When Debbie Evans-Leavitt was pioneering her trials path for other women to follow (competing in the National Championship class on a TY175 Yamaha) several years ago, she was asked in an interview what the most difficult part of trials competition was. Her reply, “Turning the switch” was unexpected but made perfect sense as she explained that in trials you have to go slow and precise in the sections, and then turn a switch to go fast on the course in between the sections, then turn it back and start over.
  This is something that is often overlooked when the discussion comes up as to why trials riders do so well at other forms of off road competition. It’s not just the balance and bike control skills developed. Since trials events are timed, whether it’s the low key four hours for local events, or the 6 and one half hour and up plus one half hour grace period with penalty points for the National and World Championship events, the rider will have to make up time. On top of this, the sections laid out throughout the course can only be walked, not practiced beforehand which leads to the waiting game of watching others go first. Naturally, the quicker the rider can get from one section to the other means more time on hand to stop and look over possible changes in upcoming sections and this leads to some really fast riding, especially by the top riders. Going fast out on the trail is also a way to let off steam and just plain fun, and allows the rider a nice diversion from the super technical way a trials machine needs to be ridden between the section cards. Trials riders look forward to rides on enduro bikes so when GasGas USA importer Dale Malasek asked if there was interest in picking up a 450 FSR that Don Thurber had been testing for Dust Off Road magazine, I don’t think the words were out of his mouth before answering yes, asking when it would be available.

  With more and more riders crossing over from trials to enduro (and vice versa) than ever before, it was perfect timing. The 08 GasGas 450 FSR on test represents the third evolution of the big GG four stroke. The first was the 400 FSE that debuted in 2003 with the second being the 450 in 05. This third generation of the 450 four stroke evolved with many significant improvements that are worth mentioning. These included the overall width of the machine being narrowed by 20mm, the rear suspension upgraded with stronger welds, the steering angle was reduced one degree to 26 degrees (for more stability), along with the engine being lowered and rotated forward, the plastic was changed to the newer quick release seat that is longer and narrower, the air filter was changed, the engine crank cases were shell mold and 800 grams lighter, the crank bearings were changed (roller on the left, ball on the right), the engine was changed to allow more oil flow as well as the breather system to reduce the internal crankcase pressure, the cam chain guides were altered and the kick start gears strengthened... This isn’t all, as the cylinder heads were changed with different intake and exhaust ports and the cooling system passages in the cases were opened up from 15mm to 22mm. The radiator was also changed as was the water pump to allow 41% more coolant flow. There were also changes made to the wiring as the EFI system and lighting were separated so that a blown bulb would not cause a short in the injection system. Also kick starting the bike only would take three seconds of power to charge the system. Likewise, when turning on the fuel system via the starter button, after three seconds, power is shut off from the ECU to keep the battery from being drained....

 ...Riding an enduro bike after spending so much time on trials machinery presents a true dilemma in that there is so much suspension travel, stability and speed on hand it makes one giddy, yet at the same time there is the huge weight difference and lower ground clearance that makes going over larger obstacles like big logs (smaller ones are a piece of cake, just the use of trials techniques with the throttle and weight transfer and nothing to it), you better make sure the front end is high enough because until used to the bike, trips over the bars could be in order and yes, this is personal experience!
  It must be tough for GasGas and the other trials manufacturers (Beta and Sherco) who also produce Enduro bikes because they are known for trials first, therefore it seems because of this their go fast machines don’t really get the respect deserved. On top of this they must compete with not only the Japanese big three but the big orange KTM machine and the other Euro manufacturers, Husaberg, Husky, and TM as well. But there is an advantage that the trials factories have and this is that trials background and experience that crosses over. GasGas of course has always been known more for trials world wide, Jordi Tarres and Adam Raga have made sure of that. But, the founders of double G, Narcis Casis and Josep Pibernat, were both Enduro Champions of Spain. So it would naturally be no coincidence that the brand they founded with the same name of their motorcycle shop they started out with specializing in trials parts, accessories, while also selling Bultacos would become very serious when it came to producing Gas Gas' for the rest of the off road market. The GasGas enduro line has become well known in the US for several years now as a brand equipped out of the crate with quality components normally seen as aftermarket, such as complete FMF exhaust systems on the EC two-strokes and forward thinking in design to include coolant overflow tanks, but it is the trials influence that really does set them apart.
  The bar peg relationship is often criticized for being a bit too cramped but is trials influenced, as is the lower seat height and narrow chassis (compared to other makes) which allows more body movement for weight transfer. Same goes for the suspension, the Marzochhi Shiver forks (Sachs forks are standard after 08) and Sachs rear shock although set up for the average rider, just seem more at home in the tougher slower going sections than flat out in high gear over deep ruts out on the trail. The bike on hand was fitted with a few aftermarket items, thanks to Thurber. Guts seat foam and cover (looking really cool with the GasGas logo), a Hyde racing plastic skid plate offering great protection not only for the engine cases and frame tubes but the header pipe as well, Maxxis IT tires, and lower gearing with a 48 tooth rear sprocket (46 is stock). Starting the 450 proved easy, whether using the starter button or kickstart. Just press the handlebar thumb switch; it’s just a matter of waiting those three seconds for the fuel pump to prime. The engine has a great exhaust note that is also quiet with the standard baffle, that was easily made to be removed but more on that later. After allowing a couple minutes to warm up and just as the enduro rider who rides a trials bike for the first time over revs the machine so as not to stall, the trials rider will usually under rev an enduro bike and stall it out the first time. Yep, that starter button is really nice. The clutch pull although heavy compared to a GG Pro is nice and light for a big 450 Enduro and clutch action is very precise, but it should be no surprise, since GasGas put the first hydraulic clutch into off road production back in 92 and has a lot of experience doing away with the cable. The motor is very smooth, pulls all the way through the range and thanks to one of the GasGas racing programs installed in the ignition, the bike is very powerful and very quick. This program gives the motor almost a two stroke power curve yet at the same time has this controllable feel through the throttle that the fire- every- other- stroke motors are known for.
  Taking the bike through the fast trails is fun, although the bike weighs in at over 100 lbs. more than the GasGas Pro it doesn’t feel that heavy and is very precise and agile. Squaring off turns is just as easy as stuffing into any berm, the Nissin brakes work well slowing the bike down and the easy shifting tranny and instant throttle response from the fuel injection allows for quick exits from the corners. The ergos are great although the only thing I might have liked were the footpegs to be just a little lower and rearwards. Using a combination of trails and trials sections provided us with sort of a pseudo Endurocross course if you will, and it was here that the big 450 came into its own proving its strengths, but also the weaknesses. The first thing noticed was the Bing throttle body, Kokusan ignition, and Magnetti Marelli injection works flawlessly but is sensitive to idle speed at slower going. Picking through the rock section the bike exhibited some of that jerky on-off throttle action that a fuel injected bike can have until getting used to it, and also the occasional four stroke cough and stall.
  Turning the throttle cable adjuster on the throttle body up some eliminated the stalling and really helped smooth out the throttle response to a point where the bike was almost like riding a high geared, monster Montesa 4RT! But, the slower rough going shows the weight of the big stroker and also the weight up high. Although the KX type perimeter frame is nearly identical to the two stroke EC series, the combination of the larger, heavier motor and tank carrying the fuel up higher makes the rider work harder, especially when needing leg work to get out of trouble. The engine is more forgiving than the ECs, but the two strokes are definitely more nimble. Although the bike was geared down with a 48 tooth sprocket, it still seemed a little too tall and the stock bars had been cut down to the point of making them feel a little too narrow and also were low.
  Personal preference of course, but a call to Mark Berg at GoFasters (the parts importer for the GasGas Enduro line) had us set up with a Moose racing 50 tooth rear sprocket and a pair of Moose Dick Burleson bend bars. Both made a big difference, the bars in the feel being a bit higher and leverage with the extra width, and the two additional teeth on the rear helping to get better control of the machine not only in the tough trials sections but also out on the trail, where more power could be put to the ground and it would just explode out of corners. Mark also supplied us with a beefy TM design works plastic chain guide to replace the now hammered stock metal roller set up. Removing the baffle in the silencer really woke the bike up, adding more grunt down low, giving the motor a broader powerband, adding more power while making the bike easier to ride at the same time. Unfortunately, it added a lot more decibels and made the riding area at Randy Smith’s property in Hillsborough, VA sound like a rider out for practice at a Supercross, so we put it back in. Even though it was alright here on private property in the mountains, what is the old saying? Less sound equals more ground.
The stock AJP clutch lever was replaced with an ARC Racing billet lever from Ryan Young Products, made for the AJP master cylinder. Knowing from trials use that the multi-adjustable ARC lever provides more leverage for a softer pull, it was a big help in providing just that much more clutch control for one finger operation without getting tired. The bike was working really well at this point except that the Maxxis IT tires were great on the trail and especially the muddy and loose terrain, just didn’t give the feel wanted for rocks and slippery logs and tree roots. Swapping out the knobby on the rear for a Dunlop 803 trials tire gave instant traction and feel on anything that the Maxxis couldn’t dig into and a great sense to what was going on through the rear suspension. The Dunlop 803 is well known in trials for the tough sidewalls that resist flats at low trials pressures so it was the perfect choice.
  About the suspension, we tried a number of settings and ended up with the rear Sachs shock at about 5 inches of sag along with the forks on the quickest rebound and compression settings. In trials, bikes are set up by most riders softer for more feel with body weight transfers working as an extension with the suspension and that is what we were trying to find here. Taking the bike through the Endurocross section one last time works well, the suspension soaks up everything but being a little out of shape going over the big log and “thump”, the bike stalls out. This brought to mind how great it would be to try some type of auto clutch on this thing, that would be perfect when the rider is tired, and I’m completely hammered at this point, after several hours of riding on this last day with the bike. But thanks again to that electric start, the 450 FSR roars back to life one more time. Perhaps taken for granted by some off roaders, that electric start is an absolute luxury for any trials rider, because of the sometimes amazingly awkward, difficult angles trials bikes can be at on the steepest inclines when needing a re-start.

 For over eight months we had the GG 450 FSR in every type of terrain and weather imaginable. The Mid-Atlantic east provides some real extremes with the weather during the changing seasons. There is the humid and dry air, the rain and the snow, and the muddy and very dry terrain. Heat during the test was as high as 98oF, and the cold down to 18oF, yet the Gasser ran the same every single time out, started right up and never missed a beat during the entire time, a real testament to the fuel injection development of the bike, and the person behind this development at GG, Brian Gillen.
Crating the big Gasser up upon completion of the test while realizing how much fun the bike was had me thinking that one of these should be a choice to ride all the time. The big 450 was easy to ride, stone reliable, easy to service and work on, so let’s see, I have all the gear, proper enduro clothing, knee/shin guards, boots, and goggles, now just need a new full coverage helmet….