January 2017 15
Photo by Art Pepin
A er sui ng up and playing around the house for a bit to familiarize with this odd
creature, the Gas Gas really started to grow on me. Compared to an off -road bike, the
feel is very foreign. On the pegs is where the bike likes to be ridden; there is no need
for the seat. Clutch pull is eff ortless; one fi nger is fi ne. Brake ac on is also smooth and
progressive — strong, but not overly powerful. Power delivery is torquey, strong low-end
that builds very linearly. No hit at all and revs out father than you'd expect. The six-speed
gearbox is spaced as you'd imagine a trials bike would be, fi rst through third are very
closely spaced, fourth and fi h much wider, and sixth for making me between sec ons.
The front end is light; in fact, just a twist of the thro le and you're hanging a killer
wheelie. The Contact can make a wheelie king out of any rider in short order. Now that
we were thoroughly familiarized, we were ready to put the Contact through its paces on
our favorite test grounds, a very hilly piece of property abu ng Trail Rider headquarters.
Once familiar with the Contact, what's noteworthy is how confi dence-inspiring the bike
is. With its extremely light weight and torquey power, steep rocky climbs that might have
