Taking out the calculator, Gas Gas has to revamp its TXT in 2013. A logical step if we take into account that in 2012 its Enduro range has done so and the Trial range has hardly received any significant changes. The good boost that the Girona brand has given to its “Racing” version and the strong push of the competing brands, clash with the situation of Economic situation in which we are immersed. The reality is, however, that the same user profile that buys a Gas Gas, will not look down on other proliferating brands such as Ossa or JTG if in 2013 they do not offer something different.
In the Spanish Trial Championship held in Lozoyuela we took a good look at the Gas Gas driven by Adam Raga, whose aesthetic difference with respect to the unit with which the Indoor World Championship concluded in Paris did not go unnoticed by us.
As you can see in the pictures, the TXT is equipped with a different fork. It is a TECH, which replaces the classic MARZOCCHI with aluminum bars that Gas Gas has been equipping in its standard versions since 2006 – it was speculated that until recently Raga wore a camouflaged Showa. TECH is going strong in Trial; Proof of this is that both JTG and Sherco already equip these forks in their production models, with a highly satisfactory result.
We tested it during our in-depth test of the JTG 300. It offers outstanding performance for all riding levels and is reportedly lighter than the MARZOCCHI. At this point, we are convinced that Gas Gas is working to implement important changes for the next TXT “Raga Replica”, a saga that historically acts as a “guinea pig” and “pre-series” of the next range.
We’ll see if our predictions come true. We will have to wait, at least, until May or June to see what the new “RR” has in store for us.
PILOTS, KEY PLAYERS IN THE EVOLUTION OF THE SECTOR?
In the context of Trial, when a brand acquires the services of a “top” rider, it seeks to Three main objectives: awards, product visibility and evolution. This last point is the one that most interests us fans, since We don’t live off the sporting successes of a rider or a brand, but we can make an outlay by replacing our bike in case we need it. That brand motivates us with a good product.
has proven with facts that brands are usually right, but the times they are wrong, the user pays for the mistake in the form of devaluation of their product. On too many occasions, brands launch real prototypes on the market, with hardly any verification of their durability or reliability.
Inevitably, negative examples come to mind such as the first Gas Gas Pro (2002), the Sherco 2010 with the fragile fuel tank with side filler, or the several warranty campaigns that Ossa has carried out with its first edition of the TR280i.
For most brands, drivers are key figures in the evolution of the model. However, it’s curious to look back and think about releases like those of the Montesa Cota 4RT, where Fujinami and Lampkin had to get off a winning bike (Cota 315R) to get on a bike designed for the amateur, or the Beta EVO, where Fajardo and Lampkin found the project already completed at the Cto del Mundo de Trial de Castellolí.
In the case of Ossa, it was Colomer who carried out the first tests, but it is not clear that he contributed to the development guidelines. The JTG , on the other hand, was born out of experience and wisdom, but the brand did not have any active “top” riders involved in the development of the JT.
Therefore, from our point of view, the main value of an official driver is to thoroughly test a product and ensure its effectiveness before reaching series production. Another matter, quite different, is to respond to the eternal debate of whether the technical needs of a “top” rider are comparable to those of an amateur. Fundamentally, no.
However, taking into account that replacing a Trial bike annually can cost us an average of 2,000 euros, brands must give strong arguments to the fan. The new is not always synonymous with evolution, but as they say: “walker,
it makes a path as it walks.”
We look forward to your comments to enrich this article.
Text and photos: David Quer
