GASGAS street bikes in future

[mangocrazy]

Taken from A Crash.Net article on the Gas-Gas MotoGP team

'GASGAS street bikes in future'

Executive Board Member Hubert Trunkenpolz confirmed that the GASGAS brand will follow the path of KTM and Husqvarna by releasing a range of road bikes in future.

“If you want to create awareness for a motorcycle brand then MotoGP is the right platform," he said. "It’s where you reach the most people globally and where we can make GASGAS known and make the GASGAS brand more popular.

"If we also look to the GASGAS brand values then its young and vibrant and it’s clear that MotoGP with its demographics is also the right platform or us. Having two Spanish riders with our old friend Pol and with a rookie – Augusto – I think it is a perfect fit.

"In the future the GASGAS range will be enlarged and expanded with street motorcycles and MotoGP is preparing the ground for these products that will come year-by-year.”

The current GASGAS motocross and enduro range, like Husqvarna, is based on KTM models, a pattern thought likely to continue for the road machines.

Thinking idly - I wonder if this could signal the return of a single cylinder 4T road bike along the lines of the greatly missed (by me) Duke 690? The engine is still in use in KTM/Husqvarna enduro/SM models and also (briefly) in Husqvarna road bikes. They probably wouldn't/couldn't use the Duke name, but a Gas-Gas 690 road bike could be a possibility.

[Skub]

I watch Motogp,does that make me young and vibrating too?

Speaking of vibrating,that's what usually comes to mind when thinking about single pot bikes. The faster you go,the more they tingle.

I have to say,once the engine configuration drops below 3 pots,something is lost for me. Singles sound like a fartbox and twins like a Superdream.

But hey,choice is good in these dying days of the ICE.

[Yorick]

I watch Motogp,does that make me young and vibrating too?

Speaking of vibrating,that's what usually comes to mind when thinking about single pot bikes. The faster you go,the more they tingle.

I have to say,once the engine configuration drops below 3 pots,something is lost for me. Singles sound like a fartbox and twins like a Superdream.

But hey,choice is good in these dying days of the ICE.

My GasGas 300 sounds fantastic . Ring a ding ding etc....

[Skub]

I watch Motogp,does that make me young and vibrating too?

Speaking of vibrating,that's what usually comes to mind when thinking about single pot bikes. The faster you go,the more they tingle.

I have to say,once the engine configuration drops below 3 pots,something is lost for me. Singles sound like a fartbox and twins like a Superdream.

But hey,choice is good in these dying days of the ICE.

My GasGas 300 sounds fantastic . Ring a ding ding etc....

Stinkwheels are exempt.

[Supermofo]

I watch Motogp,does that make me young and vibrating too?

Speaking of vibrating,that's what usually comes to mind when thinking about single pot bikes. The faster you go,the more they tingle.

I have to say,once the engine configuration drops below 3 pots,something is lost for me. Singles sound like a fartbox and twins like a Superdream.

But hey,choice is good in these dying days of the ICE.

I'm biased as I loved my 690, but that engine is unlike any other single I've ever ridden. It's a gem of a motor, the difference between my Duke 2 640cc and the 690 Duke was staggering. For a single it thrives on revs, barely vibrates and makes mental power for a ditch pump. I really wish I could have kept mine.

[Skub]

I'm biased as I loved my 690, but that engine is unlike any other single I've ever ridden. It's a gem of a motor, the difference between my Duke 2 640cc and the 690 Duke was staggering. For a single it thrives on revs, barely vibrates and makes mental power for a ditch pump. I really wish I could have kept mine.

I want one now.

[mangocrazy]

Yeah, it is absolutely as far removed from the stereotype of the single cylinder thumper/plodder as you could imagine. Crazy as it sounds, to me it's a modern 4T reincarnation of the 1980's LC. They have the same DNA.

[Supermofo]

I'm biased as I loved my 690, but that engine is unlike any other single I've ever ridden. It's a gem of a motor, the difference between my Duke 2 640cc and the 690 Duke was staggering. For a single it thrives on revs, barely vibrates and makes mental power for a ditch pump. I really wish I could have kept mine.

I want one now.

Defo try and get a ride at somepoint if you can, really fun without being a pain in the usual single way. On b roads they are aces banging it up and down the box and flinging it about like a bmx. At the same time commuting was better than either of my Firestorm or R6. They also do over 120mph and only weigh 160kg.

[mangocrazy]

Defo try and get a ride at somepoint if you can, really fun without being a pain in the usual single way. On b roads they are aces banging it up and down the box and flinging it about like a bmx. At the same time commuting was better than either of my Firestorm or R6. They also do over 120mph and only weigh 160kg.

Closer to 150kg if you de-cat it... Agree with everything else.

[Tricky]

I found it dull, same as the 390, devoid of character.
It wasn't dreadful, it was competent, but it certainly wasn't exciting in the Duke at 390 or 690, I found myself bouncing off the rev limiter waiting for something to happen.

In a big single SM it might be different because you don't ride it like a road bike, so I fancied the GasGas 700sm.

I like GasGas, they seem to be a bit more willing to try something different.

I reckon that's more you than the bike matey- seriously, I'm not having a pop but I remember you a few years back calling an MT09 dull ( or a washing machine or something?) - a bike with an engine that I wouldn't, and can't remember anyone else ever calling dull, so I reckon maybe you are expecting a lot more or just something different from most bikes than they could possibly give you.

My five bob's worth, FWIW is that it's what you make of them - I do classify some bikes as dull but the 690 and 390 aren't in that list for me, and whilst I don't see myself ever buying a 690 mainly due to the ergonomics, I've found them great fun within their limitations whenever I've ridden them, and I've ridden 3 different ones, both on road and track.
I loved both my 390s too- yeah they are dead slow compared to most modern stuff but I've had great fun on both of mine, again, both on road and track- it's what you make it IMO.
This is my last 390 at Pembrey two years ago- it's slow and a pretty boring video I guess as it was a bit damp so hardly any people out there, but I was having great fun throughout- hopefully you get the idea

[Horse]

I'm not alone in this philosophy, plenty of people call plenty of bikes unexciting, lacking in character, etc.
They either do it for you or they don't. I bet there are plenty of people that would get on my LC or my Rudge and think they're rubbish. Vive la difference.

Perhaps I'm odd, then. I enjoyed just about every bike I've ridden.

Some have been really annoying to ride, admittedly, but that will have been down to them being faulty. Even then, there's sometimes a good story around the issues (like the exhaust header coming loose from a Triumph and dragging along the road at 60blur mph).

I've posted before - probably too many times - that my best-ever biking moment was flat out, downhill, leant over the bars, overtaking a bored-looking bloke in a 911. That was on a Honda CG125. My BMW was in the menders.

MZ TS 250? Ace. With decent tyres, just WFO whenever possible. Full dress 'Wing? Turn up the music, a bit of commitment for corners. VFR800? Play with the variable valve timing.

I might not have liked some, and some may have been frustrating, but I tried to enjoy them.

[mangocrazy]

To mis-quote Samuel Johnson 'When a man is tired of motorcycles he is tired of life'

Awaits incoming

[Horse]

I might not have liked some, and some may have been frustrating, but I tried to enjoy them.

I don't have that philosophy, riding bikes is dangerous so if I don't like it then I don't do it.

As you probably realise from many of my posts, my philosophy was to reduce the risk.

I used to be a bit like you, I had a garage full of bikes

Not quite like me, then - one bike only at any time, daily transport for decades.


Here's an example of enjoying 'adversity':

August, had to trundle up to a major hospital to collect some meds for FinLaw.

Coming back along the M4 there was as near to monsoon rain as the UK gets. All three lanes doing about 40mph.

At this point, my gear's waterproofing failed. When the [warm] water (no, I wasn't a typical incontinent BMW rider) soaked down from crotch to socks, I laughed. Out aloud. Could've cursed, got all grumpy. But saw the funny side of it.

[Taipan]

I loved my 690 Duke. It was quite revvy and didnt feel quite like a typical thumber. But it turned on a sixpence and would deliver you quickly through any set of bends. Proper laugh of a bike. But KTMs dont like me and its terrible build quality nagged at me and then it blew its top end up and cost me a few quid so it had to go. I hated it for blowing up, but (almost) forgave it on the ride back home again!

[mangocrazy]

Anyone who has ever owned a 690 Duke still loves them and secretly hankers after them, even if they dun ye wrong...