Impressions of the '08 EC200, EC300 and FSR450

bergerhag

Silver Level Site Supporter
My local dealer arranged to have three of the 2008 Gasgas enduros available for test driving this weekend. I got the opportunity to beat the crap out of them all on our club enduro trail.

First of all I must say that I am very impressed by the finish and build quality of these bikes, Gasgas is really getting it together. They have finally assembled a product that can back up an advertising campaign in the 'orange' class. With a little more podiums for the gassers in the WEC and in the national championships, there migth be a need to build a bigger factory.

Big Five beware!

Overall impressions:
They are truly race ready bikes, with nice extra gadgets to help any serious racer to keep the bike in race condition. For instance the fork stanchion tube guards, a sturdy piece of plastic kept in place by a steel clip will certainly keep the lower part of the tupes scratch free when driving in muddy situations. The stock tapered bars also make the bike feel ready for racing, however the sweep of the stock bars are too small for my liking. Overall, I see a lot of reinforcements on places that were weaker on my 2005 FSE, and that, in my opinion, is the way to go, fine tune the bikes over and over again, instead of putting in a massive amount of money to make totally new desgns every year.
The graphics are beautiful, and the front plastics, fender and head light make up for a stable design without the need for extra stabilizers.

Riding the EC200.
This must be the perfect bike for the casual racer/rider. Pulls lightly from the bottom, and can be lugged in low rev without complaining. It is not at all very strong off the bottom, but for a laid back trail ride it would keep me lasting all day. Still, if keept 'on th e pipe' it shows its claws, and when riding with more attack, the bike respond is good but still won't exhaust its pilot. There is a clear difference in pull between on and off the pipe, and althought overall power output is low, it can still surprise the too laidback rider. This bike is definately on my 'wanted'-list.

Riding the EC300.
This is raw power all the way. The bike feels as if 'on the pipe' all the time. For serious racing, this machine is for you. The power output when riding aggressive is astounding, and all the time I rode it I ended up hitting the brakes very hard after each straight, because I was coming in to the corners much faster than on the EC200. The amount of speed I was able to pick up out corners really put a smile on my face. With the power this machine can deliver, it was impossible not to twist it hard, I love that acceleration, but it wears me out quickly. Not that the power delivery is particularly tricky to control, no,no. On the contrary power delivery is smooth and consistent all throu the rev range and can easily be lugged really low, just like the 200, but vastly more powerful. (I did have a few spinouts on wet rocks, but I didn't check tyre pressures on the bikes so it would be a little to soon to rule out the bike as having bad tractablility.)
What wears me out is that I cant help myself twisting the throttle just a little bit extra, just for the kick of the raw power. :D
If I was aiming at the top this would be my stallion for sure.

The FSR450.
The new 450 is a vast improvement over my '05 FSE, with the displacement shifted lower and overall lighter then earlier years, it feels nearly as light as the 300. What differs the FSR from the EC's is that the weight has a larger front bias due to the heavier engine and fuel tank extending higher at the top near the tank cap. This front weight bias makes the bike dive a little into pot holes and it makes me feel a little insecure. Sweep of stock bars and that there are no risers installed, exaggurates the front bias for me, 'cause I am a 'top heavy' rider :rolleyes: With the sweep of my favourite bars and a 30 mm riser, this problem would go away.:rolleyes: Starting the new FSR with the Kokusan EFI is much improved. Just a little touch of the button, and it purrs like a cat. The bike I got to ride had its exhaust pipe inserts removed, which opens it up quite a bit, and it was almost too powerful, tugging my arms and hands when rolling on the throttle without the proper body stance to back it up. Even though the bike is powerful, i did not notice any tractability problems, the power is transferred down to the trail without the spinouts I got on the EC300.
I'll have another one of these again, please.

And oh, the seats are really hard, but they are not uncomfy. It would be nice to have a long ride to test the seat.

All in all there is no need for a brand change when the times come for a bike upgrade. Go, Gasgas, Go.
 
Nice details, you were even honest enough to share your negative opinions. Sounds like the Gassers are still quality machines.
 
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