gas gas sm450 impressions

[Mattallica]

anybody have one of these or ridden one so as to get a good impression?

I'm thinking of getting away from the crotch rockets and maybe moving over to a street legal motard...Th DRZ seems a little weak from my past experience..it has potential, but the gas gas 450 looks to be where I would like to get the suzuki.

just wondering if anybody has any pros/cons experience with them

[supertireguy]

Haven't ridden one but they look like good bikes. Dealer support and parts might be tricky to find but available. Where is the nearest GasGas dealer near you? With Barrett Marketing Group (BMG) beginning to distribute GasGas products in the USA we should see some improvement in support and parts availability.

[Mattallica]

about 10 miles away...I was in the showroom today sitting on the motard ('05) model...felt pretty good...I know the owners fairly well...they even offered to let me take a small test ride at their local track when I was ready.

just looking to see if anybody had one.

they look pretty trick with the fuel injection, ohlins suspension, slipper clutch,etc,,. ?

[runarpet]

I'm going to change my FSE450 in to a SM model ?

[Mal_B]

anybody have one of these or ridden one so as to get a good impression?

I'm thinking of getting away from the crotch rockets and maybe moving over to a street legal motard...Th DRZ seems a little weak from my past experience..it has potential, but the gas gas 450 looks to be where I would like to get the suzuki.

just wondering if anybody has any pros/cons experience with them

I've got an FSE450 - are you interested in hearing about that or just the SM model?

mal

[Enduro_Nut]

I owned the '05 450fse(non motard) - nice bike, very reliable, injection is VERY nice, turn in was fantastic and the suspension was the best I've had from a stock bike. I sold it only because I prefer the longer stroke over the short stroke.

GasGas are a great bike. ?

[Mattallica]

lay it on me bro!

is it comparable to a Japanese 450?

[Mal_B]

OK.

I came off a DRZ400E so I can also give you a comparison.

The first thing you will notice about the bike is the quality of the finish. Everything from the Ohlins shock to the Domino controls just screams quality. The suspension on mine is still set to stock and is too hard for me but of course there's ample adjustability (I think theres something like 55 compression clicks on the shock).

Compared to the DRZ, the FSE feels much, much smaller and lighter. As a result I got an immediate burst in confidence after getting on it. Where it really comes in to it's own though is the steering. It steers easily and goes exactly where you point it.

The engine is very strong. Feels much more like (say) a 525 than a DRZ. Lots of low down power and a nice mid-range. Not much up top but that's pretty typical for a big four stroke. The real bonus comes with the EFI. It gives you a degree of precision that's completely unlike any dirt bike I've ever ridden. For a less than average rider like myself that just adds to the feeling of confidence and control.

The slipper clutch is awesome. The effect is much more subtle than I expected but it works a treat.

Now for the bad. Some people have problems getting them started and mine is in the shop right now due to a clutch problem. Apparently it's not common and most people seem to have reported no siginificant reliability issues with the later models. Also, the fuel tank (on the Austrlian model at least) is a piddly 6.7litres.

Hope that Helps,

mal

[Mattallica]

well the SM 450 has the 'E' button plus the kick starter..so starting issues would be hopefully nill.

the dealership was telling me that the slipper clutch has some adjustability for compression braking while motard racing...and they said that they could help me set it up to do all kinds of things.

they only recommended an FMF pipe for it over the stocker...he said it would really make a noticeable difference....he also said that with the gearing etc,...they figure the bike would reach close to 120mph on the street.

thats a huge difference from the DRZ 400S I had a few years ago!

I definately like the fact that you have owned both and can make a decent comparison...Thanx for the info...now I'm sold on buying one!! ?