shifting chugger. That's why I want a 300, I guess. The MC was pretty happy at low RPMs. I did stall it a couple of times, but that was a symptom of lack of flywheel weight that the EC300, or the EC250 wouldn't share.

The main thing about that motor is that the power was delivered smoothly. I mentioned earlier that I could detect no hit along the rev range, and as I say that I have trouble believing that. It had to have a hit somewhere, right? But I didn't notice it. Maybe I didn't rev it high enough to find it. Or maybe the bike produced so much power at 650 feet that my low-seat time nerve endings couldn't detect it. But I surely was able to detect hits on SXs, XCs, Xs and Rs.

Still, the MC had too much wheel spin for my tastes since I ride rocky hills and need control, but a flywheel, EC CDI mapping, and a big Maxxis tire would tame that.

So, am I toally convinced that this test ride steered me in the direction of an EC300? Not 100%, since I didn't ride one. I'm sure that Girard and Boomer would be better able to discuss the differences between their bikes and the EC 300.

You're up, boys.

Rick

 

[Boomhauer]

Rick this was another great write up. I will try to explain the differences between the 250 & 300. Again I am no expert but I have owned both bikes and there are certain things on each bike that I really like. I'm just sorry I could not bring the 300 for you to try as the bike was missing the power valve cover gasket, plus I thought Shawn was going to show up with his 07 300.

Okay here we go... 300 vs. 250
When I first started looking into the Gasers I wanted a 250. A friend of mine told me since I was a bigger guy to get a 300 so I did. First thing I noticed was the bottom end torque of the 300. Yes this is great except when you find yourself stalled on the side of a hill and you loop the bike over on yourself trying to get going again. You can be a lazy rider on the 300. What I mean by this is that you can put it in 2nd or 3rd gear and lug it around thru the woods and trails without stalling it or fouling a plug. It does not rev up like the 250 does for sure. I always found myself wanting more of a hit off the bottom coming out of turns or dancing thru the trees. This meaning I was always clutching the bike to rev out the bike when I needed it. I put the LTR power valve cover on it, took off the reed spacer plate, had the head shaved, and a few carb mods to boot. It helped but the bike still did not have the hit that I was looking for.

Rick I think I told you one of the biggest things I have noticed going from the 300 to a 250 was that my arms do not seem to be sore after a ride like on my 300. The reason is that the 250 has less torque to where the 300 was pulling hard on my arms at times while riding.

Okay the 250 story.
I was very nervous about buying the WEC bike because I was under the impression that it was a 300 not a 250. I have ridden both of Girards 250's and another riding buddy of ours here in Houston also has a 250. Quite frankly I was scared each and every time I got on their bikes. So I contacted a few people on this forum thru PM's to get their advice on me buying the WEC bike and get their take on the 250 before I made my final decision. The best comment that I can remember came from GMP (Glenn) he told me that you have to ride a 250 with a little more caution (Finese) SP? In other words the 300 is more forgiving than a 250. This is so true!

Understand that I have only ridden the WEC bike hard a few times since buying it because I wanted to finish my racing season on my 300 where I felt comfortable. Plus I did not want to chance loosing the points lead in my class. I have found that I have to be a little more precise in the way I use the throttle and clutch on the 250. I really enjoy the way the bike hits on the power band, and how very smooth it is, plus my arms are not getting pulled hard like on the 300. The down side to the 250 is the lack of torque when going up nasty hills. I found this out at a West Texas race a few weeks back. I was clutching the 250 way more than I use too on the 300 on steep hills. It does seem that the 250 spins up quickly which makes sense to me now. This can be cured with a FW weight though. I will not be putting one on my bike. The other thing that has been highly recomended was the G2 throttle cam system. I will be looking into these after I get some other goodies for the bike.

So all in all when you read the specs on both the 250 & 300 you will find that both bikes make the same HP but the 300 has more torque.

It boils down to what you feel is the better bike for you in the end. If you are just going to trail ride I say get the 300. If you plan on doing some racing go with the 250. JMO

Sorry for my red neck language! I'm sure others here can explain better than me.

Boom

 

[Boomhauer]

OK. The story will be told at the Last Man Standing race in December, by the suspect involved.

Haha.... This just hit me! It will be a long, long, story.
Friggin Keeley!

 

[Bandit9]

To sum it up, the 250 is the weapon for fast, aggressive trail riding or racing. The 300 is good for lugging around and has the low end to get you out of trouble or for long climbs in the mountains at high elevations. I found Jim Cook's 3 hunny to be quite "jumpy' at low throttle settings (Rainy mode, none the less) in tight and technical situations which required me to take my focus off the trail and place my focus on the throttle position. Not conducive to getting it on when doing hand to hand combat with trees in a test section. For me, that is.

Now, I'm not saying you can't race the 3 hunny and be aggressive. Plenty of folks prove this at every Enduro around the world on a weekly basis. You just have to be more "aware" of throttle control. The 250 lets you get away with more in "less sh!t and mo' get" situations.

Therefore, I find the 250 to suit my style. Just a pop of the clutch away from all the power I'll need in any given situation. Once properly geared and jetted, that is.

The really cool thing about these two bikes is that if you buy one or the other, all it takes is a wad of cash and you can make it a 300 or a 250. Just buy a jug and top end. So you really can't make a bad purchase.

Who the hell is Troy Huff anyway????

 

[AZRickD]

I would fit either the KTM or GG 250/300s with mellower throttle cams, jetting and sprockets to suit me.

Rick