2011 GG 300 race

[laser17]

Rode my buddies new GG 300 race this weekend and fell in love. I was nervous as it was brand new and didnt want to ding it up, but he kept telling me to hit everything and get a good feel for it. Thanks Stu!

The new frames are wider through the midsection like the beta evo. While it feels alittle strange at 1st, its definately more stable than my bike and has really good balance side to side. The whole rear of the bike seems lower as well with a lower CG feel to it. Riding, the bike responds to foot inputs and really steers quickly from the pegs. Holding your line on off-cambers seemed easy, and making balance saving corrections were more intuative. The rear suspension feels very similar to the beta, but with a new Ohlins Gold shock, it was super plush, yet still had alot of feel and worked well with the x-light tires. My bike feels very harsh in comparison. If I try and make mine feel plush, it becomes too slow and it makes it hard to hop. This things was still super easy to hop around. I think EVO riders will find it familiar.

The power this bike makes is really confident inspiring. Will smoothly lug down low and linearly pull like a freight train when asked to do so. If youve ridden a 300 older than an 06, I think you would be surprised at how much easier this one is to ride - yet I think it actually has more initial power. This bike is "almost" as smooth as a beta 250 down low, Will not stall and has great clutch feel, but with alot more linear snap than anything else. I say linear snap as there is no mid range surge of the hit like the early GG 280's had - just electric and predictable. 300's with tall gearing have always gotten away from me in the past - but this one seemed alot more composed and friendly.

This bike had 11-42 gearing and is taller than what im used to, but was super easy to ride everything I hit in 1st gear. It made me rethink my current gearing on my bike as im running out of acceleration in 1st, but my bike lugs in 2nd in some sections.

Im sure all the new bikes are great, but I was surprised at how much better I like this bike over mine. Just better at everything. Bigger changes in the feel than the last frame change. Im going to try a few setup changes on mine, but can see owning a 300 now whereas in the past they were just too much for me w/o slowing them down with FWW and slow throttles.

I did end up crashing it, but saved the bike. I over compensated for the power and backed off way too soon and fell backward off the edge. There was no way I was going to let that thing hit the ground though. Being around 7 lbs lighter than my bike, it was even easy to hold up as I jumped off.

[Motomofo1]

Good write up! I met Stuart at the RI national last year... he is a great dude!

[Hurricane Harry]

race?

[laser17]

I guess I should have said 300 Racing.

[laser17]

Good write up! I met Stuart at the RI national last year... he is a great dude!

I Agree. Great rider too.

[Hurricane Harry]

do they actually race them? spain, europe?

[laser17]

do they actually race them? spain, europe?

You could! They are pretty fast in tight woods!

[jonny042]

I picked mine (identical 300 RACE) up a week ago last friday, then loaded it up on Monday and drove 15 hours to a friends place to ride (where there is no snow). We spent 3 days out of four riding, first time on the bike this spring, a little sore to be sitting for so long on the drive home!!

I love the bike, it's really trick, and light! Love the rear suspension, and I was very careful to get the rear sag set properly to approximately 1/3 of the travel. Really makes the bike feel lively and seems to aid front traction in the turns.

One thing, it's a little hard to start - laser, any similar experience? Could just be the extra displacement making it harder to kick over, but it usually took 2 kicks to get it going (that adds up after a day of riding).

And I broke a fender already. I do make a habit of crashing..... if you're not falling....

[laser17]

Congrats on the new bike. I'm Jealous- after my small taste I want more. The 300 is alittle harder to start than others - especially if its cold out and you dont use the choke. I always take the time to start it in neutral - somthing I dont always bother with on my 250. Stu taught me a new technique/kicking motion where you lean forward against the bars and kick back towards the rear of the bike(making certain the kick start pawl in engaged 1st of course) - Its alittle tricky, but if you do it right, you dont hit the KS lever into the footpeg. Stu mentioned he watched Raga start his bike and he did it that way. Works well.

You must have had a good crash as the new fender on the 2011 is noticeably more flexible than mine.

[laser17]

Also - I find Iridium plugs gapped to 0.022-.023" helps them come to life alittle easier.

[jonny042]

Also - I find Iridium plugs gapped to 0.022-.023" helps them come to life alittle easier.

Good advice - an iridium plug was my first mod (before the last day we rode) and it did seem to help. I'm not sure I have the right technique for adjusting the idle mixture either (although I know it's an air screw on the Keihin)

The fender wasn't THAT hard to break..... but I did need help to extract the bike as it was firmly wedged between a tree and a rock, and had to be removed the opposite way to it's entry... straight up!

I would say that yes, my old fenders were much easier to break.

Thanks, Jon

[laser17]

for air screw adjustment.

Warm up bike well.

Lower Idle Speed

lean out the air screw adjustment until you get an obvious lean bog when you snap open the throttle (a very quick/full twist)

Richen air screw until lean bog "just" disappears and bike revs freely.

Add aprox 1/2 turn richer.

Test it: (with hot engine - idle set normal)

#1 Find a steep uphill and ride up wide open, and chop the throttle at the top. If you hear any pinging after you chop the throttle - your still too lean.

#2 Goto a familar uphill hit that you need a strong shot out of the hole on. If the bike hesitates, still too lean (1/4 turn increments), if the bike doesnt hesitate, but doesnt have great snap, revs build slowly, you may be on the rich side. play with it until your happy and the thing is nice and perky.

Get used to doing it and you will develop a good feel for it vs weather / altitude changes. The testing phase is just until your confident you have it nailed. After that, you can adjust it on the fly if needed. (not usually needed unless somthing changes like temp/humidity)

Hope that helps - 2 ply has a video on here as well on a recent thread. I find the Keihin less sensitive and therefore alittle harder to get the feel of than the round slide carbs. My VHST is the same way.

The bike I rode was bang on the money. Those 300's LOVE the keihin.

Good luck:ride:

[2PLY]

I have a special trick that helps to never break a fender. And it works on other parts too.

Every time I buy a new bike, I buy spare fenders front and rear with the same graphics. I also buy the correct throttle cable and spare handle bars.. If you have spares, they original ones never break or bend, so you have to give them up when you sell the bike, but then the new owner loves it

[jonny042]

I have a special trick that helps to never break a fender. And it works on other parts too.

Every time I buy a new bike, I buy spare fenders front and rear with the same graphics. I also buy the correct throttle cable and spare handle bars.. If you have spares, they original ones never break or bend, so you have to give them up when you sell the bike, but then the new owner loves it

Yes, that works. My '09 went to it's new owner with two brand new spare fenders!

[jonny042]

for air screw adjustment.

Warm up bike well.

Lower Idle Speed

lean out the air screw adjustment until you get an obvious lean bog when you snap open the throttle (a very quick/full twist)

Richen air screw until lean bog "just" disappears and bike revs freely.

Add aprox 1/2 turn richer.

Test it: (with hot engine - idle set normal)

#1 Find a steep uphill and ride up wide open, and chop the throttle at the top. If you hear any pinging after you chop the throttle - your still too lean.

#2 Goto a familar uphill hit that you need a strong shot out of the hole on. If the bike hesitates, still too lean (1/4 turn increments), if the bike doesnt hesitate, but doesnt have great snap, revs build slowly, you may be on the rich side. play with it until your happy and the thing is nice and perky.

Get used to doing it and you will develop a good feel for it vs weather / altitude changes. The testing phase is just until your confident you have it nailed. After that, you can adjust it on the fly if needed. (not usually needed unless somthing changes like temp/humidity)

Hope that helps - 2 ply has a video on here as well on a recent thread. I find the Keihin less sensitive and therefore alittle harder to get the feel of than the round slide carbs. My VHST is the same way.

The bike I rode was bang on the money. Those 300's LOVE the keihin.

Good luck:ride:

Thanks for the detailed reply. I will give that a shot. I was noticing a little bit of ping on the loop last week but have yet to do all the searching I need to do to before asking too many questions.

Thanks again,

Jon

[laser17]

Just keep in mind that its the chop or throttle completely closed action that invokes the pilot circuit/air screw adj. If your hearing pinging under acceleration, you typically need to add octane or richen the needle or main circuits. What gas are you using? I think you guys get better pump fuel than us, but we all run race gas in 300's down here.

[2PLY]

And I mix AVGAS (100/130 octane) with premium unleaded auto fuel at about 50%

[leanin]

Johnny, my 2010 GG 300 was sometimes a beast to start until I read this tip on TrialsCentral :

Put bike in gear

with clutch out pull bike backwards so piston goes to TDC

pull in clutch

kick

The bike has so much compression, sometimes I could barely get the kick starter to move. This technique allows me to get the piston moving much faster with less effort and it almost always starts 1st kick now.

If the bike has been sitting a few days and I want to make sure it starts 1st kick, I "charge" the cylinder by putting the bike in gear, rock the bike forward and backward about 8 times, pull in clutch and kick. It'll start 1st kick every time.

[jonny042]

Just keep in mind that its the chop or throttle completely closed action that invokes the pilot circuit/air screw adj. If your hearing pinging under acceleration, you typically need to add octane or richen the needle or main circuits. What gas are you using? I think you guys get better pump fuel than us, but we all run race gas in 300's down here.

I am getting the impression that perhaps the 300 has a higher static compression ratio (and maybe the race is even higher) than my '09 280 had. I can't find any specs on that.

But regardless, I guess maybe my mix of 1/3 a bottle of Amsoil octane booster to 10 litres (2.5 gal) 91 octane and Amsoil sabre oil at 80:1 is just a little weak. I'll pour the octane booster to it and see if the pinging gets any better, but maybe a trip to the airport is in order..... who doesn't love the smell of avgas!!!

Our pump gas is now 91 octane everywhere. No more 92 or 93.

[jonny042]

Stu taught me a new technique/kicking motion where you lean forward against the bars and kick back towards the rear of the bike(making certain the kick start pawl in engaged 1st of course) - Its alittle tricky, but if you do it right, you dont hit the KS lever into the footpeg. Stu mentioned he watched Raga start his bike and he did it that way. Works well.

A million thanks for this!! I tried it when out riding yesterday, what a revelation! No more hoisting myself up on the left peg to gain enough advantage on the kickstart lever! I've said it before but doing an event with 36 sections in a club trial you will start your bike at least twice per section, usually 3 times (we ride as a group and check for each other). So you're starting the bike over 100 times a day....... all that effort has to ad up by then end of the day. Anything to make it easier is a big help!!!