After recently testing the all-new 2024 GASGAS EC 500F, we asked desert racing legend Ben Grabham what he would bolt on to race in the sand!
You have to go all the way back to 2008 when GasGas Motorcycles were being manufactured out of a Spanish factory to see them producing a big bore four-stroke enduro bike, the FSR 515. Ever since the Pierer Mobility Group started steering the GASGAS ship three years ago, the largest off-road enduro bike available was the EC 350F four-stroke. It is no secret that majority of the GASGAS range share a lot of technology and features from KTM as they both come to life in the same factory, so it was kinda no surprise to see GASGAS add a EC 500F to their Enduro range for 2024.
The addition of this big bore enduro thumper is very exciting especially for us Australian riders. The majority of my riding for the last few years has been aboard a KTM 500EXC and you only need to attend the Finke Desert Race to see how popular these models are in our wide open terrain. That makes the addition of the EC500 that shares a lot of the same successful technology from the proven 500EXC, a very exciting thing.
Straight up to make this my desert weapon I would be adding a GASGAS combination switch, to give me both power mapping options and access to the Quick Shift and Traction Control modes. One of the EC 500F’s at the launch had the combination switch fitted so we could test and experience the differences. The majority of the terrain in Italy was tight and technical so the standard map was fine, but out on the few open flowing sections of grass track there was definitely an advantage in running the more powerful green map with QS activated.
I could accelerate harder out of the corners with the extra power while shifting through the gears without backing off at all. TC mode did mellow out the bottom end and make it harder to break traction, however I would only use it if the conditions were really slippery.
Next up I would fit a slip-on muffler although at this point Akrapovic is the only option. Not so much for more power, mainly to the gasses escape more freely and not build up excess heat on the desert sections where you are wide open for minutes on end. Of course the necessary desert steering damper and Steg Pegz need to be fitted. Otherwise there is not much else to do before you can be flapping off the back of this powerhouse as you rip through the Australian desert.
For the full feature, check out issue #530 of ADB.
WORDS BEN GRABHAM || PHOTOS SEBAS ROMERO