The VIP Experience at Daniel Sanders Factory Compound is the full factory ride deal without the pressure to win anything. Here’s how awesome it is.
I am spent, totally knackered and I am stiff and sore in places I haven’t been for a long while. It’s the day after the VIP Experience at Daniel Sanders’ place in Victoria and my forearms are tender, my bum cheeks hurt, my lower back and shoulders are tighter than the tax man on refund day and I just want to go to bed.
The VIP Experience was a cracker with perfect riding conditions and three excellent test tracks within the bush on the edge of the Sanders apple empire. I had the complete range of 2024 model GASGAS EC enduro bikes at my disposal and enjoyed every single one of them and then a little bit more. I’ve been to a bunch of bike launches and model releases over the years but this was the best test ride experience I have had for a complete model range.
Despite what you might think, most new model launches are fairly hectic and the actual ride time at these manufacturer-hosted events is quite minimal. After a presentation from the manufacturer where they explain their bike’s latest and greatest improvements, there’s always a mad scramble for the bikes and an arm wrestle for the photographer because if you come back to the office without cover-worthy photographs, you have a very cranky and unforgiving editor chewing your arse off. By the time you have nailed enough action shots and fended off rival journalists from hogging bikes, the photographer and the mechanics, you then gather enough information to write the story and by then the day is usually done. The VIP Experience was nothing like that, all I did was rock up with my riding gear and ride.
ONE BY ONE
I was pretty keen to get amongst it at this VIP Experience. I didn’t really care what bike I started with but I was intent on working through all six bikes methodically to find exactly which bike would suit my intended purposes. There is only ever a maximum of 10 riders at each VIP Experience and there’s always 10 bikes so you’re never left without a ride.
Grabbo gave us a briefing on how the day would run then let us choose a bike. I waited to see what was left and happily threw my leg over the EC 250. Clearly this bike was not on anyone else’s radar but I was happy to ride it on our 22km warm-up ride over the three tracks.
I thoroughly enjoyed riding the EC 250 and it surprised me with how much torque the engine produced, yet it still revved out smoothly making clean and smooth power the harder you revved it. The EC 250 is a good-time bike that is surprisingly planted for a two-smoker. I felt safe and confident on it which made it fun.
I jumped on the EC 300 straight after to get a clear idea of where I stood within the two-stroke offerings. The EC 300 feels like a bigger bike from the moment you sit on it. Maybe that’s a psychological thing but I did get more feedback through my hands on this bike than I did on the 250.
The engine makes smooth power and there is definitely more of it compared with the 250, you can leave it in third gear and let the engine do all the work. That said I didn’t really gel with this bike. It was harder work to corner and it just wasn’t as much fun to ride as the 250.
FOUR-STROKE FEASTINGS
The EC 500F was the first four-stroke I laid my mitts on and I’m glad I started the four-bangers with the big boss because I’m not that bike fit at the moment. There’s a big difference between physically fit and bike fit and I know my limitations.
Wow, the EC 500F is a beast. You hit the starter and it thumps between your legs. This bike makes a lot of power. This would be the bike for crossing the Simpson Desert but for me and my enduro-style singe tracks and occasional motocross track riding, it’s too much.
I felt the fork was really hard so Grabbo checked the settings and sent me back out. He nailed it and I immediately felt more comfortable. It’s so cool having someone with intimate knowledge of the bike and the tracks that understands what I was saying.
I was conscious of keeping my fluids up and the calories coming in so I snacked on the bars, the fruit and the lollies laid out for us. The barbeque was being fired up in readiness for lunch so I got back out in the bush aboard the EC 450F. This is a bike I could see parked in my shed at home.
The 450F doesn’t have the big-bore thump of the 500F and even though there’s only 50cc difference between them, I felt much more comfortable on the 450F. It turns easier than the 500F and I think it could be a very versatile bike, although, a tad too much bike for me.
It was time for lunch and the boys dished some pristine steaks, salads and snags. Bloody hell it was good. I was starting to feel fatigue setting in so I was happy to sit around the fire for a bit to take some time getting to know the other riders. There were two blokes from Brisbane, one from Milicent in South Australia, one from the NSW Central Coast and the rest from around Victoria. All top blokes.
NAILING IT DOWN
The EC 350F was next on my hit list and if Goldilocks was on this ride she would have found it just right. This bike is awesome. The increments in power difference between the 450F and the 350F are far bigger than the difference between the 450F and 500F. It’s a full gear change different in a lot of situations however, the 350F makes wicked power and it is super easy to use.
I was fairly knackered by the time I rode the 350F with my fingers beginning to cramp, however, I was able to comfortably and confidently ride this bike and the more I did, the more fun I had. This bike is good.
The EC 250F proved to be a popular bike amongst our group and it took me all day to finally get my hands on it. This bike is a lot of fun to ride so it stands to reason why it was in such demand. Feeling lighter and more nimble than the other four-stroke models on offer makes it easy to throw around. On the more technical tracks it required more concentration and activity with gear selection.
I was fairly cooked by this stage and as a result, I found the extra grunt in the 350F made it easier to ride. I’m not a revvy rider, never have been and the 350F is just my sweet spot.
You can only really come to these conclusions by riding the different bikes on the same tracks, in the same conditions on the same day and that is the beauty of the VIP Experience. It’s the full factory rider deal. I just rolled up with my riding gear and everything else was laid on. Food, drinks, sweep rider, photographer and videographer, accommodation and Grabbo for bike setup and rider coaching. All I had to do was ride and enjoy myself, it really was an experience.
RIDER RANT
Name: Josh Taylor
Residence: Brisbane
Age: 37
Occupation: Horizontal drilling business owner
Current Bike: KTM 300EXC
“My wife and kids surprised me by booking this VIP Experience for me after I saw it in ADB. I’m looking at buying a new bike and trying to decide if I stick with a two-stroke or cross over to a four-stroke. The 500F surprised me. I really enjoyed it and I wasn’t sure if I would, I really liked the power of it.
“I liked the way the 450F handled. The 300 was very smooth with almost electric power. The 250 two-stroke was really enjoyable, more so than the 300. I felt like I was able to dance with a bit more. This bike surprised me the most because I didn’t think it was going to.
“The 350F was good as you can lug it if you want to or you could let it rev. It felt nimble and easy to throw around and I gave it a good run. I think the 350F is the bike I like the most. I didn’t have to push it too much and it didn’t tire me out.
“I really enjoyed my time the whole weekend. It was quite relaxed but with heaps of ride time. The tracks were epic and I loved being able to cycle through the bikes back-to-back. It was well worth the effort.”
RIDER RANT
Name: Chris Polites
Residence: Melbourne
Occupation: Civil engineer
Current Bike: Beta RR 300 Racing
“I signed up for this Experience after seeing it ADB. I have mates that got a bike, they go out and get injured and don’t go out again so I thought this would be good for some proper rider coaching and to try some different bikes. I just booked it because if you don’t book it, you don’t go.
“It was nice to be able to compare my Beta 300 to the GASGAS. The EC 300 has much smoother power, it doesn’t bog or flame-out and the suspension is a lot softer. I haven’t ridden a four-stroke for a while but I liked the 350F, it’s a really nice middle-ground bike. I didn’t think it would have enough power for me but it seems to.
“The 250 two-stroke surprised me, I liked it more than the 300 for some reason, I don’t know why but I really enjoyed riding it. I was surprised how easy the 450F is to ride. I thought it would be a lot heavier. It can lug pretty well and it’s pretty easy to ride. The 250F is a nice bike but you have to really get into it to get it going.”
WORDS TUFFY || PHOTOS MITCH AND BERNIE