2002 Gas Gas 250 vs 300 - Any advice?

[yz 200 guy]

I'm looking for some advice on choosing between a new 250 or 300 Gas Gas. I currently ride a 99 KX 250 in the Iowa Hare Scrambles and the United Off Road Racing (Bike Barn) series in Illinois. I've been getting first or seconds all year in the Big B and +30 classes. I'm 6'1" tall and weigh 168 lbs without my gear.

I like the KX, but it's tall 1st gear and 5 speed transmission make it only fun at the races, trailriding is kind of less fun. The motor is great, strong low and mid-range with excellent response and is hard to stall also. I want the Gas Gas to measure up in the motor department, although I think the KX will be hard to beat. The KX handles good, maybe a little large feeling in tight corners, and the tank and shrouds are not the most comfortable to squeeze for two hours.

The KX has MX-Tech valving set up for off-road, stiffer straight rate springs (.44 front and 5.2 rear), 1mm shorter pull rods, 7 oz. flywheel weight, WER steering stabilizer, and a 3.5 gal. IMS tank.

Thanks,

yz 200 guy

 

[Racerboy1a]

I think you'll find that either of these bikes will feel very similiar to your kx, as they use similiar frames, and G-G used to run some Kx plastic. as far as power, the g-g is very linear....no big hits, no bogs, kinda electric like, but really fun!

 

[longtime]

I love my 300. Can't imagine trading it for a 250. :)

 

[sharp]

If you go with the 250 just make absolutely sure you are pointed in the right direction when you twist the throttle. :p

 

[yz 200 guy]

I might as well asked Dirt Bike Magazine

Thanks for your replies but you didn't help me at all. Lets see, I got some input from a Husky 125 rider, a guy that lives (I assume) near Saddleback in CA, and a guy that alluded that the 250 is explosive in nature. How all that relates to me out here in the woods and cornfields of Iowa is tenative at best.

How about some more information about what experience you have with GG 250's and 300s (ever actually own one?) Do you race, and if so, what types and what classes? How fast are you? Where do you ride? I've never been in the desert, so what works out there might not apply to my riding. Does the 300 start harder or vibrate more or feel heavier than the 250? Anybody ever put the counterbalancer back in their Gas Gas, and how does it affect the power delivery?

Lots of questions, but I'm about to plunk down $6G on a toy here. We all should be well informed when we do that.

yz 200 guy

 

[TexKDX]

Guy -

As a KTM300 owner, based on your original post I'd have to say go with the 300. As far as the "fun factor", my 300 gives me a grin every time I ride it. Having come off a KDX200 two years ago I found out I take the 300's power for granted. A bud dropped off a new KDX for some work last week, so I had the chance to re-live my KDX days after installing a torque pipe on this pup.

Night and day can only describle the difference between the 200 kawie and the 300! Both the 250 and the 300 are gonna give you the wider ratio tranny than your current mount, and the 300 will give you similar top end HP to your KX (mabe a few more). Where the 300 really makes a difference is the way if pulls from right off the bottom thru the mid-range. I mention the KDX BTW just to demonstrate the dramatic difference between it and the 300 and realize you have the KX250.

Combine the extra low and mid with the wider ratios and you have a bike that requires less shifting, a lower low, and a higher high. The extra flywheel effect also is a plus if your KX does not have one. All of these factors will make a difference in your trail riding fun. BTW I am familiar with Bike Barn's trails having done most of them on a mountain bike.

The thing the 250 does better than the 300 is it lets you be a little less picky on thottle control in the tight stuff. You can hold it open and blast more than on the 300, which turns into a land-based rocket whenever it hooks up while on the pipe.

I had the opportunity to ride a '02 Honda CR250 a few weeks ago. The motor in summary is, same power on top as my 300, less bottom and mid. The 300 does not give you a big peak HP boost, rather more HP and torque down where you need it offroad. I'm 6' and 170 BTW if that helps too.

 

[GlennP]

yz200guy,

I'll try to help you out. I own, ride, and race an XC250 in the B class in tight, snotty, eastern enduros. I've ridden a 300 as well. They are both excellent, quick steering motorcycles well suited to technical terrain. The 250 power is, like you would expect, biased about 1000RPM higher in the rev range. Great low end for a 250, good mid rush, and it revs way out. It is very smooth and not hard to ride, just revs faster than the 300. The 300 has strong low end, powerful mid, and flattens out a little sooner than the 250. It also feels more linear. Much can be done to alter power delivery of either, and pull rods can be changed to tailor steering depending on terrain. Neither bike vibrates much at all, they have a crank mounted ecentric balance weight. The motors are actually very close (cylinder, head, piston, and no crank stuffers, reed spacer in the 300 make up the differences)

I like the 250, as it has just enough and not too much. It probably depends on style as well, if you like to rev the bikes out or torque through obstacles. At 6'1'' you may want to add bar risers to stretch the feel out, as its compact for a 250. My bike has been bulletproof in the 2 seasons I've ridden it.

If you havn't done so already, check out the www.smackovermotorsports.com GasGas technical forum for more detailed info. Good Luck.

 

[bgdawg]

gasgas#1

NEW 250,

This 250 hits and acts much like my past 300s!

It comes with stiffer springs and feels a little like the kx250 but smoother and handles quicker!

IF you are running Gncc, crosscountry , or harescrambles may i recomend the 250 xco the o means you can get it with olins change the rear sprocket to a 47 instead of the 49 and add a little flywheel weight just to smooth out the low end hit!

We ran a texas crosscountry race the other day and did not have enough top end!
Also our suspension was tooooo soft , since we mostly run woods ,(TIGHTWOODS)
CONTRARY TO WHAT U MIGHT READ GAS GASes RUN BEST LEFT STOCK!!!!!!!
(JUST MY OPINION!!)

Ps. as for GAS GAS advise make sure the people u take advise from ,race ur type races . seek a deeler that rides your type races competitively!!:cool: :cool:

 

[Racerboy1a]

Yeah, I race a husky 125, but last year raced a g-g 250, I race desert in utah in the expert class. yeah yeah yeah what works in the desert might not work for you, but desert here is pretty tight, and that 250 rocked in the tight stuff with that easy to use power!

 

[Offroadr]

300!! You love it!

 

[yz 200 guy]

Thanks everyone for your Input

This isn't an easy decision.:think
Based on all the good input I recieved, I think I'm leaning toward the 300. One of the factors making this process difficult is that I think I would be happy with either the 250 or the 300. My dealer will be getting some of both, so a ride around the parking lot and field next to the shop will probably be the final determination. Does the 300 start harder or vibrate significantly more than the 250?
My dealer, a long time friend of mine, is going to become a brand new GG dealer for Iowa. Iowa City Motorsports in Iowa City, Iowa. In fact, I am proud to say I helped talk them into it. They are currently a Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Aprilia dealer. Their success with Aprilia made them interested in adding Gas Gas as another niche brand. I'm excited to have a GG dealer just 30 minutes away!
Going into this I was leaning toward the 300, but at last week's District 22 hare scramble, my KX seemed like a handful, despite the flywheel weight and MX-tech suspension revalving. I wound up winning the Big B class after a duel with a guy on a KTM 250, but only by about 20 seconds or so. His bike had more top end speed than mine, but my KX was just a super-responsive rocket out of some of the corners. It was actually hard to hang on to a couple of times, and I left the race thinking about some advice Phil Converse (D22 #1) told me recently. Phil said he likes bikes with smooth motors and soft suspension. He rides a Husky 250 now, but used to have a KX250, plus he's so fast it's sick, all these things make me value what he has to say.

I think I could ride either bike and would be faster than my modified KX, but if the 2002 300 continues to be smoother and torquier than the 250, I think it would help ease the transition from my KX, a bike that has one of the smoothest yet fastest motors I have ever ridden.

Isn't it ironic that Kawasaki (like Yamaha and Suzuki), pump hundreds of thousands of dollars into the GNCC and Hare Scrambles series, yet won't develop an off road version of their bikes for the masses for the showroom floor. It leaves the door wide open for smaller manufacturers like KTM, Husky and Gas Gas, which is a great deal for all of us IMHO.

Thanks again, I'll let you know what I wind up with.

yz 200 guy

 

[longtime]

Re: I might as well asked Dirt Bike Magazine

Originally posted by yz 200 guy
Thanks for your replies but you didn't help me at all. Lets see, I got some input from a Husky 125 rider, a guy that lives (I assume) near Saddleback in CA, and a guy that alluded that the 250 is explosive in nature. How all that relates to me out here in the woods and cornfields of Iowa is tenative at best.

How about some more information about what experience you have with GG 250's and 300s (ever actually own one?) Do you race, and if so, what types and what classes? How fast are you? Where do you ride? I've never been in the desert, so what works out there might not apply to my riding. Does the 300 start harder or vibrate more or feel heavier than the 250? Anybody ever put the counterbalancer back in their Gas Gas, and how does it affect the power delivery?

Lots of questions, but I'm about to plunk down $6G on a toy here. We all should be well informed when we do that.

yz 200 guy

Wow! I humbly apologize for responding. Remind me to try to help you again. I'll be honest, I promise. :p

 

[yz 200 guy]

Alright, I had that coming...

I thought that would rattle some cages, Longtime. My apologies if you took it wrongly. I felt it was a true statement at the time though. Go back and look at the responses I got and see if you could glean any helpful advice out of the first three posts. There was insufficient background information on all of them.
I was hoping you would respond back with more detail on why you love your 300 over your 250. As it stands I don't know why I would want to listen to your advice simply because I don't know you from Adam. Are you fast? Do you race? Where do you ride? How long have you been riding? What year is your 300? Why did you choose it? I could go on an on with questions.
Anyway, too bad that you took it personally, I would have loved to hear more about you and your GG experience.
As far as being honest, I would take your info in context. If it is 180 degrees out of phase from the excellent input I got from TexKDX, GlennP, and bgdawg, plus what I have learned from Matt Stavish (the Midwest GG rep) and various magazine articles, then I'll be skeptical.
This whole site is based on trust and the flow of information. I suggest we all work to keep that goal in mind.
BTW Racerboy1a, thanks for your second post and clearing up things. I had visions of a 15 year old C-Class wannabe that owns a Husky and read something about Gas Gas bikes in Dirt Bike. See, I'm always assuming the worst!;)

yz 200 guy

 

[sharp]

yz200 guy,

If you happen to get the chance to evaluate both the 250 and 300 I would like to see your observations posted. I own the '01 XC 250. I am 39 just getting back into riding after a very long lay-off. I am riding enduros and have not completed one yet, so that should tell you about my ability. My riding is in mostly central Alabama. This area does have some brutal terrain, tight trails, at the various races. This area of Alabama is at the foot of the Appalachian chain.

I can lug my 250 surprising low and ride mostly in the 1/8 to 1/4 throttle range. The bike will pull real strong all the way through the throttle range. The front wheel will come up in forth gear when on the gas hard. The bike does have a hit when it gets on the pipe but it is smooth. The rpms go really high and has real good top end pull.

I previously owned a ktm 300. This GG is far superior for me ergonomically. The ktm 300 I owned was a 96. It seemed to go too fast too quick. That may have been perception because the bike was a little bulky for me to handle. I loved that 300 for the play riding I did but it was too much for me in the tight stuff.

I understand I can turn my 250 into a 300 with the simple change of the cylinder and piston. Some day I would like to try this just for grins but I would rather ride someone's 300 because it would seem an expensive grin.

Have fun

 

[squid]

Hey Hawkeye,
I suggest you get a ride on both bikes before you decide.. I ride a 200, which has plenty of power for east coast enduro riding. My impressions are that the 300 is somewhat "tamer" than the 250. It's big ol piston takes a little longer to rev than a 250. The 300 is a torque monster which can be ridden all day in 3rd gear. The 250 is a mans bike and you better have the wheel pointed in the right direction before yoe grab a handful..
All are awesome bikes, which turn like no other bike I know of..
I'm originally from western Ia, and am glad to hear that you've got some racing happening in the Hawkeye state.. Go Hawks..Michigan escaped a big upset...

 

[yz 200 guy]

You read my mind Squid. I will do the parking lot thing, but maybe I could talk them into letting me try them out at my place here in the country. I'll post what I know from whatever demo ride I get. My only fear on the 300 is that it would make me a lazy racer. The 250 sounds like my KX, it can be almost a handful. But a very fun handful!
I didn't see the game, but from what I heard the Hawkeyes needed to play all four quarters. Still a respectable showing for my alma mater.

yz 200 guy

 

[jalbert]

make it simple=2002 ktm 250 exc;) ;) ;)

 

[DahlElama]

Here is a blurb from Cycle News on what they thought of the GG 300...

http://www.cycleworld.com/xp6/CycleWorld/tests/0701_free_for_all.xml?body=6

If you like your KX power... I think you'd like the XC250 as well. My buddy rides a 01 KX250 and he digs my XC250's power.

 

[yz 200 guy]

Entangidahl, thanks for the direct comparison to a KX 250. I spoke with my dealer and he said I can ride both out at my track and bring back the one I don't want. I told him I'll try not to get them dirty. He said they'll wash...

With support like that Jalbert, why would I want to ride one of those Nazi bikes?:p

The dealer show is in mid-November, my dealer wants me to go down there with him to check out what models to order, but were expecting a new baby any time then. Bummer on the timing.