Gas Gas 300

As Good As It Gets

"You should put your ZacSpeed bladder in the fridge; it's going to be 38 degrees tomorrow," advised my wife. In fact, the forecasts for that particular tomorrow ranged from 31 to 38 - either way, a bloody hot day to be testing the new Gas Gas EC300. I did as I was told (always the best course of action), and psyched myself up for a slog on some hot trails. I don't mind riding in the heat, but if you're not prepared it can be a bitch.

Instead of being woken by a blazing sun on the morning of the test, I was wrenched out of bed by a 'category five' storm, forcing heavy rain through my bedroom window. The forecast was obviously off, because the only thing coming in at 38 degrees was the rain itself. Nobody likes riding when it's bucketing down, and I was soon getting text messages asking if the test was still on. But it would take more than a bit of wet to keep us off a new Gas Gas - this test was most definitely on.

Riding in the extreme wet requires concentration and commitment. I'm reminded of the line: 'The difference between 'involvement' and 'commitment' can be likened to a breakfast of eggs and bacon: the chicken was 'involved' - the pig was 'committed'.' I can't remember who said it, but it really sums up the way you have to approach the perils of flooded trails. And riding a new bike sure adds some extra spice to the meatball.

The area we were to test offers a range of terrain that, when wet, transforms into a mix of grey mush, red clay, wet logs and monster bog-holes. I resigned myself to the fact that we might see some big offs, and at the end of the day we'd emerge from the bush looking and smelling like extras from a Mad Max movie, but hopefully in one piece.

FANCY SPANIARD
The EC300 is the biggest of the Gas Gas two-stroke range. Like KTM, Gasser has maintained a stable of oil-burners that includes a 200, 250 and of course the EC300. The 2008 model doesn't look a great deal different from the 2007 bike, with only minor changes to the decals to separate them visually.

New, stronger handguards have been fitted and, mercifully, the wooden seat has been dropped in favour for one made of bum-friendly foam, so you can actually sit down in 2008.

The groovy new LCD speedo is a nice touch too. It shows you everything you need to know, including the ambient temperature - which was telling us it was bloody cold.

The 2008 Marzocchi fork has refined settings and like the 250, the EC300 comes with an Ohlins shock. To this add a new, lighter front brake caliper, new headlight assembly and a very clever, rotating left-side switch block.

NO COMPLAINTS
From here on this story is easy to write. The EC300 really doesn't do anything worth complaining about. Right off the bat it feels comfortable, small and light. It fired up easily enough and the engine felt crisp off the bottom, even from the cold start - no coughing and spluttering as dingers usually do.

The first thing I need to get used to on any bike is the front-end. If you don't come to grips with that then it's all downhill from there. We began the ride on a long, fast transit section that in parts had the bikes tapped-out in top gear - even in the wet I know this spot well enough to give a bike a good wringing - but try this on a bike you're not confident on and you might slam the wall that runs the length of the track, or dump the bundle on the hard gravel and sandstone.

I had the Gasser up and running as hard as anything I've ever ridden there in record time, and the front-end just urged me to push even harder.

I like Marzocchis and these puppies are about as good an example as you'll find. Of course, they have to be attached to a great frame package too, so kudos to Gas Gas for getting all the sums right in that department.

The Nissin brakes have a softer feel than the sometimes grabby Brembos on the KTM 300 EXC-E and they do the job well, while clutch lever pull is feather light and everything that all the other little clutches aspire to be. It seems, what's more, that ergonomics do more than anything else to distinguish the European from the Japanese product. The Euros have got it nailed.

The gearbox doesn't give a lot of feedback through the boot and at times didn't feel that it was happy changing under load. It was a very new bike though and I'd expect it to loosen up with a few more miles.

Certainly first and second felt very close, which means you'd almost never find neutral by accident, and the overall gearing ratios were spot-on for any sort of trail riding.

THE DINGER DEPARTMENT
The engine reminds me of a classic two-stroke - snappy off the bottom, with a prominent powerband and a real ringa-ding-ding engine note - along with the gobs of torque expected these days.

Lofting the front wheel is effortless, as is chugging through corners a gear higher than you'd expect.

Hills offer little resistance and are a lot of fun, even in greasy conditions, because the EC seems to find traction anywhere and everywhere.

The bike has a two-stage ignition switch on the handlebars that enables you to switch between traction and blaster modes and, although I've found it to be a feature of negligible value on some bikes, the EC's unit does a good job at allowing you to control the power output at any point on a trail.

GET ONBOARD
Even in the worst conditions, the EC300 was a blast that everyone enjoyed. It could be the most exciting thing to come out of Spain since Penelope Cruz.

It's well thought out and more than capable of allowing a trail rider to have fun, or a racer to take on any opposition.

This is one of the most complete packages we've ridden, and while it's a matter of degrees, on most points it's at least as good as the KTM 300 EXC-E.

However, in our opinion its amazing front-end alone edges it ahead of the Kato in stock trim - which is a big call. If you're gonna get a dinger - give the Gasser a go.