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The predlctllble IIICItOr _ant our tester Ktually .... to ..- first gear In • -.pie crt comen. Once he figured that out, tIIough, It . . came together. This is • strong enduro machine. make contact with a whole host of different manufacturers and suppliers, and that just isn't Boni's style. The second interesting fact that is unearthed when asking if the bike has a different gearbox from the standard bike is that all Gas Gas enduro machines feature the same gearbox as the company's motocross brothers and sisters. Explaining that few riders want the lower first, higher sixth gear that used to be popular a few years ago, ever since the team spent time testing their then-new 250cc twostroke machine with Paul Edmondson, they've fitted a motocross-type gearbox to all enduro machines. Finally, having asked about the suspension, I'm told that the Gas Gas factory only stocks three different shocks. One for the 125cc enduro bike, one for the 125cc motocross bike and 250cc enduro bike and one for the 300cc enduro bike and 450cc four-stroke, or something like that. When it comes to the suspension fitted to Petri's bike, the forks are similar to the 45mm Marzocchi units as come fitted as standard, only with firmer springs. The rear shock, however, is Ohlins' new-for-'04 damper featuring both high- and low-speed compression adjustment - again firmer than standard. Mentioning just two further differences, Boni explains that, while the length of the bike's silencer is standard, it's fitted closer to the joint between silencer and expansion chamber - something that helps aid the motor's bottom-end power. By contrast, the fitting of a lighter, MXstyle ignition system and CDI unit means the motor is able to rev a little more freely than standard. The bike's gearing is 13/50. I was told that, because of his background in ice racing, Petri likes smooth power. Having learned to keep good speed and "smooth lines" around corners, it wasn't long before I was in agreement that it was exactly the type of power that his Gasser produced. With the test venue offering hard, slippery, flat corners, hard-rutted corners, hard flat and rutted corners, and the occasional corner with a dusty berm on its outskirts, the slow-revving power was both easy and difficult to use. Let me explain ... Producing a noticeably smoother type of power than the majority of 125s I've ridden, on one of the long, sweeping left-handers on the test track, the motor's stubborn refusal to build revs quickly meant that every ounce of power it produced was transferred to the rear wheel. With little midrange hit, the bike seemed almost incapable of breaking traction. And while the track was dry, I got the impression that the bike would be a very nifty tool in the wet thanks to its predictable power delivery - the sort that was surprisingly Clubman-friendIy for a WEC racer. When trying to exit the rutted corners, however, I found the bike a little harder to get on with. Feeling like the bike was fitted with a sizable flywheel weight, it seemed that no amount of clutch use would build the required revs to slingshot me out of what I considered to be the second-gear corners on the track. Trying different lines and increased approach speeds, I still failed to exit the rutted comers comfortably. Finally, deciding that rather than requesting that a larger rear sprocket be fitted, j'd use first gear. Bingo. Now able to roll the power on without needing to use the clutch, the smooth tractable power was impressive but not overly punchy. Just as a good enduro bike should be. What I'd really realized there and then was that the bike's power is definitely tailor-made to suit Mr. Pohjamo - more so than most of his competitors' machines are built to suit them. In order to get the best from the motor, you need to use it like Petri does and at the speeds he does. On the few occasions I was able to get close to doing that, the bike showed exactly why it is currently leading the 125cc title chase. Although the test area offered nothing in the way of hills or jumps it was a typically flat Italian motocross special test - the sizeable breaking and acceleration bumps gave an indication of the way in which the bike handled. With its typically Finnish, and very comfortable, flat yet aggressive handlebar setup (a setup almost identical to the team's 300cc machine that I rode last year), I was surprised how open it felt considering the difference in size between the two of us. Offering ease of movement from the front of the bike to the back, it felt typically Gasserish in its ease of maneuverability, despite the steering head's feeling strangely tight. The Gas Gas' gas tank is almost completely hidden. It's a handmade aluminum unit that is placed far inside the front of the bike, allowing the rider to weight the front end very well when needed. The front end of the EC125 stays immensely planted in comers. The Marzocchi forks work really well in this manner. The Ohlin. shock will be new for 2004. It'. a really good unit. On the few high-speed areas of the course, the bike again felt stable, again slightly surprising me considering the difference in our weights. But what was particularly impressive was the positive response from the front wheel. Put simply, wherever I placed it, it would stay. Holding its line in a way that quickly enabled me to become very confident with the bike the fact that the bike never did anything I wasn't expecting it to made riding it harder simple. Just like a good enduro bike should. Well, put simply, Petri's bike is certainly Petri's bike, and what's good for the Finnish World Champion wasn't the easiest of bikes to ride for cue I e this British rider. I was informed that the motor had a very personalized feel, and the Gas Gas technicians were right. With a suspension and chassis combination that is typical Gas Gas - predictable, reassuring and well-mannered - the motor was a little harder to come to grips with than most other 125cc machines I've ridden. Not that it was in any way a bad thing. Excellent at maintaining grip around flat corners due to the strength of the motor's power, only when tackling rutted or bermed corners did the bike take "a bit of getting used to." Once I did, it reminded me just how much fun 125s can be. n e _ os eN • AUGUST 13, 2003 33