Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128156
2003 Gas Gas EC400FSE Quattro t1empos: The long-awaited Gas Gas fourstroke Is finally hent - at least in pre-procluetion fonn. The Spanish company is sertous. (Above) Off-road legend Larry Roeseler tries out the Gas Gas for our camera. Like Gas Gas, Roeseler has some surprtses up his sleeve for the near future. street equipment and going with an FMF exhaust. Incidentally, Gas Gas also plans to offer 2003 model-year performance quads in 300cc two-stroke and 400cc four-stroke renditions, and it is currently working on a line of true motocross-specific machines as well. GIVING IT GAS WE RIDE THE NEW SPANISH THUMPER. STORY AND PHOTOS BY CHRIS JONNUM ~II 0 one is as passionate about IJ~ motorcycles as the Spanish. Road race GP fans have known this for some time, but I first experienced it firsthand at the end of last year, while following the Arras-MadridDakar Rally with Acerbis. The rally crossed the country from top to bottom, primarily via freeway transfer sections, and waving, yelling fans lined the railings of almost every overpass along the way. So into the race is this rapidly developing country that a Spanish company (Telefonica) is the title sponsor for 2003. All of this is a long way of saying that American off-road enthusiasts, accustomed to a sport ruled by motorcycles from Austria and Japan, should consider taking seriously the concept of an off-road bike built by the Spanish - particularly if that bike is made by Gas Gas, one of the many motorcycle-industry companies that we flashed by while speeding down that aforementioned Spanish freeway. Once known primarily for its trials bikes (which it started building in 1975), Gas Gas has been making some pretty decent two-stoke enduro bikes for a while (decent enough, in fact, to have nabbed top-three finishes in the 125 and 250cc Two-Stroke classes at the French World Enduro covered elsewhere in this issue). Currently, Gas Gas sells approximately 50,000 units per year, split more or 36 MAY 29, 2002' cue I • less evenly between trials and enduro machines. Eager to make waves in the lucrative U.S. market, Gas Gas has undergone some business transformations (see sidebar), and it has also decided to enter the high-stakes four-stroke market. I recently got the opportunity to throw a leg over a pre-production version of the 2003 Gas Gas EC400FSE at its press introduction, held at Gary LaPlante's moto haven near Aguanga, California. IN'-'ECTING GAS With aspirations of being a heavy hitter on the world market, Gas Gas knew it was necessary to have a toplevel thumper in its line-up, and the EC has been a while coming. It appears to be worth the wait, as it bristles with top-rung components and innovative features. Gas Gas has decided to follow the example of Yamaha's YZF and WRF and Suzuki's DR-Z by going with a dual-overhead cam design (as opposed to the single-overhead cam utilized by Honda's CRF and KTM). Taking pages from Cannondale, the cylinder is fed via electronic fuel injection, and both ends are suspended by stellar Ohlins components (a less-expensive WP-forked version is also available). Uke KTM, Cannondale and Suzuki, the Gas Gas has an electric starter, along with a smallish kickstart pedal. The frame is a Kawasaki-esque chrome-moly perimeter unit, and the plastic is blood red. n _ vw IS The bike we rode was basically a European street-legal model with the turn signals removed, so it was a bit on the hefty side (claimed dry weight is 260 pounds, but the real number was probably closer to 270). For comparison's sake, Yamaha's WRF and the KTM both have claimed dry weights under 250 pounds, while Suzuki's electric-start DR-Z is closer to the Gas Gas' number. Don't be surprised if the American importer elects to shave a few pounds by removing unnecessary First of all, keep in mind that this is a pre-production bike (it was airshipped in from Spain just days before the intro), and that my time on it was extremely limited. That said, I got a good enough first impression that I could tell Gas Gas has come up with a decent package. Right off the bat, Gas Gas should get props for going with an electric starter, a move we Cycle News editors are praying Yamaha mimics with its 2003 WRs. The magic button fired the motor to Ufe with no problem, although going with the kickstart back-up is quite a challenge (the little lever is best used to coax along a reluctant electric starter during cold-starting, and not completely on its own). Importation Situation Between Gas Gas Motos, S.A.; Gas Gas Motors of America, L.LC.; Gas Gas USA; and Gas Gas North America, it's easy to get confused as to the business dealings of this Spanish motorcycle manufacturer. Here's the lowdown: Gas Gas Motos, S.A. is the company headquarters, which one year ago opened anew, 100,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art fllcility in Salt, Spain. Gas Gas' new U.S. subsidiary is Gas Gas Motors of America, L.L.c., which will coordinate distribution and sales of its fun range of off-road products. Working out of Palm Harbor, Florida, this subsidiary hopes to provide U.S. dealers with prompt and sufficient availability for motorcycles and parts at competitive prices. as well as a fully committed after-sales service. Juan Romero is the president of this company. In going with its own company, Gas Gas terminated its relationship with Gas Gas of North America, which was until recentiy an independent importer and distributor of the company's enduro bikes. This Mississippi company still has some Gas Gas parts that it is selling, but it is no longer officially recognized by the parent company. Personnel from each side are making civil comments about the other on the record, but word has it that legal matters are still pending between the two. In an interesting twist, Gas Gas of North America owner Don Knight says that, literally as this is written, he is in the process of taking over the importation and distribution of Husaberg motorcycles in North America, the rights to which he purchllsed for seven years. This may come as a surprise to some, since the Swedish manufacturer is still 90percent owned by Austrian manufacturer KTM, but this is apparently the approach that the Europeans want to take. Look for an official announcement in an upcoming issue of Cycle News. Oh, and what about Gas Gas USA? The Missouri company, which is headed by Dale Malasek, has long been the U.S. Importer of Gas Gas' line of trials bikes, and it will continue to work hand-in-hand with the new American company under the new arrangement.