Finally after a few months I was able to corner Matt T and beg him for a ride. Perhaps the condition of my 2005 RB-modded DE250 frightened him off for a while. 
It was after our qualifier enduro in the desert of San Manuel, Arizona north of Tucson. www.amraracing.com I was sore and tired from 66 miles of test sections and transfers and my clutch hand had two blisters, but I gave it my best.
I fired it up and ran it down the road to the first transfer section of our race. The clutch lever was buttery smooth. The brakes were strong and easily modulated.
Matt had done very little to the bike save for breaking in the Sachs/Sachs (oops, Ohlins/Zokes) suspension and eventually getting it re-valved for rocks. Matt is a fast 250A/30A racer but he thought the stock bike was too stiff even for him. He spent some time to get it broken in but he eventually went to the professional. His tuner did a great job. The bike is still stiff for me (slow B racer), but it was compliant and planted. If only I could manage to average another 5mph on the course.
Note: Matt, is a big dude, but he has yet to re-spring it for his weight.
Matt put in a new needle and had been working on jetting for the first couple of weeks of ownership. I found the 300 to be very nice off idle, but it signed off a little early. This was on the street, so that might be environmentally related. Perhaps it was a little lean on top (MJ=170). Once on the single track I never noticed it.
I hit the trails and felt the power roll on. I hit some straight jeep roads and repeated what my road impression was on the 300. It was very smooth from idle to sign-off. Smoother, in fact, than my 250. I did this with the CDI map on both Sun and Rain. The switch wasn't quite as noticeable as it had been on other Gasser 300s I've ridden, but it took a bit of the edge off the power. Some switches (on base model EC300s) have made it a little difficult (or at least slow) to get on the pipe. I would need a lot more time on the bike for a final verdict on the switch.
Through the twistier sections of single tract I had a lot of opportunity to see how the bike accelerated out of corners. Frankly, I was expecting more from the power, as compared to my mighty RB-modded DE250. But then I realized that my bike sports a 52T rear sprocket while Matt still has his stock 48T unit. Clay Stuckey told me that he prefers a 50T.
Of course, perceptions can be confused. While I lamented the lack of stand-out power, I was having to brake *massively" when approaching the next corner. Apparently the 300 was hurtling me faster than I could register by the seat of my cactus-violated butt.
It appears that the 2011 turns even quicker than the 2008 model that I last rode which was faster than my 2005. Not nearly enough miles to get a good feel for it, but the bike pointed very accurately. If it was not for the extra speed I was entering into corners (until I get used to it), I think the bike was handling easier than my '05. I didn't get a feel for ease-of-roll-in as compared to the new KTMs (which have improved markedly). Roll-in on the GG was quick but I can't make a comparison yet.
After a few miles, I started feeling guilty, so I headed up a long sand wash to see what the upper gears felt like. The gear box shifted positively and the bike was stable in the sand wash at speed. For the life of me I can't recall if he had a stabilizer mounted.
I arrived back at the race camp ground to see Matt waiting expectantly for his baby. No motorcycles were injured in the production of this Ride Report.
It was after our qualifier enduro in the desert of San Manuel, Arizona north of Tucson. www.amraracing.com I was sore and tired from 66 miles of test sections and transfers and my clutch hand had two blisters, but I gave it my best.
I fired it up and ran it down the road to the first transfer section of our race. The clutch lever was buttery smooth. The brakes were strong and easily modulated.
Matt had done very little to the bike save for breaking in the Sachs/Sachs (oops, Ohlins/Zokes) suspension and eventually getting it re-valved for rocks. Matt is a fast 250A/30A racer but he thought the stock bike was too stiff even for him. He spent some time to get it broken in but he eventually went to the professional. His tuner did a great job. The bike is still stiff for me (slow B racer), but it was compliant and planted. If only I could manage to average another 5mph on the course.
Note: Matt, is a big dude, but he has yet to re-spring it for his weight.
Matt put in a new needle and had been working on jetting for the first couple of weeks of ownership. I found the 300 to be very nice off idle, but it signed off a little early. This was on the street, so that might be environmentally related. Perhaps it was a little lean on top (MJ=170). Once on the single track I never noticed it.
I hit the trails and felt the power roll on. I hit some straight jeep roads and repeated what my road impression was on the 300. It was very smooth from idle to sign-off. Smoother, in fact, than my 250. I did this with the CDI map on both Sun and Rain. The switch wasn't quite as noticeable as it had been on other Gasser 300s I've ridden, but it took a bit of the edge off the power. Some switches (on base model EC300s) have made it a little difficult (or at least slow) to get on the pipe. I would need a lot more time on the bike for a final verdict on the switch.
Through the twistier sections of single tract I had a lot of opportunity to see how the bike accelerated out of corners. Frankly, I was expecting more from the power, as compared to my mighty RB-modded DE250. But then I realized that my bike sports a 52T rear sprocket while Matt still has his stock 48T unit. Clay Stuckey told me that he prefers a 50T.
Of course, perceptions can be confused. While I lamented the lack of stand-out power, I was having to brake *massively" when approaching the next corner. Apparently the 300 was hurtling me faster than I could register by the seat of my cactus-violated butt.
It appears that the 2011 turns even quicker than the 2008 model that I last rode which was faster than my 2005. Not nearly enough miles to get a good feel for it, but the bike pointed very accurately. If it was not for the extra speed I was entering into corners (until I get used to it), I think the bike was handling easier than my '05. I didn't get a feel for ease-of-roll-in as compared to the new KTMs (which have improved markedly). Roll-in on the GG was quick but I can't make a comparison yet.
After a few miles, I started feeling guilty, so I headed up a long sand wash to see what the upper gears felt like. The gear box shifted positively and the bike was stable in the sand wash at speed. For the life of me I can't recall if he had a stabilizer mounted.
I arrived back at the race camp ground to see Matt waiting expectantly for his baby. No motorcycles were injured in the production of this Ride Report.
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Thanks for sharing
