FEATURE - GasGas Cape York Ride
Words & Photos: Phil Suriano
For the best part of my adult life, I’ve wanted to ride from Cairns to Cape York. Over the years, several opportunities to do this epic ride have presented themselves, but due to work, travel or family commitments, the dream never came to fruition – until this year.
The good part in the long delay between this ride progressing from a dream to a reality meant my two boys were now old enough to do the trip with me. Riding to the Cape with a few mates (my original plan) would have been great, but riding with my sons would make for an even better experience.
It was early 2020 when I finally decided to make the ride happen, which meant COVID would play a part in my plans. That May, I called Roy Kunda at Cape York Motorcycle Adventures to book in for one of their top end tours.
Widely acknowledged as the experts in hosting these rides, Roy and his team have 30+ years’ experience, which is exactly what all of us Cape York virgins were looking for. Colleagues in the motorcycle industry all said, “You have to go with Roy. He’s the best." That made choosing Cape York Motorcycle Adventures an easy decision.
Such was my enthusiasm that I actually booked out every spot for one trip! That meant all 15 places on a Cape York M/C Adventures six-day tour, so my next task involved filling those spots.
I made a plan to fill the trip with riding mates who have sons that also ride, so when I started asking around, I found many of my friends were of the same mindset about riding the Cape as me. It didn’t take long before I had seven fathers and eight sons signing on for the trip, which was booked in for September, 2021.
COVID capers
Of course, a lot happened in the 16 months between booking the trip and when it was scheduled to happen. As COVID saw some states go into long lockdowns and others close their borders for even longer, everyone became nervous about how we were all going to make it into Queensland.
I had two father and son pairings from Adelaide booked for the trip, along with three from Sydney and the rest from Victoria, but the closer we got to September, 2021, the more unlikely my father and son bucket list trip was looking.
The final nail in the coffin came when Renae Kunda (Roy’s wife) called to advise that the COVID situation meant they wouldn’t be proceeding with rides, including ours, until 2022. I was offered a replacement trip in the 2022 season and immediately said ‘yes’.
However, the first available trip I could get with all 15 places open was the last of the season – in October. I was disappointed at not getting something earlier, primarily due to the heat I knew would be a factor in October, but I signed the group up anyway and set about rebooking flights and accommodation.
The new date didn’t suit everyone and I lost two fathers and sons, but in searching for replacements, I was reminded of an old buddy, ‘Steve B’, that I'd ridden with years earlier. Before I could spit all the details on the father and son ride to Cape York, Steve said, “Shit yeah, count me in! I’ve always wanted to do that ride.”
Steve got his boys Harry and Sam on board, so I had 15 slots filled again; all fathers and sons, which made it extra special.
A Big Red Surprise
Happy to be riding with the best tour operator in the region, my party was less happy about the bikes we’d be riding, specifically Suzuki’s DR-Z400.
There’s nothing particularly wrong with the DR-Z, but technology has moved on in leaps and bounds since the first units debuted, with most manufacturers in the enduro realm these days making bikes that are lighter, torquier, handle better and are easier to ride.
I knew that some in my group had new KTMs in their shed, so riding the DR-Z400 was going to be a letdown. What I didn’t know was that two would flatly refuse to sign on for the ride if they had to do it on a DR-Z. That was a bit of a ‘wow’ moment.
As it happened, those two missed out, because when we turned up to Cape York Motorcycle Adventures HQ (12km out of Cairns), we were greeted by a lineup of 15 2023-model GasGas EC 350F enduro bikes – what a surprise!
Roy explained that he and his team of riders, led by Juan Esteban Reyes (a former WEC heavyweight), had been testing the GasGas EC 350F for the past year with a view to updating their fleet and had only received them recently. When Renae added that we would be the first CYMCA tour group to ride the new bikes, our excitement level went through the roof!
As we pored over the bright red – and very clean! – four-stroke 350s, we could see that the GasGas was a world away from the bikes we were expecting in terms of lightness, handling and performance. They looked incredible, too.
Talking GasGas with Roy Kunda, Cape York M/C Adventures founder
How did the deal come about to replace the Suzukis in your fleet with GasGas bikes – and why did you go specifically for the EC 350F?
We had been running a fleet of Suzukis for the past 20 years, but due to supply issues, it made sense to make a change. We were also looking to move away from carburettors to a fuel-injected bike.
We had been running a couple of KTM EXC 350s for years, so we went with GasGas as we knew what we would be getting. They’re virtually the same bike - KTMs in red clothes!
Given that GasGas offer 4-stroke and 2-stroke enduros, why did you choose the EC 350F over the EC 300?
The 300 can’t do the miles, so we have to run a 4-stroke. Also, the 300 couldn’t stand up to the wear and tear - the 350 is far more durable
What other makes and models did you look at and what sort of testing and assessment did you subject the GasGas EC 350F to before settling on that model?
Looking across the board at other manufacturers, many similar bikes are too highly strung.
Also, the capacity range is just not available from the major Japanese manufacturers - they have a 250, then jump to a 450, with nothing in the middle.
Another plus with the Gas Gas is its wide-ratio gearbox which makes it ideal for the type of riding we expose the bikes to and the availability of long-range fuel tanks.
On spec alone, how does the EC 350F differ from the DR-Z400s you’ve previously been using?
The GasGas is a lot lighter, which means better handling in technical conditions as they haven’t got the same amount of weight.
Suspension is better set up for the type of riding conditions we do, the handlebars are tougher and the rims heavier duty, so they can take a harder treatment.
Being fuel injected and with an hydraulic clutch, it’s just a better, more modern package out of the crate, as well as being easier to work on.
Overall, the GasGas is more compact and less susceptible to damage, with no rubbish on them that you have to remove or make allowances for.
How did the EC 350Fs perform on the first CYMCA adventure ride you did with them this year?
This was the first tour that we had on the GasGas, with a great cross section of skills and riding abilities within the group. As such, we witnessed a large number of incidents, but the bikes held together extremely well, showing little wear.
As we’ve been using the KTM EXC350 for a number of years and have made no adjustments on it, we believe the GasGas will be with us for the long haul.
If you had to pick one feature of the EC 350F you’ve been particularly impressed with, what would that be?
I’ll pick two! It’s light and really nimble, which you can’t look past as they’re both major benefits for the terrain we cover on our tours and the riders we lead.
Ready to Ride
In the lead up to us arriving in Cairns, there were numerous emails and calls between our group to determine what gear to take. In the end, the decision would be pretty simple – a helmet, jersey, nylons, goggles, gloves, boots, knee braces and body armour. Some of us arrived with spare googles, gloves and the like, but the bulk of us had only one set of everything.
As our ride would be in October, we knew we wouldn’t need jackets, heavy gloves and the like. As it happened, the gear we started in at dawn would see us through to dusk on every day of this ride. Given the daily temps exceeded 30 degrees, we didn’t even bother to strip off to swim in most cases – we’d just walk into creeks and waterholes in all our gear, letting it dry off in the heat after we got back on our bikes.
Before our group ride got underway, Roy conducted a pre-ride briefing, covering things like gear set-up, safety and luggage, which I was already familiar with, having completed a three-day ride through iconic FNQ locations for Harley-Davidson’s ‘Where The Dirt Takes Me’ campaign this past June (featured with JUST BIKES in September). The Pan America 1250 I took on that ride was a very different beast to the GasGas, though, so being led through the EC 350F and its features by Roy and Juan was welcome.
Before we knew it, we were on the road making our way to our first night’s accommodation – the Lion’s Den Hotel in Rossville; around 300km north of Cairns. Soon after leaving Kuranda, we were riding fire trails through Kuranda National Park, then passing Mossman en route to the CREB Track.
Famous amongst 4x4 drivers due to its challenging terrain and beautiful scenery, the CREB Track covers around 140km through the world heritage-listed Daintree rainforest, taking in spectacular scenery at every turn and attractions like China Camp, Roaring Meg Falls and Wujal Wujal before ending in historic Cooktown.
In terms of giving our tour group a challenge, along with a taste of what the GasGas EC 350F is capable of, the CREB Track’s combination of river crossings, gravel tracks, sand, washouts, slippery clay, hills and lots of red dirt was perfect.
This off-road route is normally busy with adventurers, but we were lucky enough to have it to ourselves – a result of the late date for our ride, I guess. In fact, we saw very few people for our entire journey to the tip of Cape York, which I also put down to the time of the year we rode.
GasGas assessed
Given that most of us on this ride were unfamiliar with GasGas bikes in general and the EC 350F in particular, we needed a few days to formulate an opinion on its capabilities. What we could make an early call on was the EC 350F's appearance, and most of us rated it a 10 out of 10.
The 2023 model is very simple in terms of colour and graphics – except for the GasGas logo in white, everything’s red, even the frame. One colour could be seen as overkill, but the bikes looked fantastic.
Items added by Cape York Motorcycle Adventures for this ride included Barkbusters, an engine bash plate and smaller rear sprocket. The bikes we used retained the factory 8.5-litre fuel tank, but these will be upgraded for next season with long-range 12-litre tanks.
Straddling the EC 350F for the first time, I immediately noticed its lightness, especially compared to the DR-Z400. As it has competition origins (like the KTM EXC it’s based on), the EC350F is also very compact, with the seat and plastics designed to allow lots of rider movement around the bike without snagging.
The headlight fairing was small and neat, as was the LED instrumentation that’s tucked in behind it, minimising the potential for damage, especially compared to the DR-Z dash unit that’s the size of a brick and approx. $2,000 to replace. I know this because I have a DR-Z and have broken the speedo in the past.
Keeping the tight and compact theme going, the indicators are small and the switchgear unobtrusive while still being fairly easy to use.
If there’s a negative with the EC 350F, it’s the firm and narrow seat, which I was sure I’d be feeling over 1,400kms and six days.
Once in action, the GasGas proved to be responsive, with impressive torque for a 350 single, and great manoeuvrability, even in the tight stuff.
The suspension was another area that put the EC 350F above the DR-Z – it’s like chalk and cheese. With 300mm travel from the front and rear factory WP set-up (XPLOR fork and XACT monoshock), I seriously struggled to bottom out the suspension and found it comfortably handled the conditions without negative feedback.
Juan tested the suspension much more severely than I could, riding up and down the famous Gunshot drop on the Old Telegraph Track, then jumped his bike approx. 2 metres from one flat section down to another. This seriously compressed the suspension, but the GasGas took it in its stride.
Talking GasGas with Juan Esteban Reyes, Cape York M/C Adventures tour leader
What’s your experience been with dirt bikes prior to joining Cape York M/C Adventures?
Former professional rider, with eleven years racing for Honda Colombia on the 250CR 2-stroke Honda and 450CRF 4-stroke.
I spent four years racing the World Enduro Championship in Europe, based in France and riding for Italian and French teams.
I’m also a two-time winner in the Continental Enduro Championships and a member of the World Champion 2014 Factory Racing Team.
What experience did you have with GasGas before the new EC 350F was added to the CYMCA fleet?
I raced GasGas 250 2-strokes back in 2005. However, that was long before KTM bought GasGas, so I would really say no experience.
On the testing of the EC 350F that you did, what was involved and what good and bad points did you uncover on the EC 350F?
The primary aim was to test the reliability of the GasGas 350. Being a smaller capacity engine than the 400s we had been running, we needed to be sure that it could cover the 1,400km course, week in and week out.
CYMCA also needed to see what the wear and tear was like, as each ride is very demanding. The EC 350F handled the season very well and we didn’t need to make any engine modifications.
I checked the suspension settings to see if they were good or required modification, but for me, the bike was perfect straight out of the box.
As we have lots of water crossings, I needed to check how deep the GasGas could go before drowning, as well as how easy it was to de-drown them using only the tools each rider carries in their bum bag. They are quick and easy to fix (the boys on our trip gave the team plenty of practice!) but we may look to change the air intake slightly to reduce drowning in high river crossings.
Finally, I checked the airbox to see if an upgrade was required for dry and dusty conditions, but it wasn't needed.
In what areas is the EC 350F superior to the DR-Z400 for the work it’ll be doing with CYMCA?
There is no comparison. The GasGas is a huge step up from the DR-Z – a whole new generation. The DR-Z has been amazing, but with the technology and improvements the GasGas offered, we just had to go there.
The weight is a major difference, with the GasGas much lighter, and the engine response is much stronger, too. Also, the suspension on the GasGas makes it much safer to take on bigger bumps and jumps - the DR-Z is too spongey.
What modifications have been made on each of the bikes to make them ready for use with CYMCA?
We’ve added a bash plate and Barkbusters, and after testing the range of the standard tank, we will be upgrading the tank size. This is something we’d always planned to do, as it saves time and effort not having bikes run out of fuel only a few km short of camp!
The testing uncovered the need to alter the gearing with a smaller rear sprocket, so the bike can go over 100km/h without over revving, so we’ve incorporated that, too.
Other than that, the bikes are ready to go as delivered.
Red Bikes, Red Skies
As we were sleeping under the stars in light sleeping bags each night, it added to the experience of being off the grid, and to be honest, most of us could have slept on the dirt in what we were wearing after a long day’s riding in the heat.
At one of our overnight campsites, we had a ranger come in and advise us there was a bushfire running out of control towards us. Thankfully, we had water behind us, so had somewhere to retreat to, although I’m guessing Roy was nervous about the possibility of losing 15 brand-new GasGas bikes!
When the rangers started backburning 100 metres from our location, it made for a spectacular sight with the area right in front of us lit up by fire.
The next morning, we could see the devastation – the scrub and forest was burnt out for kilometres as we continued further north, with scorched land and smouldering trees all along the route.
On the final day, we had long sandy tracks to ride, so having the lighter GasGas was certainly a positive. After five solid days of challenging riding, many of us were spent, so the sand was certainly a test.
On the flipside, the fathers in the group were happy to be on the pegs riding through the sand. Remember what I said querying the EC 350F seat earlier? Well, I can say after a full six days in the saddle that it’s not designed for old blokes like me, although there were no complaints from the sons on the ride.
Maybe Cape York M/C Adventures will add a plusher seat option in the future, but that being said, the seat was the only item I could gripe about and even that was pretty trivial.
At the End – Almost
When we arrived on a beach at Cape York, we assumed we were at the tip, so we rode the bikes to the water’s edge, only to learn that we had to leave them and walk the rest of the way.
We soon found ourselves at a small rocky outcrop on the water’s edge with a sign on a post that read: “You are standing at the northern most point of the Australian Continent”. We’d done it - one item ticked off the bucket list!
For those who have been to the northernmost tip of Australia, I am sure they can relate to how excited we all were to reach this small but significant sign. For those that haven’t, stop dreaming and book your spot on a Cape York Motorcycle Adventures ride.
Two weeks after the ride and with all of us back in our normal lives, the group's What's App chat was still pinging with memories and comments on what we experienced and the GasGas bikes we rode. I was expecting this ride to be good, but the new EC 350Fs took it to another level – it was an epic six-day ride.
We all enjoyed the adventure and I’m sure those who follow our example will love it, too.
TO SEE THE FULL GASGAS RANGE GO TO:
FRASER MOTORCYCLES WOLLONGONG
http://frasermotorcycles.com.au/
11-13 Princes Highway Fairy Meadow, NSW, Australia 2519
(02) 4283 0800
