GasGas Raga Replica 300... continued
OK, so what is it like to ride? Starting the 300 Pro works best by getting the piston to top dead center first, then without letting the foot come off the lever, get it as high as possible, and using a strong quick prod they will fire up usually on the second kick when cold, first or second when warm. The 300 takes more of a healthy kick than the 280 or 250 but it’s not bad, especially since there is never any kickback to worry about.
The titanium S3 header pipe combined with the JT7 carbon fiber silencer gives the Raga a great exhaust note; deeper and healthier sounding than the aluminum of the standard Pro’s rear silencer. There is never any sticky plate issue with the three fiber plate design of the Pro’s special clutch, so no need to pull the lever a few times while warming up the bike before putting into gear, then off to the sections. As explained last year during the test of the 09 250, the GG Pro is a unique bike in some ways and there can be a period of adjustment when switching over. The clutch has a broad engagement area that hooks up a bit farther away from the bar, and the shift lever is short with a longer travel. Once used to these two things though it may be difficult to switch back only because a traditional clutch could feel more like an on/off switch that engages too close to the bars, and the shifting may not have the same feel through the lever. What really takes a little time to adapt to though is the weight. The magnesium center and clutch cases, titanium header pipe, carbon fiber silencer, and D.I.D rear wheel are what make these six pounds of weight savings compared to the standard Pro, and it is a difference one can feel when riding the bikes together.
A misconception about the Pro’s light weight, that it is unstable and can be deflected off line easily when riding in rocky sections, should be mentioned because I have found them to be very stable, in fact amazingly so considering how light the bike actually is. The front end has a very solid feel both in traditional full lock turns and the modern way of flicking from side to side, but also when doing floating turns when the front wheel is airborne, feels like it’s planted on a rail. The stability is further proven in handlebar adjustment, where the latest bikes are designed to have the bar placement forward past the straight up position (viewing from the side). With the Pro there is none of the “twitchy” back and forth effect you can get through the bars on other machines in rocky terrain even when moving them well forward. The reason some may feel the Pros are unstable is because the bike is much more sensitive to peg pressure due to the light weight, so switching from a heavier machine will naturally cause most riders to use more weight input to maneuver the bike, which when transferred to the Pro can lead to constantly correcting, then over correcting mistakes. Believe me I’ve been there and watched others do the same thing. You really need to relax while riding the GG Pro, and after a little time it becomes a very easy bike to ride, requiring less effort and input to achieve the results.
What will not take any time to adapt to though is the Pro’s riding position, which has evolved now to be just about spot on perfect. The placements of the footpegs have been moved gradually lower and farther rearwards since the first 02 Pro, and this really helps tall riders. The bar to peg relationship is very comfortable, although the new S3 bars are a little lower than the Hebos they replace, something that is noticeable right away. While this might not seem as natural as the Hebos when riding in normal sections, this lower feel is a real help when controlling the front end when attacking any type of climb or obstacle where the bike becomes vertical. All of the controls have a very nice feel, and it’s worth mentioning how nice it is that AJP finally has made a long lever with the center adjuster to match up to the small clutch master cylinder. Now the bike finally has two long levers on each side. The long levers just have a certain feel that many prefer, even when using the perches out more towards the end of the bars and not getting the benefit of the longer length. The brakes work so well on all the current bikes and also since the same AJP calipers are used by everyone other than Beta, there is really no point in mentioning them other than pointing out with the Raga’s weight, one finger is all that is really needed at any time on the front to either get the back end up in the sections or slow the bike down from sixth gear out on the loop. It’s real easy to do any type of trick riding.
These first few minutes of riding the new 09 300 Raga reveal that it is not just the bars and colors that are new, the suspension is definitely more lively on both ends, with a more active feel compared to last year. The bike was brand new out of the crate and the Marzocchi forks and Sachs shock which have a reputation for being very stiff when new requiring break in time to loosen up, now have a plusher feel straight away, without any unwanted movement, or pogo stick effect that a too soft set up can have. Both suspensions are very progressive, being able to soak up the small stuff going slow through rocks, while still absorbing the large impacts without any bottoming when winding the motor out, or when dropping off a tall stream bank. This set up also aids in keeping grip when riding in loose or wet conditions. As usual with the latest GG Pros, the suspension seems perfect out of the crate for about a 170-180 lb. rider. When needed though the forks are multi-adjustable for both preload and return damping and the shock has the familiar bolt that takes care of both at the bottom of the shock body, easily accessible from underneath using an 8mm wrench. To adjust shock pre-load you have to remove the airbox/fender unit, but it’s so easy to take it on and off now, a couple minutes time is all it takes.
Combining this suspension with the solid chassis and light weight allows the rider to conquer all types of obstacles with ease. Going over big logs for example, when compressing the suspension by running the front wheel into the log, is just effortless, even if technique or timing is off, the rear of the bike will still rise up off the ground to contact the log higher when un-weighting. This is very impressive. The high ground clearance aids this as well since it is not necessary to carry the front end so high to avoid contacting the skid plate.
The 300 motor is now well known for its silky smooth power delivery that defies the normal piston surge of a motor this size, and stretches effortlessly when winding it out in each gear. We notice too, that it does run cooler with the new head, the fan doesn’t cycle on and off quite as much and this helps the motor to run more consistent. The gear ratios of the Pro haven’t changed though and that means in the case of the 300 Raga, this is very much a bike aimed at the best riders out there, or the ones with the best throttle control. This is after all, the chosen motor of Raga, who won all of his six world titles after switching to the 300 (from the 280). First gear is very high; the power although extremely smooth, is very quick and very deceptive, especially with the Raga’s Keihen 28mm carb, which helps this very smooth delivery throughout the range but also gives a boost to the mid and top range of the Pro’s power delivery, compared to the 26mm Dellorto on the standard Pro. Being so light, this all adds up to a rather extreme power to weight ratio, that can certainly get the lesser skilled riders into a lot of trouble in a very short amount of time.
The bike doesn’t seem too powerful in easy smooth sections, but get in over your head in difficult going, grab a handful of throttle at the wrong time and you just might expect to have the Raga launch into orbit.
It can absolutely fly in stock form, and riding this bike just makes you want to find the biggest, most insane obstacle, the one you never tried before, because what becomes planted in the mind at that time is “Yes I can do that!” The Raga in third gear will just flatten ledges and steep hills like nothing else. The gearing though great for these obstacles and launching from a standing start becomes too much when riding traditionally though. With both wheels on the ground in tight twisty sections is where you have to use the clutch so much it seems sometimes it never is fully engaged before having to clutch again. What makes the bike even quicker than in the past is that for 09 the Raga comes with the 41T rear sprocket (instead of the 42T in all previous editions) as on the standard Pro, but the 42T is packaged in the crate. The majority of GG Pro owners out there prefer to gear the bike down, replacing the standard 11T front sprocket with a 10T. The Pro’s motor is one that will rev to the moon it seems, so as mentioned before all the gears will stretch out very well regardless of what front sprocket is preferred, and changing to the 10T front and 42T rear will allow much more options.
Instead of using first for just about everything except for steep climbs and ledges, second becomes a real option even in tight going, and third will be the choice on anything big. Fourth, fifth, and sixth gear will still be plenty high enough for out on the trail getting between the sections as well. There are other very simple changes that can be made to make the Raga 300 very easy to ride such as; switching to a slow turn throttle, adding a flywheel weight, and Boyesen Power Reeds, all of which were done to the bike during the time of testing, and it really is amazing how much easier the Raga will become to ride. Especially in slippery conditions where throttle control doesn’t have to be so precise and the lower gearing will help the use of second and third much more.
This leads to a good question that has been asked more than once. Why go through the trouble of having the most powerful model only to just do what amounts to de-tuning it?.. The answer is that the larger displacement machines have that advantage of pulling farther down under load and coming back on with less effort, making it much easier to pull out of trouble on climbs and so forth. When making these mods to the Raga 300 the motor will become very tractor like, to the point where using second gear is not much different than using first, grip is easier to find and keep, and the big motor is so smooth, the normal disadvantage of that “bonk-bonk” piston surge just doesn’t apply.
The Raga Replica 300 is an extraordinary machine, using the latest in the manufacturer’s technology yet adding what the average rider wants; all the racing special parts. All at a price when adding everything up comes out to an amazing deal considering what these special bits available from the GasGas Power Parts catalog will cost if purchasing separately.
One thing worth explaining is the sometimes confusing model year designation which is really one year behind. The new Raga should be labeled a 010, not a 09, since it has all the 010 improvements and then some. The original Raga was a current machine with all the racing parts, but it has gradually evolved into the next year’s bike, so why is this? The reason as explained by Malasek has to do with the bike’s V.I.N. Since the frames are actually made in 09, they cannot put a 010 V.I.N. on there. The factory’s fiscal year starts in July and by then the bikes are already produced.
.. So, is the Raga perfect? Of course not, but you have to look long and hard. The ability of grip in slippery conditions was mentioned before as the usual case is with all the manufacturer’s largest displacement bikes, so if you subscribe to the “When in doubt gas it” theory of riding, and prefer to ride the bike in standard form, the 280 (GG is the only manufacturer to offer two over 250 options in their two stroke line up) or the 250 would be a better option. The black swingarm, spokes, and forks, along with the titanium anodized rims and pegs all look great but scratches and gouges will show up more than on the clear coated aluminum of all past Ragas. But there is no need to worry about scratching the gold paint on the frame since there is a can of touch up paint included with each bike.
The new Behr radiator’s paint finish is not up to the rest of the bike’s quality, it could be better. The radiator is also exposed to impacts at the top where it sticks past the frame, but it could be said that if the bike is going to receive an impact there enough to do anything but cosmetic damage, the radiator would be the last thing to worry about!
The plastic steering stop on the frame is too thick, restricting the amount of steering stop for full lock turns. We applaud GasGas for even using this piece and not just having the bottom triple clamp act as the stop by clanking off the frame, but it doesn’t have to be so thick. It is easy to make it thinner though, by removing the piece, then using either sandpaper (which takes longer) or a dremel tool with the barrel, turbine vein bit to carve enough material away, and this will make a big difference in the amount of steering lock the bike has.
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It took a lot longer to find the Raga’s main flaw though, and that is; as usual every year here in the States, they are all gone.
In finishing, what comes to mind while standing here looking at the 09 Raga Replica is the image of the rider introductions for the final round of the World Indoor Trials Championship in Madrid, which was the official debut of the 09 by Adam Raga this past March. The camera in typical fashion goes down in front of the rider line up stopping by each one trying to get the usual response of waving to the camera and so forth. When the camera got to Raga he waved, then jokingly leaned over, breathed on the tank of his bike and rubbed it with the palm of his hand as if polishing a jewel. Enough said.
..Thanks again to Matt Liberatore for this very concise test.
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