Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

w ith such control, bu t since such skills are a must, they will be developed quickly. To me, trials bikes always feel softly suspended, but then again, why would a trials rider need 12 inches of stiff suspension travel? Honestly, I can't comment on the upside-down vs, conventiona l fork argument as it pertains to trials bikes. For me, the bike as a who le worked wonderfully. Throughout the event weekend, I found myself learning more and more with each lap I made aro und the event loop. Where I was dabbing, and in several cases - crashing - at the beginning of the weekend, I later found m y self pulling off cleans that made me feel like Jordi himself. Obstacles that originally struck fear into my heart became cleana ble sections, as I realized that I had been lookin g at each challenge from a motocrosser's viewpoint. I had to constantly remind myself that while a rocky, slippery ascent wo uld _ be almost impossible on a MXer, it was _ easily conq uered on the pwpose-buil t Gas Gas . The brakes - on both ends - were more than adequate, and once I got used to the strange shift lever location, the transmission worked flawlessly. If I had to snivel about something, only two things come to mind. Though the colorful Gas Gas log os on the fuel tank shroud loo k quite trick, one accidental over fill will leave them peeling. The entire shroud is sealed with what appears to be a clear coat of paint, but it does little to resist the cutting power of gasoline. My other snivel? The exhaust pipe gets quite hot, and instantly bums thro ugh the rider's leathers. I encountered this sensation while sitting down, riding the street portions of the loop. The pi pe not only burned thro ugh my leathers, but through my socks and CTi knee brace as well. Ouch. Needless to say, I was hooked after two full days of riding through the hills of Andorra, and upon arriving home in the States, placed an order for a JT25 of my own. I've gotta get rid of the "beginner" status somehow, right? .flJonn o/fneda, Age: 26 Height/weight: 5'10" / 170Ibs. Riding ability: Beginner c1ass trials he first thing that comes to mind when you get on a JT250 is how easy it is to ride. When compared with other trials bikes, the JT is the easiest to balance and has a neutral feel tha t inspires confidence. The riding position makes you feel one with the bike, and the JT is one of the most forgiv ing bikes around. In many instances, the Gas . Gas will get you out of trouble, instead of making thin gs worse. Mechanically, the brakes and suspension are .the bike's strong points. Though they req uire a short break-in period, the brakes work great and remain consistent. The s uspension is excellent, working equally well over both small and large obstacles. It d oes, however, take considerable effort to set up the suspension when the bike is new. The conventional Paioli forks are way too stiff out of the box, but this can be remedied by doing a couple hours of fast trail riding. Likewise, the rear shock is stiff when new, but it too loosens up after a couple hours of riding. After 3040 hours of riding, you have to readjust the preload on both ends, as they ten d to soften up a bit too much. Once properly set up, the Gas Gas suspension will deliver smooth actio n throughout the entire ' stroke and get traction in almost any conditions. The engine is super smooth - it feels Y (Left) Matt Moore takes to the air. "The bike Is well balimced, and li kes to be ridden hard," says Moore. (Right) The conventional Paloll forks do a great Job of absorbing the blows associated with trials riding. The front disc brake may be small, but It's strong. (Below) With the fuel tank removed, access can be had to many of the bike's major components. I j i . like an electric mo tor. The power is very usable and predictable, but can also be ve ry quick and high-revving when you need it to. This allows for that quick burst of power you need when attacking a large obstacle. Personally, I find tha t it takes m o re effort to ri de difficult sections aboa rd the JT250 than it would on a larger-displacement machine. As a former big-bore rider, I think the grunt of a bigger engine makes it easier to get out of trou ble. The 250 is an excellent engine, but I can't wait to try next year's Gas Gas JT320! As far as maintenance goes, the Gas Gas is extremely easy to work on. By simply re moving the gas tank (no tools required ), you have complete access to the carburetor, airbox, radia tor, spark plug, etc. If I had to, I could take the carburetor off, chan ge all the jets, and reassemble the b ike in about three m in u tes . The hydraulic clutch is virtually maintenancefree, and the brakes are fairly easy to service. The only gripe I have, is that the w h eel spacers a ren't permanently a ttached. This can be frustrating when you are trying to put your wheel on in a hurry. O verall , the JT250 is a n excellent ma ch ine. A Ch ampionship or Beginner class rider can ride it with equal success. My wife Carolyn, who is a Novice class rider, and I ride identical ]T25Os with only slight suspension differences. With its stable chassis and versatile engine, the Gas Gas JT250 is hard to beat. ~&uun Age :2B Height/weight: 6'0" / 165 Ibs. Riding ability: Championship c1ass trials he Gas Gas JT25.0 likes to be punished. I've found that the more aggressively you ride it, the better the bike performs. Though the bike is forgiving enough for beginners, it works even better when a more advanced rider is aboard. This year, the Gas Gas comes with a longer swingarm. Until you get used to it, it seems like the added length makes the bike harder to hop. The longer swingarm does, in fact, allow the bike to get a lot more traction, and the bike also goes up the big steps much easier. Trick riding is not a problem on the Gas Gas, as it hops and balances quite well Y I think that the hydraulic clutch is the best in the busi ness. It p rovides a very progressive feel, and it allows you to really fish for traction while you are slipping it. No ma tter how bad you abuse th e clutch, it never fades an d always has the same feel. The n ew co n ve n tiona l-s ty le Pa io li forks have a lower center of gravity, and they make it really easy to hop the. front wheel. They' re also easy to d ial in; they have adjustabl e damping wi th bleeders. The only bad thing abou t the new forks is that they are unprotected. It seems fairly easy to damage the fork tube in a crash, especially if you are in a rocky area. The front fender is adjustable, so that at muddy events, you won't get m ud stuck between it and the front wheel. In my opinion, there aren't many bikes that make more power than the Gas Gas. The engine produces strong power from the bottom on up, and it can deliver a quick burst upon demand. The powerful engine makes it easy to power up big ledges, but it can also be chugged around when things get slippery. The Gas Gas is probably th e easiest bike to work on. To do a lot of the regular maintenance, you don't even need a set of tools. oHauoHooUJ Age: 15 Height/weight: 5'10" / 150 Ibs. Riding ability: Championship c1ass trials Gas Gas JT250 Ust Price $5195 Displeeenleilt ' , . ,237,9cc . : ..•. . ,Uquid-COOled ~ Engine typil single-eylinder two-stroke Bore x stroke .• : . . •. . .. . . . . . .71 x 60mm Carburetlon , . .26mm Del'Lorto Ignition Electronic Transmission , 6-speed StarUng system Kick Fuel capacity . •. ••. • . . . . • . . . . .. 1.04 gal. Wheelbase . •. .. . •. •• •. . •. . •. .. •532 in. Seat height , 27.6in. Front lire .. ; ; 2.75 x 21 Rear lire Front wheel travel Rear wheel travel Front brake Rear brake Final drive Claimed dry weight .4.00 x18 6.8 in. 6.8 in. Disc Disc , , .. , Chain 171 .6Ibs. '0\ 8:. ..-4 ...0 N ~ OJ Gas Gas USA 7801 Eastside D . Kansas City. 1.10 64152 8161741·7615 .g ..... u o 31

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