“Hurry! We only have one try!” The sentence is heard more often today. Every twist of the throttle causes the single cylinder to squeal excitedly. 115 decibels in an open-plan office – is that allowed? On this working day, the fear of the security service drives along. It is more bearable than the fear of Corona on the bus.
Axel-Springer-Platz 1 in Hamburg: Cradle of Hamburger Abendblatt and Hörzu, today home of AUTO BILD MOTORRAD. Long lockdown months are behind the editors. The weather forecast promises sunshine, everyone wants to get out – and we want to go to the publishing house.
We use the GasGas EC 250 as a means of commuting: world champion enduro, 106 kilos light, 48 hp and a cannonball off-road. Also in the office?
The way to the ninth floor leads through the historic entrance hall.
The GasGas confidently rolls over flat steps with minimal physical effort, almost bored. The Spanish off-road diva wants to be challenged, she shows off her talent in tight stairwell bends.
Then spontaneous power output is required to catapult it to the next level. Thanks to 360 millimeters of ground clearance, even dozing office dogs are no obstacle.
Dimensions suitable for elevators
Beautiful: The compact dimensions make the bike suitable for elevators and make it easier to maneuver in the kitchenette. If the boss comes with unpleasant tasks, the disc brakes (front 260 mm) slow down brutally.
Whoo! The friendly cleaning lady in the elevator can continue driving with peace of mind. Yes, everything stays clean.
On the subsequent escape, the twin-valve exhaust control guarantees even power delivery across the entire rev range. Technical highlight: The “WP XPLOR-USD fork” with an impressive diameter of 48 mm prevents any buckling – even with inferior arguments in meetings. (Bike innovations for 2022)
A balancer shaft mounted on the side is intended to reduce vibrations from the high-performance drive and increase comfort. Compensation is important, because the non-motorized colleagues sometimes cause bad vibrations in the open-plan office with evil looks.
The EC 250 is a slim, evil forest sprite
“It’s our slim, bad woodsman,” says manufacturer GasGas about the EC 250. “A bike that doesn’t give up even when you’re stuck in the dirt up to the footrests, that delivers with low maintenance costs and high reliability.” Just like us.
The guerrilla action lures younger colleagues out of their offices. Older people, who no longer hear so well, do their job stoically.
AUTO BILD MOTORRAD says: It’s noisy, it stinks, it climbs like an animal: for the last mile on the way to the office, the WM-Enduro is a good alternative to the 250-watt electric scooter. Commuters should first contact the caretaker, the security guard and ask the owner of the property for permission. Or… no… you’d better not do that!
gasgas
Trial, enduro, motocross, even rallying – when dust and sand are involved, the Spanish brand is traditionally right at the start. The company has belonged to KTM since 2019. GasGas recently engaged the enduro specialist and “Erzberg” winner Taddy Blazusiak (PL) for the WESS and FIM Enduro World Championships.
A man wants to go up: final wheelie by colleague Jan Horn on the roof terrace on the 14th floor.
The model on these pages with a 250 ccm two-stroke injection engine (including a balancer shaft!) is the first choice among experts and hobby drivers. Weighing only 106 kilograms, equipped with the best WP suspension elements, Braktec brake system and hydraulic clutch, the EC can be moved through the terrain with minimal effort.
Technical data and price: EC 250
• engine Single-cylinder, two-stroke injection • displacement 249cc • perfomance approx. 35 kW (48 hp) at 10,500 rpm • Max. Torque k. A • travel v./h. 300/300mm • seat height 950mm • curb weight 106.2kg • tank capacity 8.5L • Price from 9295 euros
